my friend wants a new system...info?

[Daehawk]

My old friend ive known since 94 and helped me learn how to use my first computer and start building them myself needs a new one himself these days. He no longer wants to build his own and wants to either get a prebuilt or buy the parts and let me build it. I think he'd be better off with a pre made but thats also why im posting..dont know if he'd save one way or the other now days.

His pc , like mine, is over 10 years old.. Unfortunately he doesn't intend to play games on it though knowing him he'll toss a couple on..nothing big. He needs this machine for videos and video editing. So im thinking at least 32 gig ram and a giant hard drive.

I really dont know what CPU or video card he'd need or anything. If he wanted it for games I could almost tell him instantly.

His budget is $1500 but anything under that would be great. So what prebuilt places are good...iBuypower perhaps?

Info that I need.....

Prebuilt....what company....and what specs / hardware would he require?

I make......what hardware?

Thanks group.

[LordMortis]

Been really happy with my eCollegePC, recommended by kraken

https://ecollegepc.com/

[stessier]

I found this series to be pretty good for understanding what service is going to be like for a pre-built.

[Daehawk]

Lol ive seen all those linus vids. I love it when Sarah was the secret shopper. She was so out of her comfort zone.

[Anonymous Bosch]

My old friend ive known since 94 and helped me learn how to use my first computer and start building them myself needs a new one himself these days. He no longer wants to build his own and wants to either get a prebuilt or buy the parts and let me build it. I think he'd be better off with a pre made but thats also why im posting..dont know if he'd save one way or the other now days.

His pc , like mine, is over 10 years old.. Unfortunately he doesn't intend to play games on it though knowing him he'll toss a couple on..nothing big. He needs this machine for videos and video editing. So im thinking at least 32 gig ram and a giant hard drive.

I really dont know what CPU or video card he'd need or anything. If he wanted it for games I could almost tell him instantly.

His budget is $1500 but anything under that would be great. So what prebuilt places are good...iBuypower perhaps?

Info that I need.....

Prebuilt....what company....and what specs / hardware would he require?

I make......what hardware?

Thanks group.

If quality customer service is important? I'd strongly suggest steering clear of Cyberpower and iBuyPower.

Here's a shortlist of boutique and custom-built PC vendors with reliable customer support that I would recommend instead:

• Digital Storm
• eCollege PC
• DogHouse Systems
• Velocity Micro
• Origin PC
• Puget Systems
• Falcon NorthWest

I would also recommend that your friend call and chat with these businesses directly to explain his intended budget and usage for the system he would like built. Then he can have the vendors e-mail their recommended system specs and price quote, and let the vendors know that he will be comparing and contrasting their suggestion with other custom PC building services. That way, he can easily compare their hardware recommendations and quoted price, along with what they include in terms of service and support.

[gilraen]

At the end of the day, CyberPower and iBuyPower are like the Walmart of pre-built PCs. You can get a great price, and on paper it will have the same specs as a more expensive machine. But it will be using bottom-of-the-barrel components (that are just good enough to pass QA testing), and you better hope that nothing breaks because their customer service sucks. Still, it's certainly a viable option.

Although they specialize in gaming PCs, so even if you customize the build and downgrade the GPU to the cheapest available model, it's probably still overkill for someone who doesn't care about gaming. The eCollegePC might be better in that regard. You don't need a fancy graphics card for video editing (unless he's doing 3D modeling), but you shouldn't skimp on CPU. I wouldn't go any lower than Intel i7 at this point or whatever AMD equivalent (Ryzen 7900?)

Don't overpay for a "giant hard drive" - it's usually cheaper to add a second (or third) drive later than to pay a premium for a large SSD drive as the C: drive.

You won't save anything anymore by buying parts and building your own.

[Smoove_B]

I've had multiple Cyberpower PCs and all have worked without any issues (as a point of data). I never had to deal with customer service, but I've ordered 2 (maybe 3?) PCs from them directly without any problems. To also offer a correction, if you purchase directly from them, you get to customize all your parts. If you purchase a Cyberpower PC from Amazon or Best Buy or where ever (retail) it will absolutely be generic parts of questionable quality (do not recommend).

I would never attempt to build my own PC at this point; I can't imagine the cost savings would be worth the research and time spent building - with the hopes you picked the right RAM for the motherboard and CPU.

All that said, I've definitely heard good things about eCollegePC so if I need to buy a new one any time soon, I'd consider them too.

[Daehawk]

I really dont think he would need tech support. He was building PCs before me even. He can do all his own support.

This one from eCollege would seem to be what he could use. Im wonder about the video card in it is all. And he could add a 2 or 4 tb ssd later to go with the 1tb in it.

[Montag]

For AMD I would look to go to a 5800X3D for an AM4.
For video I would try for at least a 6800XT. You would want this for 1440P. If you are only doing 1080P, a 6700XT is a good card.

[Daehawk]

he is using a tv right now he said. I didn't even know you could use a tv with a pc. but he will need a monitor. Im in the dark on those as well.

