Help with Config

Hi Everyone. I am about to purchase my 3rd DS machine, but it's been 8 years since my last one. I have been with DS since Alex was a neebie!! (Boy, do they last!) That said, I am trying to future proof my machine as best I can. See the details below and send me your thoughts.

Budget:
$3000

Usage:
Work and Games. Like RPG and FPS (love Mass Effect Series, Deus Ex Series, Diablo series...old schooler.) Don't play online multiplayer, love single player.

Special Needs:
Will be pairing this machine with a new monitor, which makes it complicated since some monitors suppore FreeSync and some GSync. Want 32 or 34 inch monitor, 1440, min 100mh refresh.
Leaning towards Alienware AW3420DW but really liked the price of Dell S3220DGF(but it only supports FreeSync) Open to suggestions here too!


Saved Ticket #: [3141086]
Couple of notes. Not worried about Storage. Will start with 2TB SSD and then add as needed and as price drops. Most important part is to have open slots to add the storage.
Not sure about Graphics card. Razen or Nvidia. I have been Nvidia my whole life, but want it to work flawlessly with a new monitor...

Finally, willing to swap around whatever you guys think. I can change out memory, GPU card, add a hard drive, etc, but that's about the extent of my hardware comfort. Tweaking is not my strength. Keep that in mind. THANK YOU!

Specifications

System Configuration:
Chassis Model: Digital Storm Lumos
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i9-10900K (5.3 GHz Turbo) (20-Thread) (10-Core) 3.7 GHz
Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING Z490-PLUS (Wi-Fi) (Intel Z490 Chipset) (Up to 3x PCI-E Devices)
System Memory: 32GB DDR4 3200MHz Corsair Dominator Platinum DHX (Extreme-Performance)
Power Supply: 850W Corsair / EVGA / Thermaltake (Modular) (80 Plus Gold)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: - No Thanks
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (2TB Samsung 860 EVO)
Storage Set 2: - No Thanks
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB (VR Ready)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (Dual 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: Standard Factory Chassis 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
CPU Boost: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.7GHz on All CPU Cores
Graphics: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Operating System: 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, 6 Week Ship Estimate After Order Is Successfully Processed

I think you have put together a build that will do what you want it to. 32 GB of RAM will give you future-proofing peace of mind, but there is not a whole lot of difference between the premium one and the others. There are two issues I would urge you to address.

1> You should not get a giant SATA SSD for your primary storage. First, an NVMe SSD (the 512GB 970 PRO) is 5 times faster for everything you do. Second, having a lean and mean smaller primary allows for the OS, apps you use all the time, and maintenance software to perform at their best. System scans will be done in seconds. Third, if you have to re-install Windows at some point, you will have to copy and re-install everything you have on that huge drive. There will be plenty of room left for some of your favorite games.

A SATA SSD is ideal for media storage and your games library, but a 2TB is a bit overpriced here just to have it installed for you. I would get the 1TB and you'd be about the same price point you are now.

2> Don't overclock the video card. The few extra frame rates will not be worth making it noisier IMO.

That's all I've got. Hope it helps.

Originally posted by Cretae I think you have put together a build that will do what you want it to. 32 GB of RAM will give you future-proofing peace of mind, but there is not a whole lot of difference between the premium one and the others. There are two issues I would urge you to address. 1> You should not get a giant SATA SSD for your primary storage. First, an NVMe SSD (the 512GB 970 PRO) is 5 times faster for everything you do. Second, having a lean and mean smaller primary allows for the OS, apps you use all the time, and maintenance software to perform at their best. System scans will be done in seconds. Third, if you have to re-install Windows at some point, you will have to copy and re-install everything you have on that huge drive. There will be plenty of room left for some of your favorite games. A SATA SSD is ideal for media storage and your games library, but a 2TB is a bit overpriced here just to have it installed for you. I would get the 1TB and you'd be about the same price point you are now. 2> Don't overclock the video card. The few extra frame rates will not be worth making it noisier IMO. That's all I've got. Hope it helps.

Cretae.

Thank you for reviewing my setup. I was actually hoping you might chime in based on prior posts I have seen from you.

Noted on the 32G Ram. Just take the Digital Storm version, correct?

