New computer advice (1 Viewer)

[Derrick 63]

I'm starting the process of buying a new computer and I am looking for some advice on what minimum system requirements I should be shooting for. Basically I am doing internet viewing and some very light (mostly online) gaming. I'm more or less looking to start from scratch, so any advice is welcome.

EDIT: OH. I should mention that I am a desktop kind of dude.

 

[Zztop]

what resolution is your monitor, or are you buying a new one along with the computer? And also, what is your budget?

 

[Derrick 63]

what resolution is your monitor, or are you buying a new one along with the computer? And also, what is your budget?

Currently a DELL 1920 x 1080. Likely will try to keep this for a while but long term I want to move to a 2 monitor system like the one I have at work. I'm hoping to spend in the $699-$800 range.

 

[Eeyore]

I don't know if there has been a worse time to buy a computer than right now. The sticker shock is real.

If you can upgrade what you have, or hold on to it for a while, I recommend it.

 

[Zztop]

You are in an interesting time.
Intel just released their new 12th gen "alder lake" CPU.
DDR4 memory is fading out, while DDR5 memory is just starting to be adopted.
DDR5 memory is hard to find, and sold out/and or expensive at the moment.
Video Card prices have skyrocketed due to heavy demand by regular customer, bitcoin minders and scalpers
Amd is going to release an updated CPU Q1 of 2022

I preface this by saying I never buy prebuilt. Often you find mediocre components, low quality bare-minimum ram, terrible hard drives, bloat/extra apps added to windows that bog your system down, and so many corner cut to squeeze out as much profit as they possible can. Oh and proprietary components. Like for example a psu with a funky proprietary connector. If it breaks, it is a pain in the arse trying to get a replacement. At the same time I know some are opposed to building one from scratch, but it really isn't that difficult. If you know how to use a screwdriver, thats about the amount of skill it requires. The upside to this is you get to choose every component and always get a better quality product in the end.

A lot of components are similar like memory, hard drive etc. But i would say minimum 16 Gb of ram and a 1Tb SSD - things get more nuanced because not all ram is equal, and not all SSDs are equal.

But for now I will focus on the processor.
There are two options that comes to mind, both with pros and cons.

intel i5-12600K "Alder Lake"
$299 @ retail - if (there is one nearby) you can visit a microcenter and get it for $250

Pros:
- compatible with both ddr4 and ddr5 memory
- On par and/or slightly faster than an AMD 5800x ($400)
- has an integrated GPU


Cons:
- being just released, only the high tier (expensive) motherboards are available now. Expect budget motherboards out in Q1 of 2022. The current motherboards are much more expensive than AMD motherboards


***Normally one would compare Amd's 5600x to the Intel **600K series, but the i5-12600K just crushes it. So I am comparing the closest AMD processor in terms of performance to the i5-12600K, which is the:

Amd 5800x
$400 @ retail - if (there is one nearby) you can visit a microcenter and get it for $350

pros:
- still holds up well against 12 gen Intel
- cheap, budget motherboards


Cons:
- This was priced $400 before Alder Lake's launch. But I expect the price to drop to match the i5-12600K
- No integrated GPU

---

* AMD does have some cpus with integrated graphics, but the cpu portion does not have the oomph and are weaker than the 5800x

What I expect to see by Q1: Due to Amd releasing an updated updated processor that will better compete against Alder Lake, and pressure from Alder Lake itself, the current AMD processors will get a price reduction. Already I have seen the 5800x dip close to $300 during black friday, but I think that'll be the norm very soon.

For gaming.. things are pretty bad at the moment. Even the used market is pretty bad. Prices are ridiculous for anything decent (like $600+) but in your case, since your current monitor is 1080p I might suggest:

A. wait until Q1 (if you can) for the budget alder lake motherboards.
B. get an i5-12600K (or) if that does not fit your budget, intel should release some cheaper models then as well.
C. Try to make do with the integrated graphics - and wait until the video card market cools down. The integrated graphics isn't that great and can't compared to a standalone video card, but if you are not doing anything too graphically intensive, it should be "okay" for the time being, with settings turned down

some of this info might change by Q1, like if AMD decided to release updated cpus with integrated graphics. Then it comes down to personal choice

 

[EGLSShin]

So welcome to the GPU hellscape, this is going to be your MAJOR hurdle with trying to build a new PC in this market. You're gonna need some luck unless you buy prebuilt which can be taxing with all the rip offs. Learn the difference between OEM's(Places like dell, HP) and SI's(Cyberpower PC, Ibuypower, NXZT) The problem with buying from an OEM(dell, HP) is they love to put in custom proprietary parts, which means custom form factor motherboards, power supplies, cases. This means none of these parts can translate to you being able to replace parts in the future, because they have their own unique connectors on the motherboard, motherboards that aren't ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX, its a complete custom form factor, huge waste of money. Pre-built will be the most painless way to get a GPU but I would only suggest this route if you're extremely well-versed in how to navigate the prebuilt world, lots of pitfalls to avoid.


If you're only doing 1080p gaming a RX6600 or RX6600XT is good. I would personally shoot for a 3060/3060TI.

Tips for buying GPU's online provided you don't live near a microcenter.

Every week day, provided no holiday, Monday - Friday, Newegg does a Newegg shuffle, it is a raffle for the right to buy high demand products, mostly GPU's at a little above MSRP.

