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Computers Anybody?

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  • zembonez

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    Feb 22, 2008
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    Anybody in here build or work on their own PCs?

    I've built a few hundred over the last 5 years. I always have "extras" around. Some as orphaned projects, some that I build and sell, etc. My home network of PCs is ridiculous. I'm forever upgrading or building my personal machines... Everybody in the house has one or two of their own or a laptop.

    Am I the only one?
    DK Firearms
     

    Texas1911

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    May 29, 2017
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    I currently have 2 PC's and 1 Laptop that you may be familiar with already, lol.

    I need to sell my old PC.

    Latest Build:

    AMD 64 Dual-Core 5200 Windsor Core Processor w/ Factory Cooling
    Asus Deluxe AM2 Motherboard
    GeForce 8800GTS 320MB Graphics Card (Factory Clock)
    Corsair 2GB 800mhz RAM
    Thermaltake 500W Power Supply
    WD 160GB SATA2 Hard Drive
    Asus SATA DVD-ROM Drive
    Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Audio Card

    Nothing incredibly fancy, just a good bang for the buck machine that will run just about anything out there.

    Recently traded my 19" Dell LCD monitor for a fancy 22" Widescreen HDMI Samsung. It's one of the best things I've done :)
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Feb 21, 2008
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    I'm definitely into computers. I currently have 2. One is pretty bare bones and is my work dedicated computer, the other is my game machine i built a year or 2 ago and is already outdated. I used to work for AMD and have literally built thousands (probably between 2-3k) of computers as I'd be multitasking several hundred on test suites at a time. Believe me it gets pretty boring! My current one is:

    -AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2ghz, though ~2.4-2.5ghz is supposed to be the actual speed, it's just de-clocked)
    -Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard
    -GeForce 7600GT video card (only 256mb video ram)
    -2gb of ram (PNY I think)
    -Soundblaster Audigy gold or something audio card
     

    zembonez

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    I've always been an AMD fan. Hands down better in my book. My current PC is a P4 because a buddy of mine was a giant Intel fan and we both built a new machine a couple of years ago now so I tried one. I've updated it but a new AMD machine is certainly going to be my Summer build project.

    Currently running:

    P4 630 3.0Ghz Prescott LGA775 Processor
    Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI MB
    4 Gig of Kingston DDR2 667MHz
    Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT SLI vid card
    2 WD 200 Gig Sata drives
    1 WD 500 Gig Backup drive
    SoundBlaster Audigy II sound card
    DVD Rom drive
    DVD-RW/CDRW Drive
    Lian Li Aluminum case
    Thermaltake squirrel cage coolers with front panel controls...

    Anybody else?
     

    phatcyclist

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    Feb 22, 2008
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    I built my first PC out of parts in my grandfathers basement when I was 9. What I ended up with was the equivalent of an IBM XT with some of the nifty bells and whistles that would have cost thousands when it was new. A 10mb hard drive for instance. It had a 4.7mhz (I think) processor, and the full 640K of ram. I also had the high-density 5.25" floppy drive. I also had a 2400 baud Hayes external modem for it, I used to get on BBS.

    I ran that rig for a few years before upgrading to my father's old 25mhz 386. I've been addicted to computing ever since.

    My current machine is a basic computer/mild CAD rig I built up last year.

    LGA 775 P4 @ 3.06ghz
    Intel Desktop board
    2gb Corsair value DDR2 533
    ATI X550 256mb PCI-x16
    250GB SATA HD
    DVD burner
     

    TXB4Z

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    Feb 28, 2008
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    Austin, Tx
    Intel E6400 @ 2.8GHz
    Gigabyte DS3 mobo
    EVGA 8800GT
    X-FI sound card
    4GB Corsair XMS
    250GB HDD
    320GB HDD
    2 DVD drives
    22" Samsung LCD
    Logitech 5.1 speakers

    I think thats about it.
     

    LHB1

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    Mar 4, 2008
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    Spent most of my working career in and around computers. Started way before PC's came along. Mostly designed and wrote specs for business software applications on main frame IBM computers. Programmed in several languages during the early years but never lost my preference for good old simple COBOL. Maintenance cost of business software over its life span usually exceeds the original development cost by a large ratio. When I first started in computer field with Coastal States Gas in Corpus Christi, we had an IBM 360/40 with 256 K (NOT MEG or GIG) of main memory. Everyone else in town was running with 32K or 64K. Our 256K was divided into two partitions of 100K each plus 56 K for operating system. I wrote a COBOL program back around 1968/9 which wouldn't compile in 100K and it was the main topic that week in our DPMA meeting. That program had an internal sort with a preprocessing section and postprocessing section plus buffers. Wasn't hard to whittle down the program so that it would compile but that didn't lessen the initial shock.
     

    Texas1911

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    Spent most of my working career in and around computers. Started way before PC's came along. Mostly designed and wrote specs for business software applications on main frame IBM computers. Programmed in several languages during the early years but never lost my preference for good old simple COBOL. Maintenance cost of business software over its life span usually exceeds the original development cost by a large ratio. When I first started in computer field with Coastal States Gas in Corpus Christi, we had an IBM 360/40 with 256 K (NOT MEG or GIG) of main memory. Everyone else in town was running with 32K or 64K. Our 256K was divided into two partitions of 100K each plus 56 K for operating system. I wrote a COBOL program back around 1968/9 which wouldn't compile in 100K and it was the main topic that week in our DPMA meeting. That program had an internal sort with a preprocessing section and postprocessing section plus buffers. Wasn't hard to whittle down the program so that it would compile but that didn't lessen the initial shock.