The SSD discussion. Maybe I have been lucky, but i have never had to reinstall windows. Never had a hard drive fail either. But what I have always had is a space problem. I seem to run out of space. Granted, my current rig was built in 2012 and I only have a 100GB SSD, but EVERYTHING seems to want to be on the C Drive, from Apple Itunes to whatever else Windows wants like System upgrades. Anyway, I am clueless how to move games to a D drive after I play them on the C Drive. I have used a Steam program to remap some items to a D drive, but it just seems like I never have enough space on the C drive. Ever.

I know you keep it lean and clean because you like the option to go back to the factory default down the road to clean it up. That's not me, but maybe it should be me? LOL. I should also mention we have over 25,000 photos which, even though I use multiple cloud storage services, my wife likes to have them readily accessible on a computer. So, that plays into the equation too. (Although I could just throw all of them on an external Thunder Drive) Currently they sit on a 1TB mechanical hard drive. Buts its maxed out too.

That said, I would be going from 100GB to 500GB so that should feel like a mansion compared to the 1 bedroom apt of space I have now. I will have to put some serious thought behind this.

As for the overclocking of the GPU, noted. Will pass on that.

Since you didnt mention it, sounds like the 2070 Super Card is fine, and if you have any thoughts on a monitor would love it.

Thank you again for chiming in, it's one of the reasons I continue to stay with the DS Family.

Mark

Oh, Mass Effect appears to have a full remaster coming of games 1 -3 by 3/31/21.

You might try Dragon Age: Inquisition. It is a Bioware product and has the same type of story where choices make differences.

My computer comes with Jedi Fallen Order. I plan to try that out.

Originally posted by Alex Welcome back!

Thanks Alex....would love to get your thoughts on my build. Let me know if you have time tomorrow to talk. Great to hear from you, brother!

Ok Cretae....you win....or should I say, we both win.

Swapped out the Ram for the DS 32GB.

Went with the Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (500GB Seagate FireCuda 520) (NVM Express) (Gen4 PCIe)
Storage Set 2: 1x SSD (1TB Samsung 860 EVO)
Will leave Storage Set 3 open for the time being. Some of the games I have on my current PC are not worth moving over to a new one.

Removed the Overclock of the GPU even though its free. Not worth the noise with this card. Understood.

Appreciate the feedback on the build AND the monitor. You rock!

Mark

wow....very cool rig...send pics! and congrats. will def due the Mass Effect recommendations...might even fire up ME3 again now....just replayed last month but not as the character you described....good luck with everything and thanks for the input.

Originally posted by MarkT Ok Cretae....you win....or should I say, we both win. Swapped out the Ram for the DS 32GB. Went with the Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (500GB Seagate FireCuda 520) (NVM Express) (Gen4 PCIe) Storage Set 2: 1x SSD (1TB Samsung 860 EVO) Will leave Storage Set 3 open for the time being. Some of the games I have on my current PC are not worth moving over to a new one. Removed the Overclock of the GPU even though its free. Not worth the noise with this card. Understood. Appreciate the feedback on the build AND the monitor. You rock! Mark

I'm happy if you're happy! I think you'll get into this new rig with no regrets. Storage is so easy to add down the road, I just don't like to load up at premium prices. If you ever feel the need, you can even add another M.2 NVMe of appropriate size as prices continue to come down on those!

Thank you much for the kudos. Warms an "old man's" heart to know I "rock"!

Good one!

Originally posted by Snaike I dunno, Cretae... it really depends on whether MarkT used "rock" as a verb or a noun. Just sayin'.

As a 55 Yr old who was exposed to Rogue on the MAC in college and got hooked on gaming and computers back in 1985, I recognize that Cretae is coming from a very similar (read frugal, value of the dollar) point of view. Might be close in age too! Definitely, a verb rock!

While I can hold my own with most simple computer hardware tasks, and do much better with software errors or hiccups, I simply dont have the current knowledge to navigate todays hardware market. What's a good value? What's is a waste of money?

Quick example, the monitor I am looking at is the Alienware Aw3420DW. For $1200, why is the DP only 1.2, HDMI only 1.4, 1000:1 Contrast ratio, 350 nits, 120 Hz max....

I can get a Dell 32 inch monitor S3220DGF, DP 1.4, HDMI 2.0 x2, 3000:1 Contrast Ratio, 400 nits, 165 Hz native for $435. It cost over 60% LESS!

Yes, its smaller, but not 60% smaller. Its a lower resolution 2560x1440 vs Alienware 3440x1440, but not 60% lower. Yes GtG its 4ms vs 2ms for Alien, but honestly, I have been gaming on an 8ms monitor for the last 5 years.....

