Return To Manufacturer

Seems I’ve made a slight mistake… In hopes to clean up the plethora of boxes accumulated by computer purchases, I have now been made aware that I cannot return my faulty power supply to the manufacturer. It’s not reading properly on a voltage meter and is one of two possible causes my computer doesn’t detect any of my hard drives — not even my SSD! The other potential culprit would be the motherboard — and I don’t have it’s packaging either. 

So note to self, keep those boxes, purchase receipts and all the stuff you might call useless for your products that you would want to RTM if ever it fails. Because really, a $100 or more product that defects and is still under warranty is worth replacing. I really don’t want to spend the money to buy another.

So my hard drives are failing left and right. Now my computer won’t even detect my solid state drive with Windows on it. So I start trouble shooting. First logical step, the power supply. A coworker let me borrow this voltage checker. Everything plugged in and the lights check out, except the -5v one. Since I’m not computer voltage savvy, anyone mind explaining what this might mean?
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So my hard drives are failing left and right. Now my computer won’t even detect my solid state drive with Windows on it. So I start trouble shooting. First logical step, the power supply. A coworker let me borrow this voltage checker. Everything plugged in and the lights check out, except the -5v one. Since I’m not computer voltage savvy, anyone mind explaining what this might mean?

Linux Box: The Build v4

Yes, version 4… because this is my fourth attempt at building it…

Version 1 was plain and simple: 

  • $125 Dell Box
  • $60 x 3 2TB HDD — on sale for only $60 per!!
  • Cost $305

Unfortunately, the Dell case couldn’t handle more then one harddrive. If I wanted more, I had to buy an additional bracket for the box(via Ebay?) and even then, it would only add 1 additional slot. 

Version 2 consisted of a small compromise:

  • $125 Dell Box
  • $60 x 3 2TB HDD (one as OS)
  • $40 x 2 EZswap 4
  • Cost $385

I’d replace the existing OS drive(40GB) with one of the two terras and use that for my OS along with backup. Then, I would slide in two EZswap drive bay enclosures — the ones you put in the 5.25” CD ROM slots — and plug the remaining two harddrives via that. Well the Dell case couldn’t handle the EZswaps… they were a fraction of an inch too big for them to slide in. Great.

Version 3 was supposed to replace the case:

  • $125 Dell Box components
  • $45 ThermalTake v3 Black Edition
  • $60 x 3 2TB HDD
  • Cost $350

Buying a new box meant ample amounts of space for harddrives and not needing the EZswaps. I would get to return them. So I pull everything out of the Dell box and start placing the motherboard in. The ThermalTake case has an open back where the CPU would be on the motherboard for easy placing of the heat sink. Getting ready to place the heat sink back on the CPU I realize I don’t have a back plate… Wow! Okay this is getting really stupid. I can’t finish my build with this Dell box in any way.

Version 4 - Let’s start from scratch:

  • $45 ThermalTake v3 Black Edition
  • $160 E35M1-M AMD Motherboard with E-350 Processor
    This is an APU(Accelerated Processing Unit), basically the first born child between a CPU and GPU having sex
  • $25 Crucial 2GB(2 x 1GB) DDR3
  • $25 Diablotek 500W Power Supply
  • $60 x 3 2TB HDD
  • $25 160GB HDD
  • $45 DVD Burner
  • Cost $505

$200 more then I had originally planned on investing! And the first 160GB HDD I bought ticked upon initial boot — needless to say I exchanged it. The $200 doesn’t include the additional networking purchases I had to do. Needed a switch and some more ethernet cables. I also bought some thumb screws for the case and some wire management items.

On the plus side, this box has become a lot more then a simple NAS like device. It’s become a media server capable of outputting 1080p via HDMI directly to the projector and potentially playing lightweight games. Beat Hazard + XBOX controllers, much? Now let’s hope I don’t run into any additional issues…

I was lucky enough in my Ubuntu install on this new machine. Although it took two discs as the first one somehow was corrupt — I tell you, it’s like Murphy stalks me on these computer projects… Originally, I couldn’t install Ubuntu because the installer would freeze after selecting the keyboard language. I think I’ll re-install Ubuntu though as I dislike the desktop version. Or maybe I’ll let it grow on me.

Now onto managing media and creating a development environment. Wish me luck?