My Stimulus Package to the Economy

Around summer '10 I decided I wanted to build another computer. I used to build them back in high school and had a lot of fun with it (read: wasted a lot of time on videogames). Our laptops were getting older, and we really needed a solid home computer since I do some building modeling and I work from home once a week. I figured I'd document the process in case it held value for anyone.


From the outset, I knew that I wanted to balance energy efficiency, quiet, and performance. I also had a budget of $1,000 for the entire system--including a monitor and copy of Windows. A lot had changed in the computer world since I left and returned from my time in Mexico. I found tomshardware.com to be a real handy research tool. They have some great articles like a monthly guide to the best videocards for a variety of budgets. They also have head-to-head benchmarks for CPUs and hard drives, etc.

I ended up going with the following equipment. The list is roughly in order of most important components to least important, which is the same order in which you should select them. I always purchase all my electronics at newegg.com because they are always within a dollar or two of the low-price internet-wide and they have an unbeatable return policy and customer service. Watch out for their combo deals too--you can save quite a bit by buying certain components together. A short explanation follows each item:

Motherboard - ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 - $110 after rebate
The motherboard determines all the rest of the equipment: computer size, type of processor, etc. Asus and Gigabyte are both great brands. I knew I wanted to "future-proof" the design to the extent possible, which meant I needed native USB3, eSATA, AM3+ socket, and at least 16 lanes PCI-e lanes for my videocard. This board also came with a lot of extra goodies like an auto-overclocking tool and an application that increases your energy efficiency when your computer is only doing light stuff.

Case - Antec Sonata III - $90 after rebate
Known for its ultra-quiet operation which is due to the ultra-large 12cm fan and some other cool features like silicone hard drive mounting brackets which reduce vibration. It's also pretty slick looking. It comes with a 500W power supply which is 80 Plus Certified which means it is more energy efficient than your average bear.

Processor - AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz - ~$140
The AMD processors are generally cheaper, but beyond that, the Intel-AMD debate could rage forever. Modern processors use much more energy than older processors did, but they have also gotten pretty clever with minimizing power consumption. This is one of the largest areas you can save energy. The other is the video card.

Video Card - Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB - $135 after mail in rebate
A great way to save money is to get a motherboard with integrated graphics. The other extreme is to get two identical videocards and run them in parallel. For most, a single graphic card is sufficient. This card is great if you are a casual gamer and/or watch HD media on your computer.

Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar Black - $65
The big choice with hard drives is conventional vs. solid state. Solid state is faster and more expensive. It's also more energy efficient and has no moving parts. I went with conventional, although I plan on upgrading to solid state in the near future. Western Digital also makes a Caviar Green which is touted for energy efficiency. Really though, it simply sacrifices performance for the energy efficiency. My external hard drive (for backups ONLY) is a 1TB GreenDrive from Fantom Drives--also energy efficient.

Memory - Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB - $45
I was really surprised how much the price had come down since I purchased this. Not much to say here, just try to make sure your memory is compatible with your motherboard according to the motherboard manufacturer's technical sheets.


I'm nerding out even myself now, so I'll wrap things up. I rounded out the system with a DVD writer (don't bother with Lightscribe, it's not pretty), media card reader, 21" Asus monitor (ENERGYSTAR labeled), Logitech 2.1 speakers, ergonomic keyboard, wifi adapter, blu tooth adapter (for working from home with headset), and a wireless mouse. I also got Windows 7 Home which is fantastic by the way. Drop me a line if you're building your own system and need help.

The Holidays Are Here!

I still can't believe it's already December! It makes me kind of agitated to see Christmas displays or to hear Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but now it makes me happy! Jer and I had a fun Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family. They flew in for a couple of days from Texas, and Jeremy's brother from BYU. We went to Longwood Gardens for their Thanksgiving buffet dinner
They had a yummy mashed potato bar and a fun mini dessert bar with miniature creme brulee shooters and apple pies. We had a fun time walking around and looking at all the beautiful Christmas displays
a few days ago, Jeremy and I decorated for Christmas and put up our own Christmas tree. We decided to get a real one for the first time this year. I've decided I really like having a real tree. They make the house smell so nice and it just really feels like Christmas now. Here's a picture of our tree

Christmas Cards

I never really know what to do about Christmas cards every year. We did a newsletter last year, but I feel kind of silly doing a newsletter just for the two of us. This year I think Jer and I will order some from Shutterfly.com. I saw a post on a friend's blog recently, and they have some really cute Christmas card designs this year. Here's a link to their Christmas cardshttp://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards They also have really cute photo card designs, which is what I think Jer and I will be doing this year. Here's the link to those ones http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards. On their site, you can also make picture calendars. We have pretty much all of our Christmas shopping done this year, but I thought that might be a cute idea for another year. They're pretty cheap too! Jeremy and I have had good experiences with Shutterfly in the past. They do a really good job with everything. Shutterfly is doing a promotion now until December 14th, that if you post about them on your blog you get 50 free Christmas cards. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me! Here's the link to the promotional offer http://bit.ly/sfly2010. Look for our card in the mail!

