Custom90gt

I don't know about the smallest laptop with a number pad, but I would check out the LG Gram 15 since they are quite reasonable when it comes to size and weight, even for a 15" laptop. 

What devices are you trying to bond? You're not likely to find a 2.5gbps switch that is managed for less than $300 afaik. You could do a true 10gbps setup for much less.

*on edit*

Here is an example:

https://www.adorama.com/qnwm21082sus.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuGqXUrZgBJ1d125PMArTIkbr5xeR1MCOt4TB5Bnw0pSzpZugv0OPHRoC8mQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&utm_source=adl-gbase-p

15 hours ago, ryan said:

perhaps it wasn't the best guess im just going by what my internet usage is like..writing and caching pages youtube ect games wise im constantly shuffling games as im like a adhd kid when it comes to contentment with games im always shifting...but 3000 tb doesnt seem like much

 

what does a typical HDD get?

Mechanical hard drives do not have limited write endurance.  One way you can check for how much lifetime you've written to your SSD is to run Crystal Disk Info and see what it says, I think it's going to be far less than you're imagining. If one really needs high write endurance then enterprise level drives are really the only solution, but they are typically older and slower.  My old HGST 400GB (yes small) SAS SLC drives can write 35PB - these are what I use for caching or frequently written data.  They only have read/write speeds in the 500mb/s range but in RAID0 that's fast enough to saturate 10GB/s network speeds. 

I mean I guess I'm not surprised to see no uplift in applications that do not utilize additional CPU cache.  Intel already added additional cache to their 13 series CPU to edge out AMD when it comes to gaming...

I can appreciate your dealings with hardware (read struggles) because I've been there myself.  I've never had luck with WDS or mesh or anything like that myself. 

Perhaps telling us the layout of your house and plans for connecting equipment.  How many wireless devices, how many wired, what is the desired wireless range? My advise is always do wired if able.  Are you considering 10/40/100Gb Ethernet in the future?  If so there are ways to do that for a reasonable price.  2.5Gb fits most people's current usage, but 2.5Gb switches are expensive. 

Things that I would look into: building a PfSense router - you can use older hardware but the amount of things you can do with it is amazing - but that needs a dedicated access point or converted wireless router.  I don't know much about TP link products, but after reading your link, I wouldn't keep them.  I'm a big fan of ruckus, but covid has made their prices skyrocket.  You can still find good deals on some Aerohive APs that perform really well.

In terms of a server, well the sky is the limit there.  I went from a mini-HP that held 3 HDDs to a Fractal Define R5 with a stack of HDDs to a supermicro case with room for 24 as my plex library expands. 

3 hours ago, ryan said:

3000tb use? geez Im probably downloading and deleting 1 tb per week. 3000 weeks seems weak. how long should a nvme ssd last year wise

I would be shocked if you're downloading 1TB a week unless you're working with uncompressed photos/video on a professional basis.  Aren't you on mobile data in your house?

I also think the next X3D will be less limited given Intel dethroning AMD, especially in value. 

2 hours ago, johnksss said:

Hummmm, and you chose the right protection plan correct? With the right SKU? And you asked what your warranty covers before even paying for it right?

Also I would state that a low quality SP rating is grounds for replacement(Meaning chip is not up to par - But this can also be found with in the normal return period though). Now no one is going to really know what that is, but that is how we "quantify" Intel chips as being keepers or losers these days. (This is of course is an example)

 

 

Yes, as of about 2 years ago, my MC wised up and no longer accepts returns so you can upgrade.  It was a great deal upgrading for the price of the warranty.  I guess I could do the accidental warranty and smash it with a hammer, lol. 

16 hours ago, johnksss said:

Well, I swapped out my 12900K that I bought back in April. 🙂 (Cost was 549.99+ 69.99 for 2 year warranty)

 

As it stands, no one is beating Microcenters in house warranty on computer parts. And Best Buy with their triple the cost warranty is "trash" and take forever to do anything when a problem arises. I walked my 12900K in store with no muss no fuss. Cashier already knew what time it was because he had a guy on 4090 launch day come back in with a complete computer setup to swap out. 😂

 

For the most part I'm done losing big money on aging parts. Had I bought my Kingpins through them I would be sitting on 4500 right now.

