New PC spec?
 

Thi thinking about replacing current PC , what sort of spec should I look for. Current one wouldn't support windows 11. Don't use for gaming .do download family videos of softball games And i am inpatient :p: the current one is somewhat slow in opening Web sites , it could for cause be nothing to do with it ! Would have it built not of the shelf.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I like AMD machines. Personal preference. Judging by your original post your current machine wouldn't class as a gaming machine?

Re: New PC spec?
 

Max spend

Re: New PC spec?
 

What’s your preference - desktop or laptop? As you don’t seem to be looking at a gaming machine, a refurbished PC might work for you. I have bought both for my kids in recent years and have been very happy. Ex-business machines are a step up from your consumer machines in terms of build quality

Re: New PC spec?
 

How much do you want to spend?


I'd be looking at nothing less than 16GB of RAM and an SSD drive for fast access.

Re: New PC spec?
 

The missus wanted a PC just for emails and light browsing, so we chose a basic Lenovo from PCWorld. It has run very well and, apart from a first power up failure due to a bad update which turned it into a brick, requiring a no-quibble full replacement.

They have a very good spec version on sale now.

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/le...-10264775.html

Re: New PC spec?
 

Not bothered about cost, was wondering if I needed to move up to 16gb of ram ,have 8 on current m/c , ssd . If suggested what sort of motherboard, etc should opt for . Taff will be going to" we fix any PC" in Llanishen . Great guys ,however when ever I go there after 5 minutes, l am completely baffled :dunce:

Re: New PC spec?
 

B650 motherboard Ryzen 7600X 16 GB ram and 2 nvme ssds 512 GB or 1TB for OS and programs 2TB for storage if you need it. If you wanted to push the boat out maybe change the cpu for a 7700X and 32GB ram prices are not bad at present you do not need anything higher than that imo

Re: New PC spec?
 

My Asus Zephyrus has 8GB RAM soldered onto the motherboard. A bare minimum. I added 16GB of RAM myself. A no brainer really going for more RAM. SSD dependant on your needs.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I'd just go for the 7700 and not the x version. Lower power draw and not really much difference in performance.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I find that expensive but Currys do generally pull your trousers down so it's expected.from them

Re: New PC spec?
 

soldered ram? Surely adding 16GB messes up the bandwidth making it single channel? is it just 1 8GB stick soldered to 2x4 ? that seems like a pants config if you losing all that bandwidth

Re: New PC spec?
 

The machine is registering both. I didn't really look for the soldered RAM when I opened it up. It was purely plug and play.

It's an Asus Zephyrus GA401IH-BM057T

https://uk.crucial.com/compatible-up...us-g14-ga401ih

Re: New PC spec?
 

but it wont be dual channel

Bit of research it does have flex mode so 16GB keeps dual channel so all gravy

Re: New PC spec?
 

Thanks guys hopefully I will have an idea what to say I am looking for, for safety I would say that a" friend " suggested this .

---------- Post added at 21:05 ---------- Previous post was at 21:04 ----------

sorry what does that mean ,can guess but .....

Re: New PC spec?
 

The X has a higher base clock speed and slightly higher boost speed. It does also use more power. In either case ask for an AIO cooling solution preferably 360mm min on the cpu. It will mean you need a bigger case but it also means you can have a full ATX motherboard I would prefer anyway

Re: New PC spec?
 

Thank you:)

Re: New PC spec?
 

Price to performance isn't really worth it though. Especially factoring in the extra power usage.

I have an AIO on my 7700.

Re: New PC spec?
 

You only use the extra power when utilising the higher clock speeds. Most the time the CPU will just be using a few watts to idle over. It is all about having the power when you need it imo

Re: New PC spec?
 

