Just wanted to say I bought a new PC last weekend from Costco and it's running fantastic. I can now browse the forums in greater speeds than before. Also, it's running Windows 11 and I actually think it's decent so far.
I didn't even know Costco sold PCs. What are the specs and how much did you pay for it?
Once, my old laptop stopped working randomly. My brother took it apart to find the problem, and couldn't find anything wrong with it, so he put it back together and it still didn't work. I bought a new one. A week later, I was moving the old one, dropped it, and it turned on and worked fine.
Has your PC enter a local Half Marathon since it got good at running?
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 19, 2023, 09:07:46 PM
I didn't even know Costco sold PCs. What are the specs and how much did you pay for it?
I didn't either! I found this at a Costco near Rockford.
Specs, from what I can remember:
- Built by MSI
- Intel Core i7, 12th gen. processor
- 32 GB of RAM
- 1 TB SSD
- 2 TB HDD
- Nvidia 3060 graphics card
- RGB fans
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in
- Windows 11
- With a decent keyboard and nice mouse included
Price: $1500
I think it was a pretty darn good deal personally. It's so nice to be able to have a proper PC for doing video editing and no-compromises gaming.
I also picked up a new monitor also by MSI for an extra $200. And then a few days ago, went to Best Buy and bought a cheap pair of speakers for less than $20.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2023, 09:19:50 PM
Has your PC enter a local Half Marathon since it got good at running?
It's been on a few sprints, and even a 5k playing Cities: Skylines with 360k+ citizens. The half marathon will come when I start going crazy with more mods.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 19, 2023, 09:07:46 PM
I didn't even know Costco sold PCs. What are the specs and how much did you pay for it?
Costco tends to have great deals on laptop and desktop PCs.
CostCo has sold Dell's before.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 19, 2023, 09:07:46 PM
I didn't even know Costco sold PCs. What are the specs and how much did you pay for it?
Costco has a decent selection of laptops (with a dedicated Apple table for the sheep), and a handful of desktops and monitors. Ranges from cheap Chromebooks and basic browsing laptops to ultralight and beefier gaming laptops. The 2-year extended warranty with concierge tech support goes on top of whatever the manufacturer provides and is handy to have. I bought my laptop (an LG Gram) from Costco because it was discounted for clearance and have been pretty happy with it since.
My current computer came from Sams Club. Same with my printer and main TV and associated soundbar. All run well.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 19, 2023, 09:28:09 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 19, 2023, 09:07:46 PM
I didn't even know Costco sold PCs. What are the specs and how much did you pay for it?
I didn't either! I found this at a Costco near Rockford.
Specs, from what I can remember:
- Built by MSI
- Intel Core i7, 12th gen. processor
- 32 GB of RAM
- 1 TB SSD
- 2 TB HDD
- Nvidia 3060 graphics card
- RGB fans
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in
- Windows 11
- With a decent keyboard and nice mouse included
Price: $1500
I think it was a pretty darn good deal personally. It's so nice to be able to have a proper PC for doing video editing and no-compromises gaming.
I also picked up a new monitor also by MSI for an extra $200. And then a few days ago, went to Best Buy and bought a cheap pair of speakers for less than $20.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2023, 09:19:50 PM
Has your PC enter a local Half Marathon since it got good at running?
It's been on a few sprints, and even a 5k playing Cities: Skylines with 360k+ citizens. The half marathon will come when I start going crazy with more mods.
I built mine for around $1.2k. It has an I-9 and a 4TB HDD. I only did 500K for the SSD, but ... Mine MB is MSI. All Intel Chipset. I have a really cheap keyboard and mouse. I use a 32" 1080P monitor. It was cheap too. My case has 11 fans and (not really my bag) blue LEDs in the case.
Quote from: bwana39 on January 19, 2023, 11:17:05 PM
I built mine for around $1.2k. It has an I-9 and a 4TB HDD. I only did 500K for the SSD, but ... Mine MB is MSI. All Intel Chipset. I have a really cheap keyboard and mouse. I use a 32" 1080P monitor. It was cheap too. My case has 11 fans and (not really my bag) blue LEDs in the case.
Considering I don't have much interest (or time, patience, etc.) in building a computer myself, I'm happier just getting this one pre-built. If I wanted one pre-built from somewhere else, I'd likely have spent $2000 on the computer alone, so I was more than fine with this kind of pricing. I have more fun messing with software and games than I do with hardware.
:thumbsup:
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 20, 2023, 07:40:27 AM
Quote from: bwana39 on January 19, 2023, 11:17:05 PM
I built mine for around $1.2k. It has an I-9 and a 4TB HDD. I only did 500K for the SSD, but ... Mine MB is MSI. All Intel Chipset. I have a really cheap keyboard and mouse. I use a 32" 1080P monitor. It was cheap too. My case has 11 fans and (not really my bag) blue LEDs in the case.
