My 7 year old computer is showing signs of age so I am beginning the process of picking the ingredients for it's replacement. For reference my current build has an Intel i9-9900KF Coffee Lake 8 core 16 thread CPU, an MSI Z390 Gaming Edge motherboard, an RTX 2070 GPU, and 32GB of DDR4 ram.
The following is my current shopping list. There might be a couple of changes but for now, this is it.
CPU - Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Series 2 Arrow Lake 24-Core (8P+16E) LGA 1851, 125w Desktop Processor – BX80768285
Motherboard - Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero Intel ATX Motherboard, Advanced AI Pc-Ready, 22+2+1+2 stages, DDR5, WiFi 7 3x PCIe 5.0 M.2, Thunderbolt 4 USB Type C, AI Overclocking/Cooling/Networking
Memory - G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo Series 64G (2 z 32GB) 288-Pin PC Ram DDR5 6000 (PC5 48000) Desktop Model F5-6000J3040G32gX2-TZ5N
Graphics Card - Asus Prime GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB 128-Bit GDDR7 PCI Express 5.0 x8 DLSS 4.0 Graphis Card PRIME-RTX5060TI-16G
Storage - Samsung 990 Pro w/Heatsink SSD 4TB, PCIe Gen4 M2. 2280 Read Speed up to 7450MB/s MZ-V9P4T0CW
Windows 11 PRO 64-bit
Will re-use the current ATX full size case.
Will re-use the current 850w Power Supply
Will re-use current WD Black 6TB SATA hard drive and add another brand new WD Black 10TB SATA hard drive.
Will use current BenQ SW 271 monitor. I might have considered the BenQ SW 32inch model but from what I can tell it has been discontinued.
Will use current CD/DVD drive.
The questions:
First of all, is 7 years a typical life span of a computer before it starts showing it's age and/or begins to fail?
How does this parts list look? Is there any of this that would be complete overkill? Is there any of it that falls way short?
Is 64GB of RAM too much? Could I get away with 32GB?
Can I actually reuse the components listed above or should they be replaced if for no other reason than they have aged out and will expire soon?
Is an air CPU cooler sufficient or is the water cooled system the way to go?
I am far from being knowledgeable enough to be trusted with picking out these components. Any thoughts and/or recommendations from any of you far more familiar with this process would be greatly appreciated.
7 years is not a long time for a well-maintained machine. I typically upgrade on a 10 year cycle. It's not just that the parts don't work, as much as the fact that the needed support by manufacturers is not readily available, and the fact that software needs more "raw compute" power (think AI powered auto-fill for example).
The parts list looks good. If it were me, I would spring for a 5080 instead of the 5060. Even with the 5060, there are users who are complaining about AI features on the DxO forums. If you are looking at a 7-10 year horizon, you can eke out with the 5080, instead of a further upgrade in 2-4 years. But that's me speaking, since I always over-spec when I buy a new computer every 10 years.
32GB RAM is sufficient. You can always spring for more RAM in the used market if needed. Always go for 2 DIMMS and not 4. So for 32GB, you are better with 2x16GB DIMMS instead of 4x8GB.
Reuse of components is a personal question. In my case, I either find a use for my older PCs (like my personal cloud server) or donate them. They are functional, and I know of my older PCs that are still being used after 20+ years.
Air-cooled is also OK, depending on your use. Heavy usage of your graphics card might require alternate cooling. Also I would spring for a 1000W power supply. The 850W leaves you with very little headroom.
I upgrade frequently and maintain a number of x64 systems, though with the current component shortages and other pending issues I'm not going to for a while or ever.
most of that is fine and can be updated as time goes on. The one thing I would do is start with a 5080 or at least a 5070 Ti GPU to give the computer some legs if you are not planning to upgrade to a 60 series in a couple years. Some graphics cards are smaller than others or larger for better for OC, but if you are running stock settings then smaller size might be more important for your case. I'm running a good 850W PSU with a 5080, 9950X, 64GB, 40TB of SSDs, quad 10gb SFP+ CNA, SAS/SATA RAID controller, sometimes two HDDs in bays, etc. and it is fine. If your PSU was not a very good one, then you might want to consider. Just always buy a very good one.
