💬 OT 💻 Post your computer setup

[Thirdgen89GTA]

APC batteries are jelly bean parts. You can probably go to Batteries+ or whatever and get some new ones without it being a huge deal honestly. The lead acid stuff is somewhat "safer" than the Lithium Ion shit that'll burn everything down if it charges wrong. Look around online too, some of them have hereditary problems batteries won't fix. Varies from model to model.

So, a few things on KVMs since I have one successful and one not successful install at the moment:
-If your monitors take HDMI or DVI input you're good to go. You just get the adapter cables and go.
-Displayport, HDMI and DVI outputs from a computer are fine going through an HDMI KVM.

This is where problems start. My work has issued me a set of Displayport only Dell Monitors. They DO NOT work with HDMI or DVI adapter cables using a DVI Source to drive them. I have tried a few different adapters and both an HDMI and a DVI KVM. For me to make use of this setup, I'm going to have to change monitors. The other options are that I get a DisplayPort video card or that I get a USB keyboard/mouse switch and return this then run monitors separately.

My wife running HDMI/DVI monitors works perfectly though. Her thin client is displayport while her docked laptop is DVI through an HDMI KVM. The one I got seems nice enough, for an extra $15 or so you can get a nice remote button too.

At that point, yeah, I'd look for an older 'cheapo' server GPU from Nvidia or AMD. Something that Dell/HP/etc would throw in a server to get video output but not much else since all you'll likely need is dual 2D 1080p. Can probably find a refurb for $100 or less. I wouldn't go with any of those USB based piles of shit.

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

APC batteries are jelly bean parts. You can probably go to Batteries+ or whatever and get some new ones without it being a huge deal honestly. The lead acid stuff is somewhat "safer" than the Lithium Ion shit that'll burn everything down if it charges wrong. Look around online too, some of them have hereditary problems batteries won't fix. Varies from model to model.

So, a few things on KVMs since I have one successful and one not successful install at the moment:
-If your monitors take HDMI or DVI input you're good to go. You just get the adapter cables and go.
-Displayport, HDMI and DVI outputs from a computer are fine going through an HDMI KVM.

This is where problems start. My work has issued me a set of Displayport only Dell Monitors. They DO NOT work with HDMI or DVI adapter cables using a DVI Source to drive them. I have tried a few different adapters and both an HDMI and a DVI KVM. For me to make use of this setup, I'm going to have to change monitors. The other options are that I get a DisplayPort video card or that I get a USB keyboard/mouse switch and return this then run monitors separately.

My wife running HDMI/DVI monitors works perfectly though. Her thin client is displayport while her docked laptop is DVI through an HDMI KVM. The one I got seems nice enough, for an extra $15 or so you can get a nice remote button too.

Mouse without borders

Download Microsoft Garage Mouse without Borders from Official Microsoft Download Center

Mouse without Borders (http://aka.ms/mm) is a product that makes you the captain of your computer fleet by allowing you to control up to four computers from a single mouse and keyboard. This means that with Mouse without Borders you can copy text or drag and drop files across computers.

www.microsoft.com

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

I feel like a this might be a dumb question but I don't often play in the rack mount space.

A guy local is selling 2 APC SUA1500RM2U UPS with bad batteries for 100/ea. So far I'm sold. He bought them refurbished 3 years ago, I can get batteries for about 40-50 per set off battery shark. I asked him for the date code. manufactured in 06 and 08. I did see these were just discontinued last year but I passed on them when I found out how old they were. I am now second guessing myself. Would you buy these being into 2 2u 1500va UPS for $280ish with batteries or pass?

Does it come with the rails? Steal if it does.

IMO older APC stuff is still good shit. I have a 2U APC with 4 new 12v 9ah batteries in it that has been solid. The unit is probobly 15+ years old. Especially compared to the cyberpower tower UPS that barely lasted 2 years before one of the batteries took a shit.

