CraftComputing

YOU'LL GET CAUGHT UP IN THE....... CROSSFIRE! And Chinese X79, too!

Is Crossfire ever a good idea? Are Chinese X79 boards still a good idea?

No... almost never. But that's not going to stop me.

But first... What am I drinking???

One of the classics that started it all on the West Coast, it's the Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA) Pale Ale. What more can I say? Just a great beer.

And for an encore, I've got a From Astoria With Love from Fort George (Astoria, OR). A Russian Imperial Stout that doesn't skimp on the chocolate, coffee and...

Chinese Import GPUs... 1080p Gaming for only $55.

I purchased this pair of GPUs on TaoBao.com for only $110 combined, after shipping. These RX 470D GPUs were certainly put to good use in the mines (although it looks like they were mining coal, not crypto)... But are these GPUs worth the price, or should I have left them covered in dust?

But first... What am I drinking???

Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA) Helles in the Tropics. A very juicy body complimented by the citrus-y nose, it's a fantastic beer that would pair...

Best Looking AIO EVER!!! DeepCool GamerStorm Castle 240EX Review

Last year, I took a look at the DeepCool Gamer Storm Castle 240... and it was one of the most talked about coolers ever on this channel. But there was one major problem... you couldn't buy one.

But first... What am I drinking???

Today's brew is the Play it Again Dry-hopped Pilsner from Level Brewing (Portland). I'm pretty sure there was something wrong with this can or batch, as the flavors were completely off. Nothing on the back of the can made it's way into the flavo...

A different kind of post...

So... there are some changes coming in the next month or so to the channel.

My wife and I are going to be selling our house. It's a bit bitter sweet, as we've lived here since 2010, and this is the longest I've ever been in one spot. But, the housing market here sucks. At the moment, we have nearly $100k in equity in our house, but beyond that are living paycheck to paycheck. I have stayed to my word that funds from Patreon and Amazon go directly back into content, and I've r...

Pro-level WiFi at Home - Ubiquiti Unifi NanoHD Review

There are so many wireless routers on the market for your home... but all of them suffer from similar problems. Limited range, single radio, and limited support for large number of connections. But what if you could spend the same money on a purpose built WiFi Access Point? Is the difference really worth the upgrade to the Ubiquiti UniFi NanoHD?

But first... What am I drinking???

My first time trying a beer from The Alchemist (Stowe, VT), its the Holy Moley American Dou...

I'm.... on the side of an LCD!!!!!! iBUYPOWER Snowblind Overview

Meet my new benchmark test bench... the iBUYPOWER Snowblind.  Get one for yourself at https://www.iBUYPOWER.com/Signature/Snowblind

But first... What am I drinking???

It was the hottest day of the year so far at 95F, so I'm having a mojito. Add 1oz Fresh Lime Juice and some mint leaves to a shaker and muddle. Add 3/4oz simple syrup and 3oz of White Rum. Add ice and shake. Strain o...

What is RAID???

What is RAID, what is it used for, and which solution is the right one for you?

But first... What am I drinking???

I started with a Bells Brewing (Comstock, MI) Winter Wheat Ale, which is supposed to be a Belgian-inspired Wheat... and I am not a fan. For a Belgian, it's among the weakest and worst flavors I've had. Blue Moon is a better Belgian White than this hopes to be.

And... Bonus Beer! New Glarus Brewing's (Wisconsin) Wisconsin Belgian Red. I didn't know che...

Retro-style Pixel Art Screen! Divoom Tivoo Review

It's Friday Flight time... just on a Saturday... And I'm taking a look at the Divoom Tivoo-Max, a pixel art screen, smart speaker, notification screen, and just all around cool looking piece of kit.

But first... What am I drinking???

Today I'm enjoying a Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) Twilight Summer Ale. For a 5.0% Ale, it was much thicker bodied than I expected. Very fruity/citrus aroma, and very smooth. An awesome 'just-got-done-mowing-the-lawn' beer.

...

GTX 1650 Revisit - I was accurate, but wrong...

Is it possible to be borth right and wrong at the same time? Yes it is... when the RX 570 price drop turns out to be permanent.

But first... What am I drinking???

Westphalener (Marsberg, Germany) Weizen. This is one of the best smelling German beers I've ever had. Unfortunately, the taste really didn't hold up. It ended up tasting like a pilsner rather that a German White. Good, but not great.

In my initial review of the GTX 1650, I called it the value ...

InWin RS212 Temperature Testing

Part one of this review didn't go so well... mainly because I tried to put 5lb worth of CPU coolers into a 10lb bag.  Let's see if the right coolers make a difference.

But first... What am I drinking???

Crux Fermentation Project's Doublecross Dark Belgian-Style Ale (Bend, OR). I absolutely love Belgian beers, and this is absolutely no exception. Watch to the end of the video for a full review on this one.

Snag a pair of Supermicro SNK-P0048AP4 cool...

