Computers - Planning My Next Build

[USGrant1962]

I returned a CyberPowerPC rig to Costco today and am planning my next build instead.

DS#1 moved out a few weeks ago to his first job after college. His laptop won't run higher end games, so I told him he could have my rig after I replaced it.

On Costco's website you can order PCs from a number of vendors. Last month they had a very good price on a high end gaming rig from CPCC. It was an I7-7700K cpu, GTX 1070 gpu, liquid cooling, NVME m.2 drive. The price seemed to be about $300 cheaper than you could order it direct from CyberPowerPC. I turns out to get the price down they cheaped out on the motherboard - so it did not support overclocking the K-version CPU (it was a B250 mobo instead of Z170 or Z270). The return at Costco was no problem

Instead I'm going to build something like this high end but bang-for-the-buck system.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6M6KtJ

The video card is a bit of a placeholder due to crazy pricing caused by bitcoin and etherium miners. I'll use it in a build I plan for my summer house next spring, assuming prices on higher end cards come down.

 

[easysurfer]

That's a nice rig you'll looking at building.

One thing I really like about the pcpartpicker site is how it flags any possible incompatibilities among the parts.

 

[alaska55]

Point well taken.

But I'm really not a gamer and have the 610 as an existing card. Plus, then I'll have to look for a compatible Mobo for the A10 cpu. Picking parts is part art .

The Mobo you have won't support the fx-6200 or the A8 cpu either, your old amd cpu might last forever but the Mobo is on borrowed time. I suggest you forget about the FX-6200, they take 2x the watts to run, that mean heat and higher elect bills. Heat is what degrades computers. Since you say you don't game the A8 is the best way to go, and get rid of the 610 video card,you don't need a video card. the A8 has better graphics than the 610 card. In fact the newest intel Pentium chips (G4560) would also be a good choice again it has good graphics, better than the 610.

 

[alaska55]

budget builds

There are some great budget builds on youtube, check them out.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Instead I'm going to build something like this high end but bang-for-the-buck system.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6M6KtJ

The video card is a bit of a placeholder due to crazy pricing caused by bitcoin and etherium miners. I'll use it in a build I plan for my summer house next spring, assuming prices on higher end cards come down.

It looks like for your rig you could get away with using this EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2, 80+ GOLD 550W, Fully Modular power supply. This is what I used with my Intel i5-6500/EVGA 3GB 1060 GPU build. It's like $20 less even.

Jonny Guru rates the EVGA/Super Flower G2 gold power supplies as some of the best he's seen:
550W getting a perfect 10/10
650W
750W
850W

 

[USGrant1962]

It looks like for your rig you could get away with using this EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2, 80+ GOLD 550W, Fully Modular power supply. This is what I used with my Intel i5-6500/EVGA 3GB 1060 GPU build. It's like $20 less even.

Jonny Guru rates the EVGA/Super Flower G2 gold power supplies as some of the best he's seen:
550W getting a perfect 10/10
650W
750W
850W

Yes, I had the EVGA PSU in an earlier incarnation - switched to Cooler Master to match the case for fit and finish purposes. I may switch back when I pull the trigger.

I just discovered JonnyGuru last week when researching this build - looks like a great site.

 

[easysurfer]

The Mobo you have won't support the fx-6200 or the A8 cpu either, your old amd cpu might last forever but the Mobo is on borrowed time. I suggest you forget about the FX-6200, they take 2x the watts to run, that mean heat and higher elect bills. Heat is what degrades computers. Since you say you don't game the A8 is the best way to go, and get rid of the 610 video card,you don't need a video card. the A8 has better graphics than the 610 card. In fact the newest intel Pentium chips (G4560) would also be a good choice again it has good graphics, better than the 610.

How about the following build?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fXKkQV

Selected the CPU like you suggested and a different Mobo. Cut the wattage down to 169W. Oh, removed the trusty video card too.

Nice suggestions as I think hits the sweet spot for me on performance and budget.

 

[alaska55]

The A10 comes with the factory heatsink/cooler which is enough. Also try and find a retail version of windows 10 in case you ever want to transfer it to another PC. That should be plenty of computer.

 

[davismills]

I used to build my own computers back when Michael Dell was selling parts out of "Computer Shopper". I can't seem to build them cheaper anymore.

Just purchased an I7 based laptop (Lenovo) for under $550.00.

