Dude, did you get a Dell ?

[smknjoe]

Thanks for the info. Fusion must be the Apple moniker. I had one of those hybrid drives from WD a few years ago and I couldn't tell a difference between it and a standard mech. I use 2 512 SSDs in a RAID 0 for better performance than a single 1TB SSD. Then, external HDDs for data that's not accessed daily.

Isn't raid 0 a bit risky given read/write limits for a ssd or is it safe now?

Theory and practice are not always the same. I've been using this set up for 2 or 3 years. No problems so far. Debian installed on RAID 0 with encrypted LVM, no swap and 16GB RAM quad i7. Rock solid. VMs for all other OSs. That's my home rig.

At work it's a MacBook with i7 quad, 16GB, 512 single SSD encrypted. All other OSs are on VMs.

[iLLucionist]

Thanks for the info. Fusion must be the Apple moniker. I had one of those hybrid drives from WD a few years ago and I couldn't tell a difference between it and a standard mech. I use 2 512 SSDs in a RAID 0 for better performance than a single 1TB SSD. Then, external HDDs for data that's not accessed daily.

Isn't raid 0 a bit risky given read/write limits for a ssd or is it safe now?

Theory and practice are not always the same. I've been using this set up for 2 or 3 years. No problems so far. Debian installed on RAID 0 with encrypted LVM, no swap and 16GB RAM quad i7. Rock solid. VMs for all other OSs. That's my home rig.

At work it's a MacBook with i7 quad, 16GB, 512 single SSD encrypted. All other OSs are on VMs.

Hope you don't mind asking coz I'm thinking of fooling around with SSDs an raid... what SSDs you got in your raid? And how good is performance on the raid? Does it "feel" faster than the macbook? And how responsive are your vms?

[smknjoe]

Crucial/Micron, can't go wrong with Micron. About 500MB-600MBs with RAID0 on 5 year old SATA2 hardware (double standard bandwidth). VMs do run a little better on the Raid machine as long as it's not processor intensive (it's a 1st gen i7.) That's why I'm looking to upgrade my home rig. The proc is not that great. With VMware, and VMware tools on the guest OS, they run like they are native.

[iLLucionist]

Crucial/Micron, can't go wrong with Micron. About 500MB-600MBs with RAID0 on 5 year old SATA2 hardware (double standard bandwidth). VMs do run a little better on the Raid machine as long as it's not processor intensive (it's a 1st gen i7.) That's why I'm looking to upgrade my home rig. The proc is not that great. With VMware, and VMware tools on the guest OS, they run like they are native.

Cool, thanks! I was hoping more in 1800-1900 range though. But I'm a sucker for performance just because it is possible.

[smknjoe]

That rig only has sata 2 controllers and encryption overhead. With sata3 and no encryption I don't think you'll get more than 1400 tops, but I don't have the hardware to test...yet.

[tp4tissue]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

[iLLucionist]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

I'd use it for vms... Probably better of with beter CPU with more L3 cache and system ram

[tp4tissue]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

I'd use it for vms... Probably better of with beter CPU with more L3 cache and system ram

They got these 480gb ssds now for $100..

Just get 1 of those for each vm..    hahahahaha...

[iLLucionist]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

I'd use it for vms... Probably better of with beter CPU with more L3 cache and system ram

They got these 480gb ssds now for $100..

Just get 1 of those for each vm..    hahahahaha...

Haha good idea actually... coz most more expensive mobos have what... 14 sata connectors nowadays? 16? 40? like.. what the hell am I gonna do with 14 sata connectors.

[smknjoe]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

Sata 2 = 300MBs with RAID0 = 600MBs and you see the difference when encrypting/decrypting on the fly while running 4 VMs simultaneously.

[iLLucionist]

You don't raid unless you have actual high i/o requirement.. for example, if you ran a website with 1000s of users.

If you're just watching ur movies at home, or even playing games loaded over the network, raid makes that slower..

