PC Tech Thread

https://www.amazon.co.uk/

Obligatory desk pic. Excuse the messy cables, Childs sock and the iMac graveyard to the right - really should sell those before M processors takes over....

PS: if they've all gone by tonight 'cos you lot have bought them I'm gonna be pissed! :D

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Why two SSDs? Also you need a PSU.

I've always done C: for OS and programs and D: for user data, it makes life easier, particularly when migrating to a new machine. 250GB 980 and 500GB 970 is also cheaper than a 1TB 980. Actually, Plan A was to have a 118GB Optane 800P as C:, but the bastards have discontinued it😕

PSU would be HDPlex fanless combo, per OP now that I've corrected the TLA 😉 I'm guessing that with a -T CPU and no graphics card I can get away with 200W

Incidentally, it's well over a decade since any normal person used a floppy disc, so why are we still starting at C: rather than A: for fixed discs? 🤷‍♂️

really should sell those before M processors takes over....

I think there's going to be continued demand for the Intel Macs because they can run Windows and Linux so well.

Legacy software upport. Imagine how much code would have to be changed if the first hard drive with a primary partition was no longer guaranteed to be C?

It started at £1,799.99 when added to my watch list, dropped to £1377 and now is £1,221.39!

Note to self: don't post links here. e-commerce is smart these days and now the price £1349.52 FFS! :(

When is Logitech stuff gonna get in stock again? Fairly settled on a G Pro X wireless headset but not sure I want to pay a scalper in Cheltenham 310 for them.

It's time to replace and consolidate some of my PCs.

Main thing that needs replacing is my file server (currently a HP Proliant N40L that's been running 24/7 for the past 10 years). Will probably also incorporate my Plex server into the replacement as well.

Also thinking I may get rid of my desktop as most stuff can be done on laptop and for the occasional heavy lifting I can RDP into the new machine. What I'm not sure about there is putting a graphics card (GTX 970 at the moment) into an always on machine. Will it draw much/any power when it's idle? Gaming would be done via Steam Link or equivalent (all elements wired network).

Not sure whether that's sensible or I should cut down the specs on the server and build up another main PC, although to be honest it gets very little use.

Thinking of something like this
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/mauwf/saved/#view=ZgQwgs
Ideally I'd like sub £500 but can't really see where I can make many compromises. Possibly the processor, I don't really know anything about the AMD processors but you seem to get a bit more for your money with them.

Any thoughts, cheers?

if you've any interest, i have a b450m aorus mATX board with a ryzen 2300x processor that I'm planning to sell. Haven't thought about price or anything yet and it would need shipping but if you're interested in saving some cash, let me know?

Cheers. I suspect I'll pass on that unless I end up building up two machines. I think I'm looking for a bit more power and I'd need an extra SATA card with that motherboard.

Any safe ways to get a win 10 pro key for less than 219.99? Happy to pay and will reluctantly pay list price but.. y'know.

This is where I've got previous ones from. No issues with them and the website has been going for quite some time.

https://www.vip-scdkey.com/software/microsoft-pc-10-pro-oem_1227-20.html

i've used ebay in the past multiple times - no issues

Done and working. Cheers both.

Any safe ways to get a win 10 pro key for less than 219.99

Bit late, but you can still just put in a Win7/8 key and MS upgrade it for free.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/

Having really annoying persistent issues with USB on my computer.
I have a number of devices connected, keyboard, USB speakers, USB hub etc, and occasionally it takes ages after boot up for the USB devices to start working, or sometimes just cuts out.

A reboot usually sorts it, but not always.

Is this likely to be software driver/windows issues or aging hardware?

I'm tempted to wipe and reinstall everything but such a faff.

If it is hardware related, would probably be up for an upgrade, currently i5 2500k, 16gb ram, 2.5 SSD and Geforce 1050ti. Probably keep the graphics card as its fine for the moment.

Maybe Ryzen, 32gb, m2 SSD?

I find hubs are the main culprit of USB issues. An arse to diagnose if you don't have a spare hub to switch out. If the hub is for convenience and you have enough USB ports then the first thing I'd try is plugging everything in directly.

Or it could be a power issue, particularly with the speakers. Is the hub powered?

The annoying thing is that the hubs I'm using are built into my Dell monitors.
I think all my PC ports are used up.

I've connected my USB keyboard to the PC directly as well and it still has the occasional sluggish start etc.

Have you checked your USB drivers & firmware?

I've got a lot of brand loyalty towards Scan. They've often been the best priced and most reliable source of PC components for me in the past and its a bonus that they accept Bitcoin too. When needed, their customer services have been top level.

However, their laptop pricing is just silly. Every laptop they sell seems to be between £100 and £600 more expensive than other sellers. Not making it easy for me to stay loyal!

This guy has created a USB 2.0 device with a USB C socket... that behaves differently depending on which way up you plug in the cable.

He did it deliberately but he says the standard leaves the possibility open and it's possible some careless manufacturers have made this mistake.

This guy has created a USB 2.0 device with a USB C socket... that behaves differently depending on which way up you plug in the cable.

Don't they do this already?

I can only write to microSDHC cards (using a USB-C dongle) if they are a a particular way up.

I have a tablet that only does fast charging one way up, other devices that don't care.

Fast charging seems like it's just utterly random.

I've given up guessing, and just plug my laptop charger into my phone...

Has anyone tried taking 3.5"HDDs out of USB enclosures to use in a machine? Online it seems to vary from just take it straight out through to having to change jumpers and whatnot