xeromynd

So I'm not really sure if this is even the right place to post this but here goes: I'm diving into smart home/IoT stuff for the first time. I really only want Smart Bulbs (multicolor LED) and some small Smart Outlets to start, but will eventually expand to a Smart Thermostat and possibly smart speakers for certain rooms in the house. I think most other IoT devices are useless and will never be interested in Smart Fridges, Smart TVs, Smart Toasters, Smart Bidets, etc... I want to do my "Smart" stuff right. I want to make sure I start diving into home automation with properly secure hardware, if that makes sense. I've done a fair bit of research into the different standards; zigbee, z-wave etc... and know about the major offerings from Amazon, Google, etc... but am not sure what forumgoers here would recommend. Voice control would be cool to have I guess, but not absolutely necessary at this moment. Right now I'm looking for **smart lightbulbs** (LED, multicolor, ability to control via. an app), and **small smart outlets/plugs** (ability to control via. app). My questions: - Do I need (or is it smart to purchase) some sort of hub for my house? - Is it a terrible move to invest Amazon or Google hardware? I want to maintain my security, are these really as bad as they're made out to be? (Always on mics, data collecting, privacy, etc..?) - Idk, any other advice?

Yeah I guess I mean 8-port then. I was looking at some ASUS ones with 8 ports so I know there are ones out there but honestly I'm thinking it's probably just cheaper to get a solid 4-port router and a nice switch.

Hey yall. I’m looking for recommendations for a quality 6-port wireless router that will cover my household well. I live in a 900 sq. ft. row home in the city all internal walls are drywall, so it’s really not that big of a property to cover wirelessly. My experience with the new FiOS router (white trash can) has just been terrible and getting FiOS to do anything about it has been a nightmare. I suspect there my be issues at the ONT level, but that’s another ordeal I’m trying to get them to check out. I’m looking for a 6-port router to support all my wired devices, 3x PCs, 2x Roku Ultras, and 1x Arlo Cam System. I currently have a FiOS gigabit plan with tested speeds of ~600 down / ~850 up (surprisingly). I want something GOOD. Something stable. I’ve tried my hand with various Netgear routers and most recently the TPLink Archer C5400 which lasted for about a year then began producing issues. I’d also prefer something not crazy expensive if possible (but at the end of the day I’d rather pay more for a quality router than a piece of shit that’ll last <2 years.) Anything fit the bill here? Thanks!

Hey yall, I've moved into a new house where a physical ethernet connection to my main gaming PC (floor above the router) might not be an option. Running a cable is not feasible as there is only hardwood flooring throughout the house, and I'm nowhere near handy enough to install an RJ45 outlet through the wall. I've considered paying a contractor or handyman, but I'm not sure of that cost versus just buying a Powerline Adapter and winging it. I'm looking into Powerline Adapters and want to make sure I get the best one possible that can carry my gigabit connection. (Well, realistically 800-ish mpbs, not like you always get gigabit with FiOS) Any recommendations on a good adapter? I used an old Netgear adapter two apartments ago (back in early 2010's) and it was....eh. Not sure if that was because of the apartment's wiring or if it was just a shitty adapter. Also, curious of any downsides to powerline networking. Should I expect an increase in lag/ping? What are the downsides versus just using a long ethernet cable. Thanks my dudes!

Hate to clog up the forums here with such a post but I was looking to exchange some merch I purchased for a smaller size. Contacted the support email listed on LTTStore.com but haven't heard back in over a week. I understand the pandemic has everything a mess right now, but I'd at least like an acknowledgment if response times are taking longer than usual, ya know? Anyone know if there's a specific email (person) I could message or ping on Twitter? Thanks!

Wondering if any owners of this keyboard can share some details with me. I am in the market for a full size wireless keyboard for Mac, and this is one of the only ones I can find at a decent pricepoint. - Does this keyboard charge over USB in addition to the solar charging? - This keyboard will spend most of its time underneath a desk (on a keyboard tray), and I'm worried it won't get enough light to charge enough, what do you think? If it turns out this keyboard won't meet my needs, are there other keyboards you recommend? I currently have a Kanex Bluetooth MultiSync Keyboard and it's pretty garbage. Loses connection, laggy typing, some keys are starting to give way and require harder presses to activate, flimsy material, etc....

