You have worry but much less! And more likely that refurbed desktops have ethernet h/w that is supported.So I take it that I shouldn't really worry about ethernet drivers these days?
It's now called em(4), I recently got a dual for 1.5€ and a quad for 5€ (not yet in active use, and the quad is a bit old and power-hungry) at the bay. In active use is alc(4) (works well) and re(4) (really low end). People seem to be going for 10Gbit, so these are dumped.The last time I bought hardware, that was a concern, i.e. that some wouldn't be adequate (I was told).
(Edit: Yes, I have a true Intel PCI double ethernet card running fxp.)
It's all about looking on ebay at the right time ready to buy, and if you don't see what you want today it could be there tomorrow.I'm with you on Thinkpads - I heart my T430, but how can you tell if they're business lease returns?
Intel is always good, except those new 2.5Gbit ones, they're not supported, 1 or 10GBit Intel shouldn't be a problem.So I take it that I shouldn't really worry about ethernet drivers these days?
Lots of spaces for adding case fans both front and back, computers run hot these days, good airflow going in on the front and out the back is important. Lots of space for drives (both 2.5 and 3.5 inch). That's usually it. Only my main desktop is a tower model. All my other machines are in 19" rack mountable cases and I usually outfit those with hot-swappable drive bays so I don't have to take it apart when a drive dies (every drive eventually does).What do people look for in a tower case these days? Ease of manipulation...
i had one of thoseWhere does running hot & lots of fans leave us with noise?
Aftermarket fans are reasonably quiet. I have 3 8cm case fans in my tower and it's super quiet.Where does running hot & lots of fans leave us with noise?
I run them only on demand. Boards still have a serial interface, and this provides for two wires that can easily be switched from software. Some BD137 transistor can then switch about 1 Ampere. That way I can monitor all disks via smartctl in addition to the CPU.Where does running hot & lots of fans leave us with noise?
9 Power_On_Hours -O--C- 089 089 000 - 83114
10 Spin_Retry_Count PO--C- 100 100 060 - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count -O--CK 100 100 000 - 996
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count -O--CK 082 082 000 - 22181
193 Load_Cycle_Count -O--C- 082 082 000 - 22182
194 Temperature_Celsius -O---- 176 176 000 - 34 (Min/Max 18/68)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count -O--CK 100 100 000 - 58
0x05 0x020 1 68 --- Highest Temperature
0x05 0x028 1 18 --- Lowest Temperature
0x05 0x050 4 30220 --- Time in Over-Temperature
0x05 0x058 1 60 --- Specified Maximum Operating Temperature
I either used Thermaltake (Soprano the latest used) or Antec cases. The Thermaltake case has a 16+cm front fan that is only heard when I put my ear down directly on it.What do people look for in a tower case these days? Ease of manipulation...
Even there, the choices are dizzying.
Yeah, those usually don't last long in my house. They're easily replaced so it's not that big of an issue for me.The fans that come preinstalled in computer cases are crap
I do need to replace my fans every so often. My home is quite dusty (it's almost 100 years old) and fans just clog up and start whining after some time. More expensive fans are typically better and will last longer, but those too will need replacing from time to time.
of course it is. Onboard graphics these days are better than specialty graphics cards from back in the day (anybody remember viper)- you can watch 1080p, do limited video processing, and even play games that aren't super demanding.Yes, my intent is the onboard graphics card. That is what I have been using, assuming it's still going to be good enough for web browsing....
Yes, or have a compressor and just use shop compressed air. But one thing to be careful of: Don't let fans spin madly. It's fun, they make a nice whining noise, and the extremely high RPM ruin their bearings. So put one finger on the hub of the fan when cleaning it with compressed air.I use canned air to blow my systems out every few months and that seems to keep the fans alive a lot longer.