The only reason I wasn't going with the 32 inch Dell was because it only supports Freesync but I want a Gsync to go with the 2070 Super Card. But, I learned today that Toms Hardware says this monitor works fine with Gsync even though NVidia hasn't yet officially certified it....yet!

This is the type of stuff I need help on.....someone tell me why I should spend $1200 on Alien vs $450 on the 32!! I already know Cretae's answer....dont waste the money!

Thanks all....loving this thread and appreciate you all.

55? Damn youngsters! ...   

You'll be surprised at how many forum rats (term of endearment!!) around here are over 60. Suffice to say they have the knowledge that comes from experience and the wisdom that comes from age.

And you are right.. that machine is darn sexy!

68.

My first computer was a Tandy TRS-80 with 16KB of RAM. That was in 1979. The "hard drive" was a cassette player. Later I upgraded to a 30MB HDD that was huge. maybe 28" by 28".

The Atari ST was the first real computer I ever owned. It really was superior to the Apple computer, including the GUI interface. It was way ahead of its time.

UPDATE: Spent some time today with DS discussing my build since I want to get this order in for Father's Day well, because, why not!

DS says my config is too rich and wasting some money, so I wanted to revive this thread to see what you think.

DS Config #3193230

Basically they believe I don't need the 10900K and can easily live with I7-10700K
Also feel 16GB of Ram is plenty...that no games max that out currently.
By doing that they would swap in a 2080 Super.

Agree? Disagree? My latestc config was 3190500

Help?

Mark

Edited by MarkT - 19 Jun 2020 at 1:45pm

Originally posted by MarkT UPDATE: Spent some time today with DS discussing my build since I want to get this order in for Father's Day well, because, why not! DS says my config is too rich and wasting some money, so I wanted to revive this thread to see what you think. DS Config #3193230 Basically they believe I don't need the 10900K and can easily live with I7-10700K Also feel 16GB of Ram is plenty...that no games max that out currently. By doing that they would swap in a 2080 Super. Agree? Disagree? My latestc config was 3190500 Help? Mark

Basically, it's a toss-up. The Cpu is good, you will literally never know any difference for the life of your rig. The RAM was what you wanted from the beginning, and the pricing is more economical than it was just a year ago. IIRC, back then a 16GB upgrade was $221. Chances are very good you will never need more than 16GB. These choices got you over the $3000 plateau, so there was a $100 extra discount against those "extras".

The Samsung 970 EVO PRO is unnecessary. In practical use you would never know the diff between that and the EVO PLUS. Now THAT is $$ wasted IMHO. I do applaud the upgrade from the Seagate, however. The Samsung line has proven it's superior reliability to the rest of the field while the Seagates are new.

It's the GPU upgrade I have the most trouble with, personally. With the changes, which are not at all bad advice except for the EVO PRO, the 2080 is needed to get to the $3000 plateau again. But do we need that? Here's my problem. There is no question the 2080 will perform better than the 2070. However, the games you like to play are not so demanding, so what do you get from all that extra power? Again, you have the situation where more is unarguably better in theory, but will you care? IMHO, no. If you are playing Mass Effect remastered at 117 fps will 132 fps make or break the experience for you? If that's a resounding yes, get the upgrade. If, like me, you would hardly know what the difference would even look like, pass on the 2080 and take those savings to the bank, instead.

Your original build, with the suggested changes, staying with the 2070 SUPER, and substituting the 1TB Samsung 970 EVO PLUS, comes in at $2611 after discount. Config ID 3194665. If you really find the video to be inadequate , the new Nvidia line will be out in September, and the version of the 2070 at or near the same price point will be 20-40% stronger.

More to chew on, I hope I didn't muddy the waters TOO much.

