First desktop in a long time, will it fulfill my needs?

Cagey75 said:
€650 This is my max budget without selling anything, I have the 35mm 1.4 I just bought recently and considering putting that up for now [as tbh, all I've been using lately is the Laowa 100mm macro, the 35 has sat in the bag since purchase] , use a slice of the funds from that and re-buy the lens when restrictions are loosened up again

What would you push for specifically with a higher budget?
Click to expand...

I'd be looking at the following...

Ryzen 3600 or 3600x (vfm performance its pretty much unbeatable) the X is a slightly OCd 3600 with better cooler, that can save you cash on an aftermarket cooler and installation grief. Usually about 20 quid difference which is worth it.

8 or 16gb (3000/3200 vengeance lpx)

B450 board (4 slot, 32gb)

Riotoro enigma g2 psu

580/590 8gb gpu

256gb NVME OS/App disk

Your 1tb 2.5s and later a 4tb 3.5.

The thing will be rapid, LR / PS are very cpu intensive, the 3600 ryzen 5 is a great all rounder for productivity and gaming, quite a bit better than the 3500x.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
I'd be looking at the following...

Ryzen 3600 or 3600x (vfm performance its pretty much unbeatable) the X is a slightly OCd 3600 with better cooler, that can save you cash on an aftermarket cooler and installation grief. Usually about 20 quid difference which is worth it.

8 or 16gb (3000/3200 vengeance lpx)

B450 board (4 slot, 32gb)

Riotoro enigma g2 psu

580/590 8gb gpu

256gb NVME OS/App disk

Your 1tb 2.5s and later a 4tb 3.5.

The thing will be rapid, LR / PS are very cpu intensive, the 3600 ryzen 5 is a great all rounder for productivity and gaming, quite a bit better than the 3500x.
Click to expand...


I'll have to look again, because the comparisons I watched showed the 3500x very close in general performance to the 3600. The differences would most likely be negligible to me I'd say, doubt I'd notice as I've been tortured by terrible performance for so long with this laptop. I can always upgrade the RAM later on, it's already got the 590 and I would definitely be grabbing a larger HDD at some point.

Where I do need extra funds, as I see it, would be for the larger HDD, decent wi-fi connector and a nice wireless kb & mouse. I feel that's all I would need for now - a better monitor too maybe, I'll be using a Samsung 24" 1080p tv for now
 
Cagey75 said:
I'll have to look again, because the comparisons I watched showed the 3500x very close in general performance to the 3600. The differences would most likely be negligible to me I'd say, doubt I'd notice as I've been tortured by terrible performance for so long with this laptop. I can always upgrade the RAM later on, it's already got the 590 and I would definitely be grabbing a larger HDD at some point.

Where I do need extra funds, as I see it, would be for the larger HDD, decent wi-fi connector and a nice wireless kb & mouse. I feel that's all I would need for now - a better monitor too maybe, I'll be using a Samsung 24" 1080p tv for now
Click to expand...

The cpu mark of the 3600x is nearly 5000 points higher than the 3500x. 13k odd vs 18k odd.

The ram from your builder is 2400, try get 3000 or 3200 or make sure the board is compatible with fast ram.

WiFi card is £20.

Wireless kbm £35.

2tb HDD, maybe £80.
 
Oh, looking at that build, I'd budget for 2x 120mm fans at the front, if the case can take it, that things gonna get hot with only 1x exhaust!
 
twist said:
The cpu mark of the 3600x is nearly 5000 points higher than the 3500x. 13k odd vs 18k odd.

The ram from your builder is 2400, try get 3000 or 3200 or make sure the board is compatible with fast ram.

WiFi card is £20.

Wireless kbm £35.

2tb HDD, maybe £80.
Click to expand...

The systems running the 3600 are way, way pricier here though, so i guess I'd be happy to compromise on that score, from what I gather it's still better than say, a 2600. And that would be more than enough for my needs, I think?

I would upgrade the RAM at some point, reckon this is how they can sell these builds cheap-ish, because they go a little under ideal on some parts. But I think it's a decent start point? I can always learn and upgrade as I go right? I don't mind the idea of investing more into it in future, I just need to move on a start up soon [like I say, this lappy is about to burn itself out anytime]
 
Cagey75 said:
The systems running the 3600 are way, way pricier here though, so i guess I'd be happy to compromise on that score, from what I gather it's still better than say, a 2600. And that would be more than enough for my needs, I think?

