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Hello! I have a PC I built in 2017 that I plan to pass over to my partner, so she can use it to do photo/video editing, 3D modeling, and game with me. I will then need to build a new PC rig that is a bit more powerful than that one so I can do some software development with neural networks, 3D modeling, and host app and game servers. A friend is offering to sell me a rig they have which comes with a massive case that might fit both rigs together, but I need help figuring out what is the best thing to do. Budget & Location: $3,000 ~ $5,000 CAD for the new PC and $500 ~ $1,000 CAD for upgrading the existing one. (CAD , Canada) Aim: I will use the new PC to: Develop Neural Networks / AI (nothing too extreme, I know I need a NASA-grade PC to create high-end AIs, I will build basic AIs or whatever my build allows), Do 3D Modeling (assets for games mostly), Host servers for Apps and Games, and Occasional gaming with games such as Ark Survival Evolved, No Man's Sky, Space Engineers, Minecraft, and other Sandbox Survival and MMO games ...possibly VR, but that's just bonus stuff right now The existing PC will be used by my partner for: Photo/Video Editing, 3D modeling and texturing, and Gaming (same kind of games as listed above, we will play together). ...possibly VR, but that's just bonus stuff right now Monitors: For the new PC: Two monitors, both wide (at least one ultrawide), and at least one of them should be able to be setup vertically. For the existing PC: Similar to the above, except at least one monitor needs to be good for Photo/Video editing with good color calibration (probably Peripherals: Mechanical keyboard, Gaming Mouse, Headset, and Webcam, all connected via USB. Nothing out of the ordinary. OS: My current right which I will give to my partner is on Windows 10 Pro. I might keep it like that, or install a Linux distro as the system OS and have Windows 10 Pro in a VM in there. For the new rig, I will likely do the same thing. Other details: My current rig which I plan to pass over to my partner has the following specs: Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero Z270 LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI M.2 USB 3.1 ATX --> $284.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 4.2 GHz LGA1151 91W BX80677I77700K Desktop Processor --> $413.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) GPU: ASUS ROG GeForce GTX 1070 STRIX-GTX1070-O8G-GAMING 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card with RGB Lighting --> $609.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) PSU: EVGA SuperNova 750 G2 220-G2-0750-XR 80+ GOLD 750W Fully Modular EVGA ECO Mode Includes Power On Self Tester Power Supply --> $134.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8 GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Intel Z170 Platform / Intel X99 Platform Desktop Memory Model F4-2400C15D-16GVR --> $164.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) Case/Tower: NZXT S340 Glossy Black Steel ATX Mid Tower --> $94.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) CPU Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan --> $35.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) System Disk: SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E250B/AM --> $139.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) Storage Disk: Seagate ST2000VX008-2E3164 with 2TB (it's actually 1.81TB) --> $79.99 CAD (2017 via NewEgg) Monitor: LG 29UB55-B 29" IPS LED HD 21:9 UltraWide LCD Monitor --> $259.95 CAD (2017 via eBay) Total Budget Spent (2017) on this rig was: $2,219.86 CAD I have not had any issues with this rig, it is the best PC I have had by far. That said, I underestimated how much space my system disk would need, so I need to upgrade the SSD to one with more space, probably 1TB. Aside from that, the only issue I've had is with the case's power switch not working properly which seems to be a common issue with this case model. The new rig I want to build should have similar specs, but more powerful. A friend of mine is offering to sell me one of his rigs which has these specs: Motherboard: GIGABYTE X399 AORUS XTREME sTR4 AMD X399 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 Extended ATX AMD Motherboard (Socket TR4, AMD Ryzen Threadripper) CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Gen - Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX Colfax (Zen+) 24-Core, 48-Thread, 2970WX 4.2 GHz Max Boost (3.0 GHz Base), Socket sTR4 250W YD297XAZAFWOF Desktop Processor GPU: ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2080 Blower 8GB GDDR6 256-bit Metal Backplate Dual Slots Graphics Card ZT-T20800A-10P, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, GPU Clock Speed 1710 MHz PSU: Corsair HXi High Performance ATX12V 1200 Power Supply Series CP-9020070-NA, HX1200i 80+ Platinum Fully Modular, Corsair Link RAM: G.SKILL Sniper X Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory Model F4-3000C16D-32GSXFB Case/Tower: Phanteks Enthoo Elite PH-ES916E_BK Black Anodized Aluminum Panels, Powder Coated Steel Chassis, Tempered Glass Side Panel E-ATX Full Tower Case CPU Cooling: Fractal Design Cooler FD-WCU-CELSIUS-S36-BK, Dynamic X2 PWM fans with 500 to 2000 RPM with sound dampening System Disk: SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen3.X4, NVMe 1.3 64L V-NAND 3-bit MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V7E1T0BW Storage Disk: HGST DeskStar NAS 3.5" 4TB 7200 RPM 128MB Cache SATA 6.0 Gb/s High-Performance Hard Drive for Desktop NAS Systems Monitor: n/a My friend says he spent approximately $7,000 CAD on this rig (in 2019 if I recall correctly), but is willing to sell it to me for less (has not said how much yet). My dilemmas, doubts, and what I need help figuring out is the following: First of all, are the specs of my friend's computer good for my purposes? I think it might even be overkill, which I am fine with. If I get my friend's rig, should I leave it as it is or do you recommend changing/replacing any components? As a side note, I might underclock the CPU to reduce electricity bill, if possible because the Threadripper will increase my electricity bill by 20~30% according to my calculations. If I get my friend's rig, should I keep the case too? It is absolutely massive, and my friend says I can put my current rig in there together with the other... can I do that? should I? I have no idea if putting both motherboards/rigs together in the same case is a good idea or not, I feel like it increases the risk if anything happens to one rig it could affect the other one too... If I get my friend's rig but without the massive case, what case do you suggest for that build? (I like black cases, preferably metal instead of plastic, I prioritize PC safety and practicality over aesthetics) If I do not get my friend's rig, what build would you suggest buying/assembling instead for my purposes? I am still a beginner when it comes to PC rigs/building. I will appreciate any comments and advice.

