Method to the Mayhem

Disclaimer: I would like to thank AMD for Including me as part of their Influencer program and sponsoring me in the AMD Test Drive Program. AMD provided me with the parts to build a PC, free to use and review. 

This review originally appeared on the AMD website.

I've never built my own PC before. I asked a friend for help with the build. My friend said, it was easy and would help guide me through the process. It was a little intimidating at first, but I had a good friend and coach to help me along. As a graphic designer, I’ve been primarily a Mac guy for past 30 years.

My friend taught me about the different parts and what they did. I showed him what AMD had sent me and we bought the other parts I needed for the build. Fortunately, I had a spare monitor or two laying around.

We shopped for the missing parts; keyboard, mouse, and cooler for the processor. I didn’t know that the processor could get so hot. I’m glad I asked for help. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known. The FM2 A85X motherboard was huge, but I expected that from a desktop PC. We looked closely where to put the mounts on the case and where to screw the motherboard in.

Looking at the other parts, I could guess what went where. My friend tested me and I was astonished that I guessed correctly where the CPU and RAM went.

Putting the AMD A10-6800K APU CPU in was idiot proof once you figured out that the gold triangle matches up on the socket. The RAM snapped into place one way as well. Nice and easy!

It was easy to put the DVD Drive in. The Solid State Drive installation was pretty easy as well. The hard part was deciding which slot to install in. There were 8 slots to choose from. Top or Bottom??? I choose the bottom.

I turned the PC on and I could immediately feel the power of this BEAST! With all of the fans going and the noise.

We finally installed Windows and got to work with using the PC. This was a fun build. I wouldn’t hesitate to build another PC now that I know how easy it is. I’m gonna use this computer to help in my work as a graphic designer.

Thank you again AMD for providing me with:

• AMD A10-6800K APU
• FM2 A85X Motherboard
• 2x4 AMD Radeon, RP 1866 Performance Memory
• Fractal Arc Midi R2 Case
• Fractal Tesla R2 650W Power Supply Unit
• Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 2.5", 60GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive
• LG 24X DVD Burner
• Windows 7 OS Disc

Labels: AMD, AMD Test Drive, APU, Computer, Gamer Machine, PC, Radeon, Social Media, Windows

Posted by Calvin Lee at Friday, August 30, 2013 | Permalink | Comments

Thank you very much Vocus and Stacey Miller for featuring me, as an example of great "Personal Branding" in the Vocus webinar "Brand Yourself Better."

Want to stand out and become a more successful marketer? Brand yourself better, says Stacey Miller, a finalist for Oracle's Community Manager of the Year.

Your personal brand is what people see when they view you professionally. Just like a product brand delivers sales, the personal 'X-factor' delivers opportunities, new contacts, bigger projects and more influence.

Check out the webinar recap; Be a Brand in Demand: Stacey Miller’s Advice for Marketers.

Missed Stacey’s webinar? Register for the on-demand version now.

Stacey's Personal Branding webinar includes: 

+ Strategy - Define a personal brand tailored to your professional goals.
+ Key Assets - Build it with your resume, elevator pitch, networks and more.
+ Leverage - Grow your brand fast with social media and online tools.

Also check out the slides from webinar "Brand Yourself Better"(pdf).

Labels: Branding, Elevator Pitch, engagaement, Facebook, Google Plus, instagram, Network, Online Tools, Personal Branding, Promotion, resume, Social Media, Stacey Miller, Twitter, Vocus, Webinar

Posted by Calvin Lee at Wednesday, August 14, 2013 | Permalink | Comments

I am honored to be included in Dave Delaney's New Book, New Business Networking. I'm one of the New Business Networking stories in Dave's new book. How New Business Networking, Twitter brought me design work from Guy Kawasaki.

I was first introduced to Dave by a good friend when he was the Social Media Coordinator and Online Promotions for Griffin Technology. We've been great friends since then.

Learn a little more about what the New Business Networking book is about.

What is New Business Networking?
Business success is all about connections, relationships, and networks! New Business Networking shows how to combine proven offline business networking techniques with the newest social media—and make them both far more effective.

Why New Business Networking?
Everyone should build their network before they need it. New Business Networking includes everything you need to know to get started today, or to revitalize and strengthen your existing network.

Labels: Business, Dave Delaney, Guy Kawasaki, Networking, New Business Networking, Social Media, Twitter

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, August 05, 2013 | Permalink | Comments