Introduction

I'd like to think of myself as a "semi" handy man. I grew up in a family of laborers, so some of the "fix it" mentality has rubbed off on me. My most recent project was re-insulating the attic. I've experienced the house for a full barrage of seasons now and have found many of the flaws within. One problem last winter had been ice damming on the roof. So I made a note to myself to figure out the culprit over the spring/summer. After getting a few people in to give me their opinions, it basically boiled down to the heat getting into the attic. I felt that this was a task I could do myself. I held out until just before it started getting cold out and, luckily, insulation went on sale at my local Menards. As I was up in the attic I could see why there was a problem. There were spots that had such a thin layer of insulation that you could almost feel the heat coming through. Now, my attic is sealed tight, and hopefully this will save us money on heating costs and prevent the damming.

I'm the same way with computers. However, instead of the term "Handy Man", I get terms like "troubleshooter" or "computer guy". I don't mind, but you'd figure that people would finally come up with a consensus on something. Best Buy has the "geek squad" and Apple has their "genius". Those terms I do not like, nor would I like to be called any of them. A geek is a side show attraction at a carnival, and calling myself a genius is completely pretentious. Then again, those Apple people do think highly of themselves. You'd figure a company that prides themselves on being bug free and user friendly wouldn't have a need for a tech support crew, let alone "geniuses" to fix problems. I like my PCs, and I like products that give me more protection and function controls. ASUS has a full lineup of motherboards, but I've always had a fondness for the Sabertooth.

The ASUS Sabertooth 990FX is another solid board offered from ASUS. The Sabertooth 990FX offers all of the same TUF features, but on the AMD platform. The chipset is comprised of the AMD 990FX/SB950 with the newest AM3+ CPU socket. This will support all of the newest CPUs up to 8 cores and 140W. Memory support is up to 32GB and 1866Mhz DDR3 DRAM. The term TUF means "The Ultimate Force" and ASUS uses that to label a model of boards that goes that extra step to ensure total reliability and stability. All of the capacitors, MOSFETs, and chokes are comprised of a special alloy and are certified to meet military standards. In addition, this model includes a CeraM!X heatsink coating that allows 50% larger area for heat dissipation. Another feature of the Sabertooth is the thermal radar. Temperature zones can be set and fan speeds adjusted for total thermal control. Overall, the Sabertooth is built to last, under any condition.