PC Pc Gaming/building thread

Jun 25, 2011
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Please don't hurt me but some time ago I did purchase a 2012 Mac Mini, ended up using primarily as a media centre but it's pretty much had it, and it's the last of my Mac devices since getting out of that ecosystem.

Now, know this isn't the place to ask, but does anyone use a small PC for media purposes and hooking up to your TV?

Been looking into Intel NUCs but not sure if they're the way to go.

sataris isn't this what you did with your RAID server?
 
sataris isn't this what you did with your RAID server?

Yes!
Please don't hurt me but some time ago I did purchase a 2012 Mac Mini, ended up using primarily as a media centre but it's pretty much had it, and it's the last of my Mac devices since getting out of that ecosystem.

Now, know this isn't the place to ask, but does anyone use a small PC for media purposes and hooking up to your TV?

Been looking into Intel NUCs but not sure if they're the way to go.

I was looking at the intel NUC's as well, but I had a bunch of spare PC components sitting around, so I just built a SFF pc and put it in the corner. You can see it here.

1616305246491.png


One of the major downsides I considered was the upgradability of the NUC, you can't really change anything once you have it, I've upgraded (The ram, the cpu and added 3 more hard drives since I built my server a year ago. Looking at a NUC I was thinking, there's no way for me to run all of that plus whatever I may need in the future.


One major thing to consider is also the software that you want to be running on your NUC.

e.g.
I have
Qbittorrent
Web Server
Plex
Tautulli
Bitwarden Password Manager
Unraid
Ubiquity Network Manager
...
a whole lot more.

Whenever I want to stream, I just stream from Plex to Chromecast and everything is great
 
Jun 25, 2011
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Been having fun with my little TUF A15. Have to admit that I've been a snob on the high end gear for so long that I've forgotten how capable entry-mid tier stuff can be for certain things. The missus also doesn't mind me kicking back on the couch with it even if I've got headphones on because she sees it as me spending time with her and not couped away on my desktop lol. Just ordered an extra 500gb Samsung 970 for it as it looks to be a keeper and I'll pull the stickers off it tonight as it doesn't seem like I'm going to be needing to return it. It doesn't look like it's going to hit the 95c thermal limit, but then again I don't run Prime95 on cheap gear for the fun of it. I should invite HUB into my work to teach them a few things about air flow and blowers (we can them scrolls) before they go butchering their gear again as HVAC is one of the biggest areas we service.

Glad it worked out because the other two options were the Dell G5 SE which was a Ryzen 7 4900H with a 5600M, and the HP Omen 15 with Intel 10750 and 2060. Both were a few hundred more but the Dell construction felt like cheap rubbish and the HP had a mushy keyboard that I really didn't enjoy. The HP had a nicer screen to look at but the TUF A15 just had the overall better construction. Took the gamble on the cheaper option in the face of reviews and came out satisfied.
 

dav3

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Please don't hurt me but some time ago I did purchase a 2012 Mac Mini, ended up using primarily as a media centre but it's pretty much had it, and it's the last of my Mac devices since getting out of that ecosystem.

Now, know this isn't the place to ask, but does anyone use a small PC for media purposes and hooking up to your TV?

Been looking into Intel NUCs but not sure if they're the way to go.
NUCs are good, I used a Celeron one for many years as a media PC and it never let me down, but they do get rather pricey if you don't have spares around the place. I use a newer one for running Virtual Machines and it's been solid too.

Snoop around OzBargain for Dell Micro and Lenovo Tiny deals, they're good little boxes and are plenty powerful enough for media duties. Alternatively (depending on what you want out of the device, and what your setup is) Google TVs are great little units, as are the more expensive Nvidia Shields.
 
NUCs are good, I used a Celeron one for many years as a media PC and it never let me down, but they do get rather pricey if you don't have spares around the place. I use a newer one for running Virtual Machines and it's been solid too.

Snoop around OzBargain for Dell Micro and Lenovo Tiny deals, they're good little boxes and are plenty powerful enough for media duties. Alternatively (depending on what you want out of the device, and what your setup is) Google TVs are great little units, as are the more expensive Nvidia Shields.

This is true,

i completely forgot about VM's. if you need a GPU for your VM then a NUC becomes useless (afaik).
 
Might as well pick up the white ASUS Strix 3080 for $1949SGD.

Wife will not be pleased, but I can't justify a waiting time of 3 months, we'll be onto the 4080's by then/

I lied about the waiting time!

The lead time now is 10-18 weeks by Asus/Gigabyte Singapore. Stocks can only be allocated to confirmed orders. Please note that it may take longer than 18 weeks.

