PCI Simple Communications Controller.

[Nick]

So no experience of Intel based PC's but according to the mags i3 is the bottom end (and pedestrian), i5 is middle of range and the best value and i7 is top end.

In the "real world", i3 & i5 are absolutely fine for normal domestic use - i7s are normally used by commercial servers or people doing serious video/rendering engines etc.

For most, even i5s are overkill, but for the small differential in price, it's nice to have the headroom. As your 3D modelling & CAD skills develop (as they will), your h/w requirements will grow, so thinking a bit further down the line is always a good idea. Its easy to get lost in the wonderment of all these shiny bits & bobs !

With all systems, its about "balance" - matching the CPU & its characteristics to the memory, to the video, to the screen, to the I/O (disks etc.).

Buying an off-the-shelf pre-configured box from a reputable supplier gets all this done for you, together with a warranty - many such warranties are "RTB" (return to base at your expense( and fixed on a "best efforts" basis. Do read the terms carefully - they differ wildly. On-site fixing generally costs more, but if you are a PC neophyte, getting a decent warranty can be a GOOD THING !

Last thing - consider a decent backup option - this may just be an external USB 3 hard disk - I use Acronis TrueImage on all our PCs - this runs in the middle of the night and backs up all machines (6 currently) in the house to a file server - you could easily run it to a USB hard drive which you then unplug and move to another room etc. when not needed, for safety. I like Acronis - its a good simple program that does what it says on the box.

Regarding Gary's windows - I'm currently replacing two sets of oak casements - was quoted over GBP 1300 to have them done - worked out I could buy a new Trend T11 1/2" router, a Kreg table for the router with specialist jointing cutters (from the Wealden Tool Company - just down the road - great people) AND a Metabo HC260 planer-thicknesser (was my birthday prezzie from SWMBO) plus more than enough joinery-quality oak stock for less. I made a dummy casement out of pine to check my measurements and it took me a weekend to do the first set.

So, for the same money I would have paid a professional, I end up owning all the machinery, develop new skills and STILL get new windows plus the ability to make any number of new ones ! Result !

Good luck with your new toy!

Cheers

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for your good wishes Nick. I do intend to develop my CAD skills but I never expect to go overboard resulting in needing a wall to wall computer; I'm simply interested in the subject; I was top of the school in technical drawing winning an award and this was only 50 years ago using drawing instruments.

What a different world CAD is though and I think it fair to say I'm hooked.

Very well done with your approach to your window replacement Nick; I did exactly the same 36 years ago and only used hand tools and a single speed power drill. From then on I started to make lots of things for our home saving a vast amount of money whilst I gathered a decent set of tools and machines. One fitted kitchen made in a home workshop will pay for some serious kit compared to getting someone in to do the job and the satisfaction gained doing it yourself is tremendous; neighbours hate it though because as I found out they resented me doing such work as they had to get someone in.

How about a thread covering your window replacement as I for one would be very interested.

Kind regards, Col

[Joe]

Apparently the graphics card in my old '98se m/c is an Nvidia Riva TNT 16MB.

As an aside, did floppy disk access speed drop when ATs came in? I've always felt that they were slower, even going back to college with 8086/8 systems next to 80286s. This was before Windows so it isn't that.

- Joe