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    Discussion forum

    Mizar and Alcor: New Machines for the 2020s


    Post #: 292
    Post type: Forum post
    Date: 2022-07-30 11:47:51.000
    Author: AllYorBaseRBelong2Us

    It should be noted, starting several years ago AYB started using names of celestial objects in naming PCs instead of those that studied celestial objects. It just seems right to do so.

    With the recent passing of Arcturus from motherboard failure, some parts were recycled, money spent and I now bring you this:

    Mizar.

    [PCPartPicker Part List] https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3FFBGL)

    Type|Item|Price
    :----|:----|:----
    **CPU** | [Intel Core i5-11600K 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/RK3gXL/intel-core-i5-11600k-39-ghz-6-core-processor-bx8070811600k) | $159.99 @ Microcenter
    **CPU Cooler** | [Thermaltake UX200 ARGB 43.34 CFM CPU Cooler] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yLsnTW/thermaltake-ux200-argb-4334-cfm-cpu-cooler-cl-p065-al12sw-a) | $29.99 @ Microcenter
    **Motherboard** | [MSI MAG B560M MORTAR WIFI Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WmrRsY/msi-mag-b560m-mortar-wifi-micro-atx-lga1200-motherboard-mag-b560m-mortar-wifi) | $129.99 @ Microcenter
    **Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Cf98TW/gskill-ripjaws-v-series-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3200-cl16-memory-f4-3200c16d-16gvkb) | $0.00 @ Recycled
    **Storage** | [Crucial BX500 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/mdc48d/crucial-bx500-240gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct240bx500ssd1) | $0.00 @ Recycled
    **Storage** | [Samsung 850 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/8WZ2FT/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mzn5e250bw) | $0.00 @ Recycled
    **Storage** | [Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2RPfrH/hitachi-internal-hard-drive-0f10311) | $0.00 @ Recycled
    **Video Card** | [MSI Radeon RX 460 2 GB Video Card] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tQPzK8/msi-radeon-rx-460-2gb-video-card-radeon-rx-460-2g-oc) |- $0.00 @ Recycled
    **Case** | [Lian Li LANCOOL 205M MicroATX Mid Tower Case] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WJwypg/lian-li-lancool-205m-microatx-mid-tower-case-lancool-205m-white) | $59.99 @ Microcenter
    **Power Supply** | [Corsair CXM 430 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply] https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cvXfrH/corsair-power-supply-cx430m) | $0.00 @ Recycled

    Total Spent $408.57 at local Microcenter.


    AllYorBaseRBelong2Us on 2022-07-30 11:53:52.000

    So, all the storage and memory were harvested from Arcturus. Sadly, the most defining thing about Arcturus was the chassis, which like the star, was a nice, happy orange will be sold as I have no further use for it. I found the ITX factor too small, expensive and limiting for a main PC. As a media PC having only one optical drive bay is insufficient.

    AllYorBaseRBelong2Us on 2022-07-30 12:07:11.000

    one update, Arcturus had mixed memory speeds. Being ITX factored, it only had two memory slots, as such it was initially purchased with one 8 gig stick of DDR4 2400 and later an additional 8 gigs was paired with it at 3000. These low end, mismatched DIMMs now reside in Mizar.

    While these worked fine for a Skylake i3, they are inevitably holding a high-end rocket lake i5 back, as is the RX460 which was the "bargain pick" of five years ago. Mizar has the CPU of an upper/middle rig, which is the first time AYB has gone to that level since he had a dual Athlon MP rig back in the late 90s.

    DCS here AYB comes!.....maybe. Its going to be interesting how the GPU market plays out. I am hoping we see sub $200 3060's. One of these will require a PS upgrade. The existing one too was wed to a system that was intended to be low-powered.

    AllYorBaseRBelong2Us on 2022-07-30 14:05:17.000

    Alcor is a companion star to Mizar in Ursa Major.
    https://www.star-facts.com/mizar/

    Mizar exists on the corner of an L-shaped desk on top, while Alcor is on the right underneath, right against my knee. Both are attached to one old Dell monitory via KVM.
    Alcor's primary purpose is a media server running PLEX. Alcor is built upon the chassis and power supply of my old Core2 system, Ptolemy, with a much newer 4th gen i5 on a Lenovo motherboard purchased (cheap) second hand.

    Alcor has nearly 8000 audio tracks, over 1100 films, and 46 TV series. Both run Windows 10, which I don't particularly enjoy....

    Jeremy Reimer on 2022-08-17 19:06:42.000

    Congrats on your new astronomy-inspired computers!

    I agree with you that Windows 10 is not particularly enjoyable. It's always doing something weird, usually related to forgetting its own audio settings, and it always wants to reboot to install dubious updates.

    I'm still trucking along with "BEAST", my i7 with 32 gigs of RAM, all SSD storage, and a GeForce 1070. I built it back in 2016, when it was truly a beast. Those were happier times.

    I miss your amazing orange case!

    AllYorBaseRBelong2Us on 2022-08-28 21:44:14.000

    Yeah, I'm going to miss it as well as its for sale. You see, I just don't see myself going MiniITX again. It is a great case, so maybe i'll keep it if i don't get any nibbles.

    I have some vintage mac stuff I am never probably going to get into again, maybe I can sell that.

    Quadra 950s are going for ridiculous sums now.

    AllYorBaseRBelong2Us on 2022-09-03 07:28:53.000

    BTW, I'm really digging this white case with a glowing rainbow fan in it....

    View this post in the forums

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