megatron-uk wrote on 2024-02-20, 19:48:

In this case the Bosch part is a highly regarded Motorsport-level specification pump (and the recommended unit for high horsepower builds, which this car is)... But I do know what you mean, I suspect the modern ones are not as good as those built 5, 10 or 15 years ago.

Mine probably has only a couple hundred miles on it. So yeah, it hasn't lasted particularly well!

Though as I remind the younguns when they're bragging about racecar parts..... racecars are usually totally rebuilt after every race, and even Le Mans 24h is less than 5000 miles.

Well, yesterday I installed Ryzen Master on my main PC (Ryzen 5700x/RTX 4070ti) to test the Curve Optimizer feature and undervolt the processor a tiny bit, as the temperatures were becoming a nuissance in some CPU-intensive games. The temperatures are down by 5 to 10°C. Today, I've checked if the Curve Optimization/UV settings are actually retained in BIOS (as I forgot to check it yesterday) - the answer is yes 😀

Over the last few days I was trying to install linux Mint as a secondary OS on an Asus A8N-SLI Athlon64. It has a GT520 video card which has good video decoding.
Ran into major problems with Mint 20 and Mint 19, most critically with the NVidia drivers. Each offered driver on both those distro versions would cause it to freeze during boot. The open source driver was slow.
19 also needed a 'noapic' kernel option to boot, I don't know the consequences of that.

I got frustrated trying to find somewhere to download "obsolete"/unsupported linux distros. It used to be easy. I can't believe I have to think about hoarding linux ISOs now.
I had Mint 17.3 already, so I tried that and it mostly works fine. It boots readily, and the video driver works and hardware video decode is working. It froze when I shut it down though.
I guess I'll stick with that, unless I feel like trying 18.3 (if I can even find it), or feel like fighting with newer versions trying to hack them into working with this hardware.

I like 17, just not sure if I'll run into problems installing needed software on it later. I might run into dependency hell, or the repositories will disappear. Running 6-10yr old linux distros is harder than running old Windows IMO.

Seems like you need to put a linux distro on a hardware config when it is exactly 3 years old, time enough for all your hardware to be working properly and then backup to the deep freeze cold storage because it's not gonna be many updates until it's breaking... on the one hand getting told "sorry it's too old, gotta go forward" then when trying to get support on user forums "That was done, fixed, and talked about, use search" where you'll find how it used to work on the install you had when it first worked... yeahhhhhh

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-01, 05:33:

Seems like you need to put a linux distro on a hardware config when it is exactly 3 years old, time enough for all your hardware to be working properly and then backup to the deep freeze cold storage because it's not gonna be many updates until it's breaking... on the one hand getting told "sorry it's too old, gotta go forward" then when trying to get support on user forums "That was done, fixed, and talked about, use search" where you'll find how it used to work on the install you had when it first worked... yeahhhhhh

Yeah that's true and a major reason why many people who have attempted the switch to Linux returned to Windows.

For Linux, using anything (PC hardware) older than 2006 is an exercise in futility or ingenuity, depending on what your parts availability and outcome is. Based on my own experiences and observations of others, the bare minimum "Can I make this work?" config for current mainstream Linux distros is...

1. Quad-core CPU. Obviously, 64-bit and the newer, the better. You can get by with dual-core, but it won't be enjoyable. AMD or Intel, doesn't matter, but most people use Intel unless they have access to newer AMD CPUs that offer a bit of a bump for specific usage.

2. 8GB of RAM. Obviously, the more, the better.

3. SSDs. No more using HDDs, unless they are newer ones.

4. Gigabit Ethernet.

5. At least two USB 3.X ports. You can get by with using full USB 2.0, if that's what's available, but you're gonna want USB 3.x, even if you have to use a PCIe add-in card.

6. The most recent Nvidia or Intel GPU you can get your hands on, with the caveat that it obviously has to be usable with the size and power constraints of the PC. For pre-built stuff, this obviously presents a problem, if you are looking for gaming prowess, but there are low-end options available that fit any PCIe-capable PC. AMD has recently become fairly functional on Linux, so you can go with that too, but Nvidia and Intel are the ones that most people prefer.

