Speccing a new Machine

[ianblakeley]

I am in the process of speccing a new desktop my current 2007 vintage model is about EOL, (switching more or less constantly to MINT over the dual boot W10 has extended life for a couple of years) more than 4 tabs in Firefox noticeably slows it down as it starts swapping.

I am thinking of the following spec for a basic machine, not going to be gaming but will almost certainly have a version of W10 in a VM for the times I really need excel etc, no point in a dual boot. No need for optane memory I think, although I'll move the HD from the existing machine the OS will 1) be on the SSD and 2) be MINT

i5-8400
Asus H370 Plus
16GB (MB can go to 64)
Samsung 970 Pro 500GB SSD
Stargate case
Graphics rely on the built into the i5 chip.
Auraflow +3 x extra fans, it gets so hot here I am going for above standard cooling

Does this seem reasonable? I'd like to not be upgrading again in for a while

My plan such as it is would be to install Cinnamon 18.3 same as the current machine use Aptik / copy the home directory over to basically create a clone but on the new HW then at some later point upgrade to 19 or 19.1

[AndyMH]

I built a new machine around an i5-8400 about 6 mths ago. Motherboard I used was https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1. No problems, running LM19.0 on it dual boot with win10. Installed in legacy mode.

[scottyo]

I too just built a new PC for this winter. I didnt need the power from all the parts below but its nice to rip DVD and Bluray discs quickly and have enough power to game. The entire build was about 1100.

Why do you need excel? LibreCalc has been sufficient for me to do my spreadsheets even with some data analysis using PivotTables. Just takes sometime getting used to. I use Excel at work and can use this at Home... free

The case I got below was perfect. Fits next to my subwoofer in my family room. I had a mid-tower and it was too big. This is like 2 minitowers side by side. Enought for 3x3.5" HD and 3x2.5" HD. Great on cable management too.

Have you considered a Ryzon processor? Tons of power for 2/3s the price of Intel

Main Parts
CPU Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler Noctua - NH-D9L 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard Asus - PRIME B360M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory
Storage Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Video Card EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB SC GAMING Video Card
Case Corsair - Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

[ianblakeley]

I built a new machine around an i5-8400 about 6 mths ago. Motherboard I used was https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1. No problems, running LM19.0 on it dual boot with win10. Installed in legacy mode.

Thanks, I think IIRC the B360 is the predecessor to the H360 and the model before the 370 as it were. Hopefully I am okay with the 370 then as that's what the shop has in stock. I am dual boot currently but this is a chance to switch to just MINT and I'll run Win10 as a VM

[ianblakeley]

Why do you need excel? LibreCalc has been sufficient for me to do my spreadsheets even with some data analysis using PivotTables. Just takes sometime getting used to. I use Excel at work and can use this at Home... free

For most stuff I agree libre is okay but it is not fully compatible with excel and that's what the rest of the world uses, anything I end up doing for work has to be 100% compatible, even the spreadsheet my accountant sends me will not open correctly and as for macros

Have you considered a Ryzon processor? Tons of power for 2/3s the price of Intel

For me the i5 is coming in cheaper / almost the same, my understanding is that intel are now aggressively pricing to compete with AMD I thought also I'd seen issues noted with the latest AMD and the current kernels, maybe I misread got hold of the wrong end of the stick?

Main Parts...SNIP list

I did struggle to decide i5 or i7 but I do not game at all so won't even at least for now bother with a video card, just rely on the UHD built into the chip hopefully that's supported okay, they're recommending a 500w supply maybe I should consider uprating a bit

[AndyMH]

I also dithered between intel and AMD and went intel on the basis that I was less likely to have problems with mint. Also looked at i5 versus i7 but the i7-8700 was quite a lot more than the i5-8400. Been quite happy with the performance of the i5-8400. Built my desktop specifically to run an oculus rift and not disappointed, although when it is on most of the time I'm booting mint.

[ianblakeley]

Thanks. I'll pop to the other big outlet later this week and get the prices from there too so I can compare to the shop in town maybe get some alternatives

[catweazel]

I also dithered between intel and AMD and went intel on the basis that I was less likely to have problems with mint.

The Ryzen series is an excellent set of CPUs and I never once had trouble with any Linux OS I tried. The big let down is the quality of the motherboards on the market. I went through four in one year running an 1800X. The last time the MB dropped its guts was last week and it was the last time I was prepared to put up with it so I opted for a shiny new i9 9900K... SMOKIN' at 5.2GHz and idling at 31C with dual fan water cooling.

[vladtepes]

I too just built a new PC for this winter. I didnt need the power from all the parts below but its nice to rip DVD and Bluray discs quickly and have enough power to game. The entire build was about 1100.

The case I got below was perfect. Fits next to my subwoofer in my family room. I had a mid-tower and it was too big. This is like 2 minitowers side by side. Enought for 3x3.5" HD and 3x2.5" HD. Great on cable management too.

Main Parts
CPU Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler Noctua - NH-D9L 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard Asus - PRIME B360M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory
Storage Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Video Card EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB SC GAMING Video Card
Case Corsair - Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Is that USD? If so that equates to Aussie dollars $1,560.

Now lets spec that up with prices locally.

CPU Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor $508
CPU Cooler Noctua - NH-D9L 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler $89
Motherboard Asus - PRIME B360M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard $139
Memory Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory $138
Storage Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive $115
Video Card EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB SC GAMING Video Card $379
Case Corsair - Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case $123
Power Supply EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply $165


TOTAL AUD $1,656


So close, just a touch more. That's interesting.

[AndyMH]

I would only add that with the i5-8400, it comes with a heat sink - you don't need to buy a separate one unless you are going to be driving it hard and think that the stock cooler is inadequate. Suspect the same is true with the i7-8700. Saves a bit of money

[ianblakeley]

I would only add that with the i5-8400, it comes with a heat sink - you don't need to buy a separate one unless you are going to be driving it hard and think that the stock cooler is inadequate. Suspect the same is true with the i7-8700. Saves a bit of money

I'll see what the shop suggest, for me the ambient never really drops below 33c so I am 16 degrees at least hotter than I was in the UK before the power is turned on

[scottyo]

Is that USD? If so that equates to Aussie dollars $1,560.

Now lets spec that up with prices locally.

TOTAL AUD $1,656
So close, just a touch more. That's interesting.

Updated the list. Forgot I had a Mother Board DOA and got the MSI instead. I got some great sale items before and after X-mas here in the USA. Plus living in a tax free state is even better.

I got the i7 because I am on a DVD and Bluray ripping frenzy. I have ripped over 500 files now running dual external BR drives.

I intended to get to gaming sometime later this year.

CPU Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor $305
CPU Cooler Noctua - NH-D9L 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler $55
MSI Arsenal Gaming Intel Coffee Lake LGA 1151 DDR4 VR mATX Motherboard (H370M Bazooka) $90
Memory Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory $97
Storage Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive $95
Video Card EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB SC GAMING Video Card $230
Case Corsair - Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case $79
Power Supply EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply $80


TOTAL
$1031 USD

[shawnhcorey]

Looks like a good build but I would pay more attention to the power supply. You need a good-quality power supply or your machine could act quirky at times. It is as important as the motherboard.

[lsemmens]

Looks like a good build but I would pay more attention to the power supply. You need a good-quality power supply or your machine could act quirky at times. It is as important as the motherboard.

Agreed. Too often the PSU gets overlooked and can cause all sorts of weird and unpredictable results. Sorta like the fuel you use in your car.