Category Archives: Computer Builds

Another Dell SFF

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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AMD Ryzen Build

Some facts on the CPU: it is currently #135 on PassMark [16,9499] cpubenchmark.net. The video card was the least expensive PCI available at Micro Center. This build is intended for two distinct purposes. The first is a general-purpose, install linux, … Continue reading

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Core i7-9700K Build

Some facts on the CPU: it is currently #67 on PassMark [17,329, single thread 2,909] cpubenchmark.net. It was launched 2018 October. It used 14mm architecture and does not have hyperthreading. Since the “i7-9700”, i.e. non-K, does not exist (and may … Continue reading

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