On Saturday's noon stream, we'll do further damage to the poor #CheapPCChallenge2024 HP minitower by wiring up some PCIe power. And we'll also (re)build an AT Socket 7 system that had some nasty mouse damage. https://youtube.com/live/-J4vI6hNzX4?feature=share
#CheapPCChallenge2024
#CheapPCChallenge2024 cont.
I also repeated these tests once I put in an HD 6570 for higher performance and lower power usage. Still curious how a WX 2100 would improve, but I'd want to make sure that the full size bracket has the right screws. Anyways,
Cinebench R10: 1890 (single) + 6615 (multiple) = 8505
(Forgot to write this down the last time, not sure why the results were different but :shrug:)
3DMark 2003 @ 1024x768: 6930(?) (default), 2160 (max)
@ 1280x1024: 1550 (max)
@ 1280x720: 1912.5 (max)
@ 800x600: 2925 (max)
@ 720x480: 3580 (max)
@ 640x480: 10,667.5 (default), 3857 (max)
No 1080p or sub-480p, unfortunately!
I managed to catalog a few games I actually completed during this XP benchmarking period
- Black Pencil is a really neat case of an early visual novel that was originally created by English developers that likely first got started from translating Japanese works. It's cute.
- Fare Thee Well is a sweet, sentimental kinetic novel made for a game jam that nonetheless is very pleasant to read through.
- Ready Player Fuck is funny as heck and did Cruelty Squad before the Godot engine ever hit public consciousness. A glorious self-deprecating sneer of a collectathon. And it may not even be in Unity, but Torque3D!
- A janky game a hobbyist made in VB6 but is too janky to even be practically playable and is just kind of bad.
- Same as the above but with Raycast Game Maker. Wonder how limited the Wolfenstein 3D source ports were in the 2000s.
- X-Operations rocks. Imagine if a small team of Japanese enthusiasts created their own version of .kkreiger, but modeled their game after Counter-Strike instead of Doom. Fits onto a floppy disk with a mixture of procedural/synthesized assets and nearly textureless worlds and entities. Some versions don't even have viewmodels for weapons or tools!
- Ara Fell is amazing. RPGMaker Par Excellence. Another case for why vanilla is such a great foundational flavor.
I also repeated these tests once I put in an HD 6570 for higher performance and lower power usage. Still curious how a WX 2100 would improve, but I'd want to make sure that the full size bracket has the right screws. Anyways,
Cinebench R10: 1890 (single) + 6615 (multiple) = 8505
(Forgot to write this down the last time, not sure why the results were different but :shrug:)
3DMark 2003 @ 1024x768: 6930(?) (default), 2160 (max)
@ 1280x1024: 1550 (max)
@ 1280x720: 1912.5 (max)
@ 800x600: 2925 (max)
@ 720x480: 3580 (max)
@ 640x480: 10,667.5 (default), 3857 (max)
No 1080p or sub-480p, unfortunately!
I managed to catalog a few games I actually completed during this XP benchmarking period
- Black Pencil is a really neat case of an early visual novel that was originally created by English developers that likely first got started from translating Japanese works. It's cute.
- Fare Thee Well is a sweet, sentimental kinetic novel made for a game jam that nonetheless is very pleasant to read through.
- Ready Player Fuck is funny as heck and did Cruelty Squad before the Godot engine ever hit public consciousness. A glorious self-deprecating sneer of a collectathon. And it may not even be in Unity, but Torque3D!
- A janky game a hobbyist made in VB6 but is too janky to even be practically playable and is just kind of bad.
- Same as the above but with Raycast Game Maker. Wonder how limited the Wolfenstein 3D source ports were in the 2000s.
- X-Operations rocks. Imagine if a small team of Japanese enthusiasts created their own version of .kkreiger, but modeled their game after Counter-Strike instead of Doom. Fits onto a floppy disk with a mixture of procedural/synthesized assets and nearly textureless worlds and entities. Some versions don't even have viewmodels for weapons or tools!
- Ara Fell is amazing. RPGMaker Par Excellence. Another case for why vanilla is such a great foundational flavor.
