Most of this year I've been working on building a computer. To introduce the "Normandy" here is the full spec sheet:

CPU: Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 ti
RAM: 16 gigs of corsair vengeance
Motherboard: Asrock mini-itx B350
Power supply: Athena power flex-atx 400W
Case: Geeek case A20 mini-itx (Link)
Storage: 120 gig PNY SSD

This is a huuuge upgrade from the last computer I had. The GPU is approximately 300% faster at a similar power draw (see GT 640). The CPU is a six core twelve thread monster compared to the core 2 duo quad I've been using for the past five years. Blender rendering is so much faster. XCOM 2 was the game that made me decide I needed a new computer, and it runs beautifully on the normandy at 2560x1080 at 60hz.

Well, I almost have my new computer (nicknamed the normandy) up and running. Just one last component to arrive. In the meantime I decided to make a new desktop background.

It's designed to match with the white and blue of my case and desk.

Recently thelinuxgamer on youtube asked his viewership community to explain #whyiuselinux and create something based around that. I'd like to write a brief outline for my major reasons for using linux.

1. It respects my privacy and rights when using it. Linux won't make decisions for me about who to send my data to or really do anything I don't want it to. I have control over what my system can and can't do with my information. It's amazing to look at network usage and see a flat 0 unless I know I have a program open to use that.

2. It is incredibly hardware efficient. I don't have to upgrade my system as often for basic performance needs like booting or opening files quickly. Not only is the software free, the hardware costs are reduced. I can do more with less. One of my main complaints about using windows 10 was just how long I had to wait for an image to open.

3. Linux is infinitely configurable and endlessly customizable. There are options for so many different ways to have things look, behave and interact. With my media player I don't love VLC or rhythmbox so instead I use audacious. How many good options do other PC platforms have for just their music and media players? There are at least a dozen great desktop environments, hundreds of themes, and options and choices in every program that I can draw from. I love the open and non monolithic options I have for my software.

4. I don't really miss out on the games I want to play. Linux was my first PC gaming platform and franchises like XCOM, borderlands, Dota, and almost every indie game every made comes right into my steam library without a hitch. I do think linux has a future as a mainstream gaming platform.

5. I can create art. Check out my portfolio to see what has been made. Plus my new rendering workstation is almost done so you can get some more of that sweet sweet art soon. Blender, Krita, inkscape all work beautifully and natively and become tools to enable my art creation.

As much as I might be teased by friends, no one can deny that it's a great tool in my hands that works for me.