 

[easysurfer]

The A10 comes with the factory heatsink/cooler which is enough. Also try and find a retail version of windows 10 in case you ever want to transfer it to another PC. That should be plenty of computer.

Like your suggestions. Here's the latest:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jhPhzM

Will use the factory heat sink as seeing youtube videos, looks plenty quiet enough. Decided to go with red colored (and higher speed) ram to match the cpu fan .

Not sure about going with retail version of win 10 or with a cheaper OEM. Seems to me that retail is more, but like insurance. But don't think once built, I'll be moving to another computer anytime soon.

 

[Nightcap]

The first thing I did with my new Compaq Portable back in the mid-eighties was take it apart. Thereafter, i built my own. That was fine for a while, but then I started getting calls from family members and friends. After spending a weekend holed up with a DSIL's horribly infected machine, I decided to dump Windows and homebrew machines and switched to Macs.

Not that I don't still get the odd request. I like to be of help, but I usually end up regretting it. I spent forever last summer trying to help a neighbor with a laptop that had to be nine or ten years old. It's just not worth it.

 

[USGrant1962]

Instead I'm going to build something like this high end but bang-for-the-buck system.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6M6KtJ

The video card is a bit of a placeholder due to crazy pricing caused by bitcoin and etherium miners. I'll use it in a build I plan for my summer house next spring, assuming prices on higher end cards come down.

After some value engineering I ordered the parts today. Ended up with https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BMTkQV

I went back to air cooling after research showed it just as effective and quieter than low-end all-in-one water coolers.

PCPartPicker does not pick up Newegg's combo deals, so the CPU/Mobo/mem is $25 cheaper than listed (and the 1600X is only $15 more than the 1600 combo). Actual price with various tax, shipping, and rebates is $1378 all from Newegg, except Amazon for the video card.

So I was typing Ryzen into the config name on PCPartPicker and I fat fingered the y (to u) and the z (to b - no idea how I did that). This rig will forever forward be called the "Ruben 5".

 

[easysurfer]

After some value engineering I ordered the parts today. Ended up with https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BMTkQV

I went back to air cooling after research showed it just as effective and quieter than low-end all-in-one water coolers.

PCPartPicker does not pick up Newegg's combo deals, so the CPU/Mobo/mem is $25 cheaper than listed (and the 1600X is only $15 more than the 1600 combo). Actual price with various tax, shipping, and rebates is $1378 all from Newegg, except Amazon for the video card.

So I was typing Ryzen into the config name on PCPartPicker and I fat fingered the y (to u) and the z (to b - no idea how I did that). This rig will forever forward be called the "Ruben 5".

Looks like you aren't messing around, with a 500 gb SSD from Samsung .

 

[USGrant1962]

Yea, that is the one real extravagance.

So not 30 mins after I placed the order I looked back on Amazon at the video card I picked and it had gone from $216 to $242!

 

[easysurfer]

I've been price watching on parts for about a half year. They haven't fluctuated that much.

My next build, decided, I'm going to go the cheap route and settled on a hybrid drive rather than all SSD. Unless of course, SSD prices drop like a rock .

 

[easysurfer]

So much for waiting around for price of parts to drop. The price of the CPU I've been eyeing for my next possible computer build has only gone down about 75 cents since I started price tracking on Amazon .

 

[Sunset]

I bought DW a 27" LG IPS 4K monitor, and found her 10 yr old computer wouldn't do 4K.

So I bought a $650 Acer (it was on sale, and no tax at newEgg ). Didn't seem worth it to build my own, as Ram prices have doubled from 5 years ago.

Acer Desktop Computer Aspire GX-785-UR16

• Intel Core i5 7th Gen 7400 (3.00 GHz)
• 8 GB DDR4
• 1 TB HDD
• Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
• No Screen
• AMD Radeon RX 480 4 GB GDDR5

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883101536

 

[easysurfer]

I bought DW a 27" LG IPS 4K monitor, and found her 10 yr old computer wouldn't do 4K.

So I bought a $650 Acer (it was on sale, and no tax at newEgg ). Didn't seem worth it to build my own, as Ram prices have doubled from 5 years ago.

Acer Desktop Computer Aspire GX-785-UR16

• Intel Core i5 7th Gen 7400 (3.00 GHz)
• 8 GB DDR4
• 1 TB HDD
• Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
• No Screen
• AMD Radeon RX 480 4 GB GDDR5

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883101536

Looks like a sweet Acer machine you bought. That wireless charging area looks very interesting.

