When You Get Aliexpress CPU

Ah, the great cable simplification. We went from needing a toolbox full of serial, parallel, VGA, PS/2, and power connectors—each with their own special way of refusing to plug in correctly—to just USB-C. Sure, now we can power a monitor, transfer data, and charge a device with one cable... but we've traded 15 different cables for 15 different dongles. Progress, I guess? At least we can finally plug it in correctly on the third try instead of the fourth.

Ah, the Y2K sticker on that ancient beige PC tower! Back when we genuinely thought computers might implode because programmers in the 70s tried to save a whopping TWO BYTES by using "99" instead of "1999." The Best Buy warning label is peak late-90s panic. Turn your computer off before midnight! Because obviously unplugging your Gateway desktop would somehow protect the world's banking systems and nuclear arsenals from catastrophic failure. Spoiler alert: The world didn't end, but millions of IT professionals got paid ridiculous overtime to watch nothing happen. Greatest New Year's Eve scam in tech history.

Chrome tabs and AI models - the two horsemen of RAM apocalypse. ChatGPT casually using 13.8 GB of memory like it's nothing, while your computer quietly weeps. Remember when we thought 4GB was excessive? Now our browsers are out here consuming memory like tech bros at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Your PC isn't running an AI assistant - it's financing its therapy sessions.

The evolution of graphics "cards" is the tech equivalent of your friend who said they'd "just have one beer" and ended up ordering the entire menu. Started with that cute little PCI card that could barely render Minesweeper, moved to something resembling an actual card, then suddenly we're installing mini-refrigerators that require their own power supply and structural support. Next GPU generation will come with its own mortgage and custody agreement. Remember when upgrading your PC didn't require reinforcing your desk first?

Priorities, people! A $1500 multi-monitor setup with a gaming chair that costs more than the mattress you sleep on? That's just good financial planning. Nothing says "professional developer" like sleeping on what appears to be a $20 floor mattress while your gaming throne costs $50. And let's not even talk about the glorious tech setup that probably costs more than three months' rent. Who needs food or a proper bed when you can have three monitors to display your Stack Overflow tabs, compiler errors, and that one terminal window where you pretend to understand what's happening?

The difference between ray tracing off vs. on is basically the difference between seeing actual car lights and feeling like you're driving through a JJ Abrams movie. Your GPU fans just kicked into hyperdrive and your room temperature increased by 10 degrees, but hey—look at those sweet light streaks! The rendering algorithm is calculating every photon's journey like it's filing a detailed expense report, and your graphics card is sweating harder than a junior dev during a code review.