PC Tech Thread

What's the cheapest solution to get 2x 4k displays at 60hz for remote connection via Parsec or TeamViewer?

My current 1st gen surface book + dock can only do 30hz at that resolution, which I've tried and don't enjoy. I'm looking at getting 2 monitors and I think 32" is the sweet spot for me. On my 27" QHD (directly attached to the host) I'm finding the vertical resolution a little lacking for the menus in 3ds Max. Presumably the actual graphics generation and viewport stuff is handled by the host graphics card but the client still needs enough grunt to power 2x 32" displays.

Apparently the 2nd gen dock can do the resolution but it's usb c connection rather than the proprietary surface connector.

Supposedly raspberry pi4 can do it but unsure how well it'd fare.

Anyone got an external DVD drive they want rid of?

I've lost some photos so need to scour some CD / DVD backups looking for them. Yes, of course I only discovered this AFTER I destroyed all my HDDs the other month. The universe is a dickhead. Fact.

I have one you're welcome to borrow. I'd like it back because inevitably the moment I let it go the universe will be a dick to me.

That could work, as I'm trying to get rid of stuff not get more. Whereabouts are you?

Kingston, but can easily meet central.

Might also be able to head your way too - any excuse for some new squadratinos

Late 1990s I'm doing family history and acquired loads of data from censuses, BDMs, parish records etc. I put all the data in to a Access database *.mdb file.
25+ years later I want to be able to use it again. I can open the tables separately with MDB Viewer Plus so all is not lost and data is still available. It would be nice to be able to open it all with 'front end' like I had previously.
If i was to obtain a copy of MS 2000 access, would it run on a windows 11 machine or do I have to sort out that virtual desktop thing ? Any other options

It might run with compatability settings or you may be easier just setting up a virtual machine with an old version of Windows and install it on that.

First thing I'd try though is a current version of Access, it still opens mdb files.

First thing I'd try though is a current version of Access, it still opens mdb files

Thanks, i've literally spent hours messing and researching and everything pointed towards trouble. Then this, downloaded and opened straight up.

Wonder now if i should save as a later version, but it does work perfectly as it is.

You could try opening it in excel, or here: mdbopener.com

yeah, save as the latest version. no reason not to and you may get a slightly smaller file size, or a couple of extra features
but as you've noticed, no reason that current MS Access wouldn't open an older version

All sorted now thanks. Some of the tables were from 1994 so happy they have opened ok. Now just looking to see if it can be uploaded via sharepoint.

Semi-related: I was suprised to find that Photoshop/Illustrator CS2 (2005) works fine on my new desktop, including easter eggs:

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Previous to asking on here I installed office 97, that loaded fine. Now stuck with a sidebar and wont uninstall. Needs a disk and I installed from a mounted drive.

If you can make or get an ISO image of the disc you can mount that as a virtual disc.

This might work as well
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed-cca7d1b6-65a9-3d98-426b-e9f927e1eb4d

It was from an iso, didn't try too hard to remove it. Might leave it a scare family with it when they come to use computer.

A friend's "home lab" spec. Care to comment on it?

I've not used MSI motherboards or GSkill ram and have no idea if most of the components play well together, hence asking for opinions..

Seems fine. Main thing is if the mobo can take 2 nvme cards and looks like it can. The PSU is almost definitely overkill, without a proper GPU he could probably get away with a 600w one. When you say home lab, I assume it's some kind of development like databases? Because running LLMs will want a GPU with huge dram, graphics will want a proper GPU, I can't think of much that doesnt.

Thanks.

Not LLMs, some business software replication setup.

"M.2 Slots
2242/2260/2280/22110 M-key
2242/2260/2280 M-key"

I can't see them - I think they're under a heatsink thing, just under the CPU

Yeah, though this only shows one...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR1JY2M74wE

"2x M.2
M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280/2260/2242 devices
M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
4x SATA 6G

• SATA8 will be unavailable when installing M.2 SATA SSD in the M2_2 slot."
  
  

Ahh I think the other one is on the bottom right, under the chipset heatsink.

One of them is no 2 and has a heat sink, one is below no 5 and does not. You can get 3rd party heat sinks for cheap but I doubt he'll be stressing it

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Yep, just found their zoomable pics and found it. Ta

It’s a bizarre spec.

Why the spinning hard drive? Just get a 4TB SATA SSD for pennies more.

Why the puny discrete GPU, instead of a CPU with a much more powerful (and free) integrated GPU?

Why the funny gaming components?

What is the exact software use case?

Why the spinning hard drive? Just get a 4TB SATA SSD for pennies more.

I did ask that. Optional. Presume for non-SSD backups. I personally don't use any magnetic drives now.

Dunno. Maybe the same reason I specced a soundcard when I built my machine - didn't realise it had decent audio card tech built in.

I presume there's the "work and play" thing going on - big enough to replicate the work software setup but maybe run some games on it? It doesn't sound like it's work funded, so I'm assuming personal cost in which case, maybe that GPU is enough to run whatever 'fun' stuff he's doing.