Techgage 2008 Birthday Contest - 2008 Survey

[Rob Williams]

As seen on our contest page (http://techgage.com/article/techgage_2008_birthday_contest), the grand prize for this contest is a full-featured gaming PC and can be won by participating in our twenty-question survey (http://techgage.com/contests).

The specifications of the PC are as follows:

Grand Prize PC
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (2.66GHz)
Motherboard: ASUS Striker II Formula (780i SLI)
Graphics: ASUS EN8800GT 512 x 2
Audio: ASUS Xonar D2
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2-1066 (4 x 1GB)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB (1,000GB)
Optical Disc: LG GGC-H20L Blu-ray Reader, LG GSA-H55LI DVD-RW
PSU: Ultra Products 1000W X3
Chassis: Thermaltake Armor+
Cooling: Zalman 9700LED, ZM-MFC2 Fan ControllerOther Included Components
Display: Dell 24" 2408WFP (1920x1200, High-Color Gamut)
Speakers: Logitech G51 5.1 Gamer Speakers
Headphones: Ultrasone HFI-550 Closed-back
Router: D-Link DGL-4500 Gaming Wireless Router
Peripherals: Logitech MX5500 Desktop, Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse
Software: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Office 2007 Home & StudentAs mentioned on the contest page, the parts for this PC were all chosen carefully by us and we feel they all represent what gamers and computing enthusiasts would love to see in their dream-rig. Below, I'll explain a little bit about each part and why we chose it.

http://techgage.com/articles/tg_events/2008_birthday/grand_prize.png

Grand Prize PC

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz
We have taken a look at many Intel 45nm processors since the official launch in November and have been impressed with the changes Intel has made over the 65nm offerings. Improved power efficiency, lower temps, SSE4 instructions and other features make this a fantastic offering. Once launched, it should retail for around $350, and for a Quad-Core 2.66GHz offering, that's a sweet deal.

ASUS Striker II Formula
ASUS is a name that's become synonymous with budget shoppers and enthusiasts alike. Their Striker II Formula board is a high-end offering that delivers extreme performance and supports NVIDIA SLI, thanks to the on-board 780i chipset. Where high-end SLI is concerned, this board is a winner.

ASUS EN8800GT 512 x 2
I've mentioned numerous times in our reviews over the past few months that the 8800 GT is the card to own right now. It offers a perfect blend of performance and price and does well to satisfy most gamers. With two paired together, the sheer power is enormous - enough to power even the latest games at high resolutions (even 2560x1600!).

ASUS Xonar D2
Rory first took a look at the Xonar late last year and was very impressed overall. The enthusiasm for that card quickly spread through the staff as three staff members now own the card, and each one could not be happier. It's a high-end offering that is really worth the price. It offers incredible sound, a fantastic bundle.. and lights!

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB
What needs to be said? We've come to trust Seagate products for a while now, and they are one of the few companies we find true faults with. Their drives are reliable, come in at a reasonable price and the warranty is industry-leading. This rig is equipped with 1,000 fantastic gigabytes and a staggering 32MB cache.

Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2-1066 (4GB)
Crucial is another company that's well-trusted by most anyone who they come in contact with. Their products offer great performance and look cool at the same time. The Tracer's are uniquely special because they include activity LEDs on top which beat out any other competitor on the market. It's easy to become entranced while staring at them.

LG Blu-ray Combo Drive / LG DVD-RW
Thanks to LG, this machine is Blu-ray and high-def ready. Their combo-drive is a fantastic offering as it allows reading of Blu-ray movies and also functions as a normal DVD-RW. To help save on the overall lifespan of the drive, they've included a standard DVD-RW drive as well so that you can use the Blu-ray drive for that purpose exclusively.

Ultra Products 1000W X3
This is a powerful machine, so it deserves an equally powerful power supply. At 1000W, this PSU is more than what this system needs, but that means there will be no problem upgrading down the line. And with it's modular connections, keeping a great airflow scheme is simple. This PSU comes highly recommended from our resident PSU guru Matt Harris, so you know it's good.

Thermaltake Armor+
Thermaltake has long been hailed as an industry chassis leader, and with products like the Armor+, it's easy to understand why. With it's full-tower frame and common-sense design, not to mention great looks, this chassis will look great sitting anywhere. It has plenty of room, so upgrading and keeping a great airflow is a cinch. Another version of the chassis that features NVIDIA's ESA is upcoming.

