New Computer Specs - Opinions Please!

[Melissa]

I am having a new system custom-built. I wanted to run the specs by you guys to make sure I made good choices. (I don’t know much about computers (especially when it comes to CPU and GPU), so any knowledge I have is just from brief online research.) I should have asked you guys first, but I wasn’t planning on having a custom build. I went to the computer store planning to buy an in-stock computer, but couldn’t find what I wanted.

Here are the specs:

SSD: 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 2280 Solid-State Drive / Read: 5150MB/s, Write: 4850MB/s

Memory: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz - INTEL XMP/ AMD EXPO

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8-Core/16-Thread 5nm ZEN 4 Processor /Socket AM5 4.5GHz base, 5.4GHz boost

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB GDDR7

OS: Windows 11

I use Lightroom and sometimes Photoshop. I would like the computer to be able to quickly/easily handle the “select subject/background” in LR; maybe do some stacking for macro; and also handle large file sizes. (I currently have an R6 but would like to have the option of upgrading to a 30-45 MP camera in the future. Would I need to add more RAM at that point?)

Many of you guys helped me choose my computer (almost 9 years ago) over on POTN. So I appreciate your opinions once again!

 

[Mike_d]

My current PC is 7 years old and has 32 GB of RAM. It runs LR and PS well with R6 raw files. The only time RAM becomes scarce is when I try to do too much at once. Something like 20+ browser tabs, LR, and DaVinci resolve. This is my do-it-all PC so I just tend to leave everything open all the time and jump between tasks. I recently designed some large banners, like 14x4 ft, in PS with a bunch of layers and ran out of RAM. But I still had Edge open which, like Chrome, can suck up the RAM. It may not have been an issue if I were single tasking. As long as you have open memory slots, I'd do 32 GB for now, knowing you can always add more if the need presents itself.

 

[3Rotor]

Overall, it will be more than capable for your use cases. 32GB of RAM will do the trick but I always tend to opt for more if it is within budget. Did you go in asking for the 7700X or is it a CPU offered as a base component in the custom build? I only ask because the newer 9700X is only ~$35 more. Not sure what the difference would be at the shop you are building at. The 9700X has a slightly higher boost clock all in a package that is more energy efficient 65 W TDP versus 105 W TDP of the 7700X. The 7700X is from the fall of 2022 versus the 9700X that just came out back in August. It is unlikely the average user will notice the difference between the two CPUs in identical builds. So, it will not make or break your build.

Any mention of what motherboard is being used? Asking to see if it has 2 or 4 slots for RAM. Is the SSD a Samsung? Highly likely it is air cooled but asking to be sure. Do you know?

 

[Melissa]

Overall, it will be more than capable for your use cases. 32GB of RAM will do the trick but I always tend to opt for more if it is within budget. Did you go in asking for the 7700X or is it a CPU offered as a base component in the custom build? I only ask because the newer 9700X is only ~$35 more. Not sure what the difference would be at the shop you are building at. The 9700X has a slightly higher boost clock all in a package that is more energy efficient 65 W TDP versus 105 W TDP of the 7700X. The 7700X is from the fall of 2022 versus the 9700X that just came out back in August. It is unlikely the average user will notice the difference between the two CPUs in identical builds. So, it will not make or break your build.

Any mention of what motherboard is being used? Asking to see if it has 2 or 4 slots for RAM. Is the SSD a Samsung? Highly likely it is air cooled but asking to be sure. Do you know?

Thanks for your input!