Sata 2 = 300MBs with RAID0 = 600MBs and you see the difference when encrypting/decrypting on the fly while running 4 VMs simultaneously.

Cool. Thanks for the info!

[smknjoe]

"encrypting/decrypting on the fly" this part is the main reason I need a new rig. The old i7 doesn't support AES and all 8 threads get maxed out under heavy R/W loads.

[tp4tissue]

"encrypting/decrypting on the fly" this part is the main reason I need a new rig. The old i7 doesn't support AES and all 8 threads get maxed out under heavy R/W loads.

decrypting what?

[smknjoe]

Full drive encryption...it's all real-time.

[tp4tissue]

Full drive encryption...it's all real-time.

why arn't you using a drive with hardware encryption then ?

[smknjoe]

Need proc that supports it. Otherwise, it's done completely in software. Hence my proc bottleneck issue.

[rowdy]

RAID 0 is not really RAID - no redundancy.

[iLLucionist]

RAID 0 is not really RAID - no redundancy.

SPEEEEEEEEEEEED *jeremy clarkson voice overlay*

[smknjoe]

RAID 0 is not really RAID - no redundancy.

Hey, I just use it. I didn't name it. It does seem odd that it's still call a RAID array.

[rowdy]

RAID 0 is not really RAID - no redundancy.

Hey, I just use it. I didn't name it. It does seem odd that it's still call a RAID array.

That also is not precisely correct, as the A already stands for "array".  It's just a RAID

[kishy]

I purchased a Vostro 3750 in October 2011. i7-2670QM, 6GB DDR3 (4+2), 500GB 7200RPM HDD, GeForce GT 525M (Optimus).

I was pleased with my value for money initially, and being a business model, it had ProSupport which is their supposed-to-be-actually-competent support resource.

I spent the following 3 months unsuccessfully trying to prove to Dell that their computer had a design defect. I even shipped the computer to them with specific instructions that could reproduce the symptom and they insisted it wasn't doing it. They bought the computer back from me and I bought a ThinkPad W520.

[jaffers]

Consumer products are always horrible, with the exception for IBM and apple (yes apple do make pretty well built stuff, it just works, and works well, you can't argue with the fact that I can run unix software natively alongside programs like the adobe suite.)

Although, dell and HP make some pretty good enterprise grade hardware

[iLLucionist]

I purchased a Vostro 3750 in October 2011. i7-2670QM, 6GB DDR3 (4+2), 500GB 7200RPM HDD, GeForce GT 525M (Optimus).

I was pleased with my value for money initially, and being a business model, it had ProSupport which is their supposed-to-be-actually-competent support resource.

I spent the following 3 months unsuccessfully trying to prove to Dell that their computer had a design defect. I even shipped the computer to them with specific instructions that could reproduce the symptom and they insisted it wasn't doing it. They bought the computer back from me and I bought a ThinkPad W520.

What design defect?

[iLLucionist]

Consumer products are always horrible, with the exception for IBM and apple (yes apple do make pretty well built stuff, it just works, and works well, you can't argue with the fact that I can run unix software natively alongside programs like the adobe suite.)

Although, dell and HP make some pretty good enterprise grade hardware

I had to deal with some of the supposedly "enterprise grade" HP laptops... sucked. Hinges got loose, screens died. Never HP again.

[Darkshado]

About Apple's Fusion Drive discussed a few posts up, since no one mentionned it: it's all done with partitioning and software, unlike most hybrid drives on the market.

Before they went all-solder with the Mac Mini, you could buy a secondary drive kit from OWC and put your own SATA SSD; a fresh install with a few terminal commands got you a better-specced Fusion Drive than anything they offered at the time.

[boost]

4000+ Dell PC's here and not one issue. Dell laptop sucks

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Used Dells since the PIII days. Some are OK, others are meh. We use them exclusively at work, and don't have too many major issues. Our server environment also runs on a Dell VRTX blade-server chassis, and we have had zero issues with it so far, never had to shut it down in over 400 days of uptime, not even for maintenance (which can be done live).