I would upgrade the RAM at some point, reckon this is how they can sell these builds cheap-ish, because they go a little under ideal on some parts. But I think it's a decent start point? I can always learn and upgrade as I go right? I don't mind the idea of investing more into it in future, I just need to move on a start up soon [like I say, this lappy is about to burn itself out anytime]
Click to expand...

It's tricky, the only way the get the build cheap is to cut corners, your upgrade path is based on the motherboard, note how it's not listed. The ram would be throw away to match pairs. So really you're getting a decent cpu, gpu and nvme in that build and the PSU is also good. The fan will likely be loud and you'll need to add components to finish it... Good fans are cheap, not sure how good that case is for thermals but a solid front usually means you'll need some more cooling.
 
Still, looking at your build, if the board takes 32gb, even 2400 and the next path is the 3600 which where you are costs a lot more, it still looks good vfm to me (y)
 
Last edited:
twist said:
It's tricky, the only way the get the build cheap is to cut corners, your upgrade path is based on the motherboard, note how it's not listed. The ram would be throw away to match pairs. So really you're getting a decent cpu, gpu and nvme in that build and the PSU is also good. The fan will likely be loud and you'll need to add components to finish it... Good fans are cheap, not sure how good that case is for thermals but a solid front usually means you'll need some more cooling.
Click to expand...

Good point on the MB, I have thrown the question at them, as in what MB is in there precisely, see what they come back with - It is things like this I would never think to ask or notice, so cheers for that
 
Just had a quick search on Ryzen 3600 on the same site too, you're talking €1K minimum, they seem to pair higher end GPU with that Cpu [GTX 1080 etc] and I really don't need a very high end card, it's light gaming I'd be doing on side really, not concerned about better fps so long as the few games I might try run smooth enough
 
Cagey75 said:
Just had a quick search on Ryzen 3600 on the same site too, you're talking €1K minimum, they seem to pair higher end GPU with that Cpu [GTX 1080 etc] and I really don't need a very high end card, it's light gaming I'd be doing on side really, not concerned about better fps so long as the few games I might try run smooth enough
Click to expand...

@Cagey75

CCL do really decent builds, I customised one of theirs... I think postage is £12 to NI.

256GB is the Adata pro, which is one of the best. PSU is a Corsair VS, a good quality PSU.

8-10 day build.

1.JPG
 
Last edited:
Cagey75 said:
I needn't worry on that front, if I do opt for the system I posted earlier at least. All parts are new, it's basically someone who builds these systems to order, they fetch all the parts and put it together then sell on - obviously they make a little profit doing so and I'm good with that - I'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing put the rig together than fumble about and possibly break something myself. I am really not good with cable management for one!

The seller has 100% positive feedback and communication has been good, any noob question I threw at them had a solid response right away, that's promising. Also they offer to guide you through any issues should they arise once you receive the system.

The only frustration for me right now is that it could be a couple weeks before they have one set to go for me, I have money at the ready and this is the one I want - but they are on a bit of a back order just now. I'll have to resist hard on just opting for another system that may not be as good, or will very possibly be used - as I'm also very bad with money management and fear I might start eating away at my PC fund.

There is another system that is available and also all new parts in the same price bracket, very different make up though:

Intel Core i7-3770
PALIT GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB StormX OC GDDR6
Storage:
SSD - 240GB Patriot Burst SATA III for OS
HDD - 1TB 7200rpm for DATA
PSU: 450W Okia
OS: Win 10 PRO 64bit (fresh)

This guy offers to personally deliver and help set up if needed, which can't happen right now with the lockdown restrictions - we have checkpoints in and out of all entries into town here atm, they're turning everyone who doesn't have legit reason to be travelling back home. So Unless the guy could convince them he's on an essential run, that's a no go, I don't really fancy having a stranger in my house right now either. I also feel this one isn't quite as good as the Ryzen system? The GPU is about par judging on some comparisons I've watched today, it's the cpu - will that match a Ryzen 3500x?
Click to expand...
That's really unlikely to be all new parts as the i7-3770 is an old CPU. The i5 in your original spec was two generations newer. Note that there's also no mention of motherboard or RAM. The PSU is an unknown make and therefore dubious quality.
 
