DaveJ Loc: NE Missouri

I need to upgrade from my Laptop. I am going to a desktop. Very confusing on what I really need to run a speedy system. I am leaning towards a Dell 8940 at Micro Center. They have some with a Intel I7 11th Gen 2.5 GHZ chip.
I assume that chip is good enough as it seems to also be in many higher priced systems.
On Graphics Cards, it seems in my target price range(1500-2000) the Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB DDR6 or the RTX 3060 Ti 8GB DDR 6 are options. Comments?
Ram is 32 GB DDR 4 2933 supplied in 4@8GB. Is this enough, too much or ?? Comments?
1 TB Boot NVMc m.2 seems good
1TB SATA HDD 7200 RPM seems good.
Motherboard is a Intel H470 chipset. I know nothing on motherboards. Comments?

I do not do much video. I do a little 1 or 2 minute clips, sometimes put together 3 or 4 clips. I have shot 4K with my Canon R5 , but video speed is not my foremost wants. My old laptop is "good enough" for this , so I assume a new Desktop with above specs would be much better.

Any advise, comments ect. appreciated.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

I have absolutely no advice but I too need to update my desktop computer and was soon going to post to inquire as to what options to be sure to get. I will be watching eagerly for responses from our fellow Hoggers. If in your research you find other options that might be beneficial, please let us know.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Which exact Intel I-7? (Performance varies all over the place depending on the model). 32 GB DRAM is fine. What manufacturer SSD, and why not use 2 SSDs instead of the small SATA HD? Unless you’re rendering a lot of video, the NVidia TI with 8GB is fine. How large a power supply, and how many open m.2/PCIe slots for future expansion? Intel MBs are OK. I’ve had driver issues with them in the past and now use Asus, but if they’re integrating the system, then fine. Win 10 or 11?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'll be watching also.
Only because I just get computers with lots of memory and storage.
Usually under $900. My oldest two are pushing ten years

DaveJ Loc: NE Missouri

Intel i7 11700(2.5 GHZ)
Don't know SSD manufacturer.
On SSD, prebuilt system and that is what is in it.
500 watts
2 open m.2 slots.
Link to system if interested.
Thanks for commenting.
https://www.microcenter.com/product/637044/dell-xps-8940-gaming-pc-platinum-collection

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lots of new computer info.

Memory -
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-much-ram-does-your-p
c-need-probably-less-than-you-think/
http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-much-ram-does-your-pc-need/

Processor -
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/intel-core-i9-vs-i7-vs-i5-cpu/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-i5-vs-i7/
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/core-i5-vs-i7
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/210703-intel-core-i5-vs-core-i7-which-processor-should-you-buy

Graphics cards -
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html#gpu-acceleration
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-buying-guide,5844.html
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/pc-components/how-know-if-graphics-card-is-compatible-3588810/
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/239/~/understanding-system-requirements-for-nvidia-based-graphics-cards.

Setup -
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2861858/computers/7-critical-things-to-do-immediately-with-a-new-pc.html#tk.rss_all
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-10-pc-perfectly-in-one-hour-or-less/

DaveJ Loc: NE Missouri

Jerry,
Appreciate you posting the links. Have you visited them lately. 1st is dead. 2nd is 6 year old article. Several others are dead. Many are old. Perhaps update your list sometime. I'm really looking for up to date info.
Dave

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Good CPU. The 1TB SATA HD is just silly - too small - plan on replacing it down the road. I like the 2 open m.2 slots. I would consider the Radion TI 8GB IF there’s a big difference in price compared to the 12GB and spend the $ on a display. also personally, I would replace the CD/DVDdrive with a BluRay/MDisk drive, but overall, a very competent system

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Back in 2011 I bought an IBuyPower full tower gamer to do editing - I figured if it can run real time games it can edit photos (and they were having a sale). And it worked great.
After 3 years I changed/added drives: Swapped the HDD 'C' for an SSD, swapped the 512MB 'D' for a 1TB for general data and added a 6TB 'P' for photos and videos.
Then in 2019 it developed a problem with the power control circuitry of the motherboard and so I decided to replace or upgrade. I followed this article
(https://photographylife.com/the-ultimate-pc-build-for-photography-needs)
they have been updating it for several years, latest was a year ago. They give choices for different price machines if you go to their older builds from the past where the components are still available. I went for the top tier i9 build and used the old tower. New motherboard, new bigger/faster SSD 'C', new power pack, new memory=2 16GB simms so I have two empty if I want to go to 64GB, new wireless keyboard and mouse (old ones were a bit worn and I hated those wires on my desk) and a new cooler for the CPU plus a few odds and ends. I paid a local tech/repair shop I use $250 to assemble it all and get it going and he used my Acronis backup to transfer OS and apps to the new 'C' drive. Everything was already on the 'D' & 'P'.

I am very happy with the results.

Read the article and see if you might like to go this route. The people who developed it are into photography "photographylife" gives a hint. And their site has lots of great stuff including tutorials. The founders are Nikonistas but since Canon has been dominating they got some Canon people and have also added hints/tips/tutorials and reviews for Canon. One of their useful features is a suggested setup for different camera models. I used that on three different cameras.

Mostly ignore the cost/price charts as time and Covid-19 chip shortage have changed everything. The large computer store where I got my components was out of a couple so I either went for the next one up or asked them for another model that had the same specs. So with buying the next higher component in two cases plus paying to have it assembled and set up I came in at almost exactly $2000. Their "compact" build comes in about 2-3 hundred less than the big full tower version I went for.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

If, & I repeat IF, money is not an issue, find a local computer repair guy and ask him to build you the best computer he can money no object. I would not have a spinning HDD in my PC - get two 2TB SSDs. RAM - 64GB will do no harm. CPU will have little effect on editing. Video (graphics) RAM probably get the best/most available as this will affect performance significantly. Also buy the best monitor you can afford.

joefishusa Loc: Atco, NJ

I upgraded my desktop 2 years ago for utilizing the exact same programs.
I really wasn’t expecting to but was driven there by my desire to have a data server hold ALL my photos in one place. And also to have backups of everything, including my desktops image. Without getting into a BIG discussion on available methods to do backup/recovery, suffice to say I purchased a motherboard that supported 10gb transfer speeds to my server. My old motherboard would not support the 10gb PCI card. With the size of raw files coming out of cameras today you can chew up a lot of space real quick. Plus the need to transfer many large files from memory cards to HDD requires high speed.

I desired to keep my files local so I built the PC to work with my server.

My new ASUS MB had the “lanes” to support these 10gb cards and speeds.

Just something to consider! YMMV

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

Ditto

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

IMHO, I think that Gene51 has given you sound advice for getting the computer that you will need. Always consult an expert.
As far as running Topaz I have great results running an Intel R i7-6700K, 16Gig of Ram with a 4GB Graphic card.
My processing times are short, however, my setup is really close to maxing out according to my "Performance" graphs with "Task Manager" open.
Instead of guessing what you need for Topaz why not consult the topaz website and see what their "Minimum Requirements" are and DEFINITELY size UP from there.
https://support.topazlabs.com/article/18-system-requirements
Remember, you are sizing your computer for tomorrow, and not what you needed last week. . .
Smile,
JimmyT Sends

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, some of them are old, but some auto-update. For example, if there is a link to "Best cameras of 2019," clicking on it could bring you to "Best cameras of 2021." With 145 pages of links, checking each one is out of the question. When someone tells me about a bad link, I delete. it.

I'll check the ones I sent you and look for updates. Thanks.

#1 is okay now. They changed the wording slightly. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-much-ram-do-you-need/