My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

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Anonymous Bosch
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:42 pm eCollege has a lot of cases, but loading them one-by-one to see their specs would take forever, and some don't list their dimensions anyway, so I emailed them. We'll see what they say.

If eCollege doesn't come through with one that will fit, I'm going to have to look at reconfiguring my office (Cyberpower hasn't answered my email yet, but I'm fairly sure they don't have one). It's kind of dumb to constrain a new PC over such a mundane thing as case height, but I would really like to slip my new machine into the same space that my last three machines inhabited.
Did eCollegePC ever get back to you? Because the case selection area of their Custom Builder page specifically states:
eCollegePC.com wrote:Case (Email us if you would like a case not listed.)
So one would certainly think they'd be able to accommodate you with a suitably small case.

BTW, what exactly are the ideal case dimensions you'd prefer?
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Jul 06, 2018 1:40 pm
Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:42 pm eCollege has a lot of cases, but loading them one-by-one to see their specs would take forever, and some don't list their dimensions anyway, so I emailed them. We'll see what they say.

If eCollege doesn't come through with one that will fit, I'm going to have to look at reconfiguring my office (Cyberpower hasn't answered my email yet, but I'm fairly sure they don't have one). It's kind of dumb to constrain a new PC over such a mundane thing as case height, but I would really like to slip my new machine into the same space that my last three machines inhabited.
Did eCollegePC ever get back to you? Because the case selection area of their Custom Builder page specifically states:
eCollegePC.com wrote:Case (Email us if you would like a case not listed.)
So one would certainly think they'd be able to accommodate you with a suitably small case.

BTW, what exactly are the ideal case dimensions you'd prefer?
My current Thermaltake case is 17.25" high. The space it has to fit is 17.5". Width and length are not problems. The shortest normal mid-tower case I've found yet is 17.7" at Cyberpower.

I asked eCollege: "Do you have any cases that are 17.25" tall or shorter?"

They replied: "We do. What motherboard did you want to go with. You may need a micro atx case."

Motherboard? Yes, I would like one, please. But at least I can work with these folks. Cyberpower still hasn't answered after two days, and that's a big strike against them.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

OK, so try using the eCollegePC Custom Build page to build a system with the Fractal Design Define C Mini case. According to the specs, the case dimensions -- with feet/protrusions/screws -- are 210 x 412 x 413 mm.

413 mm = 16.26 inches, so you should be good to go using that particular case for your build.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

Lots of cases allow you to remove the 'feet' on them. that might save almost an inch on some cases. But if the PSU is on the bottom sucking in that will blow that idea.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Jul 06, 2018 4:41 pm OK, so try using the eCollegePC Custom Build page to build a system with the Fractal Design Define C Mini case. According to the specs, the case dimensions -- with feet/protrusions/screws -- are 210 x 412 x 413 mm.

413 mm = 16.26 inches, so you should be good to go using that particular case for your build.
That's too short.

I'm kidding! My first pass at configuration came to $1,852, which is at least near the ballpark. I'll start making sacrifices over the weekend and see if I can get closer to my $1,500 target.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

eCollege suggested the Nano S Window case, and my first config attempt came in at a friendly $1,576. I'll get serious and post a couple of configurations for feedback tomorrow.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Kraken wrote: Sat Jul 07, 2018 4:04 pm eCollege suggested the Nano S Window case, and my first config attempt came in at a friendly $1,576. I'll get serious and post a couple of configurations for feedback tomorrow.
Yeah, that one's even smaller still. And generally speaking, Fractal Design cases are all top notch.

Personally, I'd prefer a micro-ATX case (i.e. the Fractal Design Define C Mini) to a smaller ITX case (i.e. the Nano S), though.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

OK, here we go.

eCollege's website does not allow one to save a configuration or shopping cart, so I have to rebuild these from scratch each time I visit. I appreciate comments comparing these two configurations, as well as whether you think either one is a good idea or if I should keep on shopping. Any suggestions for trimming a few bucks would also be welcome, if you think I upgraded things that don't need upgrading.