InWin Makes Server Chassis? RS212 2U Case Review

Did you know InWin makes server cases? Neither did I, which is why I was very excited for the opportunity to review the InWin IW-RS212-02SN 2U Server Chassis. Does it stand up to high-end OEM cases?

A huge shoutout to Seagate for providing the hard drives in this series of videos.

Check out the Seagate IronWolf NAS 14TB drives here: https://amzn.to/2VVWbSj

IronWolf 110 240GB SSDs: 2019-05-22 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post

Active Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones for $59??? - Friday Flights

Mixcder reached out and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing their E9 Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth/Wired headphones. So what did I think of them?

But first... What am I drinking???

Today's brew wins best can art of all time, it's Game On IPA from Level Beer (Portland, OR). A great example of a NW IPA, clocking in at 6.5% and 55 IBU. Great citrus and hop flavors, with just a slight grassy finish. Very solid offering from a local barn-brewer.

Check...

Shhh... be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 Review

The be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Revision 2 has a name that is nearly as big as the case itself. But should you make it your next chassis?

But first... What am I drinking???

Super fan Golum sent a care pack over, so this week I'm drinking Bonus Track: 7 from Foam Brewing (Burlington, VT). Probably my favorite hazy IPA I've ever had. 6.5%, and a hazy you're not going to hate after 4oz... go grab a pint (or case) of this one.

Check out the be quiet! Dark B...

VPN Everything! OpenVPN Gateway Tutorial

Instructions and example files can be found here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xz6Ek2ZE3YwkUUoR2qot3849PjT3b8Rm

But before we get into that... What am I drinking???

Home recipe without a name... suggestions are welcome. It's 2oz Pineapple Juice, 2oz White Rum, 1/2oz Simple Syrup, and a barspoon of Lime Juice. Shake until the Pineapple froths. It's a very cream...

Great performance, Little Package - Scythe Big Shuriken 3 Review

Looking for a high-performance ITX cooler that won't break the bank? Today I'm taking a look at the Big Shuriken 3, the latest revision of Scythe's killer ITX heatsink.

But first... What am I drinking???

A local brew from my good friends at Ratchet Brewery (Salem, OR), it's the Rev It Up Stout. A fantastic dark beer, but surprisingly lighter bodied. It's got a great coffee roast and smooth malty-ness without being a -thick-as-gravy stout. 5.8%.

Check ou...

Value King or nah? GTX 1650 Review

Introducing the all new nVidia GTX 1650, the latest Turing based GPU. Priced at just $149 (or $179), is it the new budget king, or the Duke's spoiled nephew?

But first... What am I drinking???

Burlington Beer Co (Vermont) Intangible Tides Triple IPA. In the review at the end, I called this a milkshake IPA, because I swear that's what it tastes like. But there are no lactose in this brew. It clocks in at a solid 10%, and the initial impression on this beer is very solid ...

Virtualize Everyting! - Proxmox Install Tutorial

Want to know how to setup Proxmox so you can start virtualizing servers? This tutorial is for you.

But first... What am I drinking???

Tutorials mean cocktails! Today, it's a classic Manhattan made with 2oz of Woodinville 100% Rye whiskey, 1oz of Sweet Vermouth, and 2 dashes of Bitter Housewife bitters. Stir and strain, serve neat with a couple Bordeaux cherries.

Check out the Gigabyte GA-7PESH2 Dual 2011 motherboard: 2019-04-20 23:42:07 +0000 UTC View Post

Server Room Build Part 2!!! Virtualization Server Build!

It all started so well...

But first... What am I drinking???

Today is the Uff-da from New Glarus Brewing Co (Wisconsin).  Claims to be a big bier with a mahogany hue and notes of chocolate and coffee.  All I got was what smelled like fresh baked bread on the nose and a rich ale.  Don't get me wrong... it was really good... but nothing like they described.

Check out the Gigabyte GA-7PESH2 motherboard here: 2019-04-17 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post

Noctua NH-U12A - Most Impressive

Introducing the all new NH-U12A from Noctua.  This 120mm dual-fan air cooler boasts some impressive specs, like 100% RAM height compatibility and performance well beyond it's weight class.  But how accurate are those claims?

But first... What am I drinking???

Today is a Bubble Stash IPA from Hop Valley (Eugene, OR).  A 6.2%, 45 IBU brew, that blurs the line between a traditional and NW style IPA.  Hop forward but not overtly bitter.  Citrus note...

InWin A1 Plus... It's bigger on the inside

At CES 2019, In Win unveiled an update to their A1 Mini ITX case.  They're calling it the (dramatic pause) A1 Plus.  Find out what's new and whether or not you should pick one up for your next build.

But first... What am I drinking???

Caveman from the Patreon sent over a care pack, and inside is the Rhodes' Scholar Stout from South Shore Brewery (Ashland, WI). Review at the end of the video.

