The good people at Lenovo didn't see fit to put any USB-A 3.x ports on the back of this machine, and only one USB-C port on the front bezel. This is one of those LOQ Towers, so it's actually quite something to behold, and I hate the way cables coming out of the front of it looks.
If I wanted to solve this very decidedly first world problem, and I haven't had my hands inside a computer since the early 2000's (except to bust dust), I would need some advice.

It's PCIe now, I know that much looking at Windows device manager. What version is relevant to my purpose and how do I figure that out?
The only other thing in the stupid thing is a NVIDIA RTX 3050, which is a bit of a chonker. It doesn't look like there's another PCIe slot that it's obscuring. Even if there were, it doesn't look like I could move the support bar for it down any further. This seems to foreclose expanding the USB port situation altogether?
I found an empty four-pin connector on the board labeled USB. Is this another way to the USB hub on the motherboard? What does that rabbit hole look like?

Related:
I've got to have a new powered, table-top USB hub, regardless of the outcome with the port expansion in the tower. I like Anker. I'd love some thoughts on that.

Meta:
What on earth makes a USB PCIe card so expensive?
I though port austerity was a Mac thing. What is the rationale behind putting zero USB 3, a paltry four USB 2, and no USB-C ports on an ostensibly full-size tower in 2023?

#PCBuild #Hardware #Advice #AskFedi

I think I want to build my next desktop pc. Any component recommendations for best #Linux compatibility?

I’m aiming for an AMD ryzen 9 9900X
But I’m not sure which board to use 😬

#pcbuild

How to Download Windows 11 Media Creation Tool: Install Without Losing Data

Stop stressing over your Windows 11 upgrade! Let's walks to the through a fail-safe clean install. Avoid mistakes, keep your files safe, and do it right the first time.

#Windows11 #Technology #Izoate #PCBuild

https://www.izoate.com/blog/how-to-download-windows-11-media-creation-tool-and-install-without-losing-data-avoid-mistakes/

The consumer GPU market isn't in crisis; it's in an undeclared "End of Life" phase. NVIDIA is deliberately starving the AIB supply chain (partners like MSI and Asus) to divert all of TSMC's silicon to AI chips for data centers, where margins are obscene.

MSI just declared 2026 will be a supply nightmare and is cutting production. They're closing the ecosystem. PC gaming and independent builders have become a nuisance for Jensen Huang's balance sheets.

I'm compiling logs and market data for a complete autopsy of this commercial architecture. I'll post the full video on my channel. The era of x86 and affordable consumer hardware is coming to an end under the blows of the CUDA monopoly.

https://www.youtube.com/@Rational-Tech-VeLL

#Hardware #NVIDIA #PCBuild #SysAdmin #TechNews #OpenSource #Microarchitecture #GPU #RationalTech

I've updated my Arduino RGB controller:
- color transitions are now much smoother
- I can now control the maximum color intensity
- The ambient light when my PC is turned off is now much dimmer

Read more here: https://svana.name/2026/04/my-arduino-rgb-controller-is-now-even-better/

#arduino #embedded #rgb #tinkering #pcbuild

I have begun building EdiE, the new PC I used to describe as diesel-punk, and have no admitted its more mid-century retro-futuristic, if you care about such design details.
I have updates and failures to share!

https://esraye.com/2026/04/21/edie-diesel-punk-pc-no-more-long-live-mcm-retro-future-pc/

#pcbuild #diy #retro #midcenturymodern