This first one uses the short case that they recommended. It's only 344mm (13.5") tall, so let's call it Shorty. Here's the configurator page, and this is what I wound up with:

Intel Core i7 8700k 3.7Ghz (4.7Ghz Turbo) 12MB Cache Six-Core | (+$185)
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series H60 120mm Water Cooler | (+$69)
Gigabyte B360N Wifi (Intel B360, HDMI, PCIe, 1xM.2, 4xSATA, 2xDDR3, Wifi) |
16GB (8GBx2) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty | (+$40)
500GB SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series MZ-75E500B/AM SATA3 SSD | (+$138)
1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps Toshiba P300 |
6GB GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP (Major Brand) | (+$104)
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + COA) |
Fractal Design Define Nano S w/Window (2 3.5, 2 2.5) Front Audio/USB 3.0 |
550watt Corsair CX550 80 PLUS CERTIFIED | (+$24)
Onboard Wireless AC |
Onboard 7.1 Channel Audio |
Wires and Cables ran behind case and tied up for maximum airflow |
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty |
Standard processing time: Ready to ship within 5 to 7 Business Days

Bottom line: $1,576 + tax.

Shorty Notes:

-I know nothing about motherboards, so I just went with the most basic one for this case. Could be persuaded to step this up. I don't want to find out that it won't accept modern components five or six years from now.

-I chose hydro cooling because my current system has chronic heat problems. I have an unusually dusty office, so beefing up the fans is not the best solution. However, this is another thing I don't know much about and my mind can be changed. Could also be persuaded to add another case fan.

-The CPU is the mid-level i7. I could save $40 by dropping to the low-level i7 or $111 by going with the top-level i5.

-I chose to pay a little extra for faster RAM. Could save $40 by dropping from 3200 MHz to 2400. I do not know how much of a practical difference this really makes. 16GB is enough, right? The mobo only has two RAM slots, so upgrading later would mean replacing both modules rather than adding another.

-SSD is another component I don't know much about. 500GB seems like a lot, especially if this will primarily be the OS drive with games living on the hard drive. There is potential to save money here by downsizing. If people typically only use the SSD for the OS, I could save big bucks by dropping to 240GB.

-1TB hard drive seems like plenty to me. Could change from Toshiba to Western Digital for $24, if anyone things WD are significantly better.

-Moving up from the 1060 to the 1070 video card would add nearly $200. A 1060 will handle all or most games on the market today, right? This is something I can easily upgrade in a couple of years, when prices on the 1070 and 1080 will presumably fall.

-I spent $24 to get a name-brand (Corsair) PS, and bumped it from the default 430w to 550W.

-I'm assuming that the onboard wireless will be satisfactory. The configurator does not give me an option to add a wireless card. Should this concern me?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The second machine has a taller case - 399mm (15.7") tall. It approaches my height limit of 16.25". Let's call this one Big Guy; its configurator page is here. I like that it uses all of my available space and gives me more room. I do not like that it costs $200 more.

Intel Core i7-7800X Skylake-X 3.5GHz (4.0Ghz Turbo) Six-Core |
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series H60 120mm Water Cooler | (+$39)
MSI X299 RAIDER (Intel X299, 4xPCIe, 8xSATA, 2x M.2 8xDDR4) |
16GB (8GBx2) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty | (+$199)
500GB SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series MZ-75E500B/AM SATA3 SSD | (+$138)
1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps Toshiba P300 | (+$48)
6GB GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP (Major Brand) | (+$322)
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + COA) |
Fractal Design Define C Mini Tempered Glass (2 3.5, 3 2.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0 |
550watt Corsair CX550 80 PLUS CERTIFIED | (+$24)
Onboard 1Gbit LAN included |
Wireless B/G/N Dual Band PCI-Ex Adapter 600Mbps | (+$33)
Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included |
Wires and Cables ran behind case and tied up for maximum airflow |
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty |
Standard processing time: Ready to ship within 5 to 7 Business Days

Bottom line = $1,779 + tax. This is substantially over my budget, but I could stretch that far if you think this is significantly superior to Shorty.

