Yet another Time to Replace….. System Build Thread!

[EtheAv8r]

My current desktop PC was built in September 2012, and has run reliably until now. It is still running well, but regularly Blue Screens several times after Patch Tuesday updates, but eventually settles down to run OK again. I have performed rebuilds consisting of Fresh OS Installs and full Application re-installs several times during its life, which always re-invigorated the machine and returned stability and reliability for the next year or so. It just did not seem necessary or worthwhile to replace this machine until now.

The current rig has proven to be pretty quick (very quick in its early years) and consists of an Intel Core i5-3570K overclocked to 4.5GHz, cooled by a Corsair H100 on an Asus Maximus V Gene-Z motherboard, with 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair DDR3 Vengeance PC3-12800 RAM and a Corsair Performance Pro Series 256GB SSD Boot drive and Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD Data drive with a 2TB HD for large storage, powered by a Corsair Professional Series HX 650 PSU and housed in a Corsair Carbide 500R white case. Original GPU was an ASUS GTX670, and this was replaced a few years ago with an EVGA 4G GTX970SC. Also has a sound card (not required nowadays), a Card Reader for my cameras, and an Optical drive.

I am now looking at replacing with a new PC in early 2020, Reinstalling Windows 10 and Office 365 on current machine and passing over to my wife, who currently has a Core 2 Duo E6700 machine I built for her in 2008, which is ready to retire.

New PC:-

I don’t want any lights or flashing gizmos, RGB lighting is not for me. I want fast, quiet, reliable, understated looks-wise. The case musthave a 5.25 front accessible drive slot for an optical drive – I rip all my music CDs to FLAC and play on my HiFi only from digital storage or streaming services. It seems to me that most modern cases don’t support 5.25 front access for optical drives and card readers anymore.

I don’t really game at all, but do run flight sims, and like a fast, future-proof-as-possible reliable and stable machine that can handle large photo editing tasks, and possibly video also. I need lots of USB connectors, including USB Type C (thunderbolt 3). My monitor is a Dell U2713H 1440p, and I can't see myself going 4k anytime soon (but never say never).

I am guessing that I will probably be looking at an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, rather than an Intel CPU and this will be my first AMD CPU since the good old days of Athlon…….. 32GB (2 x 16GB) RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD boot drive….. Not at all sure about GPU (do I really need a 2080 Ti?). Budget is £2.5k – £2.8k max. I expect this build to last me for up to 10 years (I am Retired).

I will value and consider all and any suggestions, including should I build or go say SCAN 3XS for warranty and support peace of mind.

[MrJim]

I wouldn't worry about the 5.25" drive slot - you can but a USB external DVD writer these days for about £20.

Although USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 use the same physical connector, they're quite different electronically. If you need Thunderbolt 3, your choice of motherboard is a lot more limited.

You might not need a 2080ti for playing games, but these days GPUs can be used to accelerate graphically intensive tasks like photo & video editing. I've not much experience with this though, not maybe someone else can offer advice?

Building a 'future-proof' PC is a bit of a misnomer these days. Going back a few years, Intel deliberately held back CPU development by using their market position and process advantage to restrict mainstream desktop systems to 4 core / 8 thread CPUs. But compare the last 10 years to how things have changed since Ryzen came to market, and it's a completely different story. Personally, I'd try & build a system that's the best you can afford, & with a view to future upgradeability...

[EtheAv8r]

Thank you Mr Jim. Yes USB C would be fine, if Thunderbolt 3 is available I can (if ever required) use it for all sorts of expansion options offered by my CalDigit TS3 Plus that I have for my ThinkPad laptop. However this is not essential, just "nice to have".

As for "future proof", I was in IT all my working life - over 50 years - so I fully understand limitations, hence the "future-proof-as-possible", however my last fast machine build has lasted over 7 years with only a GPU upgrade required, and that is what I am looking to do again..... I think Ryzen 9 3950X and ThreadRipper are probably OTT for my uses..... however I might be persuaded.....

[Ciber]

New PC:-

I don’t want any lights or flashing gizmos, RGB lighting is not for me. I want fast, quiet, reliable, understated looks-wise. The case musthave a 5.25 front accessible drive slot for an optical drive – I rip all my music CDs to FLAC and play on my HiFi only from digital storage or streaming services. It seems to me that most modern cases don’t support 5.25 front access for optical drives and card readers anymore.

I don’t really game at all, but do run flight sims, and like a fast, future-proof-as-possible reliable and stable machine that can handle large photo editing tasks, and possibly video also. I need lots of USB connectors, including USB Type C (thunderbolt 3). My monitor is a Dell U2713H 1440p, and I can't see myself going 4k anytime soon (but never say never).

I am guessing that I will probably be looking at an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, rather than an Intel CPU and this will be my first AMD CPU since the good old days of Athlon…….. 32GB (2 x 16GB) RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD boot drive….. Not at all sure about GPU (do I really need a 2080 Ti?). Budget is £2.5k – £2.8k max. I expect this build to last me for up to 10 years (I am Retired).

I will value and consider all and any suggestions, including should I build or go say SCAN 3XS for warranty and support peace of mind.

You can still buy cases with front bays for your DVD drive. That's what I'm going to buy myself. If you think your current GPU is fine then re-use that or get a similar level such as a GTX 2060. You're right if you think you don't need a 2080 then you don't need one. Budget wise I would limit it to 1k to 1.5k and save some of that cash for future upgrades.