[Global/WP] Future Computer Plans (14/11/20)

Gradually, I’m uninstalling stuff on my Linux data partition, as well as moving files from my Linux and Windows data partition to my external HDD in preparation for the inevitable wipe of everything; I plan to do the Windows stuff over the coming weeks so it gives me an idea of what I need to make sure gets backed up! I expect to actually perform the HDD and CPU upgrade along with the case move all at the same time, given what I’m doing at present, except I now need to think about how big a storage drive I want, especially considering it is gonna be split into two. I’m thinking that a 10GB partition would probably be a good start, and will certainly be a lot more affordable! I’m also considering using the new 256GB HDD I have to just have a fresh setup with the drives and then doing the final wipes when everything is fully installed, as that would speed up the process, plus I could just use the drive in my new build, though I’m wondering now if I should start working on a new-new build instead, as in the AMD motherboard with Nvidia GPU, seeing as at this point, it makes a lot more sense to go with a completely new build, especially as I have the case and the PSU.

This of course would mean that my current plan of involving maxing out the LGA 1150 would have technically been a waste of money, except I could convert the lower end 1150 setup (my current rig) into an “Ultimate Windows XP” setup to replace my Opteron 180, as it’s more power-efficient to use it instead, plus I need to reinstall Windows XP on the Opty anyway. The Opty can then go into storage for when I need an actual XP-era PC, though I’d need to do some research into that. The LGA 1150 platform is pretty long in the tooth now (having first released in 2013), and realistically, there’s little point in me continuing with it beyond closing things off, especially given my plans to get an RTX 3070 next year, so it’s time to transition it to a new purpose, though first of all, the case and CPU upgrade needs to happen. I’ll keep Linux Mint on it though as an OS I can use to go online and download, as it’s going to be more secure to download via that, as opposed to using XP.

Linux Mint will use the full 24GB of RAM, with XP using 3.5GB, so the RAM won’t completely go to waste! The Blu-Ray drives will be moved to the new build, given that Blu-Ray drives won’t work under XP, and DVD drives can either be taken from the Opty, or I can buy them for pretty cheap (the latter is more likely), so there’s no issue there. I did initially plan to move away from optical drives in my future AMD build, but I realised that I’m still likely to need to use them, especially if I need to install stuff from the disc, back up discs to ISO (for archival locally or online) or burn some for older PCs, especially as I have a few retro PC projects on the go right now. I’m not sure what I’ll do with my PC build following this AMD build, as optical media is pretty much on the way out at this point, but I’ll retain the AMD build as a secondary PC with the optical drive to continue fulfilling that purpose, plus I might also set it up to be an editing PC too!

As far as things go, my current main rig will still serve me for the next few months, especially as I’m upgrading the CPU and wireless card, and they’ll stay in it from then on, as I’ll instead use the wired connection under XP unless the card supports XP. I luckily have the 850W PSU from my current rig (I’ve already installed the ~700W PSU into the intended case for my current rig) to install into the case, but I’m gonna put it in the box for later usage, as I’m going to gather the parts to build my new rig before doing a video on it. I plan to get another WiFi 6 card, albeit with Bluetooth 5.2 (as opposed to the 5.0 on the other 2 WiFi 6 cards I have), so I can make the desktop support the latest standards possible. The 2 SSDs are already sorted at least, plus I have the 3.5-inch bay bracket to have the drives in the same place. Of course, now this means that I need to think about the HDD to use in my current and new builds, as too large a drive, would be wasted on my current rig, especially as I’d want a larger drive for the new rig and want to save up money!

This now means that my goals have changed somewhat; the case, PSU, the SSDs, the optical drives, and the card reader (installed in both cases) are pretty much sorted at least, and the wireless card is easy to sort, but now I need a new motherboard, graphics card, RAM, and a storage drive. It’s likely I’ll get the storage drive first, as that’s the most universal component, as is the RAM, which’ll likely get picked up if I don’t pick up the HDD; I’m aiming for 32GB DDR4 at this point, as I feel like this is the bare minimum required for a streaming/video recording/video editing/gaming PC these days, plus it gives me some future-proofing, as 16GB is what you need nowadays as a bare minimum if you’re a gamer, especially if you’re streaming. I’m gonna make use of Logical Increments because it gives me an idea of what stage I want to go with each component, and whilst I did say that I was gonna get an RTX 3070 earlier, I might also go for an RTX 3080 if the wind blows the right way!

I need to go and research the parts, so I’m gonna leave things here, for now, seeing as I want to get things prepared for the new change of direction hardware-wise. The CPU upgrade (and clearing out the dust, and doing better cable management) should help with the performance, and should keep me going a little longer till I can get a workable setup for my new build (meaning a CPU, motherboard, RAM, and wireless card – no storage drive or GPU yet), though even then, it’s just making sure that everything is set up; it means I can get a video/stream started, as I’ll probably have to do the build in multiple parts! It won’t be gaming-ready in that state, but I at least can install Windows 10, update it, then install Linux, and set up the likes of Steam, GOG Galaxy, Epic Games (yeah, have free games, may as well), Origin, Ubisoft’s thing (I’ll only be playing older, games though), and Lutris and Itch.io.

As far as things go, the motherboard I’ll be going for will be AM4, seeing as that’s what Logical Increments recommends. It looks like my bare minimum will be “Excellent” with the CPU, the RAM is pretty much going to be 32GB, which serves from “Superb”, all the way up to “Monstrous”, although I’d be considering 64GB well before that point; naturally, this means that I’ll get 2x16GB sticks with scope for expansion later, because 64GB is almost overkill, especially given I want to get a build up and running ASAP! Also making an appearance is PC Part Picker, which I’ll be using to prepare the build, and from looking at the prices, this is not going to be a cheap build! I think that I’ll have to purchase a 2060S to help tide me over till I get the cash together for an RTX 3070/3080, although by the time I have the money, Super or Ti variants will potentially be out, which is another good reason to hold on buying the graphics card for now!

In any case, I’ll be trying to get the upgraded (sans 2060S) version of my current rig sorted by December, which should be achievable in theory, but I’m calling it here for now.

As always, I’ll keep you all updated on things, but until then, it’s goodbye from me!