Considering I don't have much interest (or time, patience, etc.) in building a computer myself, I'm happier just getting this one pre-built. If I wanted one pre-built from somewhere else, I'd likely have spent $2000 on the computer alone, so I was more than fine with this kind of pricing. I have more fun messing with software and games than I do with hardware.
:thumbsup:
It's so easy to build a desktop yourself, though. I've done it 4 or 5 times in my lifetime.
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 20, 2023, 10:13:23 AM
It's so easy to build a desktop yourself, though. I've done it 4 or 5 times in my lifetime.
I don't doubt that. But no matter how easy it is, I honestly just don't really care to do it myself. Not now anyway.
I remember talking with a friend at college all the way back in 2019 about building a computer. I just never got around to it. After 4+ years of waiting, when I see a good deal on a pre-built machine that I could take home and set up that day, I'm gonna take it.
The other factor is that I have a good income right now, and practically no expenses. I'm mostly putting money away for later. So spending $1500 as opposed to $1200 on a special, one-off purchase isn't going to be a huge issue. If I was tighter on money, then I would want to save a few hundred dollars.
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 20, 2023, 10:13:23 AM
It's so easy to build a desktop yourself, though. I've done it 4 or 5 times in my lifetime.
It's also easy enough to change one's own oil, but for most of us, it's more convenient to pay someone who does it for a living. The shop has all the tools (especially that lift for the whole vehicle), they get it done faster, they have an easy way to properly dispose of waste oil, they've got an endless supply of that lava soap to clean up afterward, and most every place will do a quick inspection of other things on the car while it's up on the rack.
Same with assembling one's own computer. Fun for some computer nerds just like changing your own oil is fun for some car nerds.
I got a newer laptop in the holidays myself. At the point I was at with my old one, I got pretty much what I could get instead of what I wanted to get.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 20, 2023, 08:41:27 AM
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
I've been having that exact same issue, first it was the tab key pressing itself continuously, then the A, S, Q, caps lock and number keys are all scrambled and not working properly. P, 0, comma, don't work at all. And my $1600 laptop is only 3 years and 1-2 months old. Is it normal for computers to start fucking up after only a few years no matter how good you take care of them?
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 20, 2023, 02:43:05 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 20, 2023, 08:41:27 AM
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
I've been having that exact same issue, first it was the tab key pressing itself continuously, then the A, S, Q, caps lock and number keys are all scrambled and not working properly. P, 0, comma, don't work at all. And my $1600 laptop is only 3 years and 1-2 months old. Is it normal for computers to start fucking up after only a few years no matter how good you take care of them?
No, I would say not. Unless the laptop you bought had a badly-designed keyboard. I remember when Apple switched the design of their MacBook keyboards over to the "butterfly" switch, users reported more dust getting in under the keys are causing problems. Maybe you have a similar issue.
I still have a Surface Pro 6, and I purchased this a few years ago and it's still working fine. As long as you don't try to play C:S on it. :-D
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 20, 2023, 02:43:05 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 20, 2023, 08:41:27 AM
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
I've been having that exact same issue, first it was the tab key pressing itself continuously, then the A, S, Q, caps lock and number keys are all scrambled and not working properly. P, 0, comma, don't work at all. And my $1600 laptop is only 3 years and 1-2 months old. Is it normal for computers to start fucking up after only a few years no matter how good you take care of them?
If you also watch ST:TNG on your laptop, then I have a theory.
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 20, 2023, 05:19:05 PM
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 20, 2023, 02:43:05 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 20, 2023, 08:41:27 AM
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
I've been having that exact same issue, first it was the tab key pressing itself continuously, then the A, S, Q, caps lock and number keys are all scrambled and not working properly. P, 0, comma, don't work at all. And my $1600 laptop is only 3 years and 1-2 months old. Is it normal for computers to start fucking up after only a few years no matter how good you take care of them?
If you also watch ST:TNG on your laptop, then I have a theory.
No I don't. My laptop doesn't even have a disc drive. Even on TV I don't watch that series as often.
My butterfly keyboards only had keys not responding. There were no adjacent keys pressing.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 20, 2023, 05:21:35 PM
No I don't. My laptop doesn't even have a disc drive. Even on TV I don't watch that series as often.
Yeah disc drives are outdated.
(https://triplemultiplex.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/folders1.jpg)
(all of TNG is about 65 GB)
And yes, Enterprise is in there. Just doesn't have the word "Star Trek" in the folder name. :P
The only butterfly keyboard issue I've ever had on my 2019 Macbook Air is that periodically, one of the keys will get jammed down and won't pop back up, so typing anything with it is a challenge to impossible. Has only ever happened with the S and ' keys as well as the left half of the spacebar. Usually, mashing the key in will get it to pop back out.
