[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

This time I budgeted around 20k and settled on Geforce RTX 3050.

3050 is a beast by any standards (except gaming / ML dev).

1. 8 GB DDR6 RAM
2. 2500 Compute Cores

It probably compares very well with Apple's M3 Pro.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

I would not go into PC vs. console debate as I have been far disconnected from either.

I think a debate is valid. The aim is to help folks decide on one or the other product.

Our son started on a PS3 and then a Gaming Laptop. Eventually gaming switched to the Laptop full time as the experience was much better with access to newer titles and far superior graphics. The PS3 was too slow and too old for any decent game play. Then somewhere down the line, we picked up the Series S, just when the Series X rolled out and when there were supply shortages which resulted in non-availability of the Series X. We were not going to buy the Series X anyway due to >2x the cost of a Series S and I was not really sure if you were going to get that much more from it. In the end I'm glad we did not wait for the Series X.

As our son grew older, he asked for a PC and we did get him a pretty decent one (I've documented the spec on this thread a while back). I'd say Gaming has switched to 90% PC. However, when he has a play date over, he switches to the X Box cause you can't really do multi player on one PC. When I see the two kids play, I can't really see any frame stutter or any glitch whatsoever to condemn a console useless. It works well. Yes, it does mean my wife and I can't watch TV. Not the end of the world.

When we did build a gaming PC last year, it cost >3x what we paid for the X Box, without a display! Not exactly pocket change (Neither is the x box). The specifications for the PC were in the min to mid spec range for what in my books qualifies as a Gaming PC. I think we would have to double our spend to get it to that proper "brutus" category machine. Now that is huge cash. Not really needed for a 11 year old for their first Gaming PC. We can always upgrade later or incrementally. Besides, at the rate Intel, AMD, and nvidia release product updates, you feel like throwing it all out in a year or two. Its like the car upgrade bug. I need all those screens now else I can't live.

The other charm with a PC is that you go about the process of customizing and building one. Its an involved process. We spent the entire day building the PC. We bought the parts and chose to assemble ourselves. It was a learning for our son. With the X Box, our son plugged it into the wall and was gaming away in less than 20 minutes. This was also an eye opener of sorts for a Microsoft product to work out of the box and without a single glitch while setting it up.

That said, there is no love lost with either platform. I'm laying out the difference, is all. For those who don't want to own a full blown gaming a PC, a console works great and offers phenomenal value.

[mayukh42]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I think a debate is valid. The aim is to help folks decide on one or the other product.

Yeah, if there is a debate to be had, this is the thread for it

Any hardware can serve us well if we run only the programs that are optimized for it.

A Steam Deck is great for 2D side scrolling games - Castlevanias, Metal Slug, Prince of Persia types etc. for us 90's kids.

A Series S is great for games that run well on a GTX 970 - it has same GPU power as that. I am interested in one, to "emulate" retro games as it is a beast in that regard. It can do 5-10x resolution scaling at 60 fps, except only Xbox 360 and PS3 emulators.

A Series X or PS5 is great as a small form factor plug and play system that also offer us some unique titles. There is no way to play Demons' Souls or Bloodborne without owning a PS, e.g. And XBox is much better in terms of backward compatibility.

A PC which is as or more powerful than a console will allow us to play those games well that are not optimized for the consoles or have frame pacing issues. And as per the recent strategic decisions of both Sony and MS, games would now be cross-platform instead of being locked, as they want to sell as much copies possible. So we get to play Last of Us, Spiderman, Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn on PCs too.

(But a PC is much more expensive, though the overall cost can also catch up with a console, as xcentrk mentioned.)

I personally have always preferred PCs over locked systems because I want to be able to do what I can within the abilities of that system. A console or a mobile phone does not allow us to do that, so I am in general not a fan of these. For example, a Series S should be able to run Red Dead Redemption 1 at 60 fps, but it is limited to 30, simply because the publisher wants to cash in with their next "remaster". If the console was not locked, we could have had hacks to run it at 60. Funny thing is, a Nintendo emulator on Series S might run it at 60 but not the native port!

There are two aspects to computing (a general term over gaming/ editing/ coding) - one is the consumers' context, another the manufacturers'. The latter is always scheming to make us "upgrade" frequently. For example, it was a conscious decision by NVIDIA to limit VRAM on 3060 Ti, 3070, and even 3070 Ti to 8 GB, because compute wise they are good enough, so had they given 12 GB VRAM on these models like AMD, their equivalent 40 series would have sold much less now. But we as consumers can extend life of hardware if we stick to running specific tasks only, and not try to run latest and greatest on old hardware.

I have a Windows XP machine, which I use to play games from that era. It is 15 years old, but runs great, because I have not even tried to install Windows 7 on it, which I ran only on my next PC. If I want to play Caesar 3, the XP machine is more than good enough, and it would be wasting cycles on my new 5800x3D system if I ran it there. (Of course, all these systems also dual boot Linux where I do my coding/ photo editing/ browsing tasks when they are the main system).

