Best hardware for a replacement desktop?

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Wed, 31 Jul 2019 22:55:35 +0200, Polytropon wrote:
>On Wed, 31 Jul 2019 05:06:52 -0400, Aryeh Friedman wrote:
>> On Wed, Jul 31, 2019 at 12:16 AM Ralf Mardorf via freebsd-questions <
>> freebsd-questions at freebsd.org> wrote:
>>   
>> > On Wed, 31 Jul 2019 01:16:44 +0200, Polytropon wrote:
>> >  
>> > >You can have dual monitors with _one_ graphics card,
>> > >[snip] today probably DVI and HDMI).  
>> >
>> > Or HDMI for the new LCD + on demand VGA for an old CRT ;).
>> >  
>> 
>> The Frankenstein version of DIY computing.  
>
>Hey! If I didn't have a spare 21" 4:3 CRT, I wouldn't even be
>able to read this! I'm a Frankenstein museum of forgotten and
>reanimated computer hardware... ;-)

I've got two 19" 4:3 CRTs and a folding ruler at hand.

One of the 19" CRTs has got a depth of 45 cm, but the other has got a
depth of just 39.5 cm. The one with a depth of 39,5 cm is ready for
dual-head usage on demand, space for this monitor is no big deal, while
I don't have the room to position the monitor with a depth of 45 cm.

However, the minimal window size of Ardour doesn't fit into those 19"
4:3 screens at a reasonable resolution and my 23.8" 16:9 LCD display is
an Energy-efficiency class A+ device, typical power consumption 11 W,
maximum power consumption 44 W. So space isn't a consideration, but
power consumption is.

Scripts are ready to manage all usages that are more or less reasonable
for the scope of applications.

$ grep name .config/fbpanel/lcd-realignment | grep monitor
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1920x1080 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor off
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1920x1080 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1152x864 90Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1920x1080 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1440x960 86Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1920x1080 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1368x768 90Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1920x1080 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1024x768 60Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor off                 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1152x864 90Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor off                 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1440x960 86Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor off                 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1368x768 90Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor off                 16:9 and VGA1 CRT monitor 1024x768 60Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1024x768     "4:3"and VGA1 CRT monitor 1024x768 60Hz
	    name = HDMI2 LCD monitor 1024x768    "16:9"and VGA1 CRT monitor 1024x768 60Hz

The scripts not only change resolutions and frequency, but also ensure
desktop consistency. De facto I don't use dual-head on demand, but I
could, since it works, just using one Intel graphics.

Apropos Frankenstein, the CRTs I used for my PCs aren't from the
graveyard, but actually all are from bulk trash, I never bought a CRT
for a PC. I just pay for the Atari ST's monitor and for my PC's LCD
display. Apart from resoldering self-desoldert components after a
while, I always got usable monitors from bulk trash. Unfortunately
public bulk trash is disestablished, because of great nuisances caused
by people from foreign nations. No, the city administration and almost
all citizens aren't xenophobe, the situation became really unacceptable.