[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by d3mon

If you have a budget for 1.6L, please just get a nice laptop with similar specs + a monitor & keyboard/mouse.
You may not get the upgradeability of a desktop, but you will get much more portability which may come in handy when you least expect it.

This is exact opposite to my standard advice, which is do not buy a laptop, ever, unless you specifically need portability. It has no other advantages, and is not nice in any way, except some people prefer the aesthetics. PC will be longer lasting, and easier to repair or upgrade. You can also have a bigger monitor from the start.

[Amien]

Originally Posted by rishee

Can you explain this, as this is the kind of insight I am trying to gather. I found a few blogs/videos recommending a x570 MoBo.

Those X570 boards are ridiculously over-engineered and you don't really need one for a CPU with less than 12 cores. The B550 boards will be more than enough for the CPU you mentioned. (although the new 6-core 12 thread part should be picked instead)

A larger percentage of the budget should go to the GPU as that will have the greatest impact on gaming performance.

Re: the laptop suggestion, you would need to spend 2x your budget to even come close to the kind of power you can have in a desktop. Not to mention the overall value/reliability/longevity. It also doesn't hurt that this is probably the best time in a decade to build a PC. In about a month, things stand to get even better with the new CPU/GPU releases.

[Guite]

The Ryzen CPU I ordered arrived from Amazon yesterday. The box itself looked new, no sign of tampering. I opened the box seal myself. On the thermal pad of the Wraith Stealth cooler there is one prominent black spot and two smaller ones which looks like dirt. Should I be worried about this?

Should I return it?
Should I remove with tweezers?
Should I leave it as it is?

Beats me why AMD does not put protective film on it.

[TRR]

Hey everyone.

I'm looking to revamp my existing gaming setup to one more future-proof and more capable of demanding with graphics-intensive game(and primarily in anticipation of Cyberpunk 2077 and also wanting to play MS Flight Simulator).

My current rig was set up 4 years ago. The current specs are:

CPU - Intel i5 6500 3.2GHz
Motherboard - MSI Z170A Gaming M3
GPU - Zotac GTX 1060 6GB
RAM - 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2400 MHz
PSU - Coolermaster 600W (not sure about the exact model)
Cabinet - Coolermaster HAF 922
Storage - 1x240 GB WD Green SSD, 1x1TB Seagate Firecuda SSHD
Monitor - MSI MAG271C 1080p 144Hz

This system manages to put out 45-60fps at 1080p with high settings on games like Witcher 3, Dishonored 2 and Dying Light. My requirements from the new system would be to do 1080p gaming at 144Hz with maxxed out settings.

I am currently looking at the current build to upgrade to:

CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
Motherboard - MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge WIFI
GPU - Nvidia RTX 3070 (when it launches and is available)
RAM - 2x16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200 MHz
PSU - Cooler Master Master Watt 750W Bronze Certified
Storage - 1x1TB Samsung 970 Evo MZ-V7E1T0BW (might retain the SSHD as well)

The monitor would continue into my new setup as well. Haven't really decided on a cabinet change yet. The current upgrade is running me upto somewhere around INR 120,000, which really is the upper limit for my budget.

I would be grateful for any recommendation on possible improvements to this build within the same budget range or if are there components that I can look at to reduce my cost outlay for this upgrade without compromising on the performance.

Oh and I also intend to do VR Gaming 1-2 years down the line, so the system will have to be able to handle that as well. But other than that, my use case is strictly going to be for 1080p 144Hz gaming.

[Amien]

Originally Posted by Guite

Should I return it?
Should I remove with tweezers?
Should I leave it as it is?

Beats me why AMD does not put protective film on it.

The paste part is supposed to be exposed so that it can be installed directly. Packaging usually protects it and its pretty high quality stuff so it doesn't dry like most pre-applied paste. If there's particulate matter on it, removing it should be all you need to do. There's no need to return it. If you feel you must, you can remove it and apply aftermarket thermal paste but this is not necessary.

Originally Posted by TRR

Hey everyone.

I would wait for the 5600 to be available before thinking about the upgrade. Waiting for AMD's big Navi launch next month is also a good idea. Availability for Nvidia's GPUs should also improve by then.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Guite

The Ryzen CPU I ordered arrived from Amazon yesterday. The box itself looked new, no sign of tampering. I opened the box seal myself. On the thermal pad of the Wraith Stealth cooler there is one prominent black spot and two smaller ones which looks like dirt. Should I be worried about this?

Should I return it?
Should I remove with tweezers?
Should I leave it as it is?

Beats me why AMD does not put protective film on it.

Buy a tube of decent thermal paste and use that. Remove this completely with a soft cloth.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

This is exact opposite to my standard advice, which is do not buy a laptop, ever, unless you specifically need portability. It has no other advantages, and is not nice in any way, except some people prefer the aesthetics. PC will be longer lasting, and easier to repair or upgrade. You can also have a bigger monitor from the start.

