u/Turbo__Timmy

I would like to use the individual control cable and I have a motherboard that only has 2 PWM headers at the top by the CPU 8 pin connector. Therefore I'm considering getting a splitter cable, plugging my pump into CPU_OPT and both VRM/fans into CPU_FAN.

Anyone have a similar setup? Is there any reason to avoid doing this? Or should I just settle for the all-in one cable.

Maybe it's just been my Reddit feed, but lately I've been seeing more and more posts about peoples' AM5 CPUs failing on ASRock boards, both here and occasionally on the PCMR subreddit as well.

From what I have gathered, the majority of failures we are seeing now are from people who either were on or got preexisting damage from the problematic 3.1/3.2 BIOS. Plus on top of that I've seen several 9800X3D failures involving one of those 3 or 4 known bad batches, which we know is an AMD issue.

So overall, whether there's an uptick in dead CPU cases or not, I remain optimistic that those who stay on top of BIOS updates and don't overclock without extensive research are likely to be okay.

I am debating whether I need a UPS for my gaming PC or not, or if a surge protector is sufficient. For my use case, my hardware is just for gaming and the ability to save files during a power outage isn't important.

Power outages are not very frequent where I live, but they are a risk, and I would hate to be the one person that fries their motherboard mid BIOS update during one.

Is a surge protector enough to protect my computer during a power outage? Or would a UPS be required, and if so what type/wattage.

Here's my PC Part Picker list for my build for reference. Willing to spend the money if its worth it.

I just picked up a used 7900 XTX, which will be my first Radeon card and a huge step-up from the 4060 laptop I have been gaming on for years! Currently deciding on which monitor I should get.

While I initially wanted the card for 1440p ultra gameplay at high frame rates, I'm wondering if the jump to 4K is worth it. Particularly with FSR 4.1 around the corner, this card is more than capable at 4K with its 24 gigs of VRAM. But perhaps the on newer AAA titles that might not be as well optimized, which are the games I like to play, the card may not be able to achieve consistently higher settings.

Regardless of 1440p or 4K, super excited to have this card!

Current IE junior here. This degree is what you put into it - if all you do is show up to class and get the grades, this degree will almost certainly leave you disappointed. It's the diverse extracurricular opportunities, passionate professors, customizability, and community of driven individuals that make this degree worth it.

Industrial engineering IS engineering, just not in the sense that other engineering degrees are. It may not be as technical or design oriented, but the coursework is just as (if not more) practical. Much of the core IE coursework is directly applicable to careers - a background in production systems is fundamental to understanding how manufacturing facilities can be continuously improved, statistics is critical for pulling actionable insights from data, and computer programming is becoming all the more important. The customizability of the degree enables many to pursue minors or certificates to gain more specialized skills. Classes like IE 332 and IE 484 center around complex group projects, which are fantastic opportunities to apply key concepts to solve realistic engineering problems and build teamwork skills.

In terms of the coursework from other engineering disciplines, they might not be particularly applicable for certain careers, but in my case I have found ME 200 and ME 270 quite useful. In my last summer internship working industrial construction, knowing how compressors worked and the differences between various mechanical properties made it much easier to collaborate with mechanical engineers on the jobsite. IEs are regraded as the bridge builders between engineering majors for this reason.

The Purdue IE curriculum does currently have a few weak points. IE 386 is a seriously outdated course taught by a professor that's stuck in the 90s, with exams that require you to cram a bunch of miscellaneous useless factoids onto your crib sheet to succeed. IE 370 is disappointing in that the course emphasizes memorizing a bunch of different processes rather than applying them to real facilities, and the lack of legitimate labs is a real bummer. And don't get me started on Nuclear 273 - a 7:30 am nightmare run by a delusional professor that spent more time going off on tangents than actually teaching the class (which seems to have gotten a bit better now that its taught by a grad student). But a few poorly structured classes do not distract from the fact that the Purdue IE degree is versatile and highly regarded.

In summary, companies love IEs because we are taught how to think analytically, communicate with other engineers effectively, and quickly adapt. These skills are highly in demand and can't be replaced by AI.