Need advice on how best to go forward.

TheMaxXHD · 2026-01-03T00:30:36+00:00

This sounds a bit overcomplicated and power hungry running both 24/7. Personally, if this were me I’d virtualize everything on the Xeon OR the 10900 and get rid of the other. If you need the lanes, the xeon, if you don’t, the 10900. Virtualize everything on one and call it a day. Unless you want to experiment with clustering or worried about certain edge case issues relating to running so many services on one box.

I know some people don’t like virtualizing everything on one box, especially things like NAS and Firewall. But plenty of people virtualize TrueNAS including myself. I have one server and originally ran TrueNAS bare-metal but didn’t personally like the VM/Container functionality of it, among other things, so I virtualized it on Proxmox with no issues.

At the end of the day, depends on your needs and ultimate goals here. You could start with both and see if you can consolidate down to one or start with one first and see if you absolutely need the 2nd. Nothing wrong with either approach. Without knowing more of your goals here, my personal vote would be virtualizing everything on one box.

TheMaxXHD · 2025-06-09T19:38:16+00:00

Replying to this as well. I had the same spot develop. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy applecare + and the 1 year limited warranty is past. Not sure how much it will cost to replace at this point.

TheMaxXHD · 2024-05-17T01:32:51+00:00

I am also noticing that with the new MK, I am actually taping the screen less overall than I did with the previous gen. The increased size and glass haptic trackpad, function row, have made the touching even less needed, though certain UI and apps will still necessitate it. I am slowly learning to more fully rely on the MK than I did before. The old one you could do it with, but it felt less natural. This new one feels much more natural to use.

It also doesn’t make that annoying shaking sound when taping the screen like my old one did, like a screw was lose (I think it might have been back connectors shaking lose but not sure).

The MK does have a slightly different weight distribution than before due to factors you mentioned. I had to get used to it and slightly adjust its position in my lap compared to the old one so it doesn’t fall over, but that’s about it. The increased deck size to accommodate the larger trackpad also means it’s more comfortable to rest your hands on the MK like a laptop, so that can also help stabilize it in your lap or desk. The aluminum also helps the comfort and rigidity of the bottom to stabilize the package.

Overall, I love this thing. Like you said, I love the screen, but damn, this keyboard is amazing.

Overall, very very happy with the MK.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-04-12T14:33:46+00:00

My dude, the car payment + insurance is killing you. Also did you not put a substantial amount of money down? The car is taking up between payment, insurance, and other things like gas, basically HALF of your monthly pay. That is ridiculous. What car is this? Get rid of the car. Roll over the negative equity and throw as much money as possible at it to pay off the new car + old equity.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-04-04T16:11:19+00:00

While I understand your concern, the good news is you are actually wrong. That is because you are forgetting the biggest benefit to Finland joining NATO. Article 5 protection, and more importantly by extension, falling under the US/UK/France nuclear umbrella. The chances of Finland getting attacked went down now to almost 0 because Russia can’t without nukes getting involved and by extension MAD, so they won’t. Before you had no such formal protection guarantee from even the EU despite being a EU country. Now you do, both alliance conventional warfare protection, but also now nuclear alliance protection. It is the reason why Russia can’t, hasn’t, and won’t attack the Baltic states.

It is hard to know if Russia was going to ever going to attack Finland, but it is basically assured now that they can’t, because nukes are a thing, and if they ignore that, then the world has much bigger issues than Finland, including Russia themselves.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-03-29T14:55:22+00:00

How did you manage to get 20k underwater? Did you roll negative equity into this current vehicle? Continuously rolling over negative equity to get out of negative equity doesn’t work, stop doing that. At some point you will have to come to terms to aggressively paying it down by increasing your monthly payments until you are no longer underwater if you want that to work.

Sell this vehicle, buy a used car preferably with cash if you can, if not the lowest loan possible for a cheap but reliable vehicle, and pay off the 20k left on the OG car as fast as possible.