Also make sure to take the packs apart and test each battery. Sometimes its only 1 or 2 that make the whole pack look bad. Replace the bad one and you are good to go. Easy to work on if they didnt use a shitload of double sided tape like the factory battery packs come with to keep the batteries in place.

 

[GTvert90]

Does it come with the rails? Steal if it does.

IMO older APC stuff is still good shit. I have a 2U APC with 4 new 12v 9ah batteries in it that has been solid. The unit is probobly 15+ years old. Especially compared to the cyberpower tower UPS that barely lasted 2 years before one of the batteries took a shit.

Also make sure to take the packs apart and test each battery. Sometimes its only 1 or 2 that make the whole pack look bad. Replace the bad one and you are good to go. Easy to work on if they didnt use a shitload of double sided tape like the factory battery packs come with to keep the batteries in place.

No rails he said 170 for the pair or 200 with the L shaped bracket/shelf things he used too mount them. Still thinking I should pick them up but geez they're so old haha. SNMP/HTTP monitoring would be cool but my unRAID server should be able to see it through USB so not a huge deal

 

[Mr_Roboto]

At that point, yeah, I'd look for an older 'cheapo' server GPU from Nvidia or AMD. Something that Dell/HP/etc would throw in a server to get video output but not much else since all you'll likely need is dual 2D 1080p. Can probably find a refurb for $100 or less. I wouldn't go with any of those USB based piles of shit.

Considering my video card is old AF it can probably just go away for a $100 special. https://www.newegg.com/amd-radeon-rx-580/p/27N-007Z-00002?Item=9SIB86XH2K2757 It shows about 9,000 on CPUmark but I'm not sure of the brand. I'll be running this on Linux for what it's worth and have an AMD System. Due to that I'd rather avoid nVidia as I've had Hyper Transport overflow issues with their video cards in the past on AMD.

This is what I'm looking at, right now I have an HD5450. It scores under 200 on cpumark.

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

No rails he said 170 for the pair or 200 with the L shaped bracket/shelf things he used too mount them. Still thinking I should pick them up but geez they're so old haha. SNMP/HTTP monitoring would be cool but my unRAID server should be able to see it through USB so not a huge deal

Go check out the price of a modern one

 

[GTvert90]

Go check out the price of a modern one

I know and I have. I just gave perfect fine vertical cyberpower 1500va simulated sinewave ones so I don't NEED these. I just liked the idea of going rack mount lol

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

I know and I have. I just gave perfect fine vertical cyberpower 1500va simulated sinewave ones so I don't NEED these. I just liked the idea of going rack mount lol

Rackmount is nice. I did the same and my towers got moved to 3d printer/gaming/entertainment center duty.

 

[GTvert90]

Rackmount is nice. I did the same and my towers got moved to 3d printer/gaming/entertainment center duty.

You're right. I could totally move the 2 others to the living room and bedroom

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Rearranged my desk. Still a ways to go, can't believe that hp laptop can drive it's self and 3 monitors.

Up next getting the desktop hooked to the KVM and getting a keyboard switch for the other one.

May end up getting rid of the sun monitors too. They are just a weird dimension with the stand honestly.

 

[Fish]

I was helping do extra work with another team and they had 3 34 inch monitors at their workstations. Non ultra wide. I literally had to either back up way back to see everything or only use 2 monitors and ignore the third, or keep turning my head.

Did a quick search and found this setup. I now want it with a second portable on the other side.

How I Combined an Ultrawide and Portable Monitor Into a Kickass Setup

For years, I’ve drooled over ultrawide gaming monitors, unable to pull the trigger because of the versatility dual 16:9 monitors offered. But I think I’ve finally found the best of both worlds, and it’s a bit ... unorthodox.

theinventory.com

 

[FrenchLicker]

Having a monitor in portrait mode is god tier for text/pdfs

 

[Fish]

Having a monitor in portrait mode is god tier for text/pdfs

It is. I had our desk at work set up with one portrait and 2 landscapes. Have to share it and everyone else didn’t like it. So it went back.

