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So I want to build a desktop. I have not built a desktop for a long time... I would like some help/advice/tips/suggestions/etc
what are my requirements or preferences.
It will only run Linux. No windows. This is absolute. So how good or bad is any choice it only matters on linux.
I want it to be as modern as possible. So I am not really looking at any old hardware that may seem more cost-effective. On the other hand it has to be supported on linux and not very expensive.
I will do some gaming on it. I would say as a requirement example that Dirt Rally should run reasonably well.
I want to keep the cost as low as possible
Currently I am thinking for an i3-8100 with a gtx 1050ti. I am not getting a 1060 as it is too expensive, I would consider a 1050 to keep the cost lower, how much worse is it?
I need some advice for MB
I also need box, monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse etc...
View PC info
i3-8100 is fine, but if you do other tasks with your PC also that need more cores you might want to check AMD cpus.
Ryzen 1500X for example is with a similar(about 30 more) price to this but has 4 cores and 8 threads and possibility to overclock even with the default stock cooler to about 3.8ghz, with 20-30€ aftermarket cooler 3.9-4.0ghz.
what is you total pricerange?
something like this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Cb9wV6
motherboard can be cheaper, rams you can get a bit cheaper even and PSU can be cheaper and ofc monitor can be cheaper, you didnt detail what you exactly want, what size, IPS/TN/VA whatever?
i didn't include keyboard/mouse cause you didn't list what you expect from them, mechanical? gaming? RGB?
a) it is cheaper, it is a lot cheaper where I am, or more precize ryzen are a lot more expensive than they should be, but I have not really checked the different price for motherboard and memory.
b) I like that it has an igpu although not really needed
c) maybe I am FUD victim because of: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/forum/topic/3207
I am not a hardcore gamer and I do not have any special requirements for keyboards/mouse. I do not really need advice for that. I need some advice for monitor. The monitor will be 1080p for sure and 22-24'' no doubt. But I know very little about the other specs. for example how different is 1ms to 5ms? I have no idea. I am not a hardcore gamer and I will not through too much money but I want it to be a decent system.
View PC info
the thing with i3 is, that its fine for most games but its not futureproof at all and as we all know intel likes to change sockets, so later when you want to upgrade you have to get new motherboard etc.. AMD said they support the same socket with all upcoming processors until 2020 iirc. also more cores is good for vulkan api and having your OS have some breathing room for other tasks. thatshy i would pick ryzen myself.
about keyboard mouse, just buy some cheap ones then :)
monitor 1ms and 5ms you probably dont feel the difference 5ms is usually IPS panels with better color accuracy and 1ms is usually TN panels with less color accuracy.
As a bonus you also get a great iGPU with the 2400G, while it's still a bit rough on Linux, it will get better in time just like a fine wine. As for the freezing thread you linked, 10 days ago I updated my bios to the latest and haven't had a single freeze so far and I do torture my PC quite a lot when it's on. Even before the bios update, I had the freeze like once in a week. I don't think 2nd Gen will be affected by this.
GPU: AMD Linux supports keeps getting better and better, if you will be running Arch (as suggest by your distro icon) I don't think you'll have any issues upgrading Mesa. However should you go with Nvidia, the 1050 Ti is an excellent choice, also agreeing with Xpander here, 4GB is pretty much needed if you plan to play modern games and if you want it to last a bit longer.
Monitor: After being a TN panel user since forever, last year I switched to an IPS setup and the difference in colors is incredible. Don't let that "5ms" scare you.
Case: Don't cheap out on the case, look for something that has filters in the front, the top and under the PSU. Also make sure they're easily removable for cleaning. I once made the mistake of buying the cheapest case I could, big mistake as it was a dust magnet and cleaning it was a pain. I'm running a Corsair 400C which so far I found very good, the insides barely got any dust in almost a year and it's easy to take apart for cleaning. The Fractal Design - Define C is also another of my favorites.
About the CPU. In my location the prices and availability are a bit different. My choices currently (I will have to see that again of course as I will buy the desktop probably in a month)
a) i3-8100
This is the only meaningful choice on that price range
If I am going to spend some more money I have three more choices
b) ryzen 5 1500X
c) i5-8400
d) ryzen 5 1600
this is actually sorted by their price(!) although they are close.
ryzen 5 2200G here will be more expensive than i3-8100 and I do not see it to be any better
ryzen 5 2400G is a bit more expensive than ryzen 5 1600 so probably does not worth it.
View PC info
PSU, you probably want quite cheap also and not chasing modular ones. get anything from 500W and up and 80 plus bronze or up i'd say.
do not buy noname ones though. Common brands: Corsair, EvGA, Cooler Master, Seasonic, Silverstone, Thermaltake.
View PC info
and yeah like i said before, more cores gives more breathing room for OS also if game utilizes few of them and OS can use the rest. Better for multitasking etc
View PC info
If you are severely restricted on finances, then I personally would try to find something secondhand, e.g. a Core i5-2400 system that someone is letting go for $150 and then put some semi-decent graphics in that, e.g. GTX1050ti 4GB, GTX1060 6GB or AMD RX560, RX570. At least the graphics could then shift to your better machine when you can afford it.
If you really want to go latest tech which is upgradeable in the future, when you can afford it:
Recommend the MSI B350 MATE motherboard for Ryzen CPUs (about $100). Get whichever Ryzen you can afford, with prospect to upgrade it in the future. I personally really like the Ryzen 5 1600 which comes with the Wraith cpu fan, and is good to overclock (and lots of cores, about $250). Recommend get a single stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM, and potential to upgrade with 1-3 additional DIMM modules in the future. Noting that this motherboard also has a NVMe slot for really fast solid state drive in the future too.
Then once you have the machine based on Ryzen, as per above, get what graphics you can afford (even, say a secondhand GTX960 or GTX750ti or whatever) and use that until you can afford better.
Considering how you seem to be aiming for an i3-8100 in the first place, it would be a good idea to look for a used i5 system, that way it might leave you with some options such as better GPU or a cheap SSD.
View PC info
View PC info
View PC info
So basically its all up to you which you want. Both should be fine enough with both their own small issues
View PC info
My preferred price/performance is the Ryzen 5 1600 which comes with the Wraith cpu fan.
My preferred motherboard is the MSI B350 MATE which works very nicely with the Ryzen above.
(You can overclock the 3.2GHz R5 1600 to 3.6GHz on the Wraith, no problem, on this board.)
This motherboard supports 4x 16GB DDR4 RAM (I tend to go for 2400MHz speed, for value for money.)
This motherboard has a NVMe PCIE SSD slot, for getting 5x speed of SATA SSD drives with the right SSD.
I am using the above components with an Nvidia GTX1080TI on Debian Linux 9.x - no problem.
Recommend Nvidia GPU with as much speed and RAM as you can afford, e.g. GTX1060 6GB (not 3GB).