technology The Glorious PC master race thread

[Azure Envy 1,092]

Personally, I rather have a $400 GPU than a SSD.

 

I'd split it. $100 for an SSD and $300 for a GPU. Already some coupon codes going around to get a 970 down to $300...

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Oh ok, that sounds fairly useful actually, so you can have your computer setup to boot from your SSD instead of your HDD once you get one? Or does it just automatically do so?

 

Regardless it sounds useful, although not nearly as necessary as me getting a new GPU and PSU, but I may try and look into getting one after I take care of that.

 

I appreciate you clearing things up for me as someone who is fairly unknowledgable with computers in the grand scheme of things, but still hangs around this thread anyways xD.

 

You have to go into the computer's BIOS to configure the drives in that way. It's not automatic, but it's not difficult to set up.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

I'd split it. $100 for an SSD and $300 for a GPU. Already some coupon codes going around to get a 970 down to $300...

 

Maybe it's just me, but I spring for horse-power and raw performance over load times(and I'd burn out a SSD with how much I shift files around and add/delete stuff)

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Personally, I rather have a $400 GPU than a SSD.

 

A $400 GPU requires a $100+ PSU, and that's not something I have. Besides, I have a $250+ GPU already, which has plenty of performance for most 1080p gaming, outside of anything Ubisoft tries to throw at me.

 

Heck, if I remember correctly, I originally bought my card for more than $350. My limiting factor wasn't my wallet, but more so my power supply. xD

Edited November 17, 2014 by Regulus

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

A $400 GPU requires a $100+ PSU, and that's not something I have. Besides, I have a $250 GPU already, which has plenty of performance for most 1080p gaming, outside of anything Ubisoft tries to throw at me.

 

It does? I have 500W that was $60.

 

Good point though, I was more thinking of a fresh build or a case like mine where I've got a lower-end card and putting that money into upgrading it would make more sense than putting it into a SSD.

[Azure Envy 1,092]

Maybe it's just me, but I spring for horse-power and raw performance over load times(and I'd burn out a SSD with how much I shift files around and add/delete stuff)

 

Unless you're shifting around a couple hundred gigs a day, probably not...

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

It does? I have 500W that was $60.

 

Kinda. I have a 550 watt Corsair, but I wasn't going to get a GPU that required more than a 500 watt, just to be conservative. With an overclocked and overvolted CPoo, I'm already pushing it. If you haven't noticed yet, I like to have a bit of room on the safe side, anyway.

 

Actually, I was looking at two models of the 7950 before I bought this one. The Gigabyte WindForce listed a 550 watt requirement, and the Sapphire listed a 500 watt requirement. I went with the Sapphire, just to be on the safe side. I do like that triple-fan design, though. All it needs is a few LEDs...

 

Good point though, I was more thinking of a fresh build or a case like mine where I've got a lower-end card and putting that money into upgrading it would make more sense than putting it into a SSD.

 

 

Yeah, this is an upgrade of an already mid-to-high-end PC, not a fresh build.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Regulus

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Unless you're shifting around a couple hundred gigs a day, probably not...

 

Yes, but would it take to burn out a mechanical drive? I've got old 20GB from the late 90s/early 00s that still work(and came out of school computer where they see heavy use) 

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Yes, but would it take to burn out a mechanical drive? I've got old 20GB from the late 90s/early 00s that still work(and came out of school computer where they see heavy use) 

 

Statistically, mechanical drives have a failure rate that is several orders of magnitude higher than SSDs. You can look this up, but I'm too lazy to find the source.

[Azure Envy 1,092]

Yes, but would it take to burn out a mechanical drive? I've got old 20GB from the late 90s/early 00s that still work(and came out of school computer where they see heavy use) 

 

There's technically no limit to how many times you can overwrite a sector on a mechanical drive, but something will fail mechanically long before that's even a consideration.

 

They definitely don't make stuff like they used to. I have a 230 MB drive somewhere here that still works...

