I've currently got a little shuttle and am just about to buy another PC off the MM. The new one will be more powerful and will run a lot cooler. Is there really much benefit to having two PCs though? I'm thinking of networking them and using one for backup or storage.
Advantages of two PCs?
- Thread starter Mulder
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Associate
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I have a laptop and a PC (sig). Only really use the laptop when I can't be bothered to get out of bed on the weekend or want to leave something downloading overnight etc.
Having an X2 with 2GB ram and x2 19" Dell's is brilliant if you want to browse while gaming though...well...ish....if you want to read a webpage or watch a movie or something while gaming. Nothing beats watching the matrix while playing UT2K4
Having an X2 with 2GB ram and x2 19" Dell's is brilliant if you want to browse while gaming though...well...ish....if you want to read a webpage or watch a movie or something while gaming. Nothing beats watching the matrix while playing UT2K4
Associate
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i have several machines dotted around the house, my main rig in the bedroom for games etc..., laptop in the conservatory for browsing, another downstairs for general use, and ideq 210p sff for media centre, and about 3 more that i hardley use(one is a decent gaming rig aswell) i use them if i cant be arsed moving about or want to surf whilst watching the plasma downstairs...
) i use them if i cant be arsed moving about or want to surf whilst watching the plasma downstairs...
Depends really, i personally prefer to have 1 monitor, because i'm in a small room, but a KVM switch sorts that issue out.
You can use it for a number of things, though personally for me, i like to just have 1 PC on, more PC's on = more heat, and this weather now, its just too much.
My 2nd pc however when i do have it wired up normally acts as a file server for the house network (5 pcs when you include the pc in question), or for a few older games it acts as a game server for the lan. Apart from that it stays off to keep the heat down, and of course if you're not really using it, you're be paying more electric for something you look at little.
Everyone is different, decide what works best for you.
You can use it for a number of things, though personally for me, i like to just have 1 PC on, more PC's on = more heat, and this weather now, its just too much.
My 2nd pc however when i do have it wired up normally acts as a file server for the house network (5 pcs when you include the pc in question), or for a few older games it acts as a game server for the lan. Apart from that it stays off to keep the heat down, and of course if you're not really using it, you're be paying more electric for something you look at little.
Everyone is different, decide what works best for you.
I have always believed that there is no such thing as too many Computers.
Although sayign that you can watch a TV and play a game at the same time, I find that a bit funny cos any half decent system even a Pre-AMD XP CPU will be able to play CS on one screen and display a DVD on a Second one... Dual Monitors of course!
I have never understood when you hear things like needing dual core to do 2 tasks at once when 99% of the time it makes absolutely no difference at all?
My old Barton was able to happily download 24/7 most of the time it was over 100k I would be constantly converting AVI files to DVD with Santa, occasionally using TMPGEnc to make up a menu and then I would be burnign 3 DVDs at a time, and while Iwas waiting, I would play HL2 or Doom3 or whatever.
Not once did I get a failure or any real issue other than the occasional jerk on a large map, but then, I was only running 1GB, so that was cured going up to 1.5GB
Yet, I still see many people simply unable to do half of that on a top-end PC!! - that can be cured fairly easily on a lot of PCs by using more than one HD. My 3 main PCs all have at least 3 Drives... Makes life much easier
Although sayign that you can watch a TV and play a game at the same time, I find that a bit funny cos any half decent system even a Pre-AMD XP CPU will be able to play CS on one screen and display a DVD on a Second one... Dual Monitors of course!
I have never understood when you hear things like needing dual core to do 2 tasks at once when 99% of the time it makes absolutely no difference at all?
My old Barton was able to happily download 24/7 most of the time it was over 100k I would be constantly converting AVI files to DVD with Santa, occasionally using TMPGEnc to make up a menu and then I would be burnign 3 DVDs at a time, and while Iwas waiting, I would play HL2 or Doom3 or whatever.
Not once did I get a failure or any real issue other than the occasional jerk on a large map, but then, I was only running 1GB, so that was cured going up to 1.5GB
Yet, I still see many people simply unable to do half of that on a top-end PC!! - that can be cured fairly easily on a lot of PCs by using more than one HD. My 3 main PCs all have at least 3 Drives... Makes life much easier
Caporegime
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Notebook + PC is the optimal i would say.
i love being able to use both properly.
i love being able to use both properly.
2 Lian Li's here with a 19" CRT in between them linked via a USB KVM switch. Really handy if downloading, burning, etc on one and playing games, etc on the other.
Plus when i upgrade the better machine of the 2 the other machine gets all the parts so no waste
Plus when i upgrade the better machine of the 2 the other machine gets all the parts so no waste
Soldato
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Mac = Work, MSN, storage, Photo/video editing, doing all the important stuff.
PC = Some uber overclocked rig, probably consisting of a 4Ghz Conroe and a X1900XT-X.
Two 21 Inch CRTs, one for each, side by side
PC = Some uber overclocked rig, probably consisting of a 4Ghz Conroe and a X1900XT-X.
Two 21 Inch CRTs, one for each, side by side