And don't be fooled by the media, all computers including Mac's, Smartphones, and even your car computer can get viruses. Just remember that a virus is simply a program written by a prankster, hacker, or enemy who wants to fool with you, ruin your day, or extort money from you. It doesn't matter what computer you use, there's a techie out there that knows, tested, and continues to create new viruses for it. That's the unfortunate truth, now lets get to what was asked, and my email back to the fan of the Proven Helper YouTube Channel.

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QUESTION: Hello. I read the information you've put in your videos and I'm glad to know that you're welcome to answer the questions. I've got this problem 2 days ago. Everything began with downloading IDM by torrent. after that lots of viruses occupied my system. I think they are rstray.exe and ravmon.exe Chinese programs. Before I downloaded the torrent everything was ok. Whatever I try to do something on my computer, It just doesn't work. If I want to change permissions, I get access denied. If I want to end a process by using task manager, it doesn't work. Even if I want to delete a file, it won’t let me delete.

I'm totally confused about how to get rid of this virus and get my computer to work like it used to. I’d like some advice on what to do about this horrible virus. Thank you!

Top 10 Tips on How To Remove a Computer Virus 

1. First I want you to know that every computer geek out there knows that if a virus is really bad, nothing is safe unless you reinstall your Windows operating system from scratch. But you can leave this as a last resort option for now.
2. When a computer virus prevents you from deleting files, changing permission, and ending a process, you can try to bypass its activation by booting into Windows safe mode. Simply restart your computer and press F6 before the Windows logo pops up. You might have to try this process repeatedly until Windows asks you if you want to boot into safe mode.
3. However, these hackers don't make it easy to removal a virus. Sometimes the virus renames itself as a known process. If that happens you would have to get the file size and date of the affected file, and compare it with the one on your computer. This can get complicated because there could be many known legitimate revisions of that file program, so you would have to know exactly which version you have before you start suspecting. Sometimes the file size is different by a huge margin, making it easy to find the suspicious program. But other times these hackers can even get the file size down to the bit, so even this method is not full proof.
4. The bottom line is that if you really want to beat this virus you're going to need another computer to Google your questions while you keep looking for signs of the virus. Google strange activities your computer is doing, Google strange processes in your Windows Task Manager, and Googling error messages are just some of the things I’ve done in the past to figure out what computer virus I have and what can be done to remove it. Chances are someone else out there already caught the virus and wrote how they removed it somewhere.

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1. Also newer virus's change names, so you can delete one, and then another one would spawn in a different name in its place. You can track your active processes and see what happens when you kill a process.  If something is respawning a process either as the same name or a completely different name every time, you have to find the Windows Process or Service that is running which is therefore allowing this entire process to happen. Check Msconfig in older versions of Windows by running the command Msconfig. Shortcut is Window Key + R this will bring up the Run prompt, then type Msconfig. In Windows 10, the startup section has been moved to Task Manager but you can still execute this procedure, then click the blue link that says open task manager. Alternatively, right click the Windows Icon, then Task Manager, then Startup. The Services Tab in Windows 10 is where you can examine Windows Services that can be running and turning on your virus every time you boot into Windows.
2. Many antivirus programs have rootkit removal tools or virus scanners that can be installed on a USB stick that you can run to help you catch the virus. This of course assumes that this is a known virus and not something new which won't be caught. You can also download Rootkit Removal Tools from trusted websites. Also sometimes specific virus removal tools are created for specific viruses. In this case, you will have to figure out exactly what virus you have by doing some of the work noted above.
3. Sometimes a computer virus just ruins one user profile on the machine. In this scenario simply create another user profile, then transfer over just the documents or photos you need. Then delete the corrupted or infected profile.
4. I’ve seen viruses disable and imitate antivirus software before. Remember, the people creating these things are just human, so sometimes you can almost predict what they might do, to fool you into thinking that everything is okay. Think outside the box or meditate on what to do for 15 minutes and see if your subconscious can drop some hints on what to do next. You’d be surprised how helpful meditation can be for solving any type of problem.
5. This is another technique out of left field, but I have been using it to my advantage for more than 20 years. It’s the set your mind on that you’re going to solve this problem and that’s that solution. Our brains our powerful tools that sometimes we don’t exercise enough. I learned about this power of setting my mind on solving a problem long ago, when computers used to cost $2,500 and if something broke it was going to be an arm and a leg. So when things went wrong, which they also do with computers, the first thing I said to myself was that somehow, someway, I was going to figure out this problem. And interestingly enough I became so good at it, that I worked in IT for more than 10 years once I grew up and even in my IT days I used the advice I wrote on this post to solve 99% of my computer problems, no matter if it was a virus, worm, bad hardware, or bad software. These techniques will work, but you have to have the patience and will to make them work for you. Sometimes you can beat the problem quickly, while other times it can take forever. Which brings me to my final tip.
6. If you don’t want to reinstall Windows, try any of these steps, or simply don’t have the time to find and remove this virus on your own, despite how awesome you will feel afterwards. You can always bring it to BestBuy Geek Squad or some other shop and have them use these techniques for you in exchange for a fee. Sometimes they just choose the easiest method, because no one is going to spend hours when you’re only paying them $50. You get what you pay for,

