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ET2SN · 01-01-20, 04:25 PM

That's why I wish you would steer clear of the word "gaming".

Having a "gaming rig" was important in 2005-10. Now, modern hardware and the OS is very stout and you already get a lot of "bang for the buck" in the basics.

Don't commit to buying a desktop until you have a good idea of what you need. Check out monitors before you start to build your system specs. I use a 22 inch by 13 inch flat panel display that runs at 1920 by 1080 pixel resolution. I don't need a graphics card/GPU for this set up with my current CPU. I have one because the card has better display options. By the way, monitors tend to be bullet proof so plan on yours having at least a ten year life span. In other words, put some time into picking out your monitor.

If you look at larger monitors that run at "4K" graphics, then you'll need a better quality GPU. If you're thinking about VR down the road, you need even more power.

The CPU you wind up with is also very important. Time is on your side in this area.

The current CPUs on new systems tend to run in the 4, 4.5, and 5 Gigahertz range in terms of clock speed. That includes the low budget chips, so take a moment to smile because that's a REALLY good thing.
You have two options on your CPU in terms of brands, Intel and AMD. Either one will last a long time, at least five years.
At some point you'll hear about "cores and threads" with Intel CPUs. AMD is similar but they call them different things- kind of. Cores and threads can be important depending on what kind of work load you plan to have. The top-end i7 and i9 CPUs can have somewhere around 18 processor cores, which is total over-kill unless you're planning to multi-task a LOT of things all the time.
So, now is a good time to consider what you'll really be doing with your desktop. If you'd be happy playing a game while streaming it out to Twitch or YouTube while you run a chat room while you're watching a movie while you're listening to music while you're at work, you'll need a higher core CPU. To put this in perspective, the vast majority of games that are available now use one core. My bargain basement i3 CPU (which I don't think is even available anymore) has four cores and I've never seen all four in use.

The Intel i5 series of CPUs (and their AMD equivalents) is now considered as a bargain CPU (meaning cheap) and they are very stout in terms of speed and life span. If you have to choose between a higher clock speed or higher core count, always go for clock speed.

That may change by 2030, but I doubt it.

So, yeah. There's a lot to know. The basics for now-

-Pick your monitor first. Plan out your system (especially your GPU or graphics card) based on your display. Monitor resolution and size will add exponentially to your total bill as those metrics increase. Besides, do you really need a one meter wide 4K monitor (assuming you aren't broadcasting to the rest of your neighborhood)?

-Understand that VR is still very young tech. It needs a lot more improvement assuming the whole idea doesn't get shelved. Think about VR another way, VR is neat if you enjoy sitting on your couch while you're wearing a full-face helmet.

-Its much easier to find new bargain desktops now than a couple of years ago. Use this to your advantage. Consider pre-built work or student based computers and desktop/monitor "bundle" deals. Consider "big box" bargain stores or on-line (Amazon) as well as specialty shops. If the big Aldi store is moving 100 desktop/monitor bundles a day, there must be a good reason why.

Take into consideration that pre-built systems will already have an operating system installed (its already paid for).

-Speaking of operating systems, if you have the choice between a 32-bit system or a 64-bit system, go with 64-bit. Its more stable.

IMO, if you have the choice between Win10 and Win7, bite the bullet and go with Win10.
If you aren't already used to using it, the first week may be a little frustrating but you'll get used to it faster than moving from a lap top keyboard to a real, manly keyboard.

-"Future proofing" is a bit of a red herring. Bargain systems with a current OS will be fine for at least another five years. Game developers are still working on single-CPU-core titles. For a good reason.

01-01-20, 04:25 PM	#13
ET2SN ET2/SS Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,513 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	That's why I wish you would steer clear of the word "gaming". Having a "gaming rig" was important in 2005-10. Now, modern hardware and the OS is very stout and you already get a lot of "bang for the buck" in the basics. Don't commit to buying a desktop until you have a good idea of what you need. Check out monitors before you start to build your system specs. I use a 22 inch by 13 inch flat panel display that runs at 1920 by 1080 pixel resolution. I don't need a graphics card/GPU for this set up with my current CPU. I have one because the card has better display options. By the way, monitors tend to be bullet proof so plan on yours having at least a ten year life span. In other words, put some time into picking out your monitor. If you look at larger monitors that run at "4K" graphics, then you'll need a better quality GPU. If you're thinking about VR down the road, you need even more power. The CPU you wind up with is also very important. Time is on your side in this area. The current CPUs on new systems tend to run in the 4, 4.5, and 5 Gigahertz range in terms of clock speed. That includes the low budget chips, so take a moment to smile because that's a REALLY good thing. You have two options on your CPU in terms of brands, Intel and AMD. Either one will last a long time, at least five years. At some point you'll hear about "cores and threads" with Intel CPUs. AMD is similar but they call them different things- kind of. Cores and threads can be important depending on what kind of work load you plan to have. The top-end i7 and i9 CPUs can have somewhere around 18 processor cores, which is total over-kill unless you're planning to multi-task a LOT of things all the time. So, now is a good time to consider what you'll really be doing with your desktop. If you'd be happy playing a game while streaming it out to Twitch or YouTube while you run a chat room while you're watching a movie while you're listening to music while you're at work, you'll need a higher core CPU. To put this in perspective, the vast majority of games that are available now use one core. My bargain basement i3 CPU (which I don't think is even available anymore) has four cores and I've never seen all four in use. The Intel i5 series of CPUs (and their AMD equivalents) is now considered as a bargain CPU (meaning cheap) and they are very stout in terms of speed and life span. If you have to choose between a higher clock speed or higher core count, always go for clock speed. That may change by 2030, but I doubt it. So, yeah. There's a lot to know. The basics for now- -Pick your monitor first. Plan out your system (especially your GPU or graphics card) based on your display. Monitor resolution and size will add exponentially to your total bill as those metrics increase. Besides, do you really need a one meter wide 4K monitor (assuming you aren't broadcasting to the rest of your neighborhood)? -Understand that VR is still very young tech. It needs a lot more improvement assuming the whole idea doesn't get shelved. Think about VR another way, VR is neat if you enjoy sitting on your couch while you're wearing a full-face helmet. -Its much easier to find new bargain desktops now than a couple of years ago. Use this to your advantage. Consider pre-built work or student based computers and desktop/monitor "bundle" deals. Consider "big box" bargain stores or on-line (Amazon) as well as specialty shops. If the big Aldi store is moving 100 desktop/monitor bundles a day, there must be a good reason why. Take into consideration that pre-built systems will already have an operating system installed (its already paid for). -Speaking of operating systems, if you have the choice between a 32-bit system or a 64-bit system, go with 64-bit. Its more stable. IMO, if you have the choice between Win10 and Win7, bite the bullet and go with Win10. If you aren't already used to using it, the first week may be a little frustrating but you'll get used to it faster than moving from a lap top keyboard to a real, manly keyboard. -"Future proofing" is a bit of a red herring. Bargain systems with a current OS will be fine for at least another five years. Game developers are still working on single-CPU-core titles. For a good reason.