The PC thread

[BlobVanDam]

Damn, I'd expect a drive to hold up fine from that under normal conditions. I've never done 24 hours of solid drive access, but long term I do hammer my drives. What brand was the drive?
Glad you managed to get a refund without any hassle.

[cramx3]

Damn, I'd expect a drive to hold up fine from that under normal conditions. I've never done 24 hours of solid drive access, but long term I do hammer my drives. What brand was the drive?
Glad you managed to get a refund without any hassle.

I honestly think this drive was bad from the beginning, based on the struggles I had getting it to "work" but then the writing process just put the nail in the coffin.  It was a Toshiba drive.

[BlobVanDam]

Damn, I'd expect a drive to hold up fine from that under normal conditions. I've never done 24 hours of solid drive access, but long term I do hammer my drives. What brand was the drive?
Glad you managed to get a refund without any hassle.

I honestly think this drive was bad from the beginning, based on the struggles I had getting it to "work" but then the writing process just put the nail in the coffin.  It was a Toshiba drive.

I'd agree it was probably a dud drive to begin with. If a drive has been damaged through shipping and handling, it will likely die pretty quickly like that, usually within a couple of weeks. Sustained writing shouldn't kill a drive like that unless it was overheated or something. I don't have any experience with Toshiba drives, mostly just WD and Seagate.

[cramx3]

Damn, I'd expect a drive to hold up fine from that under normal conditions. I've never done 24 hours of solid drive access, but long term I do hammer my drives. What brand was the drive?
Glad you managed to get a refund without any hassle.

I honestly think this drive was bad from the beginning, based on the struggles I had getting it to "work" but then the writing process just put the nail in the coffin.  It was a Toshiba drive.

I'd agree it was probably a dud drive to begin with. If a drive has been damaged through shipping and handling, it will likely die pretty quickly like that, usually within a couple of weeks. Sustained writing shouldn't kill a drive like that unless it was overheated or something. I don't have any experience with Toshiba drives, mostly just WD and Seagate.

I personally like my WD drives, have 4x 2TB of them and even though they arent rated for RAID as they are slow energy saver drives, I used them for that and they work great.  I think I will stick with WD next time.

Apparently what I read was the Toshiba drive I bought was really a Hitachi drive, which I would have thought to be solid, but what i wonder is the price tag on that drive was soooo good (like cheaper than 4TB and some 3TB drives) that it makes me wonder if the manufacturer knows these drives aren't very stable.  Oh well, I didn't like toshiba products in the past and this does not help me like them more for the future.

[Calvin6s]

Toshiba is crap (not just in HDD), so is Seagate.  WD is ok and Hitachi is the shit.  I think Hitachi split or changed their process a year or so ago though.

What about the fact that the HDD was 5tb?  The largest drives are usually the most unstable while the manufacturers are still pushing the storage limits.

[Calvin6s]

Tiger Direct has a Full Tower Gaming case for $24.99
https://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2851012&sku=U12-42152

It is the Ultra M925.  I already have one and love it, so thought I'd share the good deal.  It is via Rebate, but they honor their rebates (the way I got it the first time).

[BlobVanDam]

Toshiba is crap (not just in HDD), so is Seagate.  WD is ok and Hitachi is the shit.  I think Hitachi split or changed their process a year or so ago though.

What about the fact that the HDD was 5tb?  The largest drives are usually the most unstable while the manufacturers are still pushing the storage limits.

I've been very cautious of anything 3Tb> for that reason (I have a couple of 2Tb drives, but nothing over that yet). I think they're hitting the reasonable limit now until SSDs overtake them in capacity and price. Of course everyone should keep a full backup of their data just to be safe, because all drives will eventually fail. I've been holding off storing more on my computer until I have the space to also back it up.
I'm a WD man myself. I've had a ton of them and they've always been reliable. I've only had two die on me after being thrashed for several years, and one showed signs a month before it began to actually fail, and the other one still continued to work well enough for my to recover everything. I had one Seagate, and it was from the era when they were especially garbage. The thing barely survived a year of light use before packing it in and screwing me over.

[Calvin6s]

I used to go to a very good website that did extensive testing on HDDs, especially the reliability by brand.  It has been awhile since I went there, so I can't recall the site name.

I've only ever had a problem with one HDD.  It was a portable WD.  It rarely moved though, so don't let the portable part throw you.  I believe the File Allocation Table (or whatever the NTFS equivalent is called), because I was able to recover almost every file.  A few lost their filename, but that was easy to fix (mainly because it was only a few.  If they were all that way, I would have had a heart attack).

