I just got myself a new computer.

[Chako]

I found several issues with my current computer. One, the cats have been able to turn off and on the machine due to where the power button is located...which is on top of the full tower case. Two, I have had weird USB electrical problems for some time now. That second issue pushed me into buying a newer system. Let me explain.

Last Saturday, I was taking photographs of the VEX Robotics challenge at the local College. You may remember a few years ago when I was a mentor for the First Robotics Program...but that team dissolved...and in its place is VEX Robotics. Smaller and more manageable robots with competitions that can be held in town. It is a win win for local High School and Elementary students.

I digress, I was the official photographer for the event as well as being a mentor for one of the local teams. I shot around 300 photos of the event. When I got home, my computer must have sent an electrical spike to my flash card as it fried itself after downloading 200 or so photographs. I counted myself both lucky and unfortunate. I did get the first 2/3rds installed on my computer...but I lost the last 100 or so and fried a card in the process. I was so peeved and annoyed, especially after losing all the team photos, that I vowed to replace my computer.

Now, I usually spend a good month researching to be sure that all parts will work together. I used to enjoy building and fiddling with computers. Come to think of it, I have always built my computers from the ground up for the last 17 odd years. This time, I just wanted something that works out of the box without all of the fiddling. I found a not that bad system at the local Staples of all places.

This is what I got:





So this is my first bought computer in a long time. At least it should do the job nicely based on the specs.

PRODUCT DETAILS
•4nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-4770K Processors
•16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz
•NVIDIA GeForce GTX770 2GB DDR5
•3TB SATA 6Gb/s hard drive 7200RPM + 128G SATA 6GB/s SSD drive
•Ports (Front IO): 1 x 16-in-1 Card Reader, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Headphone, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0; Ports (Rear IO): 1 x RJ45 LAN, 1 x 8 channel Audio I/O, 1 x PS/2, 1 x S/PDIF, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI-D, 1 x VGA, 4 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0
•Connectivity options include 802.11n Wi-Fi and LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps
•Tray-in Blu-ray Combo
•Dimensions: 19.2" H. x 8.5" W. x 21.4 D.
•Product Weight: 31.7 lb.

So on paper it looks real good. My current system has 8 Gb of ram, AMD Phenom II 1090T 6 Core CPU, and a Nvidia GTX 470 video card. I know the i7 series beats AMD CPUs in real life and benchmark tests. The Graphics card is a few generations newer...although I must say, that 470 GTX still plays games nicely.

My next step is to cat proof the computer. I have my current box on the floor where the cats can climb up on it...hence the issue I have with cats turning on and off the computer. usually, they turn off the computer when I am busy doing something important. Likewise, sometimes, the cat will stick its claw somewhere and it will crash my computer...I strongly suspect my top front facing USB ports. I am going to place the new system atop a table. That should cat proof it. Plus the new case appears to have a better placed anti-paw on/off button location compared to my old Cooler Master haf 932 case.

Going to unbox it either tonight or tomorrow morning. I am so excited that my cats are giving me that "you are weird" look. I took this photo because it is so funny. Mind you, whenever I point a camera at them...they give me this look anyways.




More on the VEX Rotobics...

http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=65850

and two of my surviving photos.

[sawman]

 

[Etherealicer]

Wow, now you can upload pictures of your MT's much faster

[Chako]

I just can't believe they had a nice system like this at Staples. They only had one on the shelves...practically screamed out my name when I walked by it. 

[Whoey]

I solved the cats on my computer issue by putting some L brackets on the inside side of my desk and setting the case on top of them, there is enough clearance for my hand to get to the power button on the top front edge, but not a cat.

Your old machine probably still destroys my current setup, but I'm happy with it as is.

That being said, while I was in Canada I picked up a Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro. A very awesome portable option.

[Chako]

Thank god they don't have opposable thumbs! 

   

Whoey, when I started to add up the cost of parts to build a new system...I couldn't build one cheaper than I paid for this computer. Mind you, I am still taken by the Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition case. 

But that is just aesthetics. That Level 10 GT case would probably attract cats more than this Stealth Asus case might...only time will tell.   

[Whoey]

Don't get me wrong, I love some of those cases, my old machine was a thermaltake clone. My current machine is a pretty bland HP box system with an addon videocard, upgraded SSD, and ram... it still does what I need, but I'm beginning to think it's new video card time, I had to replace the cooler on the existing card as the fan sounded pretty rough, and the new one is passive heatpipe cooling. Other than that the core system is unchanged (Intel Quad Q9300)

[derekmac]

I have an Asus PC that's pretty similar to yours, and I'm very happy with it, minus Windows 8 that is.  I'm very happy with Mint though!  

