Considering new DS system

Hi everyone! I'm a previous DS customer and considering replacing my old system from ~2014. I'm not in urgent need of a new PC, but would probably want to buy within the next month or so and am looking to get some ideas and suggestions. Thanks!

Budget: $1500 - $2500 but flexible

Expectations:
Primarily for gaming, but also general day-to-day use (web surfing, media streaming, etc.). I'm looking to hand my current Vanquish Lvl3 system down to my kids for their distance learning, Minecraft, Roblox, and all that fun stuff, while I treat myself to an upgrade.

Usage:
Most of my time lately has been playing Guild Wars 2, Path of Exile, Rust, Apex Legends, etc. I'd like to also relive the old days of X-Wing and Tie Fighter by getting into Star Wars Squadrons, possibly with VR. I have a keyboard, mouse, speakers and headset I can reuse, along with a monitor (BenQ GL2780 27" Full HD 1920 x 1080 75Hz). I'd like to eventually run a dual-monitor setup, also.

Special Needs:
Something on the quieter side would be ideal, and I don't need it to be showy (I'm not averse to RGB but don't really feel the need for it, either). One problem I did have with my Vanquish was getting internet connectivity - I've not always been able to get a physical network connection and ended up getting one of those USB wifi antennas instead - not sure what DS has as far as wireless network options.

Saved Ticket #: 3449642

Specifications:
Brian,

Brian would like to share the following new Digital Storm saved configuration with you:

Configuration Code: 3449641
Total Price with Instant Savings: $1,944
Load Configuration URL: https://www.digitalstorm.com/configurator.asp?id=3449641

If you have any questions or have any questions or comments regarding this configuration, please send us a message: https://www.digitalstorm.com/request-help.asp

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Digital Storm Lynx
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K (5.1 GHz Turbo) (16-Thread) (8-Core) 3.8 GHz
Motherboard: ASUS Prime Z490-P / MSI Z490-A Pro (Intel Z490 Chipset) (Up to 2x PCI-E Devices) (No SLI Support)
System Memory: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz Digital Storm Performance Series
Power Supply: 600W Digital Storm Performance Series (Supports up to an NVIDIA RTX 2070 GPU)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: - No Thanks
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (500GB Digital Storm Performance Series)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (2TB Seagate / Toshiba / Hitachi)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: Wireless PCI-E ASUS PCE-AC56 (Supports 802.11ac) <br><strong></strong>
Graphics Card(s): 1x GeForce RTX 2060 6GB (VR Ready)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 1: Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (Single Fan) (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance)
HydroLux Tubing Style: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
HydroLux Fluid Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
Cable Management: Premium Cable Management (Strategically Routed & Organized for Airflow)
Chassis Fans: Digital Storm Performance Series (RGB Fans)
Internal Lighting: Remote Controlled Advanced LED Lighting System (Multiple RGB Color Modes)
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: Option Not Available
Boost Processor: Stock Factory Turbo Boost Advanced Automatic Overclocking
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: USB Drive - Windows 10 Installation (Format and Clean Install)
Virus Protection: Windows Defender Antivirus (Built-in to Windows 10)
Office: - No Thanks
Mouse Pad: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 15-20 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Originally posted by Cretae Storage set 1: Get the Seagate Firecuda 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD for $78. You will thank me every day you boot up and use your computer. The NVMe SSDs plug directly into the motherboard and operate off the PCIe bus that GPUs use. They are fully 5 times faster than the suggested SATA hardrive. That's the only real must-have in this build. With room in the budget, I would recommend you upgrade to the Asus TUF motherboard for $45, and consider the dual fan all-in-one CPU cooler for $40. These aren't essential, but they are parts I would prefer just because they improve the build for not much more $. The RTX 2060 will be fine for dual monitors, and will power the monitor you have very well. The 10700K is the best choice for gaming right now, and need not be overclocked.

Thanks so much! That's exactly the kind of input I was hoping for =)

Welp, I'd recently come back to see about pulling the trigger on a purchase but holy cow, seems a lot has changed recently!

I also recently came into a VR headset so I would like to update the config here to make sure that's supportable in some SteamVR games such as Star Wars Squadrons.

I've read through some other posts and it sounds like the new NVIDIA GPUs and AMD CPUs are the way to go now, is that right?

Originally posted by Cretae Welcome to the world of tech! nothing stays the same around here. The new AMDs are stealing the thunder, but some of the parts are in very short supply. One way to go at your budget I could see is to try for an RTX 3070. It will crush compared to the 2060. IMHO there is no real need to change anything else except my former suggestions. a lot of the configs I've been recommending lately are for the gang that just has to have the latest and greatest. I don't think that's us, but tell me if I'm wrong. You could have a peek at this:      3581707      comes in at $2173 after discount and shipping is free for Blk Fri. The switch to AMD gets us PCIe Generation 4 which Intel is not yet. That's not the grandest deal in the world for modest builds but it will help with longevity. The Ryzen 7 5080 X CPU is rated neck and neck with the 10700K. You need the 850W PSU for the GPU. The Firecuda is in there, and so is the dual fan all-in-one cooler. The star of our show is the RTX 3070 GPU. You can kill with this card at anything 1080p and VR. It is every bit the equivalent of the old RTX 2080 Ti! it is rated 82% stronger than a GTX 2060 if you can wrap your head around that. AFIK, these parts are not among those that are in short supply right now, but I would check with DS sales to be sure. People are waiting weeks for the RTX 3080s and the Ryzen 5900s. Just doin' mah thang!

Thank you, good sir! I'm thinking I might wait until tomorrow to purchase, in case there are any new Black Friday opportunities.

One other question I had was on wifi. I've seen you recommend a mobo that has built-in wifi, and wondering if that would yield any other benefits if I switch to that in this config, or if I'd be better served just getting one of the PCI-E wifi cards.

Originally posted by Cretae The somewhat better boards usually come with better thermal controls overall, and the Pro Carbon comes with heatsinks on the M.2 slots. It's not a huge deal, but the more you can do to control heat inside your case, the better. When it's in the budget, I try to bump the motherboard up a bit just to take advantage of better attention to details like that. The built-in Wi-Fi is a nice bonus to have.

Pulled the trigger on it today, thanks again for all the help and advice!