I am considering getting a new laptop, but for a different reason: if I'm opening it for the first time in an hour or so, there is a maybe 1 in 5 chance it will shut down and restart. It takes absolutely forever for it to boot up.
Quote from: 1 on January 20, 2023, 05:23:56 PM
My butterfly keyboards only had keys not responding. There were no adjacent keys pressing.
Mine had keys continually pressing themselves, and adjacent keys pressing. I had to change all my GTA 5 key bindings to compensate.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 20, 2023, 08:41:27 AM
The keyboard on my laptop doesn't work. When you press certain keys, some of the keys around it also get pressed. I had someone replace the keyboard with a brand new one, and the problem persists. It doesn't happen with my plug-in keyboard, though, which is nice.
The keyboard on my old laptop broke when I spilled soda on it.
I've built a few desktops in my life. Never needed to put one upon a lift, or dispose of hazardous materials or wash my hands when done. I already have a Phillips head screwdriver. But yes, it takes time. Refurbs off EBay are fine with me.
Never set foot in a Costco, but I have bought two computers from Sam's Club in my life -- my first Mac desktop (a Performa 467) back in 1993 or so, and my first PC (a Hewlett-Packard laptop) in 2004. So it wouldn't be surprising that Costco has a selection of computers.
I bought my last two computers off newegg.
Last month, I assembled my Kraken (https://markholtz.info/kraken) computer with a i9-13900K processor (https://markholtz.info/i9-13900k) to replace my 8 year old Uberboxen (https://markholtz.info/uberboxen) with a i7-4790K processor (https://markholtz.info/i7-4790k). The replacement was long overdue as I had planned on assembling my replacement at the end of 2019, but I purchased a home at the beginning of 2019 instead. Because the video card I want is priced a bit high at the moment, I'm holding off until the spring, thus still using a nvidia 1080 card (https://markholtz.info/b01gjee9bg) I purchased in 2018 near the end of that product's life cycle.
In 2023, unless you are a gamer, you are better off getting a decent laptop than trying to assemble a desktop. Even now, while I have a company-issued laptop, I barely use it in "laptop mode", preferring instead to hook it up to a docking station and hooking up a regular mouse, keyboard, and a 27" monitor. As for external optical drives (DVD or BluRay), those haven't been standard for several years because software installs consists of downloads and media viewing is done through streaming. I've stripped down my Uberboxen and hooked it up to my TV via HDMI and using it as a ripping box, with plans to upgrade it cheaply in the future (thank you Microsoft for requiring Windows 11).
I don't know about how long Sam's Club has been selling computers, but I am aware that that Price Club (now Costco) has been selling computers since the late 1980s as my parents purchased a 286 Packard Bell for accounting for their business.
Sam's Club does sell computers--I went there to look at entry-level gaming laptops when my then 10-year-old Asus ROG G73SW started BSODing unacceptably often in the spring of 2021. I ended up buying an Acer Predator Helios 300 through Newegg, as I felt that had the best specs for the price, and so far I have been happy with it. (This is not to say it has been 100% flawless. The keyboard backlighting defaults to a cool blue-green, but after about a year the middle zone started "resting" on a warm green that would occasionally flicker back to the original color. This is apparently a well-known issue and attempts at repair often cause more serious problems, so I have configured rainbow colors to hide it.)
I just bought an older-but-still-newish machine at the pawnshop. Normally I don't go for the colors and lights, but this thing compelled me. I already have the RGB Corsair keyboard (since it's linux-friendly, or at least not linux-hating), and RGB mouse.
From what I recall:
AMD Ryzen 7something
GEFORCE 2070 rtx
32gb ram (and two empty slots!)
It came with a SATA SSD and a 2tb spinning rust drive and I added:
1tb M2 stick
1tb spinning rust drive
250gb SATA ssd (the boot drive that's now booted 3 different machines)
2 USB hard drives
It feels very powerful, especially since I don't really play games and thus the system is just barely idling most of the time.
Quote from: XamotCGC on January 20, 2023, 10:06:02 PM
I bought my last two computers off newegg.
Newegg was a great place a decade ago. They seem terrible now.
Back in 2009, I built what at the time was a rocket. I built two identical units (AMD processors), one for my mom and one for me. After Mom died, the thing was under my bed. We needed a replacement desktop computer at work and I brought it here (around 2015). It was still the fastest thing in the building even after these years had passed. It had been loaded with VISTA Pro, but I loaded Windows-8 then Windows 10. It worked fine but every time Windows 10 updated, it would crash. What I finally found out that when the updates were written, the older AMD Chipsets (that still were on the par with chipsets being currently sold) were not being considered in the update. Microsoft would create a patch and all would be well, but it became longer and longer that the machine would be out of service. I finally abandoned it for a slower, but newer refurbished unit off the web. Ironically, the power supply died on the replacement after a couple of months and I took the one out of the old machine. The power supply is still in everyday use in an un air conditioned warehouse in the south. Except for a noisy fan in it, works like a new one.
