A custom build may be in the works!

Sigma333

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I have a CM Storm Trooper case that has been gathering dust for some years, and I have decided it is either time to use it, or lose it. If there are any hardware aficionados here that would want to check over my parts-list for potential Linux problems/incompatibilities, I would appreciate your input. As this build will be dual boot (Win 7 on an internal HDD, and MX Linux on an SSD), mostly legacy parts will be used for native support of Win 7.
 


Cool. I recommend you go with Gigabyte motherboard for reliability. Go with AMD or Intel graphics to avoid possible video issues with NVIDIA. What is your parts list so far? MX-Linux-Reinvents-Computer-Use.jpg
 
Well I did this parts list mostly with Win 7 native support in mind, since I definitely don't want to fool with slipstreaming, workarounds and all that crud to get modern parts to play nice. I wasn't really able to figure out what does or doesn't work with MX Linux 17.1, and I had also wanted to do a AMD-focused parts-list to compare against this one, but I didn't get very far with it either.

Case: CM Storm Trooper (SGC-5000-KKN1)

CPU: i7-4790k

Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard*:
MSI Z97 Gaming 5
MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming
MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming
MSI Z97-G45
MSI Z97A Gaming 6

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X-series 32GB (4x8GB) DDR3-1600 CL9

Video card*: Geforce GTX Ti 2GB or GeForce GTX 560 Ti

DVD burner: (Two) Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/AS

Storage:
(Two) WD Caviar Black 1TB 3.5 7200rpm
Crucial MX500 500GB SSD

Mobile rack: (Two) Syba SY-MRA55006

Power Supply: Seasonic Focus 650 W80+ Gold

*The motherboards and graphics cards all look about equal, so I'll probably just buy the first one I find.

So I picked the motherboards based on three requirements. (1.) VGA port, (2.) Maximum number of PCIe slots and SATA connectors, and (3.) Minimum 16GB RAM capacity. I picked the graphics cards solely on being the best I could find having an actual VGA port. I'm not a fan of adapters and connectors to get a VGA 'plug' into a DVI 'socket'.

None of the parts have been bought yet, so nothing is set in stone, and I already bought a used
Dell Optiplex 7010 Mini-Tower, Quad Core i7 3770 (3.4GHz), 16GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1TB Hard Drive: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit....waiting to replace my current Optiplex 960 XP Pro rig, so this custom build can take as long as it takes

If you're an AMD fan, I definitely wouldn't mind assistance compiling a parts-list for an AMD build. Or help checking for possible Linux problems/incompatibilities with the above list....which is maybe the most important. I'm not a big fan of Win 7, but see it as a sort of rest stop or waystation before moving on to MX Linux, so that is really the intent of this build. A smooth and painless transition to MX.
 
Well I did this parts list mostly with Win 7 native support in mind, since I definitely don't want to fool with slipstreaming, workarounds and all that crud to get modern parts to play nice. I wasn't really able to figure out what does or doesn't work with MX Linux 17.1, and I had also wanted to do a AMD-focused parts-list to compare against this one, but I didn't get very far with it either.

Case: CM Storm Trooper (SGC-5000-KKN1)

CPU: i7-4790k

Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard*:
MSI Z97 Gaming 5
MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming
MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming
MSI Z97-G45
MSI Z97A Gaming 6

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X-series 32GB (4x8GB) DDR3-1600 CL9

Video card*: Geforce GTX Ti 2GB or GeForce GTX 560 Ti

DVD burner: (Two) Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/AS

Storage:
(Two) WD Caviar Black 1TB 3.5 7200rpm
Crucial MX500 500GB SSD

Mobile rack: (Two) Syba SY-MRA55006

Power Supply: Seasonic Focus 650 W80+ Gold

*The motherboards and graphics cards all look about equal, so I'll probably just buy the first one I find.

So I picked the motherboards based on three requirements. (1.) VGA port, (2.) Maximum number of PCIe slots and SATA connectors, and (3.) Minimum 16GB RAM capacity. I picked the graphics cards solely on being the best I could find having an actual VGA port. I'm not a fan of adapters and connectors to get a VGA 'plug' into a DVI 'socket'.