Zalman 9700LED, MFC2 Fan Controller
By far, one of the best looking CPU coolers on the market has long-been Zalman's 9500 and 9700. With it's copper-flower design, it's not only lightweight and efficient, but very cool to look at - especially with its blue LED. We used these coolers in our recent review of Intel's Skulltrail system, and it kept those CPUs cool, so the Q9450 will be no match for its efficiency. Also included is a fan controller, to help keep the system quiet when you need it to be.

Other Included Components

Dell 2408WFP
Dell's 2408WFP is a brand-new 24-inch monitor that offers plenty of functionality. It includes a high color gamut, at 110%, so it's perfect for professional photographers and novices alike. It also offers connectivity for all the popular inputs, such as VGA, DVI, HDMI and even DisplayPort... a connection-type that's just barely catching on. This screen includes a default resolution of 1920x1200 (1080p video is supported), 6ms response and a large 3000:1 contrast ratio.

Logitech G51 5.1 Gaming Speakers
Logitech's a leader in peripherals, and one company that have been listed in our review section many times over. Their G51 speakers are the successors of the X-540's, and deliver 5.1 sound that's designed for gaming. While not the most powerful set on the block, their value is very high, as Rory found out in his review from late last year.

Ultrasone HFI-550 Closed-Back Headphones
Ultrasone is a company who focuses on one type of product, because they want to make sure they excel there and don't let their focus spread too thin. Based in Germany, the company is just beginning to become a more popular name on these shores. As Rory found out in his review of the HFI-700's, Ultrasone knows what they are doing. I own a pair of their PRO 750's and can also attest to their quality... very high.

D-Link DGL-4500 Gaming Wireless Router
If there was any doubt that this was a router designed for gamers, you probably missed the top LCD which displays various information that gamers care about, such as network activity. This router even includes a small CPU that runs with an advanced algorithm to make sure that the latency in your online games are as low as possible. Finally, a high-performance router that looks totally kick-ass!

Logitech MX5500 Desktop, G9 Gaming Mouse
The MX5500 desktop consists of a robust media keyboard and the MX Revolution mouse, an offering that I personally love a lot for regular desktop work. The keyboard features an LCD like the G15, but blends in better as it should with a media offering. Because this is a gaming machine, a G9 mouse is also included, since gamers, of course, prefer wired mice when they are in the heat of battle.

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit and Office 2007 Home and Student
Pre-installed with the system will be a copy of Vista Ultimate 64-Bit and Office 2007 H&S, which includes Excel, Word and Powerpoint. We chose a 64-Bit OS due to our choice of having 4GB of RAM, but the winner will be able to reinstall using the 32-Bit version if they prefer. With Office 2007, a great software base is ready to be built upon.

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[BlackAndy]

Whoever wins this will be one lucky S.O.B.:)
This looks like a great rig!
I think it's great that the sponsers realize the positve influence that TechGage has on consumers.
Good luck everyone!

[THUMPer]

HOLY SMOKES

[On_Wisconsin]

Just fyi....in Firefox...
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/411/ummmaa9.jpg

[THUMPer]

I submitted but it didn't confirm that I did.

[Rob Williams]

On_Wisconsin, what OS are you using? We've tested it out on Firefox more than once and had no issues.

THUMPer, it's supposed to refresh the page and note that it was completed. It's very strange that it didn't, because that was a last minute bug but was squashed (I tested it five times). I'll hit up the coder and see if he can find out the problem.

[slugbug]

Wow-wa-wee-wah, those are some sexy prizes :D

[Merlin]

Never got the authentication e-mail
after I submitted it about 5:30 EST this morning

I tried it again and said that it had already been used, so I guess it went through. but still never came in my email

Merlin

[Rob Williams]

Did you happen to use an @hotmail.com or @live.com e-mail address? It seems that for some reason, those e-mails are not making it through. Instead of going to the trash, it just doesn't appear whatsoever.

I have tested @gmail and @yahoo and those worked fine, however. I am waiting on our coder before making any decisions, but perhaps there is something that could be fixed.

If you don't receive the e-mail, don't worry, the query is not lost. I'll personally send the codes if I have to.

