With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

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carum carvi

With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by carum carvi »

I am thinking of buying a new pc. And I am wondering what would be the minimum requirements to run LinuxMint smoothly for the next 10 years? What kind of processor or video card or what else should I watch out for ?

I use my pc only for internet and writing. Ocassionally burning a dvd and watching youtube videos is the most processor heavy task I expect to use.
Currently my pc uses over 90 percent of its 2 processors for just watching youtube videos. My ventilatorfan is blowing hard. CPU temp over 60 degrees Celcius after shutdown.

How many Ghz and Ram should I minimally require to run LinuxMint smoothly for the next 10 years? And what about the video card?
(I want to use LinuxMint Cinnamon and not Xfce or another light OS).
Any advice is welcome.
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by catweazel »

newbie serena wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:18 am Any advice is welcome.
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by AZgl1800 »

that will be a screamer that will last him 20 years.

my desktop is no where near that good, bought it in 2007 at a premium price, with 6 gB then and a 1 TB HDD.

the rest of it was premium stuff and it is still the fastest thing in this house, almost as fast as the new ACER Win10 laptop I bought for the daughter.... uh, not quite that fast, it has a SSD drive in it :mrgreen:
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by catweazel »

AZgl1500 wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:21 am that will be a screamer that will last him 20 years.
I'll be pushing up the daisies in 10 :mrgreen:
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
carum carvi

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by carum carvi »

Sorry, I forgot to mention it had to be a low energy pc. And because I have read that the higher the level of Ghz the higher the energy usage is, I want to find out with which lowest Ghz level I can just reach the next 10 years. So the lower the specs the better :)

I have got a 2,3 Ghz Amd Athlon from 2009 right now. 4 GB Ram. And LinuxMint Cinnamon 18.3 runs smoothly. But uses 250 Watts of energy. Thats a 100 euro bill per year for electricity with my intensive PC usage. I want to lower that drastically.

So to repose my question:

1: Which are the minimum requirements to just get a LinuxMint OS running in 10 years time? With the videocard requirements being the most important. Is a seperate videocard advised? Or can I depend on a new LinuxMint driver for video such as the current nouveau driver?

2: Which Ghz processor level does one think is minimally required?
michael louwe

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by michael louwe »

@ newbie serena, .......
newbie serena wrote:.
.
For your computer usage case, go with budget Intel processors and integrated HD graphics cards, eg Intel Celeron or Core i3, because Intel gives good cooperation to Linux, compared to AMD and Nvidia. Similarly, go for Qualcom Atheros network adapters, instead of Realtek and Broadcom.
....... Because OS and browsers tend to get more bloated through the years, go with at least 4GB DDR4 RAM memory and 512GB SATA III SSD.

For OEM devices, go with Dell since Dell has also offered new Ubuntu computers for sale.
Hermit

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Hermit »

You can read this guide to build your own low wattage PC.

I would go with at least an i5 (maybe an i7 if you use a desktop but the i5 is as good and in some cases better in a laptop) with 8GB RAM and a motherboard that you can upgrade to at least 16GB later on and a slot for a graphics card (just in case.) This allows you to put the minimum in now while being able to upgrade later. Spreading the cost over several years.
carum carvi

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by carum carvi »

Thanks alot.Those are clever tips. I will use those advices. Great link for the low wattage self build pc !

Concerning the Intel processors I have gotten nervous of that brand since the Meltdown bug. Would you guys buy a new intel pc right now ?
I will certainly look into Dell. Maybe they sell Amd processors as well?

I will go for 8 Gb Ram. With an option to be able to expand later on to 16GB.
And space for a new videocard can be beneficial later on. I will take notice of that.

Good tip concerning those network adapters, I have heard about that but now I know which ones to avoid. Before I was never sure which were good or bad.
sbroccolo

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by sbroccolo »

I concur with those above that say an i5 3.4ghz or better CPU. A motherboard with built-in Intel graphics and at least 8gb RAM. Pretty much what I have on an ASUS Maximus motherboard.
Low power usage was a concern for me as well since I run mine off Solar Power. I have an EVGA 500 watt power supply. I don't write DVD's but I do rip the movies off them. That tends to like at least the i5 and 8gb. IF you are gong to be downloading movies, you may want to consider regular HDD's over a SSD as the larger 1-2tb ones are much cheaper than an SSD. I use the ones designed for laptops as they use less power and run a little cooler. I have 3 WD 1tb HDDs.
I use about 100 watts WITHOUT an additional video card. I tried an older Radeon card my son no longer needed and it added 40 watts. Not enough improvement to video quality to warrant the higher power used. I use a Benq 27" Monitor and a soundbar that uses another 30 watts.
I never thought 10 years out, but I definitely expect another 5 years from this one.
If you are looking at pre-built ones. As stated before, Dell is very good. Also Lenovo Desktops are very good with Linux - NOT the laptops.
My wife has an older Lenovo with a dual core AMD A4 3.6ghz with 8gb and a 500mb HDD. The Linux Mint install was a breeze. I expect it to last her many more years. She just goes on Facebook, watches YouTube and streams the movies I put on the network drive. It also uses around 100 watts.
Knowing what I know now, if I ever replace it, I would go with a Intel version, as I know going into the future they will remain compatible with Linux.