 

If you do like me, then you only pay upgrade cost plus new warranty. And when the next card comes out you only pay the difference. She can't get mad then. Since she already got mad last year for the initial purchase.😄

 

 

I used to do that but Denver's MC will no longer allow upgrades, it has to be broken.

Yawn, not much of an upgrade. 

Had some decent luck on Ebay.

Picked up a HP T1500 G5 UPS for $90 shipped (a rebranded Eaton 5P 1500) for my server, basically a $600 UPS that does pure sine wave.

Also ended up scoring two APC AP7900 power distribution units for $80 bucks shipped as well.  Even used they typically go for $170-$200 each. 

10 hours ago, ssj92 said:

My iMac Pro supports 10Gbps, and I hope to get a 10Gbps PCIe card for my server desktop. I want to get a 10Gbps switch in the future to allow for maximum speed between server and clients. 

 

unfortunately for now I have 1Gbps speed with my 16-port switch

When that time comes make a thread and I can help you find reasonable 10Gbps devices.  Don't spend hundreds on a switch...

Fastest connection?  I have a 40Gbps link between my server and my brocade switch. Desktop is at 10Gbps right now but plans to up it to 40Gbps as well. Sadly most things are on my Ruckus wireless access-point and that tops out at 900Mbps to most laptops.

21 hours ago, ryan said:

yeah i thought it might help games caching the game. im not really storing movies/text just games. im thinking a normal hdd will be fine

If you're loading games (running them off of the external drive) then I would seriously consider a SSD.  If you're just backing up games or copying them to your laptop's SSD before playing them, the HDD will be fine.

I've never had any experience with a SSHD first hand but the concept is simple. It will cache frequently used files (typically used for an OS drive) in the solid state portion so they are faster to load.  Not really of use for a storage drive unless you frequently access specific files.

4 hours ago, jaybee83 said:

 

whats ur take on toshiba drives? based on reviews their MG09 line with MAMR tech is supposed to be super fast and comparably quiet. im having my eye on the 18TB model for backup purposes.

 

The Toshiba drives seem to be between WD and Seagate in terms of reliability according to BlackBlaze, however they haven't any stats on the MG09 drives.  I've only a few experiences with Toshiba drives and never had an issue with them.

Bump, keep forgetting about these, price drop. 

darn good price for these from a great dude.

12 hours ago, ryan said:

brother @Custom90gtWhat HDD (external) would you recommend buying if you need the oomfmm storage. I currently have 1 tb looking at a 5tb HDD

We are right around the corner from black friday pricing (although Best Buy occasionally has great deals on drives).  If you can wait for it, I'd go that route.  Chances are you can pick up a WD 8-12TB drive for pretty reasonable.  I'm pretty stuck on WD (IBM) drives since I've never had good luck with Seagate drives (personally or as a tech).  If you need a smaller portable drive then you can do the 2.5" 4TB thing for pretty cheap. 

12 hours ago, ryan said:

I need more storage, I have a opinion question?

 

I can buy a 512gb SSD external 

or

Buy a 2tb External HDD at 7200rpm

 

should I go SSD is this it or do I get the extra 1.5 tb its just for slightly more games and my 3d movie collection

That's a question only you can answer.  If you need more space and don't need it to be super quick than the HDD will be a fine option.  If you need less space but want it to be faster than get the SSD.  I you're thinking about trying to run games off of it, I'd get the SSD.

Yeah what a bummer, I didn't see this coming at all.  On the bright side, I'm not quite as bummed about not being able to pick up a 4000 series card now.

Although not really unique, the first real GPU I ever got to use was a Voodoo 2 by 3dfx on a friends computer.  It was amazing and Unreal, literally Unreal because that's the first game we played that supported it.

That's the direct link to the comment. Not sure why it didn't update with the edit, but anyone that wants to upvote it, I'd appreciate it.  Also happy to make edits if it's poorly worded (it was a quick post, lol). 

I have posted in that thread before but I also created another post.  If we could get the thumbs up to the post it'll appear first in the list.

yeah I'd be interested in links to what you purchased. I was just thinking I'd love to change the server to DDR5 and something with IPMI...