#central processing unit

Fixing my PC - Volume II Story (w/ my paper dolls) [April 26, 2022]

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Hello! FINALLY! My PC desktop has come to life for the second time! 🖥️🔧😃 And I'll explain the story of what happened 🙂📖. I'll try my best as I can, and I hope you understand... So, without further ado, let's get started:

• April 1st, 2022 (Friday): (It all starts) On the morning of the first day, 6:30 AM, after I cycle for 10 minutes as my morning exercise I go to my usual PC for surfing the web, etc. Then, I realize that my PC's CPU heatsink need some cleaning up from all the dust, so I decided to disassemble the entire hardware from the motherboard (including the aforementioned CPU heatsink), except the CPU chip (the intel i3 6th gen). After that, I assemble all of the internal hardware & hope my PC is working. When I plug the PC's electrical cord onto the socket, it won't work. I don't understand why is this happening? I tried everything & carefully as I can without touching or removing the CPU Chip from the CPU socket (which is the sensitive part). So now my PC is utterly useless, and I can't find an alternative PC to use. My big brother's laptop is always carried at work on weekdays, while my mom's laptop is for her selling business, and I'm unable to access my little bro's PC due to a password. Right now, I have no choice but to take a nap for 8 straight hours. And nope, this is not a joke (am I add); nor celebrating April Fools Day though. Anyways, I have to chat with my little brother about my PC's problem, and he'll be on his way after work. When my little brother arrive home at 8 PM, he inspects my PC & call one of his closes friend(s) who knows all about fixing the PC than I am (which is hurt/stole my thunder). He tried hard on every troubleshooting step-by-step on different methods before he gives up & calls it quits, the result that my PC was dead for the second time.

• April 4 (Monday) to April 7 (Thursday), 2022: With the April Fools is now in the rear mirror (until next year), and with no other help to fix my PC, I went over to the internet via my phone & I'm browsing a near computer repair shop w/ less travel cost until I found one. Although I would not say the real name of the computer store, it'll ruin the person's reputation (including the store itself). The only problem is the weather condition; it's rainy season for some obvious reason. Though it's weird, considering that the Philippines' April month is the scorching summer season. And with the cloudy raindrops, I can't go by myself without a vehicle. So my father calls his friend for a lift to the computer repair store, and we reach the destination in about 10 to 15 minutes. I request the computer repair person for a PC check-up to see the culprit of why my PC is not working, I handed it over to the repair person for inspection, while we sit & wait. After doing the repair person's further inspection, he/she said that the motherboard is not working. Huh, I could see the Php 1,800 of the motherboard was not durable. Good thing the internal hardware parts from the motherboard are intact, including the CPU chip... Or so I thought for the latter. After a long day & complicated decision that I won't deep in, my parents decided to pull out my PC from the computer repair store on April 7 (Thursday), due to... Umm... Untrustworthy (we think).

• April 9, 2022 (Saturday): After the departure of my PC, I browsed once again for another computer repair store that something trustworthy than the previous one, until I found it. Again I won't mention the name of the computer repair store, but trust me this one had a 5 stars worthy pay. At 3:30 PM, my dad & I are going to the computer repair store on a long travel destination albeit an easy route. After we've reached the "genuine" computer repair store we requested them for a PC check-up once more along with troubleshooting to see the problem. We've taken around half an hour before announcing the problem, saying that they were trying hard their best, so they suggest that we leave our PC to the technical support crew, and they'll update via private message.

• April 13, 2022 (Wednesday): The next week, I was doing household chores, helping my parents sell clothing business, and taking a break by playing games on my big brother's laptop. Regular family stuff, yet nothing special. At 3:22 PM, I decided to take a chat with the "genuine" computer repair store for an update, and upon inspection, they said that the motherboard & CPU unit is now the culprits of why is my PC not turning on. Damn, I hope they have a fresh 6th gen motherboard & CPU unit for less cost due to being discontinued. Unfortunately, they only have 6th gen motherboards on stock & not CPU 6th gen units. Such a shame. The only technical support suggest is to upgrade to 10th gen hardware, but how much? BTW: two DDR4 Rams (4GB), 400GB hard drive, and GTX 750 Ti graphics card, as well as the power supply, survived. *phew* What a relief. But anyway, how much is the cost for upgrading 10th gen hardware (motherboard [Gigabyte H410M H V3 Socket 1200 DDR4] & intel core i3 10th gen CPU unit [10105F Comet Lake])? ₱8,300 ($158). Ummm, yeah, that's a lot of dough, unfortunately, I don't have that dough, so my parents had no choice but to pay for it anyway for me. After all, I can't be bored without a PC. While adding it, I learn my lesson from the folks of the professional technical support crew that I shouldn't clean & disassemble for less or more than a month. Sure the dust won't destroy the computer, but let it leave when it's less. And when I want to wipe out the dust (when it's covered), they suggest that I'll use a portable vacuum cleaner with less noise without disassembling a single piece of hardware. Good advice, I should invest portable vacuum cleaner since I don't have one. Anyways, my parents will pay for the upgraded hardware for my PC via e-money send & they're now working on the progress.