Budget (including currency): USD $4000. Can go a bit more depending on the need. Country: USA Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Dual boot - windows and linux Gaming 1440p/4K at 140+ hz. Games like cyberpunk, farcry, assassins creed, tomb rider, etc. - Gaming in Windows work in linux (ubuntu) - work on neural networks, computer vision and high computation algorithms, ros 1.0 and ros 2.0 will use CUDA so need NVIDIA gpu Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): Would connect 2-3 monitors to my desktop. Monitors are 1440p/4K resolution with high refresh rates 120+ hz This is my first own desktop and would like to buy and assemble a good one which can last me 5+ years on which I can work (in linux) and also game (in windows). Appreciate any help and builds I can get. Thanks a lot

Source: NVIDIA via CNET I can't upload the actual paper because of the attachment limitation to 20 MB of LTT so just click on the NVIDIA link above to read the actual paper which is 28.7 MB. I think the likes of TMZ or other famous celebrity gossip website would love this. From the paper: Just so you know, those pictures above aren't pictures of real people They're just computer generated. Although in Figure 5, one of the pictures kinda looks like Beyonce. The researchers concluded that it still needs improvement. To be honest I only understood a few of it but from the looks of it, it can be used by the likes of Apple to train Face ID in their neural networks in order to spot impostors or fake news websites can use it to create mass hysteria.