[slugbug]

Changed my forum email address to my gmail account and now it works.
Survey completed :)

[Rob Williams]

Sorry for the hassles... I have no idea what the deal is with Hotmail. The fact it doesn't even hit the junk folder is a little ridiculous...

[Merlin]

Sorry for the hassles... I have no idea what the deal is with Hotmail. The fact it doesn't even hit the junk folder is a little ridiculous...


Don;t use anything but [removed to prevent spam]

I'll keep checking


Merlin</removed>

[Rob Williams]

Merlin, I have removed your address from the database and believe the problem should be solved. I have signed you back up, so please let me know if you receive this new e-mail.

[Merlin]

Merlin, I have removed your address from the database and believe the problem should be solved. I have signed you back up, so please let me know if you receive this new e-mail.
got the email and Took the survey

Thanks, Rob



Merlin

[Rob Williams]

Great, that's a relief :-)

[On_Wisconsin]

Rob, it is only with Vista x64 (only problem I've ever, although I know you absolutely love Vista :P). I switched to IE using the IE tab and all was fine

[Rob Williams]

I just tested it out on Vista 64-Bit and didn't have the problem... so I am having a feeling that this was a one-off problem with Firefox's rendering of the page.

Still, what an odd issue... Glad you got entered though :)

[CoolZone]

took the survey and had no problems on hotmail.

Rob,thanks a lot for fixing this!

[Rob Williams]

I am so glad to hear that it's working well. Hotmail and others use certain schemes that automatically blocks certain kinds of "spam", but the problem is we are not told about it, and neither is the user. Luckily, we were able to work around it... I didn't expect to be able to.

Good luck once again to everyone who fills out the survey, and thanks again for the support! It's MUCH appreciated.

[sbrehm72255]

Super contest, Happy Birthday guys, keep up the good work...........;)

Oh, and survey completed and submitted under Ubuntu/FireFox without any issues.

[THUMPer]

i used my work e-mail and got it to work. But it didnt confirm that i submitted it.

[Rob Williams]

When you submit, what does it do? Does it refresh actual survey itself, or go to another page?

I have done extensive testing on both Windows and Linux, IE/Opera and Firefox and have had no issues.

[slugbug]

My nephew tried with hotmail and said the email showed up in his junk folder.

[Rob Williams]

Yes it probably will. We don't have much control over that. The thing is though... we are not disguising our URL... so I have no idea why it's going to the junk. The e-mail has no such features of a spam/scam e-mail.

I think Gmail goes to the junk also. Yahoo! does not.

[slugbug]

When I tried it with hotmail I didn't get the email at all. I switched to Gmail and it showed up in my inbox.

[Rob Williams]

I assume you are talking about before the bug was fixed, though? Because numerous people have tested it with Hotmail and it now works.

[werty316]

Keep up the great works guys

http://i32.tinypic.com/2rmpjr6.gif

[Kougar]

Happy Birthday guys... awesome way to celebrate!! :cool:

When you submit, what does it do? Does it refresh actual survey itself, or go to another page?

I have done extensive testing on both Windows and Linux, IE/Opera and Firefox and have had no issues.

Who knew having such a kickass contest would require so much work! ;) I got another problem report for ya... Opera 9.26, XP SP3 (RC2). Survey page will only refresh itself when "Submitted", and retains all the info in it. I believe this is because the URL was missing the key+email off the end. Attempted twice, then changed to IE6 and submitted from there instead. Got a confirmation it went through, thanks guys. :)

[THUMPer]

When you submit, what does it do? Does it refresh actual survey itself, or go to another page?

I have done extensive testing on both Windows and Linux, IE/Opera and Firefox and have had no issues.

it refreshed. But all my data i entered was still there.

[Merlin]

it refreshed. But all my data i entered was still there.
I had the same thing, it was just I forgot one thing to enter data.....then it went through.
Check every question to make sure it has some data.

Merlin

[Rob Williams]

What browser are you using? There are reports of this happening with some people still, but mainly with Konqueror under Linux. All other browsers should work.

And like Merlin said, if there is an option not checked, it will be highlighted in red.

[SUSHRUKH]

Coming here since 3 years & reading all the frontpage news (sometimes do check the forums too) but never seen even 1 overseas competition.God please make me birth in USA in the next Birth if that exists.All i can find the contests for USA/Canada.Why can't you ship overseas ? USPS can ship all kinda packages at a very nominal rate.There should be a desire too for that. :(

Rich man gets more richer,poor people has to starve.

