# Computers, Electronics, and Technology Discussion Thread



## DemonDragonJ (Apr 16, 2018)

With the removal of the tech hub section, I wish to start a new thread for all discussions of computers and other electronics, given how prevalent such technology is in today's world.

Computers and electronics are very complex devices, so there is much about them that can break or malfunction; therefore, this thread is for users to seek assistance from others regarding any problems or issues that they may have with their electronic devices, or simply for general discussion of technology.

I welcome all posts in this thread, and hope for lively and productive discussions.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Island (Apr 17, 2018)

I'm thinking of building a new computer soon-ish. What specs are the cool kids running with these days?

Reactions: Like 2


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## The World (Apr 17, 2018)

wait for Volta

Reactions: Informative 1 | Friendly 1


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## Trog (Apr 18, 2018)

I've been wanting to do a PC build for a long time. I'm currently using an 8+ year old laptop, so I should probably upgrade eventually. I've not looked into it recently, but I probably will here in a bit. Any recommendations for guides on this sort of thing?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Island (Apr 18, 2018)

TrogdorMan said:


> I've been wanting to do a PC build for a long time. I'm currently using an 8+ year old laptop, so I should probably upgrade eventually. I've not looked into it recently, but I probably will here in a bit. Any recommendations for guides on this sort of thing?


The PC Master Race Subreddit is a decent starting point, which you can find . They underestimate the cost of things and are obviously just randos on the Internet, but for the most part, their builds are acceptable.

 is a useful website too since it warns you of any compatibility issues and lets you check prices from various outlets.

 is also a decent website. It gives you a complete build based on price range, but again, is just the advice of some randos online.

Reactions: Like 1


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## John Wick (Apr 18, 2018)

I've gone back to windows with a new tablet/laptop combo from H&P the spectre


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## Mider T (Apr 18, 2018)

Who was the mod of the old Tech Dept?  I recall it being a female.


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 18, 2018)

Island said:


> I'm thinking of building a new computer soon-ish. What specs are the cool kids running with these days?





TrogdorMan said:


> I've been wanting to do a PC build for a long time. I'm currently using an 8+ year old laptop, so I should probably upgrade eventually. I've not looked into it recently, but I probably will here in a bit. Any recommendations for guides on this sort of thing?



For what purposes will you be using your computers?


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## Island (Apr 18, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> For what purposes will you be using your computers?


Gaming and general use.


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 18, 2018)

Island said:


> Gaming and general use.



Gaming computers are typically more powerful than general-use computers, but, if you wish for a machine that can do both, it is very important to have a processor that can easily multi-task, and AMD has recently released the  of processors, which most users currently hold in very high regard. Quad-core processors are now standard, and are more than sufficient for simple word processing and internet browsing, but, for graphically-intense gaming, six- or eight-core processors are recommended.

Also of great importance is , which is not the same as storage; at this time, most computers have 8 gigabytes of memory, which, again, is suitable for basic tasks, but, for gaming, it may be better to have 16 gigabytes of memory.

Of course, one also needs a drive on which to store all their data, and while traditional  are still very reliable and are very inexpensive, I believe that  have decreased in price to the point that there is now no reason to not have one, as their benefits over hard drives are significant.

If one wishes to engage in intense gaming, then a  is essential, but I cannot say much more than that until I know the price range in which you are operating.

Finally, a  is needed to contain all the components, with adequate  to ensure that the components do not overheat and, thus, can perform at optimum efficiency, but, again, I cannot say any more until I know how much money you are willing to spend.

Those are essential components, but there are a number of optional ones that may make one's experience more enjoyable. For example, one of my favorite parts to have is a , which is essentially the auditory equivalent of a video card. Some users may say that a sound card is not necessary, and they would be correct, but I have found that having one greatly enhances the quality of sound that a computer can produce, and, by extension, the quality of the overall experience.

What is your budget for your new computer? How much money are you willing to spend on it? After I know that, I can provide greater details for my recommendation.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Island (Apr 19, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> What is your budget for your new computer? How much money are you willing to spend on it? After I know that, I can provide greater details for my recommendation.


The last one I built was ~$800. I'll drop ~$1,200 this time, plus or minus a couple hundred.


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## blakstealth (Apr 19, 2018)

Island said:


> The last one I built was ~$800. I'll drop ~$1,200 this time, plus or minus a couple hundred.


glad you bumped up your budget. RAM and graphics card prices are all over the place.

You wanna go AMD or Intel? Or don't care which? You plan on doing 4k gaming?


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## Trog (Apr 19, 2018)

I'd also be going for gaming and general use but I don't currently have $1000+. I was hoping to be able to put something fairly decent  together for around $800. Preferably less, but I'll have to figure that out.


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## blakstealth (Apr 19, 2018)

TrogdorMan said:


> I'd also be going for gaming and general use but I don't currently have $1000+. I was hoping to be able to put something fairly decent  together for around $800. Preferably less, but I'll have to figure that out.


Like I asked Island, what kinda gaming performance do you want? He did mention PC Part Picker, which is a nice place to organize and budget all of your parts. Users submit their own custom builds ranging from all price points, so that'a a plus as well to get some ideas.


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## Island (Apr 19, 2018)

blakstealth said:


> You wanna go AMD or Intel? Or don't care which? You plan on doing 4k gaming?


I haven't kept up with AMD vs. Intel for awhile, so I don't have a preference.

I was thinking of jumping from 1080 to 1440.


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## blakstealth (Apr 19, 2018)

Island said:


> I haven't kept up with AMD vs. Intel for awhile, so I don't have a preference.
> 
> I was thinking of jumping from 1080 to 1440.


For 1440p gaming, the NVIDIA GTX 1070 should do you fine as your graphics card. An Intel i5 8600k (6 cores/6 threads at 3.6 GHz base clock) should do you fine if you really want to push your fps and if you ever want to overclock it. If you don't care for crazy ass fps and if the Intel turns out to exceed your budget on top of all the other components, I'd recommend the AMD Ryzen 1600 (6 cores/12 threads at 3.2 GHz base clock).

Anyone can correct me, but I think the fps gap between AMD and Intel CPUs gets closer as the resolution you game on gets higher. So at 1440p, Ryzen will do you fine.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 19, 2018)

@Island, I also would personally recommend that you include an optical drive in your computer, as they are currently very inexpensive; although optical discs are gradually losing their prevalence, they are not yet close to dying out completely, as have floppy disks, so it is better to have an optical drive and not need it than to need it and not have it.

What happened to SyntheticKiller? He was a very active member in the Tech Hub, but now, he seems to have vanished from this forum.


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## Island (Apr 19, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> @Island, I also would personally recommend that you include an optical drive in your computer, as they are currently very inexpensive; although optical discs are gradually losing their prevalence, they are not yet close to dying out completely, as have floppy disks, so it is better to have an optical drive and not need it than to need it and not have it.


I have an optical drive, actually. Never used it though.


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## blakstealth (Apr 19, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> @Island, I also would personally recommend that you include an optical drive in your computer, as they are currently very inexpensive; although optical discs are gradually losing their prevalence, they are not yet close to dying out completely, as have floppy disks, so it is better to have an optical drive and not need it than to need it and not have it.
> 
> What happened to SyntheticKiller? He was a very active member in the Tech Hub, but now, he seems to have vanished from this forum.


yeah, it sucks that not a lot of new cases accommodate 5.25" bays anymore. Luckily, I was able to find a minimalist looking case that does still have them. Currently using a *bequiet! pure base 600* with a window panel.

external optical drives are also a thing. I keep forgetting they exist


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 19, 2018)

blakstealth said:


> yeah, it sucks that not a lot of new cases accommodate 5.25" bays anymore. Luckily, I was able to find a minimalist looking case that does still have them. Currently using a *bequiet! pure base 600* with a window panel.
> 
> external optical drives are also a thing. I keep forgetting they exist



Yes, I can sympathize with you, there; I would like to use the  for the next computer that I build, as it is a very awesome case, but it does not have space for an optical drive, so I cannot use it, which is very disappointing, as it is an amazing case, otherwise. I cannot believe that they stopped making the HAF XM case, which is very weird, considering that they still make the HAF X case.


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## blakstealth (Apr 19, 2018)

I'd like to build one with a small case in the next few years, but man. I thought they would be cheaper than mid size cases lol.


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## Island (Apr 20, 2018)

If anyone's curious,  is the PC I'm currently using. I built it in 2015, and as you can see, it's starting to show its age.



DemonDragonJ said:


> Yes, I can sympathize with you, there; I would like to use the  for the next computer that I build, as it is a very awesome case, but it does not have space for an optical drive, so I cannot use it, which is very disappointing, as it is an amazing case, otherwise. I cannot believe that they stopped making the HAF XM case, which is very weird, considering that they still make the HAF X case.


You could always get an external optical drive.


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## blakstealth (Apr 20, 2018)

Do you plan on salvaging any of those parts toward the new PC?


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## Island (Apr 20, 2018)

blakstealth said:


> Do you plan on salvaging any of those parts toward the new PC?


Aside from the Wi-Fi adapter and maybe the optical drive, no.

I might keep the SSDs, but I'm leaning toward buying new ones. Most likely, I'll just sell the whole thing minus the Wi-Fi adapter.


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 21, 2018)

Island said:


> You could always get an external optical drive.



Yes, I could, but I am less certain of the reliability of such a device, compared to an internal drive.


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## blakstealth (Apr 23, 2018)

Some GTX 1180 rumors


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## Aruarian (Apr 24, 2018)

> Nvidia MSRPs


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## blakstealth (Apr 26, 2018)

Spectrum Internet is now offering its gigabit (940mbps) speeds here in NY and other cities.



I'm personally more excited when the base 100mbps gets doubled to 200. Though, it hasn't happened just yet.

--



Aruarian said:


> > Nvidia MSRPs


The prices are coming down slowly but surely.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 14, 2018)

I recall that, during the 1990’s and the first decade of the 2000’s, computers advanced by great amounts very frequently, most notably in the realms of processor operating frequency and drive storage capacities, clear evidence of Moore’s Law in effect. Now, however, in the second decade of the 2000’s, advancements in electronics have been slower, with major breakthroughs occurring less frequently.

For example, after hard drives finally reached 1 gigabyte in size (wow, I can actually remember when 1 gigabyte was high capacity), which took several decades to occur, it took only several more years before drive capacities began to reach the terabyte level, but drives are currently nowhere close to reaching petabyte capacities yet. Similarly, after processors reached 1 gigahertz frequencies, it did not take long for them to reach 2 and 3 gigahertz, but frequencies have not increased very much beyond that. Some processors have frequencies of 4 gigahertz, but almost none have frequencies of 5 gigahertz, let alone double-digit frequencies.

Why is that? Are there limits to how much computer components can advance? What does everyone else say about this? Why have computers not been advancing as greatly, recently?


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## Atlantic Storm (May 15, 2018)

diminishing returns


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## Island (May 15, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Why is that? Are there limits to how much computer components can advance? What does everyone else say about this? Why have computers not been advancing as greatly, recently?


1. Of course there are limits.

2. There are advances; it's just that our ability to mass-produce highly intricate machinery hasn't kept up with our ability to design them.

3. We're talking about a lot of transistors crammed into a tiny space. The 1080 has 1.8 billion transistors. There's only so many transistors we can fit into a space before we start running into problems; solving these problems is a unique challenge that's slowed down progress.

4. The future is likely in non-silicon materials, of which are still being explored.

5. Batteries. Since a lot of devices run on batteries, this one is worth mentioning: we can have way better laptops and phones than we currently do, but batteries advance incredibly slow. Subsequently, there isn't as much money being put into developing faster processes, just smaller and more energy-efficient ones.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 15, 2018)

Island said:


> 5. Batteries. Since a lot of devices run on batteries, this one is worth mentioning: we can have way better laptops and phones than we currently do, but batteries advance incredibly slow. Subsequently, there isn't as much money being put into developing faster processes, just smaller and more energy-efficient ones.



I read somewhere that scientists are working on developing solid-state batteries, which, if fully realized, will be a major advancement in the world of energy storage.


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## Island (May 15, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I read somewhere that scientists are working on developing solid-state batteries, which, if fully realized, will be a major advancement in the world of energy storage.


IIRC, most research into solid-state batteries is for car batteries right now. Game-changing but unfortunately not something that'll pick up speed on phones and computers.

IMO, the game-changer will come when we have significantly better phone batteries. It'll push for faster, smaller processors and likely expedite wearable technology, etc.

Speaking of, going back to your last question, I think it's a mistake to assume we're not advancing as quickly. While we never reached Intel's ambitious 10 GHz processor, we _are _making progress in other areas.

The focus right now seems to be more about the Internet of Things rather than creating monstrous desktops.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 15, 2018)

Island said:


> The focus right now seems to be more about the Internet of Things rather than creating monstrous desktops.



That is very unfortunate, since I really do not care about the IoT but am very fond of desktop computers, because they offer such a variety of options for customization and I really enjoy "hands-on" work.


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## blakstealth (May 16, 2018)

Do you think the lack of innovation and advancement could be due to competition as well? Just speaking between Intel and AMD in recent years, maybe Intel has been holding off because AMD hasn't been on the same level as them until their Ryzen came out last year.

--

Interested in this one. It might be my next phone

(*)


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## DemonDragonJ (May 16, 2018)

I currently have a 32 gigabyte flash drive, and it is less than 50 percent full (around 30 percent), but I still plan to upgrade to a drive with larger capacity, since I expect to take many photographs at my brother's bachelor party, my brother's wedding, and my cousin's wedding in the upcoming months.

I have several models in mind, but I would appreciate feedback on which unit others here would prefer.

The first drive that I am considering is the , which is inexpensive, but not necessarily the fastest and also is rather large in physical size, so it may block adjacent ports. Also, it is made of plastic, and the drive that I seek to replace is made of aluminum, so that would be a downgrade.

The next model that I am considering is the , which is very highly rated and also very fast, but it again is rather large in physical size and is made of plastic.

The third unit that catches my attention is the , which is from a respected brand, is very fast, has a small physical form factor, and is made of aluminum, but it is very expensive compared to the others.

What does everyone else say about this? Which drive would you recommend?