None of the parts have been bought yet, so nothing is set in stone, and I already bought a used
Dell Optiplex 7010 Mini-Tower, Quad Core i7 3770 (3.4GHz), 16GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1TB Hard Drive: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit....waiting to replace my current Optiplex 960 XP Pro rig, so this custom build can take as long as it takes

If you're an AMD fan, I definitely wouldn't mind assistance compiling a parts-list for an AMD build. Or help checking for possible Linux problems/incompatibilities with the above list....which is maybe the most important. I'm not a big fan of Win 7, but see it as a sort of rest stop or waystation before moving on to MX Linux, so that is really the intent of this build. A smooth and painless transition to MX.
Don't expect those motherboards to last very long because MSI have been the least reliable in my experience. Go with Gigabyte for reliability.
 
Don't expect those motherboards to last very long because MSI have been the least reliable in my experience. Go with Gigabyte for reliability.
My previous motherboard was an MSI Z77A-G43, used it for around 6-7 years until I replaced that system with a laptop. That motherboard still runs fine although I recently bought a new desktop system also with a MSI motherboard, MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC, so maybe there or other factors in play that caused your MSI boards to not last very long? As for Nvidia I have always used Nvidia graphics cards under Linux and never had any problems and all my games have always run fine. I recently did switch out my Nvidia card for a RX 67700 XT because I wanted to see for myself if I will actually notice the difference in performance and experience when it comes to closed source drivers vs open source drivers.
 
My previous motherboard was an MSI Z77A-G43, used it for around 6-7 years until I replaced that system with a laptop. That motherboard still runs fine although I recently bought a new desktop system also with a MSI motherboard, MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC, so maybe there or other factors in play that caused your MSI boards to not last very long? As for Nvidia I have always used Nvidia graphics cards under Linux and never had any problems and all my games have always run fine. I recently did switch out my Nvidia card for a RX 67700 XT because I wanted to see for myself if I will actually notice the difference in performance and experience when it comes to closed source drivers vs open source drivers.
I have a home-built desktop PC with a MSI 760GM-P23(FX) (MS-7641) motherboard, AMD FX(tm)-6300 processor, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost graphics card. It has worked flawlessly with Linux for about 5 or 6 years now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Blocked for lying!
I am not lying, I am just sharing that my experience with both Nvidia and MSI is different than yours.
That doesn't make it a lie and that does mean that I don't believe you but OP should be able to make their own decision based from experiences from different people.
 
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Don't expect those motherboards to last very long because MSI have been the least reliable in my experience. Go with Gigabyte for reliability.

When I picked these motherboards, I was fulfilling certain requirements. Had to have minimum 16GB RAM capacity. Had to have as many PCI-e slots and SATA connectors as possible. Minimum four USB2.0 ports, VGA port, and decent reviews on NewEgg, Amazon, etc. I combed through somewhere over fifty models, and at least fifteen were Gigabyte. I just didn't find any but one that met the requirements, and that one had really atrocious reviews. Maybe better Gigabyte models slipped past me, or maybe all their good stuff was for AMD builds (I was focused on socket 1150). I certainly have nothing against Gigabyte, so if you can suggest models that meet the requirements as well as the MSI boards do, I'll definitely look into them.

I briefly researched AMD CPUs yesterday. So far as I can tell, only the Ryzen line can compete with the benchmark of i7-4790k. As Ryzen will not run Win 7 without slipstreaming and workarounds, I would not consider these. I'm just not a fan of forcing a square peg into a round hole, and tend to follow the KISS principle. For any components that are dependent on the OS, I require native support of at least Win 7, and hopefully Linux too.
 
As this build will be dual boot (Win 7 on an internal HDD, and MX Linux on an SSD), mostly legacy parts will be used for native support of Win 7.

Great choice of operating systems! Windows 7 is great; its successor Windows 10 was kind of a disappointment compared to 7. But again, Microsoft and their corporate shenanigans (no hate to them).
 
