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Rocko Bonaparte
Mar 12, 2002

Every day is Friday!
Was it really a question of physical reliability or obsolescence?

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Deceptor101
Jul 7, 2007

What fun is a project if it doesn't at least slightly ruin your life?
I just upgraded my case to a Fractal Meshify, and upgraded my CPU cooler to a Corsair H100 pro. I'm now running into rather high GPU temps. The front of the case is 3 120mm intake fans, and the back has one 120mm exhaust. The 240mm CPU radiator is intake on top, so I'm wondering if its too much intake, and not enough air flowing over the GPU, MSI GTX 970 Gold. Destiny 2 was getting it to 80-85C the other night, with ambient in the 70-75F range. Corsair's recommendation is that the radiator will function better as an intake, but I'm wondering if in this situation it makes more sense for it to be an exhaust. It would probably increase CPU temps, as the air would be hotter, but I should have room on that now. Thoughts?

The heatsink on the gpu was cleaned of dust when I had the case apart, so it wouldn't be that.

Rocko Bonaparte
Mar 12, 2002

Every day is Friday!
Update on the whole Thunderbolt KVM thing: I had gotten my mittens on a RTX 2070 that had a Thunderbolt 3 port. It turned out it was more of a 2.75 slot than a 2 slot card as advertised. I would not fit in my case unless the case pressed right up against the cooling fans. So it turned out to just be a no-go all around. I can't see getting an alternative card at any decent price when I'm content with my Radeon RX480 otherwise. So I think I'm just backing out of the whole thing with docking to a Thunderbolt dock and routing through a Type-C Thunderbolt-rated KVM.

Sarcastro
Dec 28, 2000
Elite member of the Grammar Nazi Squad that

Heavy Metal posted:

My quick question, how long has my computer got left? Or just a guess on a couple of the components. Was built in 2012 over 8 years ago, still has most of the original stuff. No problems or anything.

An additional note - have you been making sure to clean it semi-regularly? If you have dust built up from 2012 in there it'll probably affect some of the stuff other people said.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

I have a quick ram question. I just installed another 16gb of ram into my PC and I just want to make sure it is going to be ok over the long term. My older Ram is 1200mhz so obv the system is going to run all 4 stick at that. I just want to make sure what I'm seeing in CPUZ won't be an issue.









Indiana_Krom
Jun 18, 2007
Net Slacker

MarcusSA posted:

I have a quick ram question. I just installed another 16gb of ram into my PC and I just want to make sure it is going to be ok over the long term. My older Ram is 1200mhz so obv the system is going to run all 4 stick at that. I just want to make sure what I'm seeing in CPUZ won't be an issue.











As long as you aren't getting application crashes/kernel panics and it passes a good memory test its fine. You could maybe tighten up the timings a bit to 16-16-16 since all the sticks should be able to handle it at that frequency, but honestly if it already works it probably isn't worth messing with it. The difference between running 2400 MHz ram and 3600 MHz ram or 1 tick lower latency is going to be a hell of a lot smaller than the difference between running out of RAM and not running out of RAM. Of course that is if you actually need 32 GB, but at the very least it isn't any slower than it was before so nothing to worry about.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Indiana_Krom posted:

As long as you aren't getting application crashes/kernel panics and it passes a good memory test its fine. You could maybe tighten up the timings a bit to 16-16-16 since all the sticks should be able to handle it at that frequency, but honestly if it already works it probably isn't worth messing with it. The difference between running 2400 MHz ram and 3600 MHz ram or 1 tick lower latency is going to be a hell of a lot smaller than the difference between running out of RAM and not running out of RAM. Of course that is if you actually need 32 GB, but at the very least it isn't any slower than it was before so nothing to worry about.

OK thanks so far so good! What is a good memory test to run?

Heavy Metal
Sep 1, 2014

America's $1 Funnyman

Sarcastro posted:

An additional note - have you been making sure to clean it semi-regularly? If you have dust built up from 2012 in there it'll probably affect some of the stuff other people said.

Good call, I should remember to do that more. Been years, mine didn't seem to get that much dust, but I'll get that compressed air going yes indeed.

Chilled Milk
Jun 22, 2003

No one here is alone,
satellites in every home
I shuffled around some gear and I’ve got a few years old Cyberpower CST135XLU (1350VA/810w) UPS, and I’m trying to use it with my desktop (650w psu). The battery backup works for very small things like a network switch, but doing the self test with the computer it just immediately cuts power. Even trying just my monitor on it seems to kill it. The power panel software and the little LCD display says the batteries are still good. Would this be something wrong with the unit or are the batteries actually shot?

I thought maybe I was overloading it but that it can’t even keep the monitor on seems sus. And it’s not just a short runtime it’s an immediate cutoff.

