Humanoid

I did link a GPU cooler, and yes, it's compatible with the R4850.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 (rev 2) is a few years old but still better than anything else out there. Can potentially run passive with good case airflow but I'd cable-tie a 120mm slow fan onto it personally (such as a Scythe Slipstream 800/1200rpm).

I'm on target towards maintaining a one post per year average apparently.

The two blocks of two are generally configured for dual channel operation. The general idea is to have each 'block' set up identically - e.g. the 512+0, 512+0 that you had originally. So the ideal upgrade path would've meant getting two new, identical sticks and putting them in the empty slots (e.g. 512+1G, 512+1G). In the bigger picture though, it's still a worthwhile upgrade you've gotten, so there's no real reason to worry about it.

The die-cast one was the Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar, based on the F-16 stick. It was designed to be modular as well, with plans for additional replica sticks, first one being for the F/A-18, but nothing ever came of it. There was a touch of irony about it, being that some people would complain about it not being made out of the same die-cast metal as the F-16 stick - but then, neither is the one in the plane.... In terms of general usability and comfort though, I prefer the shape of the old Thrustmaster FCS, simple 4-button + hat design. I think it's supposed to be a reproduction of the F-4 stick. For space sims, I preferred the CH brand controllers, which had almost no tension at all to the point of being limp. They didn't feel right for conventional sims though. And the sticks were so big, it seemed like a gorilla would be comfortable using it...

Oh hi!

Horror of horrors!

Humanoid is generic and only vaguely descriptive. I could be many things. Oh, and I like Privateer.

what sort of inspiration? An inspiredly creative greeting.

Hi. Yay inspiration.