I too am looking to replace my desktop as it can't run Windows 11 though mostly I run Linux with Windows for games and those tools with no Linux equivalent.
Our current PC is over a decade old, Core i7 720, 18GB triple channel RAM, 2x1TB rust HD's, NVidia GT1030 in a full size case with DVD writer. This cost £1200 about a decade or more ago with a GTX260 and 6GB RAM.
It's a struggle to find the right balance as there don't seem to be much in the way of mid priced graphics cards, I don't need the huge graphics cards but want better than the GT1060.
I do want a case that can take an internal optical drive, RAM looking at 32GB but it's not hugely expensive to go to 64GB. 2xfast disks, one for windows, one for Linux (that way I can keep them separate but booting from the Linux disk would still let me boot Windows and if Windows wanted to do lots of patching I can switch to boot from the Windows disk and let it do its multi restart nonsense) a couple of disks for storage, spinning rust is cheaper, SSD is faster, maybe both. I prefer nVidia for the GPU, it's what I know and always used to work better for Linux. A good PSU, people seem to forget this, something in the 850W Gold+ area.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Again no max spend haha without that there is no way advice can be given. it is always the best way to gauge if the person is being realistic

I hate the werrrrr of spinning disks now spoilt I guess haha

You are gonna struggle getting a new modern case with an optical bay will not be much choice. Some of the older B Quiet cases are nice and still have them behind a door at the front and then there are some basic corsair cases if you can get them that are old school

Re: New PC spec?
 

Glad I made you laugh, but cost has never been a. Issue for me. Value for money yes, meets my needs yes, ie pick the car I want then shop around for best deal. Unfortunately for cars I like not many dealers in u k normally. Once I had decided don't tend to change my mind , so it costs what it costs:mad:

Re: New PC spec?
 

This quoted reply was not a reply to you and when I did mention it to you you had not yet said money was no object. Asking what the max spend is should always be the first question asked unless a spend is already quoted

Re: New PC spec?
 

Didn't take any offence, and was not sure if I was included in the reference. Really you need not to be so defensive :)

Re: New PC spec?
 

I was simply explaining my point

Re: New PC spec?
 

Didn't read it like that :angel: no more comments from me . Other than thanks for your help.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Just a bit north of us in Penygraig is a company I have used in the past. Incredible value.

https://www.getonlineathome.org/prod...ed-desktop-pc/

Re: New PC spec?
 

Thanks,seem to be mainly refurbished

Re: New PC spec?
 

Which do you prefer, AMD or Intel ?

Re: New PC spec?
 

Good question , have no idea :rolleyes:

Re: New PC spec?
 

Do you like raw power (AMD) or suited and booted (Intel) ?

Re: New PC spec?
 

I have preferred AMD for my servers for quite some time, the Ryzen series.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Sorry but I hope I made it clear, sorry if I had not. I have no idea what you mean , ie what the real difference is to a non tecy like me :dozey:

Re: New PC spec?
 

Amd will be fine and cheaper than intel.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I was trying to simplify it for you. There are characteristics in the choice you make. In short your machine says a lot about you. Have a little enthusiasm and the rest will follow suit.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I've always bought AMD for my PC builds. Just preferred them. Same for their GPUs.

Particularly for gaming their x3D chips are the best performers. Intel have had a lot of bad press in recent weeks with CPU issues and am sure their CEO stepped down too.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Huh :confused:

In your case, either will do.

This thread highlights the problem of asking for PC advice in a forum full of techies, you wont get a simple reply :D

Re: New PC spec?
 

That much is clear. Sadly when ever I use this supplier, great as they are , l leave with a working m/c and a spinning head :D . Have been talked through problems on the phone in the past for free. Which in the end were solved by changing the hard drive for ssd . At the time I didn't have a clue what that was either :D

Re: New PC spec?
 

I went all out with a AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, ASUS TUF Gaming X670E-PLUS WIFI, 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz, 24GB ASUS TUF Geforce RTX 4090 OC Edition. With x2 SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2s.

Kind of regret a bit as I ain't using it enough, but at least hopefully it'll last me out without having to upgrade for a while but at least I have the option as and when I need it.

But saying that, it's fast, like crazy fast. Transfer 50gb from one drive to another in a few seconds. Every game on max, 4k max frame rates, and with ray tracing on full etc etc etc. Games do look out of this world I must admit.

It's good in winter, warms the room right up too. lol.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I think I would have more hope of understanding this if it was written in Arabic :confused:

Re: New PC spec?
 