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Statistically, mechanical drives have a failure rate that is several orders of magnitude higher than SSDs. You can look this up, but I'm too lazy to find the source.

 

Maybe I'm just stubborn XD.

There's technically no limit to how many times you can overwrite a sector on a mechanical drive, but something will fail mechanically long before that's even a consideration.

 

They definitely don't make stuff like they used to. I have a 230 MB drive somewhere here that still works...

 

NES: Spends over 20 years on the floor of a shed and still works without fail.

 

Xbox360: breaks six months after you  buy it because "screw you".

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

 

NES: Spends over 20 years on the floor of a shed and still works without fail.

 

Xbox360: breaks six months after you  buy it because "screw you".

 

Part of that is because companies can't use lead-based solder anymore. While not eco-friendly, the lead-based stuff was waaaaay more durable.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

 

 

More recently environmental legislation has specifically targeted the wide use of lead in the electronics industry. The RoHS directives in Europe required many new electronic circuit boards to be lead free by 1 July 2006, mostly in the consumer goods industry, but in some others as well. In Japan lead was phased out prior to legislation by manufacturers due to the additional expense in recycling products containing lead.^[26] However, even without the presence of lead, soldering can release fumes that are harmful and/or toxic to humans. It is highly recommended to use a device that can remove the fumes from the work area either by ventilating outside or filtering the air.^[27]

It is a common misconception that lead free soldering requires higher soldering temperatures than lead/tin solder; the wetting temperature in lead/tin solder is higher than the melting point and is the controlling factor - Wave soldering can proceed at the same temperature as previous lead/tin soldering.^[26] Nevertheless many new technical challenges have arisen with this endeavor; to reduce the melting point of tin based solder alloys various new alloys have had to be researched, with additives of copper, silver, bismuth as typical minor additives to reduce melting point and control other properties, additionally tin is a more corrosive metal, and can eventually lead to the failure of solder baths etc.^[26]

Lead-free construction has also extended to components, pins, and connectors. Most of these pins used copper frames, and either lead, tin, gold or other finishes. Tin finishes are the most popular of lead-free finishes. Nevertheless, this brings up the issue of how to deal with tin whiskers. The current movement brings the electronics industry back to the problems solved in the 1960s by adding lead. JEDEC has created a classification system to help lead-free electronic manufacturers decide what provisions to take against whiskers, depending upon their application.

 

Edited November 17, 2014 by Regulus

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Part of that is because companies can't use lead-based solder anymore. While not eco-friendly, the lead-based stuff was waaaaay more durable.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

 

 

More recently environmental legislation has specifically targeted the wide use of lead in the electronics industry. The RoHS directives in Europe required many new electronic circuit boards to be lead free by 1 July 2006, mostly in the consumer goods industry, but in some others as well. In Japan lead was phased out prior to legislation by manufacturers due to the additional expense in recycling products containing lead.^[26] However, even without the presence of lead, soldering can release fumes that are harmful and/or toxic to humans. It is highly recommended to use a device that can remove the fumes from the work area either by ventilating outside or filtering the air.^[27]

It is a common misconception that lead free soldering requires higher soldering temperatures than lead/tin solder; the wetting temperature in lead/tin solder is higher than the melting point and is the controlling factor - Wave soldering can proceed at the same temperature as previous lead/tin soldering.^[26] Nevertheless many new technical challenges have arisen with this endeavor; to reduce the melting point of tin based solder alloys various new alloys have had to be researched, with additives of copper, silver, bismuth as typical minor additives to reduce melting point and control other properties, additionally tin is a more corrosive metal, and can eventually lead to the failure of solder baths etc.^[26]

Lead-free construction has also extended to components, pins, and connectors. Most of these pins used copper frames, and either lead, tin, gold or other finishes. Tin finishes are the most popular of lead-free finishes. Nevertheless, this brings up the issue of how to deal with tin whiskers. The current movement brings the electronics industry back to the problems solved in the 1960s by adding lead. JEDEC has created a classification system to help lead-free electronic manufacturers decide what provisions to take against whiskers, depending upon their application.