[sbrehm72255]

Why must there always be the same type of post on every forum for every contest that is for USA/Canada only, I don't understand why some folk simply don't understand that there are reasons for this and it has to be explained to them each and every contest.

Maybe they need to move to either the USA or Canada.................;)

[SUSHRUKH]

It will continue from our end unless we are made eligible for these contests.You live in USA,so you won't understand these feelings as we are not lucky to win a thing in every week from different competitions like u.I also know someone who says continously that he has won many things & from now on, he'll let others win but he always participates in every contests contradicting his own statement that he'll now let other's a chance to win.So, i'm not that lucky like you who has won an 19" LCD monitor,memories, Armour Case,OCZ 1000W PSU , An MSI Mobo within a very limited amount of time.You are getting stuffs So, you will be happy but i'm not lucky like you.So, i'll need to express myself everytime when i'll feel deprived.

And, what's your problem if i'm expressing myself ? I was not talking to you actually.

[sbrehm72255]

I'm sure glad that you follow me around the net and know exactly what I do and what I don't do................;) You make me feel so important that you are so interested in me, would you like to go out with me on a date as well so we can talk about all the stuff that you've won as well.

I honestly think you have a crush on me or something. I didn't know that you were that way.

[Rob Williams]

SUSHRUKH,

I have shipped smaller product overseas in the past and have run into issues, so I didn't want to take a chance with something valued at close to $5,000 - there is far too large of a room for error. Shipping costs also come into play, and I am just not willing to trust anyone except FedEX Express for this, and that is expensive even to ship around my own country.

There are many people overseas who are entering this contest, but they have family or friends in the US who could be in charge of forwarding the package to them. If you have family in the US or Canada, this is one thing you can consider.

Sorry for not shipping outside of Canada and the US. I estimate that shipping this entire package outside of the continent with FedEX Express will be around $1,000, and that's a cost I'm not willing to take. I expect it to be around $500 just for Can or US... that's enough for me.

[Rob Williams]

The survey should be completely error-free now. The reason that the survey would refresh itself for some people is because they left a textbox empty when a response was required.

For example, there are two questions that will require a message in the textbox if a certain answer is selected. There's another that requires it for everyone, but the survey failed to let people know that it was required.

Sorry for the inconvenience... this was an oversight on our part.

[SUSHRUKH]

I honestly think you have a crush on me or something. I didn't know that you were that way.

Bio i still think that a you are a very knowledgeable person when it comes to Overclocking or Watercooling.But ceratianly i don't have a crush on you. :D

SUSHRUKH,

I have shipped smaller product overseas in the past and have run into issues, so I didn't want to take a chance with something valued at close to $5,000 - there is far too large of a room for error. Shipping costs also come into play, and I am just not willing to trust anyone except FedEX Express for this, and that is expensive even to ship around my own country.

There are many people overseas who are entering this contest, but they have family or friends in the US who could be in charge of forwarding the package to them. If you have family in the US or Canada, this is one thing you can consider.

Sorry for not shipping outside of Canada and the US. I estimate that shipping this entire package outside of the continent with FedEX Express will be around $1,000, and that's a cost I'm not willing to take. I expect it to be around $500 just for Can or US... that's enough for me.

I know you can't do it.I was just expressing my frustration & am feelinng deprived when all the time i can only see contests for US & Canada.I'm not greedy.I also don't need to win the whole machine.Just the CPU,memories & the LCD would do but i can't afford even one of them because i do have a family to look after to.Anyways, it's my bad luck that i didn't born in US/Canada. :( If only i could get a CPU & a 2GB kit but there's no CPU contest on the web & i've played like 60+ ram contests but didn't win. :(

[gml_josea]

I have a question, about only letting USA/Canada people to participate. Is that because you don't want to do any international shipping? Or there's some sort of law in the US that doesn't let foreigners win?
I don't have family in the US or Canada, but I'm used to importing stuff from the US through a exporting company who forwards the packages to me, is that ok?

[werty316]

All this wha wha wha makes me giggle :D

Not being eligible to enter a contest isn't the end of the world and I've seen you stress out over things like this are insignificant when compared to real life; venting your frustrations doesn't help either.