Well I hope you enjoyed learning about how I removed my computer viruses in the past and even used these principals to build a career in IT. I still use these principals to this day and believe in them 100%. A computer Virus is written by humans and every human has a weakness. You simply have to find out where this person was lazy and remove their electronic prank from your computer.

17 Million Views Strong

Subscribe to YouTube & Follow on Twitter to see what How-to videos & Tips I just posted. I’m happy to say that my content has generated 17 million views between SimplyAdditions.com and my YouTube channel. 

For this years treasure hunt, I have already hunted down 10 awesome but surprisingly affordable gifts ideas that any guy or real cool girl would love to unwrap on Christmas, or their birthday.

I have to tell you that these gift ideas were all over the web, but thanks to Jeff Bezos and his unquenchable thirst to sell one of everything on earth, you can find all of the goodies below on Amazon.com. It kind of blew my mind to find it all there, and at a cheaper price to boot. But come on people, we're talking about dealing with Mr. Crazy Pants Jeff Bezos here, he would sell you unicorns if he could.

The Best Cheap But Awesome Christmas Gifts For Guys 

 1.  Robot Tea Infuser

This awesome little Robot Tea Infuser looks like something Sheldon Cooper would want in his tea cup whenever he needs to have one of his famous hot beverage moments.  

After all, "we all know that social protocol states that when a friend is upset you offer them a hot beverage, such as tea." 

Ten bucks can't get you much these days, but I bet it can get you a smile for your status update this Christmas!

Buy the Robot Tea Infuser for only $10.21  Because it can even make your favorite bagged tea 1000x cooler too.  

Reminisce and watch a Sheldon Cooper Hot Beverage Moment. Go ahead and click - I'll save your spot. 

 2.  Camera Lens Coffee Mug

As a fellow shutterbug and Youtube Character, I kind of like this Camera Lens Mug. If your guy is into his Canon or Nikon DSLR or maybe even a GoPro, this camera lens coffee mug might just put a smile on his mug this Christmas. I think it will show him that you actually care about his interests and I'd personally like the thoughtfulness of a gift like this. (Wives and girlfriends, take note!)

Buy the Shutterbug Special for only  $10.99 

 3.  Ninja Sword Umbrella

Battle rain drops like a jet black ninja with your trusty Samurai Sword Umbrella. Guaranteed to make those rainy days something you'll look forward to from now on.  Assassinate every rain drop before they wet your honorable face, afterwards just strap your trusty Japanese Sword Umbrella to your back, once the rain clouds have admitted their defeat.