I require native support of at least Win 7, and hopefully Linux too.
It's not safe to run Windows 7 anymore because that version is End of Life meaning it's not getting anymore updates including security updates.
 
When I picked these motherboards, I was fulfilling certain requirements. Had to have minimum 16GB RAM capacity. Had to have as many PCI-e slots and SATA connectors as possible. Minimum four USB2.0 ports, VGA port, and decent reviews on NewEgg, Amazon, etc. I combed through somewhere over fifty models, and at least fifteen were Gigabyte. I just didn't find any but one that met the requirements, and that one had really atrocious reviews. Maybe better Gigabyte models slipped past me, or maybe all their good stuff was for AMD builds (I was focused on socket 1150). I certainly have nothing against Gigabyte, so if you can suggest models that meet the requirements as well as the MSI boards do, I'll definitely look into them.

I briefly researched AMD CPUs yesterday. So far as I can tell, only the Ryzen line can compete with the benchmark of i7-4790k. As Ryzen will not run Win 7 without slipstreaming and workarounds, I would not consider these. I'm just not a fan of forcing a square peg into a round hole, and tend to follow the KISS principle. For any components that are dependent on the OS, I require native support of at least Win 7, and hopefully Linux too.
Try looking here. https://www.microcenter.com/category/4294966996/all-motherboards
 
it's not getting anymore updates including security updates.

With enough knowledge of the system, it is possible to do some patches by yourself, right?
 
With an adequate firewall and antivirus, as well as very judicious use of the device, one should be able to make Windows 7 reasonably secure for the foreseeable future. You've gotta do things like make absolute certain to download software as little as you can, and be darned certain of the source when you do download it.

Are AV companies still updating signatures for AV installed on Win 7?

In my latter days of Windows use, I had no resident AV nor software firewall running. Instead, I kept my browser locked down, limited the software I installed, kept it updated, and kept it behind a NAT.

Without the ability to update the OS, I'd definitely want resident AV and a firewall enabled. I'd use uMatrix to keep my browser locked down. The only additional software I'd install is updates to the barest minimum of software that I needed. I'd also keep it on an isolated subnet on my LAN. I'd probably further isolate a NAS and increase the frequency of backups.

And, well, I'd need a REALLY GOOD reason to still keep Win 7 around.
 
With enough knowledge of the system, it is possible to do some patches by yourself, right?
No because Windows has closed source and if you had access to the source you would need to know how to program not just understand how the system works.
 
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I too had a case it was given to me, the only thing in it was some cables and a Gigabyte AMD XEON MB. It now houses an ASUS Prime B550M-A with WIFI, 120.00. Bought the AMD 3000g because it also has GPU, 100 bucks on Amazon, as graphics cards right now are a shot in the dark. 2- 8 gig ram sticks, 75.00. An M.2 NVME PCIE-E 256 GB drive, 39.95 with WIN10, a 256 SATA SSD with Linux Mint. Boot menu has Mint as First option and WIN as second. Has 6 SATA connections for more SSD's + A M.2 NVME SATA drive. It is has Audio on board and HDMI, DVI and VGA on I/O. Graphics work Fine, not gaming on it so no CARD needed right now. And can upgrade the CPU to about any AMD Ryzen I choose.

Built my first PC in 1994. Over the years have not had good luck with MSI anything. ASUS or Gigabyte are my first goto's. I would choose ASRock over MSI.
 
It's not safe to run Windows 7 anymore because that version is End of Life meaning it's not getting anymore updates including security updates.

For the past 3+ years I have used XP Pro and its outdated browsers. That averages to about 5000+ hours on the internet. To date I have had zero malware. No viruses, rootkits, trojans, keyloggers, etc. Not a one! Closest I ever came to that was 3 or 4 PUPs from downloading at MajorGeeks or Softpedia. Needless to say, I'm not at all impressed by the EOL/EOS chatter. If or when reality actually substantiates it, then I may change my mind. If Win 7 proves to be less bulletproof than my XP Pro has been, I may adjust my opinion.

