I've made a few more upgrades to my home computers. First, I got fed up with my P4 1.6 in the server and upgraded it with 2nd hand P4 2.8Ghz (800FSB) I got off ebay. The 1.6 would often get pegged at 100% CPU utilisation but the 2.8 is working out much better and the hyperthreading keeps the UI responsive. The lesson is that for an entry level server, at least get hyperthreading. Of course, dual-core is better but I really like that the Northwood 2.8 runs cool using only 69 watts max. If I was building a server today,...
My three year old PC built using an Antec Sonata case started developing an annoying whine. I tried ignoring it for quite a while hoping it would just go away. No luck. Eventually traced it to the Antec power supply that came with the case. So after consulting the SilentPCReview website, I bought a Seasonic S12-430 to replace it.
I'm very pleased with the Seasonic power supply. Very quiet and excellent cabling and connections. The only thing that would make it better is if you could unplug unused cables and monitor the PSU fan speed.
After replacing the power supply, I discovered...