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## blakstealth (May 17, 2018)

From those 3, I would get the Sandisk Extreme Pro. It is the most expensive, but the read and write times are better than the other two. Depending on how large your photos will be and how many you'll take, the faster speeds will be very nice to have. It sounds like it's worth the price.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## DemonDragonJ (May 24, 2018)

I recently purchased a  to use at my place of employment, since some users have large amounts of data (for example, one user had 100 gigabytes of data and another had 200 gigabytes of data), and the external hard drive that the company gave me was too slow, as it can take hours to move such large amounts of data from one computer to another, even with a USB 3.0 hard drive.

I really wish that the price of that drive had decreased, but I could not wait for that to occur, so I purchased it at its current price. I could have purchased the 500 gigabyte model, but I would then not have been able to use it to replace my personal 1 terabyte external hard drive, should my position end in the near future.

I transferred my data from my work-granted external hard drive to the flash drive, but the data transfer rate barely went above 20 megabytes per second (or perhaps nearly as high as 30 MB/second at time), which was pitiful, given that both devices were plugged into USB 3.0 ports and each could achieve data transfer rates much higher than that when transferring to or from a computer. Hopefully, the flash drive will be faster than that in situations where I shall need such speed.

I know that my company shall not reimburse me for the cost of the drive, so I asked my father, who is a tax accountant, if I could deduct its price from my taxable income as a business expense, but he said that I could not, since I do not pay property tax or have a mortgage, which is unfortunate, but I shall not consider the purchase to be a waste of money, since the drive shall make my job easier and it shall also be useful if my job ends abruptly.


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## Island (May 25, 2018)

Yeah, hard drive transfer rates are abysmal now that SSDs are becoming commonplace.

Your employers are okay with you using your own stuff? I've never worked in tech so I don't know how common it is, but it seems like you'd want their blessing before going out and buying a $400 piece of equipment.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 26, 2018)

Island said:


> Your employers are okay with you using your own stuff? I've never worked in tech so I don't know how common it is, but it seems like you'd want their blessing before going out and buying a $400 piece of equipment.



I did not ask them, but I imagine that they would have no problem with that, as I willingly chose to spend my own money on the device, which shall improve my ability to do my job.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 27, 2018)

Island said:


> Yeah, hard drive transfer rates are abysmal now that SSDs are becoming commonplace.



Until recently, solid-state drives were too expensive for widespread adoption, but, now, their prices are the lowest that they have ever been, so they are becoming commonplace; all of the computers in my house now have SSD's, with only my external hard drive remaining as the only HDD in the house.


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## Island (May 29, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Until recently, solid-state drives were too expensive for widespread adoption, but, now, their prices are the lowest that they have ever been, so they are becoming commonplace; all of the computers in my house now have SSD's, with only my external hard drive remaining as the only HDD in the house.


I wouldn't say they've fallen _that _much.

The prices are only marginally lower than before for a lot of SSDs. I bought a Samsung EVO a few years ago for my current computer, and it's only dropped like $20.


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## DemonDragonJ (May 29, 2018)

Island said:


> I wouldn't say they've fallen _that _much.
> 
> The prices are only marginally lower than before for a lot of SSDs. I bought a Samsung EVO a few years ago for my current computer, and it's only dropped like $20.



I am planning to soon purchase a  to replace my 256 GB Samsung 840 pro, and its price is much less than what I paid for the 840, or at least I believe that it is, as it has been several years since I purchased the 840.


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## Mider T (Jun 1, 2018)

MFW when I try to do stuff

Reactions: Funny 2


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 5, 2018)

Mider T said:


> MFW when I try to do stuff



As someone who works in technical support, the sight of a tangled mass of cables makes me cringe with fear.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 25, 2018)

Today, I just upgraded my computer from a 256 GB Samsung 840 SSD to a 512 GB Samsung 860 SSD, but the drive still shows a capacity of only 256 GB, and Windows also currently starts up more slowly than it did before. What does everyone else say about this?


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## Island (Jun 25, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Today, I just upgraded my computer from a 256 GB Samsung 840 SSD to a 512 GB Samsung 860 SSD, but the drive still shows a capacity of only 256 GB, and Windows also currently starts up more slowly than it did before. What does everyone else say about this?


Did you format the new SSD?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 25, 2018)

Island said:


> Did you format the new SSD?



I cloned it with , and I just moments ago solved the problem by opening disk management and extending the primary partition, so the full capacity of my drive is not available and everything is good, for the moment.


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## Island (Jun 25, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I cloned it with , and I just moments ago solved the problem by opening disk managememnt and extending the primary partition, so everything is good, for the moment.


So the answer is no, lol. You didn't.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 25, 2018)

Island said:


> So the answer is no, lol. You didn't.



I did not need to, as far as I know; it seems to be functioning perfectly well, presently.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 28, 2018)

What does everyone think of this USB drive, ? $164 for 512 gigabytes seem to be very awesome, to me, and Patriot is a well-respected name in memory.


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## Mider T (Jun 30, 2018)

Nah Patriots suck.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## blakstealth (Jun 30, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> What does everyone think of this USB drive, ? $164 for 512 gigabytes seem to be very awesome, to me, and Patriot is a well-respected name in memory.


I've personally never used Patriot stuff, but I've never heard anything bad about them. This one looks real chunky


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## Island (Jun 30, 2018)

Mider T said:


> Nah Patriots suck.


Agreed. I was thrilled when my birds beat them in February.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 30, 2018)

Mider T said:


> Nah Patriots suck.





Island said:


> Agreed. I thrilled when my birds beat them in February.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## na07ki30 (Jun 30, 2018)

The World said:


> wait for Volta


I think ampere would be the next GPU  architecture for gaming while Volta is something else.


DemonDragonJ said:


> What does everyone think of this USB drive, ? $164 for 512 gigabytes seem to be very awesome, to me, and Patriot is a well-respected name in memory.


Damn that much stash in your flash drive? Might as well install a new OS and run it from there lol also never tried patriots RAM but I know there is Corsair vengence series and the RIPJAWS series.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jul 8, 2018)

I need to purchase a new radio receiver for use at the restaurant where I work, as I always listen to music while I am there, to relieve the tedium. I currently am using the , which provides excellent sound and is compact in size, but some of its buttons have stopped working, likely due to the heat and humidity of the kitchen, which is obviously very bad. If I were to purchase another HDR-16, the same thing would likely happen to it, as well, so I am wary of doing that. This unit, the , looks very awesome, but I would like to know more about it before I spend nearly $90.00 on it. Then, there is also the , but that may be excessive for use in a restaurant kitchen. What does everyone else say about this?


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## blakstealth (Jul 19, 2018)

It looks like you can DJ on that magnavox


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## blakstealth (Aug 9, 2018)

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2018 LIVE


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## DemonDragonJ (Sep 9, 2018)

I find myself wondering why some external flash drives/solid-state drives have cables, as they are completely unnecessary. I have a Samsung T5 SSD, and the cable is simply another piece of which I need to keep track, which makes it very annoying. External hard drives need cables because of their size, but flash drives are very light, so I see no reason why they should ever have cables. What does everyone else say about that?


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## blakstealth (Sep 12, 2018)

considering the size of them, it would be a bigger pain if the only way you could connect them to a laptop/desktop/whatever is with a port sticking out of it. What would be your solution to getting rid of the cable? lol

--

New iphones announced


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## Island (Sep 14, 2018)

Everything about these new iPhones is weird.

They're boasting about being the first smartphone to have a 7nm processor (which isn't even true; IIRC, Huawei beat them to it) but who tf cares? When is the iPhone even going to make use of these fancy new processors.

Show us something innovative pls.


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## blakstealth (Sep 14, 2018)

Island said:


> Everything about these new iPhones is weird.
> 
> They're boasting about being the first smartphone to have a 7nm processor (which isn't even true; IIRC, Huawei beat them to it) but who tf cares? When is the iPhone even going to make use of these fancy new processors.
> 
> Show us something innovative pls.


TSMC wins all around.


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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 17, 2018)

Recently, whenever I turn on my computer from a cold boot, it has the wrong time; I checked its BIOS, and that has the correct time, so its CMOS battery is still good, and the computer is set to automatically synchronize with the server, so I am not certain why it is doing that.

Also, I usually put my computer into sleep mode when I do not use it for certain durations, such as one or two hours (but I shut it down entirely when I go to sleep at night), but, sometimes, when I turn it on, I get a blue screen of death and need to restart the computer. It functions perfectly fine after that, but I worry that it may one day cease to do so, so what does everyone else say about that?


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## blakstealth (Nov 26, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Also, I usually put my computer into sleep mode when I do not use it for certain durations, such as one or two hours (but I shut it down entirely when I go to sleep at night), but, sometimes, when I turn it on, I get a blue screen of death and need to restart the computer. It functions perfectly fine after that, but I worry that it may one day cease to do so, so what does everyone else say about that?


This shit happened to me a month ago. I don't know if it was because of the new Windows October updates or what, but my PC would constantly BSOD to the point where just logging in and getting to the desktop would cause a BSOD. I couldn't even go into safe mode. So I had to to a fresh install of windows after trying out a few things.

As for your time problem, have you tried manually putting in the time rather than letting windows sync it automatically?


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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 26, 2018)

blakstealth said:


> This shit happened to me a month ago. I don't know if it was because of the new Windows October updates or what, but my PC would constantly BSOD to the point where just logging in and getting to the desktop would cause a BSOD. I couldn't even go into safe mode. So I had to to a fresh install of windows after trying out a few things.



Since my previous post, I have not had any BSOD's, so whatever the problem was seems to be gone, currently.



blakstealth said:


> As for your time problem, have you tried manually putting in the time rather than letting windows sync it automatically?



I did not consider that idea, because I thought that it would be better to allow the clock to synchronize with the server.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 3, 2018)

When solid-state drives first became popular, they used single-level cell (SLC) memory, which stores one bit of data per cell; later, multi-level cell (MLC) memory, which stores two bits of data per cell, began to become prevalent, as it offered higher storage density, which would allow for drives with higher capacities at lower prices, but the data transfer speeds were not as fast, nor was the drive’s longevity s great, as well.

            Currently, there are solid-state drives that use triple-level cell (TLC) memory, which stores three bits of data per cell, offering even greater storage density, but at the cost of slower transfer speeds and a shorter lifetime.

            I have heard that some companies are planning to eventually produce SSD’s with quad-level cell (QLC) memory, which shall store four bits of data per cell, which shall offer even greater storage capacities at lower prices, but I imagine that the data transfer rates and longevity of the drives shall be significantly reduced.

            I sincerely hope that QLC memory does not become the new standard, and the SSD manufacturers continue to produce SSD’s with MLC memory, since I am willing to spend the additional money for a faster and more reliable drive.

            What does everyone else say about this? Why do companies continue to increase the storage density of solid-state drives, when doing so decreases their speed and lifetime, and will there still be drives with lower density but greater speeds for the people who are willing to spend additional money?


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## blakstealth (Dec 5, 2018)

I believe Intel and Samsung have already released SSDs that use QLC tech (Intel 660p and Samsung QVO).. As for why it exists, I feel like that's just the natural path in terms of technology: making things cheaper with larger capacities. Yeah, it's definitely not as fast as the other cell technologies, but it offers yet again another option for consumers that don't want to spend that much and/or want larger storage sizes for their SSDs. While they may not be as fast as the other cell technologies, maybe a situation will happen similar to TLC's speeds being improved by SLC cache.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 10, 2018)

blakstealth said:


> I believe Intel and Samsung have already released SSDs that use QLC tech (Intel 660p and Samsung QVO).. As for why it exists, I feel like that's just the natural path in terms of technology: making things cheaper with larger capacities. Yeah, it's definitely not as fast as the other cell technologies, but it offers yet again another option for consumers that don't want to spend that much and/or want larger storage sizes for their SSDs. While they may not be as fast as the other cell technologies, maybe a situation will happen similar to TLC's speeds being improved by SLC cache.



I cannot speak for all computer users, but I have no trouble paying additional money for a faster and more reliable drive, so I do hope that companies continue to manufacture them.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 24, 2018)

Recently, when I turn on my computer, its various fans and lights shall turn on, but is does not make a "beep" to indicate that is successfully passed its power-on self test (POST), and nothing happens. I can solve this problem by turning off the switch on the power supply, waiting for several seconds, and then turning it on, again, after which my computer shall start up perfectly well, but I am worried that this may be eventually become a greater problem, and that my computer may never start up, again. What does everyone else say about this?

In the case that it is relevant, my computer has an Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z motherboard.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 24, 2018)

For further information, before I began having that problem, I was having a CPU fan error during POST, but I decided to ignore that (because the CPU fan seemed to be functioning perfectly well), which, in retrospect, was obviously not a good idea, so do I need to get a new CPU cooler (fan and heatsink)?


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## Island (Dec 24, 2018)

DemonDragonJ said:


> For further information, before I began having that problem, I was having a CPU fan error during POST, but I decided to ignore that (because the CPU fan seemed to be functioning perfectly well), which, in retrospect, was obviously not a good idea, so do I need to get a new CPU cooler (fan and heatsink)?


If it only happened once, it might be a fluke.

If it's a custom fan, the fan might be below the minimum RPM recommended by your CPU and hence the error. Alternatively, even if it's a stock fan, if it's dusty, it might spin below the recommended RPM and trigger the error.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 24, 2018)

Island said:


> If it only happened once, it might be a fluke.
> 
> If it's a custom fan, the fan might be below the minimum RPM recommended by your CPU and hence the error. Alternatively, even if it's a stock fan, if it's dusty, it might spin below the recommended RPM and trigger the error.



The issue where my computer does not immediately start up has occurred more than once, which is why I am worried, and I am using an aftermarket CPU cooler, because the coolers that come with the CPU's themselves usually are not the best. I clean dust from my computer on a regular basis, so that cannot be the cause of this issue. My father's computer was experiencing a CPU fan error a while ago, and I bought a new CPU fan for it, and now it is perfectly fine, so that seems to suggest that doing the same for my computer would solve its own problem, as well, as I really do not to build myself an entirely new computer just yet.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 25, 2018)

I still had the problem, today, so I purchased a new CPU fan, which shall arrive in several days, so I hope that that shall solve my problem.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 2, 2019)

I installed a new CPU fan in my computer, today, one that is vastly inferior to the previous model that I had, but which should still be perfectly serviceable. I was planning a better model than what I did buy, but the lesser model was discounted, so I could not let that opportunity pass me by.