Oh wait.  I did have an internal HDD fail.  I think it was a Seagate and it wasn't even that old.  Had quite a few of my ripped CDs on it.

Backup is difficult once you pass a certain storage limit.  You have to decide what you can't live without if it were to go poof.  Mostly *document* files (databases, spreadsheets, actual doc programs, business logos in photoshop format, etc).

I've been looking at creating a large file server.  Large as in many bays and ports with some type of RAID format.  This is good for HDD failure, but not for virus outbreak.  But to be honest, I've never had a virus outbreak.  Any viruses always seem to be ID'd and handled before they can corrupt the other files.  And if your OS gets corrupted, it is annoying but easier to fix than Data/Document corruption.  Most of the time, Malwarebytes handles the tough stuff, which again is very rare. 

Mainly because I will not use torrent applications.  You have to ask yourself, how much does this program cost?  $50?  $300?  $1000?  My data is worth more than that.  Now the $6000 programs that want to charge you another $1000 every year to keep running.  Sometimes I feel like looking for that torrent.

[BlobVanDam]

Backup is difficult once you pass a certain storage limit.  You have to decide what you can't live without if it were to go poof.  Mostly *document* files (databases, spreadsheets, actual doc programs, business logos in photoshop format, etc).

That's why I try to limit my data to what I can backup, but as you said, all of the personal files get priority over the replaceable stuff such as music, TV shows, movies (*cough* prons *cough*) etc, which incidentally are also the larger files. I did a cleanup a little while ago deleting movies I don't really watch, which gave back a lot of space.
Unfortunately, my personal files also take up a crapload of space. My Documents folder takes up 72gb, and my 3D work takes up 492gb. That's the bitch about working with graphics and video. That stuff is all irreplaceable and necessary to keep too, because it's all reusable assets.

Since I started keeping an external backup, I've had I think 3 internal drives die, so it's saved my ass a few times.

[Lucien]

-snip-

[Calvin6s]

Since I started keeping an external backup, I've had I think 3 internal drives die, so it's saved my ass a few times.

I think your external backup is crashing your internal drives to justify their cost.   

BTW, I'm in new PC mode, so it is time to start boning up on all the facts again.  Thankfully, I don't have to be a video/graphics person unless I want to be (I did create my own company logo and a few other company things, but ...)  And more thankfully, I'm not a really big gamer, so there's some savings right there.

But it still has to be somewhat powerful for the CAD and CAD-type stuff (thankfully, it isn't rocket design CAD work).

The biggest thing I'm probably looking forward to is the larger SSD for much lower cost.  120gb is plenty for your OS and apps ... well, it used to be.  Now, I have to watch the capacity like a hawk.

[Calvin6s]

-snip-

Thanks.  I will check that out.  Been using *u*torrent for so long. 

Mostly to substitute what I did 10 years ago.  Go to Barnes and Noble brick and mortar so I can open the books and see if they actually have what I'm looking for.  Just being able to "flip" through a book before purchase can add confidence in the purchase 1000 fold.  (Almost all non-fiction books, which also means I rarely read them from front to back).  And yes, ebook browsing is quite overkill for torrents.  Click magnet, downloaded before the mouse button returns to rest position.   

[BlobVanDam]

Since I started keeping an external backup, I've had I think 3 internal drives die, so it's saved my ass a few times.

I think your external backup is crashing your internal drives to justify their cost.   

You might be onto something there.

I have a 200gb partition for my OS and programs, and that's only just scraping by for me. That's 20gb for Windows 7, 60gb for all of my programs, and 100gb for the rest somewhere. That is with full CS3/CS6 and my 3D programs, which take up a lot. I assume that CAD program is a few GB's. Those big programs add up quickly if you've got a few to install.

I usually go for a high end CPU and a buttload of RAM as a starting point. I'm not a gamer either, so any dedicated graphics card does the job fine for most work including CAD. It's when you're dealing with games or anything that requires shaders that it matters more. I'm starting to notice it now that I'm working on making games and doing more realtime graphics.

[Calvin6s]

I have a 200gb partition for my OS and programs, and that's only just scraping by for me. That's 20gb for Windows 7, 60gb for all of my programs, and 100gb for the rest somewhere.

Just ran windirstat.
Windows folder is 31.4gb
User folder is 19.8gb (Outlook doesn't help there)
Programs are only 13.7gb and 4.3gb (64 v. 32 bit folders)
Not sure why $Windows.~BT has 5.7gb because I did a fresh Win 7 Pro install.  I never do the *upgrade* path.  XP VM?
And lots of other stuff with less storage per folder location, but adds up.