#CheapPCChallenge2024 DAY WHATEVER
So I did all of the main benchmarks. Forgot to add and multiple the numbers but here they are (for default specs/Quadro FX 3500):
Cinebench R10 @ 800x600: 1901 (single) + 6652 (multiple) = 8853 points for CPU
3DMark 2003 @ 1024x768: 5590 (default), 3045 (max settings)
@ 720x480: 7957.5 (default), 4752.5 (max)
@ 640x480: 8200 (default), 5020 (max)
@ 800x600: 7037.5 (default), 4040 (max)
@ 1280x720: 5127.5 (default), 2742.5 (max)
@ 1280x1024: 4285 (default), 1997.5 (max)
@ 1920x1080: 3080 (default), 1355 (max)
Bonus Third (to be revealed) @ 800x600, averaged out of 5 tests:
Average: ~42fps Minimum: 0/35/~23fps Maximum: 61/~60.8fps
Haven't got much to say about the Cinebench tests other than that it's slightly disappointing that the primary resolution can't be changed from 800 by 600 pixels.
The 3DMark 2003 benchmark has been surprisingly fruitful, as of the current setup nearly blasts through nearly all tests, but that it also defaults to the non-native resolution of 1024 x 768 and not 1280x1024. So I have chosen to run not just the default, but also 800x600, 640x480, and 1280x1024. Default everything else, as adding more beyond the parts upgrades would be too much.
The current image here from my games folder to have accidentally been an great benchmarking game without even trying. Bonus points if you know what game this is. Currently playing through it and a couple other games, since I've already done the benchmarks and just wanted to play a bit before switching operating systems.
So I did all of the main benchmarks. Forgot to add and multiple the numbers but here they are (for default specs/Quadro FX 3500):
Cinebench R10 @ 800x600: 1901 (single) + 6652 (multiple) = 8853 points for CPU
3DMark 2003 @ 1024x768: 5590 (default), 3045 (max settings)
@ 720x480: 7957.5 (default), 4752.5 (max)
@ 640x480: 8200 (default), 5020 (max)
@ 800x600: 7037.5 (default), 4040 (max)
@ 1280x720: 5127.5 (default), 2742.5 (max)
@ 1280x1024: 4285 (default), 1997.5 (max)
@ 1920x1080: 3080 (default), 1355 (max)
Bonus Third (to be revealed) @ 800x600, averaged out of 5 tests:
Average: ~42fps Minimum: 0/35/~23fps Maximum: 61/~60.8fps
Haven't got much to say about the Cinebench tests other than that it's slightly disappointing that the primary resolution can't be changed from 800 by 600 pixels.
The 3DMark 2003 benchmark has been surprisingly fruitful, as of the current setup nearly blasts through nearly all tests, but that it also defaults to the non-native resolution of 1024 x 768 and not 1280x1024. So I have chosen to run not just the default, but also 800x600, 640x480, and 1280x1024. Default everything else, as adding more beyond the parts upgrades would be too much.
The current image here from my games folder to have accidentally been an great benchmarking game without even trying. Bonus points if you know what game this is. Currently playing through it and a couple other games, since I've already done the benchmarks and just wanted to play a bit before switching operating systems.
Crunching on #CheapPCChallenge2024 today. Have got all the Cinebench and 3DMark results from two different GPUs, and a bonus benchmark game that I think some people might enjoy. The main problem is that third test required me using FRAP's benchmarking because I couldn't find a compatible version of MSI Afterburner, so I got textfiles with minimal information and a bunch of CSV files I'm somewhat nervous about cracking open.
Funny, considering how a few days ago I was just websurfing and listening to music with relative ease.
Funny, considering how a few days ago I was just websurfing and listening to music with relative ease.
Looking forward to watching / reading everyone's entries for the #CheapPCChallenge2024 !
Thanks for participating, and if you missed it this year, I'll see you next year! It's always a fun time!
I'll start working on the wrap-up video asap, so if you have socials for me to plug, make sure they're in your entry!
Cheers!