Snapsh0t said:
That's really unlikely to be all new parts as the i7-3770 is an old CPU. The i5 in your original spec was two generations newer. Note that there's also no mention of motherboard or RAM. The PSU is an unknown make and therefore dubious quality.
Click to expand...

Not that one, the Ryzen system I posted in between, the i7 is a different set up I spotted later and that one is used, it's just readily available where there's a wait list for the new ryzen build.

This is the one with all new parts:

Cagey75 said:
"Arctic Edge AE-01 is a Sleek, High Performance Gaming PC with the latest 3rd Gen, 6 Core, Ryzen 3000 Series, 3500X Processor. The powerful CPU is cooled by an equally powerful 4 HeatPipe SNOWMAN Tower Cooler with a near Silent 120mm Fan. Gaming and GPU acceleration is powerd by PowerColor Radeon RX 590 RED DRAGON with 8GB Video Memory ideal for 1080p or 1440p Gaming. It is a powerhouse Desktop PC for most tasks including Gaming, Video & Photo editing, Rendering and much more.
System comes with plenty of memory with 16 GB 2400MHz DDR4 Dual Channel Team Group Vulcan T-Force Memory installed. Components are showcased in the minimalistic design Kolink Stronghold Midi Tower Gaming Case with Tempered Glass Side Window. To maximise system performance it comes with Gigabyte 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD/Solid State Drive which can transfer at blistering speeds of 1700MB/s (read) and 1100MB/s (write)."

Sound good?

Looks nice and clean too, as in tidy -

View attachment 274924

View attachment 274925
Click to expand...



twist said:
@Cagey75

CCL do really decent builds, I customised one of theirs... I think postage is £12 to NI.

256GB is the Adata pro, which is one of the best. PSU is a Corsair VS, a good quality PSU.

8-10 day build.

View attachment 275099
Click to expand...


That does look good indeed, it's above budget though so would definitely have to sell on something.
 
Last edited:
Cagey75 said:
Not that one, the Ryzen system I posted in between, the i7 is a different set up I spotted later and that one is used, it's just readily available where there's a wait list for the new ryzen build.

This is the one with all new parts:








That does look good indeed, it's above budget though so would definitely have to sell on something.
Click to expand...

Up to you mate, but for 100 quid incl 3yr warranty it's imo worth it. Its a good bit faster and using really good parts. Also includes your WiFi card.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
Up to you mate, but for 100 quid plus 3yr warranty it's imo worth it. Its a good bit faster and using really good parts. Also includes your WiFi card.
Click to expand...

Obviously I'd jump at it if I had the funds spare, but unfortunately being out of work right now means I'm lucky to even have the very limited budget I do, and I'm already stretching to that. I have put the 35mm up for sale locally, see if anyone bites. Offing that for now would mean I can look at something like you've posted.

I can always upgrade later on if not, hopefully I will be back working soon enough - nobody really can tell right now how all of this pandemic will play out.
 
Cagey75 said:
Obviously I'd jump at it if I had the funds spare, but unfortunately being out of work right now means I'm lucky to even have the very limited budget I do, and I'm already stretching to that. I have put the 35mm up for sale locally, see if anyone bites. Offing that for now would mean I can look at something like you've posted.

I can always upgrade later on if not, hopefully I will be back working soon enough - nobody really can tell right now how all of this pandemic will play out.
Click to expand...

The 35 seems to be in higher demand than usual these days, it would be worthwhile holding out imo or listing here / Ebay, should sell quickly. Dont rush into buying a cheaper spec, that 100 quid is getting you a lot more in terms of performance / longevity. Add the additional fans I mentioned and the Wifi card and youre looking at around 50 quid difference.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
The 35 seems to be in higher demand than usual these days, it would be worthwhile holding out imo or listing here / Ebay, should sell quickly. Dont rush into buying a cheaper spec, that 100 quid is getting you a lot more in terms of performance / longevity. Add the additional fans I mentioned and the Wifi card and youre looking at around 50 quid difference.
Click to expand...

Just noticed these prices are without Win 10 OS?
 