    Interesting. I can recall when our elementry school got our first computers. They were the old Apple desktops with 3 color or black and green monitors. I remember rushing to the lab to get one of the color ones so you could play Oregon Trail. What's funny is all I did was hunt, and by hunt I mean gunned down animals until I ran out of bullets.
     

    zembonez

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    Feb 22, 2008
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    A 10mb hard drive for instance. It had a 4.7mhz (I think) processor, and the full 640K of ram.

    Funny to look back. My first computer was a Commodore 64... I don't remember the specs but it had a full 64K of memory! I still have the box. It says "The personal computer with professional power"! HAHAHA!

    First REAL PC was a Compaq Pentium 1 100MHz processor with a 1 GIG Hard Drive and 16MB of ram with Windows 95. WOW. That was 1996. It was a blazing fast machine then and it cost about $1600.00.

    What a difference 12 years makes.
     

    LHB1

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    Funny to look back. First REAL PC was a Compaq Pentium 1 100MHz processor with a 1 GIG Hard Drive and 16MB of ram with Windows 95.

    True, and Compaq brings back some good memories. One of my first forays into the stock market was to buy 1000 shares of Compaq stock at $15 a share. Then sat on it while it climbed to $100 a share. Too bad that didn't happen with all my other stock purchases. :(
     

    zembonez

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    True, and Compaq brings back some good memories. One of my first forays into the stock market was to buy 1000 shares of Compaq stock at $15 a share. Then sat on it while it climbed to $100 a share. Too bad that didn't happen with all my other stock purchases. :(

    Yeah... my crystal ball is a little cloudy too... You should see my 401K.
     

    krazykat

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    Mar 18, 2008
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    Built the one I am on now, but that was a few years ago. It is outdated. I've got the itch to build a new one. When I do, I'll let you know how it turns out.

    I need a hot-rod computer to handle the newer games out.:D
     

    DEFKON99

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    Mar 16, 2008
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    Ive been in the IT field for about 10 years now my intentions were to work with network equipment Cisco Systems. After working with that for a while i figured i would move on to something different; (Servers)So i am currently working on my MCSE.

    Im actually building a lower end System myself to replace my AMDXP2800+:

    AMD X2 3.1Ghz $66.00 @ newegg
    BFG GeForce 9800GTX <-Sent in my BFG FX5800 and got the 9800 as a replacement.
    Seagate 500GB SATA @ 3GBs
    Seagate 250GB SATA @ 3GBs
    2GB 1GBx2 DDR 800 <-- i would go 1066 but only avail with Phenom
    not sure on mobo yet...
     

    lonewolf23c

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    Oct 2, 2008
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    Funny to look back. My first computer was a Commodore 64... I don't remember the specs but it had a full 64K of memory! I still have the box. It says "The personal computer with professional power"! HAHAHA!

    First REAL PC was a Compaq Pentium 1 100MHz processor with a 1 GIG Hard Drive and 16MB of ram with Windows 95. WOW. That was 1996. It was a blazing fast machine then and it cost about $1600.00.

    What a difference 12 years makes.

    LOL, my first computer was a commodore 64/128. No hard drive, everything was programmed in BASIC, and required 5-1/4" floppy disks (literally they were floppy). You had to insert the disk type in the command lines to load the program, spin the floppy drive, and then run the program. And to think of how we use computers today with a simple click of a mouse you open a program.

    I still have my Commodore computer. I also have one of the first Macintosh computers built in 1987. Has the huge 9" monochrome screen. 120MB hard drive.

    My first windows based machine was an NEC Ready 9012. 32MB RAM, 1GB Hard Drive, 90MHz processor, and cost about $2k. At that time I thought man I'll never fill up a 1GB hard drive. HAHAHA, a couple months later here I was installing a 3GB hard drive, and going hope I never have to do that again. The original hard drive was riveted to the bottom of the case.
     

    lonewolf23c

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    Built the one I am on now, but that was a few years ago. It is outdated. I've got the itch to build a new one. When I do, I'll let you know how it turns out.

    I need a hot-rod computer to handle the newer games out.:D

    No point in building a new one, by the time you get the parts to build it, all the parts will be outdated. LOL. I remember my days of building computers when I was a tech administrator for the local school district. I'd get the parts, and build the most advanced and fastest computer and by the time I had it put together there was always a faster processor, motherboard, video card etc. on the market. It never fails, every time I look into upgrading something better and more expensive is already available.
     

    JKTex

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    Mar 11, 2008
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    LOL, my first computer was a commodore 64/128. No hard drive, everything was programmed in BASIC, and required 5-1/4" floppy disks (literally they were floppy). You had to insert the disk type in the command lines to load the program, spin the floppy drive, and then run the program. And to think of how we use computers today with a simple click of a mouse you open a program.

    I still have my Commodore computer. I also have one of the first Macintosh computers built in 1987. Has the huge 9" monochrome screen. 120MB hard drive.

    My first windows based machine was an NEC Ready 9012. 32MB RAM, 1GB Hard Drive, 90MHz processor, and cost about $2k. At that time I thought man I'll never fill up a 1GB hard drive. HAHAHA, a couple months later here I was installing a 3GB hard drive, and going hope I never have to do that again. The original hard drive was riveted to the bottom of the case.


    I still have a 40 MB MFM drive out of my first PC. And, I DO still have WordPerfect on 5 1/4 floppies and I think a few other programs too.

    My BIL works at NASA and a few years ago he told me they had people sitting on eBay and other sites looking for old parts, memory etc. that you can't get now, for old work horse machines they still have off in corners running specific little apps. He said they gove good money for old SIMM's but most of the time no one else would bid and they'd get it dirt cheap!

    Ah, the good old days before Windows came along...
     
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