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PC run good

Started by JoePCool14, January 19, 2023, 08:55:11 PM

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davewiecking

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.


hbelkins

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.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

XamotCGC

I bought my last two computers off newegg.
Roads clinched.
State Routes: Kentucky:  KY 208 KY 289 KY 555 KY 2154 KY 245 KY 1195

ZLoth

#28
Last month, I assembled my Kraken computer with a i9-13900K processor to replace my 8 year old Uberboxen with a i7-4790K processor. 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 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.

I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

J N Winkler

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.)
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

zachary_amaryllis

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.
clinched:
I-64, I-80, I-76 (west), *64s in hampton roads, 225,270,180 (co, wy)

bwana39

#31
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.
Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

skluth

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.

J N Winkler

#33
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.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Bruce

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

MultiMillionMiler

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.


jakeroot

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.

Scott5114

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
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

JoePCool14

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:

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
Travel Mapping | 60+ Clinches | 260+ Traveled | 8000+ Miles Logged

US 89

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.

J N Winkler

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.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

zachary_amaryllis

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.
clinched:
I-64, I-80, I-76 (west), *64s in hampton roads, 225,270,180 (co, wy)

SectorZ

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.

bm7

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.

ZLoth

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
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

MultiMillionMiler

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.


WillWeaverRVA

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.
Will Weaver
WillWeaverRVA Photography | Twitter

"But how will the oxen know where to drown if we renumber the Oregon Trail?" - NE2

ZLoth

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 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.
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

MultiMillionMiler

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 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.

J N Winkler

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.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini



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