If you feeling down and stressed out, see a shrink.

[Rob Williams]

I have a question, about only letting USA/Canada people to participate. Is that because you don't want to do any international shipping? Or there's some sort of law in the US that doesn't let foreigners win?
I don't have family in the US or Canada, but I'm used to importing stuff from the US through a exporting company who forwards the packages to me, is that ok?

If the winner is in a situation like this, I'll have them sign a release paper that will remove all responsbility from my hands. Once I ship it... that's it.

I don't ship overseas due to risk, but primarily the cost. In order to ship overseas, FedEX Express is the lone option (I don't trust UPS whatsoever, nor the post office). Before the contest began, I put together a mock shipment in order to see what shipping would cost, and the lone method to ship was $883, which is a minimum (that was assuming France as the destination).

Even shipping from Canada to the US is an arduous chore, but I won't get into it. But that aside, in order for us to feel that $1,000 is worthwhile, we will need to grow a bit more. Shipping comes out of my own pocket (as opposed to large publications who have separate business accounts). Shipping the same bundle to the furthest point in the US is $341, which is a lot easier to take :-)

Sorry again to everyone outside the US and Canada. We have a lot of European visitors, so I hated not being able to include them all. I hated having to explain all this boring information, but I want people to know the situation we are in.

All this wha wha wha makes me giggle

Not being eligible to enter a contest isn't the end of the world and I've seen you stress out way too much on things like that are small when compare to "life" it self. You should keep any frustrations to yourself as it doesn't help.

I have seen you enter many contests... I don't think you quite understand the frustration others have.

Even being in Canada, I see "Offer valid in United States only" and it IS annoying. I don't enter contests ever, but even other offer-types (like rebates) seem to be US-only. It's foolish, but since it's such a pain in the ass to get something across the borders fine, it's no wonder why countries choose to stick to their own.

In Jan, I was sent a chassis and PSU from California (I live in New Brunswick, Can), and it was stuck at customs for a MONTH. I think that's a huge reason why contests normally don't like to ship outside of the US.

[werty316]

I can understand that they can get frustrated but is it really necessary since its only a contest? I mean life goes on and whenever there is a contest that I am not eligible to enter, I don't get all worked up because of it. I'm not trying to stir the pot or anything, I'm just posting my 2 cents.

In this case I think users would get frustrated mainly because its a big prize.

Shipping costs and the crap you go through with customs could be a good reason why some contests are not world wide.

[Merlin]

It will continue from our end unless we are made eligible for these contests.You live in USA,so you won't understand these feelings as we are not lucky to win a thing in every week from different competitions like u.I also know someone who says continously that he has won many things & from now on, he'll let others win but he always participates in every contests contradicting his own statement that he'll now let other's a chance to win.So, i'm not that lucky like you who has won an 19" LCD monitor,memories, Armour Case,OCZ 1000W PSU , An MSI Mobo within a very limited amount of time.You are getting stuffs So, you will be happy but i'm not lucky like you.So, i'll need to express myself everytime when i'll feel deprived.

And, what's your problem if i'm expressing myself ? I was not talking to you actually.

I Live in USA and have never won ANYTHING...so imagine my frustratation, greater than yours.
I mean I live right here in the South of USA.......

Even the coke contests, looking under the caps..." Sorry, Not a Winner, play again "
I even entered a contest where only three people entered, I came in third place and won the third place prize of Not a dam thing...lol

Merlin
Professional contest entering experience, need not apply

[SUSHRUKH]

Thanks Rob for clarifying it but most of the time some people who enter all the contests of the world (99% of all contests are for USA and/or canada) can't get a point that why there's need to be frustrated.Let them born in another country which doesn't organize any contests & i can see them speaking the same way.It's easy to say that contests are nothing but he himself enters in nearly all the contests on the world & he also wins more than 2/3 hardware devices in a month,sometimes in a week.So, people from US/Canada won't ever try to understand how bad it feels when you can't afford hardwares And also you are left off from being entering in a competition.I'm sorry Rob but you may have understood why i've written those words.It was nothing personal.Just the outcome of my frustration.I'm not greedy like some of them who plays every contests even if he has a better product than that.Like i need a good CPU,a good 2GB set of ram & an LCD monitor..So, i'll only try to find contests for these 3 products.I don't want anything other than that but sponsors can't pay shipping for us & u also can't pay that huge shipping bill from your pocket.So, another 10 years on the search for contests for these 3 things but ultimately the failure.I've played like 60+ ram contests but never won.CPU & LCD contests are rare to find on the net.

