New computer: thoughts? input? avoid? recommendations?

[bjphoenix]

Take your old system and stick Linux Mint

In a past life I did my time as manager of a Unix minicomputer, I don't want to go back to anything remotely related.

 

[Marc_G]

Getting used business-oriented Dell or HP desktops off of ebay is something a lot of folks don't know about. For example here's an i7-8700k with 16 Gb RAM, and a 1 Gb SSD, for around $400 shipped. This will have been probably activated under Win10pro but this one apparently was upgraded to win11 pro at some point.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1851205136...UsPjUQgK4SKezEB0=|tkp:Bk9SR4aOl5z8YA&LH_BIN=1
I've been buying similar machines for years. I usually wait and find a good deal for $300 or less.

These aren't big gaming machines ready to accept giant graphics cards, but for routine duty they tend to be great. I had an i5-6500 version of one of these running my security cameras for years; recently upgraded to I think an i7-7700 for about $250.

Look for Optiplex and Prodesk variants from these manufacturers. I've never had a bad experience buying these; some were still under warranty.

 

[LBummy16]

Want to build your own but don't know what to choose?
See this website: PC Part Picker

PC Part Picker is a fantastic tool to use and their forums are very helpful for beginners. I 2nd this recommendation.

 

[prfesser]

Bought a "gaming" laptop two weeks ago. i7 processor, 32 GB memory, 1 TB SSD. It appears to run Windows 11 (slightly) more slowly than Win10 on my old laptop. It's also doing some weird stuff with the display, possibly because it's hooked up to a 32" monitor while at home. I don't hate it but it's definitely not the wonderful replacement I expected.

 

[Grog6]

I have 3 older, err... old cases that I built computers in, starting in the 90's. I upgrade stuff as needed; Older stuff gets sold or repurposed. I played games for years, until the lootbox disease that infected the industry took over. We still play Crysis wars, Quake 2, and various far cry games. occasionally. The last FC I played was badly infected with lootboxes. And the plotlines are pretty bad. but FC1,2 and 4 were pretty fun. I'm currently working on some old servers I want to set up to play Duke Nukem 3d I'm in the process of upgrading my tv computer; I have a 60" 3d plasma TV that I use as it's monitor. Playing Crysis 3 wearing the 3d goggles requires seatbelts on the chairs, lol.
I thought it would be fun to play and let the others in our group watch us play, but motion sickness is a major problem.
Upgrading is more expensive than buying an econobox, but performance has always been my thing.

 

[dhbarr]

In a past life I did my time as manager of a Unix minicomputer, I don't want to go back to anything remotely related.

Stay away from gentoo emerge world, sure. Regular old Linux pre-installed on a desktop is pretty rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty.

 

[jderimig]

Stay away from gentoo emerge world, sure. Regular old Linux pre-installed on a desktop is pretty rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty.

Also I find Ubuntu to be rock solid, but I haven't tried it on AMD chipsets yet.

 

[Funkworks]

I got a MacBook about 10 years ago and what I liked about it is the large, easy-to-use trackpad that allowed me to set it up anywhere quickly without needing a mouse. I even like it better than a mouse. Light, pick-up-ility with one hand, easy-to-wrap charging cable, no thingies sticking out, round corners, all these details make the MacBook so easy to toss in a bag and set up anywhere, I just can't go back.



They got me a Windows 11 PC laptop at work and it still doesn't beat the portability of a MacBook. I leave that PC one at work to use company software and extra screen space (with a dual monitor).

 

[bjphoenix]

I got a MacBook about 10 years ago and what I liked about it is the large, easy-to-use trackpad

I've been using a Logitech trackball for a long time with my laptops. I've worn out 2 of them already. I sit on the sofa with the laptop on my lap and the trackball laying on the sofa beside me. I've never been very good with a touchpad, I'm almost as good with the trackball as I am with a mouse. Or maybe I should say that I'm as good with the trackball as I am with a mouse for everything except autocad.

