Looking to buy a new computer.

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Nigel H-J
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Nigel H-J »

Hi Chris and many thanks for your viewpoint concerning graphics cards, I will certainly look at going for the RTX 2070.
I think the length of time that AMD has been out of the running, has made a lot of people unsure about moving away from Intel.

You'll be able to use your existing Windows 10 license if it is a retail copy but if it's OEM, you'll need a new copy.
That is the case I'm finding myself in right now, rather like having a car and keeping with the same make then deciding to try a different model, So again, may very well go for the AMD as it appears very good and is cheaper than Intel presently but whether that may change in the future who knows.

I had Win 7 previously which a licence was purchased for it then upgraded to Win10 last year as you could still get a free upgrade if having sight or hearing loss (don't know whether it is still offered now) but if I went the upgrade route I could ask for my main disc to be the master slave and run all games on another drive possibly SSD. Will pop down to the local computer shop sometime in the next few weeks and see what their prices would be.

Regards
Nigel.
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.

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Charlie Bravo
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Charlie Bravo »

Is your inbox full Nigel? Tried to send you a message but it's sitting in my Outbox not going anywhere.
A bird in the hand will probably sh!t on your wrist.

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Nigel H-J
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Nigel H-J »

Hi Chris, just came in and got it. Have replied.

Many thanks. :thumbsup:

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Nigel.
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.

ChrisHunt
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by ChrisHunt »

On the subject of graphics card I can add a bit from experience. As some of you may have guessed I've upgraded from my previous 1060. My new card is the Asus Turbo 2070 with 8Gb memory. It isn't the most overclocked version but it was among the cheapest. Experiences to date:

XP - just about all the sliders to the right and very good performance all round - a noticeable improvement on the 1060 although that card wasn't bad at all.

P3D v4 - a substantial improvement on the 1060. Considerably more detail displayed with good performance in built up frame hogging areas and excellent performance elsewhere. Still got P3Ds usual popping scenery issues at speed (500+ knots) but big improvement on 1060 performance.

VR - (Oculus Rift) works well in XP and works better in AFS2, not tried in P3D. Whilst performance in XP was good using the new ORBX GB South scenery I found that the resolution of the Rift wasn't a good match for the super detailed scenery of GB South, particularly in built up areas - a bit like trying to make out fine details through a dirty window. AFS2 on the other hand proved to be a much better match - very good performance and very convincing VR experience.

The new nVidia cards are expensive but moving up from the 1060 has been worth it. If I'd had a 1070 then it would have been harder to justify and if I'd had a 1080 I doubt it would have been worth it.

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Nigel H-J
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Nigel H-J »

Hi Chris, just read your account of graphic cards, reportedly the 1080ti is 40% faster than the 1080 and this is one card that I could be looking into.

At the same time did a quick build from PC Specialists.

CPU: had a look at their cpu's

i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600K (3.7 GHz) 9 MB Cache

i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700 (3.2GHz) 12MB Cache = £14 more than the i5

i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700k (3.7GHz) 12MB Cache = £90 more than the i5

i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache = £120 more than the i5

So basically need to know which of these 4 cpu's would be the better bet?

i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600K (3.7 GHz) 9 MB Cache

8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070

RAM 16GB Corsair VENGENCE DDR4 2666MHz (2X8GB)

HD 2 TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-111 3.5" HDD 6GB/s' 7200RPM 64MB Cache

Total Cost for the above £1,426

With the i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache instead of the i5

Total Cost £1,538

Your thoughts on this would be very helpful.

Just out of interest I thought I would add another CPU

With an i9 Eight Core Processor i9 9900K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache this would push the price up to £1672.

A bit high methinks and also what advantage would I get with the i9 as apposed to the i5 or i7?

Dang it, forgot to add the GeForce 1080ti, oh well...will try that another day as I am exhausting myself!! :lol:

Regards
Nigel.
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.

ChrisHunt
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by ChrisHunt »

Hi Nigel,

Did you make a decision? One thing you didn't list was the motherboard - these can make quite a difference regarding the expandability of the system, e.g. adding more storage when you need it, as well as how easily the system can be overclocked. As for the processors below is the conclusion from a recent review of the i7 and i9 from AnandTech.

At $488 SEP, plus a bit more for 'on-shelf price', plus add $80-$120 for a decent cooler or $200 for a custom loop, it’s going to be out of the range for almost all builds south of $1500 where GPU matters the most. When Intel’s own i5-9600K is under half the cost with only two fewer cores, or AMD’s R7 2700X is very competitive in almost every test, while they might not be the best, they’re more cost-effective.

The outlandish flash of the cash goes on the Core i9-9900K. The smart money ends up on the 9700K, 9600K, or the 2700X. For the select few, money is no object. For the rest of us, especially when gaming at 1440p and higher settings where the GPU is the bigger bottleneck, there are plenty of processors that do just fine, and are a bit lighter on the power bill in the process.


Seems that you could save some money on the processor if you're simming at resolutions of 1440p or above so it an option to go for a 9th gen i5 and a 2080?

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Nigel H-J
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Nigel H-J »

Hi Chris, been busy looking at computers however I am going down to a computer shop in Lincoln to see what sort of advise and price they can do one for me just before Christmas, Yes, Santa does exist :lol: . Have used that shop before (if only for a second hand monitor to use as my 2nd screen) but the owner was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, also I believe he could build me one at a competitive price (it is written in their advert verses big brand names).

My budget is going to be quite high on this occasion as it will be the last time that I put money into a computer so will have to have one capable of running virtual reality comfortably.

So as soon as I get an idea of his charges I will then make a decision as to where to go and order one. Just want to avoid rushing into getting one just for the sake and making a mistake by finding out that I could have done better using plan B. :lol:

Thanks for your input and have made notes from every one who has contributed their advice, for the motherboard I was thinking of going to the ASUS Brand but will see what he says about it.

Regards
Nigel.
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.

ChrisHunt
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by ChrisHunt »

Good luck with parking! :lol:

Asus is good for motherboards - that's what I have but try to go for one with lots of expandability options, particularly for adding extra storage. Avoid those that share M2 slots with other Sata ports - that's what I have and it's a pain. Mind you the type of MB you need should hopefully have overcome that particular restriction by now. Sound quality tends to be very good with Asus boards and component quality is also very good.

Whatever you decide the best of luck and you're right not to rush these things but Christmas is coming (very soon)...

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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by GHD »

George

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Nigel H-J
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Re: Looking to buy a new computer.

Post by Nigel H-J »

Hi Chris and many thanks for the information regarding M2 slots with other SATA Ports will talk to him about that when I go to the shop which will be around the 19th.

Hi George, just had a look at that link and it is also extremely helpful. Also interesting about whether or not Vulkan will be used in the near future in flight simulation, hope so as I can see an improvement with platforms using this to get the best out of multi-core cpu's though to be honest it is becoming so very technical that you will soon need a degree to fully understand the merits for and against multi-core and which processors/motherboards/gpu's are best!! :lol: Fortunately the shop I am going to do say from one of their adverts:

Remember, there is no geeky speak, no complicated terms or high prices, just honest, fair and impartial liasons to all customers. Hopefully if you are not a customer with us, you will be soon. Don't let the cowboys, the false wanabee's or major chains make you think otherwise - we're here to be only too happy to help you!

So should be kept simple for me poor old brain!!

Again, many thanks.

Regards
Nigel.
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.

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