-Again, I'm taking the basic motherboard. This one apparently has eight (!) slots for RAM, so adding memory later would be a breeze.
-This CPU is the base model. No downgrades are possible here.
-Same SSD and HD as above.
-Same video card as above.
-Same PS as above.
-No onboard wireless, so had to add this. I am more comfortable with a wireless card anyway.
-Same water cooling. Feedback welcome.

So...is Big Guy worth $200 more than Shorty? Any corners I can cut to bring its price down? Do you feel like both of these machines are good deals, or should I forget about eCollege and keep on shopping?
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Carpet_pissr »

I highly recommend saving that i7 money and getting a higher end i5. In some cases, notoriously, the i5 outperforms the lower i7 versions. i5 8400 is the one you want for best value IIRC.

From Tom's:

"The Core i5 series typically offers enthusiasts the best performance for their dollar. But with those two extra cores, Intel's highest-end Core i5 is now faster than Core i7-7700K in most games, and even in some applications. This means the Coffee Lake Core i5s basically replace last generation's Core i7s. Talk about a huge step forward. Now the mid-range chips can backstop top-end GPUs without becoming bottlenecks."
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by hitbyambulance »

Carpet_pissr wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:51 pm I highly recommend saving that i7 money and getting a higher end i5. In some cases, notoriously, the i5 outperforms the lower i7 versions. i5 8400 is the one you want for best value IIRC.

From Tom's:

"The Core i5 series typically offers enthusiasts the best performance for their dollar. But with those two extra cores, Intel's highest-end Core i5 is now faster than Core i7-7700K in most games, and even in some applications. This means the Coffee Lake Core i5s basically replace last generation's Core i7s. Talk about a huge step forward. Now the mid-range chips can backstop top-end GPUs without becoming bottlenecks."
+1 to that. (i7 processors, really?? and here i thought you were serious about saving money...)
-SSD is another component I don't know much about. 500GB seems like a lot, especially if this will primarily be the OS drive with games living on the hard drive. There is potential to save money here by downsizing. If people typically only use the SSD for the OS, I could save big bucks by dropping to 240GB.
i assume you could probably fit all your active games on a 500GB SSD. buuuuut since you aren't playing action-y games, going for the dual SSD/HDD setup sounds like the best way to go.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

hitbyambulance wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:24 pm
Carpet_pissr wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:51 pm I highly recommend saving that i7 money and getting a higher end i5. In some cases, notoriously, the i5 outperforms the lower i7 versions. i5 8400 is the one you want for best value IIRC.

From Tom's:

"The Core i5 series typically offers enthusiasts the best performance for their dollar. But with those two extra cores, Intel's highest-end Core i5 is now faster than Core i7-7700K in most games, and even in some applications. This means the Coffee Lake Core i5s basically replace last generation's Core i7s. Talk about a huge step forward. Now the mid-range chips can backstop top-end GPUs without becoming bottlenecks."
+1
That would drop Shorty to $1,391, or enable me to upgrade to a 1070 video card for $1,588.

By using the Coffee Lake configurator, I reconfigured Big Guy like this: (Let's call it Big Guy II)

Intel Core i5 8600K 3.6Ghz (4.3Ghz Turbo) 9MB Cache Six-Core |
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series H60 120mm Water Cooler |
ASUS Prime H310M-A (Intel H310, HDMI, PCI-E, M.2, 4xSATA, 4xDDR4) |
16GB (8GBx2) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty |
500GB SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series MZ-75E500B/AM SATA3 SSD |
1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps Toshiba P300 |
6GB GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP (Major Brand) |
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + COA) |
Fractal Design Define C Mini Tempered Glass (2 3.5, 3 2.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0 |
550watt Corsair CX550 80 PLUS CERTIFIED |
Onboard 1Gbit LAN included |
Wireless B/G/N Dual Band PCI-Ex Adapter 600Mbps |
Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included |

Bottom line: $1,497 -- right on target! I think I've found my machine, unless somebody has objections.