I still have time before needing a PC to replace my current PC. Currently, have a refurbished Dell. Not the fastest on the block but meets my needs. The only reason I really need to replace is I'm still on Win 7, but have a couple years before Win 7 no longer has security updates.

 

[Sunset]

Looks like a sweet Acer machine you bought. That wireless charging area looks very interesting.

I still have time before needing a PC to replace my current PC. Currently, have a refurbished Dell. Not the fastest on the block but meets my needs. The only reason I really need to replace is I'm still on Win 7, but have a couple years before Win 7 no longer has security updates.

So funny, but we don't use the wireless charging thing, I put my phone on it and nothing changed so I don't know if it is useful.
I might unplug it just to not have a (magnetic ?) field generated there.

What is also funny is she still browses the Internet at the same speed with the faster machine

I really want to get DW on Ubuntu, like I am, easier to backup and understand, and free.

 

[easysurfer]

So funny, but we don't use the wireless charging thing, I put my phone on it and nothing changed so I don't know if it is useful.
I might unplug it just to not have a (magnetic ?) field generated there.

What is also funny is she still browses the Internet at the same speed with the faster machine

I really want to get DW on Ubuntu, like I am, easier to backup and understand, and free.

No fun if you have to fiddle around with the wireless charging to make a proper connection.

With the same speed browsing, maybe that's do to internet connection speed or the operator .

I've thought about the future change of my system in three different choices.

#1) The Middle Finger - Going to something like Linux and saying bye bye to Microsoft and their control and intrusions with Win 10. Would be fun (and challenging) to do, but there are just too many Win programs I depend on to switch.

#2) Go Big or Go Home - Building a more powerful system than what I have now. I like to build. But anti-climatic as building, fresh new hardware, then plopping my old programs (I'm really not a gamer) doesn't excite me.

#3) Go Cheap or Don't Go - Buy a refurbished Dell on the cheap that runs Win 10. If stable this is the least disruption. Heck one of these is a little more than a copy of Win 10 or RAM for a computer build. But IF stable with old technology might be a big IF.

Of course, I could also just buy an newer PC with Win 10 like you did. But there's no "street cred" to that.

 

[easysurfer]

I probably should know this but am not certain.

So, if I get a retail version of Win 10 and try building on system build but am not happy, can I just uninstall and put on another system build? Or is the process not as simple as that?

I know if I get an OEM version, that's pretty much tied to the motherboard.

 

[NW-Bound]

Not sure about Win 10, but with earlier versions, once a copy has been registered via the Internet to Microsoft, it cannot be done again on another MB.

However, if you make a call to Microsoft, and explain that you move to a new MB, they will give you a new code for the 2nd installation. I never did this myself, but my friend did. Perhaps they also invalidate the old registration code, and not permitting that to get updates.

The above is allowed only on the expensive retail version, not the bundled-in OEM Windows version that comes with off-the-shelf systems.

 

[easysurfer]

Reason I'm asking about the Win 10 Retail version is thinking about my next build, not decided if I want to go new or go old.

I have enough old parts laying around that my Win 10 machine build my be from old parts just to get by. Thus, the cost would pretty much only be the cost on Win 10 and a compatible motherboard. Yet, if the build crawls, I want the flexibility to try again without having to buy another copy of the OS.

 

[NanoSour]

I would just purchase an OEM key for your new build. They are dirt cheap all over the internets. Here's one for $7.99.

https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Wi...MImIXV7ZeI2QIVgX5-Ch3Unwg7EAQYAyABEgKSevD_BwE

I bought Win 7 from this site 2 years ago when I built my rig. Worked like a charm.

 

[NW-Bound]

I just looked on the Web, and the procedure is still the same. You still have to call or contact MS through a chat screen to get a new code.

There is still no "deactivation" procedure for the first machine. However, if someone cheats and has both machines running, if MS sees the 1st machine trying to get software updates, they will know. Perhaps they would cut off update for both machines, I don't know. But if you are truly transferring Windows to another MB, then there should not be any problem.

The flexibility for hardware update is why the retail version costs more than the bundled OEM version.

PS. If an OEM key can be obtained dirt cheap, then why buy a retail one? However, I always wonder if the cheap ones are legitimate.