As soon as the A1 Plus is available on Amazon, I'll ...

Brand New Addressable RGB Fan Kits!

Addressable RGB lighting has been steadily improving, and manufacturers are looking to differentiate their products in other ways. So here we have spinning frame, no frame, and full color fan blades. But are they any good?

But first... what am I drinking?

Same thing as last week.  Bridgeport IPA, not Bud Light. A decent IPA that you can no longer find on store shelves, as Bridgeport went out of business a few months ago. Sad for Portland and craft beer drinkers eve...

SteamLink vs Raspberry Pi 3 - Which one is better?

Valve announced a few months ago they are discontinuing the Steam Link console.  But, rather than abandoning the home streaming platform, they've also released a Steam Link app for the Raspberry Pi.  But is it any good?

But first... What am I drinking???

It's a Bud Light... honest...

Build your own Steam Link with a Raspberry Pi 3B+: https://amzn.to/2uFEpCX

XBOX 360 Wireless...

Daughter builds her first PC!

Miss builds her first PC!

But first... What are we drinking???

Virgin Cuba Liebre.  Typically made with rum, these are just CocaCola and a lime wedge.  Or in my daughter's case, hold the fruit.

Parts from today's build:

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 4C/8T: https://amzn.to/2CFcrLK

MSI B350M Gaming Pro Motherboard: https://...

Delidding an i7-7820X... Worth It? - Friday Flights

Two weeks ago, I wanted to overclock my i7-7820X workstation, but was stymied by poor cooling performance.  Was the Intel TIM to blame???

But first... What am I drinking???

First up is a beer from Pfriem (Hood River, OR) that spent two years in a barrel before being bottled.  Oud Bruin is very much a fruit sour, with notes of Cabernet, marionberry and a bit of dark chocolate.  Drink this one in small sips and savor it, or the sour overwhelms.  Small ...

Small but MIGHTY! Dr Zaber Sentry 2.0 Build and Review!

The ZZ Dr. Zaber Sentry 2.0 is a game-console-sized Mini-ITX PC chassis that packs some BIG hardware.  Namely, room for a full-sized graphics card.  But can it really be that easy to build a killer gaming machine into a PC the size of an XBOX One???

But first... What am I drinking??

#1 is The Perfect Storm from Oakshire (Eugene, OR).  It's a seasonal release Double IPA, and one of my favorites every year.  (8.6%, 80 IBU).

#2 is Serious Scrump b...

Should you upgrade to 4400MHz memory? - Patriot Viper Steel Series Review

Memory speeds... do they actually make a difference when overclocking?  When Patriot asked me to review the Viper Steel Series 4400MHz 16GB memory kit, I figured that was the perfect question to answer.

But first... What am I drinking???

Today is a two-few, thanks to some video capture errors.  First up is the Nøgne Ø Winter Ale (Grimstad, Norway).  This is one of the beers I picked up from a cellar aged event last year, and it aged fantastically well. ...

Cooling an i7-7820x...Why is this so hard???

I built an x299 system a couple months ago with an i7-7820X 8-core CPU and an MSI x299 Creation motherboard.  Cooling this combo was a Scythe Fuma Rev. B. dual 120mm tower cooler.  Spec-wise, it should be able to cool the 7820x without any problems... only it's not.

But first... What am I drinking???

Crux Fermentation Project (Bend, OR) PCT Porter.  If you're looking for an entry into dark beers, this might be it.  A light, roasty flavor, while still...

PC Rescue! Let's save Rett from himself...

Rett's PC is a hand-me-down upgraded from hand-me-down and discarded parts he's collected over the years.  And while it runs, it's time to bring him into this decade.

But first... What are WE drinking???

Two Japanese import brews.  First up is the Aooni IPA from Yoho Brewing Company in Nagano, Japan.  It's a 7% IPA, and is certainly a different take on the brew.  Gone are the citrus and floral notes from a NW IPA, relying instead on a more...

Affordable Sim Racing Wheel Stand - Arozzi Velocità Review

Getting into Sim Racing is often an expensive proposition, especially when you start expanding beyond your wheel and pedals.  The Arozzi Velocita promises to be a sturdy and compact wheel stand without most of the headaches associated with less expensive options.  But how well does it work?

But first... What am I drinking???

The weather has been well below freezing for the past few days, so why not have a tropical cider?  2 Towns Cider Co (Corvallis, OR) ...

GeIL Super Luce 3200 RGB Memory - Friday Flights!

The GeIL Super Luce 3200MHz DDR4 memory kit sports something we don't see all that often in RGB memory these days... aggressive timings and performance.  Rather than the standard 16-18-18-36  of most memory kits, the GeIL's are rated at 3200 14-14-14-34.  But are there any compromises?

But first... What am I drinking???

Today is a very special beer, as it's a BRAND NEW release from Rogue Ales and Spirits (Newport, OR).  It's the Outta Line West Coast...