New Computer or Upgrade?

Bawnmore

Hi folks,

Have been following this forum for awhile trying to get a handle on what I need, but not sure I'll ever get to a place where I'm comfortable knowing what's what so best to ask I think. I have a laptop that's purely for work - I work for an agency and everyone provides their own hardware. I used to travel quite a bit with work so a laptop always made sense, but that's slowed down a lot with meetings/workshops etc moving online and I'm thinking I could probably future proof better with a desktop and continue to use my laptop the odd time I need to travel.

What I Have

Here's what I have currently in a Latitude 7490:

I'm running multiple monitors currently (28 inch Lenovo UHD and 26 inch FHD that I'll probably upgrade at some stage) and will continue to. Running one from HDMI and one from USB C if that matters.

What I Need it For

90% office work. I work with websites and often have loads of things open at once (browsers, design files, office, Teams, Skype) etc. - I have no interest in gaming really.

Why Am I Considering Change

I've noticed sometimes my machine is either at 100% processor usage or RAM usage which slows everything down and task manager tells me it's usually either the browser or Zoom/Teams with screens being shared causing the trouble. Not sure if this is related to running 2 screens from laptop and also on video calls etc.

Few components failing recently - 1 stick of RAM around Xmas time and battery now. Have replaced both and grand again, but it's a 5 year old machine in fairness.

Have a hardware stipend from work to fund it. Have usually chipped away at it with accessory upgrades, but probably as good a time as any to upgrade machine.

What I'd like

Desktop - smaller form factor than a big gaming rig if it wasn't too prohibitive - just to keep it compact more than anything else. Not too interested in flashy lights but not 100% against them either. Prebuilt would be great if it was good value, but not against self build if it was much better value. Have put together machines 10+ years ago and if it hasn't changed majorly from then I should be fine (I think, maybe....).

Would be nice (but not essential) to be able stream video media from it to the tv in the sitting room. Probably not worth major extra cash, but currently sometimes download shows or movies we can't find to stream and then move laptop to sitting room and hook up via HDMI which is a pain.

EDIT: I might consider some VR gaming in the future for the kids. Thinking something along the lines of the Oculus Quest 2. Won't ever be chasing brand new heavy graphic requirement games.

Budget

Around 1k. Could go more or less if it was advised.

Any thoughts?

cornholio509

I justr read the post and thanks for been fairly detailed in what you need . I would just point out its a case of what you want out of the system . In your case any midrange CPU with a IGPU would probably do . intel I5 or AMD ryzen 5 with a mid tier motherboard .

Ryzen 5 7600 €252

MSI mortar B650m wifi €203

Corsair vengance 32GB (2x16) DDR5 kit 115

Crucial P3 1TB gen 3 nvme €50

GTX 1660 or RX 6600 both approx €250

EVGA 650 br PSU €57

Equivalent intel build will cost the same . I didnt put in a PC case as cheap cases so €60 and up depending on what case you want or manufacturer preference . Dont take pricing here as a given . Shop around and see , as that was a quick amazon browse . Some sites may have parts cheaper than amazon . Also if you dont care about an upgrade path last gen ryzen is cheap . ryzen 5 5600x , B550 motherboard and 32 GB of ddr4 could save you upto €200 on the cost of the build .

As for VR that above should be enough as far as vr requirements go . THat said vr is weird becuase some games require more powerful GPUs to play their vr vewrsions . I am not into VR so i cant really advise you on that .

On the casting your screen to a tv its easily dont if its through the web browser . Nearly all tvs today can be easily set up to do it . You just need to be on the same network and it will work . Just do a quick google search and you will find plenty of info on how to do it .mirroring your PC on the otherhand is a bit more complicated to run through in a post but it can be done . If your TV isnt capable of this then you can buy a wireless HDMI display adapter . I dont know too much about them but apparently windows is capable of doing this also over a network .

As for a pre built i am kinda against them . Dell and HP use proprietary connectors and motherboards . SO any upgrade in future on them is basicaly a new motherboard and PSU . Custom gaming PCs dont fare much better but its usually lack of something to make them look more powerful on paper . IE bare minimum of ram and storage but you get a good mid tier CPU and GPU . Good high tier cpu , lots of ram and a grappy gpu . You really need to be careful when looking at prebuilts . not to say there isnt and good prebuilts there but you really need to search .

