What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

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hbm
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What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Sun Sep 02, 2018 4:02 pm

I am stepping into the swirly waters of a new computer build. I finished the one listed in my signature line, a couple fixes were made; and everyday I used it. Does AMD still make chips(?)--I am that ignorant.

The NSK build was looking at power and memory, since every build preceding quickly lost those features. Intel and M$oft gave us a reprieve. I don't game. I hear we can watch TV, but I love silence. Silence? Yes! Dead silence. I do have a CAD program of modest AutoDesk caliber, I don't schlep gigs of memory with it however.

I look at those little boxes and think, "a nuc may work." But I don't know anything about them. Are they too small, too under-powered?

Your thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
Bruce

CA_Steve
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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Sep 02, 2018 7:31 pm

Let's turn it around: did your existing system meet your needs for your apps? What did it bog down on?

hbm
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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Tue Sep 04, 2018 9:48 am

Thanks for the provoking comment. The NSK build performed its duties quite well. I would be happy to continue as is--if parts did not wear out.

The audio plugs have been cranky and more bothersome the past couple years. Dust isn't a surface problem at this age. And, the failing 1280x1040 Lan party monitor predates the NSK build by a few years. It revealed the geriatric condition of the graphics card when I came home with a new monitor last week. The card is maxed at 1280x1040.

I know certain aspects were overkill. 16 gigs of RAM was warehousing 8 in case a stick failed. Never accelerated (nor, decelerated) the cpu. It just idles away. The virtual machine running the CAD program in Win 7 has too much memory allocated to it. That needs to be adjusted before the next blubber from Redmond strangles life.

So, yes, the existing build meets my needs.

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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by CA_Steve » Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:49 am

Here's some fun. Let's compare your Nehalem CPU with the current gen (Coffee Lake) using CPU passmark. You can see the $76 Pentium is an improvement in both performance and power use...or bumping up to a $250 i5-8400 triples the performance. So, that's a reasonable range of price and performance. Plus, there is an integrated graphics processor that can drive a couple 2160p displays, play Netflix, cat videos, whatever.

For small form factor, there are couple of fanless options.

- You could go with a NUC...but the Intel branded versions aren't that quiet. You could pop one into an Akasa case...but will be limited to the 15W CPU variants. If you went with the Newton S7D style with an i5-7300U NUC board (one example), it would be an improvement over the Nehalem and consume a lot less power...I haven't looked to see if 8th gen variants are out for the NUC, yet...and when Akasa will update the support..anyway, $582 for case+mobo+CPU.

- You could go with HDPlex. Something like the HDPLEX H1.S V2 for Mini-ITX mobo and up to a 65W CPU. ~$200 or so for the case, ~$80-150 for mobo, $75-$250 for CPU.

- You could go with Zotac's C Series and the included 15W CPU. Here's the CI620. The i3-8130U's passmark score is 5047. A 20% bump over your current CPU. Not sure if it's hit the US market, yet..and no pricing :)

- You could go with an inexpensive small tower build (with quiet fans). Use some of the parts listed above. Get a Seasonic Focus Plus Gold PSU for ~$70, and an inexpensive SSD (like the Samsung 860 EVO for $95) for OS/Apps/storage. Scythe Kotetsu Mark II CPU cooler, too.

hbm
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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Mon Sep 10, 2018 11:39 am

Thanks Steve. Just tweaking a few things on the existing build will help considerably. A voice in the background, son, with better handle on these things says I really don't need more than 8th gen. i3 for what I do. Likely, it was the same story 8 years ago.

So, with a little l00king I found another mATX and the i3 for about $230 doing what I thought needed $700. Now, just stumbling around feeling for a graphics card. But, wait. It's my graphics card that got me into a new computer search, because it couldn't handle any video resolution over 19XX x 12XX. I wanted a 27-inch monitor.

That's not ALL! Come to find out that I can get the monitor I want and still use the existing eight-year-old build. (The monitor is the only thing broken.) By switching one cable for another, I can bump the GPU's resolution to 26XX x XXX. You can see numbers mean little to me.

If I fiddle enough the audio that keeps failing should return.....

Now, all I need do is break out the vacuum and canned air to clean a few years of dust off the innards.

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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Sep 10, 2018 12:14 pm

There ya go.

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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by flyingsherpa » Tue Sep 11, 2018 9:34 am

I'm all for keeping a useful, working machine going... my main PC at home is approaching 9 years old! I just want to point out, in case you do decide to buy something new, that AMD is indeed competitive again, and has a lot of value at both low and high price points. An AMD Ryzen R3 2200g or R5 2400g would suit you just fine, and have powerful integrated graphics so you don't need a video card for your uses. I'll probably build a 2400g system later this year...

hbm
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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Tue Sep 11, 2018 1:40 pm

AMD have always been attractive ... in an economics way. I know, just my bias. But, consider:

1) they are constantly, constantly, being compared to Intel or sold on the basis of gaming. At one time I was jolted to see AMD offered on business stations. I don't give a rip about gaming. On the same hand, Intel isn't going to 'shred' (literal interpretation) any documents or graphics on my system, either. Also, I have never been exposed to an AMD system.

2) Are they stable--yours, FS, must be? And, for me it's another layer of jargon to fathom when looking at CPU's. I admit, my Radean GPU has been faithful, even with two dinky fans on it; I think they turn. It took courage to step over to that side of the gpu market.

This trip I lucked out. Actually came here prematurely, but I was of the assumption that my gpu would not handle the desired 2560x1440 resolution monitor. And, everyone knows that if you fix one problem on an aging computer the rest fall like dominoes.

But, hopefully, I can hold off and come back in another year or two and scratch that 'new' itch. And, I will be back--branded computers ... no thanks.

Thanks, all for sharing your wisdom and guidance.

hbm
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Location: Seattle-to-Tacoma Strip

Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Wed Sep 18, 2019 8:12 am

Hmmm, a one-year reminder. Now, for an update:

Still cruising in my Antec build. We replaced the ancient monitor with a Dell U2717D. It is troublesome for old eyes at recommended resolution; tiny. I need to update machine spec's.. No plans to replace or join Glowing Zombies with a phone/Mor'.

hbm
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Location: Seattle-to-Tacoma Strip

Re: After 10 years a component died suddenly ....

Post by hbm » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:40 am

My ten-year-old Antec died suddenly. After replacing a faulty ASUS mini-ATX with an Intel board shortly after the build in 2011, it has run faithfully since. Parts are obviously out of date now, but for grins the basis of the build is Druneau's NSK ... viewtopic.php?f=14&t=60050&p=609075&sid ... b8#p609075

When I first built, power and memory were the major concerns governing desktop mortality. I started heavy handed with a hardworking fast cpu, lots of memory (32/16?) and 750G of SSD's. The GPU was a bigger silent type to handle my CAD program. It cruised through Win7, into Win10 with a VPN for the CAD program. Programing was starting to affect the machine's functioning.

The biggest favor for longevity was the shift to smaller handheld machines with smaller efficient programming. Desktops were dinosaurs but faithful, durable lunkers.

I am having my son help me with a new machine. He insists anything I dream up will be far too over-powered. He said that ten years ago, too, but I had fun, and it was quiet. However, I am back at SPCR to make sure his suggestions are quiet.

Thanks guys!

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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:52 am

Here's that same cpu comparison with the I3-10105 added. :)

hbm
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Re: What to build? The world changed in 8 years....

Post by hbm » Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:22 am

Wow! I want it!

However, my son is helping me with a new desktop, and he wants to check out one of the Ryzen's. On his dime. Toys are his hobby pastime.

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