Travel

[IMJack]

I just feel this need to rant, I'm sorry.

Spent all day yesterday travelling. Two hours packing, one to the airport, one waiting at the airport, three in transit, and another three to get my shit together and get to my apartment. Very tiring, but at least I'm back in Dallas.

I hate trying to travel with my computer. My big suitcase is just big enough to hold my tower and a few things to pad it with, and my small suitcase holds my keyboard, mouse, ZIP drive, and most of my clothes (I use an old monitor and speakers we have at home). Problem is, the big suitcase is gonna wind up weighing too much. The check-in guy said it was 20 lbs over the limit, so I gotta move some stuff around or pay an $80 fine. Suckage.

Moving two suitcases massing a combined hundred pounds is rough. Moving two suitcases and a really unwieldy, bad-quality cardboard box is a nightmare, especially in DFW's "vertically interesting" environment.

I finally got in last night. My immediate roommate has had the apartment to himself all winter break. The place is an unspeakable mess. I only pray we get the place cleaned up by the time the "clean" roommate gets back. I really don't feel like getting beaten to death by a clean freak for a mess I didn't make.

So I finally clear enough of a path through my floor to get my tower back into its little cradle. I hook everything up, plug it in, and boot it up.

Or try, anyway.

Boot up + eight PC beeps + negative video feed = damaged video card.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

So now I gotta buy a new video card, on top of books and groceries. And my holier-than-thou, knowitall roommate is absolutely no help.

Does anybody know of a good way to travel with a PC mid-tower? Something that ain't gonna weigh a ton and take damage with handling? Something that doesn't involve buying a laptop or leaving my PC in Dallas for a month?

And I'm wondering if I should just get a cheap, placeholder video card (like another TNT2) or if I should splurge and get something that could handle Doom 3 when it comes out.

[nxn]

well if you don't mind playing doom3 at 30 fps, and will play recent games like Max Payne then go ahead. If not I'd just wait till Doom3 is almost out.

[Zaldron]

A GF2 MX 400 should keep you satisfied until it's time to upgrade again. They're pretty cheap here and we're devaluating, so I guess it is too on the states.

As for carrying PCs, heh, I stopped going to that weekly LAN party cause I was already tired of the whole dissasemble/travel deal.

[danarchist]

One word:
Laptop

[Sephiroth]

are u sure the card is damaged. it may need reseated. AGP cards can be a real bitch if the get even a little lose. try removeing the card, cleaning the slot and giveing it a hard push back in its home. then try it out. same problem check the pins on your monitor cable, and clean out the VGA connector on both ends. if those dont work then the card is most likly bad. a geforce 2 mx 400 is a god damn good card, and you may beable to grab one for about 30-60. also i would sudgest, unless you have, cleaning out the system while you have this chance and possible optimizing settings on the motherboard. i need to install a new hard drive and hard drive rack, i also need to clean mine out and reconnect the cd-rom to the soundcard so i got cd-player.

[Lüt]

One word:
Laptop

Don't you read? :P

Something that doesn't involve buying a laptop or leaving my PC in Dallas for a month?

Anyways, Jack, why all this travelling? Are you moving between home and school or something?

Best way to port all your stuff around is just drive where you're going, unless it's overseas or something. It's usually quicker and cheaper too and you don't have to deal with all the total retards at the airport and on the plane. Driving does suck but once you get on an interstate highway it's usually decent.

cheap, placeholder video card (like another TNT2)

Sheesh, I remember paying $270 or something for mine :\

[IMJack]

Anyways, Jack, why all this travelling? Are you moving between home and school or something?

Bingo. My family's in Salt Lake, and my school is in Dallas. I spent winter break at home.

Best way to port all your stuff around is just drive where you're going, unless it's overseas or something. It's usually quicker and cheaper too and you don't have to deal with all the total retards at the airport and on the plane. Driving does suck but once you get on an interstate highway it's usually decent.

I would have, but driving in wintertime isn't as easy as driving in late spring or late fall. Particularly since it's a two-day trip and almost requires two drivers (I have no endurance behind the wheel).

It'll be a few days before I have my computer back online, so I'm stuck on school lab computers until then. Major suckage. Oh well.

[Crendowing]

30 fps

Eh? That's about how fast Doom GBA runs, and that's "decent" to me.