OT: The Avalounge: Now Untitled!

[Nzap]

Not sure if I just buy a new desktop or build it.

Build, but try to either find a friend who has done it before, or look online for good, DETAILED, guides on how to do it.
(this is of course only if you have not done it before).
Also, when choosing pieces, remember to check sizes (that everything has enough room in the casing) and fits (like correct sockets).
There are many tools online to check this.
Also, be savvy. Try hardest to avoid any bottlenecks (no reason to buy an expensive graphics card if your CPU is not fast enough, do not buy more RAM than your software can use). Also do not cheap out on things like the CPU fan or the power source. Easy things to not care about, but can cause problems in the future if they are of worse quality. Lots of other things too, but check the guides.
You have to find the correct balance here. I have been part of building three computers myself, and every time I have done more work myself in building it. Last time (my cousin´s) I built like 90%, my older bro just helped check I did everything correct and helped me with the wiring).

It is a whole lot of fun, and the sense of accomplishment is high. You just have to understand that you bear all the risks. If you screw up, most pieces might be toast and $1000 bucks can disappear just like that.

 

[Ivan13]

If you are not tech savvy I wouldn't recommend it. As most have pointed out you can easily end up in a big hole if you get just one thing wrong. Over the years I've seen plenty of people who messed up their own builds, from broken CPU pins to damaged motherboards etc. I've built probably over 50 configurations, most when I was in high school working in a PC shop and I love to do it, but lately I stopped doing it as a favor to my mates, as one of them didn't want to listen to a word I said when he was buying components and then complained that the PC doesn't work right and when his power supply dies (because he bought complete shit that couldn't handle the load) he said I must've messed up something because the guy in the store said it was a good one.

What Nzap said is also very important, know what you plan to do with it. Are you a person who uses PCs for gaming? For work that includes something that is tied to coding? Video/picture editing is a need? Depending on those answers you can structure your build and see what you need to spend on and where you can spend a little bit less, i.e if you are a coder that doesn't do any frontend work and you don't play games or at last not high-end ones you'll need a good CPU, RAM, but you don't need a GTX 1080 as 1050 or 1050Ti could do the trick.

Just please don't be one of those who buys an i9, 1080 and 16GB RAM and then slots it on a 100$ motherboard, in a case where each component barely fits and can't be cooled properly and then to boot decides to power it all with a cheap power source that can't handle the loads, makes the same amount of noise a plane does during takeoff and heats up the build, even more, making the GPU and CPU thermal throttle like crazy.

 

[UncleRisto]

Yes, but that's not a very good analogy. A car is something you use most every day of your life - a tool, as I said the other day. Aside from a small percentage of collectors' items or refurbs, a car should never be viewed as a financial investment.

I buy a new car every 10 years or so, and I break it down thusly (is that an actual word?): 10 years is about 3,600 days, and if I spend $40,000 or so on a nice new car, it works out to about $11/day (not including maintenance and gas, of course). To have the freedom to go anywhere I want, when I want, etc. for $11/day is a good deal, IMO. That's one or two Uber rides.

Yep. And even if you don't do that math and keep one for 10 years, non-exotic cars are obviously never an investment. How many items do you people actually buy that are an investment? People who often change cars change cars because they want to, and they can. Unlike college students in jobless sciences.

 

[Foppberg]

I didn't realize the topic would be so upsetting people can do whatever they want with their money.

 

[UncleRisto]

I didn't realize the topic would be so upsetting people can do whatever they want with their money.

Not upsetting, just a different line of thinking here for me. But I'm in a position where I don't have to have a car, so I get to choose not having a car instead of having a cheap one, for now. But in general I tend to buy items that are a bit pricier, as opposed to cheaper options (even though I'm not like rich or anything, actually I have very small income), so I guess that tendency just shines through here. Because the way I look at it is, as long as I can afford it, why would I buy something that I don't want to own and I don't like? I don't buy any of my other stuff all beaten up.

 

[Foppberg]

Not upsetting, just a different line of thinking here for me. But I'm in a position where I don't have to have a car, so I get to choose not having a car instead of having a cheap one, for now. But in general I tend to buy items that are a bit pricier, as opposed to cheaper options (even though I'm not like rich or anything, actually I have very small income), so I guess that tendency just shines through here. Because the way I look at it is, as long as I can afford it, why would I buy something that I don't want to own and I don't like? I don't buy any of my other stuff all beaten up.

Yeah, I'd rather buy something once rather than 2, 3 times because it was initially cheaper.
But as far as it goes for cars, I wouldn't buy a complete beater, unless I was car savvy and could fix it up, but I'd buy a good car. Good on gas, enough trunk space, all the little things etc. My very upper limit would probably be 35-40k, and that's if I'm in a very good financial position, for me car ownership is about going from point A to point B, and freedom. I don't have the passion to spend insane amounts of money for something that a much cheaper 10-20k car can do.

 

[henchman21]

I didn't realize the topic would be so upsetting people can do whatever they want with their money.

