The Technology Thread

[UKTexans]

I couldn't find this thread lying around and I know we had a pretty burgeoning discussion going on in the previous forum (rip), I also need some advice on PCs, so I thought it made sense to revive it.

Any technophiles out there tell me what to look for when buying a PC (desktop/AIO/laptop).

I have seen a Dell laptop with the following spec, but I can't work out if it is the best solution or not. I literally need it to work from home on occasions and to be able to maybe play video games occasionally like Civilisations or Football Manager (nothing graphically intensive basically)

• Intel® Core™ i7-7700 [7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700 processor (8MB Cache, up to 4.20 GHz)]
• 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
• 128GB SSD+1TB GB 7.2k HDD
• NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1050 with 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory
• 5-in-1 Multi-Card Reader | Audio combo jack | (4) USB 2.0 ports | Optical drive | (2) USB 3.0 ports

All for around £1,000 or $1,200 (remember UK prices tend to be higher anyway).

Is this suitable for my needs or is it potentially too much?

[MrDrew]

8 hours ago, texans_uk said:

I couldn't find this thread lying around and I know we had a pretty burgeoning discussion going on in the previous forum (rip), I also need some advice on PCs, so I thought it made sense to revive it.

Any technophiles out there tell me what to look for when buying a PC (desktop/AIO/laptop).

I have seen a Dell laptop with the following spec, but I can't work out if it is the best solution or not. I literally need it to work from home on occasions and to be able to maybe play video games occasionally like Civilisations or Football Manager (nothing graphically intensive basically)

• Intel® Core™ i7-7700 [7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700 processor (8MB Cache, up to 4.20 GHz)]
• 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
• 128GB SSD+1TB GB 7.2k HDD
• NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1050 with 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory
• 5-in-1 Multi-Card Reader | Audio combo jack | (4) USB 2.0 ports | Optical drive | (2) USB 3.0 ports

All for around £1,000 or $1,200 (remember UK prices tend to be higher anyway).

Is this suitable for my needs or is it potentially too much?

I would say that it's overkill for what you need it to do....... Right  now. It's not a bad idea if you want to use it for a while. 

[UKTexans]

35 minutes ago, MrDrew said:

I would say that it's overkill for what you need it to do....... Right  now. It's not a bad idea if you want to use it for a while. 

I'm torn. 

Part of me wants to future proof. Part of me thinks all of this will be outdated in 5 years anyway. And the 3rd part of me is worried that within 18 months it will slow down. 

[RuskieTitan]

Figure this is probably the best thread to ask this in:

So at work I have a set of headphones I use when I'm working on different projects, its the Sound Blaster model GH0280 with wireless capability (although I always have mine wired to my phone). I've been using them almost daily for a little over three years and am honestly surprised they've lasted so long. But recently one side of them cracked a little around the hinge where the ear-pad adjusts, so it no longer squeezes around my head and as a result the right side sort of hangs out a bit. So now I am in the market for a new headset to listen to music while at work.

Here is a photo of what I've had before:

Overall I am rather satisfied with what I've had, my only possible complaint is that the ear pads settle right on my ears rather than surrounding them, but until they cracked recently I didn't really have much of a complaint since it did a good job of noise cancelling in the office (without making me entirely deaf) so that I hear basically just my music as well as providing good sound quality.

Looking around online, it seems like Amazon has some for about $85:

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Cancelling-Headphones-Integrated/dp/B00D34A1G8

I can't remember exactly how much I paid for mine initially, but I do know I got mine from Best Buy for a stupid low price (Think it was under $50 or $40). I don't necessarily mind shelling out for another pair of the exact same headphones, even if it is a bit more than I had paid before (since I know what I'll be getting), but I figure I'll reach out here and see if there aren't any recommendations for good quality headphones that folks on here have used.

What I am looking for:

- Not necessarily trying to break the bank, I'd probably say $100ish would be my budget roughly

- Strictly keeping this at work, so don't care about sweatproof, waterproof, gym-proof, etc.

- Noise reduction / cancellation is a huge plus and almost a requirement (It doesn't really get loud in the office at all, but moreso for my concentration to only hear music is helpful while I work)

- I want top notch sound quality of the audio speakers, I've got ear buds for the gym and there's a HUGE difference between sound quality from these headphones and the ear buds

Probably going to wait until this weekend before making a decision, but any suggestions and recommendations are welcome. Not really a fan of in-ear plugs (noise quality isn't as good plus I just don't like having to stick something into my ears) nor do I like the smaller buds that wrap around the ears (again, quality of sound plus noise cancellation just isn't there).