 

 

That kinda sucks, it's not like the lead parts are were being used in a way that's going to hurt anyone. 

I found a cracked .exe for Silent Hill 3 that increases the games FOV so you can use 1080p(or any 16:10 setting) without distorting it. I can actually play it where it looks decent now. 

[long gone 8,929]

I've grown impatient and will begin building tomorrow night. Or, by going by eastern time, later today.

[Azure Envy 1,092]

That kinda sucks, it's not like the lead parts are were being used in a way that's going to hurt anyone. 

I found a cracked .exe for Silent Hill 3 that increases the games FOV so you can use 1080p(or any 16:10 setting) without distorting it. I can actually play it where it looks decent now. 

 

The move away from lead-based solder probably had to do with what happens to old equipment that inevitably gets shuffled off to landfills.

 

Of course now everything breaks down in a few years and we're putting more of it into landfills, so is it really better...

 

I hear lead-free solder is a real pain to work with compared to the lead-based stuff.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

The move away from lead-based solder probably had to do with what happens to old equipment that inevitably gets shuffled off to landfills.

 

Of course now everything breaks down in a few years and we're putting more of it into landfills, so is it really better...

 

I hear lead-free solder is a real pain to work with compared to the lead-based stuff.

 

Well, I want to High-School in 2007-2011 and we still used lead solder in my electrics class(Mr Yoss gave us the old "don't chew on it, I don't feel like driving anyone to the hospital to have their lead-levels checked" speech), so i couldn't say. 

[Azure Envy 1,092]

Need a mouse mat to go with your shiny new gaming mouse?

 

http://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/glorious-extended-gaming-mouse-mat

 

I thought this was appropriate.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

According to Cloud Yeller from what PC manufacturer thread, perhaps the biggest reason why Microsoft went to 10 over 9 is because their programmers were too lazy to make changes to their OS as whenever they tried to use Windows 9, it would cause alot of compatibility issues with the OS as it would mistake Windows 9 programs for Windows 98 and 95 programs. So to save time and money, they just went to Windows 10 to avoid the hassle of properly coding their OS to differentiate a request for a Windows 9 program over a Windows 98 program.

Need a mouse mat to go with your shiny new gaming mouse?

http://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/glorious-extended-gaming-mouse-mat

I thought this was appropriate.

 

May this store grow large and bigger, spread the word and let's give these guys a chance.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

I just paid out the ass for 8.1, so screw all if they decide to start making Win10 only games any time soon. 

 

 

The game doesn't look bad when it looks good(to bad most of has such poor lighting effects you have to be on the surface of sun or in one of the few places the dynamic lighting actually works right to see what detail there is. 

 

[long gone 8,929]

Well, guys.

 

 

My day has just been made.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Well, guys.

 

*snip for size*

 

My day has just been made.

 

Have fun, I was on Cloud 9 when I finally had this assembled and was looking at read-outs of everything working right.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Well, guys.

 

 

My day has just been made.

 

How long did it take you to assemble everything?

[long gone 8,929]

How long did it take you to assemble everything?

About an hour. I actually don't have everything installed just yet, SSD is still out for delivery.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

About an hour. I actually don't have everything installed just yet, SSD is still out for delivery.

 

Dear God that's fast. My build took like 5-6 hours, and my roommate's build took almost 7 hours even though I helped him. What took the longest amount of time in both instances was installing the motherboard, power supply, and CPU fan. How you did that in just an hour is beyond me.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Regulus

[long gone 8,929]

Dear God that's fast. My build took like 5-6 hours, and my roommate's build took almost 7 hours even though I helped him. What took the longest amount of time in both instances was installing the motherboard, power supply, and CPU fan. How you did that in just an hour is beyond me.

Linus has some pretty great build guides.