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530359#Comment_120530359

Thanks for the thought put into that - appreciate it.

So:

• I'll take your point about prebuilt's - that seems like as good a reason to me to avoid as needed.
• I'm embarrassed that I never even checked to see if I could stream to the tv via casting until right now. I've just tested quickly here and it works perfectly so aside from the rest of the guidance, this one actually helps me immediately so thanks!
• The suggested build gives me plenty to research - would be interested to confirm from someone into VR if this setup would indeed be a safe enough bet.

cornholio509

Your not the only one embaressed by the streaming to a tv . I only found out when my 5 year old was on my PC with my back turned to her and she doen it by accident . Had to go online and find out how to do it in order to undo what she did . 🤣

As for VR i did do some research . From what i gather a general rule of thumb is a GPU with at least 8GB of vram . from what i gather anyone who cant afford the high end GPUs are all using RTX 3060 or RX 6700xt . It might not be a bad idea to consider that GPU instead if you intend on going the VR route later on . Going by the parts i mentioned you should be on budget maybe 100 euro over . Depending on where you buy them .

I wished i could recomend intel new ARC GPUs but they are flakey at best in vr and a lot of games . Intels drivers are improving but last i checked its still not quiet there yet especially for vr .

I'd buy a Macbook Air M1 with whatever your budget can stretch to + any stipends you get from work. They are under 1,000 on Amazon and they come with manufacturers warranty.

They are really the best workhorse, I work with a windows laptop that would be considered high-end but for personal use I use a 2015 MBP that is still running flawless and just paid 150euro to get the battery replaced and this will keep me going for at least another 3 years. The performance difference is night and day between the two systems.

The majority of windows laptops are full of windows bloatware now that slows them down and are a pain in the arse to get wiped off. If you wanted to do any gaming, save a few quid away every month and buy a steam deck which can also double up as a Linux PC if you need it.

You could also spec out a macbook if you needed extra ram / bigger storage. PM if need anything else.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547201#Comment_120547201

Appreciate the opinion. I've always avoided Mac's - no great reason other than unfamiliarity. I'm looking to move away from laptop, but maybe a Mac Mini is worth throwing into the mix. That said, I'd prefer to avoid multiple machines for multiple reasons (work/light gaming etc) if possible.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549909#Comment_120549909

I was genuinely in the same boat as you, used nothing but windows in work etc and unless you need specific software that will not work on a mac, they are so much easier to use than windows, and you get way better value for money in terms of how long the machines last. The M1 Air is the best all rounder, if you do not need the portability of a laptop, definitely look at a mini or they sell decent all in one units as well.

cornholio509

While i wouildnt rule ourt a mac for what you want to do for now . You may need to buy into the ecosystem . In order to stream you may have to buy an apple tv box in order to mirror onto a smart tv . That is unless you have a full fat android tv with google play store . Then you can get away with an app . As for VR the system in total has 8GB of shared system ram . SO i would look into that first before making any decission on a mac .

As for macs been value for money i have to laugh . THE 1000 euro desktop parts i mentioned by in large out perform a mac 1600 euro mac . THat said i am not knocking apple . Their whole eco system is amazing ans very well streamlined between devices . That said what makes it good is also its achilles heel .

Bawnmore

I've been looking into Macs since that and it was worth looking into, but have ruled it out for that reason. We have no apple products in the house and to get the full benefit of it, it's a little all or nothing. Thanks for the suggestion though Zylias - appreciate it.

Bawnmore

OK I've been trying to keep an eye on things to get an idea of what's out there, so bear with me. From a bit of reading around, I'm not overly concerned with the upgrade path that going AM5 would provide. With what I know now (not a lot), here's what I've come up with. Bear with me:

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor

Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler

MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard

Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory

Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive

MSI VENTUS XS OC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB Video Card

Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA 600 W1 600 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

This is all Amazon UK via PCPartPicker for simplicity. It's a mix of starting with a processor and building around that, and picking parts based on amount of reviews (so obviously popular) and review rating. Anything blatantly wrong with above? Anything that's worth considering? I know next to nothing, so just trying to gauge if I'm even on the right track here.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120615538#Comment_120615538

Going to go against the flow and recommend you build an Intel system and use its integrated iGPU if you're not going to be gaming on it.