My computer seems to be fine, thus far, so I shall see what happens over the next several days.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 3, 2019)

Unfortunately, my computer is still having the same problem, so it was not being caused by the CPU fan, meaning that the money that I spent on purchasing the new cooler and the time and effort that I spent installing it were completely wasted. However, one good thing about that is that I have eliminated one possible cause of my problem.

I know that the memory is not faulty, so I next shall check to see if a new video card shall solve the problem (as I have been contemplating upgrading my computer's video card for some time, anyway), but, if that is not the cause, I shall check the power supply, and, if that is not the cause, then it shall mean that either the CPU or motherboard themselves are faulty, in which case, it would be better for me to purchase an entirely new computer, rather than replace the CPU and/or motherboard.


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## blakstealth (Jan 3, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Recently, when I turn on my computer, its various fans and lights shall turn on, but is does not make a "beep" to indicate that is successfully passed its power-on self test (POST), and nothing happens. I can solve this problem by turning off the switch on the power supply, waiting for several seconds, and then turning it on, again, after which my computer shall start up perfectly well, but I am worried that this may be eventually become a greater problem, and that my computer may never start up, again. What does everyone else say about this?
> 
> In the case that it is relevant, my computer has an Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z motherboard.


so when you say nothing happens, do you mean it's just a black screen? Or is there no video signal going to whatever monitor you're using?Does your motherboard have and LED indicators to show what might be a problem?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 3, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> so when you say nothing happens, do you mean it's just a black screen? Or is there no video signal going to whatever monitor you're using?Does your motherboard have and LED indicators to show what might be a problem?



The problem is not with the monitor; when I press the power button, the computer's fans start and various lights turn on, but there is no beep to indicate that it is going through its power-on self test (POST), so, to solve that, I turn off the switch on the power supply, wait for several moments, turn on the power supply, and then press the power button, again, which successfully starts the computer. That is very annoying, and I worry that it is an indication of a problem with my computer, but I am not certain what to do. I have eliminated the CPU cooler as a problem, so I shall next check if the video card is the cause, and, if that is not the cause, I shall check the power supply.

Yes, the motherboard has an LED unit with two spaces, and, when I press the power button it displays "FF," which the manual says is "reserved for future codes," so it is not remotely helpful.

*EDIT:* I  for that error code, and found , which essentially advises a user to disconnect every device from the motherboard, and gradually add back everything until it does not POST, which will then provide the faulty piece.


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## blakstealth (Jan 3, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> *EDIT:* I  for that error code, and found , which essentially advises a user to disconnect every device from the motherboard, and gradually add back everything until it does not POST, which will then provide the faulty piece.


yeah, that's a nice way to troubleshoot before you have to purchase anything.

How old/new is your boot drive?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 3, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> yeah, that's a nice way to troubleshoot before you have to purchase anything.



Yes, I do feel less upset now that I have read that article, but I still am nervous, since I worry that I may inadvertently cause irreparable damage to my computer in the process.



blakstealth said:


> How old/new is your boot drive?



When I first built my current computer in 2014 or 2015, I had a 256 GB Samsung 840 pro drive, but, several months ago, I upgraded to a 512 GB Samsung 860 pro drive. As a side note, I built another computer in my house back in 2010, and it has had no problems of any sort, so I find myself wondering why the newer computer is having more problems than is the older one.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 6, 2019)

I followed the advice from that post; I disconnected every component from my computer, and turned it on, adding one component at a time, but my computer booted with no problems each time that I added another component, so I was not able to learn why my computer is having the problem that it currently is having.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 9, 2019)

This morning, my computer started with no problems, so that is good, but I shall need to wait until I start it, tomorrow, to see what happens next, before I consider it to be fixed.


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## blakstealth (Jan 11, 2019)

I would try replacing the psu if it happens again.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 12, 2019)

I still am having the problem of Windows not displaying the correct time when I start up my computer, but I ave noticed that the incorrect time that it displays is only several minutes after the time at which I last shut it down; could that be an indicator of a problem with the computer's memory?



blakstealth said:


> I would try replacing the psu if it happens again.



That is a good idea, and I actually was planning to do that, anyway, since my current power supply is an 80-plus gold certified unit, and I wish to have an 80-plus platinum certified PSU.

Also, I ordered  for my computer; I do not need one, but there was a $20.00 rebate being offered, and the default price was already very low on its own. Plus, my current video card uses two 6-pin connectors, whereas the one that I ordered uses only a single 8-pin connector, so it should, ideally, consume less power, which is always a good thing.


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## blakstealth (Jan 12, 2019)

very nice. I've been seeing some good deals on AMD cards on newegg these past few days. And those free games aren' too shabby, either.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 12, 2019)

For two consecutive days, my computer started with no problems, so I wonder if replacing the CPU cooler really did have an effect on it.



blakstealth said:


> very nice. I've been seeing some good deals on AMD cards on newegg these past few days. And those free games aren' too shabby, either.



I did not order the free game, because I rarely ever play video games, any more.


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## blakstealth (Jan 12, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> For two consecutive days, my computer started with no problems, so I wonder if replacing the CPU cooler really did have an effect on it.


might as well go the whole nine yards lol


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 13, 2019)

I am glad that my computer started with no problems for two consecutive days, but, to quote a common adage: "two is a coincidence, three is a pattern," so I shall hope that my computer starts tomorrow with no problems, and, if it does, then I shall consider it to be fixed.



blakstealth said:


> might as well go the whole nine yards lol



What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I should replace other components, as well?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 13, 2019)

My computer started today with no problems, so, hopefully, this means that it is now repaired.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 15, 2019)

Today, my computer again displayed the dreaded "FF" code, after four consecutive days of no problems, so I now have no way to know what is causing that.


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## blakstealth (Jan 16, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I should replace other components, as well?


yup. new year, new pc!


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 17, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> yup. new year, new pc!



I need to give that issue some thought, since purchasing an entirely new computer is expensive, and I do not have unlimited money.


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## blakstealth (Jan 17, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I need to give that issue some thought, since purchasing an entirely new computer is expensive, and I do not have unlimited money.


you can always upgrade parts instead. dunno where you live, but there are always sales and deals to find


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 17, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> you can always upgrade parts instead. dunno where you live, but there are always sales and deals to find



That is what I am doing, and I may possibly upgrade the power supply after I upgrade the video card.


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## blakstealth (Jan 17, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> That is what I am doing, and I may possibly upgrade the power supply after I upgrade the video card.


is your power supply a modular one?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 17, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> is your power supply a modular one?



Yes, as I did not wish for unused cables to occupy space in my case.


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## blakstealth (Jan 17, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Yes, as I did not wish for unused cables to occupy space in my case.


maybe before buying a new psu, maybe you can try replacing the 4-8 pin cpu connector or the 24 pin connector to the motherboard


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 17, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> maybe before buying a new psu, maybe you can try replacing the 4-8 pin cpu connector or the 24 pin connector to the motherboard



Would that help to solve my problem?


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## blakstealth (Jan 17, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Would that help to solve my problem?


Possibly. If you're not able to POST, then maybe there's a problem with the power delivery to specific parts of the PC instead of the PC parts themselves. It's worth or shot if you're not ready to spend money on a power supply.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 20, 2019)

The new video card that I ordered arrived, I installed it in my computer, and it seems to be functioning perfectly well, thus far; it had an adapter that merged two 6-pin power connectors into a single 8-pin connector, but I used only a single 8-pin connector directly from my power supply, since I will not be playing any graphically-intense games and thus will not require the additional power. Hopefully, there shall not be any problems with the new video card, especially considering the amount of money that I spent on it.


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## blakstealth (Jan 25, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> The new video card that I ordered arrived, I installed it in my computer, and it seems to be functioning perfectly well, thus far; it had an adapter that merged two 6-pin power connectors into a single 8-pin connector, but I used only a single 8-pin connector directly from my power supply, since I will not be playing any graphically-intense games and thus will not require the additional power. Hopefully, there shall not be any problems with the new video card, especially considering the amount of money that I spent on it.


any updates?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 26, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> any updates?



Yes, my computer still is intermittently having the FF error code, so it seems that the video card was not the source of that, but, apart from that, my computer is still functioning perfectly well.


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## blakstealth (Jan 26, 2019)

man, that's a pain. I'd be ripping my hair out at this point.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 30, 2019)

I plan to soon purchase a memory card reader for my computer, and I am contemplating one of two items:  and ; the first one is less expensive and has an entirely metal body, but the second one is from a major and well-respected brand and also has a detachable cable (which means that, if it breaks, I can easily replace it). Which model does anyone here recommend?



blakstealth said:


> man, that's a pain. I'd be ripping my hair out at this point.



It is annoying, but I am not yet ready to build myself an entirely new computer.

Also, there is still the problem of my computer displaying an incorrect time whenever I start it from a cold boot. When I last checked, the BIOS still displays the correct time, so could the memory modules in my computer be faulty?


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## blakstealth (Jan 30, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I plan to soon purchase a memory card reader for my computer, and I am contemplating one of two items:  and ; the first one is less expensive and has an entirely metal body, but the second one is from a major and well-respected brand and also has a detachable cable (which means that, if it breaks, I can easily replace it). Which model does anyone here recommend?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'd get the Kingston one just for peace of mind.

And is your time and time zone being set automatically?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 30, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> And is your time and time zone being set automatically?



I manually set the time zone, but I do have the clock set to automatically synchronize from the internet.


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## blakstealth (Jan 30, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I manually set the time zone, but I do have the clock set to automatically synchronize from the internet.


I felt a moment of deja vu, so I went back and found your post from november talking about the time issue you're having. Have you tried turning off all of the automatic settings and doing it manually? I currently don't have my times and timezones set automatically with no problems.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jan 30, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> I felt a moment of deja vu, so I went back and found your post from november talking about the time issue you're having. Have you tried turning off all of the automatic settings and doing it manually? I currently don't have my times and timezones set automatically with no problems.



I could do that, but I am worried that my computer would then not have the correct time.


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## blakstealth (Jan 30, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I could do that, but I am worried that my computer would then not have the correct time.


Well, it doesn't have the correct time NOW 

if you're not willing to try that, then try this:

1. Right-click the clock and choose "adjust date/time"

2. Scroll to the bottom and click "Additional date, time & regional settings"

3. Click "Set the time and date"

4. Choose "Internet Time" tab

5. Click "Change settings"

6. In the Server box, type: pool.ntp.org and click "Update now"

7. Click OK


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## Mider T (Jan 31, 2019)




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## Yamato (Feb 12, 2019)

I got a used iPhone 5S and I factory reset it. Now I am trying to set it up, but having trouble at the part where it says, "Unable to Activate"
"An update is required to activate your iPhone"

So then I tried connecting it to iTunes on my laptop and iTunes is giving a message saying it could not recognize the phone, no sim card/or it's not put in properly.


Any Apple experts around


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## Raiden (Feb 12, 2019)

Broke my Yoga laptop . BestBuy says it costs $621 to repair. Will buy a Mac soon. Hopefully I am making the right decision.


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## Lew (Feb 12, 2019)

I had a time issue a couple years ago with my PC, had to flash the bios in the end to fix it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## blakstealth (Feb 12, 2019)

Yamato said:


> I got a used iPhone 5S and I factory reset it. Now I am trying to set it up, but having trouble at the part where it says, "Unable to Activate"
> "An update is required to activate your iPhone"
> 
> So then I tried connecting it to iTunes on my laptop and iTunes is giving a message saying it could not recognize the phone, no sim card/or it's not put in properly.
> ...


im no phone expert, but can you just connect the phone to wifi and update it?


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## Yamato (Feb 12, 2019)

blakstealth said:


> im no phone expert, but can you just connect the phone to wifi and update it?


Tried that and it wouldnt connect. I'm pretty much stuck on the beginning set up where it asks the language.


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## blakstealth (Feb 12, 2019)

Yamato said:


> Tried that and it wouldnt connect. I'm pretty much stuck on the beginning set up where it asks the language.


hm...so since you bought a used phone, can you check if the IMEI is clean?

put in the IMEI here to see if it's clean or it's bad/blacklisted


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## Yamato (Feb 12, 2019)

Says it's clean


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## blakstealth (Feb 12, 2019)

What kind of SIM card do you have?


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## blakstealth (Feb 20, 2019)




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## Raiden (Feb 20, 2019)

Galaxy 10 announced.


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## Mider T (Feb 20, 2019)

Phones charging phones wirelessly?! Foldable screens out to tablets?!

It's time for my upgrade anyway.


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## Mider T (Feb 21, 2019)




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## Island (Feb 21, 2019)

Those are some impressive specs.


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## Mider T (Mar 11, 2019)

Disappointing that Samsung decided to not to include UFS 3.0 in the S10 at least initially...


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## Kobe (Mar 18, 2019)

Fold is overrated.


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## Worm Juice (Mar 21, 2019)

Crunch is way faster


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## Kingslayer (Mar 24, 2019)

I use ubuntu as my primary operating system for past 6-7 years. Absolutely love open source i encourage people do try linux it has changed a lot. 

I am trying to learn python lately as well so not bad.


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## blakstealth (Apr 18, 2019)

Sir Lancelot said:


> I use ubuntu as my primary operating system for past 6-7 years. Absolutely love open source i encourage people do try linux it has changed a lot.
> 
> I am trying to learn python lately as well so not bad.


CentOS/Redhat all the way!
--


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 27, 2019)

I will soon be replacing the oldest computer in my house, which I built in 2010 (but still is functioning perfectly well), and, for its case, I purchased the , because of how awesome and badass it is; however that case did not include a PC case speaker, and, since most motherboards do not include those, any more, I shall need to purchase one independently, which is ridiculous, since they are so inexpensive that a company would lose no money by including them with either a case or motherboard.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jul 16, 2019)

I am building a new computer for my mother, because her current computer is the oldest one in our house, and it will definitely have Windows 10, because Microsoft shall soon be ending support for Windows 7, but should I install Microsoft Office on it, for the familiarity, or could I use LibreOffice, instead, to save myself money? What does everyone else say about that?


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## Lew (Jul 17, 2019)

LibreOffice is limited in what it can do compared to Microsoft Office and the odd few times I have used it it's been a buggy mess.


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## Garcher (Jul 17, 2019)

Depends on usage


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## Ren. (Jul 17, 2019)

Hmmm, nice thread I might post in here!
Btw AMD is getting market share big time thanks to rysen 3000!

btw : 3800X @ 5.9GHz:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sunrider (Jul 17, 2019)

AMD had been equal-or-better performance for better price for a long time, it's nice to see people recognizing that.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jul 17, 2019)

Lew said:


> LibreOffice is limited in what it can do compared to Microsoft Office and the odd few times I have used it it's been a buggy mess.