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

Fuck yes, I finally have a chair back to normal.

This is my office chair, Herman Miller Aaron chair. Usually about $1500 new (can find half price on eBay and stuff)

But, the nice thing about these chairs is they care completely rebuildable.

My pneumatic cylinder went out and the chair dropped down to bottom height and it was a PITA to get the press-fit cylinder out, considering the chair is over 20 years old (was built in July 2002.).

Had to buy a set of steel collars to remove the press-fit cylinder from the base, it was a pain in the ass. I'm annoyed I had to spend $30 for the collars to get it done. But its so nice to have a chair at normal, comfortable height again.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7QF8T5Y/?tag=tcg21-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QGCW421/?tag=tcg21-20

Aeron Chair – Herman Miller

Shop Aeron Chair and see our wide selection of Aeron at Herman Miller. In stock, exclusive, and ready to ship – authentic modern furniture from iconic designers.

store.hermanmiller.com

 

[Mr_Roboto]

aerons are $1500 now? Holy fuck!

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

aerons are $1500 now? Holy fuck!

Yeah, that's why I fixed it lol. It's a good chair.

I wouldn't pay $1500, I'd look at a used one instead for much less.

But, hey, I got this one for FREE from work.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Yeah, that's why I fixed it lol. It's a good chair.

I wouldn't pay $1500, I'd look at a used one instead for much less.

But, hey, I got this one for FREE from work.

Mine was from a dumpster fixed with Ebay parts.

 

[SpeedSpeak2me]

Mine was from a dumpster fixed with Ebay parts.

I just read that as, “from a dumpster fire”, and was thinking, “shit, he was really committed”. ?

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

LTT gets ahold of the prototype Voodoo 5 6000 GPU and tests it.

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

Ahh shit, Westworld is gonna be real soon. The AI is gonna learn how players mistreat the NPC's and its gonna revolt.

 

[GTvert90]

So I finished my UPS search. I ended up with 2 APC SMT1500RM2UNC 1500va. Realistically I only need one as both only have 7-12% load. Anyway the old Cyberpower 1500va simulated sinewave would report my unraid server as typically idling around 90w. The APC is reporting 56-84w at idle. Whats going on here? is one not as accurate? is the APC more efficient? If so I wouldn't expect it to report a lower load on it, just draw less from the receptacle. Was the Cyberpower possibly reporting total power draw for the whole UPS + the load?

 

[GTvert90]

So I finished my UPS search. I ended up with 2 APC SMT1500RM2UNC 1500va. Realistically I only need one as both only have 7-12% load. Anyway the old Cyberpower 1500va simulated sinewave would report my unraid server as typically idling around 90w. The APC is reporting 56-84w at idle. Whats going on here? is one not as accurate? is the APC more efficient? If so I wouldn't expect it to report a lower load on it, just draw less from the receptacle. Was the Cyberpower possibly reporting total power draw for the whole UPS + the load?

So it was the way I was viewing the data. The UPS only outputs the %used and you input the max output in grafana and it figures it out. I have it set up right I believe and its still showing low but at least that explains any discrepancy.

 

[Thirdgen89GTA]

I have a the SMT1500 tower UPS with network card. My server idles around 270w.

For my UPS logs, I multiply the Voltage Out * the Load amps out to get my wattage. Watts is visible on the front panel, but it's not in the logs anywhere.

 

[GTvert90]

I have a the SMT1500 tower UPS with network card. My server idles around 270w.

For my UPS logs, I multiply the Voltage Out * the Load amps out to get my wattage. Watts is visible on the front panel, but it's not in the logs anywhere.

Weird, I'm not seeing load amps in my log. but I double checked and based off the percentage it is showing 65w. to which I'm not complaining and it probably is right if your monster idles at 270w. I'm just curious, did the old cyberpower not report wattage properly ?