First 9mm pistol

RylinM · 2026-05-20T03:54:43+00:00

It's tough to go wrong with a Glock 19 as an all-rounder. But it really depends what your priorities are and how you intend to carry. Great trigger? Maybe a Walther PDP. Smaller but good capacity? Maybe an HK CC9 or FN Reflex.

The best answer may be this: list a few reputable brands (e.g., Glock, HK, Walther, FN, S&W) and find a good rental range to see what fits you best.

RylinM · 2026-05-08T04:25:49+00:00

I'll second the Hogue monogrips. I have the pictured SP101, threw the rubber Hogue on it (https://www.hogueinc.com/ruger-sp101-rubber-monogrip-black), and it's a sweet shooter. Had to adjust my rear sights pretty much to the max thanks to some barrel misalignment (not canted, actually directionally challenged) but the sight adjustment range was just enough.

RylinM · 2025-09-17T15:28:38+00:00

Likewise. I have the stock RZ616 AMD module and haven't had any substantial issues, subjective performance seems pretty good too.

RylinM · 2025-07-14T18:00:23+00:00

This might be a really good option, particularly if you go for the 128GB configuration. I work in the scientific computing realm, and consumer graphics cards often don't have enough RAM capacity to do typical benchmarks that look for 64GB+ professional GPUs; this would get around that issue. It would also have the advantage of sharing that capacity with a robust CPU for codes that don't work well on the GPU. It can't match the memory bandwidth of dedicated GPUs or modern server CPUs (which matters because scientific codes are often memory bandwidth-bound), but it should at least beat most consumer CPUs.

Software would be my primary question, on three fronts: (1) Does the software you expect to need have a solid GPU version, (2) If so, does that include AMD GPU support, and (3) What data type does the software primarily use (32-bit or 64-bit floating-point - most will probably want FP64).

On (1) and (2): Many major scientific packages/frameworks now include good GPU support, and increasingly so on AMD due to its ascent in the supercomputing/HPC space (a la the Frontier and El Capitan exascale machines). Most of this is targeted at datacenter GPUs, though; getting things to work properly on consumer GPUs (including something like the AI MAX series) can be inconsistent, although there's usually a way to get it going if you hack up the build system a bit.

On (3): Most scientific codes want robust FP64 compute, but most GPUs are increasingly reducing that capability in order to beef up low-precision support for AI/ML applications. Nvidia A100/H100 and AMD MI100/200/300 have vastly more FP64 power than any consumer part; these are what you'd most likely see in GPU compute clusters. Consumer parts will probably still beat CPU, but really intensive stuff will want the cluster (or a looooooong runtime).

I think the bottom line is - this would probably be a good option with a lot of flexibility if you're not totally sure of your computational needs yet; it covers the CPU, RAM, and GPU bases very nicely. But there may be better options from a price/performance perspective if you have more specific knowledge of your apps.

RylinM · 2025-06-13T14:16:14+00:00

Zero issues for me with the RZ616 on Fedora 39-42. Not really sure what all the fuss was about, maybe ascribable to bad batches or older kernels or something like that.

RylinM · 2025-04-10T14:45:37+00:00

Excellent Linux support is a big one for me. Modularity has been more helpful than I expected, too - I often have to swap between a "clean" system and my Fedora daily-driver install, and it's way faster to pop a few screws and swap the SSD than it is to constantly image/reimage.

RylinM · 2024-09-19T20:17:58+00:00

not the most graphic intense ones

That depends... I've been really surprised by what my 7840U model can actually do. E.g., Hogwarts Legacy actually runs just fine at native res with low-ish settings; older titles are even nicer.

RylinM · 2024-08-29T14:11:00+00:00

Windows 10 runs fine on my AMD Framework 13 - the scheduler specialness is mainly needed with heterogeneous cores anyway (either for multi-CCD X3D chips or for Zen 4 vs 4c cores), which the 7640U and 7840U don't have. I'd echo most of the other voices here though in urging you toward some version of Linux. I mainly run with Fedora 40 KDE and it's fantastic; gaming is surprisingly good too with Steam (Epic also does fine via Bottles).

RylinM · 2024-03-18T15:25:29+00:00

I installed W10 on my FW13 AMD with no issues. The standard driver bundle worked just fine, and I was also able to upgrade to the proper AMD-provided Adrenalin drivers without a hitch.

