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On 01/13/2018 12:50 PM, Mick wrote: |
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> Thank you Taiidan for taking time to respond. |
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Always man! |
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> On Friday, 12 January 2018 17:21:19 GMT you wrote: |
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>> AMD says they are releasing microcode updates for their previous |
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>> generation CPU's (Opteron, FX, etc) next week. |
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>> So much better than intel throwing older CPU owners to the wolves. |
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> Indeed, this is one more reason I will not look at Intel ever again! |
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> |
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> |
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>> In terms of what CPU to get - I would get either an AMD G34/C32 Opteron |
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>> (pre-PSP) with a compatible libre firmware board (KGPE-D16 or KCMA-D8) |
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>> or if you can afford it a POWER9 system as IBM quickly released updates |
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>> for POWER to solve this issue and if they ever stopped due to |
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>> considering your system "too old" POWER9 is owner controlled and |
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>> documented so the community could theoretically patch its own microcode. |
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>> |
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>> You can make a C32 libre firmware gaming system for around 500-700, so |
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>> that is quite affordable. |
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> The problem with KGPE-D16 and KCMA-D8 is that I can't find these new in the |
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> UK. All I find is stripped down second hand MoBos in ebay from businesses |
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> shuttering and repossessions. Also, they do not appear to come with modern |
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> niceties for a desktop like HDMI or DP ports? |
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You have to install a graphics card - like with any other |
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server/workstation motherboard the onboard graphics are crappy. |
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I would order one from the US if you can't find a UK retailer, these are |
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the most easily obtainable and affordable owner controlled boards. |
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> Power9 appear to be quite new and again I can't find a place that sells them |
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> or provides a price for them ... |
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https://raptorcs.com |
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The TALOS 2 - made by the same folks who did the coreboot ports for the |
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D8 and D16 boards |
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It is pending RYF certification, is 100% owner controlled and it has |
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libre firmware from the factory. |
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POWER is the only owner controlled performance CPU out there, IBM |
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publishes a lot of documentation and there is absolutely no hardware |
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code signing enforcement not even for the microcode. |
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Please note that 5K is an average price for server hardware in that |
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performance class, there are a variety of lower end owner controlled |
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options if that is too much/if you don't need something that fast. |
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> We don't do any gaming with our PCs. General office suite applications, heavy |
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> browsing/emails and some media transcoding. |
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> |
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> The market has been cornered by the near monopoly of Intel, especially on |
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> laptops. The last PC I built was a relatively cheap and cheerful AMD |
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> A10-7850K on an ASUS MoBo, which sadly comes loaded with its own hardwired PSP |
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> rootkit. :-( |
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You can install a FM2 CPU on that, the plus has PSP the regular doesn't. |
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> Any ideas for places I could look for a power9 workstation - assuming it is |
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> affordable, or are there are any other CPU/MoBos I could look at? |
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Define affordable? |
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People have gotten used to intel's cheap CPU's that they don't really |
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own - even just 15 years ago computers used to cost significantly more. |
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I remember when the P4 was just released and crappy pre-builds were |
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going for 2K+. |
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