The Intel Core i5-13400 is a 6-large/4-small core setup with 16 threads. Should handle all your workloads beautifully.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/wW3Qtn

CPU: Intel Core i5-13400 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor (£209.99 @ Amazon UK)

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£22.00)

Motherboard: MSI PRO B760M-A WIFI DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£139.97 @ Amazon UK)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£66.98 @ Amazon UK)

Case: Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (£90.00)

Power Supply: Corsair TX550M Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply (£62.79 @ Amazon UK)

Custom: Integral M3 Plus Integral 2TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (£90.00)

Total: £681.73

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-05-19 13:26 BST+0100

cornholio509

@Bawnmore

Looking at K.Okikis build i did forget to mention the RDNA IGPUs are on the all NEW AM5 processors . so you could drop the dedicated GPU for now . THats something you dont get on the AM4 platform unless its a specific CPU like the ryzen 5 5600g . As for the intel build i get where K.O.kiki is coming from . THat said i would go with the i 5 13500 instead . yes it will add 30 to 40 euro to the build cost but a way better CPU .

IF you go the route of processors with an IGPU ,you can avoid buying a GPU for now and have more time to research VR games and headsets . It will give you time to save up and buy a GPU with a bit more power . Also new vr headsets are due to launch within a year . SO Vr GPU requirements will increase as the headsets will enevitably have higher resolutions .

cornholio509

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120615538#Comment_120615538

sorry completely forgot to comment on your choice for the build . I see nothing wrong with it . I would swap out the ram and NVME for what K.O.KIKI has in his list . Also i would go for the rtx 3050 just to cover all bases on the VR front . Its about 30-40 euro more and a far superior GPU . Other than that it looks fine to me .

Bawnmore

A lot more food for though - thanks a million folks, it's helping a lot to figure out what's what here.

Bawnmore

OK I'm back again and as good as ready to buy.

I'm in 2 minds so wanted to sanity check them here, as the feedback has been great and very practical. These are based on feedback above and some research since. I'm still between Intel and AMD and here are my considerations:

• I'd like to get a long time out of it as a work machine. To me at least, this means a long upgrade path.
• One of the kids is showing an interest in VR and we might go down the route of getting her set up for Xmas, so I may look at a GPU setup now (or with the possibility to upgrade in future). Will never be AAA games - think Quest
• I've read that the current generation Intel socket it due an upgrade, and it mightn't be a good idea to go down this route - I have no idea if this suggestion holds any weight, but I've seen it suggested a few times.

With that in mind, would either be better or worse?

Here's the 2 specs I'm working with (same with exception of motherboard/processor):

AMD

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor (£209.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard (£169.47 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory (£89.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial BX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£38.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£144.51 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £756.95

Intel

CPU: Intel Core i5-13400 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor (£248.41 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£167.13 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory (£89.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial BX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£38.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£144.51 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £793.03

cornholio509

@Bawnmore

FOr your intel setup i would get the I5-13500 . Larger L2 cache and higher base clocks would keep the system more relevant for a longer period of time . You would probably see the 13400 slow down in a year or 2 with windows updates on software updates for what you currently use . I see nothing wrong with the AMD setup as if you wanted later on to upgrade you have a path forward . I Would be inclined to go with the AMD solution .

Igpu's are great for everyday use like web browsing or movies . However you will have to buy a gpu with 8GB or more of ram for VR gaming . SO another 320 euro at least for a gpu and thats before you pay for the VR headset .

Now you also have an option to go cheaper and go with the amds last gen AM4 . Now you give up on PCIE gen 5 and ddr5. Not at the moment anyway . Nothing currently is stressing DDR5 and we still haven't saturated PCIE gen 4 with the exception of certain high speed storage . When we spoke a few moths ago last gen AM4 was almost as expensive as current gen AM5 . I didnt think i would look back and see the price drops i see today .

