11/20/2025

Thoughts on upgrades:

I used to build my desktop computer every 6ish years because it was a lot of effort and I lost track of time since the last one. The last computer I built was a 3700X and an RTX 2080. I replaced this one because the hardware was so effectively cooled that it heated me up instead and left me feeling sick. I thought it was time for a more efficient system that did not leave me feeling ill. January 2024 came and I bought an Alienware Aurora R15 for $2300 at a time when the video card for the system cost that much. I also got a 7900x, 1 TB Western Digital Black SSD, 32 GB DDR5 RAM, and a 2 TB traditional drive. I ran out of room fast because I kept my entire library of frequently used games there. The end of the warranty could not come soon enough. I replaced the 1 TB with a Samsung 990 4 TB SSD. The drive works great and lets me install all my games and other digital content. The last change I made was converting Windows Home to Pro. Since I got this through Amazon during the New Year, there were not many upgrade options. Moving from Windows Home to Pro made all the little quirks I like to have from working as a technician come back. Drive encryption and group policy tools were some of these.
Knowing that Alienware does not shortcut on specs made this purchase easier. They did what I would have done when I did not have the time anymore.

The other upgrade I like to do is Samsung Galaxy Ultra every two years. The Galaxy Ultra monitors my heart, and I give that data to my doctors as a painless way to keep track. Why not plus or other models? First, I stress about battery life which is my reason to not get an EV either. The second is whether I play games or do other tasks I wear out the phone. When the phone is my health device and my daily driver, I need a good strong device. I considered Apple devices as I had to use one as a technician. The Apple ecosystem simply does not work for me at home with so many non-Apple devices like my HD DVD drive or my 4k Blue ray drive. To keep my Windows/Android set up going, I have kept to Samsung for this task.