I first read this article on Engadget and thought that the long term implications of this to gaming could be really neat, especially as GPUs and CPUs in home systems get more powerful... At SIGGRAPH 2017 this year, several researchers presented a paper on how they were able to train a neural network to animate a characters mouth to accurately match real time speech. https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/07/researchers-real-time-speech-animation/ While the immediate implications will probably be in CGI and animated shows on TV, I could imagine that something like this in an online game with voice chat would be a really neat feature. Technical Article: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3073699

Sources: New York Times, Author's Note (via Google Docs), OSF (pre-print) wang_kosinski.pdf Comments could get nasty here. I need your moderating powers @iamdarkyoshi for anyone with comments against the CS (political/religious rants) or derails the topic. It resembles a lot of a topic I posted before about an AI predicting the outcome of a relationship. I won't lie that it got me concerned for a bit but reading the actual paper and the FAQ (Google Docs) the authors provided made me think it's indeed a way to warn people about the repercussions of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It reminds me when Elon Musk said that Mark Zuckerberg doesn't know the dangers of AI if left unregulated. I'm with Elon Musk on this one. On the lighter side of things, this technology can be used by dating apps targeted to gay individuals but then, I'd rather see the person face to face rather than letting an AI do it for me. Looking at the comments of other experts, it's obvious that the algorithm is very limited on their sample size and subjects since they only used gay white men and women. The thesis authors said in their Google document that: Just imagine you're a tourist in a country and a facial scanner at the airport identifies someone as gay or lesbian, they can immediately put you in a database. Just imagine oppressive countries who have staunch religious doctrines using this to identify closeted gay people and have them thrown from top of buildings or just be shamed by society into committing suicide. Or better yet, just imagine North Korea developing an AI who determines if someone has doubts on the regime or is planning to defect to South Korea. Knowledge is power and just like a knife that can be used to stab someone or cut that delicious medium rare steak, this algorithm is also a double edged sword. At the moment, it's not ready for prime time as it has limited sample diversity and the authors admit that. In fact as stated in their Google Doc that they want to be wrong and they are terrified of the results. More refinement is definitely needed and just like any scientific theory, it needs to be replicated. At the moment, all humanity knows about the potentials and risks of AI and machine learning is just at the tip of the iceberg. So there's no need to be concerned or alarmed just yet but we also shouldn't dismiss a scientific finding just because we disagree with it or it could pose harm to us and in fact, I would like for this paper to be published soon in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. I'm not a Psychology major but I encourage people with that degree to replicate this thesis but with much diversified subjects. Also, it should be kept in mind that "peer-review" is not always cranked up to be as a method of validating or dismissing a theory. Peer-review is important in academiai but most of the time, it's just validating research methodology, checking grammar and look for suspicious and interpolated/forged results. Peer-review doesn't determine if a thesis' conclusion is right or wrong. In fact, there are a lot of bogus theses that are "peer-reviewed". The only way to determine if a thesis' conclusion is right or wrong is if it's replicated and check the results to see if they match up or not. [See NCBI, Nature, CBC, WSJ) Again, I highly encourage everyone reading this thread to read this Google Doc as it clarifies a lot of concerns on privacy, human rights, etc. https://docs.google.com/document/d/11oGZ1Ke3wK9E3BtOFfGfUQuuaSMR8AO2WfWH3aVke6U/edit?usp=sharing

So I am looking to purchase my first GPU and I could use some advice. I would like for the GPU to do well with machine learning and all that great data science stuff. Of course, I sure wouldn't mind if it handled graphics well too. After reading this article (there's a TLDR near the bottom), it seems to me that a GTX 960 or GTX 680 might be about what I'm looking for. I'd rather not get something too much more expensive. This is just my first GPU and I'd like to get a good bang for my buck. I'm not really sure about how often new GPUs come out. I saw the 960 came out in January, when might the next iteration come out? Might I be better off waiting a bit? Is something newer/better for me coming soon? Not sure how much of a difference this will make, but this is what else is in my computer right now: MSI Z87-G43 motherboard Intel i7 4770 - btw, the integrated graphics on this are all I've been using 8 GB RAM Samsung SSD Thanks for your help