New Computer Build

[CatKiller]

can new BIOS be updated, if you don't have windows?

Of course it can. Just the idea of allowing Windows to update the BIOS gives me chills. Plonk the file on a USB stick, boot into the BIOS, hit the update button.

Many motherboards don't even need a CPU to be able to update the BIOS, and for the specific case of AMD chipsets not being able to boot with a new CPU they'll lend you one so that you can do the update.

but to build one yourself you would need to know the motherboard compatibility (since now motherboards have network chips and audio chips.

Intel network devices are generally completely painless. They win both sides: their devices tend to comply with standards, and they're heavily involved with drivers in the kernel, too, if there were any quirks.

For audio, if they just say that it's got some then it will probably be fine. It's when they make a big song-and-dance about it that means they've monkeyed around with it as a "value add" and you'll need to check the ALSA compatibility matrix.

External devices are pretty much the same: boring standards-compliant stuff will probably work; stuff where they've messed with things might not. My network printer, USB sound card, Bluetooth headphones, and Steam controller all work out of the box because they just behave according to standards.

[CatKiller]

I am now looking for a Ryzen compatible MB. I want one that will support 3rd generation Ryzen without a BIOS update.

That's pretty easy to achieve. The 500 chipsets were introduced with the 3000 Ryzens. They'll all be fine. 400 chipsets that were made before the 3000 Ryzens were released would need a BIOS update to support the new CPUs. 400 chipsets that were made after the 3000 Ryzens were released will have had the BIOS update already applied, and will probably have a sticker to that effect.

Should you inadvertently purchase an older motherboard that hasn't had the BIOS update, and your motherboard is unable to boot with the new CPU, and you're not near a computer shop where they can do it for you, AMD will lend you a CPU to boot with to do the update.

[mastablasta]

Of course it can. Just the idea of allowing Windows to update the BIOS gives me chills. Plonk the file on a USB stick, boot into the BIOS, hit the update button.

Many motherboards don't even need a CPU to be able to update the BIOS, and for the specific case of AMD chipsets not being able to boot with a new CPU they'll lend you one so that you can do the update.

interesting. and goot do know that BIOS update is easier these days. cause we had these cheap Acer laptops with Ryzen and 16GB RAM (no OS preloaded) and they took a lot of effort to get them working with Linux. the starting point was to use windows 10 to upgrade BIOS

Intel network devices are generally completely painless. They win both sides: their devices tend to comply with standards, and they're heavily involved with drivers in the kernel, too, if there were any quirks.

For audio, if they just say that it's got some then it will probably be fine. It's when they make a big song-and-dance about it that means they've monkeyed around with it as a "value add" and you'll need to check the ALSA compatibility matrix.

External devices are pretty much the same: boring standards-compliant stuff will probably work; stuff where they've messed with things might not. My network printer, USB sound card, Bluetooth headphones, and Steam controller all work out of the box because they just behave according to standards.

oh right, they have USB sound cards now. well then this is not an issue really. yeah intel chips for network or at least with their standards.

yeah standard stuff is best even if it's oldest. was just looking into getting a mechanical keyboard cause i "destroyed" 3 keyboards in the past year. too much e-waste & i feel bad about it. the standard mechanical ones seem to work well (e.g. Cherry). the gaming ones... well issues here and there. i don't have time to deal with that. i spend 0,5 - 1,5h hours on home PC. and i would prefer to use that time well rather that fiddle with settings and OS. that is also why i just use standard desktop environments and LTS. the only pimping i do is occasionally changing the default wallpaper.

[CatKiller]

was just looking into getting a mechanical keyboard cause i "destroyed" 3 keyboards in the past year. too much e-waste & i feel bad about it. the standard mechanical ones seem to work well (e.g. Cherry). the gaming ones... well issues here and there. i don't have time to deal with that.

I can tell you from experience that Summer Fruits squash is an EMP in a cup, even for mechanical keyboards. The media buttons and awesome volume control on the Das Keyboard mechanical keyboard all work perfectly with Linux.

Most of the "gaming" peripheral manufacturers aren't remotely interested in supporting Linux. Logitech stuff has been reverse-engineered fairly well because it's widespread, but there aren't any standard ways of doing RGB or force feedback.

In general if a piece of hardware requires additional software to work, even on Windows, then it means that the hardware itself is inadequate.

The Piper project has done well with bringing the means to configure mice into one interface.

[mastablasta]

i don't really need RGB or force feedback or volume. i would just like to have back light and descent mechanical keys. i see Das keyboard has some basic version that would fit, so i need to look into that as well.

i had cheap 30 EUR gaming bling keyboards with official linux support. and the ligths and all worked perfect. keys were soft to the touch. but unfortunately the membrane sucked so i ruined them fairly quickly.