I have my eyes set on an AMD Threadripper system, but I know a new version will probably be released at the end of the year. Should I wait? I have an old gaming laptop that I am using now, and it seems to work well, but I really need a desktop machine. My old computer broke, which is why I am asking.
?Is now the worst time to buy a computer?
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Soldato
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same answer to this every time its asked.
do you need it now? If so, then buy it now.
do you not need it now?, if so then wait.
do you need it now? If so, then buy it now.
do you not need it now?, if so then wait.
Soldato
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i'm guessing he doesn't, otherwise he wouldn't be asking this question.
I run a lot of simultaneous virtual machines which can eat a lot of cores and RAM.
Soldato
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on your old broken gaming laptop ?
If you buy a pre-build the prices are more reasonable, if you don't then the GPU will murder your budget. That said, availability has improved a lot recently, they're not selling out instantly like they were.
The issue with threadripper right now, is that you're buying into zen 2, so it's unlikely to make any sense unless you're desperate for the extra cores.
I'd be very surprised if a 5900X/5950X with 128GB couldn't cope with VMs and they're better value. Threadrippers are best value used, in my opinion, I would guess because no-one has a suitable motherboard.
The issue with threadripper right now, is that you're buying into zen 2, so it's unlikely to make any sense unless you're desperate for the extra cores.
I'd be very surprised if a 5900X/5950X with 128GB couldn't cope with VMs and they're better value. Threadrippers are best value used, in my opinion, I would guess because no-one has a suitable motherboard.
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February though march was far worse.
No the computer that broke was my desktop machine. I've been using my gaming laptop to keep me going while I decide what to do next.
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It’s been like this since 1822 when English mathematician Charles Babbage started a steam-driven calculating machine.
Have they? I noticed better availability, but they haven't seemed much cheaper
Gas prices on ETH have come down quite a bit and with the London hard-fork coming on Thursday, mining profits should also be reduced for miners.Have they? I noticed better availability, but they haven't seemed much cheaper
GPU prices are coming down which is good.
In answer to OP's original question, yes, now is the worst time to buy or build a computer in history (at least in the 30+ years I've been building rigs). Wait if you can.
However, as others have said, if you absolutely need a PC, there's no way around that. I'd say only buy what you need, not what you want.
However, as others have said, if you absolutely need a PC, there's no way around that. I'd say only buy what you need, not what you want.
Yes it is the worst time, certainly in my living memory, which goes back to the dawn of PC's!!
Graphics cards are pretty much impossible to get hold at the moment and even if you can find one you are going to get hopelessly ripped off. It's better to really just try to forget it at the moment and thing of something else to spend your money on.
Graphics cards are pretty much impossible to get hold at the moment and even if you can find one you are going to get hopelessly ripped off. It's better to really just try to forget it at the moment and thing of something else to spend your money on.
If you'd bought this 5Mb hard disk back in the day you might feel that today's hardware prices are pretty agreeable. That's a mighty 50 24" platters for those counting
I talked so a guy once who used one of these. He said he was in the disk room when something went badly wrong. There was a sudden screeching noise and the cabinet started bouncing around the room. Then there was a huge bang and fragments of disc burst through the side of the cabinet and flew across the room. It was only by the grace of God that no one was hurt or killed. So, not only big, but darn dangerous too!!! But then last time I saw him he was in his eighties and digging a basement under his house. They made 'em tough in those days, lol.
Yeah I guess these things would get up quite a bit of angular momentum when they get going