Last but not least is have a good UPS, typically 1500VA/900W+ for computer, display and small peripherals.
Sashi wrote:
7 years is not a long time for a well-maintained machine. I typically upgrade on a 10 year cycle. It's not just that the parts don't work, as much as the fact that the needed support by manufacturers is not readily available, and the fact that software needs more "raw compute" power (think AI powered auto-fill for example).
The parts list looks good. If it were me, I would spring for a 5080 instead of the 5060. Even with the 5060, there are users who are complaining about AI features on the DxO forums. If you are looking at a 7-10 year horizon, you can eke out with the 5080, instead of a further upgrade in 2-4 years. But that's me speaking, since I always over-spec when I buy a new computer every 10 years.
32GB RAM is sufficient. You can always spring for more RAM in the used market if needed. Always go for 2 DIMMS and not 4. So for 32GB, you are better with 2x16GB DIMMS instead of 4x8GB.
Reuse of components is a personal question. In my case, I either find a use for my older PCs (like my personal cloud server) or donate them. They are functional, and I know of my older PCs that are still being used after 20+ years.
Air-cooled is also OK, depending on your use. Heavy usage of your graphics card might require alternate cooling. Also I would spring for a 1000W power supply. The 850W leaves you with very little headroom.
Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts Sashi.
I keep going back and tweaking the list here and there, trying to find a middle ground somewhere. The current prices of many of these components is making it EXTREMELY difficult to stay within the budget I had originally set. I was expecting a certain degree of "things cost more these days" but I was NOT ready for some of the price gouging I'm seeing. Being on a fixed income makes things a LOT more difficult to justify some of these ridiculous prices.
EB-1 wrote:
I upgrade frequently and maintain a number of x64 systems, though with the current component shortages and other pending issues I'm not going to for a while or ever.
most of that is fine and can be updated as time goes on. The one thing I would do is start with a 5080 or at least a 5070 Ti GPU to give the computer some legs if you are not planning to upgrade to a 60 series in a couple years. Some graphics cards are smaller than others or larger for better for OC, but if you are running stock settings then smaller size might be more important for your case. I'm running a good 850W PSU with a 5080, 9950X, 64GB, 40TB of SSDs, quad 10gb SFP+ CNA, SAS/SATA RAID controller, sometimes two HDDs in bays, etc. and it is fine. If your PSU was not a very good one, then you might want to consider. Just always buy a very good one.
Last but not least is have a good UPS, typically 1500VA/900W+ for computer, display and small peripherals.
Thanks for stopping in EB.
I really don't see prices coming down very much if at all in the near OR distant future at this point so waiting for that to happen feels like a foolish wish. I am just floored at how expensive certain things have become here lately. Most of the parts have increased in price by what I would consider to be "normal". But a few of them? WTF!!! What are they smokin'?!? Being on a fixed income makes it a LOT more difficult to just bite the bullet and spend the money. I ain't gonna be around too much longer and I certainly can't take it with me, but it still scares me to "let it go"....mostly because of Murphy and his dang law. If I spend the money now I'll need it for something else almost immediately. If I wait, the prices will increase enough to make me wish "I shoulda bought it when it was cheaper". Ya just can't win!
Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts Sashi.
I keep going back and tweaking the list here and there, trying to find a middle ground somewhere. The current prices of many of these components is making it EXTREMELY difficult to stay within the budget I had originally set. I was expecting a certain degree of "things cost more these days" but I was NOT ready for some of the price gouging I'm seeing. Being on a fixed income makes things a LOT more difficult to justify some of these ridiculous prices.
The recent trend where the large AI companies have bought most of the current and future production of RAM/DIMM has caused an acute increase of prices in all the components which use RAM, starting with the RAM itself and the flowing down into GPUs, SSDs and even the memory cards used by most consumers (thumb drives, SD cards, CF cards etc).