[Blackhawk]

I didn't even know you could use a tv with a pc.

Aside from specialized features, there really isn't much of a difference between a modern monitor and a modern TV. I've had an extra computer hooked up to my TV for the last 15 years (starting with an old CRT TV), and it's a thousand times easier now than it was then, with monitors and TVs using the same cables. It's just plug-and-play. It's how I watch most shows (I just finished an episode of Buffy), it's how I play music in the house, it's a tool I've used for tabletop games (especially RPGs), it's great for playing emulators, and it's how I'm typing this.

[LordMortis]

I have laptops hooked up to both of my TVs. Since I moved to streaming over cable, they act as my cable.

[Daehawk]

ok this is my first stab at a config for him. i told him im not happy with the video card and also the cpu heatsink. Also a 2nd drive is too much from them like u said.

I switched around some stuff like the mobo and cpu

https://ecollegepc.com/cart/

ok that cart wont show for you i dont think so here..

AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Series
AMD Ryzen 5 Gaming Series quantity
$1,379.00


Case:

Fractal Design Pop Mini Air RGB Black TG (2 5.25, 2 2.5, 2 3.5 Bays ) 3 Fans, Front Audio 2xUSB 3.0, 15.47" x 8.46" x 17.01"


1


CPU:

AMD RYZEN 7 5800X3D Vermeer 8-Core 3.4 GHz (4.5 GHz Turbo) Socket AM4


1


Heatsink/Fan:

AMD Retail Boxed Fan that comes with CPU Included (Ryzen 5700G and lower, 7600,7700,7900 only)


1


Motherboards:

ASUS TUF Gaming B550-PLUS WiFi II (AMD B550, HDMI, 6xSATA, M.2, 4xDDR4, 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.1)


1


Memory:

32GB (16GBx2) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty


1


M.2 SSD:

1TB Crucial P3 Plus PCIe 4.0 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD 5000/3600 R/W


1


Video Card / GPU:

12GB Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB GDDR6 PCI Express 4.0 DP/HDMI Major Brand


1


Power Supply:

750watt CORSAIR CX-M CX750M 650 W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Semi-Modular Power Supply


1


Networking:

Onboard Ethernet LAN included


1


Sound Card:

Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included


1


Warranty:

Lifetime Labor and Tech Support, 1 Year Parts Warranty


1


Processing Time:

Standard Build and Test: Ready to ship within 4 to 5 Business Days

[Smoove_B]

I'd read up on the AMD processors. I'm not an expert, but my understanding is that it's only the latest generation (AMD 7) that seems to be competitive for Intel with respect to value for gaming. I'll respectfully leave the discussion to people that know more, but I'll also fully admit I'm in the Church of Intel and have been for a long time.

[Daehawk]

He will be video editing not gaming. I changed the mobo to a asus tuf gaming because i dont personally like MSI.

[Montag]

He will be video editing not gaming. I changed the mobo to a asus tuf gaming because i dont personally like MSI.

For this reason, you do NOT want the X3D processors. They excel at gaming, but you actually take a hit for productivity tasks. No X3D for you!

[Octavious]

AM4 is dead Jim. You would be slapping in a mobo that will have to be totally replaced if you want to upgrade in the future. Something like the 7600 would be more than enough for productivity and gaming. If you had access to a Microcenter I would highly recommend one of their crazy bundles. The one I got seems like it's finally gone though. 7700x, mobo and 32 gigs of ram for 400 bucks? Yes please, may I have another?

https://www.microcenter.com/category/42 ... rts-combos

[Daehawk]

im in TN and 100s of miles fro ma Micro

[Octavious]

Bummer for you. I would highly recommend avoiding AM4 if they have any intention of upgrading anytime soon. AM4 will have no more CPUs released. If he puts in DDR4 ram then it's going to be much more expensive to upgrade. New mobo + new cpu + new ram. VS just slapping in a new CPU 3 years from now. AM5 only supports DDR5. This was an issue when the prices sucked, but ram is not expensive anymore so might as well start in the current gen.

[Octavious]

Something like this.

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Configurator
AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Configurator quantity
1
$1,570.00

Case:
Fractal Design Focus G Black (2 5.25, 2 3.5/2.5 Bays) 2 Fans, Front Audio, 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, 17.5 in x 8.1 in x 18.3 in

1

CPU:
AMD RYZEN 5 7600 6-Core 3.8 GHz (5.2 GHz Turbo) Socket AM5 w/Wraith Stealth Cooler

1

Heatsink/Fan:
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Air Cooler, 6 Heat Pipes, 2x120mm Fans

1

Motherboards:
ASUS Prime B650M-A AX (AMD B650, 4xSATA, 2xM.2, 4xDDR5, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Wifi, Bluetooth)

1

Memory:
32GB (16GB x 2) G.Skill DDR5-6000Mhz Memory

1

M.2 SSD:
1TB SAMSUNG 980 Pro Series MZ-V8P1T0B/AM M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

1

Desktop Video Card:
12GB GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6X PCIE 4.0 DP/HDMI Major Brand (MSI,Gigabyte, ASUS, Zotac, PNY)

1

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 11 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + Product Key Digital License + Install)

1

Power Supply:
750watt EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT 220-GT-0750-Y1 Modular 80 PLUS GOLD CERTIFIED

1

Networking:
Onboard Ethernet LAN included

1

Sound Card:
Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included

1

Warranty:
Lifetime Labor and Tech Support, 1 Year Parts Warranty

1

Processing Time:
Standard Build and Test: Ready to ship within 4 to 5 Business Days

1

[gilraen]

This is massive overkill for a non-gaming system. You are literally paying an extra $800 for a GPU he doesn't need.