Thankfully, with my current job, I can afford Microsoft Office, but they definitely are overcharging for it, in my mind.



Garcher said:


> Depends on usage



My mother uses her computer primarily for word processing, internet browsing, and e-mails, with occasional watching of videos.



QMS said:


> Hmmm, nice thread I might post in here!
> Btw AMD is getting market share big time thanks to rysen 3000!
> 
> btw : 3800X @ 5.9GHz:





Sunrider said:


> AMD had been equal-or-better performance for better price for a long time, it's nice to see people recognizing that.



I have been a fan of AMD for many years (in fact, every computer in my house has an AMD CPU and graphics card), so I am very glad to see that they have acheived major success with their new Ryzen series of processors; the new computer that I am building for my mother shall have a Ryzen 2600 processor, and I cannot wait to see how it performs (especially when combined with a Samsung 970 pro SSD)!


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## Worm Juice (Jul 20, 2019)

Got this

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Jul 23, 2019)

When I build my next computer, I shall, without question, use  motherboard; look at how amazingly awesome it is! However, there is also a  that is less expensive, so I wish to ask: is the first model worth the additional cost for the wi-fi, or should I save my money and purchase the less expensive model?


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## Yamato (Jul 24, 2019)

I have been trying to figure out how to set up an iPhone 5S that my grandma found from her tenant. The dude basically just left it and for a good reason 
The touch screen is unresponsive 80% of the time and starts spazzing out randomly. 
I managed to do a total memory wipe of the phone and it’s been stuck on the set up part. It says I need to connect it to WiFi for it to update to the current iOS. Did connect it to WiFi but nothing happened. So I took it to a device repair shop and it’s been three or four weeks now. They were able to swap out the touch screen but no luck with setting up the phone. Technician said he was going to try putting his own SIM card in it and that was the last I heard form him last week. 

Any other suggestions?


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## DemonDragonJ (Jul 24, 2019)

@Yamato, it would likely be better if your grandmother simply purchased a new smart phone, since it will take far too much time and effort to repair the broken one.


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## Yamato (Jul 24, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> @Yamato, it would likely be better if your grandmother simply purchased a new smart phone, since it will take far too much time and effort to repair the broken one.


It would be. Though it's not hers and she gave it to me basically. I already took it to a repair place and they swapped the touch screen which only cost $60 compared to Best Buy at $130. They are stumped with the set up.

I'm making this iPhone a travel phone so I wouldn't have to keep swapping sim cards with my own phone.


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## Son Goku (Jul 25, 2019)

Anyone in here have a smartwatch? I'm very tempted to purchase one, but would like a good recommendation of their usability.


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## Raiden (Jul 30, 2019)

Son Goku said:


> Anyone in *here have a smartwatch*? I'm very tempted to purchase one, but would like a good recommendation of their usability.



I had one and lost it sadly. I think it was accidentally thrown away. It was pretty cool though. Would recommend if cash is not a problem.


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## Son Goku (Jul 30, 2019)

Raiden said:


> I had one and lost it sadly. I think it was accidentally thrown away. It was pretty cool though. Would recommend if cash is not a problem.


I have seen reasonably priced ones (80usd) out there so the price isn't too much a concern as I'm wondering what your opinion on the notifications on one are. I'm considering it as I have a fitbit, but since it's not a dedicated smart watch it only shows notifications from one app and not multiples.


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## Raiden (Jul 30, 2019)

Son Goku said:


> I have seen reasonably priced ones (80usd) out there so the price isn't too much a concern as I'm wondering what your opinion on the notifications on one are. I'm considering it as I have a fitbit, but since it's not a dedicated smart watch it only shows notifications from one app and not multiples.



I honestly wasn't too reliant in it but a few of my friends had one. People who had trouble balancing multiple things seemed to like notification reminders. I'm not sure if they felt like they absolutely needed it tho.


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## Son Goku (Jul 30, 2019)

Raiden said:


> I honestly wasn't too reliant in it but a few of my friends had one. People who had trouble balancing multiple things seemed to like notification reminders. I'm not sure if they felt like they absolutely needed it tho.


I see it's more for texts/messenger as I work in a profession where having a phone out is frowned on so I like to have the ability to check on the job, so it sounds pretty much tailor made for my situation in that regard.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Yamato (Jul 30, 2019)

I have a Fitbit Charge 3 and Alta HR. Though they are more for fitness tracking purposes, but you can reply to texts and has call notifications. As well as music playing. 


Also, the techs gave up on the iPhone 5S. I think I’m just gonna get another phone for travel purposes now.


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## ~M~ (Aug 1, 2019)

Just got a pixel 3a xl, will report back once I'm used to it


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## Son Goku (Aug 2, 2019)

~M~ said:


> Just got a pixel 3a xl, will report back once I'm used to it


Hope it's good was looking to upgrade my 2 to one.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 22, 2019)

I now have all the hardware that I need to build a new computer for my mother, as well as the installation media for Windows 10, so all I need now is to decide which version of Microsoft Office to purchase; our computers are still using Office 2010, so which version should we use for our new computers? I would prefer to avoid any version that has a subscription fee; I wish to pay one fee and then no more. Should I purchase Office 2016 or Office 2019?


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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 17, 2019)

I have a , on which I have stored data that is important but not critical, and that drive, without warning, is no longer accessible; when I attached it to my computer, today, I received a message saying "you must format this drive to use it," or something similar, which severely bothers me, since I always keep that drive in a drawer in my desk and remove it only when I need to use it; it is never exposed to anything that could have caused it to become corrupt, so I now need to find a way to recover the data on that drive.

Does anyone here have any recommendations? Is there any way to recover data from a corrupted flash drive?


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## Mider T (Nov 25, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I have a , on which I have stored data that is important but not critical, and that drive, without warning, is no longer accessible; when I attached it to my computer, today, I received a message saying "you must format this drive to use it," or something similar, which severely bothers me, since I always keep that drive in a drawer in my desk and remove it only when I need to use it; it is never exposed to anything that could have caused it to become corrupt, so I now need to find a way to recover the data on that drive.
> 
> Does anyone here have any recommendations? Is there any way to recover data from a corrupted flash drive?


Have you tried sticking it in the back of your neck?


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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 25, 2019)

Mider T said:


> Have you tried sticking it in the back of your neck?



I am growing tired of comments of this nature, so I shall not grace that question with a proper answer; instead, I shall let this image speak for me:


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## Mider T (Nov 26, 2019)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I am growing tired of comments of this nature, so I shall not grace that question with a proper answer; instead, I shall let this image speak for me:


Don't short circuit on me.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 12, 2019)

For many years, SATA has been the standard connector for computer drives, and, as such, it has been revised several times; the original incarnation of SATA had a maximum data transfer rate of 1.5 Gbps, the second incarnation had a maximum data transfer rate of 3.0 Gbps, and the newest incarnation has a maximum data transfer rate of 6.0 Gbps.

            However, there has not been a new incarnation of SATA in many years, which has me wondering if there shall ever be a new incarnation. SATA worked well with traditional hard drives, but solid-state drives have been increasing in speed rapidly, to the point that the SATA interface is actually a bottleneck in computer performance.

            One would expect that a further revision of SATA, again doubling the data transfer rate to 12.0 Gbps, would be the most logical solution, but solid-state drives recently have been using PCI express as an interface, since that interface has very high data transfer rates.

            What does everyone else here say about this? Will there ever be a new version of SATA, or have PCI express-based SSD’s rendered that connector obsolete?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ashi (Dec 12, 2019)

I see why they call him the Demon

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Has anyone made electronic purchases recently? I've been trying to get my hands on a Switch.

@Mider T @Nataly @Hussain @Jibutters @Snowless @Yamato @Jimin @Parallax

Reactions: Like 1


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## Island (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> I've been trying to get my hands on a Switch.


I've heard it's rough trying to get a Switch right now.

I bought mine before lockdown started since I didn't want to miss out on the Animal Crossing hype train.


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## Nataly (May 29, 2020)

I bought another laptop just last week, I love the one I have now, but it has some problems with the screen and how it's attached to the keyboard (I don't know if I explained it correctly ), but I don't want to switch from this one to a new one. The new one is just in case, I haven't even turned it on once  My current one is HP and I love that brand


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## Trojan (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Has anyone made electronic purchases recently? I've been trying to get my hands on a Switch.
> 
> @Mider T @Nataly @Hussain @Jibutters @Snowless @Yamato @Jimin @Parallax


no... 
I have a a switch since 2018 IIRC... 
I have Iphone 6 lol, I am thinking of puying whatever new one might get released, but I might not do it since my phone is working fine... 

same goes with my laptop, altho I bought it before my iPhone IIRC... 

other than those, I don't care that much about electronics.  
(Sure I think they are cool, but I am not getting stuff that I do not think I need )


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## Snowless (May 29, 2020)

I bought new charging cables for my phone.
That’s about it, lmao.


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## Parallax (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Has anyone made electronic purchases recently? I've been trying to get my hands on a Switch.
> 
> @Mider T @Nataly @Hussain @Jibutters @Snowless @Yamato @Jimin @Parallax



like ordering through amazon and such?

i used ebay recently and i got my item within 2 days, no issues here


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## Parallax (May 29, 2020)

oh wait electronics

yeah i bought some video games


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## Yamato (May 29, 2020)

I got a Switch I think back in October for Luigi’s Mansion 3. 
As for recent purchases.... Dyson cordless vacuum, air purifiers and uhhh what else. Feels like I’m forgetting something.


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Has anyone made electronic purchases recently? I've been trying to get my hands on a Switch.
> 
> @Mider T @Nataly @Hussain @Jibutters @Snowless @Yamato @Jimin @Parallax


I recently purchased a Razer Kraken X 7.1 headset for PC as my Turtle Beaches crapped out on me. 

I also purchased a Razer Junglecat bluetooth controller which let's me use my phone a lot like a switch.




Yamato said:


> I got a Switch I think back in October for Luigi’s Mansion 3.
> As for recent purchases.... Dyson cordless vacuum, air purifiers and uhhh what else. Feels like I’m forgetting something.


What did you think of 3? One is one of my favorite nintendo games but, 2.... was not nearly as good to me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (May 29, 2020)

Corsair is making power supplies that can intelligently monitor their power usage and adjust them for optimum efficiency (and, for that reason, my next computer shall definitely have such a power supply), so does anyone here think that all manufacturers shall eventually include such a feature in their power supplies?


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I recently purchased a Razer Kraken X 7.1 headset for PC as my Turtle Beaches crapped out on me.
> 
> I also purchased a Razer Junglecat bluetooth controller which let's me use my phone a lot like a switch.
> 
> ...



This is amazing! What games do you play on it?


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> This is amazing! What games do you play on it?


I'll split this into to categories of games that are apps on the play store and emulations.

Store:
Minecraft
Garou: MOW
Star Wars: KOTOR
Elder Scrolls: Blades

Emulations:
Paper Mario & TTYD
Luigi's Mansion
Smash Melee

I plan on adding more as I have a 'gaming phone' but that's what is currently on it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I'll split this into to categories of games that are apps on the play store and emulations.
> 
> Store:
> Minecraft
> ...



Awesome. How many hours a day do you spend on games? I start to get paranoid after I hit the hour mark.


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Awesome. How many hours a day do you spend on games? I start to get paranoid after I hit the hour mark.


I have a decently long transit commute so my mobile gaming is pretty much for that or when I am at the office, so probably around an hour or so. I have a 4,000mahz battery so I can put in more time and still have a charged phone but I am not a mobile gamer by nature.

At home I don't really cap my gaming time so long as I do everything else I need to, but there have been a lot of 3am Civ 6 games lately on PC.


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I have a decently long transit commute so my mobile gaming is pretty much for that or when I am at the office, so probably around an hour or so. I have a 4,000mahz battery so I can put in more time and still have a charged phone but I am not a mobile gamer by nature.
> 
> At home I don't really cap my gaming time so long as I do everything else I need to, but there have been a lot of 3am Civ 6 games lately on PC.



Awesome,  are there games that are looking forward to?


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Awesome,  are there games that are looking forward to?


I am tentatively excited for Paper Mario and the Origami King, Halo Infinite, Watch_Dogs, Hellblade 2 and Elden Ring.

What games make you want to get a switch?



DemonDragonJ said:


> Corsair is making power supplies that can intelligently monitor their power usage and adjust them for optimum efficiency (and, for that reason, my next computer shall definitely have such a power supply), so does anyone here think that all manufacturers shall eventually include such a feature in their power supplies?


Yes and No, most higher end and potentially mid range parts will start adding this feature, but there will still be a market for not having it if it keeps the cost of parts down significantly.


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I am tentatively excited for Paper Mario and the Origami King, Halo Infinite, Watch_Dogs, Hellblade 2 and Elden Ring.
> 
> What games make you want to get a switch?
> 
> ...



To be honest I mainly wanted to play the pokemon game  . But I heard it was not worth the money.


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> To be honest I mainly wanted to play the pokemon game  . But I heard it was not worth the money.


I guess it depends on what about Pokemon brought you in. I personally skipped them as I fell out of love with the series but, my friends quite enjoy them.


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I guess it depends on what about Pokemon brought you in. I personally skipped them as I fell out of love with the series but, my friends quite enjoy them.



I alao thought about playing super smah bros. Btw any recommendations for the PS4? I have one and started playing games again.


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> I alao thought about playing super smah bros. Btw any recommendations for the PS4? I have one and started playing games again.


I bought my Switch for Smash so, if you like Smash then Smash is Smash.

Spider-Man is probably my favorite exclusive for the PS4 followed by Bloodbourne. Depending on how long you've been out of it would probably help with more games besides exclusives.


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## Raiden (May 29, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> I bought my Switch for Smash so, if you like Smash then Smash is Smash.
> 
> Spider-Man is probably my favorite exclusive for the PS4 followed by Bloodbourne. Depending on how long you've been out of it would probably help with more games besides exclusives.



Gotcha. Thank you! Amy other games aside from the exclusives?


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## Son Goku (May 29, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Gotcha. Thank you! Amy other games aside from the exclusives?