Unless you are a gaming freak needing a special config. Laptops are the only way to go ahead. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

- You can place it literally anywhere in the house and work, with a desktop one entire table and real estate is blocked for the pc.
- Desktops are dust magnets and it really takes an effort to clean them especially the cable clutter behind it.
- For speed typing a laptop keypad is best suited.
- I wouldn't quote the mouse not needed because I am a mouse fan
- You don't need a UPS with a laptop
- A monitor gives you the ability of an Extended dual desktop screen which you will not get with a traditional desktop
- Repair and upgrade features of the desktop are just a hogwash. Once every 4 yrs your entire generation of devices progress and they will not be compatible. The other peripherals like ram, SSD etc you can upgrade in laptops as well.

No offense but the desktop train for the average user has long past left the station.

And all of the points listed above do not even include the portability i.e. you can carry it with you anywhere you travel.

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by TRR

My requirements from the new system would be to do 1080p gaming at 144Hz with maxxed out settings.

As Amien already said, I would wait for the equivalent Zen 3 CPU, as it's a big step ahead especially in gaming.

However, your GPU choice is not correct for a 1080p 144Hz build. The RTX 3070 is the right GPU for a 1440p 144Hz build. For a 1080p 144Hz, a 3060/3060 Ti or its RDNA 2 equivalent would be enough for a 1080p high refresh rate build.

Once the new parts are out, we can help you finalize a build within your budget, but you'll need to hold out for a little while until they're released.

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Unless you are a gaming freak needing a special config. Laptops are the only way to go ahead. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Sorry, but I don't agree with you. Laptops are only for portability. I agree with Thad that desktops are much better in every way. Answers in line with each point below.

- You can place it literally anywhere in the house and work, with a desktop one entire table and real estate is blocked for the pc. --> If you need portability, you shouldn't be looking at a desktop anyway. For people who don't need portability, this is perfectly fine. Also, there are PCs which hardly take up any space like an ITX PC build.

- Desktops are dust magnets and it really takes an effort to clean them especially the cable clutter behind it. --> Laptops are also dust magnets, but you don't see the dust getting accumulated inside, which actually affects the performance much more than on a desktop, so proper cleaning of the accumulated dust in a laptop is much more important.

- For speed typing a laptop keypad is best suited. --> This is a matter of perspective. I'm sure plenty of people can argue that a desktop keyboard is faster to type on, but this boils down to personal comfort.

- I wouldn't quote the mouse not needed because I am a mouse fan --> A mouse can be had/replaced very cheap, a touchpad cannot.

- You don't need a UPS with a laptop --> Neither do you need one with a desktop unless you have work that needs to be saved before it shuts down. A UPS is a nice-to-have, not a necessity for most people.

- A monitor gives you the ability of an Extended dual desktop screen which you will not get with a traditional desktop --> This is not true. You can just as easily plug in a 2nd monitor on a desktop and have extended dual displays which are both large and is an advantage for a desktop.

- Repair and upgrade features of the desktop are just a hogwash. Once every 4 yrs your entire generation of devices progress and they will not be compatible. The other peripherals like ram, SSD etc you can upgrade in laptops as well. --> Untrue. Sorry to correct you here, but first of all, RAM & SSDs are not peripherals. Secondly, you can very well upgrade the components in a desktop at least one generation further or even higher up the range in the same generation. Example: You can build a PC with a Ryzen 3600 - 6 core 12 thread CPU today, and upgrade it to a Ryzen 3950X - 16 core 32 thread CPU later if needed or even upgrade to a Zen 3 CPU, along with upgrading the CPU cooler if needed. This is one of the biggest advantages a desktop PC has. A laptop can never have its core or cooling changed, therefore you can only add more memory or storage, that's it.

And while on the subject of cooling, this is also one of the biggest reasons not to choose a laptop, because they don't have sufficient cooling, and components are subjected to higher temperatures than they would be on a desktop, hence fail earlier and have a shorter lifespan in a lot of cases.

With a desktop, you can also re-use the case and power supply on a new build, which is another advantage.

Originally Posted by Fillmore

No offense but the desktop train for the average user has long past left the station.

Matter of perspective again. For people that like the convenience of laptops, sure. I completely agree that laptops are convenient, but that doesn't make them better. To summarize - a laptop is only better for portability and battery backup. In every other way, it's inferior.

Cheers

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Unless you are a gaming freak needing a special config. Laptops are the only way to go ahead. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

For you only. That is your point of view, your taste --- and, of course, your right.

Your points are all personal preferences, not facts. Except the UPS thing, with which I agree, but have in inverter anyway.