Just saying i'm sorry.It was a temporary ourburst of frustration when i saw another contest i can't be eligible for.It was nothing personal.Sorry.

[THUMPer]

http://uk.gizmodo.com/baby%20crying.jpg

[sbrehm72255]

LOL.........Nice Pic................I need to save that one for future use.........;)

[SUSHRUKH]

http://uk.gizmodo.com/baby%20crying.jpg

This is all a joke to you right ? :mad: Move out to another country & the same picture will apply to you. :mad:

[Rob Williams]

I don't think THUMPer cares what's being said in the thread SUSHRUKH. He just likes to add his two cents where possible ;-)

Great pic though, I seriously laughed out loud.

[SUSHRUKH]

No worries Rob.You seem to be a great man.Generally newcomers don't get very good treatment when they join a forum but you are behaving so nicely even though i've behaved wrongly which maybe i shoun't have done.Thank you for behaving so nicely & politely sir. :)

[gml_josea]

If the winner is in a situation like this, I'll have them sign a release paper that will remove all responsbility from my hands. Once I ship it... that's it.

I don't ship overseas due to risk, but primarily the cost. In order to ship overseas, FedEX Express is the lone option (I don't trust UPS whatsoever, nor the post office). Before the contest began, I put together a mock shipment in order to see what shipping would cost, and the lone method to ship was $883, which is a minimum (that was assuming France as the destination).

Even shipping from Canada to the US is an arduous chore, but I won't get into it. But that aside, in order for us to feel that $1,000 is worthwhile, we will need to grow a bit more. Shipping comes out of my own pocket (as opposed to large publications who have separate business accounts). Shipping the same bundle to the furthest point in the US is $341, which is a lot easier to take :-)

Sorry again to everyone outside the US and Canada. We have a lot of European visitors, so I hated not being able to include them all. I hated having to explain all this boring information, but I want people to know the situation we are in.


I understand, thanks for the answer :-)

[Rob Williams]

Hah no problem guys. Wish I had a better answer to the question though :-/

[Vash21]

I foresee the greatest (and cruelest) April Fools Day Joke EVER!!!

On April 1st send email to every1 that entered contest telling them they have won. Except person that actually did.

Of course probably every1 would be furious and never visit techgage again :(

but thats ok as long as im the only one that enters the contests :)

Also I believe I am most in "need" of this computer as my current computer is.... well..
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1500MHz
384MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X
:( if i dont win, and of course i will im going job huntin ASAP and you guys get to help me decide each and every part :)

[Wes]

I sent my email and never got the survey. I tried a second time and it still never arrived in inbox or spam. I see that others have had the same problem. My email I'm using isn't hotmail, but I have heard of many with it having problems with contest sites.
Please delete my email address and I'll try again tomorrow.
Wonderful attention getting sweepstakes.

[Merlin]

I sent my email and never got the survey. I tried a second time and it still never arrived in inbox or spam. I see that others have had the same problem. My email I'm using isn't hotmail, but I have heard of many with it having problems with contest sites.
Please delete my email address and I'll try again tomorrow.
Wonderful attention getting sweepstakes.
Are You using Mozilla Firefox?

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Wes]

I am trying IE tab while trying to enter. Firefox didn't seem to work out. I never got the confirmation or survey to be able to enter. I have the firefox beta 3 ver 4. also latest Internet Explorer 7.
Merlin I noticed one member asked for you to allow him to retry the request for a survey and I'd appreciate that.

