£3,000 to spend on new developer PC

spib

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Hey Guys,

I've been away from PCs for a while so I'd appreciate some help to build out a new developer PC. I'll be running Windows 10, Visual Studio (with Resharper), SQL Server, Chrome and that's about it.

My main needs/wants:-
  • Performance in Visual Studio is the number one priority
  • Need to drive 2 x 4K displays (or one ultrawide) and one 1080p IPS panel.
  • 32GB RAM or above
  • 500GB boot / working volume
  • 3TB archive volume
  • Will not be used for gaming or entertainment
  • Plain & simple case (no windows/lights etc) and as silent as possible
  • £3K budget doesn't include monitors, will look at those separately

Many thanks for your help
 

spib

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Guessing what I'm asking for is perhaps a little too specialised? Is there any more info I could give which might help you guys with offering recommendations?
 

Randomface74

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I think you already know what to get tbh.

Intel i7
32gb ram
compatible mobo
cheapest gpu with the connectors you want
500gb ssd
3tb hdd
whatever case you like
good quality power supply ~450W seasonic or something
windows
monitors
keyboard
mouse
speakers
you'll probably have to video conference, so webcam and headset too?

Is it that you can't choose the parts, or what?
 

spib

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Honestly my questions are genuine ones, I don't know what hardware best suits my workload

For example, should I get a ThreadRipper CPU or is the intel i9-7900X better? Or is the i9 overkill - can you get better or similar performance from a cheaper CPU by overclocking it?

Are all motherboards the same, or is there a benefit from investing in a more expensive one?

Does it matter which RAM i go for? Dual Channel / Quad Channel? Speeds etc?

Likewise on GPUs - I have no idea what kind of power I would need to drive 2 4K display and a 1080p display. I've only had Apple products recently and before that used onboard gfx for my windows machines.
 

Randomface74

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CPU - you just need a few threads for compiling, so i5 isn't really enough, i7 is great. I've never done development on an AMD cpu tbh.

Motherboards - yes they're all basically the same. The more expensive ones have more features you don't care about.

RAM - You want at least dual channel, quad channel is fine. So for 32gb you could get 2x16 or 4x8. The motherboard will tell you what speeds are supported, but performance-wise you won't notice the difference.

GPUs - just running a display isn't particularly taxing. Anything with the connectors you need is fine. There's some sort of daisy chaining thing for displayport you might want to look into.
 

Quartz

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As silent as possible? How about totally silent?

Then you'll want a CPU with a max TDP of 95W, a Nofan CR-95C cpu cooler, a fanless PSU - OCUK sell several - and a Palit KalmX GTX 1050 GPU. You'll likely need adapters for the GPU. There doesn't seem to be a fanless Quadro capable of 2x 4K. Just make sure your case has vents at the top. A rotated case like the Silverstone FT05 or a flat one should be preferred.
 

Randomface74

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I wouldn't trust fanless tbh. This is what I have, it's well priced, very quiet, and cool enough:
Case: Fractal Define S (fans on low)
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Your build should be doable for 1000-1500, no need to spend 3000 at all.
 

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i didnt add windows at it can be sourced cheaper, but i included 2 4k monitors that actually fit within the budget just to show you how it looks, i went with the small form factor for this as with it being a development system you dont really need some big tower and this houses everything you need, i also went with the firePro because of the aim of this system and i dont know if freesync will help, but screens that use it are cheaper, plus the specs for this states 5k/8k support where as the nvidia of similar price didnt state anything like that.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £2,937.72 (includes shipping: £15.90)​
​
 

tamzzy

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do you need the computer now now?
reason is that if you're gonna use sql server, it might be worth to wait and see how the bugs play out with respect to performance in the next couple of months before spending your hard earned cash
 

Randomface74

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This is the sort of thing I'm thinking of. I'm least sure about the multiple 4k thing.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £1,425.56 (includes shipping: £14.70)​
​
 

Quartz

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billysielu said:
Because compiling code is a heavy cpu workload.
Click to expand...

And? A heavy CPU workload doesn't affect the GPU or the PSU. And if the CPU isn't overclocked then it's not going to exceed 95W TDP. There is absolutely no need for the OP's system to have a fan.

And I forgot about the motherboard video ports.
 

