Time to Replace Computer (Page 2): You don't tell us anything about your workload. If it's mainly photo editing, the hardware requirements are less than if you do heavy duty video...

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You don't tell us anything about your workload. If it's mainly photo editing, the hardware requirements are less than if you do heavy duty video editing. 32GB of RAM is adequate (generous, in fact) for photo editing but for video editing you would benefit from having 64GB. And the need for a powerful graphics card is much less with photo editing. If you get an i5 12600 or higher it'll have the UHD 770 iGPU which is so good you don't need a graphics card for photo editing.

Having more RAM than you need isn't just expensive to buy, it uses power all the time whether the RAM is being used or not. Gaming comes with its own set of requirements so don't assume that everything in a gaming PC is going to be relevant to your needs. It's even possible to have more cores in the CPU than you need. Photo editing has been a bit slow in taking advantage of multi-core processors and most of the time it's the performance of the individual cores that makes the biggest difference.

dbaird2495

I have a computer I'm trying to sell for $700. Used less than a year. Dell XPS 8940
Processor: 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700 processor(8-Core, 16M Cache, 2.5GHz to 4.9GHz)
Hard Drives: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive + 2TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
RAM: 16GB, 2x8GB, DDR4, 2933Mhz
Graphics Card: NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB GDDR6
Operating System: Windows 10 Home English

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

robertjerl wrote:

Ultimate Photo Editing build - They aimed at $2000... (show quote)

Great info.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Curmudgeon wrote:

Having constant problems with my Dell gaming computer. "Blue Screen of Death" is becoming a common occurrence, at least once per day with constant crashes between times. Several trips to the computer repair shop has not fixed anything. I want a Windows desk top machine and Intel Processor other than that I am open to all suggestions. My maximum budget is $1,500.

I had similar problems...
What you may have is a worn out hard drive. What happens over time is that they fragment and overwrite so many times, they eventually break down. A solid state hard drive can make a computer new again with a huge speed improvement in boot up and processing. I went to youtube and found the information on the best brand and installation. My Asus ROG gaming laptop I purchased in 2014 is as fast as my other newer model computers. There is also a huge reduction in heat and energy used. Total cost can range from $99 to $500, depending on capacity, and it will take 10 minutes to install.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Curmudgeon wrote:

Thanks all who responded. There seems to be a general consensus. I have to decide weather to buy an off the shelf or have a build out done. I haven't built a computer for more years than I can remember and don't relish a DIY project.

Just keep in mind that if you build your own, you “are” also tech support for your computer.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

If you have no aversion to 'refurbed' computer, you might be interested in checkout all that's available from TigerDirect.com. I'm using their desktop computer and two laptops and have had NO problems at all with any of them. Have had the Desktop Dell now for nearly five years and it's running excellent. Most come with warranty 'same as new' so might be worth your time to check 'em over.
God Bless,
Papa Joe

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've had good luck with Dell desktops - usually the XPS. Be aware that if you want an optical drive, you must order it with one - or two. I bought one without, thinking I would add my own, s I usually do. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. Spending a lot of money doesn't guarantee that you will get what you want or need.

Some info -

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

Processor -
http://gizmodo.com/dont-waste-money-on-intels-top-processor-1791426602
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404674,00.asp
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-i5-vs-i7/
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 Card -
https://www.newegg.com/insider/how-to-choose-graphics-card/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xif6O8ekxuU
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-buying-guide,5844.html
https://techguided.com/how-to-choose-a-graphics-card/

KenY Loc: Glenside, Pa

If you can wait until mid-July, you might find an exceptional bargain on Amazon Prime Days.

KenY Loc: Glenside, Pa

47greyfox wrote:

Just keep in mind that if you build your own, you “are” also tech support for your computer.

Also, you would have to go to the manufacturer of each component if something fails. There is no warranty on the whole machine.

photoman43

If there is a micro center store near you, consider having them custom build a desktop for you. Look at their website to see the desktop brands they offer and see if you can find one called power spec or something similar. It should be better quality than a dell XPS desktop. Regardless of brand, etc make sure the motherboard has all of the input and output ports you need for your workflow. 8

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

niteman3d wrote:

This is the one I have. My last three have been t... (show quote)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Curmudgeon wrote:

Having constant problems with my Dell gaming computer. "Blue Screen of Death" is becoming a common occurrence, at least once per day with constant crashes between times. Several trips to the computer repair shop has not fixed anything. I want a Windows desk top machine and Intel Processor other than that I am open to all suggestions. My maximum budget is $1,500.

niteman3d gave an excellent suggestion. What he has should be great. I have a similar Dell desktop but older and simpler than his - less processing powerful. I will think of his suggestion for my next PC as well.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

niteman3d wrote:

This is the one I have. My last three have been t... (show quote)

Yes, that's a good combination of parts, although I'd prefer a 4TB D drive. It's easy enough to add one later. The one I'm using now is similar but with 16GB of memory. It cost about $800 plus tax. I replaced the hard drive with a Samsung 500GB SSD.

I bought this because my Big Red died in 2020, and the local repair places didn't want customers coming in. I eventually got it fixed - I think it was a memory problem (I don't remember) - but I haven't switched over yet.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

Curmudgeon wrote:

Having constant problems with my Dell gaming computer. "Blue Screen of Death" is becoming a common occurrence, at least once per day with constant crashes between times. Several trips to the computer repair shop has not fixed anything. I want a Windows desk top machine and Intel Processor other than that I am open to all suggestions. My maximum budget is $1,500.

Look at Micro Center for a good house brand gaming system. No garbage installed like Dell and great warranty. Bought 2 a couple years ago with the RTX2070 SUPER GPU. For my kid and wife. Both still going strong today. They have the name m2 hard drive on the motherboard and a 10th Gen I7 intell 32 meg if ram. I had them install an extra hard drive which actually it can take 3 extras. Paid in your budget.

Steved3604

Your comment that the "computer repair" place hasn't been able to fix it. Did they replace the Main Drive with a quality/large SSD? If it were my computer that is the first place I would look. The Costco and Micro Center suggestions -- I second them and if there is a problem -- probably someone that will help. Sorry to report that you probably should learn a few things about the main parts of a computer in order to get one that will do what you need. Surf the web, photos, video production all need sometimes slightly different components. All great ideas here -- plus wonderful people here that will steer you in the right direction.