Attack The Rain for only $24.38

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 4.  Legless Pirate Corkscrew Bottle Opener $12.28

Okay, there will be at least one day in your near future when this Peg-legged Pirate Corckscrew, foil cutting, beer bottle opening thingy will make your friends jealous. Don't wait and get one today!

 5.  Monochromatic Deck of Playing Cards $10.00

Whether you have a Batman Complex, or simply enjoy looking cool amongst your peers, this Black Deck of Playing Cards is something that will make your friends wonder why you have all the coolest guy gear ever.

 6.  Wooden Pallet Coasters $17.75

Picture your best buds coming over for the game, and after you hand them a nice cold one, you say, "hey, don't forget to put that beer on a pallet bud". That's right, even your wooden pallet coasters say you have more swagger than Jay-Z  (In a fictional reality if Jay-Z didn't have his hundreds of millions of dollars to play with).

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 7.  Robot Salt and Pepper Shakers $13.18

Push the salt & peppa out real good  with these awesome looking robot salt and pepper shakers. But these little guys are real movers and shakers, when you wind them up.

 8.  Contemporary Fish Condo $33.45

Sure your neighbor Teddy has a pet goldfish swimming in a boring old fish bowl. Why don't you order this today, and post your fish up on Facebook or Instagram living large in his Contemporary Fish Condo. It will make your friends fish green with envy, scurvy, or whatever disease fish get when they've been bested.

 9.  Instant Grilled Cheese Toaster Bags $9.99

Guys hate cooking but love looking like they worked hard. These Toaster Grilling Bags allow you to make instant grilled cheese sandwiches, which you can serve as breakfast after spending a wild night with your favorite girl.

Impress her without the commitment of real cooking, and don't forget that you'll get to eat grilled cheese sandwiches whenever you want now!

 10.  Ninja Star Fridge Magnets $17.17

As if my gift ideas couldn't get any cooler this year, try out these amazing Ninja Star Magnets.  Stick them to your fridge, file cabinet, car, motorcycle, or your front door. No one will be able to deny your animal magnetism! And they will have to wonder how cool you really have to be to have actual ninjas trying to Chinese star you to death!

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And Now Some Gag Gift Ideas

 11.  The Melted Wrist Watch "Think Salvador Dali"

Are you a fan of Dali the artist? How about time travel, quantum physics, or plain and simple fun,  This time piece is the hottest watch I ever seen. Perfect as a gag gift, or as a thoughtful gift to an art lover. 

Buy the Melted Watch for only $22.83

 12.  Kangaroo Kielbasa Sausage

 Finally something not even Jeff Bezos would dare to put on his Amazon Superstore, The Kangaroo Kielbasa Sausage. In Australia people eat Kangaroo for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but in the states, brave souls would love to have this tasty meat jump onto their dinner plate. Order up your 16oz today! 

Buy Some Wholesome Kangaroo Sausage for only $19.99

13.   R2-D2 USB Car Charger

Here's the coolest car charger you ever saw, it's the R2-D2 USB Car Charger! This litte guy has two high powered 2.1 Amp USB ports to charge any of your phones, tablets, and GPS devices. R2-D2's head rotates, lights up and makes all the right noises to make your Star Wars loving friends cry to their mama. This thing is super cool even for people who don't like Star Wars (I'm sure there's at least 2 people out there). You have to watch the video at Think Geek by clicking the buy it button below. 

By the way this little Gadget is on Amazon, but for twice as much cash, so get it from ThinkGeek. 

Buy the R2-D2 Dual Car Charger Robot now for  only $39.99

I will keep adding more gift ideas to this list as I find more great bargains on cool stuff, so bookmark this page son. 

How To Drop Gift Idea Hints to Family & Friends for Christmas and Birthdays

Want to get one of these awesome but affordable Christmas gifts? Here are a few ways you can spread the hint to your family and friends. Let them know that you wouldn't mind this cheap but great Christmas gift using the scripts below in your favorite digital communication app.