As to your current power usage. 250 watts seems awful high for the machine you describe. If that includes the monitor, I have seen some older monitors pull 70-100 watts. If you are just basing that usage off the listed wattage for the power supply, chances are, it is not really using that much. As you can see, my 500 watt power supply is using only around 100 watts, I bought larger than needed as it runs cooler and I was thinking of adding a Video card.

As I use Solar Power and I have meters, I know pretty much what I am using. IF cutting energy use is your goal, you should get a meter, chances are there are other culprits that use a lot of power around your house. A simple desktop with a monitor that suits your needs will use around 100-150watts. If that is still too high for you then you should consider a laptop with the same specs suggested and it will use around 50-75 watts. However, it has been my experience that laptops do not have the longevity of a desktop, so asking for 10 years may be pushing the envelope. An Intel NUC is also a frugal power user, according to the specs, but I have no personal experience with them.

The CPU itself is only one part of the overall power usage. Monitors, speakers, the CD/DVD drive, even some WiFi adapters will add more to the overall power usage than a few ghz. Not to mention that the Internet modem and Router are probably using 10 watts each. Guess what, those run 24/7 using power whether you're using them or not. Even some monitors and pc's continue to use 10-15 watts when turned off. So when you go to bed, you use the same amount of power in 8-10 hours as one hour of being on the computer using the Internet. An extra hour EVERY day, that adds up.
Over 5 years ago, when preparing to put in Solar, I went after all those things that use power when not in use, I put timers or switches on them. I reduced my consumption by 20%. Other changes and my total reduction was about 40%.

My 2 cents. Good Luck.
michael louwe

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by michael louwe »

@ newbie serena, .......
newbie serena wrote:.
.
If you go for AMD processors, opt for CPUs(= eg Ryzen) instead of budget APUs(eg A10-9700) because AMD does not give good cooperation to Linux. The 7th-gen AMD A10-9700 APU is still not yet supported by LM 18.3, but the 7th-gen AMD Ryzen CPU is supported by LM 18.3.
Mattyboy

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Mattyboy »

If you can I would hold off buying a new machine until chips have been released that have plugged the whole meltdown/spectre exploit.

Also consider building your own, its cheaper, better hardware choice and you won't be paying the 'Windows Tax'. Really easy too.
Askey307

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Askey307 »

newbie serena wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:18 am I am thinking of buying a new pc. And I am wondering what would be the minimum requirements to run LinuxMint smoothly for the next 10 years? What kind of processor or video card or what else should I watch out for ?

I use my pc only for internet and writing. Ocassionally burning a dvd and watching youtube videos is the most processor heavy task I expect to use.
Currently my pc uses over 90 percent of its 2 processors for just watching youtube videos. My ventilatorfan is blowing hard. CPU temp over 60 degrees Celcius after shutdown.

How many Ghz and Ram should I minimally require to run LinuxMint smoothly for the next 10 years? And what about the video card?
(I want to use LinuxMint Cinnamon and not Xfce or another light OS).
Any advice is welcome.
I bought a secondhand Lenove E530 laptop with Core i7 3632QM 8 thread, upgraded to 16gb, 250gb SSD drive with 1TB Sata hard drive (in DVD drive used hdd extension slot add on). Use it only for programming, compiling and writing as well thus far i've never seen it reach past 3% CPU and more than 5gb of RAM. When running Windows 10 on it, my compiling becomes sluggish (hate Windows btw). I run Cinnamon 18.3 currently.

If you're only going to work on it and not gaming:

Desktop (If you have money)
* Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz Hex Core (CPU not really important if you don't do rendering and multiple streams whilst gaming or animation)
* RAM DDR4 3000+mhz 32gb=4x8gb (32gb will last you quite a while and RAM is truly important)
* Motherboard that can take atleast 4 slots of RAM and up to 128gb. The more the better. Something like this (overkill now) ASUS ROG X299 Rampage VI Extreme
* HDD M.2+ like Samsung 960 Evo
* PSU size optional at least 750w.

This setup for work only will last you for a very long time. GPU's gets replaced to much with better models etc so a basic on like a GTX1060 or RX570 will last you 3-5 years for basic stuff not intense gaming and graphic design.
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Pjotr »

Much more economical: buy the cheapest computer that you can find and maximize its RAM. That'll probably last you for five years. At that point: repeat the procedure.

This approach will cost you much less. :mrgreen:
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sbroccolo

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by sbroccolo »

I didn't want to get into too much about reducing power consumption, since this is a Linux Mint Forum.
But quickly, a few things - got rid of the microwave. Switched to old fashioned stove-top peculator on a gas stove, if you have electric stove, no savings.
Switched all lights to led. Wife refuses to hang out clothes to dry, so using the dryer on a lower or "fluff" heat setting saves electricity, since spinning a drum, uses far less electricity than a heating element.
OK, don't want to get yelled at for going off topic, so that's it.
carum carvi

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by carum carvi »

Pjotr I will use that "maximize your Ram" tip. Never knew that before. Always thought that Ghz was more important, but not so it seems. Great to know.