I used to have quite a few more programs, but the Win7 eating up my 120gb faster than expected had me start to get a bit more conservative with the programs.

Totally agree with the CPU/RAM thing.  The book I read years ago was talking about comparing RAM access to HDD access as like light speed v. walking.  The more you can keep in RAM, the better.  Seems obvious, but sometimes it has to be put in terms like that to really hit home.

I have 16gb right now.  Not sure going to 32gb is necessary (I'm not a multimedia stud like yourself)

That is with full CS3/CS6 and my 3D programs, which take up a lot.

That's something I wish I spent more time at in my youth (when time was more plentiful).  But then again, I seem to have more of a talent for audio oriented art than video/graphic oriented art.  I took a few art and drafting classes (do they even have those using actual paper any longer?), so I'm not awful.  But on a professional level, calling my dabblings hack would not be an insult to me.  I used to have CS2, but I went Acrobat and GIMP when I had to re-prioritize.  When you are young, you look at things as "I know nothing about that, but I'm gonna challenge myself and learn it."  Once your reach middle age, you look at things like "I might be able to do that, but I have to be more selective with my time now."   What is old old age gonna be like?  "I could do that, if I don't die first.  Wait.  What was I thinking about doing?  4 pm?  It's dinner time!!!  Buffet, here I come."

I assume that CAD program is a few GB's. Those big programs add up quickly if you've got a few to install.

It is.  Looking forward to putting it back on the SSD (or OS/App drive as I call it).

I'm starting to notice it now that I'm working on making games and doing more realtime graphics.

My mind is blown when I think about what type of programming must go into today's top games.  Not like the old days of Zork where a couple If/Then and variable storage lines will do it.

[BlobVanDam]

Totally agree with the CPU/RAM thing.  The book I read years ago was talking about comparing RAM access to HDD access as like light speed v. walking.  The more you can keep in RAM, the better.  Seems obvious, but sometimes it has to be put in terms like that to really hit home.

I have 16gb right now.  Not sure going to 32gb is necessary (I'm not a multimedia stud like yourself)

You can never have too much RAM! I have 16gb myself at the moment. Most of the time that's more than enough, it's only when I'm doing heavy video work in After Effects with a few other programs open that my computer slows to a crawl. You really notice it once it starts hammering the swap file. If I wasn't so poor and cheap, I'd stick the extra 16gb in there and max it out, because RAM is cheap.

That's something I wish I spent more time at in my youth (when time was more plentiful).  But then again, I seem to have more of a talent for audio oriented art than video/graphic oriented art.  I took a few art and drafting classes (do they even have those using actual paper any longer?), so I'm not awful.  But on a professional level, calling my dabblings hack would not be an insult to me.  I used to have CS2, but I went Acrobat and GIMP when I had to re-prioritize.  When you are young, you look at things as "I know nothing about that, but I'm gonna challenge myself and learn it."  Once your reach middle age, you look at things like "I might be able to do that, but I have to be more selective with my time now."   What is old old age gonna be like?  "I could do that, if I don't die first.  Wait.  What was I thinking about doing?  4 pm?  It's dinner time!!!  Buffet, here I come."

I dabble on the music side (and those VSTi's take up a lot of space too, 32gb just for Colossus). I wish I had more time to mess around with that, but I spend all of my time on the graphics side. When I'm old, I'll just prioritize not drooling and shitting myself. I think I have a few years left before that stage (at least I hope).

My mind is blown when I think about what type of programming must go into today's top games.  Not like the old days of Zork where a couple If/Then and variable storage lines will do it.

Modern games aren't necessarily harder to code than some of the old games, but they require a lot more work these days, so more manpower and time is required (and debugging must be a nightmare).
There's a lot more off the shelf stuff to use now though, like game engines, physics, shaders, resource sites, plugins etc, and modern programming languages are pretty high level, so there's no need to reinvent the wheel most of the time. Back in the old days up to the first generation of 3D consoles, there was a lot more low level programming required, interfacing with the hardware directly using machine code, having to manually deal with memory addresses, VRAM, screen refreshing etc. Not fun.

[cramx3]

Toshiba is crap (not just in HDD), so is Seagate.  WD is ok and Hitachi is the shit.  I think Hitachi split or changed their process a year or so ago though.

What about the fact that the HDD was 5tb?  The largest drives are usually the most unstable while the manufacturers are still pushing the storage limits.

6TB drives are already out, but I hear you.  I was very skeptical when I purchased but reviews were overall good and price was great so I gave it a try.  Oh well.

