Have a (home-built) linux box? Let's discuss (I want to build my own)

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The discussion centers around experiences and preferences related to Linux systems and building personal computers among undergraduate physics students. Participants share their current setups, highlighting a mix of Mac and custom-built systems, with a focus on performance specifications and operating systems like Xubuntu and Windows. Key likes include the design and speed of Xubuntu, while dislikes often mention compatibility issues with Apple hardware. Dream systems discussed include high-performance configurations with multiple processors and extensive RAM, indicating a desire for powerful computing capabilities. Advice for beginners emphasizes careful planning, thorough component checks, and the recommendation to use NVIDIA graphics cards due to better Linux driver support. Overall, the conversation reflects a strong interest in optimizing computing power for academic and personal projects.
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Hey PF!

Short First Post Intro:
I've been a long time spectator here. I'm a junior undergrad physics major. PF has been a lot of fun, and tremendous help to me (like last winter I applied to many REU's). So thank you all!

At the REU I'm in now, I'm learning linux. I'd love to hear any of the following:

1. Your current system:
Specs? Distro? Likes? Dislikes?​

2. Dream system?
(Desktop or laptop)? Distro?​

3. Any advice for someone who's never built their own computer.

So here's me:

1. Macbook pro. Intel core duo 2.8 GHz. 4 GB ram. Dual booting Xubuntu.
Likes: Love Apple's design/hardware. Xubuntu is fast and lightweight.​
Dislikes: Apple keyboard/hardware isn't always friendly with linux.​

2. I'm unsure, but something I've built myself so I understand the system (and of course awesome tech specs)...

3. n/a

Basically I would be blowing a good portion of my REU stipend on this...
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
My comany uses Mandriva.

The dream systems are quad or oct processor systems. Some folks told me though that some high end 512-core (processor) systems aren't too expensive, so I'll be looking at those, with a large amount of RAM and a fast bus.
 
Wow! That's a lot of horsepower. The most I could afford and put to good use would probably be an oct core system or two quad cores.

Eventually I'd like to upgrade to a cluster system, but I'm starting small.
 
Jabberwocky said:
1. Your current system:
I built a system around a Core i7-2600K, I boot Xubuntu 11.04 (configured to look like 10.04, I don't like the updated interface) off of a 160 GB SSD along with Win 7 Ultimate for Visual Studio (Kinect SDK work) and SolidWorks. Each OS has a 1 TB WD Caviar Black HDD. I have a BD-RW drive. I have a GTX570 (for games and CUDA programming) and 16 GB of DDR3 @ 1333MHz. This is in an Antec 900 case.

Jabberwocky said:
2. Dream system?
Pretty much my current system, maybe all SSD and a third monitor, plus another 16 GB or RAM.

Jabberwocky said:
3. Any advice for someone who's never built their own computer.
Don't rush it, double check all your components. Watch this video from Newegg first (all three parts):

Make sure to get an nVidia graphics card if you don't use integrated graphics, ATI's Linux drivers are horrible.
 
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