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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:13:43

Title: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:13:43

I am curious as to what ya'll consider a sensible PC.. in $USD.. or specs..

Everyone here probably knows that the hard limit is around $5000 for a desktop..
^^ we're not talking about that pc..

(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/embarrassed2-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862502)

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Hellcatz on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:18:53

That would be around $1000-1500 for a decent PC. Then again it all depends what you do with it. I spent $2000 cad for my PC because I do everything from rendering to photo editing (light room, Photoshop, drafting)

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: mr.squishy on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:33:58

I spent 700 usd exactly on mine, but I got lucky with most of the parts  ;D

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: noisyturtle on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:42:17

Sensible in term of money and duration of usefulness would be between $900-1400 in my opinion. I spent about $1200(including monitor/phrepherables/etc)on mine via Black Friday deals 3 years ago, which probably would've been closer to $1600 any other time of the year so you just need to shop smart.

You can build a really solid machine for $900-1000 though.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Badwrench on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:42:48

I dont think its about the amount spent, my first pc was built using refurbs and used parts and did everything I wanted.
Specs wise, here is what I would recommendfor a base enthusiast build:
I5 (or equvalent amd quad core)
mid-range or higher mobo (z97 or 970/990)
Gold or higher rated quality psu ~ 500-700 watts.
8 gb 1600 mhz ram (massively diminishing returns going higher speed unless you are insecure about your e-peen.  16 gb or higher if using for cad)
Gtx 760/r9 280 for 1080p for highest settings.  People gaming  at higher than 1080 are no tooking for a basic enthusiast build.

I dont belive there is a need for a k-series cpu unless you likr to tinker and want those extra few fps that can be had.  I also used to recommend the I3 as base, but feel now that more games coming out will start to take advantage of the extra cores and people tend to be doing stuff in the background as well.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tjcaustin on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:47:58

I aim for a $1100/3 year cycle.  I think my current rig just eclipsed the 3 year mark, but I don't game near as much as I used to and never really played bleeding edge stuff anyways, so I might wait another couple years at this point or plan a graphics card upgrade if a game or three catches my eye that needs the upgrade to perform

Edit:  Just checked my steam wishlist and of the 7 games on it, 2 need better graphics cards (for peak performance) and the rest need much less than current sli gtx550 ti that I'm running.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: ideus on Tue, 23 December 2014, 19:02:56

My current main computing system and accessories worth $2,000. I bought the lap top used under $400, then I added 8 Gb of RAM, another $80, and a low cost SSD for $220. That summed up $700. But I should stack up the two boards, displays and the docking stations I have at work, and at home, that are $900 more all together. Besides, I just bought an update for the SSD that was $200 more, an aluminum case is coming, and a new Infinity keyboard to fit in it, that were another $200; this new board will replace my Poker X at work.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: cmadrid on Tue, 23 December 2014, 19:53:19

If you don't factor in the cost of the pc case (that can go anywhere from $20 to $100s) and monitor, I'd say anywhere from 500-1200 depending on how much horsepower you need.. and how willing you are to spend time looking for deals! $100-200 for cpu, $200-400 for gpu (maybe 2) are the main variables

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 December 2014, 21:17:28

Quote from: cmadrid on Tue, 23 December 2014, 19:53:19

If you don't factor in the cost of the pc case (that can go anywhere from $20 to $100s) and monitor, I'd say anywhere from 500-1200 depending on how much horsepower you need.. and how willing you are to spend time looking for deals! $100-200 for cpu, $200-400 for gpu (maybe 2) are the main variables

there's no reason to do 2 gpu for $1200, you might as well get a slightly faster single gpu

for $1400, maybe...

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Tue, 23 December 2014, 22:15:23

I would say around $1500-2000 (+$500 for water) for enthusiast build like 2011v3, $1000-1200 for 1150 gamer or workstation build, $350-500 for lower end gamer/multi purpose with something like an i3 or Pentium but still decent gpu, and about $200 for basic office pc with something like an Atom/J1900. If buying new, and that includes motherboard, cpu, memory (8-16GB on any build), gpu (not applicable on basic build), ssd (120GB minimum), psu (80+ gold or platinum), aftermarket air cooler and case that is not trash.
Though, on this upgrade I didn't feel like breaking the bank so went with some used parts and got really good deals on some other things. Got an x79 Gigabyte G1Assassin motherboard, hex core Xeon 2630, mushkin 16GB 16000 kit, zalman cnps9900max, nzxt s340 and a couple extra case fans to the tune of about $500. Carried over the Seasonic ss460fl-i psu, evga gtx670 and my seagate 240gb ssd that I already had. I will be looking to upgrade gpu also soon though. I'm pretty sure having only 2GB of vram has been somewhat detrimental to playing at 1440p which I realized not too long after I got it wishing I would have spent that bit extra for the 4GB model instead. It had been since 2009 when I last build a primary PC, which I am pretty sure cost at least $1000 at the time excluding the SSD which were still stupid expensive.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Lain1911 on Tue, 23 December 2014, 22:32:28