With Windows 11 making a massive mountain of e-waste from 2010's era hardware, you're gonna see a lot of (otherwise) perfectly good and usable 6-8 core (or more) machines going to the recycling centers or being repurposed for Linux usage, so it's a good time to start looking for hardware, if you want to get into using Linux.

It's not just a Windows 11 thing, Linux distros and the modern open-source big tech contributors enable e-waste as well by dropping support unless you do like Windows and install an older version of your preferred distro. If you are fine with compromise you can possibly find a maintained distro you like that still supports your hardware. If you're hardcore you can roll your own and compile all kerlen, packages and dependencies you need but very few people are going to have the experience and time.

https://ubuntu.com/blog/optimising-ubuntu-per … 64-architecture

The main issue with op (for the linux post above) though is drivers (assuming the hardware is good) which isn't the fault of Linux but of the vendor by not providing a good driver or even an open source one so in that situation where if you have incompatible hardware with the OS and can find no good solution and aren't going to switch out for better hardware (a more compatible card with Linux) then solution would be to install Windows assuming the card has better driver support there.

Minutemanqvs wrote on 2024-02-26, 15:19:

...and it's quite funny to see how they are made. Thermal pads on each component (on both sides of the PCB) and 220uF electrolyt […]
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...and it's quite funny to see how they are made. Thermal pads on each component (on both sides of the PCB) and 220uF electrolytic capacitors.

for a second that looks like a hard drive connector with both sata and pata connectors with a molex plug

Was just doing some pin straightening on the Phenom II 955 BK I picked up last week, wasn't badly tweaked, but holy crap, stumbled on the perfect tool, I dunno if you could design a better one. I joke about "picking their teeth" having used wooden toothpicks before, but this time I grabbed a GUM sometimes styled G.U.M. brand professional clean floss pick and that did an amazing job, just sticking the thin end in and running it up and down the rows, letting the taper just wedge the bent pins back into line.

Adding the picture for reference of the particular design that seems to work really well. These can be got for less than $5 a pack, sometimes in dollar stores, maybe you can even get a sample pack off your dentist. Not sure the flavor matters, but I won't feel my toes stepped on if you post benchmark results from CPU straightened with the different flavors...

I hesitantly updated the BIOS on my main computer to patch LogoFAIL. Surprisingly for Gigabyte, nothing immediately broke. I remembered to enable XMP (I still think I shouldn't need XMP for DDR4-2666) and disable Intel Platform Trust Technology (to make Windows stop nagging me to install Windows 11), but I forgot to adjust the fan profile. This motherboard controls fan speed in large steps instead of the nice curve displayed in the BIOS, the idle temperature is right on one of the fan speed steps, and the default fan profile runs the fans a little too fast for 92mm CPU coolers. It switches between 1800RPM and 2200RPM at idle with the default fan "curve."

Working on printing a case for one of my Pentium Quad-Core N3700 powered NUC boards (NUC5PPYB) so I can set it up as a small family Minecraft server . Picked up a couple of these a while back super cheap.

Excellent as Linux machines and for classic console emulation. Also make good basic servers for things like files, media, and some dedicated game servers. I setup one as a bench computer to run my oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and SDR software before moving that duty to a ZBox Nano with more available I/O.

So many good uses for these cheap boards, and they make great Raspberry Pi alternatives. 😀

Edit: Just have to print the top panel yet!

Got around to putting the Phenom II 955 in the AM2+ mATX board... it go faster.. all seems okay, got it baking on the AMD overdrive stability test for a bit.

Edit: passed round one, shut it down to cool off and cycle the thermal paste.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-14, 22:57:

Got around to putting the Phenom II 955 in the AM2+ mATX board... it go faster.. all seems okay, got it baking on the AMD overdrive stability test for a bit.

Edit: passed round one, shut it down to cool off and cycle the thermal paste.

What do you mean/intend by cycling the thermal paste?

I am using a type that beds in over two or three thermal cycles. Don't get the last 2 or 3 degree drop if you dry it out too soon by running hours and hours. "Dry" is relative, but while it's fresh it will pump in and out of the tiny gaps and make best contact.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-14, 22:57:

Got around to putting the Phenom II 955 in the AM2+ mATX board... it go faster.. all seems okay, got it baking on the AMD overdrive stability test for a bit.