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes. I love the way the house smells when you make any of them. You know fall is here!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

3 1/2 cups pumpkin
2 cups Sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil

1 t salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda

Combine first four ingredients, then sift dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry. Bake in 2 9 by 13 pans for 20 minutes at 350.

Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese

Pumpkin Doughnuts

4 1/2 cups flour
4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 cup sugar
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 T melted butter
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin

mix the dry ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the dry ingredients, stirring only until just blended. Roll onto a well floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Fry in oil until brown. Put granulated sugar in a paper sack. Shake warm doughnuts in the sugar sack. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chip (I don't mess around with the semisweet chips, yuck)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake for about an hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean

Fall Festivities

Two weekends ago, my parents came out for a visit from Boise. On Saturday, we spent the day at Longwood gardens. We were all really impressed by the giant lilly pads. Apparently, they can support up to 100 pounds.
It was a perfect fall day to walk around longwood.

It was fun to see all of their fall displays. They had a bunch of huge pumpkins. I think the one above weighed over 600 pounds! We had such a great time with mom and dad. We think you guys should just move out here.

Last weekend Jeremy and I drove up to Vermont to see the foliage. This has been something I have wanted to do for a long time, so Jer decided to take me there for my birthday. It really was as pretty as I had hoped it would be. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Manchester, Vermont. All of the residents were very proud that it was voted the "foliage capital" of Vermont this year. It was a really cute little town

That night we went to a restaurant in town called the "Reluctant Panther." I was a little bit sleepy on our drive into Manchester because I had worked the night before, and I kept accidentally referring to it as the, "Awkward Panther." Despite the name, the food there was amazing. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Wilburton Inn, just outside of town.
It was built in 1903 and is owned now by a psychologist with a real passion for unique art.

At night, it actually got a little bit creepy. Definitely the most interesting place we've ever stayed. This was the view outside our window when we woke up in the morning. It was a little bit overcast all day, so you can't really see how bright the colors were.



That morning we went on a five mile hike to lye brook falls. It was just gorgeous



That afternoon we browsed through some of the shops in town and went to Manchester's annual pumpkin festival. It was great, they had a public judging of a pumpkin dessert contest, and hot apple cider and apple cider doughnuts. Thanks Jer, for a really fun weekend!

Fun Fall Visits

The last couple of weekends we've been really lucky to have people come out to visit. Two weekends ago, Jeremy's mom, Phyllis came out for the weekend. On Saturday, we enjoyed a beautiful fall day in New York City. We went to the French Culinary Institute for brunch, and saw Mama Mia on broadway and took the elevator up to the top of the Rockefeller Center

The view from the top is pretty amazing! That afternoon we went for a carriage through central park. That's something I've always wanted to do. Along the way, our driver pointed out where various scenes from Home Alone II were filmed. I think we all left there feeling a little bit more complete as human beings.

That night we went to Serendipity for dessert, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The desserts were delicious and HUGE! We got the broadway blackout cake, the ultimate creme and the frozen hot chocolate.

We were tempted, but decided not to go with the $1,000 dollar golden opulence sundae.

Last weekend, my good friend, Brooke, came to visit from Boise. On Saturday we went on a double date out to Amish country. We went to Cherry Crest Adventure farm for the annual potato festival. I love little places like this. They had a petting zoo with little baby chicks that you can hold.

They also had a potato sack slide, a corn maze, potato slings, potato sack races, and potato eating contests. We got in on the action during the potato sack races, but the potato eating contests were more fun just to watch and bet on who was going to win each heat. Another favorite from the day was this blow up bubble thing you could bounce on. All the little kids loved it when Jeremy got on, we could hear them all saying to each other, "Get ready, here he comes!"

It was really great to spend some quality girl time together!

Hawaii

The last couple of weeks have kind of been a blur for us. Last week we took a trip to Hawaii with my family and then we moved 2 days after we got home. Jeremy and I had been looking forward to this trip for months and months. It was really great to see everybody. Jeremy hadn't seen our nephew, Luke, since he was only a couple of weeks old. We had an absolute blast in Hawaii. On one of the first days, We went on a hike in the Waimea valley. All of the trees and flowers were gorgeous
There was a little waterfall with a pool at the end that you could swim in.

We also went out sailing on the Ko Olina Cat, chased dolphins, and went snorkeling.
One of my favorite things that we did was visiting the north shore. We went body surfing at the bonzai pipleine. I love seeing people get knocked over by all the big waves. Although, out of all of us, I am pretty sure I'm the one who ate the most sand.

At the North Shore, we also went snorkeling at Shark's cove. Jeremy and I both agreed that this is the best snorkeling that we had ever done. We were only inches away from a sea turtle. I really like them, they are very wise, kind looking animals.

Another highlight of the trip was the Fia Fia luau with "the chief." It was such a pretty night

On our second to last day in Hawaii, we drove to Waikiki to take surfing lessons. As I was paddling out for the first time, I got hit in the face with someone else's surf board. Jer and I had to take a little trip to the emergency room in Honolulu to get stitches. It seems to be healing really well and I don't think it will scar too bad.


This picture was taken on our last day in Hawaii at the Pali Lookout ( I was having a hard time smiling at this point in time). We were both really sad to leave Hawaii and come back to real life. Hopefully we'll all be together again before not too long.