So every hardware has its use, and we can get the best out of them by not forcefully trying to run stuff that are not meant for it.

[deep_bang]

Since the discussion is a about gaming, I have a question. I have an xbox one that I got several years ago and now no one really uses it.
Is there a way I can make it a functional PC? In other words, can I install windows/Linux on it and use it as a PC? My requirement is to make it like a desktop and use it as it's anyway useless as a game box.

Alternatively, if I sell it, would it fetch anything at all?

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Alternatively, if I sell it, would it fetch anything at all?

Pry open the unit and check if it has a swap-able nvme hard drive. If it does, see if you can format it. That said, knowing how Microsoft and Sony operate with their consoles, I bet they will do something that prevents you from breaking into their system.

I gave away our old PS3. Worked out to be a decent enough music streamer to the person I handed over the unit.

[Thyag]

I have a strong aversion to laptops and have never found them comfortable. Whenever I travel for work, I bring my desktop with me. I've even transported the entire configuration alongside while my clothes and belongings came in cargo shipments.

My Config:

CPU - Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core
Motherboard - Gigabyte Z690 UD DDR4 V2 ATX LGA1700
RAM - G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 (16 *2 = 32GB)
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master MASTERLIQUID ML240L RGB V2 65.59 CFM Liquid Cooler
PSU - Cooler Master MWE GOLD 750 V2 FULL MODULAR 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX
GPU - EVGA SSC ACX 2.0 GeForce GTX 950 2 GB Video Card
Storage - Samsung 850 Pro 128 GB 2.5" Solid SSD (OS), Samsung 840 Pro 128 GB 2.5" SSD (OS Backup), Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM, WD 1 TB, WD 600 GB
Case - Corsair Vengeance C70 ATX Mid Tower
Monitor - Dell U2414H 23.8" 1920 x 1080 60 Hz
Mouse - Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser, Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser
Keyboard - Das Keyboard 4 Professional Wired Standard Cherry MX Brown
Speaker - Bose Soundtouch 20 (only for songs)


I primarily use the mentioned configuration, but occasionally, my kid takes over for intense gaming sessions with GTA and Sniper Elite (which takes a toll on the keyboard and mouse). Since the games I enjoy, like AOE , don't require a high-end GPU, there hasn't been a pressing need or desire to upgrade it.

Things which I Hate :

My previous setup, featuring a 4th gen i7 4790K and Asus MAXIMUS-VII-Hero with 32GB RAM, served me faithfully from 2015 to 2023. However, last year, the CPU cooler, PSU, and motherboard all failed. Faced with these issues, I decided to replace the old CPU, motherboard, RAM, and cooler with new ones. The main culprits were Corsair products – the H110 CPU cooler and AX Series AX760 760W PSU. This experience has left me with a strong dislike for Corsair products. Even the Corsair Headset (H2100), which had excellent sound quality, disappointed in terms of build quality. I also encountered issues with their M65 and M65 RGB mice, which I had to strip down and reassemble – a problem I solved with WD-40. The Steelseries mouse in the picture below also proved to be of subpar quality.

My Old Config

Things which I Love :

I have a deep appreciation for the Das Keyboard 4 Professional Keyboard; only those who use a mechanical keyboard can truly understand the satisfaction it brings.

Abuse Friendly, with proper care will return to original condition - such is the quality !

As for the Corsair C70 Case, it's the only Corsair product that has won my affection. Despite enduring significant wear and tear over the past nine years, it has proven to be resilient and reliable.

[NaXal]

Hello,

Originally Posted by Thyag

My Config:

Everyone has their own needs and desktop allows that to prosper. However, I guess everyone here can agree, there are two basic things bottlenecking your setup.

This config needs two changes to unleash it's full potential.

1. Gen 3 NVMe as boot drive
2. Gen 4 GPU, like 1650 or up.

Frankly, Windows boot time wont change that much, but software loading times with large set of data, like Games or anything complex will show much snappier performance with NVMe.

480/500/512GB segment Gen 3 NVMe (bellow that doesn't make much sense) + GTX 1650 Dual Fans (price difference between single and dual fans are a joke) should come within 17/18k.

This is just a personal suggestion.

P.S.

However, last year, the CPU cooler, PSU, and motherboard all failed. Faced with these issues, I decided to replace the old CPU, motherboard, RAM, and cooler with new ones.

That's a perfect candidate for a Home Server

Thanks.

[NOTORIOUS]

Hello

Need an advice to build office PC. It will be used for Photoshop , Video Editing , Data Storage Etc. i have shortlisted 13700K on z790but have no plans to overclock , also i am not sure if it will be a overkill. or else i will go for a 12600 on B760 Board.