All this has put in a significant crimp on the supply side and we are lucky to see somethings going up only by 4X,. For context, the system I was intending to build myself went up from about $5K to almost $9K. I compromised and bought myself a pre-built off-the-shelf PC, since PC building/manufacturing companies at that point of time had enough stock to tide over the shortfalls temporarily. Going by what I am seeing and reading, expect this to continue well into 2028. If possible, keep an eye out for deals on individual components, the used market for cheaper prices and extend your build timelines accordingly.
Larry you have received some good advice above already. I can't add too much as I have used AMD processors for some time now. However I would recommend at least 64GB of system ram - the fastest you can swing today. In my recent build to replace a similar older pc I put in 96GB - 2 48GB sticks. Not sorry. Using task manager to monitor memory usage, I see LRC and PS often utilizing over 60GB. The more you can do in system memory the faster things will go.
LarryBeemer wrote:
Thanks for stopping in EB.
I really don't see prices coming down very much if at all in the near OR distant future at this point so waiting for that to happen feels like a foolish wish. I am just floored at how expensive certain thiEBHngs have become here lately. Most of the parts have increased in price by what I would consider to be "normal". But a few of them? WTF!!! What are they smokin'?!? Being on a fixed income makes it a LOT more difficult to just bite the bullet and spend the money. I ain't gonna be around too much longer and I certainly can't take it with me, but it still scares me to "let it go"....mostly because of Murphy and his dang law. If I spend the money now I'll need it for something else almost immediately. If I wait, the prices will increase enough to make me wish "I shoulda bought it when it was cheaper". Ya just can't win!
EB-1 wrote:
I would not wait for short term improvements.
EBH
The more I have been able to read about the situation, both the actual lines as well as between them, I would have to agree. It kinda make me wonder (and very sad) what will become of the "home computer".
I personally would not compromise on the RAM - I have 32GB on my laptop and it often starts hitting swap and slowing to a crawl when editing high-res photos (20MB files from my compact are OK, but I have to kill background apps when I start pulling 60MB files from the mirrorless).
If you're looking for places to cut costs with your system, I'd look at the CPU - most workloads these days are not going to be bottlenecked by CPU but rather memory bandwidth and GPU, and performance improvements between successive generations of CPUs has been relatively small so going with something made one or two generations ago is not going to be that noticeable.
Alan321 wrote:
Some modern graphics cards need power cable connectors that may not (or may) be available on your current power supply, so check that out.
It's been ages since a PC of mine has lasted 3 years trouble-free, let alone 7 years. sigh.
I'm using a ~2019 PSU with regular modular power connectors. I don't use the adapter prodvided with the graphics card however. I use a special cable that has the 12+4 GPU connector from the PSU brand.
I have very few hardware issues when using quality parts. Mostly systems get retired because they are too old to be useful. In 2024 I had to replace a 6700k that was still just fine for basic purposes since it was a build without extra crapware that clogs the commercial computers. I've seen more hardware issues with the Dells or Lenovods, etc.
The motherboard will be the ASUS ProArt Z890-CREATOR WIFI Z890 LGA 1851 ATX Motherboard, Intel® Core™ Ultra Processor Series 2 Ready, 16+2+1+2 stages, PCIe® 5.0, DDR5, Thunderbolt™ 5 Type-C®, 10+2.5 Gb LAN, WiFi 7, 5x M.2, AI OC
The graphics card I'm looking at currently is the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Ti WINDFORCE OC SFF 16G Graphics Card, 16GB 256-bit GDDR7, PCIe 5.0, WINDFORCE Cooling System, GV-N507TWF3OC-16GD Video Card
The SSD will be the same except the 2TB version instead of 4TB
The power supply will now be the be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 1000W Power Supply, 80 Plus® Gold Certification, ATX 3.1 PSU, Support for PCIe 5.1 GPUs, semi-Passive 120mm be quiet! Fan, LLC Technology, Single Rail, for Overclocked GPUs
The RAM will probably remain the same....but I am also looking at the Lexar ARES Gen2 RGB DDR5 RAM 64GB Kit (2x32GB) 6000MHz CL30, 288-Pin UDIMM Desktop Memory, PC Gaming Computer Memory, for Intel XMP 3.0/AMD EXPO/CL30-38-38-76/1.4V
The Case will probably be the Phanteks Enthoo Pro TG PH-ES614PTG_BK Integrated RGB Lighting Control Tempered Glass Side Panel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Black
The CPU cooler will probably be the Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black, Dual-Tower CPU Cooler (140mm, Black)
I am also having to seriously consider selling my scooter to be able to afford all this.