Ryzen 7 5800x 8 core 16 thread for 209 euro

Multiple b550 motherboards without WIFI sub 100 euro , IF you need Wifi cards they are cheap so anything between 15 and 20 euro will be good enough . Works out cheaper than buying a motherboard with built in wifi .

Crucial pro 32Gb DDR4 3200 is about 60 euro

RTX 3o60 12gb is 320 euro

power supply ,1TB ssd and case you can keep as is .

Total cost would be €995 euro .

NOw the cost can be less . I done a quick search on amazon.co.uk and didnt really browse too much to see if anything was cheaper . That said a Cheaper 650 watt PSu and a cheaper case could easily knock 50-80 Euro off that price . It will make the two specced systems above look slow and should see you set up for VR . It should allow you to skip both the AMD socket and intel next generation socket altogether .

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121136704#Comment_121136704

Aaah everytime I think I'm onto something, there's something else to think about. Thanks though - definitely worth consideration. So I guess it comes down to the same question - is the longer upgrade path that going down the AM5 route worth the additional cost for lesser spec right now, and will not going with it limit me in the future. I was so close this time :)

cornholio509

MY advice is to go for the AM4 build with the ryzen 7 5800x and get the GPU as well . It will cover you for what you need for a long time . You might have to upgrade the GPU down the line for your children , but that is something all people do when playing games . That said that goes for everyone who plays games on PCs . However the CPU should remain relevant for 5 years if not more .

IF you built the AM5 pc earlier in the year i dont think it would matter that much as AM4 CPUs were just as expensive . That said the AM5 platform in itself has 2 and a bit years until its a dead platform . So building an AM5 PC doesnt seem tight in yourt budget to get everything you need .

Bawnmore

Appreciate the early morning thoughts :)

That all makes sense to me. I've had a play around and come up with the following - anything look out of place here?

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/dG9p28

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (£179.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£109.48 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£66.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£55.47 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£267.38 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design North ATX Mid Tower Case (£126.90 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£109.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £915.18

Wossack

havent looked further then the name, but is that a full size atx case? You go off the matx meshify case you had previously listed?

how’s that all looking compared to amazon.de, price wise, out of interest?

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149778#Comment_121149778

Good catch - I went rogue it seems - I prefer the wooden look of the one above, but didn't spot it was full ATX. Swapped back in now.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (£179.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£109.48 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£66.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£55.47 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£267.38 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£109.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £893.27

I have no idea re Amazon.de actually - I was only checking Amazon.co.uk. Is it typically worth comparing? I always lean towards Amazon.co.uk out of familiarity as I use it for everything and returns are easy etc. but would check if it's worth it.

Wossack

I put a build together recently and the de site was recommended - I had a quick look and got a start on it for you:

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/7wTRTY

difficulties though as no 5800x available - so could be a deal breaker..! Different gpu too, so I stopped then, it maybe enough there to give you an idea on potential savings

likely pay more for postage, and unsure how quick it’ll be (I paid 12e for priority shipping there Thursday eve and it’s in France atm, so maybe moving quicker then I thought)

on the build itself, as I was putting it together it flagged that the 5800x doesn’t come with a stock cooler, so something to keep in mind regardless which way you go

Bawnmore

Interesting - definitely want to get all in once place though, so may be out as an option.

Good catch on the cooler though. Added now:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/LN2NPF

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (£179.99 @ Amazon UK) 

CPU Cooler: Vetroo V5 52 CFM CPU Cooler (£29.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£66.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£55.47 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£267.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£109.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £815.37

Appreciate the feedback folks - this is completely new territory for me and there's so much I'd just miss otherwise.

Will leave this up for any other feedback from anyone who pops in and likely buy during the week. Absolutely open to feedback/criticism/ideas worth considering.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121150489#Comment_121150489

Instead of the Vetroo V5, get a Thermalright Assassin King (cheaper) or Peerless Assassin (way quieter & better performance).

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121151264#Comment_121151264

Thanks - getting closer.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/wQN7Xk

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (£179.99 @ Amazon UK) 

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin King SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£33.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£66.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£55.47 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£267.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£109.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £819.37

Bawnmore

OK seems like a winner. Before I go ahead and buy, are there any extras I might need that are worth adding in at this stage? Thinking things like cables that might not come with parts, thermal paste, those types of things.

