The 'Build Me A PC' Thread

[Hawkbit]

Does anyone have a Surface Pro? I have a family emergency that is going to put me back in Ohio for a month and I need a mobile system while I'm there. I am trying to find a sub-$1000 system that I can do basic front-end and business work on, no gaming necessary. Trying to keep the system in the 13" range, and preferably from either Dell or the Microsoft Store because I have accounts there. The bigger problem is that I need the darn computer quickly.

I was thinking about the lower end MacBook Air, but that's still $1200 and the storage space is not enough, really. Plus I really just like working in Windows 10, so either the Surface Laptop or Pro are looking pretty nifty at that pricepoint.

Any ideas or opinions would be awesome. Thanks for the help.

[schild]

I have the Surface Book (gen 1?) - it's the best laptop I've ever owned. But I have the one with the discrete GPU. I have no idea if the Surface Pro is as good, but I imagine it's pretty fantastic.

Edit: Surface Pro doesn't look like it can have a dGPU. I would go with an iPad Pro with accessories if that's your hard budget (I also have the large iPad pro, it's sick).

[Sky]

If price is any consideration, don't go Mac. I only have one because I had money left over in the work budget that needed spending, and I work in a dual OS environment.

Surfacebook might have some MS tax on it, why not just get a basic Dell on sale? I wouldn't want to rely on a tablet for a work computer.

[Trippy]

If you want something cheap fast, you could pick up an Inspiron from your local Microsoft store.

[Velorath]

I picked up the newest Surface Pro (although one of the lower end models) over the holiday season when Costco had a deal going with the keyboard and stylus. Works pretty well although I mostly just use it for basic work stuff (Office, Skype, and such), and web browsing.  Played a bit of Slay the Spire on it also just to try it out. Overall it's pretty solid and I don't regret the purchase.

[Chimpy]

I have a surface pro 4 for a work laptop. It is nice because it takes up about the same amount of space as a iPad so I can easily take it with me when I travel in case of work emergencies. It is pretty heavy though for its size since it is basically a solid chunk of metal. Oh and the power brick is way too fucking big for something that portable.

[Cyrrex]

I have a surface pro 4 for a work laptop. It is nice because it takes up about the same amount of space as a iPad so I can easily take it with me when I travel in case of work emergencies. It is pretty heavy though for its size since it is basically a solid chunk of metal. Oh and the power brick is way too fucking big for something that portable.

I had an i5 version (the slow version, that is) myself for a while and thought at the time that it was in all ways superior to the Ipad Air 2 I also had.  I was quite impressed with it.  The keyboard (a separate purchase) was the best keyboard I think I ever had, although YMMV.  The screen was fabulous.

I have one of the brand spanking new Ipad Pros now.  I don't consider it significantly better than that old Surface Pro, although I am sure it benchmarks better.  I mean, I wouldn't trade in my Ipad or anything, so this is just a convoluted way of saying the Surface Pro is a really nice little machine.

[MisterNoisy]

Finally caved in to my upgrade-itis and ordered a RTX2070 for the big box since I found a 400A card for $460.  Will be doing a Ryzen 3000 build this summer and will put the 2070 in there and then play musical chairs with the GPUs in the other PCs, so really it's just buying part of the new build really early.

[01101010]

Not surprised, but very amazed that we have come so far the video cards alone cost more than the base PC components combined. 

[Sky]

The macbooks also weigh a bunch, chunks of aluminum. Kinda nice, kinda not.

Speaking of upgrade-itis, I'm thinking more strongly about a QLED, since it looks like Samsung is going to push "8k" in the 2019 models. And the only model on a decent discount is the 82" 

Then I start to put together the cost of upgrading the PC to push all those pixels, it's been nice having a 1080p screen.

[Hoax]

Finally caved in to my upgrade-itis and ordered a RTX2070 for the big box since I found a 400A card for $460.  Will be doing a Ryzen 3000 build this summer and will put the 2070 in there and then play musical chairs with the GPUs in the other PCs, so really it's just buying part of the new build really early.

where/link? I've come close on the $415 not-A versions but it was an easier decision before I realized that Anthem was probably not worth $15 to me let alone $60

[Trippy]

Might be this one which is $460 after rebate:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137365

[MisterNoisy]

Might be this one which is $460 after rebate:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137365

Yep.  That's the one.

[MrHat]

Don't know if I'll play it, but I got it for free with the cpu I used part of my tax return for.

Saw that in the Division 2 thread and it might be thing that gets me to do a mini upgrade.

I've been eyeing the Ryzen 2700X along with a AM4 motherboard combo here at Microcenter. 

My question is: with the 3000 series coming out, can I just plug a 3000 series Ryzen into the motherboard and have no other issues if I want to upgrade again?

[Chimpy]

Don't know if I'll play it, but I got it for free with the cpu I used part of my tax return for.

