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Questions tagged [hardware-rec]

Hardware recommendation posts should discuss how to make hardware decisions for oneself. Direct shopping recommendations are off-topic and will be closed, so be very careful posting hardware recommendations. For specific hardware shopping recommendations, please post in the Hardware Recommendations StackExchange.

A good hardware recommendation post is in the general form of "how can I figure out what hardware will fit my needs" manner. Simply asking for a list of products is a shopping recommendation and will be closed as off-topic.

Be very careful when posting hardware recommendations. Make sure that your question will be helpful to more than just yourself (otherwise it's too localized), and that it can generate useful discussion of how to figure out the right hardware for a given situation.

For more information about what constitutes a good hardware recommendation post, see http://meta.superuser.com/questions/2991/what-is-the-difference-between-shopping-recommendations-and-hardware-rec-tagged-q on Super User Meta.

For specific hardware shopping recommendations, please post in the Hardware Recommendations StackExchange.

313 questions
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Can Intel Optane memory compensate for less RAM?

I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or RStudio. I'm running Windows 10. I usually sit…
N4v
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5 answers

What do I need to consider when buying hardware to meet my needs?

I'm looking to build a new computer from the ground up. I'm not sure what to look out for and need guidance and help on how to pick the hardware needed to construct my new rig. How do I know what to buy? How do I find out if a given CPU will be…
Darth Android
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4 answers

When to stop using a hard drive? What rules/software apply?

When having a old hard disk - when should you stop using it ? I recently got a new 1 TB hard disk, and am left with 3 old hard drives (320 GB, 250GB, 160 GB). I am now wondering which of them to keep using and for how long. Assuming some of them…
Tal Galili
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29
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2 answers

Computer and Internet use on a boat?

Let's assume that I seriously would like to be able to use my computer as easily and as carefreely while on a boat as I do while at home. In short, if I were on a boat for extended periods, such as two weeks at a time and occasionally over a few…
dlamblin
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6 answers

Recommended gigabit 802.11n routers that work with DD-WRT

I've read this question, and checked out the supported devices list, but am looking specifically for a gigabit 802.11n router that is easy to find and fully supported by DD-WRT. It seems like some of the Linksys WRT300N-series are a good idea, but…
Jason Sundram
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8 answers

What hardware combination should I consider for a 20TB file server?

I want to build a file server for my home media. The server will only be used to serve files to my Media PC. Essentially all it needs to do is be able to expose around 20TB of shared folders. I don't really have a clue on server hardware, or even if…
JL.
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4 answers

What is this type of SSD called?

I have a very old laptop that was state of the art when originally released, back when SSDs were starting to enter the consumer market. When I bought mine, it was advertised as a 500 GB SSD Ultrabook, but it was always too slow to actually be an…
manoelpqueiroz
  • 381
18
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13 answers

Do "Natural" keyboards make it harder to use standard keyboards?

I am considering purchasing this style keyboard with the split keys. I found it a bit awkward to use at first but I'm sure I will get used to it. That's the problem. If you use this style keyboard almost exclusively, do you find it harder to type…
Robert Cartaino
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12
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7 answers

Maximum number of monitors Win 7 Supports?

I want to set up a system with (9) monitors arranged in a 3x3 grid. Is this configuration possible with Windows 7? Does it max out at a set number of monitors? Any suggestions about known working hardware combinations would be much appreciated. …
cpuguru
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11
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12 answers

RAM, Processor, L2Cache, Etc. - What gives you the most "Bang for your buck"?

I am not a hardware person when it comes to computers so when I buy a new one I just pick the one with the biggest numbers, but I know I am most likely wasting money. If you're going to purchase a new computer, what should you max out? Are things…
hugoware
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11
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3 answers

How do you figure out what CPUs are compatible with a desktop?

I almost exclusively have utilized laptops for my work. However, I need to purchase a machine with a bit higher specs and have decided to invest in a desktop. My organization provides stipends for people who need to purchase new electronics—and as…
WaffleB
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6 answers

Home media storage solution

I record lots of personal HD film footage and am looking for a cheap way to store all of this. I take ~120 GB of footage each month, so something expandable would be nice... something that might be able to hold 6+ SATA drives. There is a low load…
Jarvin
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10
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3 answers

Buying a laptop, specs are confusing me

So, the FSB and cache specs are what confuse me. Intel® Pentium™ Dual Core T4300 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache) as opposed to paying $200 more for: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache) Would that be worth it? I'm a .Net…
Matt Dawdy
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9
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5 answers

Why does a Xeon processor cost much more than a similar Core i7 part?

I want to know why the price of a Xeon CPU and a similar Core i7 CPU is so different. The CPU clock is more or less the same. I want to know this because I want to have an understanding of what kind of CPU is more suitable for me. I do heavy…
MOON
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8 answers

Making an old computer quieter

I have an old Athlon XP computer that I've been using as a Smoothie Router for about 3 years now, after my first Smoothie router (a Pentium 2 266Mhz) died. One of the most aggravating things about this computer is the fact that its noisy. I have…
Weegee
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