Indiana_Krom
Jun 18, 2007
Net Slacker

The Milkman posted:

I shuffled around some gear and I’ve got a few years old Cyberpower CST135XLU (1350VA/810w) UPS, and I’m trying to use it with my desktop (650w psu). The battery backup works for very small things like a network switch, but doing the self test with the computer it just immediately cuts power. Even trying just my monitor on it seems to kill it. The power panel software and the little LCD display says the batteries are still good. Would this be something wrong with the unit or are the batteries actually shot?

I thought maybe I was overloading it but that it can’t even keep the monitor on seems sus. And it’s not just a short runtime it’s an immediate cutoff.
While it is possible something else is wrong, that behavior is quite typical of failed batteries. The self testing/monitoring is far from an exact science so not unusual for them to still read healthy even if they have close to zero remaining capacity.

Chilled Milk
Jun 22, 2003

No one here is alone,
satellites in every home

Indiana_Krom posted:

While it is possible something else is wrong, that behavior is quite typical of failed batteries. The self testing/monitoring is far from an exact science so not unusual for them to still read healthy even if they have close to zero remaining capacity.

Alright, that’s what I figured. Just wanted to ask before I bought batteries when I actually needed a newer/nonbroken/bigger unit.

The APC units I have weren’t shy about letting me know when they needed new batteries 🔊

Indiana_Krom
Jun 18, 2007
Net Slacker

The Milkman posted:

Alright, that’s what I figured. Just wanted to ask before I bought batteries when I actually needed a newer/nonbroken/bigger unit.

The APC units I have weren’t shy about letting me know when they needed new batteries 🔊

Got any 12v DC fans you can alligator clip to some battery terminals if you *really* want to be sure? 15-20w worth of 120mm fans (say 4 of them) will usually give you enough load to immediately tell from the sound if one of those SLA batteries is dead.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

The Milkman posted:

Alright, that’s what I figured. Just wanted to ask before I bought batteries when I actually needed a newer/nonbroken/bigger unit.

The APC units I have weren’t shy about letting me know when they needed new batteries 🔊

Hey I’ve got a cyber power unit that looks like it’s failed the same way.

How much are the batteries for these things? I didn’t pay much for the unit in the first place.

Chilled Milk
Jun 22, 2003

No one here is alone,
satellites in every home

Indiana_Krom posted:

Got any 12v DC fans you can alligator clip to some battery terminals if you *really* want to be sure? 15-20w worth of 120mm fans (say 4 of them) will usually give you enough load to immediately tell from the sound if one of those SLA batteries is dead.

Nah, don’t have anything like that I don’t think.

MarcusSA posted:

Hey I’ve got a cyber power unit that looks like it’s failed the same way.

How much are the batteries for these things? I didn’t pay much for the unit in the first place.

For mine, $95 from Cyberpower, $77 through Amazon and others

Rexxed
May 1, 2010

Dis is amazing!
I gotta try dis!

MarcusSA posted:

Hey I’ve got a cyber power unit that looks like it’s failed the same way.

How much are the batteries for these things? I didn’t pay much for the unit in the first place.

Usually around $18-25 each shipped. The bigger UPSes use two batteries and sometimes you can get two packs for a little cheaper. I picked this two pack up for $37.99 earlier this year for a couple of my smaller UPSes and they've been fine although I haven't had them very long:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WRXR223/

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Rexxed posted:

Usually around $18-25 each shipped. The bigger UPSes use two batteries and sometimes you can get two packs for a little cheaper. I picked this two pack up for $37.99 earlier this year for a couple of my smaller UPSes and they've been fine although I haven't had them very long:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WRXR223/

Ah ok that's not bad then. I'll just order these then. Glad I don't have to toss the whole unit.

Rexxed
May 1, 2010

Dis is amazing!
I gotta try dis!

MarcusSA posted:

Ah ok that's not bad then. I'll just order these then. Glad I don't have to toss the whole unit.

Yeah, it's almost always worth buying your own individual sealed batteries. The ones from the manufacturer are usually a rip off. APC in particular sells a battery cartridge which is just two batteries taped onto an adapter that they plug into that gives a proprietary plug for the UPS. You can just cut the tape/sticker, replace the batteries, and put a little packing tape back on the sides. It's almost never worth going with the manufacturer battery unless you can't find anything else.

FCKGW
May 21, 2006

Speaking of which, I have a UPS that’s screaming at me so I figured the battery was dead. Pulled the battery and tested with my multimeter and it still reads a full voltage charge. Is the UPS dead and the battery is fine or am I just measuring something wrong?

Rexxed
May 1, 2010

Dis is amazing!
I gotta try dis!