I've bought all my recent computers over the last decade or so from Costco. They're reasonably priced and between the cash-back from both my membership and credit card it's an even better deal. I'm too lazy in my old age to bother building a custom computer even from a company that will do the labor for you. My desktop is a Dell with 12 GB RAM, a 250 GB SSD and a 1 TB regular "D" hard drive for storage. I also have a MS Surface laptop and an iPad from Costco. It's not for everyone but it works for me.
Since others have been sharing specs:
* Intel Core i7-10750H 2.6 GHz
* Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
* 16 GB memory
* 1 TB SSD
* 17.3" LED screen, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080)
These aren't as thrusting as others that have been quoted in this thread, but I was buying during the covid time of 2021.
My desktop, mostly unchanged since I bought it as a prebuild in 2012:
Intel Core i7-3820 at 3.60 GHz
Nvidia something, not a great GPU
16 GB RAM
1 TB HDD and 8 TB HDD -- shucked an enclosed backup drive just for this one
26" Ultrawide 21:9 monitor
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
I have been looking to get a new desktop machine. I've been laptop-based for about five years now, but am in need of something I can tinker with. If I end up back in the US, sounds like I should check out Costco.
Computer shopping here in Japan is...interesting. Prices fluctuate wildly from one region to the next, with places in Tokyo have very cheap computers and other parts of Japan having very expensive computers that are hardly impressive in any regard.
I currently use a MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, 16GB of ram. It nails everything I throw at it (particularly Adobe programs), though with the chipset being an ARM-based SOC, it's not compatible with all-things x86. I run Windows 11 via Parallels, runs 99% of things I can think of.
Point and laugh!
- Processor: Intel Core i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40 GHz
- Memory: 15.3 GiB of RAM
- Video card: None!
- Monitors: 2, mismatched sizes
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
:banghead:
Uh, my laptop has 500 GB of storage and I use about two-thirds of it. I back it up to a 1 TB hard drive. I have never wanted or needed more than that.
I do wish it had more memory than the 8 GB it does, but whatever, I can live with that.
My previous computer had 750 GB of local storage and when I retired it, I felt grateful for the extra 250 GB on my current machine. The sign design sheet collection alone consumes 120 GB of disk space.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 23, 2023, 01:02:37 PM
Since others have been sharing specs:
* Intel Core i7-10750H 2.6 GHz
* Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
* 16 GB memory
* 1 TB SSD
* 17.3" LED screen, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080)
These aren't as thrusting as others that have been quoted in this thread, but I was buying during the covid time of 2021.
When I bought the 'new' machine, for a day, I didn't have the right cable to connect the second monitor, and I realize I've really been spoiled by my twin-football-fields monitors. 2 27"ers, at 1920x1080.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
Why do you care so much? It's literally someone's personal decision. The PC you spec here would cost in excess of $5K.
Quote from: SectorZ on January 24, 2023, 09:58:30 AM
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
Why do you care so much? It's literally someone's personal decision. The PC you spec here would cost in excess of $5K.
If he waits a few years those specs probably will be the standard. Apart from the dedicated graphics card and 16k display, anyway.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
Interesting... what programs will you be running on this laptop? Because I'm looking, and this is giving me pause:
- For a m.2 SSD drive, the price is starting at $52 for a 1 TB drive, $107 for a 2 TB drive, and $242 for a 4 TB drive, with the price increasing for the performance.
- For laptop memory, the price starts at $40 for 16GB (2⨯8GB) DDR4, $71 for 32GB (2⨯16GB) DDR4, and $126 for 64GB (2⨯32GB). If you are looking at the DDR5 versions, that would cost more.
- What does a i9 provide you that a i7 won't?
- The maximum resolution is 4K at the moment
GTA 5 lags a little on my 1.7 GHz, I-7, 16 GB RAM, Laptop (but on AC power it doesn't interestingly).
In an electronics shop in NYC recently, I saw some with all the specs I cited, if not most of them, in the $3000-$3800 range. I thought 11 GB video cards already existed, and the same for 5.5. GHz processor. I have seen 64 GB RAM as well.
Quote from: ZLoth on January 24, 2023, 12:27:46 PM
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
Interesting... what programs will you be running on this laptop? Because I'm looking, and this is giving me pause:
- For a m.2 SSD drive, the price is starting at $52 for a 1 TB drive, $107 for a 2 TB drive, and $242 for a 4 TB drive, with the price increasing for the performance.
- For laptop memory, the price starts at $40 for 16GB (2⨯8GB) DDR4, $71 for 32GB (2⨯16GB) DDR4, and $126 for 64GB (2⨯32GB). If you are looking at the DDR5 versions, that would cost more.
