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Please help me buying a new PC!

I

imported_blip

Senior member
Sorry in advance this got so long! My wife is less than interested in discussing these details...

I’m upgrading my 2010 Mac mini, but I think I’m going to get a PC because the new iMacs are so expensive, and no new mini has been announced. I’ve gotten lost with all the options and trying to determine what I actually need. So many forums are for gamers that I think I kept bumping up what I thought I need, when my uses are less demanding. The only gaming I might do is trying to find an NES emulator to play Mario with my kids.

My last time using PC, I used a site that assembled all the components I chose, but that company is gone now. All the ones I’ve found lately are geared toward high end gaming rigs. Any good customize sites? Also happy to add components to a system that needs some upgrades, but don’t have time for a whole build.

Main uses will be web, streaming videos/tv/movies, Word/Excel, and light photo work in Lightroom. Budget tops out somewhere around $500-600, plus some extra for a new monitor (more on that later).

Mainly looking for something reliable, long lasting, and as quiet as possible (happy to swap out fans, add gaskets, etc.).

Here’s where I need some help:
—Processor: was looking mid level I think, started seeing a lot with i5-7400, some with Ryzen 3 or 5, then I start thinking I need higher processor, etc. Is any modern processor good? Do I need quad core? For Intel, should i stay 7th gen or higher, or is 6th gen still good? I didn’t know Pentium was still a thing, and not sure if they are good enough. For AMD, only Ryzen, or is FX still good?

—RAM: think I’ve settled on 8GB, which seems pretty standard and should do enough.

—Storage: I upgraded my mini with a Crucial MX100 256GB SSD, which I plan on putting in my new system, then using a 1TB or 2TB HDD for storage

—Video card: do I need one? Are the Intel integrated good enough? I started leaning toward getting one, but quickly got lost in the woods of model numbers, Radeon vs Nvidia, etc. Let me know if there’s some minimum level to get, and if there’s any to avoid. I at least figured to Google benchmark comparisons, so if there’s a base model I can compare to that would be great.

—Size: if there is something is a slightly smaller case, that would be nice.

So models I noticed:
Acer Aspire with various configurations
CyberpowerPC (not really familiar with these, and the cases are a bit “extreme” for my family PC, but they come in white which would blend in
HP Pavilion Power, Envy, or the EliteDesk
Lenovo, saw a nice IdeaCentre last night for $650, but the price just jumped up to $800 today. might have been more power than I need anyway. A couple other versions have lower specs/video cards: this or this

—Monitor: started thinking about 27” (I have a 21.5” 1050 now I think), wasn’t sure if I needed 1440 or 4K at that size. Would 24” make more sense? Is it worth it for everyday use? Saw a Spectre that was pretty cheap, but didn’t know/trust the name for the price. Is there a certain “sweet spot” between value, size, and sharp looks?

Thanks so much for the help! I’ve been researching myself to death and I’ve got my spreadsheet and everything, but not sure what I really need!
 
Thanks for that! So you think that integrated graphics are enough? Does that have any impact on the size/resolution of a monitor I can use?
 
There i put these down for you, lets take a look

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.28 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B350 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GT 1030 2GB Silent Low Profile Video Card ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.59 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $495.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-31 14:04 EST-0500

personally i would not touch a dual core CPU's in 2018. That R5 1600 is an excellent CPU and will serve you really well for years to come by, it have 6 cores and 12 threads which means it can do 6 things at once and can schedule 12 things. As the software advances it will become more and more demanding like simple chrome taking uo 100% CPU usage on older systems which can be really frustrating. it really helps to have more cores and that will be basic i would go in 2018.

The CPU is powerful enough to emulate Play Station 2 Games So its more than enough to emulate any mario games 🙂

Coming to the ram, i opted for a single 8 GB stick so you can just buy an another 8 GB Stick in the future when you need more ram. also ram prices are soo inflated right now so its better just buy 8 GB and an another 8 GB later when we need. This wont effect any performance since you specifically said you wont be gaming.

Coming to the GPU side, i piked a silent and passive cooled GTX 1030. Its a powerful card and you can even ply some light games on it if you want. Having a GPU just helps in smoothing out stuff when watching videos and in generally doing stuff like watching photos etc. A GPU is not just for gaming it helps with anything that needs to be displayed on the monitor.

You really dont need a high wattage power supplies for that system and a good 400W psu can and will do you good.

This system is powerful enough to do anything you throw at it for years to come and you can even play some light games if you ever desire.
 
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Coming to the Monitors i really prefer a 27" 1440p IPS panel just for the quality of life. Its the sweet spot. Since you wont be gaming any monitor that fits into the above specifications will do you well. alrernatively you cna go for 21" 1080p monitor. Just remember 27" for 1440p and 21" for 1080p is the sweet spot and always go for IPS panels cause they have better colors.

