Building computers is, in a way a matter of knowing the rules and following them.  On a basic level it is plugging the right connector into the right plug, be it a ZIFF socket or a 12V power connector.  Beyond that come secondary rules, like not mixing RAM and ensuring that temperatures remain reasonable.  Others are more complex, like overclocking in small increments to find the perfect settings instead of instantly trying for your megahertz goal.  There are other unwritten rules to follow that are no less important, rules vary greatly from those stating that an untested RAID 1 is not dependable to the simple adage that friends never let friends drive WinME.

This week sees some new ideas in our new ASUS Xtreme Design Forum, with several ambitious build plans you can look over and comment on.  In the overclocking forum is a man with a plan on how to win a bet he can’t get his Athlon 64 X2 7750 to 3.1GHz with the stock heatsink.  The Graphics Forum is abuzz with news of the new HD5970 as well as some new information on the Lucid Hydra chipset.  In the Linux Forum you can read about Microsoft’s pseudo sudo patent while the Windows forum has instituted thread prefixes so that you can tell which OS version it is that the thread is about.  Of course the Fragging Frogs are all too busy playing Modern Warfare 2 to be posting much.  The Lightning Round?  Well, there is so much to debate right now, from pig flu to pork barrel politics that you just have to head in to see.

Finally, this week’s PC Perspective Podcast is up, #82, thanks in part to the tireless devotion of Ryan’s new slave intern, grab the audio version or subject yourself to the full facial version right here!