What's your latest tech purchase?

[lexluthermiester]

snipped the RGB LEDs off.

No soldering iron?

 

[Veseleil]

Also got this little upgrade. From a 24" 1080p 144Hz, to a 27" 1440p 165Hz. Mi 2K Gaming Monitor 27"



Better photos expected after a long awaited smartphone replacement...

 

[freeagent]

Ghetto test setup GET

A2000 running like a top so far, fan a lil buzzy tho

View attachment 307936

That looks really nice, I like it

 

[Fangio1951]

I recently replaced the rotting exhaust on my Subaru with an aftermarket catback (resonated midpipe + muffler,) because the OE hardware had been wrecked by the brutal New Hampshire winters with all the salt we throw on the road. I'm hoping that the 304 stainless will hold up better than galvanized steel. It certainly sounds better. The new WRXs have equal length 4-1 headers which sound boring. At least my Impreza retains a little bit of rumble with the 4-2-1 headers. KIAs are pretty nice vehicles, but I'm not a fan of FWD or these lame AWD systems that only engage when you're taking off or slipping at lower speeds. I want all the power to all 4 wheels, all of the time, and Subaru gets you that, even on the automatics, but I love my little 5MT.

Same with mine = especially after a Stage 2 performance upgrade - ECU + exhaust + etc

 

[Aquinus]

Same with mine = especially after a Stage 2 performance upgrade - ECU + exhaust + etc

A buddy of mine had something similar with an old '05 STi. Such a fun vehicle. That car was a motivator for getting a catback and not getting an OEM replacement. I would have considered a WRX if I could have gotten a hatchback. I think the most stupid thing Subaru did was kill off the WRX hatchback. The second most stupid thing was killing off the Forester XT. The third most stupid thing was killing off the 3.6L which was probably one of the most fun vehicles (a Legacy or Liberty depending on where you live,) I've driven. Closest thing I'll probably ever drive to a Porsche.

Honestly, I want my little hatchback Impreza with the engine in the new BRZ, the 2.4L N/A with Toyota's D4S system. That'd be perfect. A nice high revving engine. 230 ponies is a nice boost over the lame 150 with the FB20. Could be nice for a sporty model.

 

[Remeca]

Can't you turn the CPU cooler 90 degrees around so the fans line up with with the back exhaust fan?

From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to fit that way.

You got me curious. It does fit the other way.

The RAM is almost in the way, the fan has to be raised to clear it. I raised the other one to match. That's probably why I did it the other way, trying to keep the fans flush with the fin stack.

 

[Fangio1951]

A buddy of mine had something similar with an old '05 STi. Such a fun vehicle. That car was a motivator for getting a catback and not getting an OEM replacement. I would have considered a WRX if I could have gotten a hatchback. I think the most stupid thing Subaru did was kill off the WRX hatchback. The second most stupid thing was killing off the Forester XT. The third most stupid thing was killing off the 3.6L which was probably one of the most fun vehicles (a Legacy or Liberty depending on where you live,) I've driven. Closest thing I'll probably ever drive to a Porsche.

Honestly, I want my little hatchback Impreza with the engine in the new BRZ, the 2.4L N/A with Toyota's D4S system. That'd be perfect. A nice high revving engine. 230 ponies is a nice boost over the lame 150 with the FB20. Could be nice for a sporty model.

hi m8,

Yep, always loved the hatch versions.

My latest tech upgrade = rear tail light units to replace the fugly red ones !!

 

[Braegnok]

No soldering iron?

I used a soldering iron years ago for removing the LEDs, snipping is much quicker, cleaner.

The BartX heatshields require a 1mm thermo pad on the backside, the LEDs are a bit taller then 1mm,.. so there is a risk for shorting out the module with the LEDs on.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I used a soldering iron years ago for removing the LEDs, snipping is much quicker, cleaner.

Fair enough. No offense was intended of course. Was only curious.

 

[Dan.G]

Better photos expected after a long awaited smartphone replacement...

Nah, it's not the phone. It's just that the monitor has a messianic aura surrounding it!

 

[lightning70]

NVMe M2 SSD

 

[Veseleil]

Nah, it's not the phone. It's just that the monitor has a messianic aura surrounding it!

That's why I bought extended 2 year warranty, just in case.

 

[bobbybluz]

Somewhat of an offhand tech purchase: Getting my favorite Serta Executive high-back office chair reupholstered. Other than the facts two of my late felines clawed the hell out of it and the cheapo fake leather it was covered with began flaking off at an alarming rate it's in great condition as far as structural integrity. Even the adjustable lumbar support still works perfectly. I went to Best Buy and Office Depot and couldn't find anything I liked as a replacement at any price.

I originally bought the chair used off the local Craigslist for $25 in 2017. Other than two nicks it looked like new. The cats took an immediate liking to it as a scratching post and spot to fight over to sleep on. Then the coating began falling off at an alarming rate. I was going to replace it then curbside it until I saw what quality chairs cost these days. I'd forgotten all about the local custom boat and auto upholstery shop that did a perfect white leather console for a 1962 Buick Electra 225 show car I owned 35 years ago. Then somebody on here made a post about gaming chairs a few days after I'd driven past the place late one night on my way home. I called him the next day and he said he'd have to see what was involved to give me a price.