Today is the last day for the #CheapPCChallenge2024
Get your posts or videos or blog entries done by the end of the day today (Oct. 30th)!
Sorry for the late reminder!
Reminder: There are just 8 days left for the #CheapPCChallenge2024 !
So, two weeks with this system went by really uneventful! So much so I might've forgotten to take proof of me using this system for two weeks, darn it...
For being such a budget oriented computer, it simply.. worked. And worked well. No hangs, no crashes, no real slowdowns to speak of, even with just 8GB of RAM.
I've gamed on this thing, compiled kernels and OpenWRT images, continued on coding projects and even used it for work as much as I could, I'm really pleased :3
@shyra #CheapPCChallenge2024 system is up and working as a streaming PC! #TotallyNormalComputing
I'll be doing a stream Thursday afternoon at 3:00 eastern to build my entry to @shyra 's #cheappcchallenge2024 contest. It will involve using a cutoff wheel to make room for a GTX980 in a SFF HP. https://youtube.com/live/j9a7mYlNbe4?feature=share
Reminder that @shyra ‘s #CheapPCChallenge2024 closes at the end of the month! https://youtu.be/kQiSehbTZYo?si=tLBxtEAHmdUMB183
Re-post with alt text, oops!
So, what can $82 get you in a used gaming PC today?
A lot, it turns out... if you're willing to take some chances!
This is my entry for the #CheapPCChallenge2024
Please enjoy!
Tech Ambrosia is not sponsored, and depends on viewers like you!
https://www.patreon.com/TechAmbrosia
#cheappcchallenge2024 uh... I dunno if mine counts.
I found a 2U workstation in the trash the other week, and slapped it together with some "in lieu of payment" trade parts.
Pictures not captioned, sry, it crashes my app.
Specs in reply
-edit- oh crap this thing cost me less than $50. Wtf, I didn't even realize it.
May I present? The Meow Machine! My entry for @shyra 's #CheapPCChallenge2024 !
A PC that turned out much better specs-wise than I initially planned. This thing sports a Xeon E3-1231 v3 with whopping eight threads running at up to 3.8GHz, 8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 and an AMD RX570 GPU with 4GB VRAM on a basic HP 280 G1 motherboard, all for under 50 bucks! Not too shaby!
@shyra
Hi, this is Harney-Barrow currently posting on the emergency alt, and I would like to "enter"(?) this Dell Precision 490 into the #CheapPCChallenge2024 .
Had a whole "introduction" script planned for a video, but editing and doing a full script when I'm actually done with the build is more ideal. Just don't really feel like stitching video work between two different machines together.
Currently the plans are:
- format storage and install Windows XP or 2000 or a Unix-like (Debian, Alpine)
- benchmark what hardware it came with
- repeat with a couple hardware changes
- 'daily' it for nearly a month
- some computer-related project that isn't the build itself
Hi, this is Harney-Barrow currently posting on the emergency alt, and I would like to "enter"(?) this Dell Precision 490 into the #CheapPCChallenge2024 .
Had a whole "introduction" script planned for a video, but editing and doing a full script when I'm actually done with the build is more ideal. Just don't really feel like stitching video work between two different machines together.
Currently the plans are:
- format storage and install Windows XP or 2000 or a Unix-like (Debian, Alpine)
- benchmark what hardware it came with
- repeat with a couple hardware changes
- 'daily' it for nearly a month
- some computer-related project that isn't the build itself
Now that my work for the #CheapPCChallenge2024 is complete, I’m glad to get back to my normal computers.
I have my final score!
CPU SCORE: 31,740
TWO WEEKS OF USE: 14,000
3DMARK03 DEMOS: 800 HAHA
TOTAL SCORE: 46,540
TOTAL COST: $42.87
I got the benchmarks running in Wine! I have results! They're really crap! Haha!
Oh my GOOOOODDDDD I've been pricking about with this for HOURS. No version of Windows I've tried will boot on this thing. Normally I'd be delighted about this, but I need to get these benchmarks done. I'll try again in Wine with some config tweaks, but I may resort to taking the hit and running them in a VM with hardware acceleration enabled.
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