1440p Is glorious and is really comfortable to generally surf web, it have great screen estate and you can have multiple things open on your screen without too much cluttering.
 
Unless I read your original posts wrong, you are looking for a prebuilt computer, correct? Like Dell, HP, CyberPower, etc?

I just wanted to clarify since there are recommendations for buying individual components to build your own.

If so, I recommend a PC like the Dell XPS or Inspiron Gaming. You usually can catch a good sale on them, or even buy them from the Dell Outlet. Dell usually has some really great deals around President's Day, and just had some great deals over the last month which just ended.
 
imported_blip said:
Thanks for that! So you think that integrated graphics are enough? Does that have any impact on the size/resolution of a monitor I can use?
Click to expand...
I believe that 8 Generation Intel Core CPUs can do up to 4K@60hz.

Personally I think that building your own rig is usually the way to go, but sometime you can find good deals on Basic PCs.
 
UsandThem said:
Unless I read your original posts wrong, you are looking for a prebuilt computer, correct? Like Dell, HP, CyberPower, etc?

I just wanted to clarify since there are recommendations for buying individual components to build your own.

If so, I recommend a PC like the Dell XPS or Inspiron Gaming. You usually can catch a good sale on them, or even buy them from the Dell Outlet. Dell usually has some really great deals around President's Day, and just had some great deals over the last month which just ended.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was, although the replies above are tempting me to build my own. I'm not worried about assembly, more so that I will get it all set up and then be staring at a blank screen or something. Thanks for the tips about the sales! I wasn't sure if Dell, HP, etc., were actually good values, or just big names that sold mediocre stuff (which might be I all I need anyways). Thanks again!
 
imported_blip said:
Yes, I was, although the replies above are tempting me to build my own. I'm not worried about assembly, more so that I will get it all set up and then be staring at a blank screen or something. Thanks for the tips about the sales! I wasn't sure if Dell, HP, etc., were actually good values, or just big names that sold mediocre stuff (which might be I all I need anyways). Thanks again!
Click to expand...

If you want to build your own instead, your post should be moved from pre-builts sub-forum to general hardware where people can help guide on your component selection.

This sub-forum is for people wanting to buy already built computers and laptops.
 
UsandThem said:
If you want to build your own instead, your post should be moved from pre-builts sub-forum to general hardware where people can help guide on your component selection.

This sub-forum is for people wanting to buy already built computers and laptops.
Click to expand...
Yes, my intention was to get recs for a prebuilt system. Thanks!
 
imported_blip said:
Yes, I was, although the replies above are tempting me to build my own. I'm not worried about assembly, more so that I will get it all set up and then be staring at a blank screen or something. Thanks for the tips about the sales! I wasn't sure if Dell, HP, etc., were actually good values, or just big names that sold mediocre stuff (which might be I all I need anyways). Thanks again!
Click to expand...
If you buy business class PCs they are a step or two up from the consumer class stuff that is usually sold in stores. Sometimes Dell Outlet has good deals on Their Business Class items.

EDIT:
How about this one? Just add an SSD and you are good to go.
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ArbOnline...nvnKsXEOrU9wcaQ7pnnpoN68LI+kJUnk+8SUTAxgMhTLX
 
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whm1974 said:
If you buy business class PCs they are a step or two up from the consumer class stuff that is usually sold in stores. Sometimes Dell Outlet has good deals on Their Business Class items.

EDIT:
How about this one? Just add an SSD and you are good to go.
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ArbOnlineSales/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdXpEzLDYYtz1ijjCGN3OR3RLmjGGamJOZFUv0VPk3rvhsWG4jacUPQUGxQT3FptYtUwkWFmquHp9nWt8dgsykz2eHV8MvKUHhU5Mw/hvRWg9YPsSn6K58EHlywJedTJnvnKsXEOrU9wcaQ7pnnpoN68LI+kJUnk+8SUTAxgMhTLX
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link! I wouldn't have thought to look under the business models. What about one of these from the outlet? The second one for example has a slower processor but with a 1030 video card. Thanks again for the help!
 
imported_blip said:
Thanks for the link! I wouldn't have thought to look under the business models. What about one of these from the outlet? The second one for example has a slower processor but with a 1030 video card. Thanks again for the help!
Click to expand...
I'm glad I could help. I would try to get the best processor you can afford, you can always add the video card later.
 
if i may suggest, there are outlets out there who will build the PC for you saving yourself from all the hard work. I think micro center will assemble the system for you for a small fee. You can always contact the store front and ask them if they will also assemble the system. It'll be very simple like you just give them the list of parts you require in your PC, what kinda CPU you want and what GPU you want and how much ram would you like and all such sorts and they will build it for you. All you have to do is just take the PC home and plug it in and be done with it 🙂
 