I spent around 1400 3 years ago. That includes tax, new monitor, new keyboard, new mouse, and case with everything in it, and still won't need to upgrade for another 2-5 years.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: compgeke on Wed, 24 December 2014, 04:49:51

I'm all about free, or as cheap as free as you can get.

I'm using an i7 870 system now that has maybe $15 of stuff into it, with the most expensive being the $10 shipping on the R7-240 it has.

If I were using new parts I would cap around $400 as I can just reuse stuff like case, PSU, hard drive, cabling, etc and just go with new motherboard\processor\heatsink\GPU.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: drewba on Wed, 24 December 2014, 09:23:28

My past 2 builds have been budget builds, which is what I'd consider "sensible". I probably can't run Crysis on Ultra  ;D but that's not necessarily what I'm after.

Intel G3258 OC'd 4.3ghz
MSI Z97 PC Mate
8GB DDR3 1800
GTX 760 OC

I reused an old case, SSD & PSU and spent just over $400 on the parts above for a computer that will treat me well for at least a couple years. In all honesty I would rather spend 3-4 times that amount so I can "future proof" my machine but I find it's more cost effective to do the budget way and a bit more satisfying (more frequent tinkering = fun)

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: eth0s on Wed, 24 December 2014, 09:58:26

Well, $5,000 is way too much to spend on a computer that will be out of date in 2 years.  But why stop at $5,000, you can spend $10,000, or more.  Those kinds of builds are what a friend of mine calls "Taj Mahal" builds.  It's for ego or vanity or for a magazine photo shoot, or to win a contest, or some other reason to impress people other than performance.  Of course, if you're just a filthy rich person with tons of cash on hand, then don't hesitate to spend $5K.

Otherwise the rule of thumb that's been true for about the past 10-12 years is still true.  A top-of-the-line gaming computer is going to cost $1,500 to $2,000 (not including monitor, speakers, mouse, and keyboard.)  Right now, we are in one of those weird points in the product cycle where the most cutting edge PC components cost more than normal, because DDR4 just came out, and so did the X99 mobo's.  So a cutting edge computer will set you back $2K right now.  But in 6 months, it will go back down to $1,500.   And you'll have 16GB of DDR4 RAM @ 4266 mhz (heh, Cas Latency = 28).

So bottom line, your "hard limit" should always be $2,000.  And if you are at all bargain conscious, your real limit should be $1,500, or even $1,200, but that's if you're a really good shopper.  Regardless of your shopping skillz, though, a $1,500 computer will do everything and anything you need to do, and it will last 2-3 years before it gets out-dated.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:00:12

I'm cheap.

I ask for all my PC parts for Christmas. Last year I got an i5, 8GB of RAM and a GT640 GPU 2GB. Oh, and I bought myself an 840 EVO...

Not by any means an amazing build, but it gets the job done.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:42:07

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:00:12

I'm cheap.

I ask for all my PC parts for Christmas. Last year I got an i5, 8GB of RAM and a GT640 GPU 2GB. Oh, and I bought myself an 840 EVO...

Not by any means an amazing build, but it gets the job done.

Overclocked ?

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:44:25

The $5000 limit works like this..  triple SLI usually doesn't scale..   if it did, one can easily do $6000-8000 with the additional cards and water parts..

There also hasn't been any overclockable dual cpu platforms lately, so that limits the super expensive cpus from the price list.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: ideus on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:55:19

Reading what others are reporting, I think now that I am in the cheapest side of GHers spectrum.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:01:13

Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:42:07

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:00:12

I'm cheap.

I ask for all my PC parts for Christmas. Last year I got an i5, 8GB of RAM and a GT640 GPU 2GB. Oh, and I bought myself an 840 EVO...

Not by any means an amazing build, but it gets the job done.

Overclocked ?

