Category Archives: Computer Builds

VT-D Very Annoying

Posted on May 16, 2025 by tim

I really love my HP Z820 Workstation. Two Xeon CPUs, 256GB of RAM. Runs VMWare. The fans scream like a banshee when it is powered up. However, when the power goes out (happens three+ times a year), it has the … Continue reading →

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Intel 14700K

Posted on March 12, 2024 by tim

This is a new computer build. Some facts on the CPU: it is currently #89 on PassMark [53,737] cpubenchmark.net, with a turbo speed of 5.6 GHz and TDP of 125W to 253W. It is 20 cores/28 threads, first seen Q4 … Continue reading →

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Another Dell SFF

Posted on April 2, 2023 by tim

The goal of this machine was, well, it was basically too inexpensive to pass up. It was refurbished, from SJ Computers LLC. It arrived in a box that used the standard “conform to interior” expanding foam, and was very well … Continue reading →

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Benchmark Disks NVMe vs SSD SATA vs HDD SATA

Posted on September 22, 2022 by tim

Benchmarked with Samsung Magician Device Seq ReadMB/s Seq WriteMB/s Random ReadIOPS Random WriteIOPS Samsung 980 Pro1TB NVMe 6920 5174 984130 297607 Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVMe 7007 5240 1053222 924072 Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVMewhen plugged into a PCIe 4.0 … Continue reading →

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Core i5 Update

Posted on August 21, 2022 by tim

This is a rebuild of the Core i5 Sandy Bridge Build machine. This machine also started spontaneously shutting off, have BSOD and freeze events. (Just like what caused the Core i5-10400 rebuild, previously). The CPU, motherboard and RAM were changed … Continue reading →

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HP Workstation

Posted on May 7, 2022 by tim

The goal of this machine to experiment with mid-range video editing and/or be a monster Virtual Machine Server. It was refurbished, from PC Server Parts Certified Refurbished. It kept going in and out of stock. It arrived in a big … Continue reading →

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Dell 3020 SFF

Posted on February 19, 2022 by tim

The goal of this machine was to buy a complete (monitor included) machine for less than $300, taxes and shipping included. It was refurbished, from Blair Technology, “on sale” from $480. It arrived in a big box that contained two … Continue reading →

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ASUS ROG

Posted on January 6, 2022 by tim

This is a prebuilt machine purchase. Asus Model G15CE-B9. (Price comparisons: newegg is selling it for $1,944 via Coldriver20; amazon is selling it for $1,815 via J-Tech Digital). Some facts on the CPU: it is currently #202 on PassMark [21,574, … Continue reading →

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Core i5-10400

Posted on October 17, 2021 by tim

This is a rebuild of the Core 4770k machine. The machine started spontaneously shutting off, then entering a “power-on for 3 seconds and power-off” loop. After cooling down, it would stay running for ~20 minutes, then shutdown. BIOS says the … Continue reading →

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RetroPie Raspberry Pi 4

Posted on September 15, 2020 by tim

Item Product Cost Pi 4 CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Basic Kit 1.5GHz 64-bit quad core ARMv8, USB-C 3.5A Power, USB-C Power switch $55 MicroSD SanDisk 64GB Ultra microSDXC USH-I $12 Case RETROFLAG NESPi 4 Case with SSD Case, USB-C Power … Continue reading →

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