So about a year ago I posted this thread: (Instead of Necro-ing, which I believe is bad, I'm posting anew) tldr: PC occasionally wouldn't boot, took up to as many as 4 retries to attain a successful boot (with Q Code "AA" or "40") When the PC wouldn't boot, the Q Code was "bF" which the manual states is "Reserved for Future AMI Codes" - no help there, manual. As I stated in the last thread, I replaced my ram (Dominator DDR4 16GB 2666) with a new kit (Crucial Ballistic 16GB 2400), and at first, the issues went away....... .....but now its back. About a year later and I've been experiencing the same crap for a few months. I called Asus today. Their support guy (sounded like he was reading from a handbook) told me that this Q Code is related to having too low of System Agent Voltage or VCore. My current System Agent Voltage is 1.0V (as reccommended by Linus in the ultimate X99 Overclocking Guide) and my VCore is 1.29V. I've read around that the "safe" voltage for X99 / 5820K stops at 1.3V, that true? What boggles the mind is that the Asus rep told me told "reset everything" to default settings, and the "error code should disappear entirely" If memory serves, the VCore and Sys Agent defaults are EVEN LOWER than what I have them now, I don't see how that would solve my problem. Here's my system: MOBO: Asus X99-Pro CPU: i7-5820k - OC @ 4.2GHz (Baseclock at 100, Multiplier at 42) - VCore at 1.29V - This has been stressed with Aida64 for 10 hrs and is fine. Cooling: Kraken x61 GPU: GTX 980 - Underclocked -25MHz (Because that's what I need to do to get that bitch stable, ugh) PSU: Corsair HX750i RAM: Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 16GB @ 2133 (No XMP) This issue has now persisted across two different GPUs (760 and 980), and across two kits of RAM (Dominator 16GB and Ballistix 16GB) Has anyone else had this issue? (Q Code bF) and found a solution or workaround? My motherboard IS still under warranty, can send for an RMA if possible (though I've no idea if they'll find anything) but that's a major bummer, as I'll be without my PC for weeks.

OK, here's an update, and something interesting. There may still be some of us that have successful orders. Here's a timeline: > See the deal on SlickDeals, "well daaaamn!" Order ONE SSD > Posted this thread so people could find out about the deal > Maybe an hour goes by > Think to myself "well shit, might as well order more" > Order two more. TODAY, at about 3:00PM EST, I received a cancellation email for my SECOND order only. I have yet to receive a cancellation on my first order (I double checked the order numbers). So I'm not going to mark this solved until I either A.) Get a shipment notification -- or -- B.) Get a cancellation of my FIRST order as well. tl;dr THERE MIGHT STILL BE HOPE!

** EDIT** I did recevive a cancellation email, but this was only for ONE of TWO orders I placed. The first one appears to still have gone through (no cancellation on that one yet) See my post below v v v

Ah damn, must've skipped over that, thanks!

Order confirmation emails came last night after I ordered. No indication of them canceling orders yet, though I imagine it would take some time to write up an apology/cancellation email and send it to all buyers. So far so good. Congrats to everyone that got one, this thread was pretty active last night, plus there were over 1000+ posts on SlickDeals about this, one dude saying he bought over 100 for a company.

Surely they would just cancel the order, not charge your payment method for the price difference.

Well, the website is Dell, and myself and my friend just ordered a few. Order went through, so.....

The free shipping is icing on the cake.

So this seems like borderline pricing error levels of savings: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/wd-blue-pc-ssd-wds250g1b0a-solid-state-drive-250-gb-internal-2-5-inch-sata-6gb-s/apd/a9301054/storage-drives-media I just picked up two for an HTPC and any other forthcoming projects because for that price....why the f**k not??? **EDIT** Price Confirmed, just successfully placed an order. Shipping is FREE as well.

Looking to do Push/Pull with my Kraken x61 on the top mounts in my new Fractal Define C. Does anyone own this case and know if its possible? Please note, I am not here to debate the effectiveness of push/pull vs. pull vs push etc.. etc... My reason for wanting to do this is simply "because I can," that's it. My RAM is Crucial Ballistix Elite, the heatspreaders aren't huge, but do add a little bit of extra height. Certainly nothing like Dominators.

Just a quick question, only need to know one thing: What's the height from the bottom of the case feet to the very bottom of the door that swings out? Thinking about buying this case for an upcoming build, but the drawer it would rest on has a slight lip in the front, need to know if the door would clear the lip when swinging out. Pic for reference:

One more question arises: can I plug the USB3 connector for this case into the USB3.1 header on the motherboard without issue? Really hoping I can and it will just throttle the speeds down to USB3

Oh trust me I know haha, I have a 950 Pro myself. It's a spicy meatball. Like I said, once I examine his non-working HDD and see how much of that 500GB capacity he's used, I might consider a 500GB SSD. Will have to see.

I'd like to avoid having two drives in the computer, but I do understand the benefits of an SSD, he's not that great with file management and I think having a system and data drive would confuse him. I currently have his 500GB HDD that won't boot among other problems, if he doesn't have that filled to the brim, I'll check out a 500gb ssd ------------------------------- **EDITED THE ORIGINAL POST*** got the price down by removing CPU Cooler, different motherboard, and I can possibly get a combo deal at MicroCenter.

