Search results

  1. J

    Longest?

    Being that it was in the Cafe instead of the Computer section, that was the first thought to come to mind. Didn't someone on SR start a "How big is it?" thread? Kind of silly and juvenile I guess, but boys will be boys. The thread disappeared of course when they had the database meltdown.
  2. J

    Longest?

    Probably. My record was the ~10 years I got out of my XP3200 system. I'm 6 years into my current system. So far it easily meets my needs, so no upgrade fever. Given that I recently bought a laptop, I can use that for things my current system can't handle. So I might be keeping my current desktop...
  3. J

    Empire in Decline

    They won't stop until the bar reaches the 9th level of hell. Even then, they'll push it lower if it's at all possible. I just can't figure out how ~1/3 of the electorate supports these clowns to the point they'll follow them off a cliff. Amazing how you can get people to vote against their own...
  4. J

    Ryzen

    I had to look at early pictures of him to see the teeth. He apparently had it fixed. My teeth aren't perfectly aligned, but they're not even close to that bad. I put scientology almost in the same camp as MAGA. Did Tom Cruise try to push the scientology stuff on your partner's dad, or is that...
  5. J

    Ryzen

    Hey, I'm only an inch taller than Cruise.
  6. J

    Intel 13900k and 14900k chip failures

    Don't have any preference. I think I usually use whatever fan came with the processor. I'm not even sure what my present CPU is using. I slapped it together over 6 years ago. All I know is outside of when I'm playing with train simulators the system is so quiet I need to put my ear to the case...
  7. J

    Ryzen

    Actually the link was for Impossible Mission Force, the fictional organization Tom Cruise's character works for in the Mission: Impossible movies. As for your used PC being used for crimes, wouldn't law enforcement IP trace it to wherever it's being used? That's like selling a car and worrying...
  8. J

    Ryzen

    I was thinking the same thing. And the old Windows license could be used by the buyer. Also, it isn't hard to wipe drives clean for security purposes, especially if they're SSDs. You might be able to read some data on an HDD which was wiped clean, but really, that requires specialized...
  9. J

    Ryzen

    Same here. 65W TDP is plenty for my needs.
  10. J

    Ryzen

    I have used liquid cooling-for thermoelectric projects. I even made my own copper water blocks. I'm able to keep temps about 1.5°C above the inlet water temps with a ~100W heat load. Using tap water in winter, I can get "hot" side temps of around 5°C. With thermoelectrics, every degree you lower...
  11. J

    Intel 13900k and 14900k chip failures

    Never had a Noctua fan so I wouldn't know. Anyway, the higher power CPUs tend to be beyond my budget and needs so that's another reason I gravitate towards around 65 TDP. Another reason is you don't have integrated graphics on the high end. I've been done with graphics cards for like a decade...
  12. J

    Windows 11

    I'm not in the IT business but I imagine this kind work qualifies as "drop everything you're doing, get here now, and fix it yesterday". I'd bill anyone with that kind of urgency about 10 times my normal rate. I'm guessing the IT guys will do the same. Millions of man-hours at $1K+ per hour...
  13. J

    Empire in Decline

    Fake some sort of national emergency affecting red states, and declare martial law in these states on election day. Since most voters there tend to not use early voting, they'll miss the chance to vote. Hey, if the GOP can do stuff like January 6, we can surely pull some tricks out of our...
  14. J

    Empire in Decline

    Project 2025 should be enough to stop Trump if the Dems don't bungle the messaging, which sadly they do all the time. I'm honestly at a loss for what I might do if all this comes to pass. Leaving the country would be a huge hassle, plus where to go? I still have cyanide pills from a while back...
  15. J

    Intel 13900k and 14900k chip failures

    About 6 years ago, actually. I tend to pick parts with around 65W TDP, both because electricity costs a fortune here, and I hate noisy fans.
  16. J

    Intel 13900k and 14900k chip failures

    Does this affect the i7-13700h in my new laptop? I hope not. I think a big part of the problem is Intel's ridiculous TDP, at least for their desktop parts. We're on the cusp of liquid cooling being mandatory at the rate we're going. Faster isn't better if you need the output of a nuclear...
  17. J