If you have a Microcenter near you i'd go with this PowerSpec PC:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/474288/G151_Desktop_Computer
  • Intel Core i5-7500 Processor 3.40GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5
  • 8GB DDR4-2133 RAM
  • 1TB 7,200RPM Hard Drive
  • Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • 24x DVDRW Drive
  • Multi-in-One Memory Card Reader
  • 10/100/1000 Network
  • 802.11ac Wireless
  • Display Not Included
For $649.00 you get a prebuilt system that uses all non proprietary parts and can be upgraded. It also comes with a very nice graphics card as well.

 
daveybrat said:
If you have a Microcenter near you i'd go with this PowerSpec PC:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/474288/G151_Desktop_Computer
  • Intel Core i5-7500 Processor 3.40GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5
  • 8GB DDR4-2133 RAM
  • 1TB 7,200RPM Hard Drive
  • Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • 24x DVDRW Drive
  • Multi-in-One Memory Card Reader
  • 10/100/1000 Network
  • 802.11ac Wireless
  • Display Not Included
For $649.00 you get a prebuilt system that uses all non proprietary parts and can be upgraded. It also comes with a very nice graphics card as well.
Click to expand...


No point in going for 1050 TI, he specifically said he wont be gaming and he does not look like he will anyway and Quad Cores are getting old really really fast. I really suggest Ryzen 5 with 6 cores 12 Threads keeping in mind he is going to keep that system for a while before he upgrades it again.
 
DeadlyTitan said:
No point in going for 1050 TI, he specifically said he wont be gaming and he does not look like he will anyway and Quad Cores are getting old really really fast. I really suggest Ryzen 5 with 6 cores 12 Threads keeping in mind he is going to keep that system for a while before he upgrades it again.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but he does say he will be using Adobe Lightroom which does take advantage of the graphics card's strengths.
 
imported_blip said:
I was looking at the 1030, which I think would be a good compromise for what I need. Not sure if I would notice the extra cores or threads of the Ryzen 5, since I'm not asking too much of the system.
Click to expand...
Honestly that really depends on for how long are you planning to keep your system. If you are going to upgrade again in 3 years then sure you wont need those extra cores. but if you want to keep the system relevant for 5 years or even 7 years then yes those cores will come in really handy. More and most software have started using parallel computing which means they started to utilize more cores. Even our everyday used browsers have started using more cores. Light room benefits from having more cores, browsing , video encoding, In general more cores = snapier the system will be since you will always have that extra core to do your task while other cores runs other tasks like background tasks or virus scanning or anything. with more cores you can browse internet while watching videos, i mean sure you can do that now but in a few years nope i dont think so, websites have started becoming more and more complex and started demanding more power. a few years ago we didnt need 8 GB ram and a quad core cpu to run a few tabs on chrome but now try running chrome on a dual core cpu with 4 GB ram and you will see what i am saying. Things will just become more complex as the time goes and will start to demand more power and having a few extra cores on hand can get you a long way that is if you want to keep the system for 5+ years.

Personally i just buy the most powerful CPU i can find right now and never even bother to upgrade again in 5 ~ 7 years. Cause CPU is the last thing that would need an upgrade for a normal average user.

Well ofc my use case scenario is different, i am an app developer but i do value my money especially when hardware is so expensive. I only upgrade my cpu when
  1. The current gen cpu is 2x faster than my current cpu
  2. the current gen cpu have more cores than my current cpu and is at least 30% faster than my current cpu
  3. some sorta hardware revolution that forces me to upgrade to keep up with my work standards.
 
That's interesting, maybe I need to get the best processor I can. My last system I kept 8-9 years, upgrading RAM and an SSD along the way. Not sure I could've upgraded the CPU in the Mac mini.

Tough to know for a casual user if new processors are a big improvement or just marketing, since clock speed and version numbers can be so similar.

Maybe I'll spend a bit more on the processor and get a slightly lower GPU for now. Is there an Intel chip that would be similar to the Ryzen 5 1600 with regard to cores and threads?

Thanks again! Trying not to drive myself completely crazy deciding on what to get!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
imported_blip said:
That's interesting, maybe I need to get the best processor I can. My last system I kept 8-9 years, upgrading RAM and an SSD along the way. Not sure I could've upgraded the CPU in the Mac mini.

Tough to know for a casual user if new processors are a big improvement or just marketing, since clock speed and version numbers can be so similar.

Maybe I'll spend a bit more on the processor and get a slightly lower GPU for now. Is there an Intel chip that would be similar to the Ryzen 5 1600 with regard to cores and threads?
Click to expand...

Probably the i5-8400 or the i7-8700 would be the two Intel CPUs you should be comparing to Ryzen. Just take a look at a few reviews that shows the relative performance between Coffee Lake and Ryzen CPUs.

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwrevie...k-review-overclocking-vs-8700k-8400?showall=1

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-coffee-lake-core-i5-8400-cpu,5281.html

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/d...-coffee-lake-s-core-i5-8400-i5-8600k-review_1
 
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