(edit) dropping from the 8600 to 8400 brings it to a very friendly $1,423...bumping the 1060 to a 1070 would be an achievable $1,620. Is the 1070 worth a $200 premium over the 1060?
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by hitbyambulance »

Kraken wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:40 pm (edit) dropping from the 8600 to 8400 brings it to a very friendly $1,423...bumping the 1060 to a 1070 would be an achievable $1,620. Is the 1070 worth a $200 premium over the 1060?
this depends on you - how many demanding games do you intend on playing over the next couple years? i have a 970 (roughly equivalent to the 1060) and it's holding up fine for me. i have a 1070 in my work Steam machine, but it's intended for playing VR titles.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

1050's are about $250. Thats $100 savings. But I dont know how bad the performance drop from a 1060 to a 1050 is. Probably not worth it.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by JCC »

I wouldn't pay the premium for a K (unlocked) processor if you aren't planning to overclock.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by jztemple2 »

JCC wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:54 pm I wouldn't pay the premium for a K (unlocked) processor if you aren't planning to overclock.
Good gosh, is that what the K means? I've seen it before and never thought about that.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

hitbyambulance wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:48 pm
Kraken wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:40 pm (edit) dropping from the 8600 to 8400 brings it to a very friendly $1,423...bumping the 1060 to a 1070 would be an achievable $1,620. Is the 1070 worth a $200 premium over the 1060?
this depends on you - how many demanding games do you intend on playing over the next couple years? i have a 970 (roughly equivalent to the 1060) and it's holding up fine for me. i have a 1070 in my work Steam machine, but it's intended for playing VR titles.
I generally do not play graphics-intensive games. Right now I want to play Fallout 4, and that's about as taxing as anything I'll ever play. Until FO5, anyway. :) Prior to this, Xcom2 was the most actiony game I'd played. OK, I think I'll go with the 1060 and upgrade it in 2-3 years if some game demands it.

Gonna sleep on it and give the hivemind another day to weigh in, but I'm leaning very strongly toward buying Big Guy II.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Fitzy »

Are you married to Intel? The AMD Ryzen 2xxx series is competitive with Intel now. Games tend to be a little slower on Ryzen while production is a little faster on Ryzen. But either way you probably wouldn't notice the difference without measuring.

The included heatsink/fan in the Ryzen is pretty good, saving you that cost, though I notice you want hydro so that may not be a concern. The equivalent Ryzen is usually a little cheaper for around the same performance.

Upgrading is a big advantage for the AMD chips. Their AM4 socket is used in all current roadmaps, whereas Intel's is good for one more generation. So basically no upgrade path for the Intel.

There are countless benchmarks comparing the equivalent CPUs, if you wanted to see a specific game performance (Ryzen 2700x vs Intel i7 8700k as an example). But either the Intel or AMD is going to last you for a long ass time, so upgrading the CPU may not be a big issue either.

Both brands are good CPUs right now. I'd go AMD, just because I like supporting the underdog, but you'll be happy with whatever you chose.

The other consideration is that there is currently a big difference between Nvidia and AMD graphic cards. Nvidia has a big advantage in performance made even worse by miners massively increasing the cost of AMD GPUs. Nvidia cards are at or nearly at MSRP now and AMD cards are coming down, but slower. You can find AMD cards at MSRP, but usually only on sale. It sucks bigly.

Second issue with cards, in what has to be one of the dumbest thing to ever come out of the hardware industry, monitors are now partially tied to the graphics card.

Freesync 1 and 2, only help AMD cards. But incur no cost bump.

G-sync monitors only help Nvidia cards, but incur an ~$100-200 cost bump.

Both technologies do the same thing, which is reduce tearing and choppiness by dynamically adjusting the refresh rate of the monitor to match the speed of the graphic cards. It's actually kind of neat when it works.

It's also only an issue if you have a monitor with either feature or plan to buy a new monitor in the future. Monitors with the "wrong" version still work, you just don't get the neat dynamic syncing. So which ever card you chose and if you buy a monitor, it's something to keep in mind.

Finally, if you play at 1080p or less, anything more than the Nvidia 1060 or the AMD 580 is overkill. The 1070 and above or the AMD Vega series only really matter at higher resolutions.

