Pixel

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for feedback on my PC build. My current setup, a Ryzen 5 3700X with 32GB of RAM and an RX 480, has served me well over the past three years. However, it’s driving me nuts lately because of the noise. The high TDP of the 3700X, combined with the cheap Cooler Master N400 case I originally got to accommodate my pile of HDDs, has made it unbearably loud. I’m planning to repurpose that build as a file server, so it’s time for a much-needed upgrade.

Here’s the new build I’m considering:

PCPartPicker Part List

A bit about my design decisions:

• Case: I chose the Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX case because of its 140mm fans and the option for a USB-C upgrade. I considered the be quiet! Pure Base 500 for its quieter performance, but I decided against it since the slight noise reduction wasn’t worth sacrificing overall airflow. My main thing is that I can't stand cases with exposed glass panels, so I was looking for cases that either were fully mesh or had non-glass side panels. I'm okay with mini-ATX cases or getting an mATX board but I'd rather have a larger PC and the option of adding additional expansion cards with an ATX mobo.
• CPU: I opted for the Ryzen 7 9700X over the 7700X for its lower TDP, which I hope will translate to quieter operation and lower temperatures. I ruled out the X3D CPUs since my main use case includes development, virtualization, and some local AI workloads (e.g., Local LLaMA), with gaming as a secondary focus.
• Cooler: I went with the Noctua NH-D15S for its quiet operation and compact design. While its airflow is slightly worse than the standard NH-D15, I felt the trade-off was worth it. A little peace of mind as well for it conflicting with the rest of my build.
• Motherboard: I chose the MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK because it has the most USB ports and strong VRMs, which fit my needs since I tend to lag behind the latest GPU generations (e.g., buying prior-gen GPUs for 1080p/1440p gaming). Its lack of a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot could limit future graphics upgrades, but I hope to still upgrade to x4 cards down the line when prices drop. Alternative bundled mobos I considered were the ASUS TUF GAMING B650-E and GIGABYTE B650 EAGLE AX, which I’m open to switching to if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
• PSU: I picked the Corsair RM750e because it was the cheapest Tier A option on the PSU Tier List.
• RGB: Not a fan of LEDs and RGB and I'm willing to pay a premium to avoid it.
• Upgrades in mind: I don’t need this build to last five years without upgrades. My plan is to eventually upgrade the GPU (to the best current-gen GPU under $400 USD when prices drop) and bump the RAM to 64GB if I take on heavier virtualization workloads.

Does this look like a balanced build?

Are there areas where I could improve performance or save money? I’d also love thoughts on my motherboard choice and whether my upgrade path assumptions make sense. Thanks in advance for the feedback! 😊

I'm able to book up to 4 layovers of ~20-24 hours each in South America and I'm looking for cities that have large regional airports, decent city-to-airport transit infrastructure, and have stuff to do in the evenings and late mornings. Safety is relative but bonus points for places where tourists aren't casually mugged on a routine basis.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Putting together a list of Churning and award travel resources in Canada - please feel free to share additions to the list.

Blogs (English)

• FrugalFlyer: https://frugalflyer.ca/
• Distant Points: https://www.distantpoints.com/
• Prince of Travel: https://princeoftravel.com/
• Points Miles and Bling: http://pointsmilesandbling.com/
• RewardsCanada: https://rewardscanada.ca/

Blogs (French)

• Milesopedia: https://milesopedia.com/

Blogs (Other)

• PEKFlyer (Chinese): https://pekflyer.com/
• Trip Wine Go (Chinese): https://tripwinego.com/

Forums

• FlyerTalk: Aeroplan, WestJet

Guides

• Complex Aeroplan Tickets: FlyerTalk, Prince of Travel, TPG

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/19371857

I'm curious to learn about places around the globe that have a significant amount of underutilized tourism infrastructure. In many cases, I suspect that governments are propping up unsustainable tourism operators or investing in tourism with a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Here are a few examples that I'm aware of:

• Qatar - The country has an oversupply of hotels relative to the number of visitors, and its tourism economy heavily relies on layover tours due to the strength of Qatar Airways' network.

• Saudi Arabia - In an effort to diversify its economy away from oil, the country is pushing a massive tourism development agenda, despite having many factors that make it less appealing to visitors. Religious tourism seems to be a primary focus.

• North Korea - For obvious reasons... For example, only a few floors of the Ryugyong Hotel are ever occupied.

• Northern Japan (Aomori, Akita, Sendai) - These places are heavily fueled by domestic tourism, and are basically deserted for half of the year (despite attractions and so on still functioning).

To clarify, I'm not looking for hidden gems or places that are simply underrated travel destinations. Instead, I'm interested in learning about locations where there is a clear mismatch between the available tourism infrastructure and the actual number of visitors.

I want to find places where I might end up being the only visitor to a museum or one of few tourists on an airport bus. The fact that these museums and airport limo buses even exist is where the question stems from.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/19371857

I'm curious to learn about places around the globe that have a significant amount of underutilized tourism infrastructure. In many cases, I suspect that governments are propping up unsustainable tourism operators or investing in tourism with a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Here are a few examples that I'm aware of:

• Qatar - The country has an oversupply of hotels relative to the number of visitors, and its tourism economy heavily relies on layover tours due to the strength of Qatar Airways' network.

• Saudi Arabia - In an effort to diversify its economy away from oil, the country is pushing a massive tourism development agenda, despite having many factors that make it less appealing to visitors. Religious tourism seems to be a primary focus.

• North Korea - For obvious reasons... For example, only a few floors of the Ryugyong Hotel are ever occupied.

• Northern Japan (Aomori, Akita, Sendai) - These places are heavily fueled by domestic tourism, and are basically deserted for half of the year (despite attractions and so on still functioning).

To clarify, I'm not looking for hidden gems or places that are simply underrated travel destinations. Instead, I'm interested in learning about locations where there is a clear mismatch between the available tourism infrastructure and the actual number of visitors.

I want to find places where I might end up being the only visitor to a museum or one of few tourists on an airport bus. The fact that these museums and airport limo buses even exist is where the question stems from.

I'm curious to learn about places around the globe that have a significant amount of underutilized tourism infrastructure. In many cases, I suspect that governments are propping up unsustainable tourism operators or investing in tourism with a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Here are a few examples that I'm aware of:

• Qatar - The country has an oversupply of hotels relative to the number of visitors, and its tourism economy heavily relies on layover tours due to the strength of Qatar Airways' network.

• Saudi Arabia - In an effort to diversify its economy away from oil, the country is pushing a massive tourism development agenda, despite having many factors that make it less appealing to visitors. Religious tourism seems to be a primary focus.

• North Korea - For obvious reasons... For example, only a few floors of the Ryugyong Hotel are ever occupied.

• Northern Japan (Aomori, Akita, Sendai) - These places are heavily fueled by domestic tourism, and are basically deserted for half of the year (despite attractions and so on still functioning).

• EDIT: Maybe the Caribbean islands outside of Cruise ship season?

To clarify, I'm not looking for hidden gems or places that are simply underrated travel destinations. Instead, I'm interested in learning about locations where there is a clear mismatch between the available tourism infrastructure and the actual number of visitors.

I want to find places where I might end up being the only visitor to a museum or one of few tourists on an airport bus. The fact that these museums and airport limo buses even exist is where the question stems from.