1. Hey mom, dad would love one of these gifts for Christmas, I mean which guy wouldn't... Then simply paste a link to this list in her email, Facebook, Instagram or her Pinterest account.

2. Share it on Facebook and say something vague but make it sound like you subconsciously want the gift.

Possible Facebook Wall  Post:  Wow, Ninja Star Magnets as Christmas presents, who needs dumb little ninja star magnets, I'll tell you who, not me... They don't interest me at all, I prefer hello kitty magnets all over my fridge.

3. Hey sis, look at this cool Camera Lens Coffee Cup, I mean I love my camera, but can you imagine me drinking out of a camera lens coffee mug...  (Facebook, Twitter, email...)

Ehh, these hints are not the best, why not leave me your ideas. You can also reach me on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter... Etc... I go by ProvenHelper these days. Thanks for checking out my list and remember that these really are things I would want :)

Pay-it-forward for those that do stuff like that: Share the hell out of this Gift List For Men on your social sphere, you never know what type of good karma will come your way!

Please do not send these awesome gifts to my house using Amazon and my Proven Helper, LLC address is not on my bio page.

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Christmas Gift Guide for Men: Manly Gifts for the Guys in Your Life

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you’re like most Americans, you’ve probably started – or at least thought about – your holiday gift shopping already. It can be difficult sometimes to put together your holiday shopping list – it’s not easy to figure out what to give your spouse, parents, in-laws, etc.! And then to think that, after you’ve spent time and money thinking of and purchasing a gift, sometimes it might never be used. Or, worse, it could one day be re-gifted (we’ve all done it!). So this year, why not give your loved ones gifts that they’ll actually use?

Home automation gadgets are the answer. In this age of ever-evolving technology, we live in a world that is constantly connected and plugged in. Home automation products take the latest and greatest technology and connect your home directly to your favorite devices, like your new smart phone or tablet, making your life much easier (and much more high-tech).

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Does your father-in-law always forget to turn on the lawn sprinklers, leaving his grass brown all spring? There’s a home automation gadget for that. 

Does your mother worry that she forgot to turn on the alarm after leaving? There’s a gadget for that. 

Do you and your spouse want to enjoy high-quality sound when listening to your favorite jams or watching your favorite TV shows? There’s a home automation gadget for that.

We’ve done all the work for you with our list of the Top 10 Home Automation Gadgets to Buy for Christmas Gifts. Take a look and you’re sure to find something for all the special people in your life … and don’t forget to treat yourself, too!

1. Self Learning Thermostats

With devices such as the Nest thermostat, you can keep your home at the perfect temperature year round. Connected thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature in any part of your house from anywhere – imagine turning up the heat a bit before you leave the office during a particularly cold, winter day. Smart thermostats can also learn your patterns and schedules, programming themselves to mimic what you’ve done before. In the end, these devices can really help you save money on home energy bills. We like the Nest thermostat, found here.

2. Wireless Lighting

Automating your home’s lights is sure to save you money in the long run. Forget to turn off the kitchen light before leaving for work? No problem, with automated lights, you can control everything from your smart phone. Another great benefit of automated lights is the ability to control the lights while you are away on vacation, giving off a lived-in appearance which helps to increase your home’s security while you are away. Have some fun with automated lights using the Philips Hue Smart Lighting Starter kit, which allows you to get creative by controlling up to 50 lights at a time, creating lighting scenes based on your favorite photos or even programming the lights to flicker in the morning instead of using a traditional alarm. Check out Philips Wireless Lighting.

3. Home Audio Sound Systems

Easily share and control music throughout your home with a home audio system, or, opt for a sound system that connects to your television for a movie theater-like watching experience. There are many outstanding options on the market right now, most notable Bose and Sonos. We’re loving the Sonos smart system of HiFi wireless speakers found here.

