When did you give up on keeping up to date with computer hardware knowledge?

[Mucman]

I started really getting into computer hardware during the BX days. I built my first computer in 1999. I read every single article on AT and read many other websites as well! I finally got overwhelmed a year ago. Now my computer hardware knowledge is crap (used to construct computers with model numbers from memory). I haven't read an AT article in ages, and I've deleted all the old bookmarks I use to have .

I have gone on and learned other computer related technology though. I went through a big networking phase and I have a pretty good foundation there, and now I am realling getting into operating systems. From my experience back in the day with hardware has helped learn the other stuff, but if I had to build a new computer I would be stumped. I would probably spend a month discussing it with fellow Anandtechers.

Have any of you given up? For those who can still keep up with it, do you find your knowledge in other aspects of computing somewhat lacking? If not, what's your secret?

 

[notfred]

I got bored with it. There's a point of diminishing returns, after which, you jsut pour money into the thing and don't really notice any improvement. That, and I stopped playing games. I really haven't cared about it for at least a year, and I had been overclocking and building PCs since my 486sx33. Software is much more interesting, you can do whatever you want with it. Building PC's is really no more difficult than assembling a lego model with about 20 parts, and they all work basically the same when you're done. It gets boring.

 

[stonecold3169]

I'm a 19 y/o computer science major. I started browsing around online for computer hardware knowledge when I was 16 or so. I had done the easy stuff before then, you know, installing IDE devices and stuff, but this was when I got gung ho about it.

These days, too much is happening for me to keep up on every model mobo, vidcard, etc... in fact, I know only stop 2 places, these forums and then toms hardware for reviews. I just don't have the time with school to keep up on it.

Looking back though, the software side is what really intrests me. If I could go back 3 years and see where I am now, I think I'd be proud of the path I took

 

[Ameesh]

given up isnt quite how i would phrase but defintely lost interest. probably around junior year in college, now i only follow video cards but not that much really.

 

[pac1085]

I lost interest in it about the same time as you...during the BX days it was crazy...but now I really only look at vid card and cpu changes... I went to alot of networking like you...and now its programming/linux phase

 

[HamSupLo]

i haven't been reading the reviews and stuff since the beginning of this year. So i'm curious, what's the best cpu/mb/memory combo now?

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: Vortex
I lost interest in it about the same time as you...during the BX days it was crazy...but now I really only look at vid card and cpu changes... I went to alot of networking like you...and now its programming/linux phase

Are you stalking me, or are you my evil twin running in parallel?

The funny thing is that I buy Maximum PC now. It doesn't keep me up to the bleeding edge, but it covers a broad enough range that I can still see what's out there. It's not technical so I can fly through the magazine as well. Unlike before when I would relish the 12 page article on a new motherboard

notfred - Very true... Once you know how to build one computer, you can build em all (except you don't have all the bad part configurations memorized ). Wasn't there an issue with SBLives and VIA chipsets? I still feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I spawn off a new creation

 

[Willoughbyva]

I was building my own computers in 1996 and stayed up to date until fall of last year. Since then I have stayed upto date on video cards, but everything else has just gone to the wayside. I am looking to get a cheapish laptop in the winter, so I have been doing a little research on that, but for the most part my computer does all that i need it to do. There isn't as much interest as there used to be.

Will

 

[Red Dawn]

got bored with it. There's a point of diminishing returns, after which, you jsut pour money into the thing and don't really notice any improvement.

Yep

Building PC's is really no more difficult than assembling a lego model with about 20 parts

Yep

but if I had to build a new computer I would be stumped. I would probably spend a month discussing it with fellow Anandtechers.

Why, a trained Monkey could do it these days.

 

[StageLeft]

I was into it hard starting in '98 and basically stopped giving a damn around the beginning of '2000. Just a pointless money pit.

but if I had to build a new computer I would be stumped. I would probably spend a month discussing it with fellow Anandtechers.

Big time - and then I go back to not caring after each little upgrade now, of which they are few.

 

[Red Dawn]

Just a pointless money pit.

Hahaha. You hear Intel is going to come out with a 3 GHZ CPU at years end??BFD, who really needs it and why waste the momey on it?

 

[pillage2001]

It's addictive knowing about all the new and cool stuffs and yet you can't have them becasue of the cost. And that leads you to.......

