Ubuntu Research Machine

I'm a graduate student studying cybersecurity, and built this computer specifically with Ubuntu compatibility in mind. I use it to work on my projects, which included the use of perf-intel-pt, ptrace and simple tests with multi-party communication. For the time being, I opted to use integrated graphics as it is sufficient for my workflow, but I eventually intend to add a GPU for my own personal use.

The i3-10100 is surprisingly quick with 4c/8t and a maximum clock speed of 4.3GHz - I was very happy with it and it has given me little to no notable slowdowns in my current workflow. I might at some point upgrade to a higher model, especially as I expend my workflow, on but I definitely don't feel like I have to as it stands - a Core i3 is definitely more worthy of consideration than it might seem. Of course, based on what you're using it for your mileage will vary.

I use another another computer along with this one in my day-to-day work, so I connected a USB switch that moves the mouse and keyboard between machines so I can quickly switch. This works nicely with a monitor that supports Picture-by-Picture (PBP). I was impressed to see how well Ubuntu scales between sudden changes of resolution as I toggle between full-screen and PBP depending on the current use-case.

Certainly you can use higher specs if need be, but if you're fine with a quad core and don't do anything graphics-heavy like with me, a list like this represents a great price-to-performance value while still getting quality components and strong reliability. As a whole, I've been very happy with this machine and highly recommend a project like this if it interests you.