4. Wireless Video Streaming

These days, cable just isn’t cutting it. Whether you’re cancelling cable to minimize your bills, or if you just want more television and movie options in your life, you most likely have used some type of streaming video service. Now live video streaming to your television couldn’t get any easier – with Google’s simple and extremely affordable Chromecast, you can stream anything from your laptop straight to your TV.

5. Automated Vacuum

Do you know someone who despises household chores? An automated vacuum is the perfect gift for them. You can schedule and program these cool gadgets to clean different types of floors, including wood, tile, carpet and vinyl. These are a great gift for those with pets, or anyone who suffers from allergies! Check out a really high rated robotic vacuum now.

6. Automated Coffee Pots

This is a great gift for the caffeine fiend in your life. Any coffee-lover will be ecstatic to receive an automated coffee pot that can be programmed to start brewing their coffee before they even wake up. This affordable coffee maker from the classic Mr. Coffee will let you program it to brew a pot of coffee in advance, and it comes with a convenient auto shutoff feature that turns the warming plate off after 1 hour. http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-4-Cup-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0008JIW8U

7. Home Automation Door Locks

Automated door locksallow you to access your locks remotely, giving you the ability to check and see which doors are locked or unlocked, and letting you lock the door remotely. Some automated door locks will let you assign unique codes to each person in your household, so you can get notifications when a certain user unlocks a certain door. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004F1F1PY?pf_rd_p=1633054382&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1001373411&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1E7WAZEDM4EK2X598F9D

8. Sprinkler Controller

Automated sprinklers make taking care of your yard a breeze. Never forget to water the lawn again and be the envy of the neighborhood withthe Lono sprinkler system. This allows you to easily control your sprinklers with your smart phone, so you don’t even have to leave the couch to do your yard work. https://lono.io/

9. Turn anything into a connected device

This has to be one of our all-time favorites: the Belkin WeMo home automation products allows you to connect your existing electronics to your Wi-Fi network and control them using your cell phone. The WeMo product line also includes devices that connect your power and water to your smart phone – talk about advanced technology! With affordable price points, these products are a steal and are a great gift for anyone on your list!  http://www.belkin.com/us/Products/home-automation/c/wemo-home-automation/

10. One-Touch Home Automation Controller

This is the perfect solution for someone who doesn’t want a bunch of different gadgets, but would prefer to keep everything all in one place, as it allows users to unify and automate a variety of smart devices under one application. Unlike other all-in-one home automation controllers, the Relvov app and hub doesn’t require an Ethernet cable, but instead only needs a wireless connection. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EWJQ9PK?pf_rd_p=1715802102&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=398550782&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=024GBVTN7QA7BYQ8CBRB

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Christmas Gift Guide for Men: Manly Gifts for the Guys in Your Life

We’re creeping toward the middle of December, which means the Christmas holiday will be here before we know it. Each year, the holiday season is a time of joy spent celebrating with friends, families and loved ones. But a big part of the holiday season for many people is also the tradition of gift-giving.

Choosing the perfect presents for loved ones can sometimes be a difficult, stressful task – especially if that special someone is a man. We men don’t always make it obvious what we want to see wrapped in pretty paper underneath the Christmas tree, but trust me; we have some ideas swirling around in our heads.

If you’re not sure what to get your dad, son, brother, boyfriend or husband this year, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. 

Tools Of All Sizes

Of course, you might have already thought of this, but it’s sure to be a winner. Every man needs a nice toolset to keep in their workshop, garage, man cave, or maybe even under the kitchen sink. Look for tools that come with warranties – several come with lifetime warranty options, so your gift will keep giving for life, even if one of the tools is damaged or broken. If you have a long driveway or a lot of area to shovel, your guy would definitely love a snow blower. Check out our 2013 Ultimate Snow Blower Buying Guide to find the right one for your household.

A Gentleman’s Knife

If you want to give your guy a tool that’s fancier than a new hammer or wrench, think about buying him a fancy knife. The kind of knife that has a wooden or bone handle; the kind of knife a guy can were around in his pocket or on his belt; the kind of knife that is passed down from generation to generation. This isn’t so much a practical tool as it is more of a manly accessory – think of it as the grown up, classy version of the classic Swiss Army knife, but without so many functions.

