Display port to hdmi carries sound, IIRC, so like a $6 swing.
Thinking about my next PC project. I may convert my old rig into a computer for the kid but then moving to either a Home Server for storage or a dedicated streaming/podcasting box. Any suggestions?
I’m currently using the integrated video card. There is a display port ouptut, but will that actually support a second monitor, or can the integrated video card only drive one monitor between the two outputs?
Motherboard dependant. I bought some MSI boards for work that natively triple-monitor supported through some settings in the bios (1 hdmi, 1 dvi, 1 display port).
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132853
Supports up to 3 displays siiiimultaneously!
1 Like
I have a dual monitor setup on the not great Dell I use at work. I just run out of the Displayport and VGA outputs.
Optical drive? WTF
3 Likes
I immediately thought the same thing.
If I were to build PC right now, I probably wouldn’t buy an optical drive, but I’d rip off the one I have on my current one and used that. It gets rarely used, but I have old ass games I might want to play sill and I could get music CDs I’d want to rip or some other rare but still realistic use case for such thing.
It’s not like they are expensive in any way, so it’s one of those “might as well have it” -things.
If I had a need for an optical drive, I would get an external one.
1 Like
I am also still hand-me-downing it. It’s not like it can’t possibly come up.
Yeah but I guess if you have one lying around it’s less of a PITA to throw it in and have it ready instead if digging out and setting up an external. If I were building from total scratch I deffo wouldn’t bother though.
Yeah. I happened to have an external optical drive lying around that I used when I built my new PC so I can use DVD Windows install media (I believe it was cheaper than getting it on a USB stick). I also still have a ton of crap on DVD-R I haven’t copied over to other media formats yet (and, admittedly, a lot of it probably can be chucked. I just haven’t gone over what can stay and what can go yet).
That said, it’s pretty cheap to convert an internal optical drive to an external one should the time come.
You can make windows install media using any USB stick that’s large enough. I’ll post the link if you can’t find it.
Now I kinda want to install a floppy drive in my HTPC just for kicks.
4 Likes
I have an external frame that’s easy to pop HDDs and ODs into. But I never use it, because the thought of digging through old files… shudder
I have a USB 3.5" drive. It works great.
Just installed my 4th SSD into my system. I’m tempted to get another 1TB SSD to transfer all the stuff from the first 2 into since those are 256Gb from yesteryear. My NZXT 340 case makes it easy to swap SSDs for fresh ones, but putting in a new one and having to add the cabling to support it where none was connected before was a royal PITA type of hour long affair.