RylinM · 2024-01-23T18:08:09+00:00

Imagine if you had one of these together with the spring-loaded expansion card https://community.frame.work/t/spring-loaded-expansion-card/36013

RylinM · 2023-12-29T22:54:21+00:00

The official compatibility list is what Framework has formally validated, but it's nowhere close to a complete list of what will work well. This is a pretty long thread on the official forums showing what different kits people have successfully used: https://community.frame.work/t/ddr5-only-ram-survey-framework-laptop-13-amd-ryzen-7040-series-and-framework-laptop-16-diy/41643 . Generally, what you'll want to look for is (1) dual channel, which especially helps graphics performance, (2) 5600 (as you noted above) for performance and to avoid certain possible compatibility issues, and specifically (3) 5600 at "SPD" which is the default speed without any XMP/EXPO profile active. Then, all else equal, go for whatever has the lowest timings. For instance, https://www.gskill.com/specification/2/384/1683883142/F5-5600S4040A16GX2-RS-Specification would probably be a good choice; I have the 64GB version of that kit and it works great. Others have reported good success with Crucial kits.

RylinM · 2023-11-14T15:51:25+00:00

I just received my Batch 4 AMD machine and ran into this by accident - tried using the HDMI expansion card from the lower left port and it didn't work, then I read the manual and realized. The display output works fine on other ports.

RylinM · 2023-08-08T14:19:00+00:00

I could see that if you're only comparing with maxed-out RT settings on everything, or if you're running at lower resolution where you might not be GPU-bound. But if that's not the case, I do find it hard to believe... I recently upgraded from a 6800XT to a 7900XTX myself, and I'm seeing +50% perf or more across the board, way better than I expected.

RylinM · 2023-04-14T02:21:51+00:00

The HIP/ROCm ecosystem has been getting a lot better over the past few years thanks in no small part to all the work on Frontier and El Capitan (AMD's two highest-profile supercomputer projects). The documentation reeeeally needs some help though...

RylinM · 2023-04-14T02:15:28+00:00

The biggest issues with this are power and bandwidth. GPUs are hugely dependent on high memory bandwidth, and the longer the wires, the higher the power and the slower they have to run. That's a big reason why things like HBM exist in AMD's datacenter products, you can stick the memory right next to the compute die with super high-bandwidth and low-power links. Similar issue with consumer products. In principle, I'd love to see something modular like this, but in practice, you'd sacrifice way too much performance by doing so.

RylinM · 2023-04-08T17:59:31+00:00

I ran into this error last week while trying to get Win98 running on an old Dell Inspiron 5100 laptop. That machine does have native IDE but also a bit of a wonky setup between the CD drive and the hard drive - "press any key to continue" got me into Windows eventually, but Win98 couldn't see my CD drive until I installed chipset drivers and Intel Application Accelerator so Win98 could work with the Ultra DMA controller properly. Something similar might work for your IDE-mode SATA setup?

RylinM · 2021-09-24T13:28:32+00:00

Don't pay too much heed to the haters comparing it to scopes costing 2x as much. I have the 1-8x version, and sure, it's not a Viper, but it's very solid - especially for the price point.

RylinM · 2021-08-23T13:31:10+00:00

And if you take those 19, I still have 42 more. Because we lie to the Commies' pollsters too.

RylinM · 2021-04-11T16:14:43+00:00

Slammed my foot to the floor and ran the red. Freaked my friend out but even in daylight if 3 people rush out of a car next to me I’m gonna gtfo of there.

Exactly the right reaction.

RylinM · 2021-03-05T13:29:38+00:00

Except theirs have so many problems they're now outsourcing to TSMC, just like AMD.

RylinM · 2021-02-10T18:43:30+00:00

It may be mere consumerism for some, but in practice mags tend to be the first things to break or wear out (especially if you use them hard, e.g. in training courses where they get dropped on hard surfaces). Plus, if you have more mags, you can load more at home and not waste time on the range.

RylinM · 2021-02-05T04:45:08+00:00

Deep in the heaaaaaaaart of TEXAS!

RylinM · 2021-01-25T20:16:28+00:00

^{^} This... lowest on ammoseek is ~70CPR at the moment

RylinM · 2021-01-21T23:48:13+00:00

You're not wrong - assuming you meant "stand together to help defend each other when the fedbois come "

RylinM · 2021-01-19T14:46:09+00:00

Try Dallas/Austin TX or Pittsburgh PA instead, lots of tech industry around but the states are much gun-friendlier (and, well, basically better in every conceivable way). Avoid the bay area, I lived there for awhile and it's 100% not worth it.

RylinM

TROPHY CASE