No overclocks on any of it...

I do need to upgrade my mobo and GPU sometime soon, whenever I can get the monies...

I'll probably upgrade CPU and mobo at the same time... get one of them fancy i7s with the 6 cores...

One thing I NEVER buy is hard drives... I'm running a combo of three drives right now (my SSD for boot and most-used games, 320GB drive for other games and storage of files, and a 80GB for more games and files cuz I ran out of space).

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Badwrench on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:04:24

Quote from: ideus on Wed, 24 December 2014, 10:55:19

Reading what others are reporting, I think now that I am in the cheapest side of GHers spectrum.

I think there are a few on here (myself included) that came from OCN where a $1200 build without peripherals is pretty average.  On GH, I think you are going to see a broader range, including a bunch of mac users which are rarely found on OCN.  There are always going to be outliers like ethos and a few others on here, but for most those builds are a waste (sole purpose for most is social media/email/document work/youtube).

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: PunksDead on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:08:45

prepare the lulz,

im using a 680m MSI gt60 laptop that i paid $1800 for when they came out... i so wish i bought a desktop.

in my head i was like yeah! ill take this everywhere, and its yet to leave my desk. Its pretty sweet though minus not being able to upgrade graphics. I have 2 SSDs internally and an external WD passport for steam, never had any issues. Its hooked up to an external monitor and keyboard, im just waiting for it to die so i can build a proper desktop.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: radio_killah on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:09:26

I started out spending $800 on a mid level pc in April 2013, and in one year it blossomed to over $3000 and ended with a water-cooled 780 lightning behemoth. However, I won't need to upgrade for at least another 4-5 years. I will just need to spend about $40 cleaning the waterloop once a year.

My advice is pick a price point you are comfortable with and maximize your money. Like most people here said , spending about $1000-$1200 on the computer itself right now will get you something that will last about 3 years and max out most games on 1080p. Pc hardware changes so fast it's never worth it to go all out and spend $5000 on a top of line pc when in a few years it will be eclipsed by new hardware. Also I recommend spending a good amount of money on a monitor, it's what you stare at the most and will last you through multiple builds and upgrades.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: TacticalCoder on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:25:06

Quote from: tp4tissue on Tue, 23 December 2014, 18:13:43

I am curious as to what ya'll consider a sensible PC.. in $USD.. or specs.

I consider the one I currently have to be "sensible" : Core i5 3450s (low max TDP) + 16 GB of Ram, passive cpu sink (only a radiator, no fan) with a SSD and a very quiet 80+ gold certified alim.  Without the monitor/keyboard, that's probably less than $500.

I'm a dev and I don't play any 3D game nor do other 3D stuff on my desktop PC.  The two most important thing to me are:  a) PC must be nearly silent  and  b) it must have lots and lots of ram (for VMs, for user accounts living entirely in memory, etc.).

YMMV  :p

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 December 2014, 12:28:25

Quote from: PunksDead on Wed, 24 December 2014, 11:08:45

prepare the lulz,

im using a 680m MSI gt60 laptop that i paid $1800 for when they came out... i so wish i bought a desktop.

in my head i was like yeah! ill take this everywhere, and its yet to leave my desk. Its pretty sweet though minus not being able to upgrade graphics. I have 2 SSDs internally and an external WD passport for steam, never had any issues. Its hooked up to an external monitor and keyboard, im just waiting for it to die so i can build a proper desktop.

This is exactly what happened to me in highschool.. you think it'd be super awesome to have all this power on the go..  But then you realize.. it weighs as much as all your textbooks combined.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 24 December 2014, 12:31:37

I've never built a completely silent pc, because  it's much easier to just run a long dvi cable and have the pc in another room.. DEAD silent LOL...  or use that new WiDi thing..

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: Findecanor on Thu, 25 December 2014, 07:17:23

The very bottom these days is a SSD, 4G memory and a 4-thread CPU with integrated graphics - that is what I got for my mom who uses the PC for not more than streaming TV-shows, Office and serfing the web.
If you rely on a HD for frequently accessed files then it will be the biggest bottleneck in the system even if the rest is low spec, so an SSD is essential.
After that it is all about what you do. Serious multitasking/work or Macintosh: at least 8G memory. Lots of files: get a larger SSD/an additional HD. Games, multiple monitors or UHD monitor: Separate graphics card. Get a Gold-rated PSU or better with separated power lines for better reliability and safety.
It is better to use one graphics card of the latest gen. than two older cards in SLI. Triple-SLI is max.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: JaccoW on Thu, 25 December 2014, 08:23:01

