Somebody help me!

[PTRMAN]

It's been two weeks since I completed my first build. I finished SnowBlind and FEAR, neither of which would run on my old gaming laptop. I've been asked (told, really) by my wife NOT to buy anymore games for myself before Christmas, so I gave her a list (Bioshock, Gears of War, Crysis, Call of Duty 4, etc.). Now I'm working through all my old games. That isn't my problem.

My problem is that I can't stop perusing Tech Report, NewEgg, HardWare Logic and all the other sites I used to design, buy and build my new computer. Maybe I'll see something else that I "need". I've got a 500GB drive plus an external 160GB for backup (neither of which is close to full), but I hear myself say "Yes, I really DO need another 500GB, or maybe even a 750GB, just in case". Or maybe I should consider a seven-in-one card reader, or a liquid cooling solution (never mind that my Thermaltake Armor case is plenty cool with all its fans). Or maybe I should try to re-tie my cabling to be more efficient.

In short, I want to take my computer apart and do it all again. Thank goodness I was talked out of SLI and bought a non-SLI mobo, or I'm sure a second 8800 GTX would really start looking sexy to me.

I've got the fever! No one ever told me this would happen! Where were the warnings from the experienced builders? Why didn't anyone caution me about how relatively easy (not to mention how much fun) it would be to build my own (it was NOT cheap, but that was my own decision).

Oh, can someone, anyone tell me of a cure? Once the holidays have passed I'm sure the games I mentioned above will be a salve to my soul, and like Dr House popping Vicadin I'll be temporarily sated. But even as I'm blowing away zombies, badguys or whatever, there'll always be some part of my brain that is wondering "maybe now is the time to try overclocking".

HELP!

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by PTRMAN

I
Oh, can someone, anyone tell me of a cure?

Once you've been bit by the DIY bug, there is no cure. Welcome to the club.

You can, however, keep yourself busy helping others, which takes some of the focus of your own machine and that next 'must-have' upgrade. And when you read a post like this, it makes it all worth it!

[Jokerswild]

Overclocking will satisfy your urges for awhile and open a whole new can of worms.

[Hitman]

There is no cure for geek fever. You just have to learn to live with it.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Jokerswild

Overclocking will satisfy your urges for awhile and open a whole new can of worms.

Way to go Joker - that was like handing a crack pipe to someone trying to overcome alcoholism.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

Way to go Joker - that was like handing a crack pipe to someone trying to overcome alcoholism.

Tap that fresh vain for the OC Heroin!!

[PTRMAN]

I have heard the my Q6600 is easy to overclock....

[Hitman]

as far as being easy to overclock it really depends more on your Motherboard then the CPU you are using. Some CPUs overclock better then others, meaning you can clock them higher while still staying stable.

[Stormcrow]

Welcome to the Fold, you have been assimilated. While there is no cure, just remember to treat it as a hobby and not start neglecting house bills for a new CPU. Overclocking really helps the itch, you get to pick out and compare all the coolers for the one just right, then get to play around in BIOS and tweak it to the fullest. I find myself browsing Newegg daily, finding nifty things I might buy later on, then looking up reviews on them to compare to others. Not only do you get the best for the money, but it's a learning process as well.
And as Paul said, we always are looking for more people to contribute. Writing guides (don't forget about the Newegg gift card bonus for the best one of the month), keeping the forums active and just suggesting and helping out those that need it are about as worthwhile as system building itself.

[Yellowhello]

I've got the fever as well, and I love it! Overclocking is half a cure, because all it does is make you make better cooling. That's what pushed my into water cooling. I have heard the Q6600's (G0 stepping) overclock very well. I'd be nice if you made a signature, as stated in the forum rules.