Computer nerds, this is the obligatory "describe your rig" thread

Discussion in 'Computers & Tech' started by Junkieturtle, Feb 6, 2013.

  1. Steve N

    Steve N Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2015
    Messages:
    70,182
    Likes Received:
    89,702
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    The computer I have is in an extremely small case with a custom motherboard. That meas there is no space for a decent sized fan. I bought a customer gaming computer thinking it would work well as a digital editing work station. My problem with computers is that when I but a new computer, it's always designed to fix the last problem I had. First it was CPU and RAM, then it was the video card, now it's heat.
     
  2. Denizen

    Denizen Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2013
    Messages:
    10,424
    Likes Received:
    5,355
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Here it is:

    [​IMG]
     
    Injeun likes this.
  3. Steve N

    Steve N Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2015
    Messages:
    70,182
    Likes Received:
    89,702
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I pulled the trigger and finally got a new computer. What you see is an estimate, but I upgraded the RAM to 64gb and got a beefier CPU cooler.


    upload_2020-7-12_18-22-43.png
     
    gorfias, modernpaladin and Injeun like this.
  4. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2012
    Messages:
    12,832
    Likes Received:
    5,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohhh, very nice! Great choice. :above:
     
    Steve N likes this.
  5. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

    Joined:
    May 25, 2012
    Messages:
    55,518
    Likes Received:
    27,044
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I'd say go with a Ryzen 5 3600 paired with a modest video card or a Ryzen 5 3400G, which has an integrated GPU that should be more than adequate for your uses. Pair that with at least 8 GB of RAM in a dual-channel configuration (two sticks of RAM, not just one), and you'll have a fast, cool, modern system that will handle graphics with ease. If you go the 3600 route, you could easily stick with the video card you have now and probably be just fine. As for the RAM, the only major requirement for Ryzen is that it be DDR4. If you're building your own system, pick out a motherboard with a B450 or B550 chipset, which will serve you well with one of those CPUs, and a B550 will be more future-proof if you're interested in upgrading the CPU later on (B450 won't be supported by the 4000 series Ryzen CPUs that are coming later). It looks like your current CPU is compatible with both DDR3 and DDR4, so you'd have to check and make sure it's DDR4 if you wanted to reuse it.
     
    gorfias, Injeun and Steve N like this.
  6. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2012
    Messages:
    12,832
    Likes Received:
    5,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    He did way better. Check out post 128 above.
     
    Steve N likes this.
  7. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

    Joined:
    May 25, 2012
    Messages:
    55,518
    Likes Received:
    27,044
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Wow! Guy is loaded for bear with that rig.
     
    Injeun and Steve N like this.
  8. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2012
    Messages:
    12,832
    Likes Received:
    5,961
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Definitely drool worthy. He could launch a new nation with that thing.
     
  9. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    27,699
    Likes Received:
    21,100
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I just got one of these (but with Win10) and its pretty ****ing cool. Its set up to use like a console controller, but has all the ports (and/or bluetooth) necessary to set up as a desktop (which I plan to do out in my shop).

    https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/08/gpd-micro-pc-review-ubuntu

    out-of-the-box it goes from powered on to finished startup and ready to use in about 3 seconds, though it took some real digging to get myself admin access...

    it fits comfortably in the cargo pocket of my work overalls and is going to make the field technician part of my job a lot more convenient
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2020
    Steve N and Injeun like this.
  10. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    27,699
    Likes Received:
    21,100
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    for my personal/gaming pc, I built:
    MB- Asus X470-F gaming
    Proc- AMD Ryzen 5 2600 six core (DIY watercooled)
    GC- Asus Radeon RX580 (DIY watercooled)
    PS- Corsair 650W
    OS- Win10 x64 pro
    16GB RAM
    500 GB HDD
    500 GB SSD
    all stuffed into a POS/heavily modified case from goodwill
     
    gorfias, Steve N and Injeun like this.
  11. Bezukhov

    Bezukhov Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2009
    Messages:
    390
    Likes Received:
    200
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Built this back in 2013. Still works great. The Samsung SSD 840 PRO is the Win 10 OS, 298GB Western Digital holds Ubuntu 20.04 XFCE

    Summary
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 4690 @ 3.50GHz 43 °C
    Haswell 22nm Technology
    RAM
    8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz (10-10-10-30)
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z97 Pro4 (CPUSocket) 36 °C
    Graphics
    E20 (1600x900@59Hz)
    Intel HD Graphics 4600 (ASRock)
    Storage
    298GB Western Digital WDC WD3200AAKS-75L9A0 (SATA ) 41 °C
    119GB Samsung SSD 840 PRO Series (SATA (SSD)) 36 °C
    2794GB Seagate ST3000DM001-1E6166 (SATA ) 37 °C
    3726GB Seagate Expansion Desk SCSI Disk Device (USB (SATA) ) 41 °C
    Optical Drives
    ATAPI iHAS424 B
    Audio
    High Definition Audio Device
     
    Steve N and Injeun like this.
  12. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Buddy asked what he should get for a peer to peer network but he would want to use it for as a center (hub) point. I've never used Xenon, he wants to run desktop apps on it. I could have saved him a few bucks with an I7 8 Core but your chip has 12. And doesn't share graphics duty: I had him get an RX 570 4 Gig, which isn't the same league as yours but he isn't gaming, so... the thing flies. It's on my radar as I'm still using a Ryzen 1700.
     