Originally posted by Cretae Originally posted by MarkT UPDATE: Spent some time today with DS discussing my build since I want to get this order in for Father's Day well, because, why not! DS says my config is too rich and wasting some money, so I wanted to revive this thread to see what you think. DS Config #3193230 Basically they believe I don't need the 10900K and can easily live with I7-10700K Also feel 16GB of Ram is plenty...that no games max that out currently. By doing that they would swap in a 2080 Super. Agree? Disagree? My latestc config was 3190500 Help? Mark Basically, it's a toss-up. The Cpu is good, you will literally never know any difference for the life of your rig. The RAM was what you wanted from the beginning, and the pricing is more economical than it was just a year ago. IIRC, back then a 16GB upgrade was $221. Chances are very good you will never need more than 16GB. These choices got you over the $3000 plateau, so there was a $100 extra discount against those "extras". The Samsung 970 EVO PRO is unnecessary. In practical use you would never know the diff between that and the EVO PLUS. Now THAT is $$ wasted IMHO. I do applaud the upgrade from the Seagate, however. The Samsung line has proven it's superior reliability to the rest of the field while the Seagates are new. It's the GPU upgrade I have the most trouble with, personally. With the changes, which are not at all bad advice except for the EVO PRO, the 2080 is needed to get to the $3000 plateau again. But do we need that? Here's my problem. There is no question the 2080 will perform better than the 2070. However, the games you like to play are not so demanding, so what do you get from all that extra power? Again, you have the situation where more is unarguably better in theory, but will you care? IMHO, no. If you are playing Mass Effect remastered at 117 fps will 132 fps make or break the experience for you? If that's a resounding yes, get the upgrade. If, like me, you would hardly know what the difference would even look like, pass on the 2080 and take those savings to the bank, instead. Your original build, with the suggested changes, staying with the 2070 SUPER, and substituting the 1TB Samsung 970 EVO PLUS, comes in at $2611 after discount. Config ID 3194665. If you really find the video to be inadequate , the new Nvidia line will be out in September, and the version of the 2070 at or near the same price point will be 20-40% stronger. More to chew on, I hope I didn't muddy the waters TOO much.

Hi Cretae,

I asked you to muddy the waters, so its all good. Agree with most of what you are saying. Def dropping the RAM to 16GB, and I know the 2080 is not worth the extra cost unless I am trying to hit a discount threshhold (like $3000).

That said, take a look at this video link regarding the SSD. This video is why I went with the PCIe Seagate. Is this not accurate? It sounds like the key to M.2 is making sure its using PCIe not SATA 3.0. Seagate says it in the description but Samsung just says NVME. Am I missing something.

https://youtu.be/HvfIeTieXOI

Thanks.

Originally posted by MarkT Can you send me the email address, the one I have came back undeliverable. Send it to [email protected] Mark

Mark, his email is [email protected] ... he can also be reached indirectly at [email protected].

Hope that helps.   He's on the forums, but it's not every day so he may not see your message.

Originally posted by Cretae NVMe by definition uses the PCIe bus. You can get a SATA M.2 form factor which is what the DS M.2s are. Note they do not say NVMe. The Samsungs have led the way for speed and reliability from the outset. The new Seagates are PCIe generation 4 parts which is not supported yet on most Intel motherboards, but is the standard on newer AMD boards. On a PCIe gen 4 mobo, the Seagates are still slower in some operations than the Samsungs, but they make more sense. On an Intel mobo, they default to PCIe 3 performance and are purely a budget pick. They are new, so reliability is a question. With all the other savings you're looking at, get the 970 EVO PLUS.

Cretae,

Unless I am losing my mind....certainly a possibility at my age, the screenshot below for this Z490 motherboard indicates that if I buy the m.2 SSD, lets say Samsung 970 EVO PLUS, it would go into a PCIe slot on the motherboard, and I would expect 3.5GB transfer rate, not the 600MB SATA rate....yes?

Originally posted by Cretae I'm not sure if you're confused, but I'm getting there. An M.2 slot is about an inch wide directly on the face of your motherboard. It is not a PCIe slot like one thinks of for installing a video card or a sound card, but it does access the PCIe bus and transfer like a demon. The NVMe SSD itself is about the size of a small pocket comb, plugs into the slot and is fastened down on the opposite end by a single screw. You will not lose a traditional PCIe CARD slot. Your motherboard has two M.2 slots, so you can get another NVMe if you ever want one. You could waste one of these slots with a SATA M.2 SSD, but why? You still have use of 3 PCIe CARD slots. Mark That's what it looks like. note the slot on the right, and the screw at the left. It runs off the PCIe bus. Note the PCIe CARD SLOT just below it. Are we good?

Thanks Cretae,
I think we are both saying the same thing. I know where it goes, what it looks like and how its installed. I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous to myself and others. What I was confused about was that this card that is attached to the motherboard will have a transfer rate of 3.5GB not 600MB. If that is true, we are good. That's was my only concern. I want to make sure I am getting the max throughput which is why I wanted the m2 and to have it inserted directly into the motherboard.



Edited by MarkT - 20 Jun 2020 at 5:31pm