I mean there is so... many games. I'm going to recommend smaller games. 
Superhot
Elite: Dangerous 
Deer God
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice


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## DemonDragonJ (May 30, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> Yes and No, most higher end and potentially mid range parts will start adding this feature, but there will still be a market for not having it if it keeps the cost of parts down significantly.



I have noticed that the digital power supplies are more expensive than the non-digital ones, but I imagine that the technology shall become less expensive as it is adopted by more manufacturers.


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## Raiden (May 30, 2020)

I feel like a lot of things will remain at a similar price .


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## DemonDragonJ (May 30, 2020)

Raiden said:


> I feel like a lot of things will remain at a similar price.



Solid-state drives have decreased drastically in price, recently, so there is no reason to think that other devices shall not decreased in price, as well.


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## Sunrider (May 30, 2020)

I been looking at a microphone for recording work, which led me down the rabbit hole looking at new cameras and I'm this || close to caving and getting both. 

Meanwhile my brother's all but abandoned his PS4 so when I can be bothered to remember I'm pulling it out of storage and copping that FF7 Remake.


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## Yamato (May 30, 2020)

Son Goku said:


> What did you think of 3? One is one of my favorite nintendo games but, 2.... was not nearly as good to me.


3 was so so. There were some features I liked but forgot what they were since it didn’t stand out that much for me  
I guess Gooigi was cool. 
2 was pitiful almost. 
1 was  

GameCube had one the best era of Mario games in my opinion. Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion, Melee, Mario Kart Double Dash


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## Son Goku (May 30, 2020)

Yamato said:


> 3 was so so. There were some features I liked but forgot what they were since it didn’t stand out that much for me
> I guess Gooigi was cool.
> 2 was pitiful almost.
> 1 was
> ...


That's what I figured, I feel like the problem with 2 and with 3 is that the add all these gameplay features that are decent but they don't recapture the atmosphere of 1. Mansion 1 is probably tied for my top Mario game with Paper Mario: TTYD.



DemonDragonJ said:


> I have noticed that the digital power supplies are more expensive than the non-digital ones, but I imagine that the technology shall become less expensive as it is adopted by more manufacturers.


Yes, if they invest effort to making this tech more cost effective I can see it being added into lower price range components.

Just a matter if it is feasibly possible.


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## Yamato (May 31, 2020)

Yeah, no. I don’t got time to look for all those gems in each level for 2 and 3.
Can’t remember if 2 had the Boo capturing thing and the controls on the 3DS were hard to use for LM2. I recall feel like almost jamming the joystick way too hard sometimes.

And 2 shouldn’t have been on handheld. Didn’t they remake the first on 3DS too? Nvm yeah. It’s sitting on my shelf next to my table 

I also did like how they continued the Boo nicknames in LM3.


The first was simple and didn’t require too much time spent doing little things. 
The three were good in the sense that two and three kept the puzzle solving mechanic. 

Also, plunger 

Anyway. I kinda am thinking of getting a new laptop too maybe. It’s been 6 years only since I had this one, but it’s starting to become slower each month despite transferring stuff to an external hard drive. I use Acer and generally have found them to be quite good.


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## Jimin (May 31, 2020)

I hope this is the right place for this.

I have a question about a tablet battery/power issue. The thing sometimes just restarts by itself. It's not really a battery life issue since it's well over 60 sometimes... But I had always protected it in a cover that can protect it from short falls. But I think because it wraps so tightly, it trapped heat causing the battery to get damaged over time. Now I know you can replace the battery manually. But is it still safe to use it in the meantime? If I leave it plugged in (the cable and charger are fine), it never shuts off. Or do I risk the battery damaging the rest of the hardware?

It's a Samsung Galaxy. I think it's about... three years old? Oh, I should mention it's been happening for a few months now.

I'm a bit hesistant to open it up since I didn't do the greatest job cleaning one of my older desktop PCs a while back. I did clean one of my video game consoles without a problem. So I'm 50-50 in this department, I guess...


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 1, 2020)

Jimin said:


> I have a question about a tablet battery/power issue. The thing sometimes just restarts by itself. It's not really a battery life issue since it's well over 60 sometimes... But I had always protected it in a cover that can protect it from short falls. But I think because it wraps so tightly, it trapped heat causing the battery to get damaged over time. Now I know you can replace the battery manually. But is it still safe to use it in the meantime? If I leave it plugged in (the cable and charger are fine), it never shuts off. Or do I risk the battery damaging the rest of the hardware?
> 
> It's a Samsung Galaxy. I think it's about... three years old? Oh, I should mention it's been happening for a few months now.
> 
> I'm a bit hesistant to open it up since I didn't do the greatest job cleaning one of my older desktop PCs a while back. I did clean one of my video game consoles without a problem. So I'm 50-50 in this department, I guess...



It is never a good idea to leave electronic devices constantly on, just as it is never a good idea to leave a vehicle running constantly, because doing so will subject their components to excessive wear and tear, unless the device is specifically designed to be constantly on, such as a server.


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## Sunrider (Jun 1, 2020)

So this is more of a software question (and if there's a better place @Raiden can feel free to move this post), but anyone have any alternatives to Adobe Premiere/Audition? 

Because no way I'm buying that shit.


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## Raiden (Jun 1, 2020)

Sunrider said:


> So this is more of a software question (and if there's a better place @Raiden can feel free to move this post), but anyone have any alternatives to Adobe Premiere/Audition?
> 
> Because no way I'm buying that shit.



Nah this is fine  . No worries.

Reactions: Like 1


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## wibisana (Jun 4, 2020)

Jimin said:


> I hope this is the right place for this.
> 
> I have a question about a tablet battery/power issue. The thing sometimes just restarts by itself. It's not really a battery life issue since it's well over 60 sometimes... But I had always protected it in a cover that can protect it from short falls. But I think because it wraps so tightly, it trapped heat causing the battery to get damaged over time. Now I know you can replace the battery manually. But is it still safe to use it in the meantime? If I leave it plugged in (the cable and charger are fine), it never shuts off. Or do I risk the battery damaging the rest of the hardware?
> 
> ...


Reset/restart can be caused by many things

Virus (we/Indonesia) used to have Brontox and Trojan virus which reset/restart your PC at specific time (10am or 10pm)

Overheat, PC and Smartphone/tablet(?) Can restart itself if it is overheat
Im sure about PC restart becuse if overheat, not so sure about the rest, usually you will get temperatur warning if your phone/tablet overheated.

But in your case I am 70% sure it is battery issue (since it works fine while charged). Maybe replacing at official service center would help.
Over here it cost about $30

Tho you might get "fake" spare part for $5-10, but i wont recomend to replacing it by yourself


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## Son Goku (Jun 4, 2020)

Yamato said:


> Yeah, no. I don’t got time to look for all those gems in each level for 2 and 3.
> Can’t remember if 2 had the Boo capturing thing and the controls on the 3DS were hard to use for LM2. I recall feel like almost jamming the joystick way too hard sometimes.
> 
> And 2 shouldn’t have been on handheld. Didn’t they remake the first on 3DS too? Nvm yeah. It’s sitting on my shelf next to my table
> ...



Yeah it did have like 50 Boo's to catch. I didn't mind since it was largely ignorable if you wanted to do that. I enjoyed the games atmosphere and creative characters for bosses more than sucking up some chump named Boo-mer.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 5, 2020)

Recently, I built a new computer for my mother, with an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, but that processor is operating at far too high of a temperature, over 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which is obviously far too hot for a CPU; by contrast, the video card in that computer operates at no more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, this may or may not be related, but the computer will, on occasion, shut down without any warning, making it necessary for me to manually turn off the switch on the power supply and then wait several seconds before I turn it on, again.

I removed the CPU cooling unit and reapplied the thermal paste, but the issue has persisted, so I am not entirely certain what could be causing it; what does everyone else say about this? Why is the CPU overheating and the computer shutting off unexpectedly?


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## Jimin (Jun 8, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> It is never a good idea to leave electronic devices constantly on, just as it is never a good idea to leave a vehicle running constantly, because doing so will subject their components to excessive wear and tear, unless the device is specifically designed to be constantly on, such as a server.



I only plug it in when I'm charging it or when using it... Or when I'm using it and thenit starts to restart when it's not plugged in...



wibisana said:


> Reset/restart can be caused by many things
> 
> Virus (we/Indonesia) used to have Brontox and Trojan virus which reset/restart your PC at specific time (10am or 10pm)
> 
> ...



I don't think it's an overheating issue. It only happens when it's unplugged. I never got a message about overheating. I haven't used it much plugged in though. I guess I have to check out if it ever restarts when.plugged into an outlet...


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## Gerjaffers786 (Jun 9, 2020)

Technology is awesome. I love the way these companies release new things and get people excited.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 9, 2020)

I am gradually purchasing new components for the next computer that I shall build, and I am deciding between two power supplies: the  or the . Both power supplies can intelligently monitor and adjust power usage, but the AX1200i has more wattage than I shall need, and also is more expensive, but it has a superior ability to monitor power. What does everyone else say? Should I spend the additional money for superior power monitoring?


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## Island (Jun 9, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I am gradually purchasing new components for the next computer that I shall build, and I am deciding between two power supplies: the  or the . Both power supplies can intelligently monitor and adjust power usage, but the AX1200i has more wattage than I shall need, and also is more expensive, but it has a superior ability to monitor power. What does everyone else say? Should I spend the additional money for superior power monitoring?


Do you pay your own electric bill?


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## Sunrider (Jun 9, 2020)

Looking at those powers supplies gave me a stiffy. 

I miss my desktop.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 10, 2020)

Island said:


> Do you pay your own electric bill?



I give my parents money every month to help with various bills; why are you asking that?



Sunrider said:


> Looking at those powers supplies gave me a stiffy.
> 
> I miss my desktop.



Why do you not build yourself a new computer, in that case?


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## Sunrider (Jun 10, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Why do you not build yourself a new computer, in that case?


Because it's an expensive hobby and in addition to the cost barriers I don't really have the space to host a new rig.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 10, 2020)

Sunrider said:


> Because it's an expensive hobby and in addition to the cost barriers I don't really have the space to host a new rig.



I see, and I am very sorry to hear that.


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## DemonDragonJ (Jun 16, 2020)

I ultimately purchased the less expensive of the two power supplies that I was considering, since I could not justify spending over $400 for a power supply that I did not need.


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## Mider T (Jul 1, 2020)




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## wibisana (Jul 3, 2020)

hacker use linux

Reactions: Like 2


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## Sunrider (Jul 5, 2020)

I think I'm going to learn a bit about decryption programs when shit settles down for me. 

Don't have me paying $200/wk for this place then suddenly get stingy with the wi-fi, hoes.


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## 僕がキラだ (Jul 6, 2020)

Just want to encourage my American friends to get VPN cuz apparently, your internet privacy has been compromised as of May and your government can now browse through your search history without a warrant, so long as they find you a relevant lead to an investigation. I recommend NordVPN and ExpressVPN

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (Aug 1, 2020)

@Mysticreader

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 2, 2020)

To display images, most computers need both a monitor and a video card, which is a daughterboard that contains both a GPU and memory that is attached to the motherboard of the computer. However, will technology eventually advance to the point that all the components of a video card can fit comfortably inside a monitor? If that does happen, what shall happen to the companies that manufacture the GPU's? Will they go out of business, or will they partner with the companies that make the monitors?

To continue that thought, piezoelectric buzzers (which are sound-producing semiconductors) have existed for decades, but have always been inferior to proper speakers, so will the ever advance to the point that they can equal speaker? LED's (which are light-producing semiconductors) have advanced quite significantly in the past several decades, so there is no reason to think that the same shall not happen for piezoelectric buzzers. Imagine being able to make a sound-producing semiconductor the same size and shape as a speaker, but, since it is a semiconductor, it will not need a magnetic driver for the speaker, which shall allow the speakers to be lighter and also more durable. Would that be an interesting development?


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## Son Of Man (Aug 4, 2020)

My PC keeps trying to update windows but it crashes at around 80% and says my drivers are fucked up or something. When I try to fix drivers via whatever method the pc tells me the pc ends up crashing. Am I fucked or what? This has been going on for a year or so.


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## Sunrider (Aug 4, 2020)

Son Of Man said:


> My PC keeps trying to update windows but it crashes at around 80% and says my drivers are fucked up or something. When I try to fix drivers via whatever method the pc tells me the pc ends up crashing. Am I fucked or what? This has been going on for a year or so.


You might have to search the drivers online individually and download them yourself. 

Obviously, just make sure you find the proper filepath when replacing the bad drivers.


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## martryn (Aug 7, 2020)

I'm teaching myself JAVA.  Is there a thread on the forums somewhere I can ask questions about things if I have them?

Reactions: Like 1


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## 僕がキラだ (Aug 8, 2020)

martryn said:


> I'm teaching myself JAVA.  Is there a thread on the forums somewhere I can ask questions about things if I have them?


I doubt there is. But if you don’t know about this specific forum: 

You’ll most likely get better answers there than you would here since you can get pedantic about your issue and they’ll more than be happy to go through the process with you, and they do what you’re doing everyday, so there’s almost a guarantee you’ll get a relevant answer to what you’re facing at that moment.


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## sworder (Aug 8, 2020)

Anikee said:


> I doubt there is. But if you don’t know about this specific forum:
> 
> You’ll most likely get better answers there than you would here since you can get pedantic about your issue and they’ll more than be happy to go through the process with you, and they do what you’re doing everyday, so there’s almost a guarantee you’ll get a relevant answer to what you’re facing at that moment.


stackoverflow is not for asking noob questions and they'll probably downvote you and be patronizing

if you don't know what you're doing, it's very likely the question has been asked before. learn to use google.


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## martryn (Aug 8, 2020)

sworder said:


> stackoverflow is not for asking noob questions and they'll probably downvote you and be patronizing



Yeah, I avoid stackoverflow even when it pops up in a Google search.  It always just muddles the issue.

I have been searching the internet when there is something that I don't know, and I've got three books on teaching myself Java that sometimes helps, including Java: The Complete Reference (11th ed) published by Oracle.  My issues largely stem from trying to solve specific problems and not being able to find an example program so I can get the syntax right.

For example, I'm just now learning about stacktrace and exceptions.  Exceptions didn't give me any trouble, and try-catch-finally blocks make intuitive sense.  But stacktrace, while logically making sense to me, I've struggled with using because different sources have used them different ways.  I finally decided that they're likely not very useful, and if I need to use them in the future I'll have a better understanding of things as I progress through my learning.  