 

[Mucman]

Red, it's not about the physical construction of it... it's getting the perfect motherboard, the CPU with the serial number that you know will overclock. When I built my first computer, the construction went smoothly, but I probably spent two months try to get the perfect hardware for it. That's what I am out of touch on. I no longer have memorized the L1 and L2 cache sizes and there speed ratings of every chip, heck does the new P4's still have a 20 stage pipeline? What's the pipeline on the latest AMD offerings?

 

[pac1085]

Long Version:
I think another reason why its no fun any more...nothing requires being bleeding edge.

In late 99 and 2000 new games like Q3, UT, etc were comming out that were really a whole new generation of gaming...everyone was always trying to get sweet framerates in quake3...but after a while it wasnt worth it any more because the game played fine on whatever system you got. I've been using the same system for quite a while now and I see no reason to upgrade...its plenty fast for what I do... With UT2003 and Doom 3 comming out, the cycle may start all over again, but I doubt it would be as intense.

Short Version:
Developers havent caught up to the hardware makers yet.

 

[Red Dawn]

Red, it's not about the physical construction of it... it's getting the perfect motherboard, the CPU with the serial number that you know will overclock

Spend an hour at a Hardware site and you will know all you need to know. Let me ammend my statement ..A trained Monkey that can read.

 

[y2kc]

Same here....I just threw a dual p3 box together last weekend, I bought the motherboard based on assumptions reared from the BX days and ended up with a system that would not boot because I didn't have rambus memory nor a terminator (used a sdram riser card which was new to me as well). I obviously should have RTFM but since all but one of my boxes (7) are BX based and nearly all of the boxes I work on at the job are BX/Slot 1s it is becoming obvious to me that my hardware knowledge is weakening by the day.

I too am into networking right now and learning servers (slowly but surely). Since I'm not a huge gamer (anymore) the latest and greatest really doesn't interest me as it should. I've never touched an AMD system..... Considering that I'm thinking seriously about fixing PCs on the side, I need to get back in the groove....quickly.

 

[Cyberian]

When did you give up on keeping up to date with computer hardware knowledge?

1993, when my company cut my salary, farmed me out to a subsidiary and changed my job description to printer support.

 

[dakata24]

i only read up on the latest stuff when im about to buy something.. gotta do my research to get the best stuff out that's out..

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

When did you give up on keeping up to date with computer hardware knowledge?

1993, when my company cut my salary, farmed me out to a subsidiary and changed my job description to printer support.

dayum... so you must know your printers

 

[Stallion]

when I first came here I did nothing but hang out in CPU/processors and over clocking. Then about 4 months later I noticed OT. It was all down hill from there.

Now when I head over to the CPU forum I get lost.

 

[Shelly21]

Er, only read about stuff a week before I need to buy any parts. So I think I missed the Rambus thingy when It show up and disappeared.

I might buy some parts soon to build a cheap 'puter for the extra port on the router.

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: Stallion
when I first came here I did nothing but hang out in CPU/processors and over clocking. Then about 4 months later I noticed OT. It was all down hill from there.

Now when I head over to the CPU forum I get lost.

I too was like that. I was very active in GH, CPU/OC/Cases and Cooling. In fact I have a post in the cases forum calculating surface area of rounded cables vs. regular cables. I had diagrams and math calculations! It was my geekiest moment

 

[Supermercado]

I've never really bothered to keep up to date with hardware knowledge. The only time I ever go searching for information is when I'm getting ready to upgrade part of my system. There's just too much out there to keep up with.

 

[rudder]

no need to keep up to date. If you want to build a pc and dont know what to buy, just goto general hardware and post " I got $$$ and want to build a fast sytem... what do I need?" You should get about 50 good replies.

moral, let someone else worry about it.

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: rudder
no need to keep up to date. If you want to build a pc and dont know what to buy, just goto general hardware and post " I got $$$ and want to build a fast sytem... what do I need?" You should get about 50 good replies.

moral, let someone else worry about it.

Part of the problem with that is I like to take pride in everything I do. Sure I could pay some place to put a nice car audio system in my truck... you can't have pride in it though, because it's not your work. Same goes with computers... if you are just to ask people what to put in it, why bother building it from scratch then?