Ok, Let’s Start it again
I have no Windows computer since 2012, when I left a company that in a friendly fashion forces all employees to use Windows computers. So, after almost 8 years messing around Linux and MacOS, I am ready to a new adventure to get a new hardware.
But, I am not used anymore with the variety of manufacturers, parts, configs, drivers and so on and on. As a system engineer let’s use logic to help me choose my new daily driver.
My dream machine
I have to list some factors to consider before buy a new machine.
1 - Price
Yo, I live in Brazil and only this factor can jeopardize this project. Remember, 5,40. A regular all family, student friendly 6K with taxes.
2 - Portability
I work remotely as system engineer to companies abroad, so, I need a portable setup. So, desktops are out of question. I need (and will) work anywhere.
3 - Performance and storage
As a system engineer, I can’t accept a slow setup that takes forever to finish tasks. For that, I have to select components that eliminate the main bottlenecks: processor, memory and disk access. About the processor: nothing less than a 9th generation Intel i7, now about the RAM: the new equipment must support DDR4 or DDR5 with clock rates above 2400MHz. Disk, without a doubt, the largest amount of space in NVMe possible and breaking a mechanical disk for long term data.
4 - Graphics
I am working and studying a lot about machine learning and artificial intelligence, and gonna be awesome to have a graphics cards supported by TensorFlow, Pytorch and all machine learning frameworks. I have to confess that is not about AI. I love gaming, you know… but the gaming scene on Apple Mac ecosystem is not that good. You got some triple A games here and there, but, We have to agree that the main pc gaming platform in this planet is Microsoft Windows. The new family of graphic cards that support ray tracing, complex shaders and teraflops of calculations, for real, blows my mind. Gonna be awesome to have a NVidia RTX in my new config.
But why RTX. New new RTX family provides awesome graphics, lots of processing power with CUDA APIs and compatibility with machine learning frameworks. Best of two worlds.
5 - Workability
I work with lots and lots of projects and repositories. This machine have to be able to run a shell script, a terraform configuration files, access a Kubernetes clusters, run tests on a python project. Without blue screens, hangs and resets.
Shut up and take my money
After scan, scrutinize, dig, ask the entire Brazilian e-commerce web sites, comparing configurations, manufactures, prices, delivering times I got a winner. I choose the not brand new, but new Acer Predator Helios 300.
😩 I got myself mad about this research, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, Grey Market, customizations, you named it. For real, I started to miss the Apple buying process: wait one year, new model, closed config, pay, receive and go work.
But why this heavy, flamboyant multicolor RGBish machine? Yes, it is big, it is heavy, but let’s face it, an I7 processor with top clock rate at 4.3 GHz, upgradeable (memory and disk) and a RTX2060 built in. But the best thing about the buying process.
I managed to buy this machine for a bargain. I paid about 55% of the list price. And with an excellent delivery time. Its keyboard are good (RGB backlight), lots and lots of connectivity, USB type B (2 and 3), type C (with PD), display port, HDMI, WiFi 5, gigabit ethernet port.
About the expandability, it is really good, 2 RAM memory slots DDR4, 2 pci-e NVMe slots, 2 SATA connectors.
Did I mention about Full HD Webcam, HiFi microphone and the amazing 144hz QHD IPS display 2560 X 1440 max resolution baby!!! It means… SPAAACE!
What’s next?
Now I have to pay this machine, so, in the part 3 I let’s see how I configured this machine to my daily duties.
So… as always!
Cheers mates!
Z
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