woot is in woot off mode

[Mercutio]

Well, I put the two cards into one machine that I built last night. It's going to be a very nice Core 2 Duo E6400 system. Probably the most pimped-out machine I've built in a couple years. Four 400GB drives in RAID10, 2GB DDR800 RAM, and those two 7900GS cards. Asus motherboard, but it's already got the nVidia video cards, so I didn't see any reason to be picky.

I'm not all that big on benchmarks, but I did load City of Villains on the machine.
Using one CPU and one 7900GS (1280x1024, 2xAA, all other settings maxed), I saw framerates of between 45 and 55 in the starting indoor area. Adding the second CPU (CoV supports SMP just fine) stabilized framerates at around 55fps. Adding the second card in SLI mode pushed the game all the way to (woo!) ~60fps. Moving to the first outdoor area dropped frame rates by about 15fps in all cases.

CoV apparently isn't listed as an SLI-supported game. However, it's also developed and optimized for nVidia cards; there's an nVidia logo on the game box. Still, I would hope that "supported" games get more than 5 extra frames per second for double the cash.

Just to put this into perspective, I put an ATI x850 I had sitting around in the same machine. I still think of an x850 as a "high-end" card, but using the same display and rendering settings (and both processors), it barely managed 22fps in the starting area, and dropped to 12 - 18fps when I moved outside.

 

[mubs]

Asus motherboard, but it's already got the nVidia video cards, so I didn't see any reason to be picky.

:crap: Merc's going over to the dark side.

 

[Mercutio]

:crap: Merc's going over to the dark side.

Nope. Merc built a computer that he actually plans to sell for a profit. Most of the time I make around $10 when I sell a computer.

 

[P5-133XL]

MSI is accusing www.Woot.com of selling stolen 7900GS cards

 

[sechs]

Woot

 

[LunarMist]

So counterfeit is translated as stolen in some asian language?

 

[Mercutio]

This just goes to show that no good comes of nVidia video cards, ever.

However... I wonder if the reason MSI is making a show of this is that someone at *MSI* violated an NDA to get their cards on the market. I had the couple that I had for about two weeks before the "official release date" and that makes me wonder if someone jumped the gun.

I'd probably make an effort to let them know I bought the cards if they put some kind of contact info in that press release.

 

[Bozo]

Does seem strange that ALL the "stolen" cards were green. And ALL the "non-stolen" were red.
Maybe someone is misappropriating the truth. ;-)

Bozo :joker:

 

[Groltz]

"Seagate 250GB SATA Hard Drive - $54.99+ $5 shipping"

Noted Saturday 09-30-2006 06:38am Pacific Time

 

[P5-133XL]

Those drives are refurbished...

 

[Computer Generated Baby]

Seagate 250GB SATA Hard Drive - ST3250823AS


Hail SATA!
While we pride ourselves on our collective thick skin, let it never be said that Woot ignores all complaints. When we’ve sold 250GB hard drives here before, they’ve generally been of the IDE/UDMA variety – the same type most people have in their computers, but one that’s rapidly fading in favor of faster, newer, sexier SATA drives. The inevitable complaints, demands, and threats followed, escalating to a point that put us in real fear for our lives. Every day we failed to offer SATA hard drives was a day we spent looking over our shoulders and peering paranoiacally into the shadows. We knew we had to act when one of our staffers found a smashed IDE hard drive on his pillow one night. Whoever did it didn’t leave a note. They didn’t have to.

So it is with a tremendous sigh of relief that we present the Seagate 250GB SATA Hard Drive. Not only does it offer 250 big, wide gigabytes of storage space, its 1.5GB/s SATA connection and burly 8MB buffer are fast enough to let this drive run your OS and applications. The 7200 RPM SoftSonic motor stays quiet even in the highest of high-performance situations. Factor in this SATA drive’s hot swappability, improved airflow, 6-month manufacturer’s warranty, and that irresistible “new drive smell,” and we’ve got a package that knocks those creaky old IDE drives into a cocked hat. Whatever a cocked hat is.

We were hoping this would finally get the psychos off our back. But then we noticed that these are refurbished…and they’re not as fast as the new 3GB/s SATA drives…hey, where do you think bodyguards would be listed in the phone book? “Personal Security Firms,” maybe?

Warranty: 180 Days from Seagate


Features:

Single-chip Serial ATA interface with Native Command Queuing for Higher system performance in demanding applications, reduced drive wear and tear, and easier system integration.
7,200 RPM SoftSonic motor for Whisper-quiet acoustics and high reliability in a high-performance environment.
RoHS-compliant – Significantly reduced levels of lead complies with all environmental legislation.
Enhanced G-Force Protection – High nonoperating shock specification ensures top reliability and durability during shipment and integration.
Specifications:

Capacity: 250 GB
Speed: 7200 rpm
Buffer: 8MB
Form factor: 3.5"

Seek time: 11 ms avg
Interface: SATA 1.5Gb/s
Single-chip Serial ATA interface with NCQ
Best combination of performance, acoustics, and robustness in multiple high capacities
Whisper-quiet acoustics
Proven, reliable design
Does not include installation instructions or an SATA cable


http://www.woot.com/

 

[P5-133XL]

But then we noticed that these are refurbished…and they’re not as fast as the new 3GB/s SATA drives…hey, where do you think bodyguards would be listed in the phone book? “Personal Security Firms,” maybe?