I've been looking at creating a large file server.  Large as in many bays and ports with some type of RAID format.  This is good for HDD failure, but not for virus outbreak.  But to be honest, I've never had a virus outbreak.  Any viruses always seem to be ID'd and handled before they can corrupt the other files.  And if your OS gets corrupted, it is annoying but easier to fix than Data/Document corruption.  Most of the time, Malwarebytes handles the tough stuff, which again is very rare. 

I really really would like to have a NAS box with 4 hard drive bays, pop in my 4x 2TB drives and there is my data in RAID so I have a back up and access to it from anywhere.  However, these boxes are a bit expensive.  I've been begging my box to let me keep a decommissioned server from work, but so far he has not allowed me.

[jasc15]

On my last 2 computers I've used 2 drives; one is a system drive with the operating system and all other software installed (currently an SSD) and a working or storage drive for all files.  Does anyone else use this setup?

[Nick]

On my last 2 computers I've used 2 drives; one is a system drive with the operating system and all other software installed (currently an SSD) and a working or storage drive for all files.  Does anyone else use this setup?

Yup, my SSD is my system drive, and then I have 6? other drives for storage.



I mentioned awhile back I'm using Christmas to get parts and build my own computer. Today I ordered the video card, which was the last thing I needed to get myself. The month long wait is officially on. If finances were better, I might also get a new monitor, but as is I've had to also order two VGA>HDMI adapters so I can plug my two old monitors into the new system. Might use my next birthday to try and swing something better.

[BlobVanDam]

On my last 2 computers I've used 2 drives; one is a system drive with the operating system and all other software installed (currently an SSD) and a working or storage drive for all files.  Does anyone else use this setup?

I think that's a very common setup now for most people SSDs. I don't have an SSD, but I have a 1Tb main drive partitioned into 200Gb for Windows + software, then the rest for my personal files, then an additional 2Tb drive for music/TV/movies/games etc. I've always had multiple physical drives. It makes it easier for upgrading and maintenance.

I'm looking to get another external soon for backup since I'm out of space on my current one, and I don't like having files that aren't backed up.

I mentioned awhile back I'm using Christmas to get parts and build my own computer. Today I ordered the video card, which was the last thing I needed to get myself. The month long wait is officially on. If finances were better, I might also get a new monitor, but as is I've had to also order two VGA>HDMI adapters so I can plug my two old monitors into the new system. Might use my next birthday to try and swing something better.

I'll be getting a new monitor myself once the site I'm ordering from gets it back in stock (supposedly mid-December). I've wanted it for ages, but haven't had the funds until now. I'll probably need a new graphics card too, as my current one doesn't have enough shader cores for the game programming.

[Nick]

Oh, and this is likely the first new game I'll test the computer with:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPf8UIU_YBI

The potential of this game cannot be overstated. A fantastic game base and engine, but with amazing graphics and freshness brought in by not being historically based? It could be so glorious.

[cramx3]

I have 2x 400GB SSDs in a RAID0 for my OS and video games, then I have two extra 2TB drives for storage and also another 400GB SSD that I use for games as well.  I have a lot of hard drives, but I am able to get some of these from work.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

So I registered for a free copy of win 10 before launch and has since got a reminder on my desktop to install my copy, I have ignored it because I at the moment don't wanna install a new OS, I wanna do it later. These messages have been more and more annoying because it pop up everyday and today I got a big window asking me to install win 10, the options were: "Install or remind me later". I pressed "remind me later" and what do you know it started to download the installation files for win 10.

Feels like Microsoft are pushing win 10 down my throat, don't like that feeling. 

[Bolsters]

You have to be careful with Windows Update, too. I went to do some the other day and when I took a look in the Optional pane, Windows 10 was pre-ticked.

[Prog Snob]

So I registered for a free copy of win 10 before launch and has since got a reminder on my desktop to install my copy, I have ignored it because I at the moment don't wanna install a new OS, I wanna do it later. These messages have been more and more annoying because it pop up everyday and to day I got a big window asking me to install win 10, the options were: "Install or remind me later". I pressed "remind me later" and what do you know it started to download the installation files for win 10.

Feels like Microsoft are pushing win 10 down my throat, don't like that feeling. 

https://superuser.com/questions/948857/how-to-disable-windows-10-update-permanently?lq=1

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

So I registered for a free copy of win 10 before launch and has since got a reminder on my desktop to install my copy, I have ignored it because I at the moment don't wanna install a new OS, I wanna do it later. These messages have been more and more annoying because it pop up everyday and to day I got a big window asking me to install win 10, the options were: "Install or remind me later". I pressed "remind me later" and what do you know it started to download the installation files for win 10.

