Best hardware for a replacement desktop?

[David Christensen]

On 7/22/19 12:26 PM, Aryeh Friedman wrote:
> Here is what I have in mind so far (note I*REFUSE*  to buy mail
> order/online so this is what is in my local MicroCenter):
> 
> CPU (Ryzen 3600 $200.00 65 watts w/ fan):
> https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntk=all&sortby=match&N=4294966995+4294819840+4294810797+4294819827+4294818783+4294815097&myStore=true
> 
> Motherboard (x570 AMD 4 ATX $170):
> https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntk=all&sortby=match&N=4294966996+4294810816+4294818900+4294818892+4294810798+4294817766+4294818045+4294818894+4294810687+4294815404+4294818877+4294815402+39&myStore=true
> 
> Power supply (850 watt $130 ATX):
> https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntk=all&sortby=match&N=4294966654+4294818900+795+4294817377+780+4294817027&myStore=true
> 
> Case (minitower ATX $75):
> https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntk=all&sortby=match&N=4294964318+4294821211+4294821002+4294811319+749+4294821195+4294821206+4294821207&myStore=true
> 
> RAM (16 GB DDR4-3200 $70):
> https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?Ntk=all&sortby=match&N=4294966965+4294817445+4294820310+37&myStore=true
> 
> Reuse keyboard/mouse/video card/monitor
> 
> Total: $645
I built and ran homebrew x86 personal computers with Antec tower cases 
and power supplies, Intel desktop motherboards and processors, desktop 
memory, desktop drives, etc., for 20+ years.  The Antec and Intel 
hardware has been very reliable.  All the HDD's die, eventually.  Using 
generic parts makes upgrades easy.  Intel supports FOSS, so Linux and 
BSD works well on them.


Then Intel released the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) products and 
discontinued their desktop boards.  Given that ECC memory is recommended 
for larger memory applications and also for ZFS, I migrated to Intel 
uniprocessor server products.


I recently upgraded a vintage Pentium D system with a used server 
motherboard/ CPU/ memory combo (I paid $132, delivered; current price is 
$77).  The performance increase is amazing:

 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-S1200V3RP-Server-Board-Xeon-E3-1225v3-SR1KX-3-20GHz-8GB-Ram-I-O-Shield/123431007451?epid=1941949226&hash=item1cbd0fb4db:g:UuIAAOSwNJlb~bQi:rk:10:pf:0&LH_BIN=1


David