- What does a i9 provide you that a i7 won't?
- The maximum resolution is 4K at the moment
The i9 is specifically a gaming processor, but it doesn't do much that a high-end i7 processor won't do other than cause you to spend more money (though some of the most demanding games might actually benefit from it).
There actually are 8K monitors now, but 16K isn't happening any time soon, especially not on a laptop - it takes multiple monitors to simulate "16K" resolution as it is.
Everything else is overkill to the extreme.
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 24, 2023, 12:53:13 PMThe i9 is specifically a gaming processor, but it doesn't do much that a high-end i7 processor won't do other than cause you to spend more money (though some of the most demanding games might actually benefit from it).
There actually are 8K monitors now, but 16K isn't happening any time soon, especially not on a laptop - it takes multiple monitors to simulate "16K" resolution as it is.
Everything else is overkill to the extreme.
While I admin that my Kraken computer (https://markholtz.info/kraken) appears to be overkill, I want to be able to do machine virtualizations and video editing in the near future. 32GB is good for me now, but not in the future. Plus, gaming.
For anyone who is just browsing the web, basic office stuff, and watching videos, a modern i5 processor and 16GB should be more than adequate.
Quote from: ZLoth on January 24, 2023, 01:07:07 PM
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 24, 2023, 12:53:13 PMThe i9 is specifically a gaming processor, but it doesn't do much that a high-end i7 processor won't do other than cause you to spend more money (though some of the most demanding games might actually benefit from it).
There actually are 8K monitors now, but 16K isn't happening any time soon, especially not on a laptop - it takes multiple monitors to simulate "16K" resolution as it is.
Everything else is overkill to the extreme.
While I admin that my Kraken computer (https://markholtz.info/kraken) appears to be overkill, I want to be able to do machine virtualizations and video editing in the near future. 32GB is good for me now, but not in the future. Plus, gaming.
For anyone who is just browsing the web, basic office stuff, and watching videos, a modern i5 processor and 16GB should be more than adequate.
My old I-5 Laptop from around 2014-2015 sucked in comparison to the one I got in 2019 with the I-7. Very Slow.
Also, while we're on the subject, has anyone else thought Windows 11 is far more glitches than Windows 10? I almost regret upgrading.
Quote from: ZLoth on January 24, 2023, 01:07:07 PMFor anyone who is just browsing the web, basic office stuff, and watching videos, a modern i5 processor and 16GB should be more than adequate.
Actually, I would get an i7 even for those supposedly "light" use cases. We tried an i5 with integrated graphics . . . never again.
MMM, it's not the fact you posted those specs. It's the fact that you called them the minimum.
On a semi-related note, in my personal opinion, Windows is terrible at anything beyond 1080p. For various reasons.
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
I recently took some time and made a custom splash list for Minecraft, incorporating references from several aspects of my life. I had forgotten about the list for a while, but while working on getting Minecraft going on my new computer, I remembered it and enabled it.
Here is one of the splashes.
(https://i.imgur.com/YeOLnCG.png)
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 24, 2023, 01:09:26 PMAlso, while we're on the subject, has anyone else thought Windows 11 is far more glitches than Windows 10? I almost regret upgrading.
I don't like to work for free as a Microsoft product tester, so I try to avoid buying a new computer within the first year or two after initial release of a new OS, and I don't upgrade the OS once I buy a computer, even if this means I am using the preloaded OS years after end of support. I also update Windows manually at least a week after each Patch Tuesday instead of allowing it to update itself automatically.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
There is a setting to switch back to a left-aligned taskbar...but the taskbar in general cannot be moved out of the bottom of the screen without a third-party program. Windows 11 looks generally okay if you can make the right tweaks.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
The Taskbar wasn't even showing for a while after windows 11 installed. Also my TouchPad doesn't work when scrolling through the start menu and have to click manually. Windows 10 had none of these problems.
Quote from: Bruce on January 24, 2023, 06:52:00 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
There is a setting to switch back to a left-aligned taskbar...but the taskbar in general cannot be moved out of the bottom of the screen without a third-party program. Windows 11 looks generally okay if you can make the right tweaks.
If meeting generally accepted UI standards requires invoking a configuration switch, you've failed as a UI designer.
Nobody would hire an accountant that had to be explicitly told to follow tax law!
I might be in the minority, but I actually don't mind the centered taskbar. I totally understand why you'd want it off to the left (the Start button), but I actually kinda like it.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 24, 2023, 06:22:39 PMOn a semi-related note, in my personal opinion, Windows is terrible at anything beyond 1080p. For various reasons.
I've been using a 2K (1440p) G-Sync monitor with Windows since January, 2017. I'm not having issues. I enjoy having the extra screen real estate.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 24, 2023, 01:09:26 PMAlso, while we're on the subject, has anyone else thought Windows 11 is far more glitches than Windows 10? I almost regret upgrading.