[FrostyToast]

I came across them a few times and their noise is obnoxious as hell and they're so overrated.
Don't even know how they got so popular.








No, I never got Adelle.

[iLLucionist]

I came across them a few times and their noise is obnoxious as hell and they're so overrated.
Don't even know how they got so popular.

cheap i guess?

[Asininity]

My first laptop was a Dell. 1080p screen, backlit keyboard, and all the fancy bits. It was actually a rather nice laptop. The only downside was that it only had integrated graphics, so I replaced it.

[iLLucionist]

Reminds me of the famous catchphrase:

Dell. Easy as Hell.

[kishy]

I purchased a Vostro 3750 in October 2011. i7-2670QM, 6GB DDR3 (4+2), 500GB 7200RPM HDD, GeForce GT 525M (Optimus).

I was pleased with my value for money initially, and being a business model, it had ProSupport which is their supposed-to-be-actually-competent support resource.

I spent the following 3 months unsuccessfully trying to prove to Dell that their computer had a design defect. I even shipped the computer to them with specific instructions that could reproduce the symptom and they insisted it wasn't doing it. They bought the computer back from me and I bought a ThinkPad W520.

What design defect?

The internal subwoofer produces a buzzing tone that follows your cursor around the screen, when the cursor is light coloured and the background colour is dark, in conditions when the Nvidia GPU is active.

They sent me a replacement computer that did the same. Eventually I just opened it up and took a look at the various components on the motherboard. In a highly unscientific way - just simple observations - I worked out that audio components were down in the corner of the board relatively close to the speaker and headphone connectors, but the subwoofer connector was further away on the board, and because of the board design, the traces for it would run in close proximity to the GPU on their way across.

The option was to unplug the subwoofer, or let them buy it back. They made the offer to buy it back after I made the above point, without addressing it, despite having claimed actual product engineers who had designed the model were working on my issue.

[algernon]

Had a Dell XPS13 (2014 edition) at a previous employer, loved it. Nice little box. I didn't need all that much power, never used its own keyboard or mouse (not even sure if it has a built in mouse, trackpad, whatever). Was perfect for the task I needed it for.

Also came with Linux preinstalled, which was nice. It is a great feeling when your equipment never had any windows on it, ever. (I replaced the stock Ubuntu with Debian nevertheless, but still!)

I actually liked the XPS13 more than any of the Thinkpads I have used since, even though the thinkpads are more powerful.

[iLLucionist]

I purchased a Vostro 3750 in October 2011. i7-2670QM, 6GB DDR3 (4+2), 500GB 7200RPM HDD, GeForce GT 525M (Optimus).

I was pleased with my value for money initially, and being a business model, it had ProSupport which is their supposed-to-be-actually-competent support resource.

I spent the following 3 months unsuccessfully trying to prove to Dell that their computer had a design defect. I even shipped the computer to them with specific instructions that could reproduce the symptom and they insisted it wasn't doing it. They bought the computer back from me and I bought a ThinkPad W520.

What design defect?

The internal subwoofer produces a buzzing tone that follows your cursor around the screen, when the cursor is light coloured and the background colour is dark, in conditions when the Nvidia GPU is active.

They sent me a replacement computer that did the same. Eventually I just opened it up and took a look at the various components on the motherboard. In a highly unscientific way - just simple observations - I worked out that audio components were down in the corner of the board relatively close to the speaker and headphone connectors, but the subwoofer connector was further away on the board, and because of the board design, the traces for it would run in close proximity to the GPU on their way across.

The option was to unplug the subwoofer, or let them buy it back. They made the offer to buy it back after I made the above point, without addressing it, despite having claimed actual product engineers who had designed the model were working on my issue.

so basically it was a case of insufficient shielding? Must be annoying as hell. Especially if you have pinpointed the issue.