He's computer literate as far as operation goes, but not maintainance or repair. I live 3hrs away unfortunately, planning on slapping TeamViewer on there for good measure, but any hardware related problems would have to wait until I find myself in the area

You know that's actually a good point, I assume you're implying that the 6600 comes with a stock cooler right? I've been so used to my purchased processors not coming with coolers (5820k) that I just added one without thinking, thanks! Will look into a cheaper mobo, maybe Asrock or something. Might've misread the list but it did seem (on pcpartpicker) that the cost of H170 boards were no different than Z170, and I certainly recognize he doesn't need the Z170 chipset. Will look into some boards and update the list

Building a new PC for my dad. His current Dell Optiplex 9010 SFF just had a hard drive and optical drive failure, and it's time to build him a real PC (with an actual GPU this time) He will be gaming on this PC (GTAIV is probably his most intensive game) and doing normal Dad things like consuming endless videos about star trek on facebook. The case is not one that I would personally pick, but he wanted a "cool spaceship looking" case with 4 front-facing USB ports. That's what he liked. Comments/criticism are much appreciated. Also anything I can do to shave down the cost would be great. **EDITED LIST v2** - New motherboard, removed CPU Cooler PCPartPicker part list v2*: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/TcQKXH Microcenter has a -$30 off deal if you buy motherboard and CPU together, they only have the 6600k though, not the 6600, but it's.......cheaper lmao. So I guess I'll get him a 6600k. $30 discount depends if microcenter carries the mobo listed below. Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/TcQKXH/by_merchant/ CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Might actually get a 6600k instead, he will never overclock it, but it's literally $15 cheaper than a 6600 at MicroCenter) Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($78.89 @ OutletPC) (Budget friendly, seems to have good reviews) Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC) (Still just want to go with an HDD for now, might decide on a 500GB SSD instead, but not sure) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, no changing this) Case: DIYPC J180-BL ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.89 @ Newegg) Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg) (Not going to skimp on the PSU, would definitely prefer 80+Gold, I trust Seasonic) Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, no changing this) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM 64-bit (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, no changing this) Total: $495.24 - Better! Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-11 19:18 EDT-0400 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- List v1: PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/hwCZJV Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/hwCZJV/by_merchant/ CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Could he get away with an i3, probably, but I want a beefy processor that'll last him for years, he has an i5 now and it would be a shame to go down to an i3. he will not be overclocking, ever) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($27.88 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg) (Was looking into mATX too, but it didn't seem to offer much of a savings) Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC) (I know I know, SSD + HDD is the standard, but that would be too confusing for him, one more thing for him to worry about) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, there's no changing this) Case: DIYPC J180-BL ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.89 @ Newegg) (I'd prefer to build in a Fractal/Corsair/Phanteks/NZXT case, but this is what he wanted, so be it) Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg) (The one thing I won't skimp on is the PSU, i've learned that the hard way before) Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, there's no changing this) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM 64-bit (Purchased For $0.00) (Already owned, there's no changing this) Total: $527.21 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-11 16:26 EDT-0400

I know you already marked this as solved, but here's the best answer I can think of (not cheap though) You'll Need: -Corsair Dominator RAM -Corsair Light Bar Kit (One kit for every two sticks of RAM) -MainFrame Customs Lightbar Inserts (You can get purple) - https://mainframecustom.com/shop/accessories/light-bar-inserts/ It'll look super good, but it won't be the most cost effective solution. Another DIY route would be to sand the top silver bars down a tiny bit, and pain them purple with spraypaint. It's stupid overkill, but to guarantee safety at all temps I used Engine Enamel spraypaint for all my components that get hot (GPU Heatsink, RAM Spreaders etc...) usually rated for up to 500 F

This pains me so much. But soon I'll be moving, and with that, comes a new ISP. I currently have RCN, and I'm relishing every last second I have. I pay $53/mo for 110 Down / 15 Up, no service fees, no mandatory equipment rentals, no rate increases, nothing. Same price, always. Consistent service. No bandwidth caps. Reliable internet. I'm aware that all of this is about to change. The two companies servicing my new location are Verizon and Comcast (Satan and Lucifer, it seems). Comcast being the more affordable (on the surface) of the two. I need opinions, I need stories, I need to know how to put up with the BS that I KNOW is in my future. Should I pay for a VPN? Does Comcast really have disgusting bandwidth caps? Are there hidden fees? Do I have to go to war to use my own equipment? What's the best value compatible modem (DOCSIS or whatever the fuck). I'm a computer guy, but by no means a networking/ISP guy. I need teh knowledge pls. Halp.