I also held off on Windows 11 for a while until things stabilized partially because Windows 10 is going end-of-life in October, 2025, partially because my system is too old, and partially because Windows 10 licenses will no longer be sold directly by Microsoft after January 31st (https://markholtz.info/2pj). However, if you are using the newest Raptor Lake processors, you will need to use the Windows 11 to take advantage of the Intel Thread Director. However, I did have to perform some tweaks to the install including:
- Tweaking the registry to bring back the old right-click context menu in File Explorer (https://markholtz.info/win11fileexplorerrightclick)
- Installing Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5 for Windows 11 (https://markholtz.info/w11uwt) to remove the shortcut arrows and the "-Shortcut" suffix
- Installing ShareX (https://markholtz.info/sharex) to use as a screen capture utility instead of the Windows Snipping Tool
- Installing Notepad++ (https://markholtz.info/npp) as my plain-text file editor instead of Windows Notepad
- Installing 7-Zip (https://markholtz.info/7zip) archiving utility
- Installing Ditto clipboard Manager (https://markholtz.info/ditto)
- Installing Path Copy Copy (https://markholtz.info/pathcopycopy) to copy Windows filenames and paths
- Installing EarTrumpet (https://markholtz.info/eartrumpet) to manage the volume settings
- Installing Microsoft Powertoys (https://markholtz.info/powertoys) partially for the "Always On Top", "Image Resizer", and "Mouse utilities"
I know I had a thread called Must-have utility programs for Windows (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30499) where we shared our favorite programs.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 24, 2023, 06:51:51 PMI don't upgrade the OS once I buy a computer, even if this means I am using the preloaded OS years after end of support.
That can be a problem. When I built my last computer in 2014, I got 8 GB of memory initially, but got a deal when I maxxed out my physical memory at 32GB... only to find out that Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit maxxed out at 16GB. Fortunately, the following August, I took advantage of the free Windows 10 Home upgrade which supported a maximum of 128GB, and Windows 11 Home has the same 128GB limit.
But, hey, it's your computer, your choice.
Quote from: ZLoth on January 25, 2023, 09:14:10 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 24, 2023, 06:22:39 PMOn a semi-related note, in my personal opinion, Windows is terrible at anything beyond 1080p. For various reasons.
I've been using a 2K (1440p) G-Sync monitor with Windows since January, 2017. I'm not having issues. I enjoy having the extra screen real estate.
What's the DPI though? That's really what I meant when I wrote my post. Windows in high DPI mode isn't always great, depending on what you're trying to do.
Part of the issue for me was that I was using mixed DPIs. My Surface Pro is high DPI, but I often used it/switched with a 1080p monitor. It didn't handle the different monitor setup changes very well.
Quote from: ZLoth on January 25, 2023, 09:14:10 AMQuote from: J N Winkler on January 24, 2023, 06:51:51 PMI don't upgrade the OS once I buy a computer, even if this means I am using the preloaded OS years after end of support.
That can be a problem. When I built my last computer in 2014, I got 8 GB of memory initially, but got a deal when I maxxed out my physical memory at 32GB... only to find out that Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit maxxed out at 16GB. Fortunately, the following August, I took advantage of the free Windows 10 Home upgrade which supported a maximum of 128GB, and Windows 11 Home has the same 128GB limit.
But, hey, it's your computer, your choice.
Yup. I tend to buy laptops, which come with fewer options for upgrading the hardware. By not moving to a newer version of Windows, I avoid the instant drop in performance, compatibility issues with drivers, unwanted UI changes, and so on.
My Asus was Windows 10-capable, but I rejected the free upgrade and also prevented Windows from installing the reminder updates. In light of all the problems people had with this version of the OS on legacy hardware, I feel I dodged a bullet. I did have to accept it as the preloaded OS on my current machine, and that has not been without regret. LAN folder sharing is a lot more tightly locked down in the Home version in 10 than in 7, for example.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 25, 2023, 10:17:56 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on January 25, 2023, 09:14:10 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 24, 2023, 06:22:39 PMOn a semi-related note, in my personal opinion, Windows is terrible at anything beyond 1080p. For various reasons.
I've been using a 2K (1440p) G-Sync monitor with Windows since January, 2017. I'm not having issues. I enjoy having the extra screen real estate.
What's the DPI though? That's really what I meant when I wrote my post. Windows in high DPI mode isn't always great, depending on what you're trying to do.
Part of the issue for me was that I was using mixed DPIs. My Surface Pro is high DPI, but I often used it/switched with a 1080p monitor. It didn't handle the different monitor setup changes very well.
I'm aware of the issues you are referring to. I run Windows 11 at 3600x2252, at 350% scale. Windows itself runs without issue at that scale. But if I use a second monitor, Windows will drop the scale to match the other monitor (usually 100%). Everything becomes hilariously tiny on my 14" display.