Kindly Suggest possible configurations , i will be needing Processor , Motherboard , Ram (32 gb) , Cabinet and Power supply. Budget is not an issue but wanna keep it as low as i can . and also for now i want to go with IGPU and will add a gfx card later on.

I will be reusing exos 6TB for storage , monitor , keyboard , mouse and blue ray writer from older build. i will be upgrading from i5 4th gen and waited for almost 4 years for this build.

Regards

[NaXal]

Hello,

Originally Posted by NOTORIOUS

It will be used for Photoshop , Video Editing , Data Storage

Apple software and hardware are custom built for this particular workflow. Consider Mac Mini lineup. Unless you are not editing full movie, 8GB RAM base model should do but incase you are into such high end professional workflow, consider the higher RAM and storage models.

i will be upgrading from i5 4th gen and waited for almost 4 years for this build.

Reuse that PC and turn into a storage server by adding as much storage as you need.

Ensure Fast LAN connectivity between that server & the MacMini

My personal opinion

Thanks.

[Thyag]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Hello,

1. Gen 3 NVMe as boot drive
2. Gen 4 GPU, like 1650 or up.

First of all Thanks for taking your time to advise on my config, I have considered the M2.SSD while updating the config but that time It didn't seem VFM but now will think about it for sure (not Gen 3 but Gen 4 itself). I don't do any GPU centric activity, in the past used to do ripping, encoding and all, gone are those awesome days !

[NOTORIOUS]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Hello,



Apple software and hardware are custom built for this particular workflow. Consider Mac Mini lineup. Unless you are not editing full movie, 8GB RAM base model should do but incase you are into such high end professional workflow, consider the higher RAM and storage models.



Reuse that PC and turn into a storage server by adding as much storage as you need.

Ensure Fast LAN connectivity between that server & the MacMini

My personal opinion

Thanks.

dont wanna go apple way as most of other softwares i use is not compatible with mac. Moreover old PC has board dead and i have already got synology 224+ for Storage.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by NOTORIOUS

Need an advice to build office PC. It will be used for Photoshop , Video Editing ........ also for now i want to go with IGPU and will add a gfx card later on.

I used to do a bit of hobbyist video editing and used to wonder about the GPU requirement. I suppose video effect live preview would be GPU bound. Another time consuming aspect is encoding the final output. It might be worthwhile to find out the GPU requirement of your video editing software, and then go for dedicated GPU right off the bat if required.

[NaXal]

Hello,

Originally Posted by NOTORIOUS

dont wanna go apple way as most of other softwares i use is not compatible with mac.

It is already pointed out, Photo / Video Editing is more GPU intensive over CPU performance. So it is better to first check with your actual software for recommendation on their choice of optimal and supported hardware list.

For example, if Adobe products or softwares like Davinci Resolve are to consider, following configuration can be a base to start with. Increase the hardware as per your budget,

CPU -> AMD R7 5700 @ 16500
Mobo -> B450 - Ensure 4 RAM Slots / Full x16 PCIe @ 6500
CPU Cooler -> Stock is good enough
RAM -> 32GB (16x2) DDR4 3200MHz @ 7000
Boot Drive -> WD SN580 1TB @ 6000
GPU -> GTX 1650 Dual Fan @ 12500
PSU -> Ant Sports 650 Bronze @ 3500
Case -> Anything you like for with solid air flow @ 4000

This setup will be around Rs. 55k (aprox)

However, I would like to point out again towards Apple Hardware. Since at this kind of price point, actual render / export times and time line smoothness is way faster with even base model MacMini with the mentioned video editing software platforms.

If you still wish to go with PC and wish to spend more, then upgrade the Motherboard to a better chipset (like B550 or higher) supporting PCI-E 4.0 GPU and consider Nvidia 3060 or higher.

Flashing game related features or that few point extra on a certain benchmarking software actually makes no difference with Motherboard. But those scores do matter for GPU or CPU. Same is true for your choice of CPU cooler. Stock AMD air cooler is good enough when no OC is applied so better to spend on a higher CPU or better GPU.

Thanks.

[crn12]

Originally Posted by amrutmhatre90

Attachment 2577145

Attachment 2577144

Amazing stereo st up, which tube amps are they, can you share the component details ?

[Guite]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Mobo -> B450 - Ensure 4 RAM Slots / Full x16 PCIe @ 6500
Boot Drive -> WD SN580 1TB @ 6000
Motherboard to a better chipset (like B550 or higher) supporting PCI-E 4.0 GPU.

There are two items on which I have a slight different opinion. Motherboard is one component that cannot be easily upgraded. I would suggest to go for newer B550 chipset right at the outset.

I have some fairly large software installed on my PC, however boot drive is barely 120 gb occupied. So depending on usage 250gb to 500gb might suffice. There will be some cost saving in that. Video preview files take up lots of space. Those should be cleaned up regularly anyway.