[Isgrimnur]

https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/best-graphics-card/

Video editing still needs some beefy hardware.

[Anonymous Bosch]

This is massive overkill for a non-gaming system. You are literally paying an extra $800 for a GPU he doesn't need.

Amen.

This was why I suggested Daehawk's friend would be better off directly contacting reliable custom-built PC vendors himself, providing them with his budget and intended usage scenario(s), and then soliciting and comparing their recommended system specs and price quotes. Because the intended usage scenario for this PC seems like unfamiliar territory for Daehawk, so I think the friend would be better served comparing and contrasting their suggestions and prices (and, if necessary, you could always seek further opinions on their suggested builds here).

[Blackhawk]

He needs this machine for videos and video editing. So im thinking at least 32 gig ram and a giant hard drive.

Before we go any further, can you be more specific about 'video editing?' Is he just splicing together clips for YouTube, or is he into heavy rendering/effects/Adobe AfterEffects/etc? 1080 or 4k?

If he's just splicing video, anything will work, and yeah, that's overkill. But if he's doing high-end work, that might be barely baseline. Pro editing PCs tend to need to be more powerful than gaming PCs (with a different emphasis on what systems to prioritize, though.)

If he's doing high-end stuff (and based on quick research, not personal expertise), don't skimp on the CPU (more cores = more better) and RAM (for the high-end stuff, 32GB is the bare minimum, with many suggesting several times that), and don't short yourself on the GPU (it's used a lot for encoding.) Also, a second SSD can be useful for caches. Use M2 SSDs if possible (they're faster than SATA.)

And (for high-end work), you can't skimp on the monitor. You need output at the resolution he's working at (so 4k if he's doing 4k video), and something that's known for providing acccurate colors and can be properly calibrated (with an actual calibration tool, not eyeballing.)

Again, that's not expertise, it's quick research. If he's doing that level of work, you really need input from other people who do that level of that type of work - you're not making a home PC, you're making a professional tool. But like I said, if he's just splicing together his home movies and doesn't plan on going beyond that, a discount Walmart PC would work.

[Octavious]

When I searched for productivity they were still recommending things like the 4070 which is why I picked that. I don't really do video editing myself so I can only go by google fu. I think 1,600 is super reasonable starting point. And if a game accidentally got installed yippie?

[Blackhawk]

For a little explanation on the specs, it isn't the creation process that requires those resources, it's the output phase, between finishing the editing and having the final video. For high-end stuff, they say 30 to 45 minutes of processing time per minute of video on an ideal system at 30FPS. On a baseline system, a 15-minute video could take 24 hours+ after you hit 'go.' And if he's doing 4k/60FPS stuff? Plan on a couple of days, and hope it doesn't generate an error after 30 hours.

That's where all the extra oomph comes in.

Oh, and for the reasons stated above, you also don't want to skimp on cooling. It's like benchmarking the system for a day and a half.

But, like I said, this all depends on what he's doing, and doesn't really apply to cobbling something together in Avidemux or Windows Movie Maker.

[Smoove_B]

I'm having flashbacks to when a friend in high school would tell me that he created a mirror ball on a chessboard using his Amiga and I could come see it the next day when it finished rendering.

[Daehawk]

My friend says for a monitor he is thinking 27" to 30" NON ultrawide at 144htz. The 144 is just in case he somehow does play a game on it.

[hitbyambulance]

cobbling something together in Avidemux or Windows Movie Maker.

ima say this is almost certainly closer to the actual use case.

[Blackhawk]

Most likely, as it is 90% of the time, but it's still the kind of thing that needs to be known before making recommendations on hardware.

[Montag]

AM4 is dead Jim.

This is false. There are at least two AM4 chips to be released and AMD has stated there are years left for support. If you are really tight on the money, you can save by going AM4 with DDR4 RAM. That being said, if you have the money - go AM5. I have done this myself. AM5 is a premium and is less performance / $ than AM4 - but there is a greater longevity.

[Octavious]

I had thought I read that they wouldn't be releasing anymore, but if you buy one now the next upgrade is likely 4-5 years out. So I doubt you would be able to get a big upgrade by then. DDR5 is pretty darn cheap now so I really do think it would be silly to save a few bucks to go with the old stuff. Intel I have been ignoring so can't comment on that.