# I need a screen saver **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791 "2000-04-10T20:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/1 "2000-04-11T05:07:00Z")
I am currently in the market for a cool screen saver. It should be [ul][li]Free or shareware[/li][li]Amusing[/li][li]Not too memory intensive[/li][li]reliable. I don’t want some stupid piece of crap that’s going to cause my system to freeze whenever turns on.[/ul][/li] I spent more than an hour on CNET last night, but nothing struck me. Any suggestions? What do you all have? * * * A little persistance goes a long way. Announcing: “I go on guilt trips a couple of time a year. Mom books them for me.” A custom made Wally .sig! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/2 "2000-04-11T05:10:00Z")
Your best screen saver is the Off button on your monitor. Seriously. Screen savers hang out in the back ground and eat up resources. \< just a little tech angle you probably don’t want to hear, but thought I would throw that in there anyway 🙂 \> ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/3 "2000-04-11T05:12:00Z")
And anyway, today’s monitors don’t need them. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/4 "2000-04-11T05:16:00Z")
I’ve got mine set to just go blank screen after an hour. Doesn’t seem to be eating too many resources(Right techie? ;)) and is not annoying. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/5 "2000-04-10T20:34:00Z")
While we’re at it, (sorta) does anyone know of a program to make your own screensaver out of pictures? I was going to make my husband a slideshow of the pix I took of the new PacBell park, but I can’t figure out how to make it run outside of the photoediting program. * * * “Satan – I’ve had enough of your two cents!” – The hilarious Federalist ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/6 "2000-04-10T21:04:00Z")
SwimmingRiddles, pay no attention to those Philistines. Hie thee to [http://www.synthesoft.com](http://www.synthesoft.com) and download the Psychedelic Screensaver. It’s nagware, $20 to register. Your psychedelic-brain-in-a-jar, Myron * * * Imbibo, ergo sum. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/7 "2000-04-10T22:28:00Z")
Voguevixen- Try [http://www.softdd.com/](http://www.softdd.com/) There are tons more available, some free or free for a month-long enough for a joke. try [www.winfiles.com](http://www.winfiles.com) and search on screensaver or, [www.zdnet.com/downloads](http://www.zdnet.com/downloads) * * * Wally - Was I too hasty? It was new to me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Splat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Splat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/8 "2000-04-10T22:38:00Z")
Modern monitors really don’t need screen savers, especially if you turn off your monitor when you’re not around. Since all they’re doing is wasting CPU cycles you might as well look for aliens… [SETI@Home](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/) ---
**Author:** ![lamerino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@lamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lamerino)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/9 "2000-04-10T22:42:00Z")
This is the make-your-own screensave I like best- lots o’options. [http://www.customsavers.com/](http://www.customsavers.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Lexicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lexicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lexicon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/10 "2000-04-10T22:45:00Z")
check out [www.chaossoft.com](http://www.chaossoft.com) ## Pretty cool, and free. Check it out. Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/11 "2000-04-10T22:48:00Z")
1. Install Linux 2. Start X 3. Select “Random Screensaver” in whatever Xscreensaver configuration tool you’re using. Many many cool screensavers! ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/12 "2000-04-10T23:59:00Z")
Here’s a good site for screensavers, desktop themes, and other goodies: [http://oarnet.themes.tucows.com/index.html](http://oarnet.themes.tucows.com/index.html) * * * _God is my co-pilot. Blame Him._ ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/13 "2000-04-11T00:07:00Z")
If you have a good video card, screensavers become a lot more interesting. I suggest checking out [www.3dfiles.com](http://www.3dfiles.com) and [www.vrman.com](http://www.vrman.com) I had “Tidal Forces” on mine for the longest time, but had to take it down when I set up multiple monitors. ---
**Author:** ![Shagrath\_Borgir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Shagrath\_Borgir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagrath_Borgir)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/14 "2000-04-11T13:12:00Z")
I can’t believe no one has mentioned particle fire!!! Get it at [http://www.longbowdigitalarts.com/particlefire.html](http://www.longbowdigitalarts.com/particlefire.html) . Super super cool! 🙂 * * * “Through twilight, darkness and moonrise My scarlet tears will run As stolen blood and whispered love Of fantasies undone” ---
**Author:** ![SmoothOperator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@SmoothOperator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmoothOperator)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-screen-saver/15791/15 "2000-04-11T13:17:00Z")
[http://www.worldprints.com/](http://www.worldprints.com/) Go here and download their free wallpaper & screensaver. You get a multitude of options once you’ve downloaded the imagecatcher and you can add as many as you want for free.