I was hoping to hold out till Oct/Nov when the new Nvidia 20XX series hits the shelves before getting a new PC, but my old pc is starting to make very loud funny noises and randomly hanging once in awhile, so I think I may not be able to hold out till then.
Use of my PC is 75% gaming (not very high requirements games), 10% normal surfing/emails, 10% photo editing and 5% light video editing. I use DxO Photolab for my photo editing and Cyberlink Powerdirector for my video editing, so not the usual Adobe suite.
Main requirements for the new PC are 1440p 100fps gaming for games like FFIV and Blizzard games like WoW, HoTS and OW. Won't be looking to play any high requirement games.
I also won't be looking to manually overclock the system as I have no idea how to do so. However, if possible to enable those built in auto overclock by manufacturers to improve performance I would like to do so.
I expect that budget for the above requirements shouldn't exceed $2500, if I don't need to include monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. Of course the lower the cost the better, while achieving the above requirements
Given the above requirements, I would like to request for recommendations on the following. Sorry for having so many questions, and thank you in advance for your help! I will post a planned build after listening to your advice on the questions below.
1. Intel vs AMD.
(a) I'm looking at Intel i-5 8600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X. Would I need to go up to the Intel i-7 and Ryzen 7 series to achieve my requirements?
(b) I chose the "K" and "X" versions due to what I mentioned above about the auto-overclocking features if available - is this necessary?
(c) I understand that Intel is better for gaming, and Ryzen better for productivity. Majority of the PC's use will be for gaming, but will the 25% productivity I do take a big hit if I go with Intel? Conversely, will I be unable to achieve 1440p 100fps on the games I play if I go with Ryzen?
2. Graphics Card
Would a GTX 1070 be able to handle 1440p 100fps or do I need to go higher? How much higher if so?
3. RAM
(a) For Intel, I read that RAM speed doesn't really matter, so I can go with a 2666Hz kit? For Ryzen I will need a 3200Hz kit to maximize performance?
(b) Would 16GB be enough or should I go up to 32GB to handle the 15% photo and video editing that I do?
4. CPU cooler
(a) For a set and forget system, would an air cooler be better than an AIO water cooler? I read that AIO water coolers can dry up over time and the CPU after 2-3 years ends up with effectively no cooling at all.
(b) Given that the only overclocking I want is the auto-boosting features, what cooler would be recommended? Bonus points if there is a RGB option
(c) For Ryzen, would it be more cost effective to go with Ryzen 7 with the supposedly good bundled cooler vs Ryzen 5 with a 3rd party cooler?
5. Assembly
For the past 20+ years, I've always had my PCs assembled by a shop in SLS (previously Fuwell, then switched to PC Themes based on recommendations here). Only had issues once with a faulty motherboard but other than that haven't needed to RMA anything (touch wood). Given the establishment of several boutique assemblers like Aftershock, Typhoon Systems, Ideal Tech etc. Is it better to go with the boutiques, or stick with the SLS shops? What are the downsides to going with boutiques vs SLS shops?
Use of my PC is 75% gaming (not very high requirements games), 10% normal surfing/emails, 10% photo editing and 5% light video editing. I use DxO Photolab for my photo editing and Cyberlink Powerdirector for my video editing, so not the usual Adobe suite.
Main requirements for the new PC are 1440p 100fps gaming for games like FFIV and Blizzard games like WoW, HoTS and OW. Won't be looking to play any high requirement games.
I also won't be looking to manually overclock the system as I have no idea how to do so. However, if possible to enable those built in auto overclock by manufacturers to improve performance I would like to do so.
I expect that budget for the above requirements shouldn't exceed $2500, if I don't need to include monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. Of course the lower the cost the better, while achieving the above requirements
Given the above requirements, I would like to request for recommendations on the following. Sorry for having so many questions, and thank you in advance for your help! I will post a planned build after listening to your advice on the questions below.
1. Intel vs AMD.
(a) I'm looking at Intel i-5 8600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X. Would I need to go up to the Intel i-7 and Ryzen 7 series to achieve my requirements?
(b) I chose the "K" and "X" versions due to what I mentioned above about the auto-overclocking features if available - is this necessary?
(c) I understand that Intel is better for gaming, and Ryzen better for productivity. Majority of the PC's use will be for gaming, but will the 25% productivity I do take a big hit if I go with Intel? Conversely, will I be unable to achieve 1440p 100fps on the games I play if I go with Ryzen?
2. Graphics Card
Would a GTX 1070 be able to handle 1440p 100fps or do I need to go higher? How much higher if so?
3. RAM
(a) For Intel, I read that RAM speed doesn't really matter, so I can go with a 2666Hz kit? For Ryzen I will need a 3200Hz kit to maximize performance?
(b) Would 16GB be enough or should I go up to 32GB to handle the 15% photo and video editing that I do?
4. CPU cooler
(a) For a set and forget system, would an air cooler be better than an AIO water cooler? I read that AIO water coolers can dry up over time and the CPU after 2-3 years ends up with effectively no cooling at all.
(b) Given that the only overclocking I want is the auto-boosting features, what cooler would be recommended? Bonus points if there is a RGB option
(c) For Ryzen, would it be more cost effective to go with Ryzen 7 with the supposedly good bundled cooler vs Ryzen 5 with a 3rd party cooler?
5. Assembly
For the past 20+ years, I've always had my PCs assembled by a shop in SLS (previously Fuwell, then switched to PC Themes based on recommendations here). Only had issues once with a faulty motherboard but other than that haven't needed to RMA anything (touch wood). Given the establishment of several boutique assemblers like Aftershock, Typhoon Systems, Ideal Tech etc. Is it better to go with the boutiques, or stick with the SLS shops? What are the downsides to going with boutiques vs SLS shops?