[PatriotsWin!]

On 10/5/2017 at 5:23 AM, texans_uk said:

I couldn't find this thread lying around and I know we had a pretty burgeoning discussion going on in the previous forum (rip), I also need some advice on PCs, so I thought it made sense to revive it.

Any technophiles out there tell me what to look for when buying a PC (desktop/AIO/laptop).

I have seen a Dell laptop with the following spec, but I can't work out if it is the best solution or not. I literally need it to work from home on occasions and to be able to maybe play video games occasionally like Civilisations or Football Manager (nothing graphically intensive basically)

• Intel® Core™ i7-7700 [7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700 processor (8MB Cache, up to 4.20 GHz)]
• 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
• 128GB SSD+1TB GB 7.2k HDD
• NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1050 with 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory
• 5-in-1 Multi-Card Reader | Audio combo jack | (4) USB 2.0 ports | Optical drive | (2) USB 3.0 ports

All for around £1,000 or $1,200 (remember UK prices tend to be higher anyway).

Is this suitable for my needs or is it potentially too much?

I think that's a good system and definitely not overkill. Even if all you're doing is using Office apps and surfing the web/youtube, you'll appreciate the added zip. And with a system like this you should be good for at least another 5 years. I cheaped out on a laptop a couple years ago and regretted it. But that's just me, I'm impatient and don't like slow.

EDIT: btw if you intend to keep your computer on your desk all the time don't even bother with a laptop. You can get much better bang for your buck with a desktop. And they're more reliable.

Edited November 2, 2017 by PatriotsWin!

[CWood21]

Maybe at @iPwn or someone else can help, is there any real notable differences between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8?  I guess the question I'm asking, is it worth the extra $150M I'm spending on it?

[MrDrew]

5 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Maybe at @iPwn or someone else can help, is there any real notable differences between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8?  I guess the question I'm asking, is it worth the extra $150M I'm spending on it?

Faster, wireless charging, more storage, better video recording. Wireless charging is the big feature.

[showtime]

21 hours ago, CWood21 said:

Maybe at @iPwn or someone else can help, is there any real notable differences between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8?  I guess the question I'm asking, is it worth the extra $150M I'm spending on it?

I would say the iPhone 8 is worth the $150, especially if you plan on keeping your phone for longer than a year.  @MrDrew already hit on some key differences.  To add on to that, I will also mention Apple's A11 bionic chip.  This processor has produced insane benchmark scores and it really is hands down the most powerful processor you can get on any cell phone today.  I think that will be more important in the future as we start to get into more advanced AI such as apps that utilize augmented reality.

[showtime]

On 11/2/2017 at 2:25 PM, RuskieTitan said:

Figure this is probably the best thread to ask this in:

So at work I have a set of headphones I use when I'm working on different projects, its the Sound Blaster model GH0280 with wireless capability (although I always have mine wired to my phone). I've been using them almost daily for a little over three years and am honestly surprised they've lasted so long. But recently one side of them cracked a little around the hinge where the ear-pad adjusts, so it no longer squeezes around my head and as a result the right side sort of hangs out a bit. So now I am in the market for a new headset to listen to music while at work.

Here is a photo of what I've had before:

Overall I am rather satisfied with what I've had, my only possible complaint is that the ear pads settle right on my ears rather than surrounding them, but until they cracked recently I didn't really have much of a complaint since it did a good job of noise cancelling in the office (without making me entirely deaf) so that I hear basically just my music as well as providing good sound quality.

Looking around online, it seems like Amazon has some for about $85:

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Cancelling-Headphones-Integrated/dp/B00D34A1G8

I can't remember exactly how much I paid for mine initially, but I do know I got mine from Best Buy for a stupid low price (Think it was under $50 or $40). I don't necessarily mind shelling out for another pair of the exact same headphones, even if it is a bit more than I had paid before (since I know what I'll be getting), but I figure I'll reach out here and see if there aren't any recommendations for good quality headphones that folks on here have used.