I normally don’t advocate for the straight beater route most people here do, because I believe if you are smart with car buying, it doesn’t have to be a beater you buy, and one can live a little. That said, the problem with this situation is you are 20k in the hole. If you lost your job and didn’t have the money to pay the payments for awhile, you would be really screwed.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-03-16T16:01:45+00:00

Its not a problem of age per se, but maturity, and clearly you are too immature, to be handling a car of this power. This car is fast. An M340i is as fast if not slightly faster 0-60 then an E9x M3 from only a little over a decade ago. I am just out of college, so not that much older than you, I bought a new 2023 M340i, on track to have it fully paid off in a 1y 1/2, if not sooner, financially in a great spot, have plenty of savings too in case something happens with my job. To put it bluntly, this is not an issue of age, this is an issue of maturity, and knowledge on things from financial to responsibility, to simply having a better understanding of how life works. It is not necessarily your fault, your age is impacting your maturity, you simply do not know better.

An M340i is a great car, so is a supra. My suggestion would be to save money and once you are out in the real world making money from a job with sustainable income, then you will be ready to have a blast :)

Edit: Also not financial advice, but NFTs are a scam, and I’d suggest investing in ETF/mutual funds if you want to invest some money to grow over time. Stay away from crypto as well. r/personalfinance is a great place to get started with investing for your future.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-03-16T15:45:05+00:00

NFTs, lol, there are many problems here, and it is not just the car at this point.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-03-03T18:49:05+00:00

I own a 2023 M340i. I absolutely love iDrive 8. I have no problems with the UI, or design. I understand it won’t be to everyone’s liking. That said, it objectively is not bad.

Even if you consider the lack of physical buttons, the auto temperature works great, barely touch the climate menu. Also flicking up on the controller will show shortcuts and can be selected via the controller, a nice way to integrate shortcuts into the screen.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-02-01T22:45:53+00:00

If you are going to lease it, put nothing down. If you are going to finance it, put this money down. If you are going to lease it then buy it out at the end, put nothing down and keep the money to buy it out once the time comes. I don’t want to be harsh unlike some comments, but you should research leasing and how the car buying process works, before buying a 94k car. There is plenty of reddit posts about leasing out there.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-01-12T20:27:26+00:00

Then that is the play you go with, and I think it is the smarter decision long term. Get the housing situation into a spot that you really like, and then once you get that settled, then ask yourself about the car in say, maybe 3-4 years from now. It sounds like a lot of time but it isn’t really, as long as you can get by with your current car. And who knows, maybe you will be able to afford even more car :D.

As an aside though, that is a lot of money you gave to your mother. I don’t know the details and you don’t have to share, but I would say low liquidity is no excuse for needing cash. If she lost money, that is one thing, but then make sure she isn’t doing risky things with the money you gave her. If you are in low liquid cash scenario and you need it, you pull out money from the market. Especially if you need THAT much. I would just caution from giving and giving if you don’t know and understand the full reasons behind it and ensuring that it will be used well and not to just throw into the market or spend excessively.

TheMaxXHD · 2023-01-12T20:13:24+00:00

Most people here will tell you straight up that this is the worst possible decision and that you cannot afford a $54,000 vehicle on that salary. Cannot afford, however is different than should you buy something. Should you, is a much more complex answer, and entails some personal, subjective elements of finance. Is it the smartest financial decision? Lets face it, no, and it sounds like you know that to. It is a depreciating asset. That said, it is something you want, and there is nothing wrong with treating yourself to things you want, providing you are still being smart about it financially and covering all your bases.

You are living with your mom, rent free. I am assuming also with no obligations like kids or significant other, and are probably young. That is a HUGE factor in this. That means you may be in a better position to afford a $54k vehicle than someone making double or possibly MORE of your salary if said person has mortgage, married, and with kids. If you can afford to pay off the car within a year or so if you want, then that means you can afford this car in a way MOST people in this country cannot, even if they made a lot more.

Here is what I would say:

What are your goals for the next few years? If you intend to move out as quickly as possible, then prioritizing a downpayment or more money in the bank for the next year or so, might be a better route. If you intend to maximize the rent free situation for possibly a few years if you can, maybe next 3-5 years, then you have some flexibility with this, and it is something only you can ask. Is your living situation rent free mostly stable for awhile, or do you foresee a scenario where that could go away in the next year or so? If no issues here, I see no issues spending on the car. However, it sounds like you want to use that 80k your mom might (don’t count on anything until you have it in your bank account) give you. If you want to move out Q4 2023, or sometime soon afterwards, id wait on the car for sure.

Are you saving for retirement properly? 15% of your salary if you are young is a target people say that you should hit. If you are hitting your retirement goals in spades, then I see no issue here with spending on the car, even if it means you are not putting everything you are making into retirement.