Pricing seems a little off on pcpartpicker (I'm guessing it updates periodically from Amazon), but total parts are coming in at £944.22 currently.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121162875#Comment_121162875

Yeah it should be closer to 886GBP

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/v9Gp28

If Seasonic GX750 is too pricy on the day, consider Seasonic GM750 instead (semi-modular instead of fully modular)

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121163059#Comment_121163059

There are some pretty big discrepencies between pcpartpicker and Amazon pricing. CPU is £151 on pcpartpicker but £179 on Amazon as an example. It might be taking 3rd party sellers that don't ship to Ireland into account possibly.

starlit

Amazon do good deals. Have you tried going in store to Harvey Norman or Curry’s to see what they have on offer? You have a comeback if anything went wrong with the PC. Argos use to be very good but they have closed so you are left with other retailers.

I would recommend a higher spec Processor and higher Ram as ones in store are usually lower you have more options in Amazon unless you looking for the latest the MAC would be a good option if you didn’t want Windows. I’ve changed to a Chrome book as I found Windows frustrating to use despite more functionality.

Storage should not be a major concern unless you need it for files and gaming or a lot of storage the less the better the better the PC will work if it’s ssd drive better than the mechanical it’s easier to replace. You have the option of cloud and expandable memory for storing files aswell better option to back up files esp if it’s for work.

Convert the ones in sterling on Amazon and compare the prices against the Irish ones you see which are better value and get more out of the specs on offer. Irish ones from the €700-900 range are probably the best ones to look into.

It boils down to what you need it for in the end.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121163334#Comment_121163334

The main problems I have with buying a PC from Harvey Norman/Curry's:

• If anything goes wrong, you have to bring the whole machine to them. Self-build, you can return the part to Amazon/manufacturer and replace it faster.
• Irish retailer prices generally are terrible compared to online. Currys' price for an RTX 3060 is 849EUR, Harvey Norman pre-built start at nearly 2k. Only Paradigit (formerly Komplett) is equal to Amazon.

Beta Ray Bill

If you're looking for a small case, there is relatively new mini-ITX boards/cases available.

Interestingly though the smaller you go the more expensive things get....

Fractal Terra Mini-ITX Case is around €200

This guy has done a vid on building mini itx build for a gaming setup ($850) but you could adjust to use cheaper GPU and better RAM/CPU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmZM_MMDGDg

Bawnmore

Thanks for the feedback folks - I'm way past self build vs prebuild vs Mac at this stage though 🙂 Happy with Micro ATX size and case also. I'm 99% on the spec too (but all ears). Pulling the trigger this week likely.

hold my beer

Did you build your PC? I'm thinking of copying yours because I'm a lazy git 😄

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251349#Comment_121251349

I haven't yet, but still intend to soon - just a few other things moving at the moment!

Bawnmore

Back on this (again). Have changed tact slightly - machine in 90% productivity machine, standard things like lots of browsers open, spreadsheets, some light design work etc. with the capability to play some VR games with the Quest 2.

Based on the productivity requirement, have started leaning towards Intel. I realistically don't tend to upgrade as I go and have current work machine for 6+ years so can see myself doing same again, so good spec now is probably preferable rather than going down the AM4 route. Here's where I am:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/gxWzCd

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor (£274.00 @ Amazon UK) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler (£45.96 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£167.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 Memory (£125.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£69.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£278.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX550 (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£57.86 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £1124.75

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-01-10 11:16 GMT+0000

Any thoughts? I'm actually sick of it now - it's entirely my fault for being indecisive so just want to go ahead and buy now. Was looking at prebuilts this morning (Dell XPS) and it reminded me why I was looking at going this way int he 1st place.

K.O.Kiki

Hyper 212 is a terrible cooler choice.

Thermalright are the new kings now.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598940#Comment_121598940

Good to know. I was just going off reviews/pricepoint as I know nothing about coolers so that's good to know. Swapped out:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/fF9FHG

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor (£274.00 @ Amazon UK) 

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£33.29 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£167.97 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 Memory (£125.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£69.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£278.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX550 (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£62.04 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £1116.26

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-01-11 10:10 GMT+0000

Anything else of concern or worth considering in there?