What I am looking for:

- Not necessarily trying to break the bank, I'd probably say $100ish would be my budget roughly

- Strictly keeping this at work, so don't care about sweatproof, waterproof, gym-proof, etc.

- Noise reduction / cancellation is a huge plus and almost a requirement (It doesn't really get loud in the office at all, but moreso for my concentration to only hear music is helpful while I work)

- I want top notch sound quality of the audio speakers, I've got ear buds for the gym and there's a HUGE difference between sound quality from these headphones and the ear buds

Probably going to wait until this weekend before making a decision, but any suggestions and recommendations are welcome. Not really a fan of in-ear plugs (noise quality isn't as good plus I just don't like having to stick something into my ears) nor do I like the smaller buds that wrap around the ears (again, quality of sound plus noise cancellation just isn't there).

I would suggest waiting a few more weeks if possible.  Black Friday is approaching and the rumor is that some of the big retailers (Wal-Mart, Amazon, etc) will be releasing their ads later this week.  Since you listed money as a concern $100-ish, you might be able to find a really good deal during Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

[showtime]

On 10/5/2017 at 4:23 AM, texans_uk said:

I couldn't find this thread lying around and I know we had a pretty burgeoning discussion going on in the previous forum (rip), I also need some advice on PCs, so I thought it made sense to revive it.

Any technophiles out there tell me what to look for when buying a PC (desktop/AIO/laptop).

I have seen a Dell laptop with the following spec, but I can't work out if it is the best solution or not. I literally need it to work from home on occasions and to be able to maybe play video games occasionally like Civilisations or Football Manager (nothing graphically intensive basically)

• Intel® Core™ i7-7700 [7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700 processor (8MB Cache, up to 4.20 GHz)]
• 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
• 128GB SSD+1TB GB 7.2k HDD
• NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 1050 with 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory
• 5-in-1 Multi-Card Reader | Audio combo jack | (4) USB 2.0 ports | Optical drive | (2) USB 3.0 ports

All for around £1,000 or $1,200 (remember UK prices tend to be higher anyway).

Is this suitable for my needs or is it potentially too much?

The only part of that set-up that seems like overkill is the processor.  An i5 is perfectly fine for gaming.  Honestly, I'm not a fan of 8GB of RAM, but I'm pretty confident that this is upgradeable by the user, so it's not that big of a deal.  The GTX 1050 is a solid graphics card, but I would really try for something a bit better.  You would be able to play Civ 6 with a 1050, but it wouldn't be too great if you are wanting to play on higher settings.

Black Friday is coming up as well as Cyber Monday.  I have already seen some leaks with gaming laptops getting a pretty good price markdown.

[CWood21]

31 minutes ago, showtime said:

I would say the iPhone 8 is worth the $150, especially if you plan on keeping your phone for longer than a year.  @MrDrew already hit on some key differences.  To add on to that, I will also mention Apple's A11 bionic chip.  This processor has produced insane benchmark scores and it really is hands down the most powerful processor you can get on any cell phone today.  I think that will be more important in the future as we start to get into more advanced AI such as apps that utilize augmented reality.

I generally keep my phone for ~2 years.  My current iPhone 6 hits that mark in March, so I've been starting to look.

[showtime]

1 hour ago, CWood21 said:

I generally keep my phone for ~2 years.  My current iPhone 6 hits that mark in March, so I've been starting to look.

If you keep your phone for two years then I would suggest you purchase either the iPhone 8, iPhone 8+, iPhone X or the Google Pixel 2.

[CWood21]

6 hours ago, showtime said:

If you keep your phone for two years then I would suggest you purchase either the iPhone 8, iPhone 8+, iPhone X or the Google Pixel 2.

Not paying the extra $300 or whatever the difference is to go the X.  Don't need the facial recognition thing that badly.

[MrDrew]

59 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Not paying the extra $300 or whatever the difference is to go the X.  Don't need the facial recognition thing that badly.

Facial recognition, faster processor, bigger screen, better camera....

https://gizmodo.com/i-hate-how-much-i-love-the-iphone-x-1820086867

[.Buzz]

35 minutes ago, MrDrew said:

Facial recognition, faster processor, bigger screen, better camera....

https://gizmodo.com/i-hate-how-much-i-love-the-iphone-x-1820086867

X looks awesome but the price is just too much imo.

Still in deep thinking mode about the IPhone 8 or Pixel 2. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by .Buzz