No, I did not ask for the 7700X. The sales associate chose that.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots. It is the "ASUS TUF GAMING B650M-E WIFI AMD AM5 B650 micro-ATX (mATX) motherboard with 8+2 DrMOS, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot w/heatsink, M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 6, 2.5Gb LAN, DP, HDMI™, USB 3.2, BIOS FlashBack™, Aura Sync". (https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...matx-motherboard-tuf-gaming-b650m-e-wifi.html)

The SSD is a Western Digital. (https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...0-2tb-pcie-gen4-nvme-m-2-ssd-wds200t3x0e.html)

 

[gewb]

I agree with 3Rotor, get the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Granite Ridge AM5 3.80GHz 8-Core processor for the power savings (= cooler temps). You will not notice the speed difference between 3.8GHz vs 4.5GHz. You will need a descent CPU cooler, air type is fine.

The mobo is fine as is the RAM.

SSD is also fine. I will make a recommendation: add a 1TB WD Black SN770 as a scratch disk. 1TB is more than enough for that and they are inexpensive so when it wears out (they do wear out rapidly if you do video editing) just get another and not worry about cloning/transferring your main drive data.

Video card will be fine, too.

Last items to pay attention to: Case and power supply. Case makes a difference in helping keep the video card and CPU cool (as in under the top limit) during heavy loading. Power supply needs the provide enough power on peak demands without sagging the voltage. Also for efficiency (cost to run).

 

[Melissa]

I agree with 3Rotor, get the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Granite Ridge AM5 3.80GHz 8-Core processor for the power savings (= cooler temps). You will not notice the speed difference between 3.8GHz vs 4.5GHz. You will need a descent CPU cooler, air type is fine.

The mobo is fine as is the RAM.

SSD is also fine. I will make a recommendation: add a 1TB WD Black SN770 as a scratch disk. 1TB is more than enough for that and they are inexpensive so when it wears out (they do wear out rapidly if you do video editing) just get another and not worry about cloning/transferring your main drive data.

Video card will be fine, too.

Last items to pay attention to: Case and power supply. Case makes a difference in helping keep the video card and CPU cool (as in under the top limit) during heavy loading. Power supply needs the provide enough power on peak demands without sagging the voltage. Also for efficiency (cost to run).

Thanks so much for your feedback!

I didn't realize the case and power supply were important... makes sense though.

This is the case: (DeepCool CC560 V2 Mid-Tower ATX Case)

https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/mid-tower-cases/247182/deepcool-cc560-v2-mid-tower-atx-case-r-cc560-bkgaa4-g-2.html

And this is the power supply: (MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5, 80+ GOLD Fully Modular Gaming PSU, 12V-2x6 Cable, ATX 3.1 & PCIE 5.1 Ready, 750W Power Supply)

https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/power-supplies/241562/msi-mag-a750gl-pcie-5-mag-a750gl-pcie5.html

 

[Melissa]

UPDATE: I just picked up my new computer (with original specs). I contacted them to see if it was too late to upgrade the processor, and they said it was too late because it was already built. (Also, he said the processor was part of a "package" which included the motherboard and RAM. ) I wasn't expecting it to be completed so fast! Anyway, hopefully it will function well.

 

[3Rotor]

I wasn't expecting it to be completed so fast! Anyway, hopefully it will function well.

There is absolutely nothing to be worried about. It should function perfectly fine. Computers are much like cars in how much you want to spec out and "upgrade." There is always a hard stop. Your new build will bring you years of solid performance. Enjoy!

 

[Melissa]

There is absolutely nothing to be worried about. It should function perfectly fine. Computers are much like cars in how much you want to spec out and "upgrade." There is always a hard stop. Your new build will bring you years of solid performance. Enjoy!

That is very true. Thanks!

 

[Mike_d]

There is absolutely nothing to be worried about. It should function perfectly fine. Computers are much like cars in how much you want to spec out and "upgrade." There is always a hard stop. Your new build will bring you years of solid performance. Enjoy!

And as long as you aren't buying complete trash, like the cheapest HP you can find at Walmart, just about any mid range PC will do a good job. PCs are a mature product so there aren't huge changes from year to year like there were in the 90's. For business PCs, I often send people to Micro Center where they can get a 4-5 year old Optiplex with an SSD that'll browse the Internet, take X-rays, and run MS Office just as well as a new computer costing 5x a much.