This morning I took the chair apart and took it in for an estimate. I'd thought about getting real leather but the shop owner talked me out of it. He suggested using commercial-grade Naugahyde his shop uses for making custom furniture for offices and restaurants. He said it's far more durable than anything used for regular consumer grade chairs sold at the usual office supply places, is easier to work with than real leather plus is a lot less expensive and easier to care for. It's also twice as thick as bonded leather and the rest of the other vinyl-based coverings commonly used today. He said the original cost of my $25 chair was around $400 new.

It's going to cost me $325 for the entire job. That includes new padding, the Naugahyde and labor. The large majority of the price is the labor because there's a lot of stitching and fitting involved. He does interior repairs for dealerships that sell exotic cars (I originally found out about his shop from friends that own a car dealership) along with custom boat upholstery, hot rod and show car interiors as well as work for a very expensive local furniture store. When I asked what the turnaround time would be he said he has a six month backlog. I then asked if Mark or Mike (they own the dealership) needed a favor how long it'd take. He said he'll have all four pieces done by this coming Friday (armrests, base and back). Having connections does help sometimes.

 

[GerKNG]

5800X3D with Thermalright Peerless Assassin (much louder) R23 = 88-91°C
LF360 R23 = 71°C Peak while being 200Mhz faster.

 

[wNotyarD]

5800X3D with Thermalright Peerless Assassin (much louder) R23 = 88-91°C
LF360 R23 = 71°C Peak while being 200Mhz faster.
View attachment 308128

Using the offset mount?

 

[GerKNG]

Using the offset mount?

yep

 

[Space Lynx]

5800X3D with Thermalright Peerless Assassin (much louder) R23 = 88-91°C
LF360 R23 = 71°C Peak while being 200Mhz faster.
View attachment 308128

were both of your tests done with a -30 offset? or stock default?

 

[GerKNG]

were both of your tests done with a -30 offset? or stock default?

Stock.
-30 is around the same temperature difference but just a 100Mhz difference (4350 to 4450 all core)

 

[Space Lynx]

stock photos, but this is my new work laptop, in the Abyss Blue color, had it for about two weeks now, I really like it so far.

Intel 1355U with integrated graphics, 15.6" 1080p IPS. it feels surprisingly nice to type on, good travel distance you don't see on many laptops. really nice subtle white LED backlighting too, everything has been lightning fast with it so far. my work stuff is not very demanding, I gave my 8th gen Intel laptop to a friend who didn't have anything at all and got this upgrade. Seeing as how I only use Zoom/Word/Excel and web browsing for work, I can see this laptop lasting me 10 years, lol its a bit overkill for what I need it to do. if Windows offers a free upgrade to Windows 12 in next year or two, I will probably do that, other than that no changes will be made to this.

I also like that the webcam has a privacy filter switch. kind of nice - sidenote, it is also a touchscreen, which I actually find is handy sometimes.

 

[de.das.dude]

Just me a dell SE2723DS. Went from a 21.5inch 1080p to this 2560x1440 75Hz

ITS SO BIG. Had to use a VESA mount to fit it nicely

 

[wNotyarD]

Seeing as how I only use Zoom/Word/Excel and web browsing for work, I can see this laptop lasting me 10 years, lol its a bit overkill for what I need it to do.

I got my wife a MacBook Air (which I already shared here) for her to play Geoguessr while listening to podcasts and with Excel open. Overkill for sure, but she actually couldn't do this pleasantly with her former Dell Inspiron 5565 (and don't get me started over the dead battery).
There's no cost high enough for not having her frustrated all the time.

 

[Mac the Geek]

I got my wife a MacBook Air (which I already shared here) for her to play Geoguessr while listening to podcasts and with Excel open. Overkill for sure, but she actually couldn't do this pleasantly with her former Dell Inspiron 5565 (and don't get me started over the dead battery).
There's no cost high enough for not having her frustrated all the time.

Geolocated wife, geolocated life!

 

[Veseleil]

Also got this little upgrade. From a 24" 1080p 144Hz, to a 27" 1440p 165Hz. Mi 2K Gaming Monitor 27"

View attachment 307942

Better photos expected after a long awaited smartphone replacement...

Found out today (when I started cleaning), it has a glossy screen! No wonder that picture is so clear and colors true (pain in the ass to clean though). Right side photo is my AOC heavy matte for reference.

Just me a dell SE2723DS. Went from a 21.5inch 1080p to this 2560x1440 75Hz

ITS SO BIG. Had to use a VESA mount to fit it nicely

27" 1440p is a sweet spot IMO. I wanted a 32" 2160p, but not many models to choose from where I work and live, too expensive as well ($800+). Knowing what kind of a panel lottery it can be, and how heavy 4k is for a GPU (as I want all of my games at 100FPS+), I gave up and got a much cheaper alternative.

 

[InVasMani]

Not so much a purchase...more what my case fan did to one of my PCIE PSU 6pin/8pin cables...and yeah I should probably replace the cable or at least put some electrical tape over that bare spot. It probably would've been worse without the outer sleeve. Small case with no real room for cable management is a bad recipe. Beware of cable rats.

Perfect example of why you should always unplug the power cable to PSU before working on inside of PC stranger danger say hello my little friend zappy zapz.

 

[Ruru]

16GB kit of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200. Going to upgrade my 2nd PC as getting my friend's old parts (2700X, B450, 5700 XT) but he didn't have any spare RAM to sell.