New PC Upgrade 2020 into 2021

[arqueturus]

Thanks for the opinions. I guess I'll gird my loins at some point and spec a system. Right now feels like a bad time to do it though.

[DjchunKfunK]

Thanls for the opinons. I guess I'll gird my loins at some point and spec a system. Right now feels like a bad time to do it though.

Yeah you want to wait for the new Ryzen chips to come out unless you are after a more budget build then the Ryzen 3600 is tough to beat.

[2Channelwonder]

I always used to build my own but my last 2 computers were pre built. I couldn't get the prices for the indiviual bits at a lower cost than they could build it and deliver it to me... I'll probably get a pre built for my next Pc too. I'm just waiting for the next influx of 3080s

Actually Rusty or anyone with a build in the past few years let me know how long you realistically got out of your graphics cards and whether Nvidia's Detonators support a larger spread than the Radeon drivers, what I don't want to happen is I go ahead with a separate GPU and then it's underpowered compared to whatever CPU I end up with later this year/early next year (even if there would probably be another generation of cards out by then).

[Rusty]

I might be a bit different as I tend to buy almost bleeding edge when I do get a new PC.
My last one had a 1080 and a m2 drive as they had just come out and where the best. So looking at google the 1080 came out in mid 2016 so I probably would have got my current Pc then. So it's lasted 4 years and still can kick all game's asses at 1440p

[2Channelwonder]

Thanks Rusty, I checked and that GeForce generation's now down to a much more reasonable £125-175 depending on whether it's GDDR5 or 6 but Nvidia's trying to drive people to 8Gb on a single GPU which I just don't need even if I want a dual screen setup. Hopefully they will keep a decent spread of 4Gb cards around.

Good old Custom PC had a roundup of Air cooled heatsinks in the new issue and I actually used the AMD version of an Arctic cooler that they recommended for years on end and I got a full decade out of it. Thankfully they now make a different version of the updated Arctic HSF reviewed by the magazine designed for 24/7 operation for only three more pounds so for less than 30 quid it's the budget way to kickstart the new build.

Anyone have any negative experiences with SSDs? I still have trust issues with them. Personally considering leaving this build with a mechanical and going with a WD Black level drive for the 5yr warranty over all the Blue drives I bought which went out of warranty after 2yrs.

Also spent a couple of nights looking at cases despite having an old one, has everyone embraced BTX with the PSUs at the bottom of the case? Most webshops have a mid range or budget case that's still original ATX with the PSU mount at the top for up to 50 quid and that's my ceiling if I do get a new one.

[Pew-Pew]

Hi Neth!

I think PSU at the bottom of the case is very much standard nowadays - this was the case at least 5 years ago when I built my previous system too!

SSDs are fine and very reliable. Just do it, you'll love how much faster they are. In my current build I have three SSDs (two 1 TB drives and one 512 GB) and one HDD (2 TB). I seriously wouldn't build a new PC nowadays without at least a 512 GB one as a boot drive with some games on it.

[Drarok]

Nobody should be building a PC these days and booting / running games from spinning rust. Go with SSDs, and get shiny M.2 NVMe ones if your budget and motherboard allow for it. They're the ones that look like a cyberpunk piece of chewing gum and are even faster than SATA SSDs. The latest consoles have gone with them too, FYI.

[Pew-Pew]

Yeah, M.2 NVME SSDs are nice for the size and the fact that you don't have to attach any cables to them/do any more cable management, just plug them straight into the motherboard. If you're on a budget I would definitely prioritise just getting a normal SATA SSD though, the difference in loading times in games etc. is very small. The big jump is HDD to SSD. In the future it might be a bit different (PCIE4 SSDs and directstorage) but for now... meh.

[Drarok]

All the new consoles are going NVMe though, so there's more chance that game engines will lean on that and everyone will see the benefit.

Or something like that, I read it once.

[2Channelwonder]

Excellent vid thanks Pew, maybe if I took the plunge with SSDs I would go with the transitional version that still connects with a SATA cable even if it wasn't the fastest.

Anyone order components from Amazon, any size? I know they were pretty competitive price-wise during the AM3 CPU era but what about now? I previously only ever used them for price comparisons, are they still short changing people by saying six months warranty only then get a direct RMA from the manufacturer like they used to? Or was that larger electronics only and not smaller things like PC parts?

[DjchunKfunK]

Excellent vid thanks Pew, maybe if I took the plunge with SSDs I would go with the transitional version that still connects with a SATA cable even if it wasn't the fastest.

Anyone order components from Amazon, any size? I know they were pretty competitive price-wise during the AM3 CPU era but what about now? I previously only ever used them for price comparisons, are they still short changing people by saying six months warranty only then get a direct RMA from the manufacturer like they used to? Or was that larger electronics only and not smaller things like PC parts?

I've used Amazon a fair bit as they are often the cheapest option.

[Hatredsheart]

If you're looking for the cheapest prices and are also worried about compatibility then https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ is your friend.

[2Channelwonder]

Thanks HH I will get more into PartPicker as time goes on but I've kickstarted the build with the HSF;

https://www.arctic.de/en/Freezer-7-X-CO/ACFRE00085A

Had I known you'd get a 6yr warranty getting it direct from them I might have gone through the German webshop but they wanted Paypal only and being a Prime order I'll think about it as there will be postage on top of the EUR€ 20 vs just 28 quid and it's in my hand vs being out of stock and having to wait for it.

[Pew-Pew]

Have you decided what other parts you want? I would definitely figure that out before buying anything else.

[2Channelwonder]

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

and yes I did go all round the houses before realising DJ's motherboard pick was the best in my price range plus I have a Gigabyte right now so why change if it's been great for 8 years? Same for Corsair RAM that also served me well in the DDR2 days so happy to use DDR4 from the same firm. Grabbed the mobo now as it's running into short supply but everything else can now wait.

As normal I left the GPU out until last but am happy that the core of the build is staying within budget because once again I already have that Toshiba P300 as backup for the SSD, but wanted to see the overall cost. Also I have to contact Microsoft to get my Windows 10 key replaced so it won't be the full £125 I hope.

[EDIT] Put it this way if I can't shave 30 quid off that CPU price I'd have to just go over my ceiling for it and hope the GPU was reasonable at midrange to slightly upper Ti or XT. PCI-E 4 is a pipe dream, sticking at 3.0 I get a reasonable SSD performance if not the bleeding edge, PCI-E 4 can be the build after this one as the PSU would support it.

Thankfully as well as that video I grabbed hold of ComputerActive for the history of SSDs explained in plain English and basically I have to compare the WD Blue SN550 which fits the mobo, with the Crucial that DJ recommended in his Partpicker list. They both have a 5yr warranty without having to buy direct necessarily and are both in the same price range so tough choice without Googling the comparison.