Computer help..moving forward

[Bizman]

So with the SSD, I could get one and go a little lighter on the HD? Might try to swing a 16GB Ram, would I just buy two 2 8G ones?

--

So while the 1060 is legit, the 1660 is nearly the same one? I might've missed understood that.

For RAM, going in pairs is a good choice for getting the best use of Dual Channel technology (I know there's Triple Channel, but it's rare), meaning the system can write to one stick while reading another. Also less sticks can be a little faster than more so 2 x 8 GB is the best option for 16 GB.

The 1660 is way better than 1060 especially in new games. The main difference is the architecture: The 1060 is Pascal, the 1660 Turing, the latter being more capable in advanced graphics. According to Nvidia, the 1660 is in par with 1070! I'm starting to get an itch for getting a 1660 for my new rig which I may have to build when the support for Windows 7 ends...

[Max]

I'm seeing quite a bit of buzz on the new GTX 1660 & 1660Ti cards. Increased performance (vs 1070's) at a lower price point....what's not to love? The 1660's start around $230. Add another $40 for the Ti. From where I stand a dual fan 6 GB GTX 1660Ti for under $280 seems like a no brainer.

Bizman, your thoughts? MCI vs EVGA? Single fan vs dual fan? Anything else to consider?

[Spikes]

So with the SSD, I could get one and go a little lighter on the HD? Might try to swing a 16GB Ram, would I just buy two 2 8G ones?

PS what's up man? lol

Long time no see.

Yep you'd do 2x8GB sticks, then there's the possibility of upgrading even more if a good deal comes up or something.

Depending on how much space you need, you can probably do a ~250gb SSD and a 1TB HDD or something along those lines. That would allow you to have a few games on the SSD if you so choose.

I forgot they released the mid-range Ti cards, they look like great deals for the performance.

[Bizman]

My thoughts? Well, I have access to all the same sites as the rest of you. I don't own one (yet) but as has been said the price tag vs. performance is tempting.

Over the years I have developed one rule about brands: Only buy those you're familiar with. The big names have more to lose if they launch a lemon. Asus, Evga, Gigabyte, MSI... If in doubt try to find a review or a geek forum user thread about the brand and model you're looking at. For example, a local dealer has both Palit and KF2 and the comments I found disliked the former, whereas the latter seems to be of decent quality. A base plate often is a sign of a better quality card but especially with the smaller versions it may not add that much extra.

The support and warranty policies here are different to those in the US so you'll have to weigh them by yourself.

About fans, the more and the bigger they are the more silent the card should be. Also, if some model claims to be ## % cooler and quieter than the reference model, that is a good sign in my eyes.

Anything else? The 1660 comes in various sizes to fit all possible systems. And if you think you might benefit from the ray tracing technology of the RTX cards, Nvidia recently enabled that for 1660 Ti as well, making it even more tempting than the RTX 2060.

[Spikes]

I've gone with Gigabyte myself in the past for cards...EVGA always has the best warranty it seems. I like triple fan cards but dual fans will do the trick. The blower style ones are a bit louder generally, but they help with airflow if you're into that.

[fudgums]

Playing with the other companies you guys mentioned. Here's one from cyberpowerpc for around $900. A little much than I was shooting for but.

Message : GAMER XTREME ET9996 + FREE Shipping + Next Day Rush
Gaming Chassis : CYBERPOWERPC ELUNA 241V Premium RGB Gaming Case Mid-Tower w/ Tempered Glass Window Panel (Included)
Lighting : ARGB COLOR LED STRIP ONLY MUST FAN CONTROL (Included)
Extra Case Fans : 3X 120mm CyberPowerPC 120mm Addressable RGB 1200RPM Fans w/ Hub + Remote Controller (Included)
CPU : Intel® Core™ Processor i5-9400F 2.90GHZ 9MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151 (Included)
CPU / Processor Cooling Fan : INTEL BRAND LGA 1156 (S) CPU FAN 65W (Included)
Motherboard : MSI B360M BAZOOKA INTEL MATX LGA 1151 (Included)
RAM / System Memory : ADATA XPG Z1 8GB DDR4/3000MHz MEMORY (Included)
Video Card : GeForce® GTX 1060 3GB GDDR5 (Pascal)[VR Ready] (Included)
Power Supply : 600 Watts - Thermaltake SMART series 600Watts 80 Plus Gold high-efficient Power Supply (Included)
Primary Hard Drive : 240GB WD GREEN SSD 2.5" SATAIII 6.0 GB/s SSD (Included)
Secondary Hard Drive : 1TB WD CAVIAR BLUE HDD 3.5" SATAIII 7200RPM 6.0 GB/s (Included)

[Bizman]

The power supply is built by HEC or CWT and has got mixed reviews so changing that might be recommendable.