I paid €1700 (pretty much the same in $) for my current PC which blossomed into a respectable €4000 over the years due to some minor upgrades and some modding. But... the PC is well over 6 years old and still going strong. :)

That being said, I have an Ncase M1 lying around, waiting to be filled with the latest water cooled hardware. I'll need to save up a bit first lol.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: radio_killah on Thu, 25 December 2014, 09:07:07

Quote from: JaccoW on Thu, 25 December 2014, 08:23:01

I paid €1700 (pretty much the same in $) for my current PC which blossomed into a respectable €4000 over the years due to some minor upgrades and some modding. But... the PC is well over 6 years old and still going strong. :)

That being said, I have an Ncase M1 lying around, waiting to be filled with the latest water cooled hardware. I'll need to save up a bit first lol.

Great minds think alike. I have also have a Ncase M1 that I plan on using once my behemoth becomes obsolete. The idea have having a super powerful itx computer is just sexy to me.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 12:16:31

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

23 years later?

486 cpu from 1993?  bull **** you're still using that.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: dustinhxc on Thu, 25 December 2014, 13:46:43

My tower was about $1000.

It's a couple years old but still great. I7 3.4ghz 16gb ram ATi hd card I forget which one 5600 maybe?
Runs all my games amazing, does design work amazing. I may upgrade in a couple years.

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 13:59:36

Quote from: dustinhxc on Thu, 25 December 2014, 13:46:43

My tower was about $1000.

It's a couple years old but still great. I7 3.4ghz 16gb ram ATi hd card I forget which one 5600 maybe?
Runs all my games amazing, does design work amazing. I may upgrade in a couple years.

is that 1st gen before sandy?   You need upgrade br0..  if it's c0, then bout 3.7-3.8ghz max,  d0 gets 4- 4.2ghz


Much better response on Sandy because of the improved memory controller.. and the raw ghz..

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:03:17

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 12:16:31

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

23 years later?

486 cpu from 1993?  bull **** you're still using that.

How old do you think I am o.o

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: dante on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:06:14

The G3258 / I3 3.7ghz are my favorite processors - I will not upgrade until Intel comes out with something as/more energy efficient

The 750ti is my favorite graphics card.  Same above rules apply.

My personal philosophy is to seek the "best bang for the watt."

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 15:39:52

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:03:17

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 12:16:31

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

23 years later?

486 cpu from 1993?  bull **** you're still using that.

How old do you think I am o.o

28 (http://www.clubtuzki.com/avatars/tuzki_2013_avatar_07.png)

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 15:41:13

Quote from: dante on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:06:14

The G3258 / I3 3.7ghz are my favorite processors - I will not upgrade until Intel comes out with something as/more energy efficient

The 750ti is my favorite graphics card.  Same above rules apply.

My personal philosophy is to seek the "best bang for the watt."

best bang per watt?

the entire haswell line gives you identical  bang-per-watt...

(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/confused-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862495)

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 16:29:40

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 15:39:52

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:03:17

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 12:16:31

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

23 years later?

486 cpu from 1993?  bull **** you're still using that.

How old do you think I am o.o

28

Show Image

(http://www.clubtuzki.com/avatars/tuzki_2013_avatar_07.png)

(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs31/f/2008/212/9/4/Who_the_hell_do_you_think_I_am_by_k_a_t_o.jpg)

It should also be noted that I mentioned that it was  my first build and not my first computer

Title: Re: PC Specs, GHer's bottom line..
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 16:49:14

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 16:29:40

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 15:39:52

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 14:03:17

Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 25 December 2014, 12:16:31

Quote from: GL1TCH3D on Thu, 25 December 2014, 10:48:11

My first build was just under $1000 CAD excluding the hard drives and monitors.

I later upgraded the GPU but I'm still running with the same CPU, mobo, ram and case 23 years later.

23 years later?

486 cpu from 1993?  bull **** you're still using that.

How old do you think I am o.o

28

Show Image

(http://www.clubtuzki.com/avatars/tuzki_2013_avatar_07.png)

Show Image

(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs31/f/2008/212/9/4/Who_the_hell_do_you_think_I_am_by_k_a_t_o.jpg)

It should also be noted that I mentioned that it was  my first build and not my first computer

(http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/s/u/superonionplz.gif?1)