FCKGW posted:

Speaking of which, I have a UPS that’s screaming at me so I figured the battery was dead. Pulled the battery and tested with my multimeter and it still reads a full voltage charge. Is the UPS dead and the battery is fine or am I just measuring something wrong?

Hard to say, it could be either. Does the battery voltage drop quickly if you use it for something (like the fans mentioned above)? If not then it could be the UPS or even just the terminals connecting the battery. I had the battery in my FiOS network terminal box disconnect because their terminal was loose but I was able to bend it back into shape.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Yeah the battery can show fine till you put it under a load and then it crashes.

Indiana_Krom
Jun 18, 2007
Net Slacker

FCKGW posted:

Speaking of which, I have a UPS that’s screaming at me so I figured the battery was dead. Pulled the battery and tested with my multimeter and it still reads a full voltage charge. Is the UPS dead and the battery is fine or am I just measuring something wrong?
Dead batteries can still be charged up to their full voltage and will stay there for while when no load is connected, its just that as soon as you try to draw any significant power from them the voltage drops off very quickly, hence my fans and alligator clip comment above. Just measuring the unloaded voltage tells you almost nothing (other than the state of charge at that moment), you have to connect a load and see how the battery behaves when it is actually doing something in order to make a guess at capacity.

Kia Soul Enthusias
May 9, 2004

zoom-zoom
Toilet Rascal
I peeled the sticker off one of my APC batteries and it had the original manufacturer underneath, lol. Searched it out and found it. Anyways they last 3-5 years or so. Probably varies how often they've been drained.

Vir
Dec 14, 2007

Does it tickle when your Body Thetans flap their wings, eh Beatrice?
Usage and operating temperature are the main reasons why lead acid batteries degrade. APC claims that

APC posted:

The optimum operating temperature for a lead-acid battery is 20-25° C (68-77° F). Elevated temperature reduces longevity. As a guideline, every 8° C (15° F) rise in temperature will cut the battery life in half.
If you have frequent power cuts, a bigger battery will actually last longer because you don't discharge it as heavily. Due to how to the battery chemistry and internal resistance works, doubling your capacity will more than double your run time. The better manufacturers will have a runtime graph on their website or manual which shows how long runtime you can expect at different loads, and it's not a linear graph.

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!
gently caress me I guess

wormil fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Oct 1, 2020

Rolo
Nov 16, 2005

Hmm, what have we here?
How long does a power supply typically last? My buddy had his pc hard shut down last night and while talking to me about it let it slip that his PSU is 7+ years old.

xtal
Jan 9, 2011

by Fluffdaddy

Rolo posted:

How long does a power supply typically last? My buddy had his pc hard shut down last night and while talking to me about it let it slip that his PSU is 7+ years old.

Look at the manufacturer warranty and multiply that by your risk tolerance. Most are only rated for a few years, and can survive for a few years after that.

nitsuga
Jan 1, 2007

Rolo posted:

How long does a power supply typically last? My buddy had his pc hard shut down last night and while talking to me about it let it slip that his PSU is 7+ years old.

I think the general wisdom is to use it as long as the warranty lasts. Beyond that, you're running it on borrowed time. Really good power supplies come with a 7-10 year warranty, so he's probably right in that range. Hard shutdowns usually are a power problem, so it's where I'd look first too.

Saukkis
May 16, 2003

Unless I'm on the inside curve pointing straight at oncoming traffic the high beams stay on and I laugh at your puny protest flashes.
I am Most Important Man. Most Important Man in the World.

Charles posted:

I peeled the sticker off one of my APC batteries and it had the original manufacturer underneath, lol. Searched it out and found it. Anyways they last 3-5 years or so. Probably varies how often they've been drained.

I don't think it even matters who the manufacturer was, they are just bog standard sealed lead batteries, no intelligence, chips or any kind of sensors. For curiosity I googled what kind of battery the OP's UPS has and the pictures looked exactly like the batteries we use in glider planes. Measure the size of the battery, look what kind of terminals it has and then find a replacement in your local electronics or car parts store.

FCKGW
May 21, 2006

Vir posted:

Usage and operating temperature are the main reasons why lead acid batteries degrade. APC claims that

If you have frequent power cuts, a bigger battery will actually last longer because you don't discharge it as heavily. Due to how to the battery chemistry and internal resistance works, doubling your capacity will more than double your run time. The better manufacturers will have a runtime graph on their website or manual which shows how long runtime you can expect at different loads, and it's not a linear graph.

I have a UPS in my attic which gets to 140F and it's not good on those batteries!

I need to get a POE powered switch or something.

Vir
Dec 14, 2007

Does it tickle when your Body Thetans flap their wings, eh Beatrice?