Plec

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tamzzy said:
do you need the computer now now?
reason is that if you're gonna use sql server, it might be worth to wait and see how the bugs play out with respect to performance in the next couple of months before spending your hard earned cash
Click to expand...
@tamzzy makes a valid point - especially with your intended usage it may be wise, if you have the time, to see how window/BIOS updates diminish the effects of Meltdown/Spectre.

With new Ryzen releases in spring i would personally wait - if time isn't a factor - or even consider a Ryzen 1700/1800 build as the platform will last for years. Or, if INTEL is more your flavour perhaps a Coffee Lake build (superior single thread performance) as KabyLake, while still very capable, is EOL. As @billysielu mentioned you only need to spend £1500/£2000 and this will get you a quality component build with near/silent running.

An example Ryzen 1700 and 1800X build below for price comparison:

You don't need an 'all singing and all dancing motherboard' and the Gigabyte b350 gaming has a proven track record and UK RMA. Plus, you could clock the 1700 easily on this board if that was your want. The 3200 8pack memory is a luxury but Ryzen performs best with 3000MHz+ memory and you have the budget.

I've assumed you use DP connections for your 4K monitors so I added the 1060 - which is complete overkill - but it has 3 x DP outputs which unfortunately lesser cards don't have - but if you're happy using a combo of DP/HDMI then a considerably cheaper card will do. It's silent/passive running when not under load and even under stress this particular model is very quiet. You can get a Gigabyte 570 for £80 less which also has 3 DP outputs...

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £279.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)
​

The Noctua will be silent even under moderate load and the PSU is over-specced deliberately as the fan won't kick in unless under stress making it effectively passive for your usage.

The case is a personal choice (plus you mentioned plain and simple) - but consider the Be-Quiet range or the Fractal Design as listed in the above build - great cases.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £1,421.89 (includes shipping: £14.10)



Below is 1800X with the 570 GPU (3 x DP) plus a be-quiet case:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £1,480.49 (includes shipping: £14.70)
​
As mentioned you could swap to a CoffeeLake build and you could add bigger/more SSDs etc - but as you can tell you can easily spend less than £3000 and get a quality build for your needs.​
 

orbitalwalsh

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drools ^^ Aorus xtreme 1060 is prob the quietest cooler of the 1060 series there is too

aorus versions of RX cards have more heatpipes and larger fans then their cheaper Gigabyte counterparts

slightly cheaper then above above and does just as good- fields 3 HDD over corsairs 2.

Should look at Raiding HDD for redundancy if your unit is for work purposes, 2 x 2TB HDD?

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £94.09 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​
 

Plec

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orbitalwalsh said:
Should look at Raiding HDD for redundancy if your unit is for work purposes, 2 x 2TB HDD?
Click to expand...
@orbitalwalsh makes a good/crucial point - this would be essential for this type of build and its intended usage and you have the funds to spare (or external backup/server).

orbitalwalsh said:
slightly cheaper then above above and does just as good- fields 3 HDD over corsairs 2.

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £94.09 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​
Click to expand...

@orbitalwalsh - you're coming into a thread saving money! What's happened to you man, you've changed :D
 

orbitalwalsh

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Plec said:
@orbitalwalsh makes a good/crucial point - this would be essential for this type of build and its intended usage and you have the funds to spare (or external backup/server).



@orbitalwalsh - you're coming into a thread saving money! What's happened to you man, you've changed :D
Click to expand...
PMSL! just made be burst out in work !

back on track!

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £258.10 (includes shipping: £13.20)


not really saving or costing money but 10 year warranty and plat rating

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £107.45 (includes shipping: £10.50)​
​

though EVGA has Superflower install extra goodies in their units​
 

spib

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Thanks for all the replies everyone, some great ideas there. I think people often underestimate the power required for windows software development. My current i7 quad core iMac with 32GB ram is constantly struggles for resources, hence why I need more power.

I think on balance I'm probably going to go for a Ryzen 1800X, 32GB RAM, definately will need the faster storage so M.2 960 Pro. I'll probably also go for the 1060 GFX card so I have plenty of power for my displays

Biggest decision will be the case because I want as small a case as possible that I can hide under a desk. Thinking probably a Fractal Design Define C or something like that?

I don't need to worry about RAID etc because everything of value on the machine is already backed up in the cloud and I also have a Synology NAS for daily backups.

Thanks again guys, appreciate the insights
 
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