Based on what has been said on this thread, this systems seems to be a tad underpowered most everywhere. The CPU is below 3 GHz, the RAM is only 8 GB and the GPU is the lower 3 GB version of GTX1060.

Another thing is that if you don't really need fancy lights why pay for them.

For some reason I can't customize the build on the Cyberpower site to see how much the changes would affect the price.

[Max]

Fudgums, another possibility is using pcpartpicker.com. There you'll find "how to" guides, various completed builds and individual components that are presented as per compatibility with other parts. You'll also get pricing, pricing alerts and more. Even a dummy like me was able to build a fully customized desktop using this website.

[fudgums]

I thought the same, I was just looking at it for a starting spot then moving forward.

[fudgums]

CPU
Intel - Core i7-6700K 4 GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler    
   
Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooleer
   
Motherboard    
   
Asus - Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
                     
Memory    
   
Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2133 Memory

Storage    
   
SanDisk - SSD PLUS 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
   
   
Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
   
Video Card    
   
Asus - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB Dual Video Card
                     
Case    NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case                  
Power Supply    
Corsair - RMx 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
   
Case Fan
ARCTIC - Arctic F12 74 CFM 120mm Fan   
ARCTIC - Arctic F12 74 CFM 120mm Fan

Might be pushing the price a little bit but moving in a direction. Been looking at builds at pcpartpicker.

[Bizman]

That looks more like it. I was going to suggest an i5 processor but the i7-6700K is only $5 - $50 more expensive than the i5 variants so it's well worth the price.

Another thing is the RAM you've chosen. Why take the slow 2133 when you can get much faster for about the same price?

Same goes for the video card, adding a couple of tenners would give you the much faster 1660.

And the power supply... Although your choice has got quite good reviews and Corsair engineers help design them for Channel Well Technology to build, you can get a known-reliable Seasonic for the same price.

For the hard disks, I'd pay some attention to the 1 TB HDD. Your description didn't tell which version of Seagate it is, but so you know there's a large variety intended for different uses. Obviously you'd want one that is designed for 24/7 heavy use. Someone with more knowledge about the models should chime in and tell which one is the best. I'd also take a 240 GB SSD just in case, they're not that expensive any more. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QngzK8/adata-ultimate-su650-240-gb-25-solid-state-drive-asu650ss-240gt-r is at the same price range and they have good reviews.

Here's the parts I picked to modify yours (It's the "T" in the Markup bar right above your build list that gives a list like this):

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PZ9RdX

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700K 4 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($307.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($38.69 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB Phoenix Fan Video Card ($223.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic - PRIME Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $815.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-11 02:45 EDT-0400

[fudgums]

Like the look of it, a recommendation of a monitor? I believe the one that I have is outdated at the moment as well.

[Bizman]

Monitors don't get old that fast. What's the type, size and resolution you're having now?

[Denniss]

why do you want to buy (far) outdated stuff ?
CPU is three generations behind the current ones
Cooler is mediocre at best
memory is nonsense, get them as 3200 or the 3000 Aegis
SSD/HDD too small + SSD is cacheless so even slower than other 120GB.
As SSD get one of the two sisters WD Blue 3D/Sandisk Ultra 3D or MX500, 860 EVO with 250GB minimum
as HDD look for 2TB or larger + 5400rpm drivers are typically quieter then 7200rpm ones
with the listet equipment a 650W Powersupply is far overdosed - even 500-550W has lots of headroom for possible upgrades

[fudgums]

why do you want to buy (far) outdated stuff ?
CPU is three generations behind the current ones
Cooler is mediocre at best
memory is nonsense, get them as 3200 or the 3000 Aegis
SSD/HDD too small + SSD is cacheless so even slower than other 120GB.
As SSD get one of the two sisters WD Blue 3D/Sandisk Ultra 3D or MX500, 860 EVO with 250GB minimum
as HDD look for 2TB or larger + 5400rpm drivers are typically quieter then 7200rpm ones
with the listet equipment a 650W Powersupply is far overdosed - even 500-550W has lots of headroom for possible upgrades

Are you replying to Bizman?