Feels like Microsoft are pushing win 10 down my throat, don't like that feeling. 

https://superuser.com/questions/948857/how-to-disable-windows-10-update-permanently?lq=1

[cramx3]

So I registered for a free copy of win 10 before launch and has since got a reminder on my desktop to install my copy, I have ignored it because I at the moment don't wanna install a new OS, I wanna do it later. These messages have been more and more annoying because it pop up everyday and to day I got a big window asking me to install win 10, the options were: "Install or remind me later". I pressed "remind me later" and what do you know it started to download the installation files for win 10.

Feels like Microsoft are pushing win 10 down my throat, don't like that feeling. 

https://superuser.com/questions/948857/how-to-disable-windows-10-update-permanently?lq=1

Thanks, I actually just had the same problem... I was like "later means later assholes!"  There was then some sort of bug as I pushed abunch of optional updates yet it was saying Windows 10 was being installed, although it was not.

[faizoff]

I've had win 10 since it came out and it's been 95% smooth. I always am amazed though at how fast bugs got fixed, the other day I kept getting BSODs whenever I played a particular Bluray disc and I said just forget it and did something else a few days later I tried again and no issues.  And as far as storage goes I have 2 SSDs on my computer 1 480 gb as my main boot drive with all programs, another for VMs or anything else that needs a playground for faster access. And then followed by 4 drives that total 14 TB in storage 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Google Says its Quantum Computer Works, Is 100 Million Times Faster Than Traditional PC

Google claims that a controversial computer it purchased in 2013 is capable of using quantum physics to solve math much faster than regular computers. They note that the type of math it solves is crucial to the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google (as well as several governments) have been trying to develop quantum computers which use quantum mechanics to handle data. It is believed that quantum computers can make AI computers much more powerful. NASA has high hopes for the technology, as well. “It is a truly disruptive technology that could change how we do everything,” said Deepak Biswas, director of exploration technology at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

https://futurism.com/links/19279/

Interesting, I tried to follow the video but got lost at qubits.

[adace]

Google Says its Quantum Computer Works, Is 100 Million Times Faster Than Traditional PC

Google claims that a controversial computer it purchased in 2013 is capable of using quantum physics to solve math much faster than regular computers. They note that the type of math it solves is crucial to the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google (as well as several governments) have been trying to develop quantum computers which use quantum mechanics to handle data. It is believed that quantum computers can make AI computers much more powerful. NASA has high hopes for the technology, as well. “It is a truly disruptive technology that could change how we do everything,” said Deepak Biswas, director of exploration technology at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

https://futurism.com/links/19279/

Interesting, I tried to follow the video but got lost at qubits.

Don't know much about quantum computers myself but it sounds like a really cool idea. However, even if does works as Google claims it'll probably be a long time before they can compare to regular PCs in terms of size and price.

[Nick]

First post with new PC!

Will post more about this tomorrow, but for now, two pressing issues.

1. I have 2 monitors now. Is there a program I can use to make the cursor stick a bit at the edge of the monitors? I find myself overshooting the scroll bar a good bit.

2. It doesn't look like there will be a fix, but I LOVE my Dell Dock, and now it stopped working as I'm not on a Dell machine.

[BlobVanDam]

A dock for a PC? It's not just a matter of installing a driver? Don't know.

No idea on the dual monitor thing. I just got a new monitor for my PC, no room for another monitor on my desk though.

[Nick]

A dock for a PC? It's not just a matter of installing a driver? Don't know.

It's not a driver thing, it's part of the program that checks to see if you're on Dell hardware, and if you're not, instead of starting it just comes up with a message saying that Dell Deck can only be run on Dell computers.

[BlobVanDam]

Damn.
I can't find much info on it, just people offering alternate software, which may or may not include what you want.

[Prog Snob]

A dock for a PC? It's not just a matter of installing a driver? Don't know.

It's not a driver thing, it's part of the program that checks to see if you're on Dell hardware, and if you're not, instead of starting it just comes up with a message saying that Dell Deck can only be run on Dell computers.

There was something called ObjectDock that used to work with non-Dell laptops, so maybe see if that works.

[cramx3]

As someone who works with dell products professionally, Dell sucks.  Just had to throw that out there, anyway.  That's awesome you got the new build up and running.  If money were unlimited, I would build a new PC because I find it fun, but totally unnecessary for me, although my friend and I talked about the idea of building him a PC which got me really excited.

I use a two monitor set up, but have never even thought of looking for a program that does what you are asking so I am not so sure about that.