All of the advice already offered in this thread is good.
There's nothing wrong with either the OP spec or the new spec. I will say there are credible anecdotes that Lexar had problems after striking a deal with Longsys. I don't know where things stand with them now, but it's worth extra due diligence, especially with prices as they are.
Speaking of memory prices, I'd postpone this build until prices come back down. Prices are just disgustingly high. Of course, if you need a computer now, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
I don't recommend selling the scooter. Scooter brings you joy.
Oscarsmadness wrote:
All of the advice already offered in this thread is good.
There's nothing wrong with either the OP spec or the new spec. I will say there are credible anecdotes that Lexar had problems after striking a deal with Longsys. I don't know where things stand with them now, but it's worth extra due diligence, especially with prices as they are.
Speaking of memory prices, I'd postpone this build until prices come back down. Prices are just disgustingly high. Of course, if you need a computer now, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
RAM is really not that bad in actual cost although the percentage increases are high. 64GB is less than $1000 and it is a one-time build cost. The costs of storage are more of an issue for any reasonable amount of data. 4TB SSDs that were $200 are now $800 for example. HDDs are up 50% if you can find them in stock. But it's reatively easy to upgrade or add storage at any point as needs grow.
Larry,
I suggest you build an all new PC sand keep the old one intact. Most old components are pretty useless in terms of a modern computer. Having the old one allows you to take your time with the new build and still have working software. It allows comparisons too.
This was my intended approach but the old one died a bit too soon and I've really missed having it available. That was made worse by downgrading from Windows 10 to 11 at the same time. A lot of undocumented Windows and software settings and tweaks have been unavailable to me and need to recalled rather than copied.
If you've already made the change to Windows 11 then there'll be less shock.
Oscarsmadness wrote:
All of the advice already offered in this thread is good.
There's nothing wrong with either the OP spec or the new spec. I will say there are credible anecdotes that Lexar had problems after striking a deal with Longsys. I don't know where things stand with them now, but it's worth extra due diligence, especially with prices as they are.
Speaking of memory prices, I'd postpone this build until prices come back down. Prices are just disgustingly high. Of course, if you need a computer now, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
I don't recommend selling the scooter. Scooter brings you joy....Show more →
Thanks for stopping in Oscar. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
Considering why the prices skyrocketed in the first place, I really don't see prices coming down in the very near future. And I really don't see them EVER getting back to what they were just 3 months ago. What I do fear is that prices will get even more outrageous and I will get bent over even further. At this point I'm just hoping to catch a quick random sale here and there.
As far as selling the scooter.....the way people behave on the highway anymore scares me MUCH more than they used to. Plus, I have contemplated taking another 2 week biker dude vacation to the southern Utah/northern Arizona area but with prices as they are right now, that 2 week vacation would cost as much if not more than this PC. It's getting more and more difficult to justify keeping it any longer.
Being on a fixed income makes it a LOT more difficult to just bite the bullet and spend the money. I ain't gonna be around too much longer and I certainly can't take it with me, but it still scares me to "let it go"....mostly because of Murphy and his dang law. If I spend the money now I'll need it for something else almost immediately. If I wait, the prices will increase enough to make me wish "I shoulda bought it when it was cheaper". Ya just can't win!
You have to get your priorities straight! I sold my last bike when I was 77. Are you 77 yet?