GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

I’m definitely planning on going with 32GB of RAM, though I'm still crunching the numbers to see if I can swing 64GB without breaking the bank.

As for the processor, I haven't quite nailed it down yet... maybe something along these lines?

https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product...x-1735226.html

https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product...r-1812235.html

If anyone here knows their stuff, could you help me out and explain the main differences between these two?

My biggest headache right now is the graphics card, since everything I want seems to be out of stock everywhere.

I've got a budget of roughly $2,000 to work with—I already picked up a new 4K monitor, so that's off the table—but I need to make sure this $2,000 covers a decent 10TB HDD for storage and maybe a 500GB SSD for my OS.

Honestly, you probably don't even need those high-end, "expensive" processors for what you're doing, and having 64GB of RAM isn't strictly necessary either.

I’d say the real sweet spot is sticking with 32GB paired with either a Ryzen 3700 x or a 3800X.

Are you planning on buying your gear here in the States, or somewhere else?

Nah, I'm actually from the States... born and raised right here in America

Daniel Robinson59 said:No, I'm actually from Austria...

Go with the i7 10700, or if you're planning on overclocking, grab the 10700KF. You can pick it up cheaper at Newegg.

Daniel Robinson59 said:No, I'm actually from Austria...

Ah, damn it.

Daniel Robinson59 was saying something like this:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/product...z-1802099.html

Personally, I’d much rather pick out each component individually so I could tailor everything exactly to my own taste, though I have to admit this setup looks pretty solid as it is—I'd probably just need to toss in an extra 10TB hard drive to make it perfect
Thanks so much for taking the time to walk me through this and for all the great advice 🙂

Things used to be different back in the day, but not anymore... nowadays, you can get a much better GPU included with almost any PC build!

I was actually chatting about this with a few buddies of mine earlier, and most of them seem to think it’s a solid setup
Like I mentioned before, I really ought to pick up an extra HDD to help with storage
The only thing that's been weighing on my mind, though, is the processor; I'm wondering just how much punch it actually packs and if I should probably aim for something a bit more powerful instead? You know, like what kind of real-world difference would I actually notice between them?

Price looks fair. You wouldn't hit these numbers if you tried buying the GPU separately.

My only concern is that "500W" power supply. It could be anything, and a 3700X paired with an RTX 3070 isn't exactly low on power draw.

Edit: Just realized this is a Dell Optiplex build. The PSU might hold up, but if I were building this exact setup, I’d go with something beefier.

Do you think it might actually be worth picking this one up instead?

https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product...k-1805341.html

It looks like it's packing a beefier processor and the graphics card seems a bit more powerful too..
The only catch is that I'd probably need to shell out some extra cash to add another 16GB of RAM later on.

The GPU is weaker, sure, but the processor packs a much bigger punch. Still, I have no clue if it actually fits what you're trying to do. Plus, you aren't hitting 64GB unless you swap out that RAM first.

@Daniel Robinson59/">@@Daniel Robinson59: Honestly, that graphics card is going to be a massive bottleneck, especially when you start diving into video editing. You've got an overkill processor there, but it doesn't really matter how new it is if the GPU can't keep up—won't you just end up feeling that lag anyway?

Thanks so much, everyone! I'm just waiting on a quick thumbs-up from a buddy of mine before I pull the trigger on this purchase.

https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product...z-1802099.html

+ and I'll be grabbing this HDD too

https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product...b-1825205.html

Daniel Robinson59 said:Thanks so much everyone... I'm just waiting on a thumbs up from a buddy before I pull the trigger on this.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/product...z-1802099.html

plus this HDD

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/product...b-1825205.html

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/product...e-1831850.html

I'd go with this one since it comes with a 650W Gold power supply!

Alexander Moore67 said:https://www.bestbuy.com/site/example-link

I’d grab this one. It actually comes with a 650W Gold power supply.

👍👍
650W is fine for those builds. 500W is cutting it way too close—you're basically praying the PSU is high-end enough to handle being pushed to its limit, which is a gamble.

The B550 motherboard isn't a bad thing either. If you find yourself needing more CPU juice down the road, you can just swap in a 5900X. Even if it's an OEM build, it should run just fine.

You could also just toss in another 2x16GB of RAM right away.

wiredotter14 said:👍👍
A 650W unit should be perfectly fine for those builds, whereas 500W is cutting it a bit too close, isn't it? You'd essentially be banking on the power supply being high-end enough to handle running at its maximum capacity, which isn't always a safe bet.

Having a B550 motherboard isn't a bad thing at all either. If you find yourself needing more CPU muscle down the road, you could always swap in a 5900X. Even though it's an OEM model, I imagine it would perform just fine.

You also have the option to pop in another 2x16GB of RAM right away.

I sent him a private message about it; the HP OMEN uses a B450 microATX board with only two RAM slots, though it already comes with 32 GB installed. This one seems like the better deal since it's cheaper and doesn't include an HDD, which is actually a plus because he's planning on buying a larger drive anyway. Plus, since he'll have to open the case to install the new hard drive, I honestly worry he might not feel comfortable doing it himself.

That said, the listing mentions 550W, but I wouldn't let that be a dealbreaker. I personally run an overclocked 1600X (95W) paired with an RX 580 on a 550W power supply, and everything works without any issues.

wanderingbison9 said:I sent him a DM. That HP OMEN uses a B450 microATX board with only two RAM slots, though it already has 32 GB installed. This one is cheaper, and since it doesn't include an HDD, it’s actually a plus—he was planning on buying a bigger drive anyway. He'll have to open the case to swap the drive, but I'm honestly a little worried he might not be comfortable doing that himself.

That said, it lists a 550W power supply, but I wouldn't sweat it. I'm running an overclocked 1600X (95W) paired with an RX580 on a 550W unit, and everything works just fine.

The OMEN comes with a 500W Bronze unit, read carefully...

An RTX 3070 paired with a 3700X can easily pull 100W more than a 1600X and an RX 580 when you're running at full load. I'm not sure how much overclocking changes the math, but if you're building a pro rig, you don't want to be redlining your power supply—especially when you have no clue what kind of junk is actually inside the unit. If someone's using a Gold or Platinum rated unit, fine, maybe it'll hold up. But Bronze? Honestly, I wouldn't trust it. Those are usually just budget units with questionable components.

Alexander Moore67 said:The unit is rated at 500W Bronze, so maybe take a closer look at the specs...

Actually, the Dell model is rated for 550W, so perhaps you should double-check those details yourself.😉

https://gzhls.at/blob/ldb/b/9/a/4/09...e583572c1b.pdf

wanderingbison9 said:The Dell has 550W, read the specs, man. 😉

Facts.

btw, according to the specs, it's 14kg 😁