 

[gewb]

Very good! Nice to see a good power supply and case.

Recommendation: the case has a near full length magnetic top mesh vent, one rear exhaust fan and three push-in fans.

That configuration will cause top exhaust at the top front which means less flow to the CPU and video. (I have same configuration.)

Take a sheet of paper (what ever color you like) and cut it to fit the width of the mesh and HALF of the length. Lift the magnetic mesh and place the paper under the mesh to meet the front opening.

This will force the airflow from the front fans to better go over the CPU and video card then exhaust top rear.

Use tape to cover the unused expansion slot blanks on the back (yours have vent holes). Left uncovered the rear exhaust fan will actually recirculate some air through those vent holes instead of 100% exhaust of interior air. (Yup, I have done the smoke tests.)

None of this is hard to do, will take about 10 minutes, nothing gets taken apart, only need a sheet of paper, scissors, tape.

 

[Melissa]

And as long as you aren't buying complete trash, like the cheapest HP you can find at Walmart, just about any mid range PC will do a good job. PCs are a mature product so there aren't huge changes from year to year like there were in the 90's. For business PCs, I often send people to Micro Center where they can get a 4-5 year old Optiplex with an SSD that'll browse the Internet, take X-rays, and run MS Office just as well as a new computer costing 5x a much.

Thanks... you guys have made me feel better about my purchase. Now I just need to choose a monitor!

 

[Melissa]

Very good! Nice to see a good power supply and case.

Recommendation: the case has a near full length magnetic top mesh vent, one rear exhaust fan and three push-in fans.

That configuration will cause top exhaust at the top front which means less flow to the CPU and video. (I have same configuration.)

Take a sheet of paper (what ever color you like) and cut it to fit the width of the mesh and HALF of the length. Lift the magnetic mesh and place the paper under the mesh to meet the front opening.

This will force the airflow from the front fans to better go over the CPU and video card then exhaust top rear.

Use tape to cover the unused expansion slot blanks on the back (yours have vent holes). Left uncovered the rear exhaust fan will actually recirculate some air through those vent holes instead of 100% exhaust of interior air. (Yup, I have done the smoke tests.)

None of this is hard to do, will take about 10 minutes, nothing gets taken apart, only need a sheet of paper, scissors, tape.

Okay, I will do that! Thanks so much!

 

[Wilt]

And as long as you aren't buying complete trash, like the cheapest HP you can find at Walmart, just about any mid range PC will do a good job. PCs are a mature product so there aren't huge changes from year to year like there were in the 90's. For business PCs, I often send people to Micro Center where they can get a 4-5 year old Optiplex with an SSD that'll browse the Internet, take X-rays, and run MS Office just as well as a new computer costing 5x a much.

To add to Mike's comment...look at the spec of your OLD PC, and if you have never run into operational limitations imposed by its 'old' technology, you will likely be served well by a PC that at least meets its specs!
About the only example that I can cite of 'new spec' being needed where 'old spec' would not be sufficient is in the case of the processor itself being of a sufficiently newer 'generationl to meet the minimum requirements of the operating system software...Microsoft 11 simply wll not run in a processsor earlier than '8th generation', and if you are buying stuff (e.g. new old stock) at a great price you need to make sure it has a new enough version processor!

 

[gewb]

Melissa, how is it going with your new computer? I'll bet it is more than you expected. Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Melissa]

Melissa, how is it going with your new computer? I'll bet it is more than you expected. Inquiring minds want to know!

So far, I've only used it for basic tasks and it seems very fast! I haven't taken any photos since, so I haven't had a chance to really try it out.

 

[3Rotor]

So far, I've only used it for basic tasks and it seems very fast! I haven't taken any photos since, so I haven't had a chance to really try it out.

Once you have some down time you should run side by side comparisons of your typical tasks using the same files. That is, if your old machine is still around. Guaranteed there is a huge improvement but it is nice to have data and results to confirm the change in performance.

