What's the latest chip architecture I should be looking at?
What's the state of play for video cards?
Is Win8 going to suck as hard as it looks, or is there a way to make it behave like Windows?
Should put the OS on an SSD and everything else on an external for storage?
Does your bubblegum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
The logic train ran off the tracks when Bloodsage said:
Sadly, the box I built in 2007 just isn't cutting the mustard these days. And, dammit, I need my mustard cut!What's the latest chip architecture I should be looking at?
What's the state of play for video cards?
Is Win8 going to suck as hard as it looks, or is there a way to make it behave like Windows?
Should put the OS on an SSD and everything else on an external for storage?
Does your bubblegum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
For the price the best superbang for the buck is the Intel Core i7-3820, or if you're feeling froggy and want to hop up to a 6 core offering Intel Core i7-3930K for about $500 is the best for the price with generating the same power and benchmarks as it's big brother the i7-3970X (which is way overpriced)
Video Card I would say GeForce GTX 680 is well priced because the 690 came out and is about a grand but it is almost double the 680. AMD's offering with the Radeon 7970 isn't too bad either.
My opinions on computer stuff may be stupid or it may be good. Intel / AMD, it really doesn't matter anymore, but the numbers the intel/nvidia offerings are putting out are staggering, and are starting to justify their price differences.
Windows 8 is dumb there is a way to kind of make it look like windows 7, but it is bad and you will feel bad for using it and having it.
The increase in boot time was really nice when I did it, is it a necessity? I wouldn't say so, but it is a nice relaxing way to keep your OS running tip top.
If done correctly with the right wood, your bedpost can not only absorb flavor, but enhance the current flavor of any gum attached to it. Think of it like a cast iron pot and keeping it seasoned. That's the secret to making the flavor last over night.
If I put Win7 on a new, mostly-top-of-the-line machine, am I holding back the hardware?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Blindy. came out of the closet to say:
There is nothing of consequence wrong with windows 8
The desktop theme looks like ass compared to W7, and buying it gives positive reinforcement to Microsoft that we want them to continue on the path of turning the PC into a closed appstore ecosystem.
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I bet you never expected Drysart to say:
The desktop theme looks like ass compared to W7
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and buying it gives positive reinforcement to Microsoft that we want them to continue on the path of turning the PC into a closed appstore ecosystem.
You can install applications from where-ever as long as it's not win8rt. Just don't use the app store to get applications, and that tells them that we don't want their walled garden.
quote:
Bloodsage screamed this from the crapper:
What about mobos? Anything specific I should look for/want, other than matching the chip I go with?
Just check the maximum amount of RAM you can throw in there. 16 GB should do you for now, of course, but I'd imagine you'd want to retain the ability to jump to 32 in the future.
Also, when you go order parts, do a quick price comparison on ibuypower or similar site. These can also give you an idea of what parts to order, as they usually list specific brands of RAM, video cards, mobos, etc.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
Also a fast chip and fan because big fans mean more horsepower in your CPU tower stack box.
A big television for it and braided cables because expensive braiding makes the signals go faster.
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Bloodsage Model 2000 was programmed to say:
What about mobos? Anything specific I should look for/want, other than matching the chip I go with?
For the motherboard, if you go i7 like the ones I had suggested, I recommend the any of the X79 series boards. ASUS makes the P9X79 PRO ATX, which is the best deal on the market right now last I looked, and the updatability is there. It lets you crank out to 64GB of ram if you had the need to.
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3525843
I'll make sure to get the highest stacks and biggest tubes for the intarwebs.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Blindy. painfully thought these words up:
There is nothing of consequence wrong with windows 8, and many things are improved from windows 7. It's got a new start menu. If you don't like it that badly, you can replace it with one of many off the shelf start menu programs. Wah, wah.
According to my company there are problems with Win8. Removal of Direct Access from the Enterprise edition. The inability to run a Citrix client that works with our farm. The complete change of the user interface given that most of our users freaked out when migrating from WinXP to Win7.
The tile interface is "acceptable" if you're on a touchscreen device. For the like 90%+ who don't have a touchscreen it's a serious throwback to how Windows 1.0 operated, and 1.0 didn't really see adoption because of that...
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If only Random Insanity Generator hadn't said this:
According to my company there are problems with Win8. Removal of Direct Access from the Enterprise edition. The inability to run a Citrix client that works with our farm.
Not sure which version of citrix you are using, but my box works fine with our farm.
quote:
The complete change of the user interface given that most of our users freaked out when migrating from WinXP to Win7.The tile interface is "acceptable" if you're on a touchscreen device. For the like 90%+ who don't have a touchscreen it's a serious throwback to how Windows 1.0 operated, and 1.0 didn't really see adoption because of that...
You guys are free to have your own opinions, obviously, but recognize that they are opinions. It's a big design change and takes a bit of getting used to, most people are negative about any change at all at first blush.
I happen to like the new start menu, and my standard work flow of press windows key, type name of program I want to run was completely unaltered.
I couldn't find a compelling reason to adopt Win8, so I went with Win7 Pro because I actually really like the Aero interface. I haven't ordered them yet, but I've pretty much decided on the B&W MM-1 computer speakers to replace my crappy Logitech set that died last week.
When I get back from my deployment, I'll probably add another 32GB of RAM and another internal SSD to round things out.
I'm still on the fence about what monitors to get (thinking 2 x 25"), so if anyone knows a good brand, feel free to speak up. I don't game on my PC much at all any more, but I will be doing some video editing.
I'll have busted my notional budget by about 20% if I add the add'l RAM and SSD and stick with the expensive speakers...so not too bad for a public servant.