    Steve N likes this.
  13. pitbull

    pitbull Banned Donor

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2018
    Messages:
    6,149
    Likes Received:
    2,857
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    It may surprise you, but I don't care. For me, any computer is good enough on which relatively current software runs well. I'm a typical old school office user.

    The only exception: I need lots of RAM because I'm doing a lot of Java programming (minimum is 16 GB). I also prefer laptops over stationary desktop computers because laptops are simply more practical and energy efficient.
     
  14. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I have an intel i7 8700
    A Gigabyte Z370 which was expensive. I got it for the Sabre DAC, which is really quite nice.
    a 1070 video card.
    Two of those little ram cards, one is a gig and the other is half a gig.
    2 gig HD
    a Corsair gold 750 watt supply
    a Noctua cpu cooler.


    It's pretty good, but the new stuff blows it away, of course.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2020
    gorfias likes this.
  15. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Ooops, never mind. Your CPU came out in 2018 and likely rocks.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
  16. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I hear ya, but that's not in the cards for a while.

    I have 2 SSD thingys in there, a gig and a half gig.

    I'd love to upgrade the ram, I have 16 gb, if prices ever come down...

    Most computer games aren't demanding. But my favorite is Skyrim, and if you add a bunch of graphics mods, you can bring most computers to their knees. Including mine.
     
    gorfias likes this.
  17. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I mistakenly thought you had an 870 which came out in 2008! You have a better rig than mine! I have an RX 480 and Ryzen 1700.

    I hated Skyrim till I started modding it. Then it became one of my all time favorites.

    I too have 16 Gb of RAM. I do not know if I've ever even gone over 8 in use.

    I use https://www.moddb.com/ . You?
     
  18. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I usually spend a couple hundred on a cpu or video card. This time I spent 300 on them. I just do a google like best cpu for 300.

    I haven't been paying attention to hardware since I got this.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
    gorfias likes this.
  19. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Hoooooooboy did we have this discussion a while ago. In the past, around $300 might get you a GTX 1070. Today? Good luck.
     
  20. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    That's exactly what I got, a 1070. I forget the cpu, but it doesn't matter as much.

    When I bought it, a 1070 was enough for VR. Not now! Turns out that's not a problem, I'm still waiting for VR to mature.
     
    gorfias likes this.
  21. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I try to wait 6 years between builds. Hopefully, 2 years from now when I'm ready, I can build something descent at a reasonable price. But a 3070 is going for about $1K. For now, consider an Oculus Quest. No room corner cameras. No cord needed. Once you do have a powerful enough PC, there are ways to connect wirelessly to the PC and play your games there, or play games at about PS2-PS3 quality native. Lot of free content out there but so far, zombie shooter Arizona Sunshine and it's sorta sequel, After the Fall are my favorites. I play on line in coop with my nephew. Big negative? You are synced up to Facebook. Get banned there and you lose your stuff. $300 now with 128 Gig storage.
     
  22. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I have no interest in Facebook.

    I bought a computer, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, to play Doom. Yeah, I was one of those guys. I couldn't help myself, I am waiting for that same feeling. I got closest when they released Skyrim VR.

    What I have been playing lately is Borderlands 2. I like the original Borderlands better, but nobody plays it now.

    I can't tell you how many new games that just didn't do it for me. But I did get tired of throwing my money away. Either it's a console game and they screwed up the port to PC, or it's just a repeat of what they did before. Or it's like Borderlands 3 and it isn't a repeat, it just isn't good.

    Anyway, hope springs eternal.
     
    gorfias likes this.
  23. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Got a computer from Staples called "Leading Edge". It came with Castle Wolfenstein. 486/SX25 4 Meg of Ram, no sound card nor CD Rom, so I had to buy my own ancient Rom drive and card. 240 meg hard drive, 3.5 and 5" disc drives, monitor keyboard mouse $1,400 in 1990 dollars. I got the Demo for Doom and could only run it if while booting up, I held down F5 so Windows wouldn't load and I could play Doom in Dos with my limited Ram (Unnecessary if you had 8 Meg, which I eventually did.)

    While the Tomb Raider reboot has been great fun, I know what you meant about the last time you got a real charge out of gaming. For me, probably Fallout 3 GOTY on PS3. I finished the campaign and only stopped playing as it was a bug fest and no longer really worked. Last PC game was Skyrim, but only after modding the heck out of it. Until then, it bored me.
     
  24. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Messages:
    8,372
    Likes Received:
    4,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    My first was a Pentium 90. Imagine my surprise when I found out it had no upgrade path whatsoever.

    I got the first real gaming video card. It was by 3DFX, I forget the name. Maybe Vodoo? It came with Mechwarrior 2, which was great. I look at the graphics now, in that game, and can't believe it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2022
    gorfias likes this.
  25. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Messages:
    5,336
    Likes Received:
    5,925
    Trophy Points:
    113
    My 2nd gaming computer was a Pentium 120 around 1995. I put a card in... 16 meg of memory. I don't think I did any upgrading on it. It too may have been a Vodoo card. Played Witchaven on it and that was a blast.

     

Share This Page