FCKGW posted:

I have a UPS in my attic which gets to 140F and it's not good on those batteries!
That is straight up fire hazard, especially if it's a multi-cell battery. At least they won't explode, because they have a vent which will release sulfuric gas, but boiling lead acid batteries can cause thermal runaway, shorts and fires. Get that poo poo out of your attic space and move it to an occupied space where you can keep an eye on it.

https://www.imca-int.com/alert/1572/near-miss-fire-explosion-thermal-runaway-lead-acid-battery/

Lead acid battery fires aren't as dramatic as LiPo fires, but if you need an UPS in the attic get a battery made for that temperature range. Edit: Even automotive AGM batteries are cutting it close with 140F, but at least they are made to work in hot engine bays, which regular sealed UPS batteries aren't.

Vir fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Sep 29, 2020

Kia Soul Enthusias
May 9, 2004

zoom-zoom
Toilet Rascal

Saukkis posted:

I don't think it even matters who the manufacturer was, they are just bog standard sealed lead batteries, no intelligence, chips or any kind of sensors. For curiosity I googled what kind of battery the OP's UPS has and the pictures looked exactly like the batteries we use in glider planes. Measure the size of the battery, look what kind of terminals it has and then find a replacement in your local electronics or car parts store.

I know, I usually use whatever I find, but it was the same $20-25 price as all the other ones.

That same size was used in lots of 90s security systems. Maybe they still are.

Both my APC and Cyberpower use F2 terminals, which are the wider ones.

FCKGW
May 21, 2006

Vir posted:

That is straight up fire hazard, especially if it's a multi-cell battery. At least they won't explode, because they have a vent which will release sulfuric gas, but boiling lead acid batteries can cause thermal runaway, shorts and fires. Get that poo poo out of your attic space and move it to an occupied space where you can keep an eye on it.

https://www.imca-int.com/alert/1572/near-miss-fire-explosion-thermal-runaway-lead-acid-battery/

Lead acid battery fires aren't as dramatic as LiPo fires, but if you need an UPS in the attic get a battery made for that temperature range. Edit: Even automotive AGM batteries are cutting it close with 140F, but at least they are made to work in hot engine bays, which regular sealed UPS batteries aren't.

Well I killed the last one so there's nothing up there at the moment as it is, so that's good news.

This is only for some IP cameras so it was a cheap $30 Cyberpower but I think since I'm redoing my network anyways I'm going to spring for a POE powered switch and tie it into my UPS in my network closet instead.

Triikan
Feb 23, 2007
Most Loved
I guess I've been lucky enough not to have to RMA a video card since I sent my Geforce 4 back to BFG, but is MSI's RMA process really bad, or is this industry standard now? Their quoted turn around time is 15 to 35 business days. 3 to 7 weeks?

future ghost
Dec 5, 2005

:byetankie:
Gun Saliva

Triikan posted:

I guess I've been lucky enough not to have to RMA a video card since I sent my Geforce 4 back to BFG, but is MSI's RMA process really bad, or is this industry standard now? Their quoted turn around time is 15 to 35 business days. 3 to 7 weeks?
What card is it? They keep pretty limited RMA stock IIRC. When I had to RMA a couple cards with MSI they had a max turnaround of 2 weeks, but this was for AMD 290s so it's been awhile.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

EVGA does cross shipping, for the next time you need to buy a card.

Triikan
Feb 23, 2007
Most Loved

future ghost posted:

What card is it? They keep pretty limited RMA stock IIRC. When I had to RMA a couple cards with MSI they had a max turnaround of 2 weeks, but this was for AMD 290s so it's been awhile.

Ventus 1660ti. I'm approaching two weeks now, so here's to hoping.


VelociBacon posted:

EVGA does cross shipping, for the next time you need to buy a card.

Their standard RMA also states a turnaround time of 3 days upon receipt, which seems perfectly acceptable to me.

Filthy Hans
Jun 27, 2008

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 11 years!)

I received my refurbed dell optiplex and it came with a wifi dongle. On it, my download rate is 26 mbps but on my 9 year old notebook my download rate is 98 mbps. The package of the dongle says I should get up to 150 mbps. What gives?

edit: it's a usb 2.0 dongle in a 2.0 port

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Filthy Hans posted:

I received my refurbed dell optiplex and it came with a wifi dongle. On it, my download rate is 26 mbps but on my 9 year old notebook my download rate is 98 mbps. The package of the dongle says I should get up to 150 mbps. What gives?

edit: it's a usb 2.0 dongle in a 2.0 port

Not to state the obvious but it’s connected to the 5ghz network right? Seems like maybe not.

Filthy Hans
Jun 27, 2008

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 11 years!)

MarcusSA posted:

Not to state the obvious but it’s connected to the 5ghz network right? Seems like maybe not.

it is

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Geemer
Nov 4, 2010



Is it right up next to the computer case? You might get better results if there isn't a huge metal box of interference right up next to it.

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