Are the tubes wide enough?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
quote:
Quoth Drysart:
To be honest, unless you're planning on running a lot of VMs or something, even 32GB of RAM is total overkill. But RAM is cheap, so go hog wild.
Thanks! I'll save the pennies on the extra RAM, then, until/unless I run into issues editing video or something. Then I can add a 512GB SSD rather than another 300GB.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Bloodsage had this to say about (_|_):
- Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2 GHz 6-core
- Asus P9X79 Deluxe LGA 2011 mobo
- Patriot Viper 3 32GB DDR3 1866 RAM (4 x 8GB)
- Corsair Force Series 300GB SATA III internal SSD
- EVGA GeForce GTX 690 video card
- LaCie Porche Design 2TB USB 3 external HDD
- Thermaltake Level 10 GT full tower case
- Corsair Professional Gold 1200W power supply
Those tubes make my tubes sad. Solid system is solid. Now, for monitors... I've been running 2 24 inch ACER weird monitors that I got on sale for 100 bucks each.
When it comes to monitors, I have a weird affinity for samsung though. Their Syncmaster 27inch has been catching my eye lately and waiting for them to go on sale to pick up 2. I believe they make them in 25 inch as well.
But other than that I don't know.
Now begins the hassle of figuring out what I want to keep on the old system, and transferring it to the external drive.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
Everyone wondered WTF when Bloodsage wrote:
It'd be interesting to find a setup I could stack vertically without a lot of hassle.
Big problem with dual vertical stands, is that they normally accommodate up to 24 inch monitors. So you'd probably be looking at individual mounts and then math to make them on the wall nicely.
I have the same issue with desk space, I think a new desk will be my next purchase before going dual 27".
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
The LGA 2011s certainly don't have many options....Should be ready to build Tues/Wed, though.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Bloodsage wrote, obviously thinking too hard:
Is that a fax machine in the background?
It looks like one of those old Brother Copy/Scan/Fax/Printer combos that Staples used to sell 3 or 4 years back before everything want all fancy-looking and digital.
Ermahgerd!
They're everything you'd expect from the brand and the price point. If you like accurate sound, and the clarity to hear each instrument individually, and you want it in a desktop package, go buy these. They're optimized for near-field use, though, so I've read they're not what you want to fill a room...but haven't tested that part yet.
Four thumbs up.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
Bloodsage came out of the closet to say:
Well, that was close: this time, the CPU didn't come with a heatsink/cooler...
CPUs are usually available in two different SKUs. The one labelled "Retail" always comes with a stock heatsink and fan (as well as documentation and usually a longer warranty). The one labelled "OEM" is just the chip and nothing else.
Hopefully, I haven't forgotten anything else critical. I'd hate for the thing to catch fire as soon as I press the power switch.
I guess that's what happens when English majors build computers.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
From the book of Bloodsage, chapter 3, verse 16:
Lesson learned!Hopefully, I haven't forgotten anything else critical. I'd hate for the thing to catch fire as soon as I press the power switch.
I guess that's what happens when English majors build computers.
Don't feel too bad, I always get that crippling fear when it comes to power on a new or modified machine too. Best you can do is double-check all connectors and sockets and hope for the best. More than once I've had boot failures from an improperly socketed stick of RAM. Derp. 
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
The biggest problem I've had with my last few builds is getting the heatsink on the CPU seated fully. Damn things are designed such that you might think it clicked into place, but it really didn't. Just run some CoreTemp and Prime95 on that bitch when it's all put together and make sure it stays nice and cool.
quote:
Channeling the spirit of Sherlock Holmes, Drysart absently fondled Watson and proclaimed:
Making it catch fire is pretty hard. Computers today are pretty much just "plug everything into the only place it fits". (Well, except for the power supply voltage switch. Make sure that's right.)The biggest problem I've had with my last few builds is getting the heatsink on the CPU seated fully. Damn things are designed such that you might think it clicked into place, but it really didn't. Just run some CoreTemp and Prime95 on that bitch when it's all put together and make sure it stays nice and cool.
Thanks for the tip. I'm always nervous when putting the chip on the board, and putting the cooling on the chip. And this one I ordered is slightly larger than the Taj Mahal and makes me apply the thermal paste manually. Should be fun!
This project is experiencing major mission creep, too: it's turned into a redesign of my office. The drafting table I'm currently using for a desk won't fit even my current monitors along with the monster Level 10 case, so I'm looking to buy a new desk (which will free up the drafting table for my wife to put her iMac on). And, of course, to fit the new table into the office will require a major reshuffle of the bookcases already there. Should be sweet when it's finished, though.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
Quoth Random Insanity Generator:
"Building a computer is Brain Surgery with Legos. Sure it's delicate parts but it's all 'Tab A into Slot B' bullshit."
qft
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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And I was all like 'Oh yeah?' and Bloodsage was all like:
Should be sweet when it's finished, though.
I expect to see finished pictures... I'll show you mine if you show me yours? wait what are we talking about again?
My office is filled with wedding gifts that keep arriving though, so, it's not a peaceful place right now.
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Channeling the spirit of Sherlock Holmes, Brahmin Bloodlust absently fondled Watson and proclaimed:
I expect to see finished pictures... I'll show you mine if you show me yours? wait what are we talking about again?My office is filled with wedding gifts that keep arriving though, so, it's not a peaceful place right now.
Absolutely! The desk will be delivered Saturday afternoon, so I should be set up by evening.
Wedding presents...are congratulations in order?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
And the drive manufacturers sticking to the base-10 bullshit is getting annoying. "21Tb" of storage becoming 18.1Tb is BS.. ("24Tb" raw disk becoming 21.8Tb before zraid1 kicks in)
