Persuasion and Perseverance

[Javster]

(That's not a new Jane Austen novel by the way )

As you might have seen from another thread, I'm planning on building a new gaming computer. This is the parts list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3YcH7P.

Now I need funding. Basically, I need to convince my parents that the price is worth it for a computer that will last me a long time. I also need to find a good use for my current computer (which is not great for gaming but fine for word processing etc.)

EDIT: Should this be in off topic? It's related to computing but not directly.

EDIT 2: To clarify, I am looking mainly for things to do with my old computer, as that is my parents' main objection.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Javster

[xcorps]

(That's not a new Jane Austen novel by the way )

As you might have seen from another thread, I'm planning on building a new gaming computer. Now I need funding. Basically, I need to convince my parents that the price is worth it for a computer that will last me a long time.

Use the following mathematical formula and you are guaranteed to achieve your goal:

M=W*T

Where

M = Money

W = Work

T = Time

[Javster]

Use the following mathematical formula and you are guaranteed to achieve your goal:

M=W*T

Where

M = Money

W = Work

T = Time

Honestly don't see how this helps...

[Redjoker]

I think Xcorps is suggesting that you get a job.

[Seret]

Honestly don't see how this helps...

Really? This is how the world works: if you want nice things you work for them.

Tbh, you should have told us you didn't have any money spend the thread asking for a good spec. The machine you specced isn't cheap, if you're folks have a lower budget than that then was a waste of time.

Go find out what your real budget is and we can go back the drawing board for you.

Regarding your current machine, break it down for parts and sell them on eBay so you can put the money towards the new one. Your parents may appreciate the gesture and be more disposed to helping you out.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Seret

[sal_vager]

This definitely isn't science, and it's just going to draw ire.

I'll move it to the Lounge.

[Javster]

Look, I'm not here for life advice. If you're here to tell me to get a job, please go away and lecture someone else.

-snip-

Let me live my life how I want, I'll let you live yours.

I will recognise you are the first person to give actual advice as well as lecturing, which is to sell parts on Ebay. Thanks for that. Unfortunately, my computer is an all-in-one, so the parts are a bit more specific, so less useful to most people. I'll give it a go though.

What I'm looking for, ideally, is something which i can specialise this machine for, the same way I'd add a graphics card to do video editing. If I wanted to use it only as a server, somehow, how would I optimise it?

Edited July 13, 2014 by Javster

[razark]

If you want to convince your parents to give you money, demonstrate what it means to you. Show them that you're willing to work for it, and they're more likely to meet you halfway and help you meet your goal.

(NB: This works on people other than parents, too. If you're just going to respond with "don't tell me to work for what I want, just tell me how to get it handed to me", you're not going to have much luck.)

If I wanted to use it only as a server, somehow, how would I optimise it?

Just install a suitable operating system. You want the funds for the other machine, so devote all available funds to that machine. Adding on to an older machine depletes funds that could go into the new one. You can run a server on just about anything, and specialization shouldn't really matter unless you're trying to run your own datacenter and charge people money.

Edited July 13, 2014 by razark

[Seret]

If I wanted to use it only as a server, somehow, how would I optimise it?

Depends what sort of server you wanted. There are a million types, file servers, game servers, web servers, etc. Turning it into a NAS if you don't have one on your network already is probably the most useful thing you can do with it IMO. There are ready-rolled NAS images you can drop on it, you'd want to add some more hard drives and build an array. It may be a bit overspecced for that though, you ideally want to have low power consumption on that kind of server.

As for life advice, well your OP made it sound very much like you were wanting to convince your parents to give you the machine for nothing. Apologies if that wasn't your intention, but it came across that way to me.

[Javster]

If you want to convince your parents to give you money, demonstrate what it means to you. Show them that you're willing to work for it, and they're more likely to meet you halfway and help you meet your goal.

Ok, that makes more sense. It seemed like people were saying "get a job and pay for it all yourself", which I thought was useless, since that wasn't the point of the thread. I was looking for ways to convince them to help me buy the machine. Meeting them halfway is actually feasible and realistic.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Javster

[KerbMav]

I'll stick with http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/NX3t99 then. It is £50 more, but that isn't too much if you consider total cost

Especially if you are not paying for it yourself.

Nicely ask your family for advance christmas gifts and be ok with only getting cards in december.