Tech Gadgets

Men love technology, and 2013 has been a great year for new and innovative tech creations. For the business man or geeky guy that likes to have everything at his fingertips, you can choose from myriad tablets. We love the iPad Mini – it’s the perfect size to carry around in a bag, and it comes with a more affordable price tag. For the TV lover, you’ve got Chromecast, which connects your smartphone or tablet to your TV to play YouTube, Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu, at only $35. Or, for the music lover in your life, take a look at Sonos Play One, a portable, wireless audio system that connects to internet music channels and your iTunes library.

Gaming Console

Boys will be boys, and we’ll always love to play video games. Plus, I heard somewhere that playing video games help to keep your memory sharp, so there are health benefits, too! The Xbox One and PS4 are the hottest next-gen consoles on the market right now, and both appeal to different kinds of gamers. Do some stealthy research and ask your guy’s friends which console he would prefer to be sure you’re making the right choice.

A Watch

Every man needs a nice watch, and there’s something to fit all personalities. If the man you’re buying for is a tech geek, but he already has all of the ideas listed above, you could get him a new smart watch. Sony’s SmartWatch is Android compatible and connects you to your calls, social networks, emails and favorite apps, all while leaving your hands free. Or, for the more classic gentleman, there’s always the more luxurious choice of a Rolex, Omega, Seiko or Fossil – something for every budget.

Beer!

Men love beer, end of story. If your budget is small, you can easily make these fun and festive “reinbeer” using a six pack of your guy’s favorite craft beer (see tutorial here: http://lifeofamodernmom.blogspot.com/2010/11/reindeer-rootbeer-beer.html). If you have more money to spend, a “beer of the month” club membership is definitely going to be a winner. There are so many options out there for beer of the month clubs – choose from domestic beers, international beers, or a mix of the two. A variety pack of craft beer will be delivered to your guy once a month and he’ll start to look like a craft beer connoisseur to all of his friends. 

Christmas Gifts for Men Video Guide

What else would you add to this list? Share your ideas in the comments section!

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Introduction

In the past you had to work for NASA or IBM to catch a glimpse of a super computer, let alone own one. But these days, you can build one in an afternoon if you know what you are doing.

I love building high performance computers for myself and they typically cost the same or less than what you can find at your local stores. I've been doing this repeatedly for more than 20 years now and because of that, I decided to share my secrets with my fans. So if you found this article by accident, consider yourself lucky, because most computer geeks out there don't share their secrets, since they don't want others to have a computer that can beat them in benchmarks, gaming or sheer overclocking performance.

This guide is thorough, but you can jump around in it, if that makes you happy. It will be here for reference whenever you need it, so go ahead and make it a favorite by bookmarking it now before you forget. Although the first draft was written in August of 2015, the knowledge of how to find the perfect hardware for a computer build is timeless and perfected from 20 years of experience. My computers don't just set records, they last, and they don't crash, which is why my guide trumps the competition, who doesn't have the experience to build for longevity, as well as performance.

Who The Following People Can Build A Super Computer

I'm writing this article for 3 sets of people.

1. The person who never built a single computer.

2. Someone who built at least 1 computer.

3. A geek who can build killer machines with the best of them, but doesn't have time to do the proper research for picking out the best components.

So in a nutshell, I'm writing this article for anyone who wants a FPS crushing, retail PC shaming, gaming and productivity rig that will make your friends head straight for Bestbuy, Newegg, or Amazon right after they're done drooling on your floor.

How My Obsession with Computers Got Started

I grew up in the 80's and one of my favorite movies back then was War Games with Matthew Broderick. That's the one where he hacks into his high school to change his grades, then accidentally hacks into a US military supercomputer and almost starts a global thermal nuclear war! When I saw that movie, I knew right away that I needed to get a computer.