I'm basically looking for a place where I can post what I've got and someone can offer me hints on what I'm doing wrong, or feedback on how I can clean up my code.  I figured the forums has enough people that do computer stuff.


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## sworder (Aug 8, 2020)

martryn said:


> Yeah, I avoid stackoverflow even when it pops up in a Google search.  It always just muddles the issue.
> 
> I have been searching the internet when there is something that I don't know, and I've got three books on teaching myself Java that sometimes helps, including Java: The Complete Reference (11th ed) published by Oracle.  My issues largely stem from trying to solve specific problems and not being able to find an example program so I can get the syntax right.
> 
> ...


stack traces are generally useful for debugging a codebase, they give you a list of every function or method your code went though before finally throwing an error/exception

I wouldn't worry about spending too much time on them, they're unlikely to come up much unless you're working on a large application with other developers


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## martryn (Aug 8, 2020)

Ah, good to know.  It is as I expected.

I'm not having too much issue with the learning process.  I've been self-teaching since mid-May, and I think I'm about halfway to the point where I could consider entry level positions.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 9, 2020)

I have stopped downloading movies and television series onto my computer, because I received a few too many warnings from my service provider. Currently, I am on the same account as my parents, but, when I move into my own place, I shall establish my own account. There is not any danger of my service provider refusing to provide service to me because of my previous actions, is there? I have not downloaded any movies or television series in several years, so, surely, if my ISP has not already terminated my service, they will not do so when I seek to establish a new account? What does everyone else say about that?


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## Yamato (Aug 11, 2020)

Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop, 14" Full HD IPS, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core with Radeon Graphics, 8GB LPDDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Alexa Built-in, SF314-42-R9YN 
Most likely getting this in a week or so. My cousin who is a tech fanatic and knows a lot about tech recommended this out of a few choices that I listed. 
My current Acer Aspire laptop is starting to run slow. Had it for almost a decade now. 

I’m not too picky on specs and graphics. At least it works and I can play video games, watch and stream vids, do other simple stuff then I’m good. 


I wonder what the forumers have to say about this laptop

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sunrider (Aug 11, 2020)

Yamato said:


> Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop, 14" Full HD IPS, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core with Radeon Graphics, 8GB LPDDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Alexa Built-in, SF314-42-R9YN
> Most likely getting this in a week or so. My cousin who is a tech fanatic and knows a lot about tech recommended this out of a few choices that I listed.
> My current Acer Aspire laptop is starting to run slow. Had it for almost a decade now.
> 
> ...


Ngl, that looks sexy. Not fond of hardwired Alexa or fingerprint reader, but I feel like more hardware is moving toward that anyways. In the future I'll probably just have to build my own if I want to avoid those features.


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## Raiden (Aug 12, 2020)

Anyone bought a traditional desktop lately?


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## Yamato (Aug 12, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Anyone bought a traditional desktop lately?


I want to when I have my own place, which is.... dunno when  

Hopefully in like two years.


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## martryn (Aug 12, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Anyone bought a traditional desktop lately?



Kinda.  I have my old one from about five years ago that I just did some work on.  Replaced the motherboard with an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-i and upgraded to an Intel i9 Processor.  Graphics card is still a GeForce GTX 780, but I am pretty sure that's still good enough to run just about anything.


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## wibisana (Aug 12, 2020)

I never buy laptop online. The risk is too high over here. Consumer protection isnt that high.chances you dont get what you buy is so high.

Tho Amazon prolly safe place to buy such stuff

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 12, 2020)

What can anyone here say about uninterruptible power supplies? I do not have one, but I did purchase one for my father, several years ago, because he uses his computer for his business, and he has been very pleased with it, so I am considering purchasing one for myself, as well.



Raiden said:


> Anyone bought a traditional desktop lately?



Yes, I have been gradually purchasing individual components for building my next computer when I decide that it is time to replace my current one (which I hope is not any time, soon, because I am fond of it); the only part that I do not yet have is a CPU, and I am deciding between   models: one model is more expensive than the other, but not by much, and, for the higher price, it uses a newer architecture that consumes less power, so I feel that it is worth the additional cost.

Also, one the subject of comparing two similar products, I shall need a router for when I eventually have my own place, and I am contemplating either of   models: they have the same price, but one is newer than the other, although the newer model is only a dual-band router, while the older model is a tri-band router, which could be important, under certain circumstances. What does everyone else say about that?


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## Raiden (Aug 12, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> What can anyone here say about uninterruptible power supplies? I do not have one, but I did purchase one for my father, several years ago, because he uses his computer for his business, and he has been very pleased with it, so I am considering purchasing one for myself, as well.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Has it cost you a lot to build your own so far?


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 12, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Has it cost you a lot to build your own so far?



I have not been keeping track of how much money I have spent, but I imagine that it has been close to or possibly slightly over $1,000.00, so far; that is approximately how much I spent on the previous two computers that I built.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (Aug 12, 2020)

Damn.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 12, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Damn.



Is that too high of a price for you?


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## Danisor (Aug 12, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I have not been keeping track of how much money I have spent, but I imagine that it has been close to or possibly slightly over $1,000.00, so far; that is approximately how much I spent on the previous two computers that I built.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sunrider (Aug 12, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Damn.


I used a rather fat tax return back in '04 to build my first rig (rather, someone else do the building)--$2k for what was top-of-the-line at the time. I think since then I'd sunk about $1500 into it... and mostly because of trial and error. 

Point is, it's a lot looking back, but getting one, two parts at a time doesn't feel like quite so much. I prefer to buy in-person where I can, but NewEgg's been pretty reliable for me, especially for easy comparison. 

Get pieces here and there; power supply one month, case the next... makes it more manageable.


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## martryn (Aug 12, 2020)

That's how I am.  I have probably dropped about $3,000 on my current set-up since I first got it, but that includes peripherals and upgrades.  Do a bit of work here and there.  My case will probably last me for the foreseeable future, I just upgraded the motherboard and processor, I have a kickin' keyboard, a nice new set of headphones, two large dual monitors...  Now that SSD are cheap, I think that'll be the next thing I'll upgrade, and then it'll likely be time to look at another graphics card.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (Aug 14, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Is that too high of a price for you?



Yeah Im a believer in gettings done quickly too. Short on patience


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 16, 2020)

martryn said:


> That's how I am.  I have probably dropped about $3,000 on my current set-up since I first got it, but that includes peripherals and upgrades.  Do a bit of work here and there.  My case will probably last me for the foreseeable future, I just upgraded the motherboard and processor, I have a kickin' keyboard, a nice new set of headphones, two large dual monitors...  Now that SSD are cheap, I think that'll be the next thing I'll upgrade, and then it'll likely be time to look at another graphics card.



That must have been a very powerful computer, if you spent such a great amount of money on it.


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## martryn (Aug 16, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> That must have been a very powerful computer, if you spent such a great amount of money on it.



It does everything that it needs to do.  I'm being limited now by my internet speed, as a lot of programs now require an internet connection.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 16, 2020)

martryn said:


> It does everything that it needs to do.  I'm being limited now by my internet speed, as a lot of programs now require an internet connection.



That is definitely a problem; what is causing your slow internet speed: your router, or your service provider?


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## martryn (Aug 16, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> That is definitely a problem; what is causing your slow internet speed: your router, or your service provider?



I just moved to a small farm in New Hampshire, and the internet is relayed from about a quarter mile away.  Or something.  I don't know much about that sort of thing.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 16, 2020)

martryn said:


> I just moved to a small farm in New Hampshire, and the internet is relayed from about a quarter mile away.  Or something.  I don't know much about that sort of thing.



Are you using a wired or wireless connection?


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## martryn (Aug 16, 2020)

Wireless.  I have to.  My apartment is in the middle of a fucking field down a dirt road.  Like, I live on a literal farm.  There is a herd of cows about 25 feet from my backdoor, and sometimes I wake up to a gaggle of turkeys outside my window.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 16, 2020)

martryn said:


> Wireless.  I have to.  My apartment is in the middle of a fucking field down a dirt road.  Like, I live on a literal farm.  There is a herd of cows about 25 feet from my backdoor, and sometimes I wake up to a gaggle of turkeys outside my window.



That is definitely a problem; I would recommend that you purchase a new and powerful router, but, in such a location, there is only so much that the hardware can do when the signal is weak.


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## Island (Aug 16, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Anyone bought a traditional desktop lately?


I'm building a new one soon-ish, probably in the next couple months. I'm waiting to see what this coming gen's hardware looks like.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 16, 2020)

On the subject of networking and routers, at my house, my family is using a router that our ISP provided, which I severely dislike, because the ISP charges a fee for using it, so I wish to ask users who are living on their own: do ISP's require that customer use routers that they (the ISP's) provide, or are customers allowed to use their own routers? I fully intend to use my own router, when I have an independent account, so I hope that my ISP does not require me to use one of their routers.


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## martryn (Aug 16, 2020)

Java question, for anyone who wants to take the time to field it.  
As I mentioned, I'm teaching myself Java using a variety of resources, and there are occasionally tasks to complete that you can send in to have verified.  Long story short, this task was to enter a list of words and numbers, and then print them, with the words being in alphabetical order, and the numbers descending, but without changing the order in which a number or word appears.
For example, if I entered: Cherry, 1, Bob, 3, Apple, 22, 0, Watermelon
the output should be: Apple, 22, Bob, 3, Cherry, 1, 0, Watermelon.

I put things into an array, and wrote code to check to see if the element of the array was a number or word, divided the array into two separate arrays (strings and ints), sorted those, and then attempted to replace the elements in my initial array with the now sorted strings and ints arrays.  But it never seemed to change the output.  I'd get the elements in the same order in which I entered them.

I had to write a result array, use basically the same code to create it as I used to try and replace the elements in my initial array, and then copy the result array onto the initial array to pass verification.  Why did I have to create the result array at all?


*Spoiler*: __ 




```
public class Solution {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
        ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<>();
        while (true) {
            String s = reader.readLine();
            if (s.isEmpty()) break;
            list.add(s);
        }

        String[] array = list.toArray(new String[list.size()]);
        sort(array);

        for (String x : array) {
            System.out.println(x);
        }
    }

    public static void sort(String[] array) {
        ArrayList<String> strings = new ArrayList<>();
        ArrayList<Integer> ints = new ArrayList<>();

        for (String s : array) {
            if (isNumber(s))
                ints.add(Integer.parseInt(s));
            else
                strings.add(s);
        }

        for (int i = 0; i < strings.size(); i++) {
            for (int j = i+1; j < strings.size(); j++) {
                if (isGreaterThan(strings.get(i), strings.get(j))) {
                    String s = strings.get(i);
                    strings.set(i, strings.get(j));
                    strings.set(j, s);
                }
            }
        }

        for (int i = 0; i < ints.size(); i++) {
            for (int j = i+1; j < ints.size(); j++) {
                if (ints.get(i) < ints.get(j)) {
                    int x = ints.get(i);
                    ints.set(i, ints.get(j));
                    ints.set(j, x);
                }
            }
        }
/*
        System.out.println("This is my strings array:");
        for (String s : strings)
            System.out.println(s);
        System.out.println("");
        System.out.println("This is my ints array:");
        for (int i : ints)
            System.out.println(i);
        System.out.println("");
*/
        List<String> result = new ArrayList<>();
        for (String s : array) {
            if (isNumber(s)) {
                result.add(String.valueOf(ints.get(0)));
                ints.remove(0);
            }
            else {
                result.add(strings.get(0));
                strings.remove(0);
            }
        }
        for (int i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
            array[i] = result.get(i);
        }
}

    public static boolean isGreaterThan(String a, String b) {
        return a.compareTo(b) > 0;
    }


    public static boolean isNumber(String s) {
        if (s.length() == 0) return false;

        char[] chars = s.toCharArray();
        for (int i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
            char c = chars[i];
            if ((i != 0 && c == '-')
                    || (!Character.isDigit(c) && c != '-')
                    || (i == 0 && c == '-' && chars.length == 1))
            {
                return false;
            }
        }
        return true;
    }
}
```


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## Blitzomaru (Aug 17, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> On the subject of networking and routers, at my house, my family is using a router that our ISP provided, which I severely dislike, because the ISP charges a fee for using it, so I wish to ask users who are living on their own: do ISP's require that customer use routers that they (the ISP's) provide, or are customers allowed to use their own routers? I fully intend to use my own router, when I have an independent account, so I hope that my ISP does not require me to use one of their routers.


Came to ask a question but I can answer this one. ISPs can determine the protocol compliance of your modem, but they can’t make you use theirs and theirs only. For example, the latest modem from Comcast were sent out 2 years ago and are DOCSIS 3.1 Modems. As long as the modem you purchase is DOCSIS 3.1 compliant you should be able to use it. This is for residential homes. There’s a bit more requirements for businesses, but even then oh aren’t locked into your ISP’s modem.

I think all ISPs are required to list compatible modem brands on their site.


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## Blitzomaru (Aug 17, 2020)

So my cousin is working from home and her company gave her a VoIP phone that plugs into her Ethernet connection. So she is stuck working by the modem. Instead of her office on the 2nd floor. I tried using a standard wireless network USB adapter but the phone won’t recognize it. Phone must be connected with Ethernet. Is there a way to connect a wireless router to a modem wirelessly and still be able to use the Ethernet ports on the router?


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 17, 2020)

Blitzomaru said:


> Came to ask a question but I can answer this one. ISPs can determine the protocol compliance of your modem, but they can’t make you use theirs and theirs only. For example, the latest modem from Comcast were sent out 2 years ago and are DOCSIS 3.1 Modems. As long as the modem you purchase is DOCSIS 3.1 compliant you should be able to use it. This is for residential homes. There’s a bit more requirements for businesses, but even then oh aren’t locked into your ISP’s modem.
> 
> I think all ISPs are required to list compatible modem brands on their site.



That is very good, because I plan to use  router from Asus; is that not one of the most awesome routers that you have seen? Also, routers and modems are not the same devices; they have different functions.



Blitzomaru said:


> So my cousin is working from home and her company gave her a VoIP phone that plugs into her Ethernet connection. So she is stuck working by the modem. Instead of her office on the 2nd floor. I tried using a standard wireless network USB adapter but the phone won’t recognize it. Phone must be connected with Ethernet. Is there a way to connect a wireless router to a modem wirelessly and still be able to use the Ethernet ports on the router?