Pretty much how I see it... everybody has different situations and priorities in life. Provided you are not hurting other people, do what you want with your money. It is pretty easy to throw stones in a glass house, it just isn't advised.

 

[UncleRisto]

Yeah, I'd rather buy something once rather than 2, 3 times because it was initially cheaper.
But as far as it goes for cars, I wouldn't buy a complete beater, unless I was car savvy and could fix it up, but I'd buy a good car. Good on gas, enough trunk space, all the little things etc. My very upper limit would probably be 35-40k, and that's if I'm in a very good financial position, for me car ownership is about going from point A to point B, and freedom. I don't have the passion to spend insane amounts of money for something that a much cheaper 10-20k car can do.

Yeah, I can get behind those numbers for sure. I've seen that revolving door of cars worth less than 2-3k with a couple of my friends and man do they go through a lot of replacing parts and stuff.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I’ve had 2 cars in my life. One got stolen and totaled and I replaced it with the check I got from insurance.

Both Saab 93’s. Love that car.

 

[Ceremony]

I love driving my share certificates to work in the morning

 

[Bonzai12]

Yes, but that's not a very good analogy. A car is something you use most every day of your life - a tool, as I said the other day. Aside from a small percentage of collectors' items or refurbs, a car should never be viewed as a financial investment.

I buy a new car every 10 years or so, and I break it down thusly (is that an actual word?): 10 years is about 3,600 days, and if I spend $40,000 or so on a nice new car, it works out to about $11/day (not including maintenance and gas, of course). To have the freedom to go anywhere I want, when I want, etc. for $11/day is a good deal, IMO. That's one or two Uber rides.

ah don't get me wrong - I think a car is necessary and I will always buy one. It's a good asset to have, but only to a certain point.....going one step further along the lines of your post (and my analogy) if you buy a car that's worth $15,000 and it gets you 150,000 miles it's far better than buying something $40,000 and getting the same mileage.....It's the ridiculousness of buying cars over $50K that I have a hard time figuring out why.

 

[UncleRisto]

Can't tell if I have the flu or some lymph node stuff, if my throat is f***ed up from like an ezekiel choke (likely), or if I'm about to die of some kind of jungle disease. Jiu jitsu has also contracted my pecs until further notice, which is cool. Tough times.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Heading to Montreal tonight! I’ve only been once before. Anyone have any recs?

 

[Bonzai12]

strip clubs - they're supposed to be the best in Montreal

(actually not joking here...)

 

[UncleRisto]

For real though, who the f*** goes to a strip club ever?

 

[Foppberg]

For real though, who the **** goes to a strip club ever?

Dude's who are legally drinking for the first time.
Or lonely guys.

 

[UncleRisto]

NSFW, kinda.

 

[Bonzai12]

for the lunch buffets of course!

I've gone about 3-4 times.....but Montreal is supposed to be the cream of the crop so I'd be intrigued.

I'll also go in Texas....only because in Texas you can bring your own beer in, which is kind of an adventure.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

For real though, who the **** goes to a strip club ever?

Went when I was in Vegas, not going to lie the mental game was fun.

About to takeoff for Orlando to a friend's wedding. If we takeoff within the next hour I'll get out just before the hurricane hits and probably fly over it. Hope I get to see that.

 

[UncleRisto]

Went when I was in Vegas, not going to lie the mental game was fun.

Yeah, but you're Barney Stinson.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Yeah, but you're Barney Stinson.

Challenge... Accepted? High five.

 

[Bonzai12]

nobody's Barney Stinson here until they pull off "The Naked Man"

 

[McMetal]

I really should have gone out driving tonight after the game, but I've been so depressed I have no motivation to do anything. All the joy just sucked out of life, even a win like tonight didn't excite me much. I don't know what the hell to do, I just feel like I don't belong anywhere anymore since I lost my job.

 

[Foppberg]

I really should have gone out driving tonight after the game, but I've been so depressed I have no motivation to do anything. All the joy just sucked out of life, even a win like tonight didn't excite me much. I don't know what the hell to do, I just feel like I don't belong anywhere anymore since I lost my job.

Depressions a bitch man. But I find forcing yourself to just go do something, anything, can help. Go for a walk down the street, a drive, whatever. Just get your body moving and out of current day to day environment.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I really should have gone out driving tonight after the game, but I've been so depressed I have no motivation to do anything. All the joy just sucked out of life, even a win like tonight didn't excite me much. I don't know what the hell to do, I just feel like I don't belong anywhere anymore since I lost my job.

Wounds take time to heal unfortunately. Crawled into a bottle for two weeks after a girl once, it was probably my lowest 'I don't own my own emotions entirely' realization. We've all been there, hope you find your way back into the light. Few things helped me, after distracting myself long enough I wrote down goals for self improvement and hit them as hard as I felt I was being hit. Found a really difficult challenge at work (new role I took) and committed myself to it. Went out every other day just to force myself to socialize and reorient myself.