Building your own computer : a thing of the past ?

[tymk 109]

34 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

 

but Nvidia series 3 cards are kind of an overkill for virtual schooling or remote work at home 😃

 

They definitely are, but the manufacturing capacity required for those may simply be held up by demand for other components...

I recently found a video that offers an explanation which seems plausible.

 

[Bob Scott 7,745]

I think the GPU shortage is the result of an unhappy intersection of factors--both pandemic-related demand and supply chain dislocations, and the huge surge in cryptomining for virtual currencies as a response to irresponsible money-printing by governments/central banks around the globe and the looming threat of inflation that comes with it.

I suspect the supply chain disruptions will sort themselves out over the next 6-12 months.  As to GPU demand driven by virtual currency, I think that future is still too murky to see, as the same governments that are creating demand for virtual currency by recklessly printing their own fiat money with Zimbabwe-like abandon are also likely to step in with their regulatory hammers to rein-in competing currencies they can't control.  Whether they do it or not, whether they can succeed at doing it or not, and whether the masses keep or lose their fascination with cryptocurrency all remain to be seen...and as that goes, so does the demand for high-end GPUs.

[BobFS88 651]

14 minutes ago, tymk said:

They definitely are, but the manufacturing capacity required for those may simply be held up by demand for other components...

I recently found a video that offers an explanation which seems plausible.

 

Great video and on point!

[fppilot 4,391]

1 hour ago, Dominique_K said:

but Nvidia series 3 cards are kind of an overkill for virtual schooling or remote work at home 😃

Nvidia does not produce every element of their series 3 cards and availability of some of those elements may be stressed.  Nvidia produces other graphics interfaces as well for more basic applications.  Laptops, MOB's etc.  So based on demand they may have shifted resources devoted to respective product mixes and Nvidia suppliers may have also shifted production mix toward more serious needs.

[andy1252 3,970]

7 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

For the last 25-odd years, I have built my computers and my wife’s.

Apart from my first couple of PCs (Amstrad PC1640 then Viglen 386) back around '87 or so, I always built my own as I figured I could build exactly what I wanted and it also satisfied my inner geek (I had a thing about multi-cp systems long before multi-core processors became the norm). I built several 386 and then Pentium systems over the years, but sometime around 2005 or so I needed a replacement machine in a hurry and bought off-the-shelf, and was quite surprised at the cost vs spec equation at the time. I couldn't have built the same spec machine cheaper myself.

Next machine, and all four since, have been built-to-order via online custom builder type sites. Same basic consideration - I couldn't have gotten them cheaper by buying the parts myself, and additionally I get to word not allowed at someone else if it all goes pear-shaped.

I was lucky with my last two machines (my current sim PC and a separate PC for general stuff) in that I seem to have bought at the right time (unusual for me) so got a top-end spec for what now seems like reasonable money! No plans to upgrade again any time soon, but when it does come round, as I've no doubt it will, I'll definitely be getting the next one built for me as well. And if anybody in the UK wants a recommendation I've used Scan computers for the last three machines. Good value and you can largely specify exactly what you want in your configuration.

Oh, and I also used to buy reconditioned machines from Morgan Computers to use in our shops when we still had them. Again, good value and excellent service.

My inner geek has moved on.

[Reader 2,034]

My first custom built PC came from Overclockers in the UK. I ordered it for the same reason, I could not source the parts for the price. I still have the PC but in the meantime, it has had two new motherboards, two new CPUs, two sets of RAM, four power supplies, ten hard drives, two graphics cards, a case, six new fans and two water coolers. For those of you who know Only Fools and Horses, it is a true Trigger's Broom.

 

[G-RFRY 1,726]

I think you can forget the old MSRP 3090`s in stock now but over 2 grand, the word is out users will pay whatever the price. 

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I still build them and even my older ones are still used. My Flight Sim Build from 16 years ago is now used at the reception desk at my work and is still powerful enough for Windows 10 and Office and our booking software. I would rather things not become e-waste, the longer I can use them the better

[Penzoil3 480]

I hand them off. I have given 15 systems to computerless friends over the last 20 years. As I build a new one, the old one becomes my spare in the living room. The former living room system is then handed down to a needy friend.

