Config for October?

Budget:
~2500, up to 3k if worth(specific questions detailed below)

Expectations:
I currently have an ODE(similar to current Lynx prebuilt builds) from 2011, which has been upgraded with the addition of RAM and a swap from x2 570s to x1 1060 in 2016. Current ODE does okay at medium graphics, slow to load, sometimes lags. Ideally would like to have another computer to last >5 years with minimal upgrades as I am not too tach savvy.

Usage:
Single monitor gaming (27" Dell S-Series LED 2560x1440 144hz) gaming, with a 1080 on the side for various tasks. Wanting VR for Star Wars Squadrons which releases in October. Otherwise playing MMOs(WoW) and most main stream FPSs.

A couple specific questions:
1- Hoping to have this received around October/November(but doesn't have to be). Are there certain upcoming parts worth waiting? Thinking 2060 super vs 2070 super right now.
2- Is having a 1tb of same type SSD slower than a 500gb? Is there a reason one would want a smaller for the primary?
3- Differences to be expected in i7 vs i9?
4- Why upgrade to ASUS TUF that I see in so many configs?
5- 16gb vs 32gb RAM in my case? future proofing? better to wait to add more?
6- Chassis fans in Lynx vs Corsair RGB?
7- Lumos vs Lynx case?

Saved Ticket #: 3202470

Thanks in advance, love this community!

Edited by Wipeout - 23 Jun 2020 at 4:42pm

Upcoming in September is the newest batch of Nvidia GPUs. they are expected to be much more powerful than the current ones, but near the same price points. Don't expect the older cards to drop much in price. It didn't happen with the 1000 series.

Nvidia's practice is to release the top cards first, and follow up later with the more consumer friendly models. It may be Christmas time before the price/performance choice for 1440p gaming will come out. On the other hand, the release has been held back since May or June, so they may wish to get a larger than usual inventory out in the marketplace. Only time will tell.

It's not the best idea to speculate on builds now for several months away. Supply changes, price changes, newer tech changes things here abruptly without warning.

It's true the 10700K will be a monster gamer for years to come. You should expect well beyond 5 years of service if it holds up, and they usually do as you have seen yourself. I don't recommend the more basic parts like a 600W power supply when the budget allows for more. Extra overhead (like 850W) in a PSU is a good thing allowing for more options in the future, and often longer life.

I like a compact NVMe SSD for Primary Drive so that system scans are performed in mere seconds. It's a good thing for me, because it means I don't let scans wait for long because they are over so quickly. The drive won't slow down much at at all, but the more you fill it up, the longer scans will take to get through all the extra material. If you decide on a larger NVMe for primary, intend to partition the OS, apps, browser and maintenance software by themselves. Games and media rarely need scanning when they are isolated from main storage.

Edited by Cretae - 24 Jun 2020 at 3:55am

You can start with 16GB, making sure they do two 8GB sticks. If you need the extra 16GB you can add that yourself. It is easy and we can walk you through that. If you don't want to do it if needed than just order it with 32GB. For non-VR gaming 16GB is usually enough. However for VR the answer may be different. Why don't you go Google and see what VR users have to say about memory needs?

As far as cooling, do you want the bling of lights and is it in your budget? If so then you are probably looking at the Corsair LL or ML. But if bling doesn't matter then I would contact DS and make sure that their standard case fan solution comes with six case fans. Additionally there will be two fans on the inside that pull air through your CPU radiator. If you haven't already done so you can look at my photos of my Lumos. It has the LL fans and the same cooling solution that you are looking at. Then you can decide.