[Chako]

I wish I had that type of restraint. My current system was built 3 to 4 years ago...whenever the Nvidia 400 series ruled the gaming world. That is the longest I have went without upgrading. on a side note, I hear that the current AMD cards are hot commodities due to their prowess at Bit Coin data mining. I read somewhere that prices are going up due to lack of supply worldwide. 

[Whoey]

Well I suspect not running windows as the primary OS has extended the life of my system vastly... 

That's not to say I wouldn't enjoy an upgraded machine, but I just don't feel it's necessary. I did also get a new screen as well. BTW, my machine only has a lowly Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT in it... 

So far gradual upgrades have probably extended the life of this machine quite a bit. I was actually surprised that my brother in laws machine which is a "premium" newer model of what I have actually feels a lot slower than mine. Even after a wipe, and clean restore on a brand new SSD!

[detron]

not that it matters in this case, but others reading might find it useful.

http://pcpartpicker.com/

this is where I build computers,  it uses different venders to get the best price, and it ensures compatability of the parts.  finally, it helps track APPROX power supply requirements


now, back on topic,  that looks like an awesome Rig.  blows mine away in every aspect (except RAM, I have 32 Gig)  that video card would crack password hashes much faster than mine will.  very nice!!

Well I suspect not running windows as the primary OS has extended the life of my system vastly... 

That's not to say I wouldn't enjoy an upgraded machine, but I just don't feel it's necessary. I did also get a new screen as well. BTW, my machine only has a lowly Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT in it... 

So far gradual upgrades have probably extended the life of this machine quite a bit. I was actually surprised that my brother in laws machine which is a "premium" newer model of what I have actually feels a lot slower than mine. Even after a wipe, and clean restore on a brand new SSD!

+1  YEP!  that is why I have so many old computers.  they work great when Windows is removed. 

[Chako]

That is a good tool detron. I usually figure out what processor I want...and then I research chipsets that are compatible with that CPU...which determines motherboards. I then take my time looking at the various motherboards that feature that chipset. This is where I really take my time. I look for potential issues such as clearances, types of memory that are compatible with that motherboard, etc. Then I will narrow the choice on the perks of the motherboard. Once I have the motherboard and memory figures out, I then look at a computer case to house everything and a power supply. This can take me weeks to mule over. Mind you, this is the fun part. Putting the system together tends to be anticlimactic. I did have one occasion years ago when I was building a system on the kitchen table. Someone rang the door bell. When I came back, my cat at the time was sleeping inside my opened and on its side computer case atop my expensive ASUS motherboard. Lucky for me, there wasn't any scratching or static issues with that build. I did feel like a surgeon removing said kitty from my electronic box of goodies. 

[Whoey]

When I bought my system I tried building it out of parts and could not compete with the boxed system price... obviously it wasn't the system board I would have rathered, but it was close enough for my needs, then factor in all the extras that I would not have gotten for the price.

I would love a new setup now as it would force me to do a clean setup of Mint or Ubuntu... as it is I'm feeling too lazy to wipe/restore/resetup this machine.

Never leave a case open with cats around 

[Chako]

Yes, I am curious to see what motherboard resides in this computer. Apparently it is a republic of gamer ASUS motherboard...but not sure what model. I will take photos of the inside tonight or tomorrow. I did read somewhere online that the cable management left something to be desired. I won't know until I open it up.

Oddly enough, I couldn't dig many details on the Asus G30 online. I unfortunately asked too many in-depth questions that couldn't be answered from the Staples "computer expert". Going to have to open it up to find out. Hmmm...I wonder if there are those pesky warrantee void if sticker seal broken to be found therein.

[Whoey]

yes, I hate that sometimes the "experts" know less than you do about it, and most of your knowledge is from what you read on the box...

[Millhouse]

Very nice. That is very close in spec to my own desktop. If you've never had a machine with an SSD, you'll appreciate the fast boot times and responsiveness.

If you can't get on with Windows 8, you can give it the Win 7 feel with Classic shell.

http://www.classicshell.net/

[Smashie]

Nice computer, I need a new desktop, I'm fed up with using a laptop all the time.

I did pick this up off eBay the other week, will do for backing everything in the house up



It's an old(ish) supermicro 1u 2 x 2.4 ghz zeons, 4gb ram, intel hardware raid and soon to have 4 new hd's.

And what did this cost me? I hear you cry. £26 plus £18 shipping

[Whoey]

slick, if you have a place to hide it... the 1u system I have sounds like a rocketship when powered on...

[Smashie]

slick, if you have a place to hide it... the 1u system I have sounds like a rocketship when powered on...

oh yes it is loud!