 My current machine is about a year and a half old. It will do for a while. I 7 9700K cpu, on a Gigabyte

Z390 Gaming X mobo, with a Radeon RX 680 video card and 32 gb of ram. I have approximately 14.6 terrabytes of storage.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Penzoil3

[Dominique_K 10,152]

10 hours ago, w6kd said:

As to GPU demand driven by virtual currency, I think that future is still too murky to see

 The half assed attempt by Nvidia to neuter the 3060 for cryptomining and the fact that the new 3080ti can be used for the purpose is not a good omen for the accessibility of graphic cards to home builders.

[jcomm 5,984]

I am building a new rig !  After 10 yrs using my desktop, which I built in 2011 for MS FLIGHT, and having updated twice my GPU, from the initial Gti 480 to a 640 and finally a 960 GTX 4 GB GDDR3 ( Asus ), the Mob is starting to give some weird problems here & there, and since we use this PC for work at home, it is time to find a B plan...

It's surely not the best time to spend money in a rig, but... And right now that I was not even playing any sims 😕

Asked my great friend Alexis to build a complete specification for me, and he did a remarkable work, finding the ideal / bargain set of components.

I ordered it all, less the GPU which I still can't convince myself to buy for such a price - it would cost me almost as much as the rest of the assembly 😕

So, I am going:

.) Motherboard ATX MSI MAG B550 Torpedo

.) AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core 3.7GHz c/ Turbo 4.6GHz 35MB SktAM4

.) Motherboard ATX MSI MAG B550 Torpedo Red

.) Cooler CPU Arctic Freezer 34 eSports DUO Red

.) MSI MPG A650GF 650W 80 PLUS Gold Full Modular

The recommended GPU was a promotional "XFX Radeon RX 6700 XT Speedster QICK 319 Black Gaming 12GB GDDR6", but it was just too expensive ( €762,90 !!! )

So, sooner than later, after I can find a way to use a Win 8 license to activate Win 10 Pro on this new rig, I will be ready for the SIMS !!! Oh No 😕 Here I go again :-(((

P.S.: I hope it is win 11 - ready 🙂

Edited June 27, 2021 by jcomm

[JNS 106]

12 hours ago, w6kd said:

I think the GPU shortage is the result of an unhappy intersection of factors--both pandemic-related demand and supply chain dislocations, and the huge surge in cryptomining for virtual currencies as a response to irresponsible money-printing by governments/central banks around the globe and the looming threat of inflation that comes with it.

I suspect the supply chain disruptions will sort themselves out over the next 6-12 months.  As to GPU demand driven by virtual currency, I think that future is still too murky to see, as the same governments that are creating demand for virtual currency by recklessly printing their own fiat money with Zimbabwe-like abandon are also likely to step in with their regulatory hammers to rein-in competing currencies they can't control.  Whether they do it or not, whether they can succeed at doing it or not, and whether the masses keep or lose their fascination with cryptocurrency all remain to be seen...and as that goes, so does the demand for high-end GPUs.

I'm trying to understand why crypto-mining requires a high-end video card. Isn't all they are doing is trying to solve some mathematical equation?  

Jeff

[Dominique_K 10,152]

24 minutes ago, JNS said:

I'm trying to understand why crypto-mining requires a high-end video card. Isn't all they are doing is trying to solve some mathematical equation?  

Jeff

GPU Usage in Cryptocurrency Mining (investopedia.com)

[JNS 106]

8 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

GPU Usage in Cryptocurrency Mining (investopedia.com)

Thanks, Dominique.

[stans 707]

I had become a builder for my home use systems, but this year, my last build was so old and outdated that I no longer had a choice.  With the inability to buy components, I bought a pre-assembled system from New Egg, ABS, their in-house brand.  Can't say as I'm thrilled with the quality, but due to the skyrocketing prices of components and the scarcity of components, it was the only way to get a modern, functioning computer for Windows 10 (and soon Win 11).