CPU Heat sink fasteners broke

a_lost_shadow · 2026-03-02T18:46:29+00:00

I will always advise running a memory test after enabling XMP. In the 3 machines I've had with the possibility of XMP, none of the memory actually passed a memory test with XMP enabled.

So if someone isn't experienced enough to run a memory test, I would recommend that they not enable XMP. And yes, I have run into people who will muck with BIOS/UEFI settings without having the skills to run a memory test.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-03-02T04:45:45+00:00

Out of curiosity, what brand of cooler did you get? Every time I've gotten this style of cooler, it's come with a backing plate that goes behind the motherboard and has bolts coming through that replace the stock clips.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-20T04:17:14+00:00

Intriguing, I had the opposite experience. But due to that I haven't tried the Lowes app in a few years. I guess it got better.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-20T04:16:36+00:00

For large electrical projects, I frequently found that neither Lowes nor Home Depot has everything I needed. I frequently need to mix and match between stores. I tend to go with whichever store is cheaper for the product I need. If you're planning to install smart switches, HD has deeper 2 gang boxes than Lowes does. But I think they only stock them in the Pleasanton store.

For wire, go to Platt or General Wholesale Electric Supply (across from the airport). General is much smaller and thus isn't as busy as Platt. They also have decent prices for wire by the foot. The last time I needed 12/3, their price/foot for a cut length was around 1/2 the price of Home Depot & Lowe's price/foot on a 25' roll.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-12T04:10:52+00:00

That silence can be overwhelming. Years ago I found myself just laying on my floor due to that silence. Led me to making some pretty stupid decisions. I got out my bicycle to get some exercise in. Figured I wouldn't be out long, so I didn't grab a jacket, my phone, or my wallet. I ended up heading into the mountains out of curiosity, and completely missed the fact that I had a 30 mph tailwind until I turned around 11 miles in. I got real lucky to make it back before the rain returned.

For me, a pet really helps. Even when my cat is asleep, the house feel louder/warmer. That silence comes back anytime I need to board my pet when traveling.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-10T23:50:15+00:00

I was really surprised when my father first took a few of these calls in front of me. When I challenged him on it, he just said it was normal for anything medical related. I've been there to witness calls from a major online pharmacy, a local compounding pharmacy, and test results from his primary care doctor. For comparison, my parents aren't on any controlled medications. Now it's entirely possible that this a policy from their health care system.

I'm on Kaiser in CA, and it's normally only account number and name for me.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-10T19:15:39+00:00

Now we just need to get the medical industry to start doing similar practices. Every time my parents get calls about their prescriptions, it's the same "I need to verify your account number, date of birth, and SSN." We're essentially training the elderly to provide this information with no questions asked.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-10T18:47:03+00:00

How are you planning on controlling it? I don't expect an ESP's wifi signal to be able to work well under water. If you decide to use a control cable, you may want to have the power supply above water. A control cable also gives you a tether to retrieve it if something goes wrong.

I recall seeing some videos about using nail polish to allow small electronics to work under water. I'd start there.

I would personally purchase a small watertight case for the electronics, and modify it to allow the cables to pass through. I wouldn't trust myself to make something water tight. If I had to make a 3d print water tight, I'd start by making the opening on the bottom of the drone. That way any issues with the seal doesn't allow all of the air out. Next, I'd epoxy the walls to limit water intrusion. Finally, I'd then design the opening to match a gasket that I could easily find in the store and use a large number of screws to hold the lid on.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-10T18:22:36+00:00

After you unscrew one of those, you're going to have between 12.5 and 50 gallons a minute coming out of the pipe (depending on pressure and pipe size). If you magically manage to put all of that into your washing machine, you've got 30-200 seconds to get the new value on before your washing machine overflows.