Every Thursday morning, at some point, AMD direct does a live event queue, although queue bypass bots dominate this, you have to get really lucky to buy a card, like under a 5minute wait. https://www.amd.com/en/direct-buy/us

The bestbuy app trick - Open best buy app. Search for 'graphics card'. In top right, move slider that says 'in stock at 'location' to on. If it shows a card but "Sold out" you can try going to that store and asking for that card by SKU at Store pickup, Customer service, or Computer section. Try talking to a manager and be polite and they may sell it to you.

Every other day, Zotac does a drop of GPU's, its another queue system but this one seems more secure than the AMD one. https://zotacstore.queue-it.net/afterevent.aspx?c=zotacstore&e=zotacprod960920&cid=zh-HK Make sure to click the english tab.

Every so often, EVGA will populate their B-stock with GPU's. You need an elite EVGA account to get access to it which requires a serial number of an approved card, you can use older cards from the 10 series. Some people scalp these serial numbers off places like Ebay or sites like Ebay.

EVGA also has a "step up program" where you can step up an older gpu from their approved sites.

EVGA Step Up guide
This is a way to get 3060, 3070, or a 3090 (not enough information on 3070ti/3080ti currently) for 40-60 dollars above MSRP before tax. Whole process should take anywhere from 2.5-5 weeks.

If you have no idea what step up is, here is a brief explanation: You buy a qualifying product, and you register it on EVGA, then register it for step up. Then when your step up queue pops (*different from notify queue*) you pay the MSRP of the card minus what you paid for your initial card, plus shipping. So, you'll have a 30 series card within a couple weeks.

First- buy this https://www.adorama.com/ev01gp31313.html on Adorama. It is a gt210, but it has the KR ending on the SKU which means it is eligible for EVGA step up.

Second- wait until it gets there. This can take a while because this product is frequently on backorder, but it shouldn't take more than two weeks. After that, register the product with the serial number on https://www.evga.com/support/register.asp

Third- Click on more details, then look at the step up options. You want to step up to a 3060, 3070 or a 3090. 3060ti and 3080 will take several months and is not recommended. 3070ti and 3080ti step up queue times are unconfirmed but subject to change.

Fourth- whatever you step up to, you will get a "step 1" email after selecting your product. Wait, and once there is inventory, you will get a "step 2." Wait a bit more, and they will confirm your step up and give you "step 3." Make sure to send them your invoice on the website when you are asked.

Fifth- When you get your step 3 email, you will need to pay. Soon after, you will get another email- step 4. After 1-2 business days, you will get a step 5 email. This is where you have to make your own shipping label (FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE STEP 5 EMAIL!) and within a couple days, EVGA will receive your gt210 and send you the card you selected!

You also might wanna follow GPUdrops on twitter, it'll just spam tweets about GPU's that are in stock. You'll have little hope to score off Amazon though, there are 2000$ bots sniping cards that are close to MSRP. If you decide to wait it out, Intel is dropping their Arc Alchemist GPU's in qtr 1 and 2 of 2022, adding to the supply of gpu's. The shortage is expected to last all of 2022 into 2023 but things should improve in the summer of 2022 from what it is right now, provided Eth mining moves from proof of work to proof of stake.

 

[Zztop]

Microcenter is having a pretty good deal going on at the moment.
12600k for $229
12700k for $299

5800x for $299

The downside is these are in-store only promotions

for gaming only - @1080p/1440p the 12700k isn't going to do much more than a 12600k - the difference looks to be around (depending on the game) 1-5% difference, not worth the +70$ in my opinion. Gaming @4k you put more emphasis on a beefier gpu to get higher performance.

 

[Eeyore]

I have a complete pc with a 5900x standing by. I'm using an AMD APU because I can't get a good GPU. I'm not going to compromise, and I'm not going to pay those insane prices. I'm just going to be patient.

 

[Sailorsaint]

If you want to go prebuilt but want to customize as well, look at barebone pc's. I shop at Newegg a lot and they usually have a decent deal. But, like you said, don't settle. Get what you want, even if you have to wait a bit.

 

[EGLSShin]

I have a complete pc with a 5900x standing by. I'm using an AMD APU because I can't get a good GPU. I'm not going to compromise, and I'm not going to pay those insane prices. I'm just going to be patient.

Best buy was doing voucher events for RTX 3000 founder series where you get in line just before 8am, they hand out tickets depending on what GPU you want and sell GPU's at MSRP. Multiple fights broke out last time they did one back in October and stopped. The AMD queue every Thursday morning has MSRP gpu's but its really tough to get an under 5minute queue before the bots buy up all the stock.

 

[Eeyore]

Best buy was doing voucher events for RTX 3000 founder series where you get in line just before 8am, they hand out tickets depending on what GPU you want and sell GPU's at MSRP. Multiple fights broke out last time they did one back in October and stopped. The AMD queue every Thursday morning has MSRP gpu's but its really tough to get an under 5minute queue before the bots buy up all the stock.

One of my local Best Buy stores was getting them (mostly 3090's) and handing out lottery tickets. People would line up twelve+ hours in advance only to not get a ticket. Then they started handing out numbers. People would get their number and leave and other people would get in line expecting to get a ticket. Then the people who had tickets would roll up at the last minute and get a GPU. I don't know what they're doing now but I'm out of it. If I find one near MSRP I'll buy it, otherwise I'll just go without.

 

[EGLSShin]

unfortunately the EVGA step up process changed. You can no longer step up 1030's to a 30 series card. The step up process is more restrictive now. a 16 series can only step up to a 20 series. a 20 series can only step up to a 3060. 30 series can step up to the higher end of the 30 series.