The Joy And Hate Rollercoaster of Your First PC Build...
- Thread starter gvisoc
- Start date
I've never actually built a computer from the ground up with new components. I have, on occasion, started with various piles of parts and some decrepit old computers and cobbled together some decent (for the time, and for the price) machines. A particular favorite received the host name "Gazeem", after the thief in Alladin, about whom Jafar said, "Gazeem was obviously unworthy."
My last ten or so computers have all been "refurbs", which is to say, "I cleaned the outside and, sometimes the inside, and installed linux on them. Some day maybe I'll have "extra money" and will build a spiffy new system... and, no doubt, experience the same "future shock" that @gvisoc described.
Gabe, I know who I will be coming to first if I ever decide to build a computer.
I would suspect that I would need my head read first, but I have already had that done, and I still think about it from time to time
Thanks for sharing your drama and experiences - saga of Norse epic proportions, it sounds like.
Chris
I would suspect that I would need my head read first, but I have already had that done, and I still think about it from time to time
Thanks for sharing your drama and experiences - saga of Norse epic proportions, it sounds like.
Chris
I have back in the Windows Vista days and back then it was expensive.
I sure nowadays it's even more expensive than back in the olden days.
This is what I do nowadays is build the best desktop I can out of whatever I can find cheap from local thrifts and garage sales.
Results are usually excellent imo.
Not the latest or the greatest but built like a tank will run just about any Linux I decide may be worthy to be installed run on my cobbled together desktops.
In all honesty I experience the same joy if not more by cobbling together working desktops with spare parts from other desktops others have tossed.
I love the deer in the headlight looks I get from others who see and use what I have cobbled together that runs better than their new expensive computers.
I don't have to have the newest latest fastest computer on the block sure that would be nice although what I have does what I need and that's what matters imo.
Those are always the best kind and I'll always acceppt an offering as such.
That's what would be the important deciding factor imo.
That a bummer I remember them well as I recapped several of them when capacitor kits were cheap.The 2 computers before that were Dell tower units; one for me and one for my wife. But, they contained those electrolytic capacitors that were famous for failing after a few years. Damaged the main hard drives and the external USB drive that I kept Timeshift backups on. Yeah.
I save all kinds of my data although I really never seem to need or ever use it but I'll continue to save it.
I'll probably never build another new PC either.
I have thought about building a new Flight Simulator computer.
With the cost of everything these days I doubt it will happen.
I get plenty of computer hardware for free as friends and family members upgrade to newer Windows boxes (or get screwed over by viruses or failed updates) and I keep an eye on the thrift shops. But, honestly, the thrift shops around here almost never have computer stuff in them - unless you're looking for a "wireless g" router or a low quality USB keyboard. I think there are folks on staff at those shops who cherry pick the good stuff before it ever hits the shelves.
I have a computer in the pipeline coming from my niece, if she ever remembers to bring it over. I don't even know if its a desktop/tower or a laptop, though I suspect (and hope) it will be a laptop as they're so much quieter and less power hungry. Whatever it is, it will undoubtedly have a borked Windows install and I'll spend unduly much time mucking with that before wiping it and installing Linux.
That reminds me of a recent conversation. I may post about it in my profile, or maybe in off-topic.
But the response I'd give to that is, "I value my time more than that." By that I mean that I'd just intall Linux. I wouldn't muck about with Windows, especially if there's a potential for the device to have somene's personal information on it. That's also a bit of a CYA situation. "No, I didn't look at your personal information and am not the source of your frustration. I installed Linux without ever looking to see what was on the drive."
Yeah it can be hit and miss at thrift stores.
I have a guy at one thrift that holds desktop computers and other computer stuff for me.
I'll look it over and if I want it he cuts me a helluva deal because I'll take it all most of the time.
I don't doubt that at all it happens and as long as it get sold most thrift stores don't care who buys it.
On stuff like that I'll just do a complete restore to a last working point which usually / sometimes works.Whatever it is, it will undoubtedly have a borked Windows install and I'll spend unduly much time mucking with that before wiping it and installing Linux.
If it's a laptop and I can restore a working Windows on it I'll remove all personal information and sell it.
Windows laptops sell fast around here.
People want Windows computers not Linux computers.
Can't even give away a Linux computer.
When I try to give away a Linux computer I get that deer in the headlight look.
That's pretty much the case for me with "other people's" old PCs but with family members, I usually ask if there's anything they want to have retrieved.
I used to think keeping a functional Win 10 install might be worthwhile, in case I might need that for some outside work, but now Win 10 is "out of support" so why bother. That and I have a functional (*) win 10 install floating around somewhere and I never use it.
* "functional" being too strong a word, I suppose, but it boots.
Hmmm... when did I build my first "homemade" PC? Before my daughters were bor, and they both have daughters now.. so that was a while ago. I do have NUCs and laptops, but all of my main desktop systems are "homemade".
I think in that instance I'd probably just start by doing a fresh install. That seems the most likely way to ensure all the malware is gone, and it's possibly quicker these days.
I have no idea how the used laptop market is here. I've never looked into it, though I suppose that's a good way to make a few dollars here and there.
Yeah, I can see doing that. It can also be a bit different for family members, at least in some family dynamics.
i would be inclined to randomly overwrite the entire disc before installing another OS
@Brickwizard
Since Windows 10 is EOL what you suggest is spot on.
If Windows 10 was still supported randomly overwriting the entire disc would delete the Windows 10 recovery partition.
People I sell computers to want computers with Windows not Linux.
Can't even give a Linux computer away.
I've only been asked if I have any Windows computers for sale.
Never been asked if I have any Linux computers for sale.
Since Windows 10 is EOL what you suggest is spot on.
If Windows 10 was still supported randomly overwriting the entire disc would delete the Windows 10 recovery partition.
People I sell computers to want computers with Windows not Linux.
Can't even give a Linux computer away.
I've only been asked if I have any Windows computers for sale.
Never been asked if I have any Linux computers for sale.
In early 2002, thinking of improving my computer hardware knowledge, I took a course in computer hardware, completing the course as shown here:
The skills acquired were excellent for building a computer for myself and others in the family. Unfortunately, by the time that a new computer needed to be built about 8 years later, hardware had changed so much that I felt I really needed a refresher course to regain the same expertise since I'd had no relevant experience with hardware for all of those 8 years. The choice seemed to be to learn again either by research or a formal course, or use someone else's expertise. Since then I've chosen the latter, and my detailed knowledge of current hardware has remained rudimentary with the occasional replacement of a gpu or ramstick. The simple pleasure of receiving a new machine and then just having to install the distro and play with software now suits me just fine. I now replace computers every 5 years specifically to avoid hardware issues and pass on the old still usable stock to family or friends who can still use it.
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