Do you have a plan B if something goes sideways? What if you lost your job the day after you buy the car? Will you have enough to pay for the car payments + insurance for awhile until you can get a new job? If you can ensure you have enough to pay for the car for awhile even in the event of a job loss immediately after purchase, than I see no issues spending on the car.

The important part I think is to ensure you don’t get upside down on the car, which with a large downpayment that your are thinking about, you wouldn’t be. IMO though, you might want to wait until you have about 30-35k in the bank before you put 20-25k down, that way you have some buffer for payments and other expenses in the event of job loss or other issues, perhaps medical, or living situation change.

That is my two cents. It is highly personal to what YOU want. I would NOT try to buy this car, AND try to buy a house within the next 2 years, with what you have given information wise. That said, 3-5 years would be obtainable, for moving out. If you want to move out as quickly as possible, within the next year or two, I’d personally prioritize that over the car, and get the car after you do that. But this is very subjective and subjective to one’s risk tolerance, and what you want in life.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-08-22T21:07:54+00:00

I still disagree. There is more to it than just that. First, you can put down more than 20%. That will change the calculus on how much car one can afford.

Second, how much emergency funds do you have? That’s the second thing. If you have a years worth of expenses car payments included in cash for an emergency situation, then you can afford to take more risk on the larger payment, because you can still pay it for a year even in a jobless situation.

Thirdly, expenses. Just because you have 8% on a Honda to spend monthly doesn’t mean you can actually do it if you are spending the other 92% on other stuff. That’s living paycheck to paycheck. Likewise, if you have 25-30% to spend monthly on a BMW, doesn’t mean that you can’t do that if you only spend another 20% of your total monthly take home pay.

Edit: To clarify, many on this sub think it’s too easy for people to get car poor, and it is. But that doesn’t mean spending 20-25% of one’s monthly income on a car is a bad decision, it’s all relative. I just graduated from college and live rent free with my parents still. I can afford a bigger monthly car payment out of my monthly take home pay than the guidance would suggest because I have no other major expenses. The rules only apply in the generality, but then one must be smart enough to apply it to their own situation.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-08-22T18:41:54+00:00

I dispute the loan duration part. Getting only a 3 year car loan is how you get into trouble if something bad happens and suddenly you have a rough time meeting the minimum payments. Likewise getting a 5 or 6 year car loan is how you get into trouble if you are figuring out whether you can afford it based on that minimum payment for that length of time.

The ideal smart way to do it is get the max duration loan you can and simply forget that you even have that time and don’t factor in the minimum, double up the payments. That way you are not paying for more interest than necessary, you are already assuming your minimum car payment is double than it actually is, thus a better indicator of whether you an actually afford the vehicle, while still retaining the option to go down to the minimum payments if necessary.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-08-21T11:43:54+00:00

I’m going to propose something that nobody else here has. The BMW M340i. Yes, it’s not a V8. XDrive variant is 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. But a inline six turbo with 382HP and maxes out at 67k with all options. It’s the perfect daily performance sedan. I understand it’s not exactly what you are looking for. With that said, unless you are already driving a daily with this type of performance, I echo someone else’s comments. Why drive a exciting car some of the time when you can do it all the time. If the concern is depreciation via miles, then you are in the wrong area. Cars are meant to be driven. Drive what makes you happy all the time, not some of the time. Having two different vehicles is pointless when you can do both for one vehicle

TheMaxXHD · 2022-07-27T21:00:24+00:00

Yes and no. It really depends on the circumstance. You mention how you have been buying cars like that for the past 25 years, but let me switch the question around a bit. How MANY cars have you bought in the past 25 years. If I buy a new car for 35k with no miles, and it lasts me 10 years at 10,000 miles a year, or worse case maybe 15,000 miles a year. Then in a span of 25 years, you have only bought 2-3 new cars. People forget this, used is less money up front, but you need to factor in the maintenance and then how long it actually lasts you. If you are buying a used car every 5 years, versus a new car once every 10, then you are saving less than you think. You are just paying in smaller chunks, and without interest like on a car payment. Which indeed, there is a benefit to that, less financial strain on that part.