Saw that in the Division 2 thread and it might be thing that gets me to do a mini upgrade.

I've been eyeing the Ryzen 2700X along with a AM4 motherboard combo here at Microcenter.  

My question is: with the 3000 series coming out, can I just plug a 3000 series Ryzen into the motherboard and have no other issues if I want to upgrade again?

AMD says that the AM4 socket is future proof for Ryzen so I would assume that they are not planning on changing the socket for a while. That being said, that motherboard is a B350, if you want to be sure you can upgrade to a newer AM4 CPU you will probably want a newer (B450)/better (X470) chipset since there is no guarantee that ASRock will release a UEFI update to support the new CPUs.

Since you are a gamer, I would go for something with an X470. Especially if you are spending the extra money for a 2700X rather than a regular 2700.

I have a Gigabyte X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming with a Ryzen 2600 and it has been great. I have been running 9 months with no issues so I guess I dodged the 8 month bullet everyone in the review seems to be harping about.

(I probably would have been more than fine with a B450 but when I built my machine the B450 boards were not yet available).

[MrHat]

Awesome, thanks.

[Viin]

I just upgraded my EVGA GTX 970 to an EVGA RTX 2070. Not sure I'll see much change in the PC games I play, but I'm interested to see if my VR games see any improvement.

Because I wanted to see how much of an improvement it was, I ran it through the 3DMark demo (DirectX 12) before and after:

Before (GTX 970)
GPU Score: 3687
Run 1: 23.89 FPS
Run 2: 21.25 FPS

After (RTX 2070)
GPU Score: 8821
Run 1: 56.85 FPS
Run 2: 51.09 FPS

Guess we'll see if it was worth the money ..

[MisterNoisy]

I just upgraded my EVGA GTX 970 to an EVGA RTX 2070. Not sure I'll see much change in the PC games I play, but I'm interested to see if my VR games see any improvement.

Because I wanted to see how much of an improvement it was, I ran it through the 3DMark demo (DirectX 12) before and after:

Before (GTX 970)
GPU Score: 3687
Run 1: 23.89 FPS
Run 2: 21.25 FPS

After (RTX 2070)
GPU Score: 8821
Run 1: 56.85 FPS
Run 2: 51.09 FPS

Guess we'll see if it was worth the money ..

I've been super happy with my 2070 so far - the only hiccup I ran into is that I had to install a beta version of Afterburner to be able to define a custom fan profile.

[MisterNoisy]

My desire for a new machine got the best of me, so I made a thing.

i7 9700K; RTX2070; 32GB and some SSDs all packed into a desk-sized discotheque with great HVAC:

[Hoax]

SAPPHIRE NITRO+ Radeon RX Vega 64 for $420
OR
ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX2070-O8G-GAMING for $530 (560-30MIR)

Been hearing rumbles that BTC is going up (idk if they even mine with normal cards anymore but it freaked me out) so I'm done waiting. That's $30 more after the MIR then I feel the 2070 is worth but I haven't used AMD since forever.

I've been pricing and thinking about a 27" 1440p 144hz monitor. I've got no problem running games at under ultra but I would like to go med-high and get solid 120fps at 120hz let's say. So tired of waiting. But I don't feel amazing about either deal though neither feels terrible.

[Trippy]

1440p at a relatively stable 120 fps should be possible on an RTX 2070 with some settings turned down, assuming your CPU isn't a bottleneck. That'll be more difficult on the Vega 64 -- i.e. I wouldn't recommend that for what you are thinking of doing.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-2070-gaming-oc,5919-2.html
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13431/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2070-founders-edition-review
https://www.hardocp.com/article/2019/03/18/asus_rog_strix_rtx_2070_o8g_gaming_review

[MisterNoisy]

SAPPHIRE NITRO+ Radeon RX Vega 64 for $420
OR
ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX2070-O8G-GAMING for $530 (560-30MIR)

Been hearing rumbles that BTC is going up (idk if they even mine with normal cards anymore but it freaked me out) so I'm done waiting. That's $30 more after the MIR then I feel the 2070 is worth but I haven't used AMD since forever.

I've been pricing and thinking about a 27" 1440p 144hz monitor. I've got no problem running games at under ultra but I would like to go med-high and get solid 120fps at 120hz let's say. So tired of waiting. But I don't feel amazing about either deal though neither feels terrible.

Gigabyte RTX2070 (non-400A, though) for $475 after code 'SAVE15' right now.

Also, Asus 400A RTX2070 for $470 after rebate + code EMCTYTA24.

[Azazel]

Time (finally) to follow up on the new PC build that's been false-starting for the past few years. Plan is to get it from the one place and let them build it, not bothering with part-price hunting, or getting components through the post, etc since I can't be arsed with the inevitable headaches whenever I've physically built my own machines.