Good luck!
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

Thanks for all of that. My monitor will be the weakest link after I buy this PC -- it's 9 years old with max resolution of 1680x1050. I don't like to replace things that work fine, but sometime in the next few years it's probably going to give way to a bigger, higher-rez model. I've always had Intel and NVIDIA and I'm kinda set in my ways, but your post gives me reason to at least think about changing. Since I rarely play action games, the sync type isn't really on my radar. Well, I guess it is now, kind of.

I'll plug those components into the configurator and see what they do to the overall package, but I'm still leaning toward the specs that I settled on this afternoon.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by hitbyambulance »

good point. i would also recommend pricing out an AMD build.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Z-Corn »

As your attorney, the only thing I can think to ask is whether or not Windows Home will do everything you need?

I am also biased, being...ahem...an IT Professional. Windows licenses are, AHEM, obtainable for me so I always install Windows Pro. So I'm admittedly myopic in my OS viewpoint.

Mostly I need to be able to sit down at any PC in the house and be able to remote in to any other PC in the house.

All your hardware choices look solid to me. Buy what you are comfortable with spending right now and know that it's gonna lose value as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Congrats! :banana-dreads:
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by JCC »

jztemple2 wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:00 pm
JCC wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:54 pm I wouldn't pay the premium for a K (unlocked) processor if you aren't planning to overclock.
Good gosh, is that what the K means? I've seen it before and never thought about that.
Yes, K stands for Unlocked (Desktop) CPUs. "U" which astute readers will note is the actual first letter of "unlocked" stands instead for "Ultra-low power". Finally, "G" stands for "includes discrete graphics". Note that U and G are only used for "mobile" processors. Thankfully, that's it for single letter suffixes for the current (8th) gen of Intel CPU's. They had lots of other letters previously.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

No matter what ya get I hope its all ya want it for and more man.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Carpet_pissr »

JCC wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:54 pm I wouldn't pay the premium for a K (unlocked) processor if you aren't planning to overclock.
Yeah, that's why I recommended the 8400, knowing that he wasn't going to be overclocking the CPU (although nowadays, it's just a mouse click away, at least on my motherboard).

Kraken, you play Civ more than anything else, right?

If so:

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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

Carpet_pissr wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:45 pm

Kraken, you play Civ more than anything else, right?

I used to, before Civ6 removed the scoreboard. Now I'm boycotting it until and unless they restore the Hall of Fame. But one can safely say that I still play TBS games more than anything else.

(edit) I got busy today and chimped out on resolving this purchase. To be continued tomorrow...same bat-time, same bat-channel.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by JCC »

Carpet_pissr wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:45 pm
Yeah, that's why I recommended the 8400, knowing that he wasn't going to be overclocking the CPU (although nowadays, it's just a mouse click away, at least on my motherboard).
Yes it's amazing what a jump the 8th gen was overall. I was reading a review of one of the i3 processors that has 4 cores and is basically a last gen i5 at an i3 price point (a steal). Really cool. I am 2-3 gens behind now on my gaming pc! :)
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

I finally took the plunge and bought the "Big Guy II" configuration. Bottom line was $1,438 (I added a couple of extra case fans just to be safe, because cooling was always an issue with my Cyberpower machine). No sales tax and free shipping, w00t! I appreciate everybody's help in finding an up-to-date gaming PC that fits my space and came in under budget.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

Whats a Big Guy II?
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Isgrimnur
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Isgrimnur »

Kraken wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:40 pm By using the Coffee Lake configurator, I reconfigured Big Guy like this: (Let's call it Big Guy II)

Intel Core i5 8600K 3.6Ghz (4.3Ghz Turbo) 9MB Cache Six-Core |
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series H60 120mm Water Cooler |
ASUS Prime H310M-A (Intel H310, HDMI, PCI-E, M.2, 4xSATA, 4xDDR4) |
16GB (8GBx2) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty |
500GB SAMSUNG 860 EVO Series MZ-75E500B/AM SATA3 SSD |
1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps Toshiba P300 |
6GB GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP (Major Brand) |
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + COA) |
Fractal Design Define C Mini Tempered Glass (2 3.5, 3 2.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0 |
550watt Corsair CX550 80 PLUS CERTIFIED |
Onboard 1Gbit LAN included |
Wireless B/G/N Dual Band PCI-Ex Adapter 600Mbps |
Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included |

Bottom line: $1,497 -- right on target! I think I've found my machine, unless somebody has objections.