So far, I consider EOL/EOS as partly a M$ marketing ploy to keep the herd stampeding to buy whatever crappy rendition of Windows is on offer, and partly a molehill turned into a mountain by the 'experts' (what I call 'talking heads'). Rather like Y2K...a wee kernel of truth, having an extra thick coating of lies and exaggeration, with an icing of hysteria...all crafted to engage panic mode. Here's is what the talking heads never bother to mention, and what M$ especially would prefer you don't look into:




Currently Win 7 has 172 more vulnerabilities than Win 10. The operative word is 'currently'. The fat gal is nowhere near bellowing her swan song, and the opera curtains are nowhere near falling on Win 10, nor are the blackhatters anywhere done picking it apart. Whatever current advantage Win 10 has over Win 7 is only temporary. I might also mention that XP Pro supposedly has 741 vulnerabilities, yet after 5000+ hours on the internet, not one has surfaced on my rig. Just because a vulnerability exists is no assurance it will manifest on your PC.
 
I too had a case it was given to me, the only thing in it was some cables and a Gigabyte AMD XEON MB. It now houses an ASUS Prime B550M-A with WIFI, 120.00. Bought the AMD 3000g because it also has GPU, 100 bucks on Amazon, as graphics cards right now are a shot in the dark. 2- 8 gig ram sticks, 75.00. An M.2 NVME PCIE-E 256 GB drive, 39.95 with WIN10, a 256 SATA SSD with Linux Mint. Boot menu has Mint as First option and WIN as second. Has 6 SATA connections for more SSD's + A M.2 NVME SATA drive. It is has Audio on board and HDMI, DVI and VGA on I/O. Graphics work Fine, not gaming on it so no CARD needed right now. And can upgrade the CPU to about any AMD Ryzen I choose.

Built my first PC in 1994. Over the years have not had good luck with MSI anything. ASUS or Gigabyte are my first goto's. I would choose ASRock over MSI.

I only have the case, so nothing has been bought yet, and nothing is set in stone. As mentioned in post #10, I simply did not find any other brands of motherboards that met the requirements. If there are, I did not see them. If anyone wants to suggest other brands/models that better meets the requirements, I'll definitely check their specs. While I do require what I require, I have no attachment to MSI brand, nor distaste of any other brand.
 
Pay my bills thru bank. Sign on pay sign off. The Problem is security vulnerabilities with Win. SO far with Mint and Firefox nada. Just added 2 8 gig sticks of DDR4 to my current desktop tonight.

If you are focused on Intel, go with Gigabyte. You can get one under 100 dollars.
 
Pay my bills thru bank. Sign on pay sign off. The Problem is security vulnerabilities with Win. SO far with Mint and Firefox nada. Just added 2 8 gig sticks of DDR4 to my current desktop tonight.

If you are focused on Intel, go with Gigabyte. You can get one under 100 dollars.

Same here. I use Linux mint in LiveCD mode for online shopping and banking exclusively. Security vulnerabilities with it are negligible:


I'd bet even more so as a LiveCD. Firefox is a whole different cookie:


That's a lot of "nada"! I have not have a good feeling about it since the advent of Australis, and with the mass sabotage of the addons, I'm very over it. Once my current XP Pro rig is retired, Firefox is gone. I'll move on to its derivatives, until they play follow the leader to the point of monkey-wrenching the addons, then they will get ditched as well.

I'm not so much focused on Intel, as I'm unable to find an AMD equal to the i7-4790k. Only the Ryzen series seems able to match its benchmark, and those CPUs don't play nice with Win 7. Like I said, I have not found any Gigabyte motherboards that can match the requirements. Either they have way fewer PCIe slots, SATA connectors, & USB 2.0 ports, or they come up short in some other way.
 
The problem with AMD and WIN7 is USB support. A lot of MB's I have seen continue to put in PS2 connection. Good article on the Subject.


Also not worried about Firefox and my bank. I sign onto my bank they pay on the accounts, always asks if This is the normal Computer I use. No other info entered. Only annoying thing is signing on I always have to answer the security ?? googly and egdy both save info so PC always recognized.
 

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