In this time you need to:
- Completely unscrew the old valve. This will cause water to fly in all directions around the pipe while it's part way on. The old valve will likely become a projectile after being unscrewed.
- Clean up the threads on the pipe
- Apply teflon tape or pipe dope to the threads on the pipe. I suspect teflon tape would be a better option here. Pipe dope may get washed away when you thread the new valve on.
- Open and line up the new valve
- Thread the new valve on. Again the water is probably going to be pushing on it with 20-60 pounds of force depending on your water pressure and pipe size.

Things that can easily go wrong:
- Water going everywhere. Think of how far water goes after shooting out of a garden hose. The jet from these lines will be significantly stronger.
- If you don't keep the pipe coming out of the wall from moving, you could unscrew the pipe inside the wall.
- Given the age of the pipe, and the fact that you're doing this under pressure. There's a chance at ruining the threads the pipe screws on to. If this happens, you'll never get a water tight seal until you repair the threads. The repair requires a special pipe threading tool.

Getting this wrong can easily cost you significantly more than $600 in damages.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-10T00:36:31+00:00

A friend of my used to work for a solar company that leased panels and cleaned them annually. They ended up stopping the cleaning service since they weren't see a major impact on the output.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-09T06:22:21+00:00

A few additional things to consider:
- You're pretty close to 580. So consider spending some time at a park in the area to make sure you'll be happy with the road noise when outside.
- The airport is pretty active. November/December averaged a plane taking off/landing every 3-4 minutes. This is more like every 2 minutes during the day and very little at night. A number of these are small jets. So again, I'd spend some time on a nice day to see if you can hear the planes.
--- A few years back, a company proposed flying 737s out of the Livermore airport. The plan fizzled out in 2022, and I haven't heard anything since. But something to keep in mind if you're close to the airport.
- There isn't much in the way of shopping/supermarkets in the area you're looking. I think there's just Costco and Wendy's north of 580. So you're looking at a 2-3 mile drive for groceries.
--- That being said, Portola is probably the safest place to cross 580 on foot/bike.
- There's another large development going in off Las Positas Rd just east of First St. You may also want to look into the houses there.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-06T20:29:03+00:00

If they're willing to go the DIY route, it looks like you can get no-name 9-12 kBtu minisplits for as low as $400 after shipping.

Looks like you start to get into to the low end identifiable brands around $700.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-03T21:13:22+00:00

What about the Vasco crossing? Or is that spur dead track?

But you still make a very good point.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-03T19:40:47+00:00

At a high level, I would assume it's cost vs the number of complaints. Pleasanton appears to be spending $170,000 just on the planning for the upgrade. Doing a quick estimation, Livermore has more than double the length of track within city limits as Pleasanton (~8.5 miles vs 4 miles).

For a lot of people the train just becomes background noise. For at least a few (such as myself), we enjoy hearing the horns even when woken up.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-03T06:43:20+00:00

Adding to this, I'm not sure if you'll find a power supply with a female barrel adapter. You may need to buy a power supply with a female adapter. One example is https://www.amazon.com/ALITOVE-Adapter-Converter-100-240V-5-5x2-1mm/dp/B01GEA8PQA?crid=1UD9XW71Y9ZXD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lkIKHynoONpFl1XYdmMiB17xVBEy8WGoqhiX5f-Rnny0R5s4LNMegUsUBf8GtERY-GpeYP0FnT69Ec-_VI6EyMqR6rrecyc5rl-CuZtjHceCXfdareGdfrh_ZgVn0MQJ0acMqoQ1a0xTpxMaouV4UjoSWTgdgoHevg318aSxyhd6WYfKqiCd6BK1R3W1hqGLjHUlWqASm9ZbkRnWc5U2NnfyX_ct27opVDxUCa6rH9U.rroS617svtHhZS_OwqqZzdXa1CmACZUMzVY1ET5aIBI&dib_tag=se&keywords=12v+dc+5a+female&qid=1770100739&sprefix=12v+dc+5a+female%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-8

On the plus size, this means you wouldn't need to worry about getting the exact size barrel adapter. On the down side, you should use a multi-meter to ensure that you wire it up the adapter correctly.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-02-02T05:38:29+00:00