So when you're a 12 year old kid in need of a $2,000 rig back in the 80's you pull out all the tricks to convince your parents, and I was no different except for one thing. I went a step further and bought two 500 page MS-DOS and GW-Basic manuals from my local bookstore and read them both from cover to cover. Although those books were boring for most people, I was captivated buy them because I just kept thinking of all the possibilities the things I learned could unlock.

Long story short, my parents were amazed at my level of interest and took me to a local store on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington CT called Lechmere. And there I bought my first computer, a Packard Bell 286 with a 16 Mhz processor and a 16 megabyte hard drive and a VGA monitor.  Yup, I was on cloud nine for years!

The Essentials for Super Computing

Well that was ages ago, since then I've built several high performance computers for myself and even introduced a few friends and family members into the "Build Your Own Computer Club'. What makes my computers light years ahead of most of the computers sold at retail stores, are the carefully researched parts which can unlock the hidden potential of the hardware if configured properly.

Alone those parts may not seem that special, but together in a single computer they're capable of helping you reach world class performance, which qualifies to me as a "Super Computer".

Researching computer parts is how my obsession with extensive research actually began. And now there's so much consumer data to read through thanks to Newegg, BestBuy, and Amazon customer reviews, you can practically predict the performance and reliability based on the average customer experience alone.

The Reason for my 2015 Super Computer Build Project

Well now you know that I had, have, and will continue to have a need to build a super computer every 4 years or so, depending on how my current needs are being met. Lately the 1080p videos I make for YouTube are demanding more raw horsepower than I currently have, but I'm working on a 2011 computer.

The thing about computer parts is that they change all the time, and even multiple times a year. If you haven't done the research in awhile, chances are you will have no idea what a good computer is anymore. That's why this article not only lists the parts you should buy, but it will also provide alternatives for different price points and needs, as well as the methodology I used so that you can build a super computer in the year 2019 using the same principals you'll find here.

To Intel or to AMD

I've been on both sides of the fence before, hell I even used the graphite in my pencil to bridge a connection on my old AMD Athlon that allowed me to overclock the hell out of that CPU. But these days, you're better off choosing an Intel CPU because they run cooler, overclock like crazy, and you simply can't beat them.

What is Overclocking?

Overclocking is like slapping on a supercharger on a Mustang. But just like a supercharger causes the engine to run hotter which requires you to buy an intercooler too. An overclocked computer runs hotter as well, which requires upgraded air cooling or even liquid cooling of the CPU and sometimes other components depending on how crazy your trying to get with extracting performance out of your computer parts.

Overclocking is the reason my computers have always outperformed anything you can buy from Dell, Apple, Gateway, and HP. These days most Intel computers come with 2 speeds; a base clock speed and a turbo boost clock speed. The turbo boost is just another way to say overclocked speed, but I'm assuming Intel wanted to shy away from the word overclock to demystify the benefit and also separate itself from the negative side of overclocking which is part failure.

Safe Overclocking, Extreme Overclocking, and Enthusiast Overclocking

Safe overclocking is done basically by every Intel CPU with turbo boost technology these days, meaning your computer will be an average computer.

Extreme Overclocking is not for most people because it requires a lot more money and you take on a lot more risk. Today extreme overclocking is done with liquid nitrogen cooling! Yep, there's even competitions around the world where the best overclockers' gather to see what the guru's can push their computers to, while maintaining a useable and burn-in tested system. I'll post some of my favorite YouTube links below.

Enthusiast overclocking, that's what I aim for with my Super Computer Build. To me enthusiast grade overclocking is for people that want next years computer performance today, without having to worry about computer crashes, and things breaking. Although if you have any computer, you already know that sometimes things break and that's all there's too it, it could be from a bad batch, or the FedEx guy tripped and dropped a package at some point during the journey from the manufacturer to retail store, to your hands.