Edit: passed round one, shut it down to cool off and cycle the thermal paste.

Just dug out an old Biostar board I have with that same CPU, and 8GB of RAM on it. Going to put it to use running a low-population Minecraft server for the family. 😀

Need to dust it off, re-paste it, then install Ubuntu on the 256GB SSD it's going to use.

I liked the Phenom II's, used many of them, X4 965/955, X2 550 BE, X6 1090T BE. The 550's were great becasue most of them were perfectly good quad-cores binned as dual-cores so AMD could keep up with demand if I recall correctly. Unlocking those cores in the BIOS and you got a nice cheap X4 for the price of an X2.

Good times!

I stuffed mine into Re: What modern activity did you get up to today? which I never got around to putting the Athlon II 620 X4 I had into. It has just been muddling along with the X2 260... which had nothing to unlock. Single core speed isn't a great boost over the 260, but I have not made real efforts with the clock yet. It still needs to find it's own GPU.. been having them in and out, still testing the 1060 Bitwrangler edition which is spoken for in a haswell rig. Feels like it's going to end up with a GTX650Ti, this build is tight and I don't think it can take the heat of a 2x6pin GPU. Swapped the CPU sink over for one of the AMD heatpipe ones when I switched CPU.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-17, 20:10:

I stuffed mine into Re: What modern activity did you get up to today? which I never got around to putting the Athlon II 620 X4 I had into. It has just been muddling along with the X2 260... which had nothing to unlock. Single core speed isn't a great boost over the 260, but I have not made real efforts with the clock yet. It still needs to find it's own GPU.. been having them in and out, still testing the 1060 Bitwrangler edition which is spoken for in a haswell rig. Feels like it's going to end up with a GTX650Ti, this build is tight and I don't think it can take the heat of a 2x6pin GPU. Swapped the CPU sink over for one of the AMD heatpipe ones when I switched CPU.

Sadly, that's the one thing I don't have, anything to stuff all the parts into, and I'm somewhat limited on space as to where I can put it.

I was thinking of using a small "test bench" open air case and just put it a large cubby in my desk, but I'm not sure yet. It may start its new life as a Minecraft server just sitting in the cubby on my desk.

What sucks is I have a Ryzen 2600 just sitting on my shelf that would give me much more capability, but I would need to buy a micro-ATX motherboard and RAM for it, and at that point I would just drop an NVME drive on there and low profile video card, cram it all into the smallest horizontal ATX case I can find so it fits in my limited desk space.

So, using the Phenom system is much cheaper becasue I have it all on-hand already, but takes up considerably more room.

Life really is a never ending series of trade-offs. 😜

Also, I much prefer the AMD stock coolers of the era over Intel, specifically the heatpipe versions. They just worked so much better, offering great thermal dissipation for a stock cooling solution.

I take it "frozen tundra" is nowhere near Buffalo, guy on Craigslist has a bunch of cases $5 a pop.

I have seen ppl string up their boards on the wall though, like a dissected insect 🤣 nails/screws and zipties.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-17, 23:24:

I take it "frozen tundra" is nowhere near Buffalo, guy on Craigslist has a bunch of cases $5 a pop.

I have seen ppl string up their boards on the wall though, like a dissected insect 🤣 nails/screws and zipties.

Nope. Wisconsin. 😀

Sadly, the area around me lacks a good selection of PC tech, modern or classic. Though, a work buddy said he knows a guy near him with a lot of "older" cases. I may get lucky there.

And... I'm not above rigging up anything, I've done it before. 😜

StriderTR wrote on 2024-03-18, 06:51:

Nope. Wisconsin. :) […]
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BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-17, 23:24:

I take it "frozen tundra" is nowhere near Buffalo, guy on Craigslist has a bunch of cases $5 a pop.

I have seen ppl string up their boards on the wall though, like a dissected insect 🤣 nails/screws and zipties.

Nope. Wisconsin. 😀

Sadly, the area around me lacks a good selection of PC tech, modern or classic. Though, a work buddy said he knows a guy near him with a lot of "older" cases. I may get lucky there.

And... I'm not above rigging up anything, I've done it before. 😜

Let's say you live in Milwaukee, it'd be a 20 hour round trip. A transcendental experience!! 🤣