Screenshot:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52650163948_48b6c157c6_o.png)
Quote from: jakeroot on January 26, 2023, 02:24:20 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 25, 2023, 10:17:56 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on January 25, 2023, 09:14:10 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on January 24, 2023, 06:22:39 PMOn a semi-related note, in my personal opinion, Windows is terrible at anything beyond 1080p. For various reasons.
I've been using a 2K (1440p) G-Sync monitor with Windows since January, 2017. I'm not having issues. I enjoy having the extra screen real estate.
What's the DPI though? That's really what I meant when I wrote my post. Windows in high DPI mode isn't always great, depending on what you're trying to do.
Part of the issue for me was that I was using mixed DPIs. My Surface Pro is high DPI, but I often used it/switched with a 1080p monitor. It didn't handle the different monitor setup changes very well.
I'm aware of the issues you are referring to. I run Windows 11 at 3600x2252, at 350% scale. Windows itself runs without issue at that scale. But if I use a second monitor, Windows will drop the scale to match the other monitor (usually 100%). Everything becomes hilariously tiny on my 14" display.
Screenshot:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52650163948_48b6c157c6_o.png)
I thought Windows let you set each monitor at its own scale. At least that's how it was on Windows 10. With my new setup, both of my monitors are 1080p, so I don't have to worry about this problem.
(https://i.ibb.co/599vdw7/Application-Frame-Host-2023-01-26-07-07-23.png) (https://ibb.co/VNNDd5K)
To be fair, my primary G-Sync monitor and my secondary regular monitor are both 2K monitors hooked up via Displayport.
Quote from: MultiMillionMiler on January 23, 2023, 06:33:34 PM
Here's what I think the minimum design specs for a personal laptop should be:
3 TB solid state drive
64 GB Ram w/ 16 GB dedicated video card
5.5 GHz, I-9, 16 core, Processor
16K ultraHD touchscreen display.
You seem to have misspelled "dream specs"....
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
the taskbar icons can be left justified
SSD prices have been dropping quite a lot lately. One 2TB SATA unit that I ordered in November for $131 is now going for $116.
Quote from: SSOWorld on February 05, 2023, 04:10:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
the taskbar icons can be left justified
"The car explodes when you shift it into Park, but you can turn that off from the settings menu." Why was that an option in the first place, and why do you have to take an extra step to turn it off?
Quote from: Bruce on February 05, 2023, 04:54:39 PM
SSD prices have been dropping quite a lot lately. One 2TB SATA unit that I ordered in November for $131 is now going for $116.
Mmmm.... I prefer m.2 drives over SSDs. The transfer speeds are faster (although I doubt most people would notice), but it also avoids two cables floating around in a case that can interfere with air flow. I picked up a Solidigm P41 Plus Series 2TB for $130 + $10 Tax last November, and that drive is now $122 (both from NewEgg). Here is what CrystalDiskMark says:
(https://i.ibb.co/JcJ8SGx/2TB-m-2.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
For raw storage, nothing still compares to those HDDs. An 8 TB HDD now goes for $147-$160 per drive, while a 8 TB SSD starts at $640. (Again, both prices are from NewEgg). Yes, I have eight of those drives in a Network Attached Server (NAS) in a RAIDZ2 configuration, thus my effective storage is a little over 43TB. Great for file server where I store my system backups as well as a media server that I can access remotely.
Quote from: Bruce on February 05, 2023, 04:54:39 PM
SSD prices have been dropping quite a lot lately. One 2TB SATA unit that I ordered in November for $131 is now going for $116.
I paid $60 for a 500GB NVMe drive around 2 years ago, but I opened PCPartPicker for a look and 1TB ones are as little as $50 now. Looks like Moore's Law is proving to be an underestimation :)
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 05, 2023, 05:06:05 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on February 05, 2023, 04:10:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
the taskbar icons can be left justified
"The car explodes when you shift it into Park, but you can turn that off from the settings menu." Why was that an option in the first place, and why do you have to take an extra step to turn it off?
I think you're being a little dramatic.
Do you actually click on the taskbar at all? Most power users likely use keyboard shortcuts for 99% of their interactivity with the taskbar. I know I did when I used Windows a lot.
Yes, I use the taskbar all the time. I normally have about 12 windows open, so Alt+Tabbing through them all takes way too long. (I also have four virtual desktops, which is a concept that doesn't exist on Windows. I'm sure there's a hotkey for those, but I'm too lazy to look it up.)
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2023, 12:34:23 AM(I also have four virtual desktops, which is a concept that doesn't exist on Windows. I'm sure there's a hotkey for those, but I'm too lazy to look it up.)