Michael Louwe, I have seen mentioned before that Amd doesnt support Linux as well as Intel does. Could you explain to me what that means practically? Are a lot of Amd pc's not able to run Linux ? Or are their features missing or not working well?

Sbroccolo, very interesting what you are doing with solar. Actually not off topic at all, because one of the main reasons why I want to use a minimal pc is to use as less energy as possible. I have read about "tablet" pc's that use between 5 Watt and 25 Watt. I was concerned however that these "tablet pc's" (small pc's built on a tablet processor) would not be able to play video smoothly in 5 years time. Let alone 10 years time, while my current desktop pc can play video smoothly for 10 years in a row. But that big desktop pc uses a lot more energy and makes a lot of noise: "vaccuumcleaner hell"

I hoped to find a mini pc that uses so little energy that I could finance the new mini pc with the money I would be able to save in my future electricity bill. The question remains however: will such a "tablet" mini pc be able to play video in 10 years time smoothly?

Summarizing:
1 Choose as many Ram as possible
2 Choose Intel
3 Choose low Ghz level adequate enough for internet and video watching.
4 Choose simple videocard (or none at all). Make sure that the video card can be replaced.
5 Choose very cheap pc and replace in 5 year. Or choose expensive and hope that it will last 10 years...
6 What am I forgetting?
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Pjotr »

newbie serena wrote: Fri Mar 09, 2018 9:07 am Pjotr I will use that "maximize your Ram" tip. Never knew that before. Always thought that Ghz was more important, but not so it seems. Great to know.
Maximizing the RAM is sometimes referred to as the "poor man's upgrade". It's the smallest investment with the greatest performance effect: the most bang for the buck. :mrgreen:
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michael louwe

Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by michael louwe »

@ newbie serena, .......
newbie serena wrote:.Michael Louwe, I have seen mentioned before that Amd doesnt support Linux as well as Intel does. Could you explain to me what that means practically? Are a lot of Amd pc's not able to run Linux ? Or are their features missing or not working well?
.
Since long ago, Intel has co-opted some of her developers as Linux developers. So, whenever Intel comes out with new processors and graphics cards, they soon get supported by the new Linux kernel. Not so for AMD processors and graphics cards. This is mainly because Intel is much richer than AMD. ...
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page= ... nal-Update (Intel Developers Prepare More Cannonlake/Icelake Graphics Code For Linux 4.17)
....... But if you do not mind using not-so-new hardware and/or waiting for Linux support, then go for AMD.
Similarly, nearly all new hardware are immediately supported for Win 10. Not so for Linux.
.

The processor is like your digital servant. Higher GHz or frequency means the processor or servant can work faster to serve you. A faster processor use more electrical power like a faster servant has to eat more food.
....... OEMs have also grouped 2, 4 or 6 processors or cores together, hence Intel Core2Duo, Core i3(2 cores/processors), Core i5(4 cores) and Core i7(4 cores with more features, eg Turbo Boost and Hyperthreading). This is like hiring 2 or 4 digital servants to serve you.

RAM memory is like a kitchen table. A bigger kitchen table allows your servant(= eg Intel processor) to work better and faster in preparing your meals, compared to a very small table. This may also depends on the size of the dish to be prepared, the number of dishes and eaters = like running 2 apps, opening 10 browser tabs, playing 3D games, etc.

The hard-drive is like an office file cabinet + store room.

A person like a king needs many servants, a very large kitchen table and file + store room.
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by Mark Phelps »

Any hardware you buy today is going to be sadly out of date, possibly bordering on obsolete, within 5 years, not 10.

Spending a LOT of money is simply wasting it, as within 5 years, for the same money or less, you would be able to buy a new PC with twice the memory, twice nthe speed, twice the disk space, etc.

Plus, Linux distros are nowhere near the memory and disk hogs that plague Windows 10, so even something like 8GB of memory and a (now considered "small") 1TB HDD or a 500GB SSD, will both last you for a long time without any problems.
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Re: With which specs will a new pc last for the next 10 years?

Post by InkKnife »

The concept of a "ten year" build has been on my mind lately as well.
Tentatively my plan calls for one of the 6 core, 12 threads Ryzen5, an SSD for boot and a big HDD for mass storage of media, 16GB of ram and a dedicated graphics card that can support two 4k screens.
My belief is that going forward single threaded demands will not grow as much as the number of threads typical software will consume but ram requirements will continue to grow as they have been.
My current rig (see sig below) is just doing it for me right now and it has lasted almost ten years and the only reason it has performed well enough is because it is a quad core. If it were a dual core this thing would have been junk 5 years ago. We are in the many threaded age now and a quad just gets you in the door.
i7 3770, 12GB of ram, 256GB SSD, 64GB SSD, 750GB HDD, 1TB HDD, Cinnamon.
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