Help a clueless person :)

JohnLondon · 3 Feb 2020 at 11:52

Hi guys

First off, not new to the forum or PC building in general. I've just let myself slip as A) I'm old and B) I've got a 2 year old son, so my focus is very much elsewhere (like trying to make sure he doesn't headbutt a sharp corner, or something!)

As I've got virtually zero time, but wanted a gaming PC, I bought a Dell Alienware Aurora R7. Specs as follows:

Intel® Core™ i7-8700K
Windows 10 Home English
GTX 1080Ti with 11GB GDDR5X
2TB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Solid State Drive
32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 2666MHz Non-ECC
8x DVD +/- RW Drive

Not that I need to right now, but if I wanted to upgrade the CPU at some point in the future, does anyone know what I'm limited to? I'm assuming I can't just glue an i9 in there. I really have lost touch with this stuff, last time I built a PC was around 2013, I didn't even know that NVMe drives existed until I watched an episode of Linus Tech Tips and saw one for the first time

I'm not really inclined to pull this thing to bits, but I do know it's got an Intel Z370 chipset, but I don't know what socket type (if that's the right term, again...memory is fading with all this stuff!).

Same question for the RAM, I can see it's 2666Mhz, so does anyone know what the upper limit is on what I could buy in the future? I intend to keep this thing until it virtually turns to dust...so upgrading in the future is something I'm factoring in. Money's not really an issue, I'm very, very lucky and have a very well paying job. I just don't want to buy a whole new PC for the sake of it - let's just put it down to reducing my carbon footprint, or something.

Thanks in advance and look forward to learning again!

JohnLondon · 3 Feb 2020 at 12:40

Hi Ted, thanks mate - kind of what I thought. Don't get me wrong, this thing chews through everything I throw at it, especially on the measly 1080p monitor I have. That's the next upgrade on the horizon...a better monitor!

JohnLondon · 3 Feb 2020 at 12:52

I know what G-Sync is, but I've no idea what the pricing structure is alluding to. Is it the new range of seemingly hyper price inflated RTX cards?

JohnLondon · 3 Feb 2020 at 22:42

EsaT said:
You can pretty much forget upgrading in that.
That's actually one of the worser of brand PCs for upgrading.

For its big size inside space is very bad.
Alienware has had bad and crappy cases sold with fashion and marketing BS for as long as I remember.
Also cooling wise it would be horrible for most graphics cards.
It's no wonder brand PCs commonly use reference design graphics cards with blower cooler.
But for that it goes double.

Also motherboard is certain to be cheaped out model with BIOS strictly limiting CPU's power draw.
Already 8700K chasing advertised boost clocks would likely make that VRM run hot under full CPU load.
And 9900K would likely make it go up in smoke without limiting boost clocks under full load.

That typical brand PC cheaping out in actual stuff also shows in that mediocre 2666MHz memory.

Then you don't know what G-Sync really is: You essentially pay to get "synced into butt" by Nvidia.

Part of G-Sync monitor's price goes to Nvidia and in exchange you'll get ball and chain in your leg, so that you get to pay Nvidia's overprices in graphics cards.
Ways of exploitation capitalistic corporations aren't really any different from organized crime...
Corrupt politicians just think that raping and robbery done by the former is more acceptable.

I honestly don't know which bit of this I care less about. You feeling alright over there, buddy?