Like.... this? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/multiple-desktops-in-windows-36f52e38-5b4a-557b-2ff9-e1a60c976434#WindowsVersion=Windows_11
Or.... this? https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-multiple-desktops-in-windows-11
Quote from: ZLoth on February 06, 2023, 03:57:39 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2023, 12:34:23 AM(I also have four virtual desktops, which is a concept that doesn't exist on Windows. I'm sure there's a hotkey for those, but I'm too lazy to look it up.)
Like.... this? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/multiple-desktops-in-windows-36f52e38-5b4a-557b-2ff9-e1a60c976434#WindowsVersion=Windows_11
Or.... this? https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-multiple-desktops-in-windows-11
Good to see they have finally caught up with
vtwm 0.1 from 1990...
Quote from: jakeroot on February 06, 2023, 12:31:03 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 05, 2023, 05:06:05 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on February 05, 2023, 04:10:14 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 24, 2023, 06:40:54 PM
I've never used Windows 11, but the decision to center the taskbar is a shocking bit of UI malpractice that demonstrates a sudden, appalling disregard for Fitts' Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law#Implications_for_UI_design) (which Microsoft had previously leveraged going all the way back to Windows 95).
the taskbar icons can be left justified
"The car explodes when you shift it into Park, but you can turn that off from the settings menu." Why was that an option in the first place, and why do you have to take an extra step to turn it off?
I think you're being a little dramatic.
Do you actually click on the taskbar at all? Most power users likely use keyboard shortcuts for 99% of their interactivity with the taskbar. I know I did when I used Windows a lot.
I tend to click stuff on the taskbar, including the start menu. But sometimes I'll use the keyboard too. It's a mix. As I said before, I don't mind the centered taskbar.
Quote from: CovalenceSTU on February 05, 2023, 11:22:04 PM
Quote from: Bruce on February 05, 2023, 04:54:39 PM
SSD prices have been dropping quite a lot lately. One 2TB SATA unit that I ordered in November for $131 is now going for $116.
I paid $60 for a 500GB NVMe drive around 2 years ago, but I opened PCPartPicker for a look and 1TB ones are as little as $50 now. Looks like Moore's Law is proving to be an underestimation :)
I think that might be more of a supply-demand thing than anything else. Everyone was buying PCs in 2020 and 2021. By now, the demand has been trickling down. Those who needed a new PC or laptop to work from home, or whoever wanted one for fun at home, got one already. Except for me, I waited until now.
Quote from: CovalenceSTU on February 05, 2023, 11:22:04 PM
Quote from: Bruce on February 05, 2023, 04:54:39 PM
SSD prices have been dropping quite a lot lately. One 2TB SATA unit that I ordered in November for $131 is now going for $116.
I paid $60 for a 500GB NVMe drive around 2 years ago, but I opened PCPartPicker for a look and 1TB ones are as little as $50 now. Looks like Moore's Law is proving to be an underestimation :)
I think that might be more of a supply-demand thing than anything else. Everyone was buying PCs in 2020 and 2021. By now, the demand has been trickling down. Those who needed a new PC or laptop to work from home, or whoever wanted one for fun at home, got one already. Except for me, I waited until now.
[/quote]
Also, the gamers. For the past few years, the cybercurrency craze caused the price of gaming graphics cards to skyrocket to stratospheric levels and making it too expensive for the regular gamers to purchase the cards. I don't know about AMD, but this affected both the nVidia 2xxx and 3xxx series up until early 2022 when the market crashed. As a result, the graphics card manufacturers had a glut of 3xxx cards. When nVidia introduced the 4xxx series last fall, they only introduced the 4080 and 4090 cards, and then only at inflated MSRP pricing during the holiday season in order to clear out the 3xxx inventory. I've been holding off on replacing my 1080 card with a 4080 card until the prices drop.
Quote from: ZLoth on February 06, 2023, 10:43:59 AM
Also, the gamers. For the past few years, the cybercurrency craze caused the price of gaming graphics cards to skyrocket to stratospheric levels and making it too expensive for the regular gamers to purchase the cards. I don't know about AMD, but this affected both the nVidia 2xxx and 3xxx series up until early 2022 when the market crashed. As a result, the graphics card manufacturers had a glut of 3xxx cards. When nVidia introduced the 4xxx series last fall, they only introduced the 4080 and 4090 cards, and then only at inflated MSRP pricing during the holiday season in order to clear out the 3xxx inventory. I've been holding off on replacing my 1080 card with a 4080 card until the prices drop.
Bingo. That's the other big reason graphics cards have finally come down in price.
Overall, I'd say now is the right time to be making upgrades to your machine (or a brand new one). If you have the money available, of course thanks to our wonderful inflation.
I have hundreds of open Chrome tabs on my laptop and desktop (a symptom of too many concurrent research projects and no desire to close them out). Might need to upgrade my RAM, but luckily things aren't too hard on my poor little PCs.
(https://i.imgur.com/Hje4gou.png)