It's taken me quite a while and thanks a lot @twist for all the help [initially sent the link promised, turned into a 4 page informational chat :) ]

But I finally put the order in on this system earlier today:

AVP Hyperion mATX - USB3.0

AMD RYZEN 5 2600X - Gen2 - 3.6/4.2Ghz Turbo - 6 Core - 12 Threads - 16MB Cache

HEATSINK/FAN For CPU Included To Cover Overclock If Applicable

ASUS Prime B450M-A B450 Chipset - USB3.1 - USB3.0- M.2

CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 8GB DDR4 3200Mhz

512GB Intel 660p M.2 2280 NVMe- 1500MB/s(R)-1000MB/s(W)

SAMSUNG 24X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer & Dual Format

nVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB - HDMI-DP - VR Ready

500W PSU - KOLINK 80+ (Low/Mid Gaming)

PALICOMP Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Set

External USB Wireless Dongle (WIFI) LAN N - 1200Mbps

2 x Black 12CM Fans

Q-JUMP - SAME DAY BUILD, TEST and NEXT DAY DISPATCH


I went with just 8GB RAM for now to keep the cost down so I could get the better cpu and 512GB nvme, also needed the wi-fi dongle, as I'm not certain yet where I'll permanently place it - good chance it'll be in the next room from the router. I will up that to 16GB as soon as poss, but otherwise happy enough with it on paper at least. I paid extra for a priority/queue jump build so hopefully it should be here at least early next week - will report back on how I find the quality of it then.
 
Cagey75 said:
It's taken me quite a while and thanks a lot @twist for all the help [initially sent the link promised, turned into a 4 page informational chat :) ]

But I finally put the order in on this system earlier today:

AVP Hyperion mATX - USB3.0

AMD RYZEN 5 2600X - Gen2 - 3.6/4.2Ghz Turbo - 6 Core - 12 Threads - 16MB Cache

HEATSINK/FAN For CPU Included To Cover Overclock If Applicable

ASUS Prime B450M-A B450 Chipset - USB3.1 - USB3.0- M.2

CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 8GB DDR4 3200Mhz

512GB Intel 660p M.2 2280 NVMe- 1500MB/s(R)-1000MB/s(W)

SAMSUNG 24X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer & Dual Format

nVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB - HDMI-DP - VR Ready

500W PSU - KOLINK 80+ (Low/Mid Gaming)

PALICOMP Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Set

External USB Wireless Dongle (WIFI) LAN N - 1200Mbps

2 x Black 12CM Fans

Q-JUMP - SAME DAY BUILD, TEST and NEXT DAY DISPATCH


I went with just 8GB RAM for now to keep the cost down so I could get the better cpu and 512GB nvme, also needed the wi-fi dongle, as I'm not certain yet where I'll permanently place it - good chance it'll be in the next room from the router. I will up that to 16GB as soon as poss, but otherwise happy enough with it on paper at least. I paid extra for a priority/queue jump build so hopefully it should be here at least early next week - will report back on how I find the quality of it then.
Click to expand...

Bargain rocket.
 
twist said:
Bargain rocket.
Click to expand...

Like a kid waiting for Christmas to come now :D will be so nice to not have to wait 7-8 mins for Lightroom to load, watch HD content without glitching and stuttering and play the odd game at a decent frame rate. It is the little things, and this all comes in a discreet little mico tower package - when looking it up I did see some mods to it though, one guy had the side panel removed and replaced with transparent perspex - with rgb fans on the go, looked pretty cool if I ever wanted a side project
 
Cagey75 said:
Like a kid waiting for Christmas to come now :D will be so nice to not have to wait 7-8 mins for Lightroom to load, watch HD content without glitching and stuttering and play the odd game at a decent frame rate. It is the little things, and this all comes in a discreet little mico tower package - when looking it up I did see some mods to it though, one guy had the side panel removed and replaced with transparent perspex - with rgb fans on the go, looked pretty cool if I ever wanted a side project
Click to expand...

I bet, love a new toy. That sounds painful mate. You'll be watching 4k windowed stuff in YouTube while editing photos at the same time soon.

Go for it, my side panel is tempered glass so I won't be adding vents, perspex is great and cheap, also comes in various colours so you can go wild. If you're into rgb you can finish your 2 ram slots off with corsair rgb and replace all your fans with their rgb fans and controller then synch the lot.
 
