TELVM

Windows 7 automatically aligns SSD correctly, no worries there. I'd go for the 850 EVO 250GB, works like a charm and its 3D TLC is more reliable than the usual planar TLC crap. You can partition the SSD as you like, no worries. All SSDs come with built-in OP (Over Provisioning) space to ease wear levelling, in the case of the 250GB 850 EVO OP is 9.1% of the 256GB raw NAND capacity (i.e. ~23GB, that's why formatted capacity is only 233GB). If you're paranoid about longevity, for peace of mind you can leave some space unpartitioned, and it will be automatically used as extra OP space by the SSD internal controller. Not really needed nowadays, unless you task the SSD extremely heavily writing dozens of GBs every day. You'll love how fast the system runs from an SSD and will never look back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5mFI9spp10 (Sorry can't post the video decently, this interface is ridiculous)

One would think that they can't to go any lower than this, but I'm sure they'll manage. EDIT - LOL just for the pleasure I wonder if a simple trick like this registry tweak could be enough to give them the finger.

Anandtech - How To Get Ryzen Working on Windows 7 x64 http://www.overclock.net/t/1624699/windows-7-and-ryzen-questions/30#post_25910913

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/98089/Intel-Z270-Chipset

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/5rgmzg/amd_will_provide_win_7_drivers_for_ryzen/

Microsoft made 'em do it: The latest Kaby Lake, Zen chips will support only Windows 10 I HAD been following Zen's development with some interest. Not anymore.

^ Epic.

^ Complete with Bob/XP exceedengly useful dog : [/img]

Here's a picture of mine. As you can notice he's been thoroughly trained to deal with Microborg's Updates as they truly deserve:

Translation: "Shut the doors quickly, before the cattle realize they've been corralled!!! ..."

I'm just imagining a "smart" vibrator going rogue and running amok.

So much for "security": Microsoft Secure Boot key debacle causes security panic

^ I second this motion. (Sorry for multiple posts but this forum's interface is just unusable).

For the benefit of those uninitiated in this gem of dystopian sci-fi: [video] [/video]

Just an epic quote I found elsewhere: http://www.overclock.net/t/1606538/techspot-france-gives-microsoft-three-months-to-stop-windows-10-from-collecting-excessive-user-data/90#post_25375058

Windows 10 gets one last, desperate nagware update "... this is an update to the previous full-screen nagware update. Now you get a countdown clock (the exclamation point is free) and a yellow exclamation point in the system tray, just in case you haven’t noticed the unusual Windows icon that’s been yammering for attention and trying to stealth-upgrade your system for the past 12 months ..." "... What’s disturbing about all this is that Microsoft can’t seem to stop. It’s like watching a meth-addicted rat punching levers in a Skinner box, except in this case the rat only gets its fix if it hits another download milestone. Someone, somewhere, only gets to eat today if Microsoft manages to convince another 5,000 people to install Windows 10 ..."

Heh heh, the sly rascals. I'm always on the watch for something of the sort happening on Se7en, but (thus far) no surprises.

Who'd have thought?: Microsoft: Windows 10 won't hit 1 billion devices by mid-2018

^ You've touched it with a needle.

Yes, Windows 10 subscriptions are coming, at least for enterprise

Sure man, I remember how ultimately everybody had to switch to Bob 1 and later to Vista back in the day.

^ Very interesting read, thanks for sharing.

^ Here here!