Network devices today are designed to be able to handle both wired and wireless connections simultaneously, so I do not imagine that there would be a problem with that setup.


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## Blitzomaru (Aug 17, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> That is very good, because I plan to use  router from Asus; is that not one of the most awesome routers that you have seen? Also, routers and modems are not the same devices; they have different functions.
> 
> 
> .


So that’s a router, not a modem. You will still need a modem to connect to the internet. But yeah it looks awesome but hella expensive.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 17, 2020)

Blitzomaru said:


> So that’s a router, not a modem. You will still need a modem to connect to the internet. But yeah it looks awesome but hella expensive.



I see, and I will definitely choose my own modem; do you have any recommendations?


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## martryn (Aug 17, 2020)

Is there a point to spending $400 on a router if you're not paying for excessively expensive speeds that you'll never use?  Like, seriously, why do you need something like that?  Will you be able to fully utilize it?


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 17, 2020)

martryn said:


> Is there a point to spending $400 on a router if you're not paying for excessively expensive speeds that you'll never use?  Like, seriously, why do you need something like that?  Will you be able to fully utilize it?



Because it has three wireless bands, because it has the newest wi-fi standard, and because it looks awesome. If you feel that it is too expensive, is there another tri-band router that uses the 802.11 AX standard?


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## martryn (Aug 17, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Because it has three wireless bands, because it has the newest wi-fi standard, and because it looks awesome. If you feel that it is too expensive, is there another tri-band router that uses the 802.11 AX standard?



I don't know what any of that means, I'm just asking if you're going to be using the router to it's full potential, and if not, why not look into other, cheaper, options and use the money you saved on other aspects of your computing / internet needs that might need help.


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## Blitzomaru (Aug 17, 2020)

Also put that router into amazon and read the reviews. There are serious privacy issues with it.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 17, 2020)

As long as I am discussing Asus equipment, several years ago, they made a PCI express solid-state drive called the RAIDr express, before PCI express was a common interface for SSD's; the drive was an ambitious idea, but it was not quite the game-changer that the company hoped it would be, and they have never made a newer version of it; now that PCI express is a common interface for SSD's, are they likely to make a successor, or are they choosing to leave SSD's to the companies that are experts in that area?



martryn said:


> I don't know what any of that means, I'm just asking if you're going to be using the router to it's full potential, and if not, why not look into other, cheaper, options and use the money you saved on other aspects of your computing / internet needs that might need help.



In that case, there are also  , , which appeal to me.



Blitzomaru said:


> Also put that router into amazon and read the reviews. There are serious privacy issues with it.



I typically purchase electronic equipment from Newegg.com, and I am also certain that a firmware update of the route would solve those problems.


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## martryn (Aug 17, 2020)

Hey, don't let me change what you want to do.  I was just throwing out some food for thought.  I wouldn't personally spend that much money on a router, but it's your money, and I'm all for free choice.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 18, 2020)

martryn said:


> Hey, don't let me change what you want to do.  I was just throwing out some food for thought.  I wouldn't personally spend that much money on a router, but it's your money, and I'm all for free choice.



You are not annoyed, are you? Posts on an internet forum cannot convey tone of voice, so I wish to be certain that my previous post did not annoy you.


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## martryn (Aug 18, 2020)

Fucking annoyed?  What from?


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 18, 2020)

martryn said:


> Fucking annoyed?  What from?



I am glad to hear you say that.


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## Mider T (Aug 18, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I am glad to hear you say that.


You didn't answer his question though.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 19, 2020)

@Mider T, I was worried that he was annoyed by my posts.


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## ~M~ (Aug 22, 2020)

Unrelated to networking, but I just built my first PC so I guess this is the best thread to brag about that in

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 25, 2020)

~M~ said:


> Unrelated to networking, but I just built my first PC so I guess this is the best thread to brag about that in



Yes, it is; what components did you use for it?


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 27, 2020)

I was contemplating using the  case for my next computer, but that case may not be able to contain every component that I have purchased, so I am now contemplating either the  or the  case. The Rosewill case can hold an optical drive, but I rarely use those, anymore, except to transfer music from CD's to my computer, whereas the Cooler Master case has great airflow and four USB 3.0 ports, which is very nice, as well as some awesome LED's. What does everyone else say about that? Which case do you prefer?

Also, why is it that most computer cases no longer have fans on their sides? Are such fans unnecessary?

If I do purchase that Cooler Master case, I shall also purchase an external optical drive, for the situations in which I shall need such a device, because I do not plan to ever stop purchasing music CD's, so I am considering either  drive or  one; the first drive is a full-sized one, but it requires an external power source, which I think is ridiculous. Which drive do other users here prefer?


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## Island (Aug 27, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I was contemplating using the  case for my next computer, but that case may not be able to contain every component that I have purchased, so I am now contemplating either the  or the  case. The Rosewill case can hold an optical drive, but I rarely use those, anymore, except to transfer music from CD's to my computer, whereas the Cooler Master case has great airflow and four USB 3.0 ports, which is very nice, as well as some awesome LED's. What does everyone else say about that? Which case do you prefer?
> 
> Also, why is it that most computer cases no longer have fans on their sides? Are such fans unnecessary?
> 
> If I do purchase that Cooler Master case, I shall also purchase an external optical drive, for the situations in which I shall need such a device, because I do not plan to ever stop purchasing music CD's, so I am considering either  drive or  one; the first drive is a full-sized one, but it requires an external power source, which I think is ridiculous. Which drive do other users here prefer?


That Cooler Master case is over $200.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 27, 2020)

Island said:


> That Cooler Master case is over $200.



Yes, but that shall not be a problem, for me; I spent close to $300 on a new CPU, so over $200 for a case is not a significant expense, and I would like to mention that there are cases that are even more expensive than that on.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 27, 2020)

Also, I already purchased the Rosewill case for the most recent computer that I built (for my mother; she certainly did not need a case such as that, but I could not miss the opportunity to purchase it), so that is another point in favor of the Cooler Master case (so that I do not confuse two computers with identical cases).


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## Yamato (Aug 28, 2020)

My new laptop arrived

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (Aug 28, 2020)

Yamato said:


> My new laptop arrived



Hooray. What type of laptop is it.


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## Yamato (Aug 28, 2020)

Raiden said:


> Hooray. What type of laptop is it.





Yamato said:


> Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop, 14" Full HD IPS, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core with Radeon Graphics, 8GB LPDDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Alexa Built-in, SF314-42-R9YN
> Most likely getting this in a week or so. My cousin who is a tech fanatic and knows a lot about tech recommended this out of a few choices that I listed.
> My current Acer Aspire laptop is starting to run slow. Had it for almost a decade now.
> 
> ...





Turns out my current laptop needed an update and now it’s almost back to normal again, but keeping the new one as back up just in case this old one doesn’t start up anymore.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 29, 2020)

I noticed that the Cooler Master case does not have a reset button, which is very concerning, as it means that, if there is ever a situation in which I cannot reset the computer via the operating system, I shall need to turn off the switch on the power supply to restart the computer.



Yamato said:


> My new laptop arrived



Is it a powerful laptop?


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## Yamato (Aug 29, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Is it a powerful laptop?


I dunno 

I think so. If it works then I'm happy.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ~M~ (Aug 31, 2020)

That's high among the best laptop cpu you can buy now for gaming and general use so I can only imagine a happy future ahead


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## ~M~ (Aug 31, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Yes, it is; what components did you use for it?



*Spoiler*: __ 









Here it is compared to my old PC for size comparison, this is a big tower....




It's an AMD 2970wx processor, a WD nvme drive, 64gb ram, and a coolermaster CPU cooler, that's mostly what I bought, i just transferred over the Nvidia 1060 graphics card I already had until the new GPUs are released in September. I still need to tidy the cables up a bit and the picture isn't even with the ram or motherboard LEDs on.


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## DemonDragonJ (Aug 31, 2020)

~M~ said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



An AMD Threadripper is a very impressive, but very expensive, CPU; they are not intedned for video games, so will you be engaging in great amounts of video rendering or graphic design?


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## Raiden (Aug 31, 2020)

Yamato said:


> Turns out my current laptop needed an update and now it’s almost back to normal again, but keeping the new one as back up just in case this old one doesn’t start up anymore.



Nice! I thought about getting a mac but ti's so much money lol.


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## Island (Sep 1, 2020)

Nvidia's new GPUs are coming out September 17th:



> Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced the RTX 3080 as Nvidia's "new flagship" GPU on Tuesday morning, confirming over a month of leaked rumors and card designs. This was met with a flurry of other hardware, app, and software partnership announcements, but arguably the biggest numbers out of today's event came in the form of performance and price.
> 
> Huang alleged that the RTX 3080 will "double" the performance of the RTX 2080 GPU while starting at $699, with hardware going on sale September 17. Next to that, Huang announced the RTX 3070, whose power will reportedly exceed the $1,200+ RTX 2080 Ti while starting at only $499.
> 
> ...

Reactions: Like 1


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## birdjesus018 (Sep 2, 2020)

Not sure if appropriate here, but I hope the Switch goes back in stock soon. Just missed out on the last batch. :blu

Reactions: Like 1


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## Raiden (Sep 5, 2020)

new Iphone rumors. I think I'm gonna get it.

stopped myself from buying a Mac today.

Reactions: Like 1


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## wibisana (Sep 5, 2020)

I want nice pc,. But u guys need to paypal me


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## Raiden (Sep 6, 2020)

Lmao NFund Me.


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## Raiden (Sep 6, 2020)

birdjesus018 said:


> Not sure if appropriate here, but I hope the Switch goes back in stock soon. Just missed out on the last batch. :blu



Damn I tried super hard to get this a few months ago.


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## ~M~ (Sep 6, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> An AMD Threadripper is a very impressive, but very expensive, CPU; they are not intedned for video games, so will you be engaging in great amounts of video rendering or graphic design?


I do graphics, cryptocurrency mining, and I'm currently studying virtual machine images and servers. Though I do a little bit of video gaming, a good processor is nice so I can host a minecraft server lol.


wibisana said:


> I want nice pc,
> 
> . But u guys need to paypal me


We should get together and build a hand me down computer 



Raiden said:


> new Iphone rumors. I think I'm gonna get it.
> 
> stopped myself from buying a Mac today.


I'm thinking of trying an Iphone after my pixel 3aXL is done with, but that will probably take a while. Why did you stop from the Mac?

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Sep 6, 2020)

Traffic lights are gradually switching from incandescent lights to LED's, but they still have individual lights for each color, so, if color-changing LED's decrease in price, will towns and cities use color-changing LED's for their traffic lights?



~M~ said:


> I do graphics, cryptocurrency mining, and I'm currently studying virtual machine images and servers. Though I do a little bit of video gaming, a good processor is nice so I can host a minecraft server lol.



That is the purpose for which the Threadripper is intended, so you have made an excellent choice with that processor.


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## Raiden (Sep 6, 2020)

~M~ said:


> I do graphics, cryptocurrency mining, and I'm currently studying virtual machine images and servers. Though I do a little bit of video gaming, a good processor is nice so I can host a minecraft server lol.
> 
> We should get together and build a hand me down computer
> 
> ...



It was the 1K plus cost. I dropped like 20K on housing last year for school. I'm at home now, but I'm cheap because of that haha. 

I might buy it anyway. My surface is freezing at times already lmao.


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## DemonDragonJ (Sep 7, 2020)

I have a Samsung T5 SSD, which has worked excellently, thus far, but Samsung recently released the T7 series, so I am wondering if I should replace my SSD with the newer model, but I rarely use the drive; I have stored movies and television series on it, and use it only when I need to transfer files from it to my computer, so I feel that it may not be worth the cost of purchasing a new drive; what does everyone else say about that?


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## Son Of Man (Sep 24, 2020)

Can anyone suggest some good over ear headphones? Just bought some Sennheiser 400s's and they're not that good. They're really quiet and the sound leaks out way too much. I need them for music listening purposes.


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## wibisana (Sep 27, 2020)

buy cheap ones lol


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## Sunrider (Sep 27, 2020)

I had to upgrade to wireless on account of a new phone and picked up a pair from Best Buy, don't think I paid more than $45. 

A battery warning interrupts my listening at about 20% which annoys me, but aside from that I'm pretty pleased with them.


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## DemonDragonJ (Oct 18, 2020)

I just purchased the  case, so I shall have every piece of hardware that I shall need to build my next computer, after it arrives. I still do need to purchase the operating system, which I feel is far more expensive that it should be, but I cannot do anything about that.


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## Vagrant Tom (Oct 19, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> I just purchased the  case, so I shall have every piece of hardware that I shall need to build my next computer, after it arrives. I still do need to purchase the operating system, which I feel is far more expensive that it should be, but I cannot do anything about that.



What do you plan on running on your new computer? Some resource heavy games?


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## Raiden (Oct 20, 2020)

Thinking about buying that. The desktop in my house might go out.


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## DemonDragonJ (Oct 20, 2020)

The case arrived today; I will not build my new computer, yet, since my current one is still running quite well, despite being six years old, and I also am too busy with my online class to focus on building a new computer, at this time, but it is nice that I now have all the components that I require to build one.

The front, top, and both sides of the case are covered with glass panels, but the front panel has the option to be replaced with a steel mesh, which I shall definitely do, as that will allow for superior airflow, but I am very displeased that the top panel does not have that option, since the glass panel will severely impede the airflow; how could the manufactures not have considered that?



Vagrant Tom said:


> What do you plan on running on your new computer? Some resource heavy games?



No, I am planning to simply use it for word processing, internet browsing, music, and occasional movies; why are you asking that?


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## birdjesus018 (Oct 24, 2020)

Still trying to get a pre-release PS5, but there is some force holding me back from obtaining it


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## Sunrider (Oct 25, 2020)

DemonDragonJ said:


> No, I am planning to simply use it for word processing, internet browsing, music, and occasional movies; why are you asking that?


People don't typically spend the money to trick out their PCs unless they're doing something that demands all that processing power, like gaming or film editing. 

Unless they're enthusiasts, which is perfectly valid. I developed a taste for upgrading my rig despite not using it for anything special.


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## DemonDragonJ (Oct 25, 2020)

Sunrider said:


> People don't typically spend the money to trick out their PCs unless they're doing something that demands all that processing power, like gaming or film editing.
> 
> Unless they're enthusiasts, which is perfectly valid. I developed a taste for upgrading my rig despite not using it for anything special.