They can look great when lit up, but I imagine it'd get annoying and you just turn it all off after a while. I'm going for clean space first, so it'll be more or less hidden - but I might dabble with some less OTT RGB at some point, just to have the snazzy option :)
 
Cagey75 said:
They can look great when lit up, but I imagine it'd get annoying and you just turn it all off after a while. I'm going for clean space first, so it'll be more or less hidden - but I might dabble with some less OTT RGB at some point, just to have the snazzy option :)
Click to expand...

That motherboard has an Aura Sync header, its an onboard connector for RGB LED strips. So RGB is easy and controllable via Aura Sync software, strips dont cost to much if you decide to go that way eventually.
 
twist said:
That motherboard has an Aura Sync header, its an onboard connector for RGB LED strips. So RGB is easy and controllable via Aura Sync software, strips dont cost to much if you decide to go that way eventually.
Click to expand...

Ah, bit like the strips my daughter has around her all in one desk/bed. Weird thing happened with those, half the long strip went blank while the rest still light.


Quick question on the motherboard, I know 2x8GB sticks is preferable, but is there much difference in performance using 4x4GB? Just thinking it would save me about £40 if I can just match the 2 that come with if I do feel I need 16GB early on
 
Cagey75 said:
Ah, bit like the strips my daughter has around her all in one desk/bed. Weird thing happened with those, half the long strip went blank while the rest still light.


Quick question on the motherboard, I know 2x8GB sticks is preferable, but is there much difference in performance using 4x4GB? Just thinking it would save me about £40 if I can just match the 2 that come with if I do feel I need 16GB early on
Click to expand...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhMYmEu8gks
 
Cagey75 said:
Cheers, don't know how I missed this one as I've watched a number of his vids too :D
Click to expand...

His reviews are very good. Looks like you can see a gain in FPS using 4x4GB in certain games in comparison to 2x8GB.
 
A little bit confusing on the RAM types but it seems performance should be either similar or even better depending.
 
twist said:
@Cagey75

You can either use 4x4 slots total 16GB, if it were me Id go another pair of 8GB, so 2x4 and 2x8gb for total of 24GB.

Its 45 for 2x4GB or 75 for 2x 8GB. So youre only paying another £30 for an additional 8GB.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMK16GX4M2B3200C16-Vengeance-Performance-Desktop/dp/B0143UM4TC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VGC2JPHDH44S&dchild=1&keywords=corsair+vengeance+lpx+16gb&qid=1587642235&sprefix=corsair+vengena,aps,143&sr=8-1&th=1
Click to expand...

I've already paid for the 2x4 so was thinking another set of 2x4 would save me a few quid and I wouldn't have to go sell the ones that come with. Though, adding 2x8 and keeping the 2x4 does sound good, I thought it was best to have all sticks the same capacity though?
 
twist said:
His reviews are very good. Looks like you can see a gain in FPS using 4x4GB in certain games in comparison to 2x8GB.
Click to expand...

Yeah he's pretty clear in his explanations [even if I still get confused at times, just me and numbers] , I like him and the Tech Deals guy, no BS, just straight into the information - unlike some of the more theatrical guys like Linus ...
 
Last edited:
Cagey75 said:
I've already paid for the 2x4 so was thinking another set of 2x4 would save me a few quid and I wouldn't have to go sell the ones that come with. Though, adding 2x8 and keeping the 2x4 does sound good, I thought it was best to have all sticks the same capacity though?
Click to expand...

NA, its not an issue, the only difference between the sticks I posted and yours is capacity. The important bits are all identical.

You fit them staggered, you shouldnt need to do anything, your build will already be staggered so you just put them into the empty slots. Basically 8, 4, 8, 4 or 4, 8, 4, 8.

Does that make sense?
 
twist said:
NA, its not an issue, the only difference between the sticks I posted and yours is capacity. The important bits are all identical.

You fit them staggered, you shouldnt need to do anything, your build will already be staggered so you just put them into the empty slots. Basically 8, 4, 8, 4 or 4, 8, 4, 8.

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...

Yup :) I got that from a few vids too, they were always separating 2 sticks so have looked into that, makes sense - I am learning :D
 
twist said:
You can build the next one ;)
Click to expand...

I have an idea on that actually, if it turns out I don't like the case, or just want something snazzier down the line - I could take this one apart and rebuild in a new case. The taking apart bit will show me exactly what needs to go where, like learning in reverse :D

Bit to go beforehand though, step 1: make sure the thing actually works in the first place :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top