Hey! As 2024 ends, I’ll publish a short series of blog posts about what I have learned and discovered in the technology world over the last 12 months. 2024 is a super exciting year, with the fast rise of Generative AI. GenAI applications are hitting the market almost daily, but I’ll write about it in one of the following posts.
However, I’ll begin with a few points on what I learned about computer hardware. Hardware is a topic where I’m a power user, but now and then, I discover something that strikes me as fundamental knowledge that somehow eluded me in the last twenty years or so 😊. So, let’s begin!
#1: The quality of the computer’s cooling can make a massive difference in the user’s experience
Until this year, I had overlooked the aspect of computer cooling. It moved into my area of focus when:
- I started to work in public spaces (like libraries) and noticed how much the fan noises of laptops can interrupt other people in silent environments
- I started using my GPU to nearly 100%-utilization level for long hours, and it was the noisiest thing in my apartment, begging for some solution.
Thanks to those specific problems I wanted to solve, I also learned that I could additionally reduce the noise level and improve the cooling of my PC build with pretty cheap components like:
- a high-quality CPU cooler (I chose Endorfy Fera 5, and it’s perfect for my old Ryzen 3700X)
- an SSD radiator (the one I chose, be quiet! MC1, is a pleasure to assemble and works magic)
- PC case ventilators (contrary to what I imagined, adding six ventilators made the overall setup more silent because they can efficiently cool the case at very low speeds)
It also taught me that the next time I buy a laptop, I should look at reviews of its thermal efficiency. I would seriously consider something cooled passively (fanless) that makes no noise. And if I needed a more powerful machine that cannot be cooled passively, I’d look for one with an aluminum case for better heat dissipation, so fans are only used sporadically.
Once I know how silent it can be, I don’t want to return to anything noisy!
#2: Microsoft Windows comes with Storage Spaces – a software RAID solution that might come in handy
Over the years, I have accumulated plenty of old SSD drives. They seem reliable (with no failures so far) but somewhat outdated (sizes range from 256 GB to 512 GB, and some have older interfaces like SATA III).
With a desktop computer, I could easily fit them all in the case, but on the OS level, I had to manage six small partitions, which was annoying.
This year, I discovered that Windows comes with a feature called Storage Spaces. It’s a software RAID solution that allows you to combine multiple physical disks into fewer logical disks and gain better speed or resilience.
I’ve been using it for over a month now. I combined three disks into one logical disk (the “parity” variant) for data resiliency. I was surprised by how easy it was to set up, and so far, it looks like a worthwhile improvement!
#3: Is 12 GB VRAM in GPU enough? In the era of Generative AI, it isn’t
After considering various options this year, I bought an ASUS NVidia RTX 4070 Super with 12 GB VRAM. The collective internet wisdom said 12GB of VRAM is more than enough in 2024. But this year has proven to me that even if it’s okay for gaming (games from Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle look beautiful paired with this card), it isn’t enough to comfortably use the AI-powered tools.
When I prepared my vocabulary courses for the Flashcard Space project, I generated thousands of images using Stable Diffusion XL and Flux.1 models (check it out!). In hindsight, this could have been much faster and less frustrating if I just had 16 GB of VRAM in my GPU or more. It would also enable me to use models that won’t run with so little VRAM.
I expect we’ll see more applications of Generative AI models run locally on users’ machines. The next GPU I buy will certainly have more VRAM than 12 GB.
#4: Mechanical keyboards are not for everyone
Mechanical keyboards are a somewhat popular piece of equipment among programmers. I, too, bought into the hype and wanted to have the best tool available on the market, rationalized by the fact I use it every day for long hours.
I bought the Keychron K8 Pro, my first mechanical keyboard. Don’t get me wrong, it is a solid device and heavy enough to be used as a weapon if you need to defend yourself 😊 But it made me realize mechanical keyboards are a hobby rather than a ready-to-use premium device.
For a start, I didn’t like the “clicky” blue switches that were supposed to be so satisfying to type on. I had to order another set on Aliexpress and replace each one. Then, the keycap profile turned out to be very different from all the office keyboards I used, and neither my wife nor I could adapt to it after months of use. Also, the keycaps are not very strong, and I needed to use superglue a few times, or go down the rabbit hole of Aliexpress shopping for other keycaps, which seem either ugly or don’t have all the keys I need.
And I just wanted a premium keyboard that works and requires no maintenance. So, I guess customizable mechanical keyboards are not for everyone!
#5: I thought I needed a Chromebook, but I didn’t
I typically use Windows, but I got curious about Chromebooks this year, even if just to learn something new. Chromebooks looked like interesting devices because most are inexpensive yet have a reputation for being very well-optimized to run well, even on low-end hardware.
So, I bought a small netbook-sized Chromebook (HP Chromebook 11A G8 EE) to see if I liked the hardware and the whole ecosystem. And I sold it after a month or two, disappointed. My takeaways from this experience:
- Skimping on hardware just isn’t worth it. I don’t know how people can use such a $50 laptop, enjoy it, and review it 5/5. In my experience, it was laggy and unsuitable even for writing blog posts or taking notes in Google Docs.
- Chrome OS is a quality piece of software, hands down. Yet it is not for me. I can’t use a computer without Microsoft OneNote (it’s not compatible), and I’m not sure what I would do on a computer without Visual Studio. I also missed Total Commander 😉
- On the positive side, I enjoyed the 11-inch form factor: it is small, very light, and can be powered by a phone charger—perfect for travel!
#6: There are silent mouse devices on the market, and I’m happy I discovered this niche
A small but enjoyable discovery is that there are mouse devices that are super silent (both in clicking and scrolling). Buying one was a great relief when I started working in shared spaces with quiet surroundings. My choice was Silver Monkey, Silent Office Wireless Comfort Mouse. It was a well-spent $10 this Black Friday 😁
I also considered the Logitech Pebble 2, known for its silent operation and nice design (also, it looks even more mobile), but the price factor decided this time 😊
How about you?
And what was your most significant learning about computer hardware in the last months? If you fancy, share your wisdom in the comments with me and other readers! 😊
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