I'll be getting it all from this place. Budget (was) about AU$2500, but as you can see, I've already gone over - though I can stomach this much. (my first dry run was almost AU$5k.. that's a bit too much!)

https://www.centrecom.com.au/buildpc/116486

Notes:
* I've gone for that particular case due to it having positive reviews, modularity, ease of access to swap HDDs in and out. Tool-less, side mounted HDD bays are what I'm after to make it easy for an idiot (me) to easily change drives around when needed. Also, ease of filter change! Being available from this store also helps.

* The HDD choices are to allow me to xfer a lot of stuff over, plus I'll be reusing several of the 3.5" HDDs from my existing machine, which will then become my wife's machine until she decides that she wants to upgrade - so the only reuse will be HDDs and KB+M & Monitor that we won't take into account here.

* RAM might seem like overkill, but I tend to keep my PCs for some time and this one always runs out of RAM while browsing and using software. Sure, I'm a dumbass for having too many browser tabs open, but it is what it is.

* Will also need some more fans, but not 100% on how many/which ones I should look at. I don't need full strobing nightclub RBG or anything, but some colour would be nice at times. Also should I stick with the stock CPU cooler or go with something else.

* I already have a 4k screen, KB&M, Speakers.


Please critique/tell me where I fucked up/what I should change out.

[Cyrrex]

I'll let the pros nitpick your specific choices, but you'll at least be building a machine will be fast enough to photograph black holes and stuff. 

[Trippy]

Time (finally) to follow up on the new PC build that's been false-starting for the past few years. Plan is to get it from the one place and let them build it, not bothering with part-price hunting, or getting components through the post, etc since I can't be arsed with the inevitable headaches whenever I've physically built my own machines.

I'll be getting it all from this place. Budget (was) about AU$2500, but as you can see, I've already gone over - though I can stomach this much. (my first dry run was almost AU$5k.. that's a bit too much!)

https://www.centrecom.com.au/buildpc/116486

You should get an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD like this one: https://www.centrecom.com.au/samsung-860-evo-500gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-mz-n6e500bw

32 GB RAM is not overkill these days. Also with Ryzen 7 higher bandwidth memory helps performance (up to a certain point). I would go with the 3200 MHz versions of the RAM you picked: https://www.centrecom.com.au/corsair-vengeance-lpx-3200mhz-ddr4-ram-cmk16gx4m2b3200c16

Or you could go with taller (and more expensive) 2x16 GB 3200 MHz RAM instead.

The power supply choices are kind of meh, unfortunately. Your RMx choice is okay given the options as the only that would be noticeably better would be the AX1200i which is significantly more power and more expensive.

You should consider an aftermarket CPU cooler. The stock "Wraith Prism" cooler is serviceable but there are better air coolers if you are willing to spend the money. Something like this: https://www.centrecom.com.au/noctua-nh-u14s-cpu-cooler (plus an extra fan for dual fan cooling) would be ideal, though for that cooler you would need to double-check that it's the 2019 model with AM4 mounting support.

Edit: Wraith Prism cooler test, note that these were tested with the Ryzen 7 1700 CPU:

https://www.hardocp.com/article/2018/05/15/amd_wraith_prism_cpu_air_cooler_review/3

[Ironwood]

Wife needs a new GPU, I think.  Time for a Vid Card upgrade ;  what's the beef these days ?

[Trippy]

What resolution?

[Ironwood]

Well, I'm fairly committed, I mean I married her.

I'm running the GeForce GTX 1060 6Gb and we've both got the same fairly shitty monitors, so it ain't 4k or VR or anything...

[Azazel]

Thanks for that. They're OOS on the RAM and SSD, so I'll keep an eye out on them and hope that something else doesn't go out when they do come in.

[Trippy]

Well, I'm fairly committed, I mean I married her.

I'm running the GeForce GTX 1060 6Gb and we've both got the same fairly shitty monitors, so it ain't 4k or VR or anything...

NVIDIA 1660 or 1660 Ti is probably what you want then:

https://www.anandtech.com/show/14071/nvidia-gtx-1660-review-feat-evga-xc-gaming

[Ironwood]

That would seem to suggest I can upgrade mine and give her the leavings then.

[Cyrrex]

That's how you should always approach GPU upgrades.  Get yourself the new shiny, leave your family with the leftovers while convincing them it's in their best interest.  Win/Win!

[Khaldun]

I did the Ibuypower thing, btw. Was ok. If you pick the components by hand, they definitely punish you by delaying the assembly--you get the impression of an assembly that's sitting on a bunch of shit stuff that is like oh great some asshole wants specific components, let's stall for a while. But so far seems fine.

[Yegolev]

Gaming laptops? The 2015 MacBook Pro is fine for games ported to macos but the wife is getting more into playing games and this won't cut it.

Just something that can run mid-range games. Planet Coaster was mentioned by name. Feel free to suggest whatever sounds good and I'll determine if I want to pay for it.

[Trippy]

What's the budget?