For those who like computers.

[Steve Strassburg]

Since there isn't a general chat section, I just had to post this here. I know this isn't laser project related, but here goes.
Also, since one of the topics got off topic and I didn't want to take it back off topic. I started this one.

I know that all of us use a computer to create our images, so this is a pre-laser project. Well, quite a bit "PRE".

Intel I7 6700K clocked at 4.5 ghz.
Asus Z170-A Motherboard
G.skill Ripjaw V 3000 mhz 16 GBs
Corsair H100i V2 cooler.
RGB Fans.
EVGA GTX 1060 SSC
Phanteks Case with Tempered Glass.
EVGA 650 G2 power supply.

20180325_164605.jpg

[Hank Morgan]

It's so shiny & clean!
Bring it over here for a couple of months and I'll let the cats fix that up for you.

[Tim Mellor]

And now thanks to some Forum tweakage by Pete you have the inaugural thread in the General section Useful for anything not specifically Lasers.

My recent build I posted a photo of elsewhere. It is built as a CAD / 4K Video rendering box and the Video card is limiting for Games if that is your preference and I might still upgrade it later in the year but initially I set a $1k USD budget.

Build Cost with just the 500GB SSD $1012 USD + tax July 2019. Extra 1TB NVMe $185 USD

Ryzen 7 3700X
32 Gb Corsair LPX 3200MHz (overkill but worth it)
500Gb Samsung EVO Plus NVMe SSD
1Tb Samsung EVO Plus NVMe SSD (I was going to add a more normal SATA spinny one but slurged)
Coolermaster H500 (3 versions available one of which is a hot box!)
Coolermaster 650W fully modular 80+ Bronze power supply (because unused leads are ugly)
RX580 Graphics card - USED because new prices locally still suck a bit post bitcoin.

Gigabyte B450 Wifi motherboard because it ticked the boxes I wanted. ** Check the stock bios version if you want to pair it with Ryzen 3's. In my case I had a prior generation Ryzen CPU that worked on the stock BIOS.

Buying Windows 10 for those not in the know here use 'TD20' as a voucher code for a bit more reduction. https://www.urcdkey.com/microsoft-windo ... 66-20.html

The cable management appeals to the Engineer and slightly OCD person in me

[Tim Mellor]

Time to 'maybe consider' removing some of the ancient stuff to the recyclers

WiFi cards and USB external; range extenders underneath assorted HDD the best of which is a newish 200GB the rest are pulls from scrapped family and business systems and really need a proper disposal of. 250Mb Graphics card from maybe W98 era at nearly $200 from my scratchy memory and lots more goodies. Even the 3 1.2" FDD has had it's day as you can now get emulators for pen drives. My new build didn't even get a consideration for a DVD burner as they are about toast too.

[Gene Uselman]

I remember buying a .5 G harddrive in the bodyshop I owned 25 years ago [actually closer to 35 now that I think about it] and it cost $500, back when $500 was a lot of money, and the IT guy assured me it was the last HD I would ever need. My first computer in the signshop was $3800 and the software was over $5000. And I have bought probably 20 computers since then. And I love technology.

[Tim Mellor]

While I am a few years younger than you the first PC I played with that had a HDD was an IBM XT with a 10Mb one We were still using the first of the Apple II Plus models with 32kB and then a whopping 48-64kB of Ram with 360kB Floppy Disks in secondary school at the time.

Back then you learned to code properly or you ran out of memory. Somewhere along the line as the power of systems has followed Moores Law software hasn't. Yes Mt Gates et al I am looking at you.....

[Gene Uselman]

In 1965 I was working on a computer built on a 4x8 plywood board- all the components were mounted with sockets so the instructor could swap in a bad capacitor or *tube* or whatever and then we had to devise code to determine where the bad component was. That was back when my mind was still firing on most of it's cylinders. I am on 'limp in mode' now.

[Tim Mellor]

I take it that was 8'x4' My current build I am designing a Laser cut case for is about 8"x12" for those still working in 'freedom units' (Liberia, Burma and the USA ) Tucked under the Aorus aluminium shield on the board is 500Gb of NVMe Hard Drive and 2 8Gb sticks of Ram on the side. Ryzen 2400G under the cooler.

Only a few short years after you were playing with valve based computers and as the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing was drawing closer and has now past there has been a lot of interest and work on getting parts of the Computers and modules back up and working again. Magnetic Core memory is a work of art. Handwoven on looms with a magnet switched electrically for storing data bits. In a strange quirk of timing they were also using the first IC's with this. Meanwhile I am sure a chunk of the Ground based systems were still running Valves and discrete transistors.

https://www.pinterest.com.au/strangequa ... re-memory/

[Gene Uselman]

I also worked on the lunar expeditionary lander guidance too- all analog controls, hundreds of microswitches and Rube Goldberg cams and linkages.

[Tim Mellor]

Some of the Cam driven switches used pre micro electronics are works of art. The shot below over my right shoulder is 'some' of my Calibration Gear the insides of some of it is outright pornographic and a bunch of the older ones run cams, gears and selectors for range changing

On topic the old school HP Logo was Laser cut engraved on smoke grey acrylic as the null voltmeter came without side panels. Still under spec and it is a year older than I am. I am not under spec BTW