[Merlin]

I am trying IE tab while trying to enter. Firefox didn't seem to work out. I never got the confirmation or survey to be able to enter. I have the firefox beta 3 ver 4. also latest Internet Explorer 7.
Merlin I noticed one member asked for you to allow him to retry the request for a survey and I'd appreciate that.
Just a tech monkey here...I can't do it.
Rob can do it and I guess the other techgage editors.
I really don't know.
But they'll fix it for you.... and get you into the contest some way...great bunch of techs here...for sure.
:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Merlin]

I am trying IE tab while trying to enter. Firefox didn't seem to work out. I never got the confirmation or survey to be able to enter. I have the firefox beta 3 ver 4. also latest Internet Explorer 7.
Merlin I noticed one member asked for you to allow him to retry the request for a survey and I'd appreciate that.
Just make sure you answer all the questions, leave nothing blank or incomplete....it will just keep opening the same page. Thats what I did the first time trying to enter....then I realized I left one item blank

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Rob Williams]

Hi Vash21 and Wes... welcome to the forums!

First and foremost, I would never pull an April Fool's joke like that.

Wes, I've PM'd you the URL. I am unsure why you didn't receive the e-mail, but I'm beginning to really regret going this route.

[Rob Williams]

Just make sure you answer all the questions, leave nothing blank or incomplete....it will just keep opening the same page. Thats what I did the first time trying to enter....then I realized I left one item blank

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

That problem should be fixed, since the questions left unanswered should be clearly labeled as being required.

[slugbug]

I just noticed that someone posted this contest on http://www.contestcanada.net/2008/03/23/three-years-birthday-contest/

I think our odds at winning just got slimmer :(

[CoolZone]

True,it surely slims down our chances of winning

[sbrehm72255]

As long as this is still in effect:

In order to participate, you must live in either Canada or the United States. We regret being unable to ship outside of these countries. If the winner resides in Canada, a skill-testing question is required to be answered, as per Canadian law.

The odds aren't going to be as bad as it could.................:eek:

[Merlin]

Getting close and I have a nice spot to put everything :p

Hey Rob....how many have entered? so far?

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Rob Williams]

A lot!

[DarkSynergy]

Yes, its been a lot. This has been a healthy contest for the site. Thank you to everyone that not only entered, but got a friend to enter as well.

Theres only 6 days left. Enter now!

[sbrehm72255]

LOL....I emailed the contest link to everyone I know, with any luck they entered as well...............;)

[Rob Williams]

Great, thanks for the support. I have a number in mind that I'd like to reach, and we are semi-close there. With any luck, we might just hit it.

[Merlin]

LOL....I emailed the contest link to everyone I know, with any luck they entered as well...............;)
Yeah, told a few buddies about it and havent heard back as yet....it must have went through for them, they didn't say they had any problems...


:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[werty316]

Well, someone is gonna be extremely happy.

[Rob Williams]

Due to the problems with e-mail and such, we will be announcing the winner at some point during the week of April 7. There are many who signed up and I believe didn't receive the e-mail, so once the contest is over, I will be e-mailing each person manually with their code.

So... I will allow those people up to five days to fill out the survey and then will tally the results, and hopefully have a winner the following week.

[sbrehm72255]

Sounds fair.......;) That way everyone will have a chance to get entered.

[Vash21]

so how many people have entered

p.s. I'll give u $1 if u rig it for me

[Rob Williams]

A lot of people have entered, and holy damn you play a lot of UT.

[sbrehm72255]

A lot of people have entered, and holy damn you play a lot of UT.

He's a man after my own heart.........;)

[Kougar]

Yes, its been a lot. This has been a healthy contest for the site. Thank you to everyone that not only entered, but got a friend to enter as well.

Can I enter my invisible friend? I know he would really love to win this as much as me... :p

[slugbug]

I really hope that whoever does win sticks around, even if they just post a few pics of their prize..

[Merlin]

A lot of people have entered, and holy damn you play a lot of UT.
ROFL........

There's no telling how many hours I have played HL2 Deathmatch
3 years now, I get home and to de stress after work, I go online and kill people with Half Life2 Deathmatch.
Feels good and I sleep better

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Merlin]

so how many people have entered

p.s. I'll give u $1 if u rig it for me
There's the cheater...Okay boys...let get em
Sbrem, go around back and head em off....LOL

J/K :D

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Rob Williams]

ROFL........

There's no telling how many hours I have played HL2 Deathmatch
3 years now, I get home and to de stress after work, I go online and kill people with Half Life2 Deathmatch.
Feels good and I sleep better

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

Same with me and HL1 DM and Quake I... I used to play almost every night. There was one level in HL1 particularly that kicked ass... "Killbox". Such a simple level, but I know I lost a lot of hours of my life in that little box ;-)

[DarkSynergy]

ROFL........