(edit) dropping from the 8600 to 8400 brings it to a very friendly $1,423...bumping the 1060 to a 1070 would be an achievable $1,620. Is the 1070 worth a $200 premium over the 1060?
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Daehawk
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

DOH..ty...I was looking on the computer seller's site for that model hahaha. Glad I didn't email them. :mrgreen:

Well that will fer sure run Crysis :) In fact most of it should be good 8 years out.

BTW I hear that the 1160 and stuff may start hitting late this year so all the 10xx GPUs should drop big in price...'should'.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

Daehawk wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:45 pm DOH..ty...I was looking on the computer seller's site for that model hahaha. Glad I didn't email them. :mrgreen:
:lol:

I did change the CPU from i5 8600k to 8400, and I added a couple of case fans that I might or might not need. I emailed eCollege and asked them to render an opinion on that. During the summer my office is often in the 90s, but it's also very dusty, so I don't want to draw in a lot more air (and create more noise) than I need.

I expect to upgrade the video card in a few years. Otherwise, I expect this to carry me for another seven or eight.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Z-Corn »

Congrats!

So happy for you that you can get into Fallout IV now...
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by jztemple2 »

Don't know if this is going to mean anything to anyone, but since we're talking parts upgrades, I just saw on Kinja Deals this Zotac GTX 1080 for $490 USD.

I'm assuming that this is tied into the latest update for PC Build Simulator that adds Zotac as their brand vendors.

Details: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Edition, ZT-P10800C-10P, 8GB GDDR5X IceStorm Cooling, Metal Wraparound Carbon ExoArmor exterior, Ultra-wide 100mm Fans Gaming Graphics Card.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

"Hi, your computer is shipping out today. We ended up refunding your for the 2 extra fans. They are not needed in this build. "

Saves me another $15 and cuts out some unnecessary noise/power consumption. Yay!
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Daehawk »

jztemple2 wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 4:31 pm Don't know if this is going to mean anything to anyone, but since we're talking parts upgrades, I just saw on Kinja Deals this Zotac GTX 1080 for $490 USD.

I'm assuming that this is tied into the latest update for PC Build Simulator that adds Zotac as their brand vendors.

Details: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Edition, ZT-P10800C-10P, 8GB GDDR5X IceStorm Cooling, Metal Wraparound Carbon ExoArmor exterior, Ultra-wide 100mm Fans Gaming Graphics Card.
'
Saw a Zotac GTX 1070 ti for $419.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

The new PC arrived today. Unexpectedly, Windows is completely up to date, so I'm ready to go. Got it online and installed Classic Shell and Open Office.

I need to move a lot of data from my old machine (Cyberman) to the new one (Desktop-2018). Neither PC can see the other wirelessly (although my laptop can see Cyberman...go figure). I connected them with a cable, and Desktop could see Cyberman, but it wants login credentials to connect. Cyberman did not see Desktop so it looks like Desktop will have to pull the files rather than Cyberman pushing them. I have no idea what those credentials might be or where to find them or how to set/reset them. This would be the easiest and fastest way to move files. How can I make them talk over that cable?

I can't figure out how to make them discover one another wirelessly, either. I tried setting up a homegroup years ago without success, but I think there are some ghost settings from that lingering. As I said, my laptop can see Cyberman, and Cyberman can sometimes see my laptop, and they can swap files...but neither of them are finding the new Desktop, and it is not finding them. Long term, I would like to get this working because I'm considering using Cyberman as a backup machine, but for the time being let's not think about all the other machines in my house.

If I can't connect them wirelessly or with a cable, I can move 24 gig at a time with a thumb drive, but that's going to be painful. Especially since I only have one monitor and one mouse/keyboard pickup, so I can only use one machine at a time. Hook up Cyberman, fill thumb drive, unhook Cyberman, hook up Desktop, empty thumb drive, repeat.