Personally I’d swap the ssd for a WD Blue and swap the case for something cheaper and get a 3060Ti just to future proof it that little bit more.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600670#Comment_121600670

Thanks - I'll check that out. These things always send me into a research spiral :)

Bawnmore

OK final spec I think:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3vC8Xk

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor (£276.97 @ Amazon UK) 

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£33.29 @ Amazon UK) 

Motherboard: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£164.90 @ Amazon UK) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL36 Memory (£124.49 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (£69.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card (£279.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£104.99 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: MSI MAG A650BN 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£61.26 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £1115.86

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-01-18 14:43 GMT+0000

Changed out the memory and the power supply after being advised elsewhere. Appreciate the suggestions for the 3060ti but want to order everything from Amazon for simplicities sake and it hasn't been available there at all.

I genuinely think you’re over thinking this with constantly posting similar specs over and over again. Any difference is going to negligible at best around that price point. You’ve gone too dear on the mobo, ssd, case for what the build is.

couple of final thoughts on this, that pc and pretty much any of the above you’ve listed will breeze through any work tasks you throw at it. The GPU is overkill if it’s just light quest 2 usage in the future and your still better off value for money saving on a €110 euro case by getting a case for half the price and a cheaper SSD as mentioned above and using it on the Ti version of the card.

to be honest - if it’s solely for productivity right now, you can ditch the gpu and add a 3060ti or better yet, a 3070Ti at a later date and be set for years.

I wouldn’t be keen on the PSU either, I’ve not seen them in many builds, go for recommended PSUs you see on the majority of build videos as it’s the one area you don’t want to skimp on, Seasonic 80+ gold is well worth the money.

not to be a dick with this comment, but your basically posting the same question and getting good feedback. You can order off Overclockers still I believe, I’ve had a nightmare order directly off Amazon and having parts arrive late and damaged but there just my experience.

casekings.de another good option as is Amazon.de but just watch with the .de sometimes there’s a language issue with their products you may get a slightly different model case for example than what you initially searched for.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121635681#Comment_121635681

Don't think you're being a dick here at all - it's unfamiliar territory and I'm definitely overthinking it. I think it's fair to say I have the information I need, so I think it's time to just get going with it.

Appreciate it everyone!

Homelander

The entire build looks complete overkill for me for an office machine and needlessly putting money into if buts and maybes.

There would be 0% difference between this and a PC costing half the price for your current uses. You can always simply add a graphics card later if that need ever arises.

But a €300 CPU? A dedicated CPU cooler? A mid-range graphics card? Expensive case? A €200 motherboard?

I think somewhere above he said it was for work and some light VR usage - but I’ve found this thread to be annoying as it’s just reposts over the last year with virtually the same builds being posted over and over.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121643287#Comment_121643287

Have you any examples of a build for half the price that would perform perfectly well? I want to build one to play and record music.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121643903#Comment_121643903

get as good a second hand Mac that you can afford. At that price point you’ll find it way better.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121644009#Comment_121644009

I'd prefer to build one. Macs are overpriced

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121644196#Comment_121644196

If your budget is 550 in my opinion you are better served getting a 2016-2018 macbook - but to each their own.

Bawnmore

OP here - I'd say this thread can be closed as it's only causing upset at this stage, but just a few things that might clarify why I feel I'm overspeccing it now:

• I want it to last for 5 or 6 years, so while it's almost definitely overspecced for now, I'd hope to get as long as possible out of it without upgrading again.
• I have a budget to be spent from work, and it's easier to spend it now than to upgrade parts like the graphics card etc in the future, even if it's more practical to do that in general.
• For things like the motherboard etc - it's probably fair to say I just don't know enough to know what's overkill and what would be a better replacement.

I'm also definitely overthinking + procrastinating instead of buying. I genuinely don't want to be wasting peoples time here, but thought that context might help (or not!).

I might leave it there, rather than cause more frustration, but I really do appreciate the input.

Your GPU will struggle in 5 years as will that PSU, but the rest should be ok.

best of luck OP post a pic when it’s built

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655785#Comment_121655785

Thanks Zylias - I will.