There's no telling how many hours I have played HL2 Deathmatch
3 years now, I get home and to de stress after work, I go online and kill people with Half Life2 Deathmatch.
Feels good and I sleep better

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

There's something to be said for offing someone with a Toilet. Rob and I always play HL1 when he is in town but its nice when I can talk him into playing HL2. The gravity gun adds so much to the experience.

[Merlin]

I really hope that whoever does win sticks around, even if they just post a few pics of their prize..
Oh Yes.....and such a sweeeet prize
I'll try to take some photos for everyone LOL

Seriously...whoever does win should want to stay around and chat about all the systems and reviews

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[Rob Williams]

I am hoping also that the winner will come in and at least brag about their rig. This contest was a chore to put together, and with such a prize, the winner might be more ambitious to hop on in here.

There are a few important parts to the rig I'm still missing, but I might begin building it soon and posting a few pics as I go along... or perhaps once it's all finished. That might not be for another week or two though, since some parts are taking their good time getting here.

[CoolZone]

We all wait for some photos while that cool rig is getting built!

Maybe I'll have some luck since I've just celebrated my birthday a couple of days ago

[Merlin]

We all wait for some photos while that cool rig is getting built!

Maybe I'll have some luck since I've just celebrated my birthday a couple of days ago
LOL...Seems like everyone is having a birthday......Mine is the 6th of April
Hey, that's a day before the winner :eek:

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[werty316]

Posting a few pics along and saying thanks would be nice for the winner to do to show their appreciation since this contest is a so huge for the site and all.

[slugbug]

Well best of luck to everyone who entered :)

[linv5800]

This certainly would be the computer of a lifetime !
i just stumbled on the site and LOVE it .. plus there
seems to be a great community here .. if i win , im stayin ! :D

[James Crysis]

This certainly would be the computer of a lifetime !
i just stumbled on the site and LOVE it .. plus there
seems to be a great community here .. if i win , im stayin ! :D

Same here!
If I win I'm staying, but if I don't win I'm still definitely staying!

[penguino726]

Same here!
If I win I'm staying, but if I don't win I'm still definitely staying!

Me too. I actually found this site searching for a review of certain parts I wondered if I should get when I still thought I could afford getting a new ultimate gaming rig (sadly those days are gone... for now) If I win I'll definitely stay, and if I don't I still will. :)

[penguino726]

hmmm, I wonder if people are entering more than once on different e-mail accounts...

[Rob Williams]

hmmm, I wonder if people are entering more than once on different e-mail accounts...

That's something we don't have real control over, but I am not too concerned. Given the amount of fill-outs, it would take a lot for someone to have a "good" chance at winning. I think lunacy would kick in before someone filled out that many surveys (and created that many e-mail addresses).

[Merlin]

That's something we don't have real control over, but I am not too concerned. Given the amount of fill-outs, it would take a lot for someone to have a "good" chance at winning. I think lunacy would kick in before someone filled out that many surveys (and created that many e-mail addresses).
Truly an act of desperation....if so....they must have had a childhood being last in everything...being picked last and ..... an eternal reject in society. The ' Me First " syndrom of a large family.
I have had so much good info from techgage, I feel it's on the edge of cheating....my self.

You guys do a great job in all avenues.....I really don't see how you do it.
But, it's much appreciated ;)

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:
______________

[Rob Williams]

I have had so much good info from techgage, I feel it's on the edge of cheating....my self.

Haha :D

Thanks for the comments, we appreciate it. We did manage to scare that badass sbrehm off though, so we might not be doing everything right ;)

[CoolZone]

Cheating is the last thing on my mind when I am participating for contests on this site/forum.Contests are very nice,the admins are very nice people,so it is not at all cool to mess with them unnecessary

[werty316]

hmmm, I wonder if people are entering more than once on different e-mail accounts...
Does that mean you did :p hehe just kidding.

[Merlin]

Getting really close now.......:eek:
I just reviewed all the componants
Now that's a real gaming rig

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:

[slugbug]

Has the winner been chosen?

[PUTALE]

GOOD LUCK GUYS, I HOPE I WIN.

[Rob Williams]

Read the news peeps! The winner will be chosen some time next week.

[CoolZone]

you can take your time choosing the winner Rob!We are not in a hurry!