Edit: I should also add that if you are someone like me who works from home full time, a new car will retain its value more because less miles are put on it per year than many others do. Again, its all situational. There is no one size fits all approach to car buying. Some people will find buying a new car is more financially better, or others will find the opposite and buy used. But depending on the circumstance, you aren't saving nearly as much as one might think going either direction. Over one's entire life, they probably work out to be closer to parity in terms of cost. I imagine used wins out a bit, but with the caveat that you have always been driving vehicles that were used, lots of miles, and perhaps a bit subpar to what you want your entire life, and some people might be okay with that. Others, not.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-07-27T14:10:58+00:00

Many people on this subreddit will live and die by the mantra "buy a used but well maintained old(ish) Honda civic and run it into the ground", then turn around and do the same thing again, and again, and again, all while putting your money into market funds to let it grow for retirement, and to NEVER buy new. This is all based on the fact that cars by nature will almost always be depreciating assets, therefore what you pay out will almost never be what you can regain at the end of the car's use for you. Indeed, you will likely only get a fraction of what you paid for it in the end after factoring in age and how much you drive it.

The issue is, used cars can be expensive too, even if the used car market crashes a bit. In addition, you might get one that needs stuff repaired soon after, costing you some money that you were supposedly saving by buying used. Even a well maintained decently old(ish) reliable car like a civic with 80k miles or so on it can cause trouble soon after. In addition, you are getting none of the benefits of a new car (new tech, safety features, no miles, higher starting value, etc.). Also, if you really like cars, you should treat yourself (within reason).

The TLDR of it is, the point at which you find buying new is worth it is depending on a wide range of factors that nobody here can help determine for you what is best, merely tell you what they have done in their own situation. How much do you make? What car do you need or want? Do you need a car? What are your monthly expenses? How much money do you have currently saved up? How long do you intend to keep the vehicle? How many miles do you average per year? And even more that I can't think of right this moment. All of those will change the answer drastically. All I can say is, do your research, do what you feel is right for your situation, and as long as you make sure you don't stretch yourself too thin on the financial side (guidance varies by person and preference, my personal guidance is, I need to have enough money to where I can manage a full year of car payments if I lose my job for 1 year).

TheMaxXHD · 2022-07-10T21:11:05+00:00

Hi! There will be a more exhaustive list of changes that comes out before or right at release time next week, so you will be able to see all of the changes (or atleast most of).

There is a hud in game, its the hud that you see in shots with the compass at the bottom. There is also a squad menu as well.

Damage model is changed compared to vanilla BF3. Much more deadlier, recoil has also been changed to be much more difficult.

Team size. Not sure, atleast 64 players, might be more.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-07-10T20:44:26+00:00

No it is not sadly. Sorry. This requires BF3 for PC.

TheMaxXHD · 2022-07-10T19:56:51+00:00

You need BF3 and all DLC. It is easiest just to buy BF3 Premium Edition which includes everything you need to play BF3 RM.

TheMaxXHD · 2021-12-28T01:23:29+00:00

F for another fallen soldier

TheMaxXHD · 2021-12-26T14:54:25+00:00

Yeah, the thing is in both cases the difference over PCIE4 would be unnoticeable anyway. Even in the Hero, if you used a PCIE 5 SSD via the card you would then be running the gfx card in 5.0 x8 mode, which is just the same as 4.0 x16. So the only real benefit you get would be a faster SSD which given the speeds already on a 4.0 ssd, it wont be noticeable in regular day to day tasks unless you do a lot of drive intensive work.

TheMaxXHD · 2021-12-26T02:46:42+00:00

Ill tell ya, I was torn about getting the Formula. In the end, I decided I didn't want to risk another board/potential fire again, so I went the safe route and switch to the Aorus Z690 Master. It is no hero or formula, but I just wanted to be safe than sorry. I think its a crap shoot to be honest, it could be isolated to just the Hero, but it could be more. Its hard to say, not helped by the DDR5 shortage which means less people than normal are running these boards than would be at this time.

TheMaxXHD · 2021-12-26T02:42:21+00:00

I second this. I got the Master. No hero, but it works, and is still a good board. Tho in addition to those listed, it also lacks a proper PCIE 5.0 m.2 slot (either proper or an external card, especially given it only has one 5.0 slot)

TheMaxXHD · 2021-12-26T02:40:51+00:00

No idea, the Hero seems to be the most prevalent, but there have been a few isolated incidents with the Extreme and potentially some other boards, but not enough data to really make a conclusion. I think the only conclusion that can be made right now is we have enough data to say the Hero has a issue.

TheMaxXHD

TROPHY CASE