Longevity alone... I have had a ten-year-old laptop. Nothing failed. The laptop which my wife uses now (and never moves from its usual place) has had to have its keyboard replaced. I am using a ten-year-old PC right now. Yes, I have got through a couple of keyboards too... but how quick and easy to change!

No, there are no advantages to a laptop, except the portability for which it is intended. And aesthetic, if it is to your taste

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Except the UPS thing, with which I agree, but have in inverter anyway.

Even that point is only specific to countries that have issues with electricity supply. In the 3 years since I moved to Belgium, I haven't experienced a single power outage. Desktop or laptop makes no difference to me from that standpoint.

That point of his really isn't applicable worldwide.

Cheers

[SLK]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Except the UPS thing, with which I agree, but have in inverter anyway.

And why does it need a UPS? - why can't we just have a small battery which can give 6 hours of backup to a desktop? Are they so so inefficient?

No, desktop's aren't really inefficient (not completely!), they are a different animal, a desktop processor is considerably faster, screen normally bigger and better, display card normally much better!, can support more RAM, HDDs for desktop are faster.

Desktops can be setup ergonomically better, which should be a very important consideration for people who spend a lot of time in front of computers.

In-fact to get the best, the ideal setup is to have a good desktop and a low end laptop, both can fit within the budget for an expensive laptop.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Unless you are a gaming freak needing a special config. Laptops are the only way to go ahead.

I went from this:


to this as my main workhorse:


The iMac is a 2011 unit with humble quad i5 and 256 Mb graphics. It came with 4gb ram and 500 Gb HDD, but over the years I have added 256 Gb SSD for OS, 20 Gb ram and retained the 500 Gb HDD. Still runs perfectly with no issues. At times, I have a lot of tabs open on Firefox / Safari and still it can carry on.

I love the MacBook Pro - it's the 2015 one with retina screen and 512 Gb SSD, but you can't get intense work done on that machine. Basic stuff is ok, but fire up a video editing program or even a Photoshop with a larger file and see the fans crank up and the bottom surface rise in temperature.

Not to mention the benefits of better ergonomics on the desktop - it's a custom desk made to suit my eye level and this particular iMac with my chair.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by Joxster

I agree with Thad that desktops are much better in every way..

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

For you only. That is your point of view, your taste --- and, of course, your right..

As said each one to his opinion and preference. If the desktop gives you what you want so be it.
But my perspective is still the same. All the counter arguments do not seem to hold any water.

At the end of the day a regular joe would

• Check mail
• Browse some sites / social media
• Transact on some e-commerce / banking sites / pay bills

For all these tasks I don't see how a desktop can make the experience any better. You can do the same on a laptop in a more convenient and flexible way.

I still say the desktop era is gone , and the laptop era too is giving way to mobile devices which millennials / Gen Z prefer to use.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I went from this:
Attachment 2069933

to this as my main workhorse:
Attachment 2069934

...

Indeed... the Bottles , the tumbler, the plate, the spoon, the fork, paper sheets all vanished with the Desktop ??

If you get a docking station for the Laptop and place it where your desktop is it will have the same effect on your desk in terms of space if that is what you want.

Cheers ..

[Guite]

I am all for desktop. Btw, I am not a gamer. Too old for that, never been interested much in it except Railroad Tycoon. My son do play games on the console.

Upgradability
Every part of it can be upgraded. Tired of that glossy 16" screen? Just upgrade to a 24" glare free matte screen. Slow graphics? Add faster GPU. Same for CPU. Even motherboard for that matter. Not enough ports? Add expansion cards.

Good ergonomics
Arms in level, eyes looking straight in level. No bend neck.

Needs big table
Of course. All the better for maintaining good eye to screen distance. So the deeper the table, the better. Important especially for kids. This same table can serve as writing table. No need to fold your knees under a pity of a folding writing surface placed on your bed. Printers also need mounting surface, no? Every house with school going kid these days need to have a printer.

UPS
Yes. Not only for desktop PC but also for TV and wifi. Not PC's fault. Blame the power supply company.

I don't need portability. Therefore I don't need a laptop. Simple.

[blackwasp]

Lets agree to disagree on the laptop vs desktop debate. Both have their purposes and use case scenarios. To each his own.

Originally Posted by Fillmore

If you get a docking station for the Laptop and place it where your desktop is it will have the same effect on your desk in terms of space if that is what you want.

Cheers ..

Thats a 21-inch iMac on the right with a 21-inch Asus monitor. Fairly cable free setup, but my main surprise is the fact that the 2011 iMac is still going strong. While my laptop is fast in most tasks, workloads alike multiple browser tabs (20+) and video / photo editing are still faster on the iMac. Of course with budget no bar, your argument makes sense, but trying to keep the device working for long means its possible only with a desktop. Despite an iMac, its fairly upgradable.