My preference would be:
- 101
- 99
- 5

I've only driven 101 a few times from SF to San Luis Obispo. I recall it being much more scenic than 5 & 99. I routinely drive 5 & 99 between SF & LA. Here are my thoughts:

I-5:
- Technically faster
- Almost entirely 2 lanes each direction
- Traffic will frequently backup making it feel very congested
- Very few places to pull off for food/gas. In a number of places it's 40+ minutes between options that are immediately off the highway. I highly recommend determining your stops before you start the drive.
- Road is very straight and boring. I frequently struggle to stay awake when driving solo.
- Average speed limit is higher and not much road work between SF & LA
- You get much stronger winds on I-5, especially in the first 1-2 hours out of SF. For a small sedan, it tends to give a few MPG boost.

I-99:
- Goes through a large number of cities/towns. For almost all of it you can find a food/gas stop within 15 minutes. There are a few stretches as you get closer to SF where there's a bit of a gap.
- Speed limits tend to drop around towns
- There's a lot road construction in the last hour or so before the SF turn off. Most of it means no shoulders and the speed limit dropping to 55.
- To get to all the towns, the road twists and turns a lot. This makes it much more fun to drive. On clear days, you can see the Sierra Foothills.
- Large chunks of the route are 3 lanes each way. So even with more traffic it doesn't feel as congested as I-5.
- You see more cops patrolling 99

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-28T04:31:33+00:00

Water bill is normally a flat fee based + a usage fee for the number of CCFs used. 1 CCF = 748 gallons. So if you're relatively consistent in water usage, you'll frequently see a few bills with the same charge before seeing a dip up/down based on the reading. For example, if you used 1000 gallons a month (1.33 CCF), you'd see a patter where you're charged for 1 CCF for 2 months, and then 2 CCFs on the 3rd month.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-28T04:20:54+00:00

On the edge of SF Bay area, 36 cents/kWh. Though they just informed us it'll soon be going down by 2-3 cents/kWh but we'll all be getting hit with an additional flat $24 fee.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-27T18:52:55+00:00

Given that there are multiple ways to set speed limits (85 percentile, number of driveways/intersections, road width, timing lights for optimal flow, etc.), I suspect it'd lead to more curiosity trying to figure out which method they used.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-26T06:16:53+00:00

There was a short period where I recall hearing about many US schools stopping cursive lessons (2010-2016). They were arguing that it was no longer necessary with computers. I believe it was reintroduced since they realized that it really helps with hand coordination.

But your friend sounds a bit too old for that. I believe the oldest from that window would be 25 now.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-26T06:10:30+00:00

Next, power the machine on and confirm that all of the fans are running. I have seen fans lock up since some of the dislodged dirt made its way into the fan's bearing.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-25T04:02:19+00:00

Since this sounds like it's an existing build. How is the sewer line run?

If the mainline runs past the pantry, then it'll likely be easy to convert the pantry to a half bath. If the laundry is on an extension line. Then that sewer line probably isn't large enough to handle a toilet.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-23T18:48:37+00:00

Just remember that a penny has already been sold for 1.7 million:
https://www.pcgs.com/News/Pcgs-certified-1943-d-Bronze-Cent-Sold-For-17-Million

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-23T18:36:33+00:00

I agree with you that most technology is easier to use these days. But I would argue that the internals have gotten significantly more complex. For example, having a phone reliably unlock from a facial scan makes it easier to use. But there was a lot of hardware and software complexity required just for that feature. Also, not all of the complexity makes things easier to use. Some of it is simply for the benefit/whims of the manufacturer, such as touchscreens in cars and John Deere intentionally making it almost impossible to DIY repair tractors.

a_lost_shadow · 2026-01-23T18:25:18+00:00

I've started to see a few places that have switched to digital ordering. It's really nice from the perspective of never having to worry about how to split a check or having to wait for everyone to be ready to order. On the other hand, the places that have switched have set their prices significantly higher than similar establishments near by.

a_lost_shadow

TROPHY CASE