kubuntu New gaming PC, "new" desk, new setup

[YamiYukiSenpai]

This new PC of mine has been a bit of a roller coaster, but I have finally finished my new gaming PC near the end of January:

 

I have Kubuntu currently running on it, as I love Plasma, and comfortable in Ubuntu.

 

Main purpose of this build is for gaming, both on Kubuntu on the host side (using the 6900XT) and the Windows guest VM (using the GTX 1060 passed  through to it).  I'm also testing KDE Neon with Plasma Wayland in the VM using the NVIDIA GPU passthrough.

 

On the host, I'm playing mostly single player games, like Mass Effect Legendary Edition, CyberPunk 2077, Life Is Strange, etc.  Apex now works on the Steam Deck (and Linux by extension), so I'm trying to get used to Battle Royale and the gameplay as a whole (still suck at it)

 

On the Windows VM,  I'm playing Halo Infinite & Halo MCC.  I was playing the campaign on the host side, but my achievements don't register.  I already finished the MCC campaigns on my old PC (which ran on KDE Neon), but I didn't get any of them.

 

I. Defective GPU

After a week of using this, my display started to flicker, usually whenever I play a game, but sometimes, it was just out of the blue (i.e. browsing).  I had some theories before I finally just swap my 6900XT:

• My 1000W PSU not being enough
  • That didn't seem to be the case because taking out the GTX 1060 didn't help
• Misconfigured KWin
• Bad PSU power cord
• Surge protector issue

Safe to say, I was extremely pissed.  Good thing Newegg swapped it.

 

II. "New" desk & new setup

 

My setup is comprised of my gaming PC, ThinkPad X1 Yoga (personal laptop) & ThinkPad T580 (work laptop).

 

Until this month, I was using a desk that I had since grade school + a desk I acquired near the end of high school (setup was the same with my first gaming PC).  It was uncomfortable, but I got it to work.

 

 

I had to push my 27" and 32" monitors all the way to the front so that it goes in front of the desk's shelf, and lost a lot of space in the process.  It was annoying, but I bore it for 6 years when I first built my gaming PC (when they were still 24" + 27" monitors).

 

I helped my cousin build her standing desk and setup her work-from-home + personal setup, and she gave me her old desk (160cx80cm facing the window).  Took couple of days of bedroom tetris with my old "secondary" desk where my laptop/Windows VM will be stationd, and I finally got it to work...almost.

I had the mount placed on the side of the desk, with the primary 27" 1440p stretched out.  Problem was that I overestimated its length and my arm end up resting on my old desk whenever I'm using my desktop.  Doesn't help, that I end up kicking my PC, and have to angle myself  I planned on buying a pegboard/shelf to place all of my figures currently on my desk, and that's when I was gonna move my desktop on my desk

 

Couple of weeks later, I hit upon an idea, and got to move my entire PC to the top of my desk, and not need to get a shelf/pegboard yet.  Took advantage of the time to readjust the mount and by placing it on the corner of the desk at its long side, as opposed to the short side.

 

III. Next Step

• Planning on cleaning up my setup, but I'm in no rush now. 
• Replace that GTX 1060 with a 3060 Ti in the 2nd half ( price goes down)
• Run SteamOS in VM (why not?)
• Add more SSDs (maybe 8TB SATA)
• Pegboard/shelf

Full specs

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor
• CPU Cooler: Deepcool ASSASSIN III 90.37 CFM CPU Cooler
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X570S AORUS MASTER ATX AM4 Motherboard
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory
• Storage:
  • Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVME
  • Samsung 860 QVO 1TB 2.5" SSD
  • Samsung 870 Evo 2TB 2.5" SSD
  • Samsung 870 Evo 4TB 2.5" SSD
  • Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM HDD
  • Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM HDD
• Video Card:
  • Host/primary: ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT 16 GB Phantom Gaming D OC Video Card
  • VM/secondary: EVGA RTX 3060 Ti XC
• Case: Lian Li O11D XL-X ATX Full Tower Case
• Case Fans:
  • Thermaltake Pure Plus RGB TT Premium Edition 70.32 CFM 140 mm Fans 3-Pack
  • LIAN LI Bora Digital Series RGB BR 120mm 3 Fans Pack - Silver Frame
  • Lian Li Bora Digital Series RGB BR 120mm 3 Fans Pack - Black Frame
• Monitors:
  • Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A 27.0" 2560x1440 170 Hz Monitor
  • BenQ EW3270U 31.5" 3840x2160 60 Hz Monitor
  • Acer GF276 ABMIPX27" FHD 1ms FreeSync Gaming Monitor
• PSU: Antec Signature Series ST1000, 80 PLUS Titanium Certified, 1000W Full Modular
• OS; Kubuntu

 

[YamiYukiSenpai]

My secondary setup recently just got another arm and mount for my laptop, and replaces the laptop stand that was there before.

 

With this table also acting as my bedside table, I now have more space by putting stuff under my laptop.

 

[crazyamdlover]

ok I understand 3-5 tb but WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE 18 TERABYTES OF STORAGE lol

[HM-2]

3 hours ago, crazyamdlover said:

ok I understand 3-5 tb but WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE 18 TERABYTES OF STORAGE lol

And none of it M.2...

[YamiYukiSenpai]

On 5/2/2022 at 3:33 PM, HM-2 said:

And none of it M.2...

2TB 980 Pro is a gen 4 NVME.

 

On 5/2/2022 at 12:01 PM, crazyamdlover said:

ok I understand 3-5 tb but WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE 18 TERABYTES OF STORAGE lol

Cuz my HDDs still work, and too lazy to move them 

[HM-2]

On 9/20/2022 at 1:07 AM, YamiYukiSenpai said:

2TB 980 Pro is a gen 4 NVME.

It is, but it's not in your "full specs" component list.

[YamiYukiSenpai]

21 hours ago, HM-2 said:

It is, but it's not in your "full specs" component list.

Aah!  Fixed it

[YamiYukiSenpai]

Happy (and sad) to say that I own one of the last EVGA GPUs.

Got the 3060 Ti for $411 CAD from eBay.

Although, I can't help but think I prefer my ZOTAC 1060's design over the EVGA 3060 Ti.