Sure i saw videos about the 7950x3D saying to avoid for gaming die to the amount of cores and some get parked or something and it was best to go with the 7800x3D or 7900x3D.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Probably. But I really can't say I notice anything. If you're talking about benchmarks, then you might probably see something in it, but as it is, I don't think things could be bettered.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Based purely on inflation from my last PC it would be around £1700 but some components are now harder to find that sweet spot especially with graphics cards so probably in the £2000 mark. Much as I would love some of the silly specs I've configured my wife would be very unhappy if I spent closer to £20k on a PC.

Re: New PC spec?
 

2k is roughly what I spent on my rig last June. GPU being £800 of that.

Re: New PC spec?
 

My Main PC cost me £402, in October 2013.
I have a backup PC that cost £420, in April 2016.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Tight.

.

Re: New PC spec?
 

You say that but when I am approached by someone wanting a PC or whatever I spec it to their actual needs and as long as systems are maintained and nothing fails and the users needs do not change then why would they A spend more than they need and B upgrade when they do not need too

Re: New PC spec?
 

Based on what ?
Are you just being an ass ?

Why would I pay more than necessary.
Given its been running for 11 years now, seems a wise choice to me.

Re: New PC spec?
 

absolutely. If it suits your needs why spend cash on something that will still only suit your needs. Ye sit might do it a little faster but if you are happy with what you have stick. I give this advice often and it does do me out of potential earnings hahaa

Re: New PC spec?
 

Yes. Sorry Boss.

Re: New PC spec?
 

As been said, it all depends on your needs (and budget). I went all out as I did with my previous PC and that lasted me many years (close to a decade) without the need to upgrade other than the GFX card. So I'm hoping my present one will last me out without the need to upgrade for quite some time, if ever hopefully.

If or when it does comes to it I might just upgrade a part or 2 if or when needed. So basically I've paid out now hoping that it'll to last as long as possible. Overkill now, probably yes, in a couple of years maybe probably not, who knows.

My total was around £4.5k including new 4k monitor (GIGABYTE M32U). Which was something I did forget to factor in. If you do upgrade to one of the higher end gfx cards, then depending on what type of monitor you have now then you might have to upgrade your monitor as well to make the most of it. Otherwise it's quite pointless and they aren't exactly cheap either.

Re: New PC spec?
 

It is the GPU that seems to add unnecessary bulk to the price. I would like the GPU in the £200 range, I want more than basic but I don't need a huge unit.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Yep, that's where most of the cost is. My 4090 is still around the £2k mark alone but my one is top end and overkill for day to day stuff. I don't think you're going to get much for around the £200 range. But then again it all depends on what you're going to use the PC for. Probably would better to get a PC with a card as part of the package and not bought separately. If not, then you could get good deals via ebay / 2nd hand market. Or a complete PC 2nd hand could be an option.

Re: New PC spec?
 

You can pick up a 7600XT for £300 I would not go lower than that

Re: New PC spec?
 

or maybe ARC is an option

Re: New PC spec?
 

If, gaming isn’t of interest, you can go super cheap on graphics cards. I have a fanless Nvidia GT710 card which runs a 1440p monitor with no problems and is specked for 4k. These can be picked up for less than £50. If you wanted multiple HDMI monitors, then a GT730 would do the trick for around £80.

I do some video editing and transcoding and my video card holds up fine. Just make sure the card is upstream of the processor in terms of air flow

Re: New PC spec?
 

I have a GT1030 in my current build. The suggested card on one of my games is GTX1060 so they need a card but nothing too extraordinary.

Re: New PC spec?
 

My present machine has an onboard graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT710. I don't do gaming, so it's enough for my requirements.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Bottom line is that it all boils down to what you want from a pc. And then what your budget is.

Re: New PC spec?
 

I agree totally on usage and budget. The moan still is the missing "mid-range" equipment that give you the best bang for buck and allow for easy upgrading as you need it.
My old machine actually still runs fine, does pretty much all I need it to, I just need to upgrade for Windows 11 and since it is a decade or more old would benefit from some newer components. If it were not Windows 11 I probably would get a pair off SSD's fitted, put Windows on one and Linux on the other, maybe put Linux data on the Windows system disk and visa versa and keep the tin or even swap them for either bigger disks or SSD's and it would likely last another few years.