    Empire in Decline

    The whole Trump near assassination looks like it was lifted straight out of The Manchurian Candidate. Ironic Trump used that moniker for Biden. The thing is let's assume this was planned. Dying as a martyr isn't Trump's speed. After all, once he's out of the picture there's nothing in it for...
  18. J

    Mini PC

    I'm sure it'll happen eventually. As it is that little board has the computing power of a high-end desktop c. 2005 or so while consuming a fraction of the power.
  19. J

    Mini PC

    The CPU on this board can actually run Linux. If a person has fairly basic needs, a nanocomputer based on this might be just the ticket. You can easily stick the entire thing inside a keyboard, for example.
  20. J

    Mini PC

    Both. Generally for most people their needs haven't kept pace with the advances in CPU speed or efficiency. As a result, a tiny bare-bones machine might be enough for the majority. You're old in that you're old enough to remember when a slightly complex Excel spreadsheet bought a 386 without a...
  21. J

    Something Random

    It may not be practical but people are already driving the kinds of vehicles you mentioned on country roads. Despite that, the death rate is still very high. These roads are just dangerous, no matter what you're driving. Well, there are things I don't like about the city, but they're far...
  22. J

    Something Random

    Five-point harness and roll cage. Don't need a lot of mass. Indy cars are the safest vehicles in terms of preventing crash deaths because of these features. They should be standard in all vehicles. Indy cars hit concrete walls at 200 mph and the driver walks away. I never even go to rural areas...
  23. J

    Something Random

    That's true. The highest death rate by far is on two-lane country roads.
  24. J

    Something Random

    Nowadays at least everyone has phones with GPS if they have to navigate a corn field. We grew corn once. I was surprised how big the plants get. Being that far from medical help IS scary. I was thankful when my mother was alive that we are within two miles of multiple hospitals with trauma...
  25. J

    Something Random

    I saw the Macy's fireworks a few times in person. That was worthwhile. Couldn't care less about parades or BBQs though. An unoccupied farmhouse in the middle of nowhere? Sounds like a premise for a grade B slasher flick. Watch out for Jason and his cohorts when you're out there. I get it that...
  26. J

    Ryzen

    I give you credit for getting through all that. I doubt I could have. Living in your car sounds horrible, although the housing situation has become so bad it's often the only option. Some places even legalized this recently. They weren't thrilled about it, but saw the reality of the situation...
  27. J

    Mini PC

    Water cool the PSU also. That way you have a completely silent system.
  28. J

    Merc's Useful Tools of the day

    Does AI also explain why Amazon's search engine is so awful? It used to be when I looked for something, only results for exactly what the search terms were would come in. Now I get mostly unrelated results. It's been that way with Google for a while also. I don't care what AI might think I'm...
  29. J

    Windows 11

    Well, yes, but with only 5GB it's not terribly useful. I'm not a data hog, but even I have well over 500GB of unique data.
  30. J

    Something Random

    That's fine. Honestly, you're not in much of position to afford a new vehicle soon anyway. Let other people get the kinks worked out. That's one reason I'm not an early adopter of much stuff, unless it's fairly inexpensive.
  31. J

    Something Random

    Yes, I'd like to see median versus average myself. My brother actually gets classic car insurance on one of his vehicles, which comes to a few hundred a year, and does all of his repairs. His cars are obviously long paid for. I'd be shocked if his older cars cost him more than $2,000 a year...
  32. J

    dSLR thread

    Well, I fall in the camp that I don't much see the point to cramming 50MP on a sensor for bragging rights unless the sensor is large enough to get a decent amount of added information from those extra pixels. I guess in bright light it matters less, but not all of us take pictures in full...
  33. J

    Windows 11

    I generally store my stuff using my own folder system, not the stupid Windows defaults, for lots of reasons. Among them is making it harder for a potential hacker to find stuff I care about. OneDrive and CoPilot are two features any semi-sophisticated computer user just doesn't want or need. MS...
  34. J

    Something Random

    It's actually worse than that now: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/total-cost-owning-car The average monthly cost of owning a car has surpassed $1,000. The figures are from AAA. A car, even a decent used one, would easily cost me over $10K. Just the insurance alone would...
  35. J

    dSLR thread

    Well, for video that makes sense. All that AI stuff can't be done well in real-time if you're shooting 60 or more fps. I know a larger sensor with the same number of pixels is better than a smaller sensor just from a pure light-gathering perspective. Obviously if I got more into photography I'd...
  36. J

    dSLR thread

    I'm not getting your point. I assume the pixel size is large enough that having more megapixels still adds to image quality. If not, why not just use fewer megapixels? What's better about larger pixels, other than maybe more light-gathering ability? Also, as far as I know, there are no...
  37. J

    dSLR thread

    Here's a $200 phone with a 50 MP camera: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/motorola-200-android-phone-looks-142613366.html
  38. J

    Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    Been dealing with this since my late 20s at least, possibly longer. In part I blame it on the group punishment teachers used to give classes. I often had to write "I must not talk in class" 1,000 times in grade school because a few rowdy kids did. In any case by my late 20s working full-time was...
  39. J

    Something Random

    Did that multiple times. It worked in that it stopped one collection company from hounding me, only to be bothered by another a few years later. I'm pretty sure all these fees are illegal and wouldn't hold up in court anyway. I also noted the collection efforts got a lot more aggressive under...
  40. J

    Something Random

    Add in the cost of insurance and it gets even worse. Average cost of car ownership in the US is around $10K annually. For comparison purposes the grand total of all my expenses ( utilities, real estate taxes, home insurance, food, clothing ) is less than $20K. A car would basically increase my...
  41. J

    Something Random

    No, I never even had a driver's license. Not about to get one at 61 years old, either. I already mentioned I get car sick on all but the shortest trips, so car isn't a viable mode of transport for me. At all. Plus I have severe CTS. I just can't physically drive. Train is really the only viable...
  42. J

    Windows 11

    I didn't get my first PC until 1998 when I was 36. It was a used 386-33. After that it was progression of faster hand-me down machines. I basically went from the 386/DOS era to XP in the span of about a decade. I learned a lot. It was a hobby to me at the time. I don't regret it, either. I got...
  43. J

    Something Random

    I never owned a car or had a license. I'd be flat broke now if I had. My feet or my bike serve most of my transportation needs. Failing that, there's the subway, commuter railroads, and Amtrak. Keep in mind for about the last 12 years until my mother passed away going out beyond short local bike...
  44. J

    Something Random

    The batteries not lasting is nonsense. The numbers show otherwise. Once we move 100% towards LFP and sodium-ion the battery life will be even longer, probably many decades. Have you seen the prices of used cars lately? I'm glad I never needed to own a vehicle. I couldn't afford it, even a used one.
  45. J

    Something Random

    I think they're both ugly but my point is some people are broke and just don't have $40K to spend on a car. That's the market for these, not people who are doing better and don't mind spending a king's ransom on a car.
  46. J

    Something Random

    First off, that's right-wing FUD which I'm surprised you believe. The real-world experience is much different. Second, LiFePO4 lasts MUCH longer than regular li-ion. Calendar life can exceed 20 years, and they're good for 2,000+ charge cycles. They also don't explode or catch fire. They're...
  47. J

    Something Random

    I don't know. Their $10K EV is getting good reviews: https://www.fastcompany.com/91137050/china-is-awash-in-10000-evs-importing-them-could-have-changed-everything Granted, I think it's fugly but then I hate SUVs and crossovers with a passion. They look like giant roller skates. Something like...
  48. J

    Something Random

    I'm honestly shocked you get that kind of range at that speed. Yeah, they intentionally make things painful for cars in the Netherlands but the cities are much more livable as a result. It's a cycling mecca from what I hear about it. I didn't know they take your car for doing twice the limit...
  49. J

    Something Random

    Just a few more random thoughts on this: 1) I'm sure range anxiety is a thing but on the flip side I've read 99% of car trips are less than 40 miles. To a large extent people focus on worst-case scenarios. A guy on CPF who was a big proponent of EVs had this to say about range anxiety: "You...
  50. J

    Something Random

    To me people are making too big a thing of this. It's just another transition, the way we went from CRTs to flat screens, incandescents to LEDs, HDDs to SSDs, and so forth. By the time you might be in the market for another vehicle, there won't be any real downsides to an EV. Even now there...
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