What's the easiest way to make two Win10 Home desktop machines that already share a wireless network talk to one another? Remember that Cyberman is 8 years old and might have some remnant settings from previous failed attempts to create a homegroup. If so, I will need to either discover or reset those. I tried and failed to nuke the old homegroup a few years ago so I would rather not try to deal with that again.

EDIT: Apparently the thumb drive route won't be as onerous as I had thought; I can probably get all of my data in 2-3 trips. It would still be expedient to get these machines communicating (preferably wirelessly) so that I can do stuff like easily import my browser bookmarks, but it's not as critical as I had thought.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by stessier »

For a wired connection, have you tried plugging them both into the router and finding them that way?

My desktop finds my external hard drive that I use for backups using that setup.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Z-Corn »

Congrats!

As I mentioned before, I usually use WinPro versions but I always create a Workgroup and join all the devices to that. I've never messed with a Homegroup so I'm not sure of the difference.

From there you should just need to go to Network and Sharing Center and turn on sharing for a private network.

Wireless sharing works kinda wonky in my house. I have to sometimes Remote Desktop into one PC to be able to copy files to another PC that I can't reach directly.

Make sure the user name you are logging-in under exists on both (all) PCs you want to move files between (among). Probably helps to make it an admin account.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Kraken wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:38 pm What's the easiest way to make two Win10 Home desktop machines that already share a wireless network talk to one another? Remember that Cyberman is 8 years old and might have some remnant settings from previous failed attempts to create a homegroup. If so, I will need to either discover or reset those. I tried and failed to nuke the old homegroup a few years ago so I would rather not try to deal with that again.

EDIT: Apparently the thumb drive route won't be as onerous as I had thought; I can probably get all of my data in 2-3 trips. It would still be expedient to get these machines communicating (preferably wirelessly) so that I can do stuff like easily import my browser bookmarks, but it's not as critical as I had thought.
Try using EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free. That should do the trick for you quickly and easily.

Or failing that, this TenForums.com tutorial on file sharing provides a variety of methods to get the job done.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by Kraken »

stessier wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:23 pm For a wired connection, have you tried plugging them both into the router and finding them that way?

My desktop finds my external hard drive that I use for backups using that setup.
The router and modem are both downstairs. Computers are all upstairs. That ain't gonna work. I could hypothetically bring the router up here, unconnected from the modem, if that will help the PCs discover each other.
Z-Corn wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:26 pm Congrats!

As I mentioned before, I usually use WinPro versions but I always create a Workgroup and join all the devices to that. I've never messed with a Homegroup so I'm not sure of the difference.

From there you should just need to go to Network and Sharing Center and turn on sharing for a private network.

Wireless sharing works kinda wonky in my house. I have to sometimes Remote Desktop into one PC to be able to copy files to another PC that I can't reach directly.

Make sure the user name you are logging-in under exists on both (all) PCs you want to move files between (among). Probably helps to make it an admin account.
Control Panel > System shows the existence of a workgroup called WORKGROUP. Change Settings brings up a panel with "To use a wizard to join a domain or workgroup, click Network ID." It is, of course, grayed out. :x

I've already turned on sharing on all my machines, but they are still being stingy.
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:43 pm
Kraken wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:38 pm What's the easiest way to make two Win10 Home desktop machines that already share a wireless network talk to one another? Remember that Cyberman is 8 years old and might have some remnant settings from previous failed attempts to create a homegroup. If so, I will need to either discover or reset those. I tried and failed to nuke the old homegroup a few years ago so I would rather not try to deal with that again.

EDIT: Apparently the thumb drive route won't be as onerous as I had thought; I can probably get all of my data in 2-3 trips. It would still be expedient to get these machines communicating (preferably wirelessly) so that I can do stuff like easily import my browser bookmarks, but it's not as critical as I had thought.
Try using EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free. That should do the trick for you quickly and easily.

Or failing that, this TenForums.com tutorial on file sharing provides a variety of methods to get the job done.
Thanks, I'll look at those tomorrow. I am out of time for this today.
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Re: My turn, at last: Help me configure a PC

Post by hitbyambulance »

you can enable Firefox Sync to keep all settings/bookmarks/passwords/cookies/etc constant between Firefox browsers
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