• April 23, 2022 (Saturday): Now, fast forward to next week, and according to the owner of the "genuine" computer repair store it should be delivered this Saturday (Apr 23rd), but how long? Well, in the meantime I guess I'll do more chores & lending a hand to my parents with their business. Finally arrived at... 9:30 PM. With the rider carrying my fixed PC behind the motorcycle tail. The payment was already sent via E-money, so the rider's do is handed over the fixed PC to me, with two broken pieces of hardware inside of a single motherboard box. The delivery rider is out & back to the store, while I'm setting & cleaning up my desk, plugging all of my input & output devices, as well as electric sockets & finally turning on! And once it's on, my PC desktop is alive once again! One thing that I forgot though is my second hard disk drive, where all of my important files are inside (my artworks, pictures, snapshots, etc.), so I should it add that as well as part of the fixing. But, otherwise, it worked. Looks like I'll buy a 3.5-inch Hard Disk enclosure via the shopping site, but the delivery process could be impatient for me. I could go to another computer shop by myself, but the cost of the ride will be insufficient for my budget savings. But right now, my 2nd hard disk drive is nice & safe, hoping my precious files remain. As for the main hard disk drive, luckily, I don't need to reformat (either the new OS with Windows 11 or the previous Windows 10), because the new motherboard & CPU surprisingly recognize & worked well. Meaning my other files still remain.

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• Here's what it looks like when the new motherboard & CPU unit are installed through my PC desktop, including a metal backplate & six USB ports (2x USB 3.0s & 4x USB 2.0s) which is much preferred than just four ports. Plus that Intel Core i3 (10th Gen) sticker looks cool.

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• Also, they offer free (empty) boxes after installing the new motherboard & CPU chip. And inside of the motherboard's cardboard box is the broken motherboard & broken CPU 6th gen intel Core i3. My paper dolls suggest that these will sell for scrap (including the old MSI motherboard from 2016). Yeah, great idea!

Overall:

• I would say, it was a heck of a story diary I type, and with some lessons from the technical support crew I will take notes & try to remember what should I do with my PC in care & responsibility.

• And as a result, I decided to get a job, namely work-at-home w/ a decent payout from hard work, and the income earnings will be my personal savings instead of borrowing my parents' (or my siblings') money savings. Not to mention I would spend it responsibility, meaning not just my hobbies or anything, but also important bills & debts that need to be. That's good advice.

Well, that's all for now. And I hope you like my story.

If you want to see my previous story from July 4, 2021, then I'll provide some links down below.↓

• Fixing my PC’s motherboard Part 1 [7/4/21]

• Fixing my PC’s motherboard Part 2 [7/4/21]

Nadia Struiwigh: Lenticular (Central Processing Unit)

Two tracks of seductive, sleeker electro fare than I generally associate with CPU, a label whose support and enthusiasm for braindance IDM has filled a void left by Rephlex in their closure several years ago. Compared to the more overt Aphex homage of CPU acts like Monolith or Missqulater, Nadia Struiwigh's “Lenticular” feels more patient, a little cooler, less immediate. I dig the spacious reverb of the cut's drum tracks, a thick syrup of reverb that tilts it toward chillwave. That contrast between CPU braindance expectations and something more chill, more leftfield, fits the title, with a different vibe radiating depending on where you're focusing your ears in the mix.

Lenticular by Nadia Struiwigh

“Trip In Fiction” backs it up as an even stronger track, in my opinion, with its steadily building, mid-tempo groove of frosty synth patterns, channeling early 80s John Carpenter in a similar way evoked by contemporary artist Pye Corner Audio. It's nice to hear another side of the CPU label, without sacrificing any of their usual quality control.