[iLLucionist]

Had a Dell XPS13 (2014 edition) at a previous employer, loved it. Nice little box. I didn't need all that much power, never used its own keyboard or mouse (not even sure if it has a built in mouse, trackpad, whatever). Was perfect for the task I needed it for.

Also came with Linux preinstalled, which was nice. It is a great feeling when your equipment never had any windows on it, ever. (I replaced the stock Ubuntu with Debian nevertheless, but still!)

I actually liked the XPS13 more than any of the Thinkpads I have used since, even though the thinkpads are more powerful.

Why do you like the XPS more than Thinkpads? Ever had a Carbon / X1?

[algernon]

Why do you like the XPS more than Thinkpads? Ever had a Carbon / X1?

Haven't tried any Carbon/X1s, but looking at the specs, I don't see what they'd offer me over the XPS13. I do not use the built-in keyboard, nor the trackpad/trackpoint, nor the screen, except when presenting from my own laptop, once in a blue moon. The laptop is permanently attached to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. As long as it runs Emacs, Chrome and a terminal at an acceptable speed, it is perfect. I do not use it for anything else. 8Gb memory and an integrated GPU is just fine for my use case.

The XPS13 took the less space on my desk so far, and came with Linux by default (and also looked nice, the all-black thinkpads look awful on a white desk). These two reasons are why I liked it more than the various thinkpads I used since.

[kishy]

I purchased a Vostro 3750 in October 2011. i7-2670QM, 6GB DDR3 (4+2), 500GB 7200RPM HDD, GeForce GT 525M (Optimus).

I was pleased with my value for money initially, and being a business model, it had ProSupport which is their supposed-to-be-actually-competent support resource.

I spent the following 3 months unsuccessfully trying to prove to Dell that their computer had a design defect. I even shipped the computer to them with specific instructions that could reproduce the symptom and they insisted it wasn't doing it. They bought the computer back from me and I bought a ThinkPad W520.

What design defect?

The internal subwoofer produces a buzzing tone that follows your cursor around the screen, when the cursor is light coloured and the background colour is dark, in conditions when the Nvidia GPU is active.

They sent me a replacement computer that did the same. Eventually I just opened it up and took a look at the various components on the motherboard. In a highly unscientific way - just simple observations - I worked out that audio components were down in the corner of the board relatively close to the speaker and headphone connectors, but the subwoofer connector was further away on the board, and because of the board design, the traces for it would run in close proximity to the GPU on their way across.

The option was to unplug the subwoofer, or let them buy it back. They made the offer to buy it back after I made the above point, without addressing it, despite having claimed actual product engineers who had designed the model were working on my issue.

so basically it was a case of insufficient shielding? Must be annoying as hell. Especially if you have pinpointed the issue.

Correct. Had the subwoofer connector been located somewhere else, and the subwoofer wires been extended but ran in a shielded jacket, I suspect the issue may not have existed. I don't really know enough about it to be sure, but the normal speakers and headphones did not buzz - only the internal "woofer" - and the location/routing of the traces for that connector were the likely suspect.

[xtrafrood]

I--haven't used a Dell product since 2001. I used them in high school for typing out office documents, emails, etc. I guess the quality control has changed quite a bit since then. These days I'm more interested in their monitors

[Asininity]

I--haven't used a Dell product since 2001. I used them in high school for typing out office documents, emails, etc. I guess the quality control has changed quite a bit since then. These days I'm more interested in their monitors

I don't care for their computers however Dell has some fantastic monitors. I have a U2414H and it has been a fabulous monitor. I have on of their first 1900x1200 IPS monitors with RGB and composite ports. I've been meaning to connect connect my old Gamecube to it.

[ANightOnCloudNine]

only high end dell is good, they regurgitate **** laptops and desktops like any other company, like HP

[smknjoe]

RAID 0 is not really RAID - no redundancy.

Hey, I just use it. I didn't name it. It does seem odd that it's still call a RAID array.

That also is not precisely correct, as the A already stands for "array".  It's just a RAID

Did you just call me out for saying ATM machine?