Warranty: 180 Days from Seagate

I'm sorry, but I don't trust refurbished hard drives.

 

[Mercutio]

I'd trust a refurbished Seagate more than a "quality assured" new Western Digital.

Pity it's only 250GB.

 

[Will Rickards]

yes it is tempting but at only 250GB... pass.

 

[Corvair]

...yes it is tempting but at only 250GB... pass.

Such drives are perfect as backup targets when doing routine full or incremental backups.

I've been using an "inexpensive" Hitachi 250 GB SATA drive for such. It's setup to hot-plug into a SATA / SAS SCA drive bay. I could install it into a US$35 eSATA housing and do the same -- via eSATA, though.

 

[Mercutio]

Continuing the woot/MSI story, woot.com upped the warranty on the card to two years from 90 days and has reached an agreement with MSI to remove their name from the press release about stolen video cards.

Also, if you scroll upward from that link, you'll see that a statistically large number of people have had serious overheating issues, which sounds exactly like every other nVidia card ever made.

 

[ddrueding]

overheating could also be why the "newer" cards have bigger HSFs...

 

[Platform]

woot.com upped the warranty on the card to two years from 90 days and has reached an agreement with MSI to remove their name from the press release about stolen video cards.

I recall quite some time back there were some "fake" Matrox G200 or G100 cards floating around southeast Asia.

I suspect that someone at one the contractors or sub-contractors that was involved in the manufacture of the *legitimate* video card manufactured some "extra" GPUs, or got possession of engineering / test sample GPUs, and completed the PCB layout and the manufacture themselves -- very quickly -- to beat the legitimate product to market.

There is a lot of sophisticated counterfeiting and whatnot going on in China.

 

[Will Rickards]

And another woot off has begun!
I suspected there would be a woot-off.
There was a hint in the last blog entry and they sent out a newsletter (first one) that had a hint the size of a building. Here's hoping they offer the seagate drives again for cheap.

 

[Will Rickards]

Eerie... the seagate drive just appeared for 49.99.

 

[Will Rickards]

I got two ... couldn't help myself.

 

[timwhit]

There is a Woot off going on. I haven't seen anything that particularly interested me today. I will keep watching though.

www.woot.com

 

[Will Rickards]

I saw that earlier but refrained from watching it today, had to get some work done.

 

[Will Rickards]

WD Raptor 10K RPM 80GB refurbished is up now for $90.

 

[timwhit]

WD Raptor 10K RPM 80GB refurbished is up now for $90.

That only lasted about 22 minutes to sell 374 units.

Is that even a good price?

 

[Will Rickards]

I don't think it is a good price.... but that doesn't matter during a woot-off. There are crazy people.

p.s.
In the comments for one the items I found this site
www.playthelamegame.com
Interesting puzzles. I stopped after level 3.

 

[Bozo]

74GB Raptor at Newegg is $146.99, new.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

woot is wooting off today.
If anyone sees more of those Logitech powerline ethernet adaptors, please buy some. Every time they have some, I buy three. Usually they're all spoken for before I even actually get them.

 

[Mercutio]

See previous post, but for today.

 

[LOST6200]

WTF, a pinko piggy?

 

[timwhit]

WTF, a pinko piggy?

It is a radio. http://www.woot.com/Blog/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryId=2067

 

[Mercutio]

Woot is wooting again.

If Harmony remote controls come up again, they are absolutely worth $50.

 

[Clocker]

What is woot off mode?

 

[Mercutio]

Normally I'd refer you to the top of the thread but...
Woot sells one item per day, unless it is wooting off. If it is wooting, every time an item sells out, a new item goes up.

My all time favorite woots are Ethernet-over-Powerline adapters and Harmony 659 remote controls.

 

[timwhit]

Woot always tricks me into spending money.

 

[Nitsirk]

I swear they will never ever run out of Roombas. Being a Scooba fan and all I understand the appeal; however, you would think that everyone who wants one should have one by now. Sigh.... impatiantly waiting for the next thing.

 

[Mercutio]

Roombas are really cool, unless you have cats that have figured out how to flip one over.

 

[timwhit]

I succumbed and bought a pair of these headphones.

 

[Will Rickards]

I was considering those headphones too but they are 3.5mm instead of 2.5mm needed for my cell phone. Lately I'm looking for phones that plug into my cell phone as it is a windows media audio (WMA) player.

I love my roomba which I bought from woot. I'm tempted to buy another one just to keep upstairs. My only complaint is that it is too loud to run at night. Well too loud if you are trying to be a nice neighbor and not wake the neighbors or their dogs. I'd love if you could just put it on the floor and let it run while you go to bed.

Oh I have one more complaint. When you run it in your bedroom and it decides to stop under your king size bed in the middle of the bed. Good thing I have kids who can fit under there and fetch it for me. What happens when they grow up? I guess that is why they give you a remote. Except I put mine on max and run down the batteries....

 

[Mercutio]

My first one lasted about two and a half years and then it stopped vacuuming. It still roamed around just fine, so I used it for a cat toy but eventually it quit working entirely.

However, I just bought another one. Because there's at least five people I know who want woot to move on to a different item, and 'cause I had $145 I wasn't doing anything with, anyway.