As you are well aware, solid components will hold up for a long time. I still have a i7-2600k build from over a decade ago that, surprisingly enough, holds up to most tasks I throw at it. Sure, I have updated minor components (really just the drives and the addition of a GPU) over the years but the CPU, cooler, motherboard, RAM, power supply and case have been around since day 1. It has been overclocked to 4.5-4.7 since pretty much day 2 as well. I will soon toss in more RAM and it will become my Linux box as I have a modern AM5 build in the works.

 

[Melissa]

Once you have some down time you should run side by side comparisons of your typical tasks using the same files. That is, if your old machine is still around. Guaranteed there is a huge improvement but it is nice to have data and results to confirm the change in performance.

As you are well aware, solid components will hold up for a long time. I still have a i7-2600k build from over a decade ago that, surprisingly enough, holds up to most tasks I throw at it. Sure, I have updated minor components (really just the drives and the addition of a GPU) over the years but the CPU, cooler, motherboard, RAM, power supply and case have been around since day 1. It has been overclocked to 4.5-4.7 since pretty much day 2 as well. I will soon toss in more RAM and it will become my Linux box as I have a modern AM5 build in the works.

That's a great idea for the comparisons. I do still have my old machine.

 

[Bobtographer]

I am having a new system custom-built. I wanted to run the specs by you guys to make sure I made good choices. (I don’t know much about computers (especially when it comes to CPU and GPU), so any knowledge I have is just from brief online research.) I should have asked you guys first, but I wasn’t planning on having a custom build. I went to the computer store planning to buy an in-stock computer, but couldn’t find what I wanted.

Here are the specs:

SSD: 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 2280 Solid-State Drive / Read: 5150MB/s, Write: 4850MB/s

Memory: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz - INTEL XMP/ AMD EXPO

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8-Core/16-Thread 5nm ZEN 4 Processor /Socket AM5 4.5GHz base, 5.4GHz boost

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB GDDR7

OS: Windows 11

I use Lightroom and sometimes Photoshop. I would like the computer to be able to quickly/easily handle the “select subject/background” in LR; maybe do some stacking for macro; and also handle large file sizes. (I currently have an R6 but would like to have the option of upgrading to a 30-45 MP camera in the future. Would I need to add more RAM at that point?)

Many of you guys helped me choose my computer (almost 9 years ago) over on POTN. So I appreciate your opinions once again!

Not all SSD's are built the same, just because the specs say max speed, doesn't mean that it's going to keep up. Some drives no longer have a DRAM Cache so they drop off max transfers quickly and you're stuck at a fraction of the speed given.

RAM isn't all the same either, the thing about RYZEN is that memory timing can make a jump in the performance. You should look for some CL28 DDR5 - can't go wrong with GSkill

You haven't specified which Motherboard you've chosen? Again be careful with which one you go for..

CPU 7700X, for near enough the same money you can get a newer CPU, a 9600X (which is slightly faster even without the extra 2cores)

 

[Bobtographer]

Thanks for your input!

No, I did not ask for the 7700X. The sales associate chose that.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots. It is the "ASUS TUF GAMING B650M-E WIFI AMD AM5 B650 micro-ATX (mATX) motherboard with 8+2 DrMOS, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot w/heatsink, M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 6, 2.5Gb LAN, DP, HDMI™, USB 3.2, BIOS FlashBack™, Aura Sync". (https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...matx-motherboard-tuf-gaming-b650m-e-wifi.html)

The SSD is a Western Digital. (https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...0-2tb-pcie-gen4-nvme-m-2-ssd-wds200t3x0e.html)

Oh wow, really throwing a basic Motherboard at you aren't they!

SN770 is good for around 2 and a half minutes of write time, after that it drops to around 500MB/sec (still nothing to be sniffed at, but depending on what files you're throwing around, you could notice)