 

[KC3KNM]

I have 3 older, err... old cases that I built computers in, starting in the 90's. I upgrade stuff as needed; Older stuff gets sold or repurposed. I played games for years, until the lootbox disease that infected the industry took over. We still play Crysis wars, Quake 2, and various far cry games. occasionally. The last FC I played was badly infected with lootboxes. And the plotlines are pretty bad. but FC1,2 and 4 were pretty fun. I'm currently working on some old servers I want to set up to play Duke Nukem 3d I'm in the process of upgrading my tv computer; I have a 60" 3d plasma TV that I use as it's monitor. Playing Crysis 3 wearing the 3d goggles requires seatbelts on the chairs, lol.
I thought it would be fun to play and let the others in our group watch us play, but motion sickness is a major problem.
Upgrading is more expensive than buying an econobox, but performance has always been my thing.

Yeah, my desktop is still in the case I built my first PC back in high school with (not quite 90s old though ).

I used an Oculus DK2 for iRacing for a bit and it was really neat. That was back when VR support was first starting, so it was a little janky but definitely usable. I was fairly broke at the time so I built the PC for the sim rig on an old piece of shelving I had laying around and cooled it with a desk fan.

 

[prfesser]

Follow up re new computer, purchased two weeks ago (i7 processor, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Win11): Firefox crashed yesterday while I was on TRF. No reason was apparent. Restarted Firefox, it worked just fine. On the old laptop, Firefox had not crashed in at least a year, probably longer. Win11 does not appear to be my friend...

 

[Pem Tech]

Gave desk tops a miss over decade ago and have been running a Mac Book Pro since. Fast, sleek, solid, stable, dependable and easy to use. And I would rather be able to take my work with me when on the move. Not a Fan Boy, I'm a real life user.

 

[mlytle0]

Take your old system and stick Linux Mint on it after you get your new machine. Yeah you can't use WinBlows stuff on it without using an emulator but Mint or any form of Linux runs snappier on older hardware and a lot AND I MEAN A LOT of software is available free or minimal cost.
On a Slackware system with the WINE emulator installed, I ran all of the programming software for all my deployment devices with no problems once debugged. Windows games don't work well under emulation though I haven't tried in years. Am not a gamer anyways. Even had Rocksim running on a linux machine just fine.
I was tied to Microsoft stuff at work so lived with it. When I retired, I kept my two older laptops and put Linux on them. I asked and the company didn't want them back so I wasn't stealing from them. I believed it was justified as the old machines wouldn't run their proprietary software fast enough. Shoot, I'm typing this message on a measly dual core Fujitsu Lifebook T Series. Kurt

I second that. The I7-4790 I run on is using an Arch Linux derivative. Many flavors of Linux exist, all give you freedom from the Microsoft tax. Usually faster than Windows on most machines, and comes with mostly equivalent software that's completely free..

 

[prfesser]

Another followup on my new Windows 11 computer:

Nope. If I had it to do over I'd wait at least a year for some of the bugs to be shaken out.

It's actually running more slowly---on many programs and searches---than the old Win10 laptop, which has half the RAM and a lower-grade processor. I've had a second "Not Responding" error that required a shut down and restart.

I'm considering installing Windows 3.1 from the seven 1.44MB floppies I found the other day...

 

[dhbarr]

Another followup on my new Windows 11 computer:

Nope. If I had it to do over I'd wait at least a year for some of the bugs to be shaken out.

It's actually running more slowly---on many programs and searches---than the old Win10 laptop, which has half the RAM and a lower-grade processor. I've had a second "Not Responding" error that required a shut down and restart.

I'm considering installing Windows 3.1 from the seven 1.44MB floppies I found the other day...

Don't forget the 3.11 upgrade so you get a functioning TCP/IP stack ( or Vines or NetWare if you're into that sort of thing ).