I've been using a wall mount 450mm comms cabinet to date, Cisco switch, firewall dsl router etc in it. But my project for the holidays is to re run the cat6 cable to the utility room and get a new cabinet to house everything.

Fortunately when I ran the cables originally I planned to move everything there eventually, so I've got enough cable to pull through!

[sir_mike]

Nice setup Chako!

My current one is a custom built core i5-4570 and it works great for what I need.  I also have a AMD Phenom quad for playing with other OS's like linux, win 8 or whatever!

I was using a core i7 laptop daily but missed my desktop so it is just sitting on my desk!

[Chako]

Well here is the unboxing. I noticed one of those pesky warranty stickers. On such a system...that is sacrilegious. I might have to break it tomorrow to see what is inside.

I used my cheapest trashiest knife to open it. Glue can cake itself on the blade for all I care.



Well protected.



I wonder what goodies lurks in that box.



The presentation is nice...and that box is big. It says accessories.



Ummm ok...a keyboard. I knew there would be one in there.



Hmmm...that keyboard is a dog. chicklet style keys with hardly any movement...woof!



What does that mouse look like....ugh...another travesty of peripheral injustice. I guess I won't be swaping out my Logitech G710+ keyboard and Performance MX mouse.



That was a big box...what else is in here? A quick user guide, a thick book about the warranty in a bazillion languages, an antennae, and a cover plate. 

 

The case itself looks better than the meager accessories. However, Asus saw fit to paste this on the right hand side of the case. Not sure why Asus pasted the biggest sticker I have ever seen on a case for what amounts to their business line "Essentio" on a Republic of Gamer PC. So is it an Essentio line or a ROG line. Talk about identity crisis.



The case itself is very nice. I am growing to like it. The top has this nice texturing.



The top panel features headphone, mic, and 4 USB ports. 2 each of USB 3 and 2.



Now for the best part...the power switch is angled and should be harder for kitty to hit.



On the other side, is the overclock button.



Under a very intricate and interesting moveable panel that opens via one press, are the card reader and blueray writer.



Another look at that panel. It swings out and slides down while making soft whooshing sounds. I better not show this to my cats. I can see the little blighters playing with this for a long time.



Now for the back part. Nothing fancy here. However, I spy a little warranty sticker that seals the unit. Seriously, a ROG computer with a seal on it? I see there is room for possibly another video card...if the motherboard supports it. I won't know till I crack it open. That will be a job for tomorrow though.



A closer look at the back panel.



This is my anti cat plan. Place the computer where the printer used to be...up high away from prying paws and mischievous felines. You can see my old computer at ground level. I will remove that computer making it harder for kitties to get up onto my computer table. 

 

So there you have it. I will hook it up tomorrow and give it a whirl.

 

[Smashie]

You could try angling the fan across the top of the case, I'm pretty sure the kittys wont like that even on low speed

[Chako]

I do in the summer...but in winter time...I don't want any fans on other than my furnace.

[detron]

That is a good tool detron. I usually figure out what processor I want...and then I research chipsets that are compatible with that CPU...which determines motherboards. I then take my time looking at the various motherboards that feature that chipset. This is where I really take my time. I look for potential issues such as clearances, types of memory that are compatible with that motherboard, etc. Then I will narrow the choice on the perks of the motherboard. Once I have the motherboard and memory figures out, I then look at a computer case to house everything and a power supply. This can take me weeks to mule over. Mind you, this is the fun part. Putting the system together tends to be anticlimactic. I did have one occasion years ago when I was building a system on the kitchen table. Someone rang the door bell. When I came back, my cat at the time was sleeping inside my opened and on its side computer case atop my expensive ASUS motherboard. Lucky for me, there wasn't any scratching or static issues with that build. I did feel like a surgeon removing said kitty from my electronic box of goodies. 

I may be the exception and not the rule,  but I start with the motherboard, not the processor.

[Pacu]

nice computer there 

bout time for me a new one.

[Whoey]

I tend to also start with the processor... looking for the most bang for buck, where ever there's an obvious price break, then try to get the best mainboard to go with it without breaking the bank. Last time however as I mentioned I just grabbed a boxed system that was a good core setup and well below the price I would have paid for the parts.

[Chako]

OMG. I just got the chance to boot up the computer and I am completely lost with Windows 8. I am going to explore it to see if I like it.

[derekmac]

OMG. I just got the chance to boot up the computer and I am completely lost with Windows 8. I am going to explore it to see if I like it.

And the magic 8 ball says.......



I can say that my wife HATES it.  I don't really care for it myself either, which is why I'm using Linux Mint as my main OS.

[Chako]

Well so far...it is very odd. Lots of functionality hidden. I will have to use it for a while before I decide on if it will be a nay or yay.

[Smashie]

God I hate Win 8 so much!