Comment by NikolaNovak
10 hours ago
I think yes - everything was just more breakable. It feels today's heatsink, CPUs, motherboards, can handle the load and installation they're designed for (rtx 5xxx power connectors notwithstanding). I started building PCs in early 1990s and it was also just easy fun. Early 2000s were this weird time where even doing mainstream things you were absolutely supposed to, such as installing HSF on a CPU, was ridiculously perilous.
Mobos and cases also seem better designed these days. Yes some components need more stuff than before but it all seems to plug in and slot and wrap and screw in nicely if you're patient and methodical. Heck even the cases themselves are somewhat less likely to slot your wrists :).
I feel ~2003 or so was the cusp when I started seeing less builds that were just maddeningly messy and sharp and hyper loud and crazy, and started getting more predictable and sane and workable.
All anecdotal and based on personal perception of course :)
I vaguely remember some builds where setting the DIP switches wrong came with large all-caps text about how it would kill the CPU. Also some Pentium 2 CPUs with cooling shrouds that required duct work the rivaled my house's central HVAC. And yes I remember memory slots on the motherboard that needed to be feathering in or something would snap, and anti-static gloves being critical.
These days I slap the CPU to the motherboard and a giant heatsink with two huge fans and call it a day.
> even the cases themselves are somewhat less likely to slot your wrists
Fair. I have a scar on the knuckle of my index finger from breaking off the cover on a 5 1/4” drive bay. I was trying to push it out and it suddenly gave. My finger slammed into sharp tin and cut deep.
I’m glad they don’t make them like that anymore.