Re: New PC spec?
 

You can install Windows 11 on "Unsupported Hardware" but they say you won't receive support from them (Microsoft) and it will have a Watermark of sorts saying "Unsupported Device" similar I believe the the "Activate Windows" one you might see on some YouTube videos.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...9-ef0a331518f1

Thing is hardware wise now, you won't go wrong with Intel or AMD on the CPU side, if your looking for a pc to just browse the net and watch videos etc, then go with an AMD APU based system, little AMD 5600G or something with 16Gb of Ram and a 500G NVME drive.

It won't break the bank, will play any video file out there and will play some light games if you wanted to, maybe not at the highest settings etc but for just basic need's you cannot really go wrong with it.

Even an Intel Core I3 14100 would do the job with a motherboard and ram you are probably looking at about £400 all in, maybe even £300 depending on pricing.

Of Course you could go midrange and get an Intel I5 or AMD Ryzen 5, throw in an Intel B580 GPU and be set for everything up to 1440p gaming, and still probably have change left over from £1k again depending on pricing and where you buy from and what you need.

Here is the current Ryzen 5 Build I would be recommending to people, PSU and case etc would depend on what they have already.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2qLt8Q

It would be this for Intel

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/mccW3w



Now the thing is, if you don't need Windows then why not stick with what you have and just go to Linux?

Personally I would be on Linux now but I need Windows as some of the games I am playing only work on Windows and the console versions of them don't have Keyboard and Mouse support.

Re: New PC spec?
 

So this with the exception of the USB, the one for Apple fittings is what I have ordered. Time to pick holes !

An Intel Core i5 12th gen 6 core Processor with Intel UHD Graphics sitting on a 610 chipset LGA 1700 DDR4 Micro ATX Motherboard with an Intel stock cooler. There will be 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB NVME SSD and the board will have HDMI and 6 USB ports plus the 3.5mm audio jacks at the rear. The case will have 1 USB-A and 1 USB-C port plus the usual audio jacks on the front and is a slimline micro-atx case. Windows 11 Pro will be installed onto the new drive and we can transfer personal data from the old to the new drive.

Re: New PC spec?
 

How much in cost?

Re: New PC spec?
 

Ok, so curious here, what exactly are "apple fittings" on a PC ?

Re: New PC spec?
 

USB / USB/c (Thunderbolt) I presume.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Oh soo many questions... What PSU did you go for?

Re: New PC spec?
 

From what I am seeing, it can't be more than £400 at most.

Re: New PC spec?
 

:erm: the OP said money was no issue. I do like the 6 cores factor. It's my favourite number, I have a 6 core Ryzen :D

Re: New PC spec?
 

If I get this correctly is is the new apple USB fitting .

---------- Post added at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was at 17:22 ----------

Have no idea :shocked:

---------- Post added at 17:25 ---------- Previous post was at 17:23 ----------

£420 . With delivery and setting up.

Re: New PC spec?
 

You mean it's Apples adaptive connector via new ruling preventing the use of patented lightening connectors.

What happens when you press the power button?

Re: New PC spec?
 

1 if you say so.
2 it comes on :dozey:

Re: New PC spec?
 

:LOL: that would have been funny :D I was curious what power output you went for? Was this a build you put together from start to finish?

Re: New PC spec?
 

Yes USB-C on the phone end.

Most new devices use it to charge now. Some cables still have a USB-A at one end of the connector but many will have C at both ends.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Sorry what you see is all I (dont) know , yes it is being built for me they put it together , delivery in 5 to 7 days . Have used these guys for many years ( at least 9) so trust them . ;)

Re: New PC spec?
 

Oh that explains it. Well good for you for getting a shiny new pc :D

Re: New PC spec?
 

It's the GPU that keeps hitting me. It all looks quite reasonable until you add that bit in. One builder only offered high end cards that added 35% or so onto the price.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Sorry l haven't a clue what this means:(

Re: New PC spec?
 

A dedicated graphics card. They start from a few hundred quid but the high end ones cost up to £2000. My card cost me £750 and totalled my build to £2100.

Only really needed for gaming or video editing/processing.

Re: New PC spec?
 

Thanks , clearly I don't need one:cool: