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What makes a good HTPC in 2024?
I was recently looking for a device that could play 4K video at 24fps and apparently finding such a device isn’t as simple as I thought. I would like something better than the built-in media player in my TV, but the list below should paint a better picture of that: That’s quite a list, especially…
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NASv5 on AMD Zen 3 “Cezanne”
After my latest NAS build, which was the v3, around two years ago (and there existed a v4, which was more of a temporary measure) v5 is the device that I’m currently using since Q1 of 2024. The main difference, aside from moving to an AMD-based platform, was making it all solid-state, meaning there are…
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Enabling HDMI 2.0 on a Viewsonic CDE5520 Monitor
I’ve recently got my hands on a CDE5520, this is the 55″ part of Viewsonic’s CDE20 series. It’s a large format commercial display, that’s why I called it a monitor. It doesn’t have any built-in TV tuners, just two HDMI inputs. There is a fairly barebones android-based system running on it as well, which is…
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10Gbps networking — is it too fast?
With the emergence of cheap 2.5Gbps solutions, I see them integrated into more and more devices, such as mid-range motherboards, not necessarily top-of-the-range 802.11ax access points and even some laptops. Switching is also fairly inexpensive, an 8-port model with a 10Gb SFP+ uplink can be had for £75. Sure, this is unbranded Chinese stuff, but…
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The HP T740
Just like most homelabbers, I like mini PCs. They are cute, use very little power and are quiet, at least in idle and under light loads. The Intel NUCs were at the forefront of this revolution and it’s quite unfortunate that Intel has discontinued that division. The newer generations of Mini PCs seem to have…
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Genuine Intel(R) CPU 0000
For most people, the above probably doesn’t mean much, but those who have a hunch that this article will be about an Engineering Sample are right. I found a cheap Chinese mATX motherboard on Aliexpress which is really interesting for two reasons. One has already been explained by the title, the next will be obvious…
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Daisy-chains with USB
Yes, that’s a term that’s usually associated with Thunderbolt or Firewire. It’s also possible with USB4, but that’s not the main focus of this article. I have a few USB hubs on hand and I would like to see if I can chain them up, and if so, how that will affect the performance. I’ve…
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Steamdeck SSD upgrade
This is meant to be a quick guide on how to upgrade the SSD of a Steamdeck to make more space for games. What you’ll need is an M.2 2230 SSD, a PH1 screwdriver, some plastic cards or prying tools to open it up and a box cutter knife. Oh, and a USB drive with…
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Setting up VMs for gaming on a dual-CPU machine.
Far Cry 4 was being given away for free a couple days ago on Uplay Ubisoft Connect and as a fan of the series, I got a copy for my girlfriend so that we could play together in co-op. It’s fun and it’s definitely worth a try if you like to play FPS games. The…
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Aruba AP to IAP conversion
This is just a small snippet on how to convert a controller-based Aruba AP to a standalone IAP. This writeup is for an AP-274, but it should work similarly on most ArubaOS-based access points. You’ll need: The access point Console access (a serial or micro-USB cable, depending on the AP) A valid firmware file from…