I definitely am an enthusiast, so that is why I like to have some of the best parts of my computers; however, @Vagrant Tom was asking that question in response to me speaking about the case that I purchased, so I hardly feel that purchasing a case such as that is an indicator of playing graphically-intense games.


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## Mider T (Nov 13, 2020)




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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 22, 2020)

Why is AMD still using GDDR memory in their video cards, when high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is completely superior to it?


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## DemonDragonJ (Nov 24, 2020)

The case that I have purchased for my new computer does not have a 5-inch drive bay, so I shall need to purchase an external optical drive, and I am deciding between  drives, which are very similar to each other; what does everyone else here recommend? Which drive should I purchase?


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## wibisana (Dec 12, 2020)

so... in this digital era, seems really easy to scam people,
i have question.

if somehow my computer got scammed (i stupidly install sharing program and scammer get hold of my PC) aside they will get my data/credit card number etc. what can i do to "fix" it?

why cant i go to real repairmen and get my windows re-installed, or get my harddrive re-formated then install new windows?. 

seeing this online scammer charging $300, is like wtf expensive thing to pay


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## Raiden (Dec 12, 2020)

New iPhone not too bad


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 14, 2020)

wibisana said:


> so... in this digital era, seems really easy to scam people,
> i have question.
> 
> if somehow my computer got scammed (i stupidly install sharing program and scammer get hold of my PC) aside they will get my data/credit card number etc. what can i do to "fix" it?
> ...



The best defense is to not store any sensitive data on your computer, to have any important data backed up in offline storage, such as flash drives, and to install security software on your computer, but, if a hacker does manage to remotely gain control of your computer, the best solution is to remove the drive from your computer, connect it to another computer as a secondary drive, and then use special security software to remove any malicious software from that drive.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Azula (Dec 18, 2020)

wibisana said:


> so... in this digital era, seems really easy to scam people,
> i have question.
> 
> if somehow my computer got scammed (i stupidly install sharing program and scammer get hold of my PC) aside they will get my data/credit card number etc. what can i do to "fix" it?
> ...


If you have windows installed only install software from the store and always google any new software that can give remote access.

Alternatively always be suspicious of anyone asking you to download software for any reason and avoid doing it. Just ask them for links for a step by step guide for whatever they want you to do.


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## wibisana (Dec 18, 2020)

Azula said:


> If you have windows installed only install software from the store and always google any new software that can give remote access.
> 
> Alternatively always be suspicious of anyone asking you to download software for any reason and avoid doing it. Just ask them for links for a step by step guide for whatever they want you to do.


i know all that, im just making anticipation if my wife/kids would get same situation

that is why i think i wont ever have my credit card on my computer, if i ever have to buy something online, i would use the service that something like e-wallet, where i put (small) sum amount of money to be my balance.  so if they get any info of it, it will be very small lost.

im just wondering, if someone hi-jack my computer as i explained, would turn internet off and then (reformat)-reinstalling it will fix it


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## Azula (Dec 18, 2020)

wibisana said:


> i know all that, im just making anticipation if my wife/kids would get same situation
> 
> that is why i think i wont ever have my credit card on my computer, if i ever have to buy something online, i would use the service that something like e-wallet, where i put (small) sum amount of money to be my balance.  so if they get any info of it, it will be very small lost.
> 
> im just wondering, if someone hi-jack my computer as i explained, would turn internet off and then (reformat)-reinstalling it will fix it


Sure, re-formatting should get rid of any ransomware but you would also lose personal data. So if you don't care about saving hijacked data just re-format.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## wibisana (Dec 18, 2020)

Azula said:


> Sure, re-formatting should get rid of any ransomware but you would also lose personal data. So if you don't care about saving hijacked data just re-format.


yeah, it just for just in case someone i know got something like that, so i hope they back up their data,
what i wonder if i got hacked, can i still re-install windows (without formating D: drive)
i never have such case, so i dont really know, i assume i wont be able to do anything if i got ransomware, i might be wrong

Reactions: Like 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 28, 2020)

After many months of saving money and purchasing parts, gradually, I finally built myself a new computer. As I may have mentioned, I used a  case for it, which is an amazing case, but it does has several major flaws, in my mind: first, the top panel is made of glass, with only small side vents to allow air to escape, whereas the front panel can be either glass or steel mesh, as the user chooses; second, the expansion slots on the back are held in place with regular screws, rather than thumbscrews, as was the case with every previous CoolerMaster case that I purchase; how could they be so cheap with this amazing new model; third, there are panels that are used to cover wiring, which I liked, but, after installing all the internal components, the panels would not properly fit into the case, because the cables occupied too much space, so, rather than attempt to make everything fit perfectly into the case, I simply removed them, because I will not be entering this computer into any contests.

After assembling the computer, I plugged it in and pressed the power button, but it would not start up, which I could not believe; I firmly connected both the main 24-pin and auxiliary power connectors, and I am certain that every other connection was properly made, as well. I noticed that the motherboard was displaying the error code *07,* which I researched and learned was a memory error, so I removed the memory modules from slots A1 and B1 and inserted them into slots A2 and B2, but the error persisted. I pressed the *Clear CMOS* button on the rear panel of the motherboard, and, next, I shall flash the BIOS of the motherboard, but, to do that, I shall need a blank USB drive, which I do not have (I do have several USB drives, but they contain very valuable data that I cannot afford to lose), so I shall need to obtain such a drive before I can proceed any further.

This is ridiculous; all of the components that I used were new and fresh out of their packages, so never before has a computer that I have built failed to start up after assembly. I really hope that clearing the CMOS and flashing the BIOS fixes the problem, since replacing the CPU, memory, or motherboard would be both expensive and extremely labor-intensive.

For further information, here are the relevant parts that I am using in the new computer:

*CPU:* 

*Motherboard:* 

*Memory:* 

Does anyone here have any feedback for this situation?


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## Raiden (Dec 29, 2020)

Starting to use my MAC a lot more. It's really hard to transition to it form a windows computer. I can't believe it doesn't have a touchscreen.


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## DemonDragonJ (Dec 30, 2020)

I noticed another problem with the CoolerMaster H500M case: the side panels need a flat-head screwdriver to be removed, which is ridiculous, considering that every previous case that I have purchased from them did not require tools to remove the panels, so how could the company make such an egregious error?

As for the startup problem; I cleared the CMOS and updated the BIOS of the motherboard, and the computer started without any problems, so I installed Windows and various other programs that I intend to use on it. However, there is another problem: the case has four USB 3.0 ports, so it has two 20-pin internal connectors, but the motherboard has only a single 20-pin header, so I purchased a , but none of the front ports are now working, which is very annoying. I could purchase an expansion card that has two 10-pin ports, but I do not wish to have too many expansion cards in my case, as that would impede airflow. What does anyone else here say about that?


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## Skyfall (Apr 11, 2021)

So what laptop is everyone here using? Anybody in the market for a new one?

I'm using a 2013 macbook pro 15"...think it's time to upgrade. And trying to be patient and wait for the new m1x macbook pro 16" that's supposed to be released this year.


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## pfft (Apr 11, 2021)

Skyfall said:


> So what laptop is everyone here using? Anybody in the market for a new one?
> 
> I'm using a 2013 macbook pro 15"...think it's time to upgrade. And trying to be patient and wait for the new m1x macbook pro 16" that's supposed to be released this year.


How much?


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## Smoke (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> After many months of saving money and purchasing parts, gradually, I finally built myself a new computer. As I may have mentioned, I used a  case for it


Why buy an almost $300 case, when you could simply go caseless, and use those almost $300 for better hardware?


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

Smoke said:


> Why buy an almost $300 case, when you could simply go caseless, and use those almost $300 for better hardware?



I hope that that image is a joke, because that type of computer is insanely vulnerable to virtually any type of damage.

@Ren., I have read that there is currently a global shortage of silicon, so that is the reason for which video cards are currently expensive, and that shortage may last into 2022, so I am very glad that I currently do not need to purchase a video card.


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## Skyfall (Apr 11, 2021)

pfft said:


> How much?


The prices haven't been released. I'm hoping we get some more info on release dates in June at WWDC. But this whole global chip shortage has everything up in the air right now.

For the 16" base version I'm guessing it'll be around $2k. $1700 for the 14"


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## pfft (Apr 11, 2021)

Skyfall said:


> The prices haven't been released. I'm hoping we get some more info on release dates in June at WWDC. But this whole global chip shortage has everything up in the air right now.
> 
> For the 16" base version I'm guessing it'll be around $2k. $1700 for the 14"


That’s not bad. Ik 2020 s iPads got an upgrade last year. Which is why I bought one.  Didn’t know about a chip shortage tho.


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> @Ren., I have read that there is currently a global shortage of silicon, so that is the reason for which video cards are currently expensive, and that shortage may last into 2022, so I am very glad that I currently do not need to purchase a video card.


yeah it is.


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## Skyfall (Apr 11, 2021)

pfft said:


> That’s not bad. Ik 2020 s iPads got an upgrade last year. Which is why I bought one.  Didn’t know about a chip shortage tho.


There are supposed to be new iPad pros coming out sometime this month. I had one of the first ipads in the past, but never used it that much. Have thought about giving them another go though. The magic keyboard you can get for the ipads now is sick. Do you use yours a lot?


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

Ren. said:


> yeah it is.



First, what caused that shortage? Second, when the shortage ends, will prices decrease?


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

Smoke said:


> Why buy an almost $300 case


It is simple , dust filters and cooling flow mostly for dust.


And 300$ for a case ... that is too much



DemonDragonJ said:


> what caused that shortage?


Pandemic + demand because of COVID + crypto + tariffs.

Add Apples gobbling of 7nm wafers etc.


DemonDragonJ said:


> Second, when the shortage ends,


No one knows, when people will buy less is my guess.



DemonDragonJ said:


> will prices decrease?


Only if people will not buy no Mather the price.


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

Ren. said:


> It is simple , dust filters and cooling flow mostly for dust.
> 
> 
> And 300$ for a case ... that is too much



Thankfully, I did not spend that much money on it; I spent only slightly above $200.00.


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## martryn (Apr 11, 2021)

I have a GeForce GTX 780 with an Intel i9-9900.  The processor I bought last summer when I replaced my motherboard (Rog Strix Z390-I), but I think I might need to look at upgrading my graphics card.  I've got 32 GB of RAM, but I also haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing.  More and more I'm becoming more of a software guy. 

My laptop is 4 years old and while it is a gaming laptop, I couldn't tell you much more than it's a Dell and it cost me $900 4 years ago when I bought it off the shelf at BestBuy. 

For once I think DDJ might have the answers I seek.


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Thankfully, I did not spend that much money on it; I spent only slightly above $200.00.


If your case is 300$ then your other components should be close to 10k$.

As you said you are doing this to protect and organize the other components also for volume.

The case compacts the volume that the components will take.

And the dust part is not a joke as I clean it weekly and more in depth in like 2-3 months:



With 3 dust filters in all sides ... LOL

Reactions: Useful 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

martryn said:


> I have a GeForce GTX 780 with an Intel i9-9900.  The processor I bought last summer when I replaced my motherboard (Rog Strix Z390-I), but I think I might need to look at upgrading my graphics card.  I've got 32 GB of RAM, but I also haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing.  More and more I'm becoming more of a software guy.
> 
> My laptop is 4 years old and while it is a gaming laptop, I couldn't tell you much more than it's a Dell and it cost me $900 4 years ago when I bought it off the shelf at BestBuy.
> 
> For once I think DDJ might have the answers I seek.



I admit that I am more familiar with AMD than I am with Intel and Nvidia, but 32 gigabytes of memory will be more than sufficient for many more years, since 16 gigabytes only recently became the default for computers.

I would recommend an AMD RX 580 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, but the prices for all video cards are very high, due to a wordlwide silicon shortage, so I suggest waiting until the prices decrease, again.

Reactions: Like 1


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## martryn (Apr 11, 2021)

Wait until I am richer.  Gotcha.  

Thanks, DDJ.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> but 32 gigabytes of memory will be more than sufficient for many more years, since 16 gigabytes only recently became the default for computers.


Well the new DDR5 will support 512GB max of capacity per stick so I am not so sure anymore.

Expect in 2025 like 2-4TB of RAM from normal computers and power users.

Now my 128GB of RAM looks like nothing.



DemonDragonJ said:


> I would recommend an AMD RX 580 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU


He already bought a new CPU + mobo, the 9900k is more then enough for gaming and an 580 is kind of too little for that CPU but yes you need to wait for normalization of prices  

Also Intel works better with RAM so putting another 32GB if he has 2 sticks of 16GB is easy there.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## martryn (Apr 11, 2021)

I don't give a shit about price normalization.  I'll buy it today if Biden would send another stimulus check.  I'm just poor right now.


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

Ren. said:


> Well the new DDR5 will support 512GB max of capacity so I am not so sure anymore.



Wow, that is really amazing!



Ren. said:


> He already bought a new CPU + mobo, the 9900k is more then enough for gaming and an 580 is kind of too little for that CPU but yes you need to wait for normalization of prices



Even before the silicon shortage, any model newer than the RX 580 was very expensive, so that is why I recommended that GPU, but, perhaps, when the prices decrease, the prices of the newer models shall decrease, as well.


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## martryn (Apr 11, 2021)

I just want to be able to run Rome: Total War, you know.  With like... lots of troops.


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

martryn said:


> I just want to be able to run Rome: Total War, you know.  With like... lots of troops.


That is CPU based so you are fine there.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## DemonDragonJ (Apr 11, 2021)

martryn said:


> I just want to be able to run Rome: Total War, you know.  With like... lots of troops.



The newest video game that I have played is _Warcraft III,_ which is now almost 20 years old, so I cannot comment on any games that are newer than it.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Ren. (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> Even before the silicon shortage, any model newer than the RX 580 was very expensive,


The 580 is already the undead of the GPUs

480, 580, 590, 5550 same variation for the same price since the 480  

Also thank nvidia for this prices.


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## martryn (Apr 11, 2021)

DemonDragonJ said:


> The newest video game that I have played is _Warcraft III,_ which is now almost 20 years old, so I cannot comment on any games that are newer than it.



Yeah, Rome: Total War is a couple years older than that.  I try to keep up with the times.


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