Anywhere in Australia have stock of these things?
 

biaseddustyfan

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impulse bought an s2721dgf monitor on the weekend coz i saw a big sale link on that subreddit

finally upgrading from the 2012 1080p TN monitor i posted a few pages back lel

my builds gonna struggle with it until i can get the new PC... but oh well
 

dav3

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impulse bought an s2721dgf monitor on the weekend coz i saw a big sale link on that subreddit

finally upgrading from the 2012 1080p TN monitor i posted a few pages back lel

my builds gonna struggle with it until i can get the new PC... but oh well
They're a brilliant monitor, especially for the insane price you can get them for at times.
 
Came across this 2080 Super on FB Marketplace for $650 and I am extremely tempted instead of waiting to get a 3080 but the cheap price makes me think that there may very well be something wrong with it.

 
Yes!


I was looking at the intel NUC's as well, but I had a bunch of spare PC components sitting around, so I just built a SFF pc and put it in the corner. You can see it here.

View attachment 1082579

One of the major downsides I considered was the upgradability of the NUC, you can't really change anything once you have it, I've upgraded (The ram, the cpu and added 3 more hard drives since I built my server a year ago. Looking at a NUC I was thinking, there's no way for me to run all of that plus whatever I may need in the future.


One major thing to consider is also the software that you want to be running on your NUC.

e.g.
I have
Qbittorrent
Web Server
Plex
Tautulli
Bitwarden Password Manager
Unraid
Ubiquity Network Manager
...
a whole lot more.

Whenever I want to stream, I just stream from Plex to Chromecast and everything is great
NUCs are good, I used a Celeron one for many years as a media PC and it never let me down, but they do get rather pricey if you don't have spares around the place. I use a newer one for running Virtual Machines and it's been solid too.

Snoop around OzBargain for Dell Micro and Lenovo Tiny deals, they're good little boxes and are plenty powerful enough for media duties. Alternatively (depending on what you want out of the device, and what your setup is) Google TVs are great little units, as are the more expensive Nvidia Shields.

Thanks fellas. (And dwwaino)

Just need something for Plex and a few clients.
 
Jun 25, 2011
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This little TUF is awesome. Just chucked the 500gb nvme in and saw there was a 2.5" bay in there too.

nekminnit: why aren't my internal speakers working and sound only working through headphones? What is that strange popping noise from the right speaker when I try to play sound? Why is the system just being generally weird, some things unresponsive?

The speaker lead runs under where the second M.2 goes and it turns out when I screwed the drive down I pinched a speaker wire between the mount and the drive's PCB. Must have shorted some stuff out. Touch wood but everything is good now.
 

I figure I might be able to repair the water damage, as long as the GPU Itself is fine (maybe).

But then I need to buy a soldering iron, flux, solder, chips (if they're even available).
 
Jun 25, 2011
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I figure I might be able to repair the water damage, as long as the GPU Itself is fine (maybe).

But then I need to buy a soldering iron, flux, solder, chips (if they're even available).

Have you tried it since? The short might not have caused any permanent damage since the voltages are so low. Now that it's completely dried out it might work? As long as things don't go boom they could be all good.

I just finished rewinding a motor from a big hommus manufacturing facility today. It's the fourth time I've done since about 2015 because being a food processing plant they have to wash all their machines down and water is getting inside the motor. I was surprised how much water was actually in the machine and it didn't short or track to earth. It wasn't until the water pooled up in the bottom of the motor to the point where it covered a welded connection did it actually blow. We've fitted a porous drain plug this time so hopefully that will allow future puddles to drain out, but what's the bet some derp hits that exact spot with a high pressure hose and shoots the porous internal cork bit of the plug in the motor making it completely open.
 
Have you tried it since? The short might not have caused any permanent damage since the voltages are so low. Now that it's completely dried out it might work? As long as things don't go boom they could be all good.

I just finished rewinding a motor from a big hommus manufacturing facility today. It's the fourth time I've done since about 2015 because being a food processing plant they have to wash all their machines down and water is getting inside the motor. I was surprised how much water was actually in the machine and it didn't short or track to earth. It wasn't until the water pooled up in the bottom of the motor to the point where it covered a welded connection did it actually blow. We've fitted a porous drain plug this time so hopefully that will allow future puddles to drain out, but what's the bet some derp hits that exact spot with a high pressure hose and shoots the porous internal cork bit of the plug in the motor making it completely open.


The RGB works, but no fan spin and doesn't get recognized the last time I tried it.

I may try again soon :)
 

Mantastic

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Jun 22, 2011
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The card shortages are maddening. I'm trying to decide how long I can go without a GPU in my PC, so I can flip my Strix 2080 while it's worth shitloads and upgrade to a 3080 or 90.
 
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