The Super Computer I'm building for this project is composed of cherry picked high end parts, that I went through the agony of reading the positive and negative reviews about, after I read tons of articles reviewing the parts, and looking at all the benchmarks. As always there's a lot of choices, so I'll include the other part numbers I was considering and why I chose not to go with it.

Picking a Proper High End Part for The Build

1. Look for parts with a large amount of reviews, 100+ if possible.

2. Read positive and negative reviews on multiple sites, to get the nitty gritty details about ownership.

3. Research writeups, reviews, comparisons, and benchmarks for each component you're interested in.

4. Make a list. Sometimes researching one part can lead you into buying a different brand, type based on what you learn.

In a nutshell, the procedure above is what I used to find the parts I chose for my Super Computer Build, you can use the alternative parts I mentioned or use my methodology to find your own.

Onto The Build!

Choosing from 3 Different Platforms: LGA 1151 Inel Z170, LGA 1150 Intel Z97, LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99

New Intel Z170 Platform, Great for Gamers

The new kid on the block is the Intel Z170 platform. It literally just came out, but the benchmarks I've seen didn't convince me that this is the winning platform for me. If you're looking for a gaming machine, the Intel Z170 platform might be a good option, but it will be at least 1 year before the data is in from consumers and reviewers about which parts are good, which break prematurely, and which parts are nothing but problems. If you're looking for to build a super gaming pc that's tried and true, keep reading.

The primary reason I didn't go with this option is that I opted for a 6 core CPU because it will help me with on the video editing end when I make my YouTube videos. BTW: I will be making a Super Computer Tutorial from this build, which I hope to release soon.

Tried and True Performer: Intel Z97 Chipset

I have to admit choosing between the famous Z97 chipset and the X99 chipset was a difficult option for me. Why? You could build a killer super computer using this chipset and it will cost you $200 to $300 cheaper than a the X99 chipset, but you're missing out on some newer technologies like USB 3.1, M.2 support which gives you insane speed SSD drives, and the latest SATA technologies as well. I personally wanted support of the ultra M.2 controller because a super fast hard drive in the future can give me a nice upgrade option when I get bored of my Super Computer performance and I reached my overclock maximum comfort limit.

The Ultimate Productivity & Upgradability X99 Chipset

I chose the X99 chipset after weighing all my options. I thought about how long I will have this computer for, what type of work I’ll be doing on it, and how I would like to upgrade it if, if the performance doesn’t suit me in the future. The X99 chipset is known as the enthusiast level chipset because it allows for Intel’s newest extreme edition processors, although I personally went for the i7 5820k CPU.

How The Results From Overclocking Would Benefit A User Using My Build

25% faster encoding using video editing software like Adobe Premiere, Handbrake, or Cyberlink Powerdirector

30% improvement in software benchmarks over stock CPU's in software like Cineabench

3DMark Firestrike only a 2% increase. In gaming don't expect a lot of improvement unless the game depends on CPU processing. For a pure gaming rig, I would go for the slightly cheaper z97 chipset and spend more on a video card, because CPU’s are no longer bottlenecks.

My Super Computer Build Parts List

Here are all the components I used to build my latest record breaking rig. I already had several components that I reused from my previous build to save costs. The RED link items are the carry-over parts and the new parts are in BLACK. 

BTW: These links go to Amazon as I'm an affiliate. Don't worry you'll still pay Amazon's low prices, they pay me a small finder fee from their end if you happen to buy computer parts from them like I do. 

LIVE POST:

Hi, thanks for reading. I just built my computer and plan on updating this article with photos, videos, and lessons learned from my build. I actually had a hardware problem from the start, but Newegg was really great about helping me. The unexpected problem delayed things a bit, but I’m excited to share how I troubleshooted my motherboard problems and convinced Newegg to send me a brand new motherboard instead of dealing with the warranties and manufacturers. Stay tuned!

P.S. I hope there wasn’t a ton of typo’s in the post, but I will revise it once I make the final edits. Don’t forget to stop by or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube for updates.