It's time for a new desktop, advice needed

EdF_uk

EdF_uk

EdF_uk

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Joined
16 Mar 2018
Posts
13
Hi everyone,

Well my trusty old machine, which has served me amazingly well and still performs excellently will have to be replaced (somewhat) in order to accommodate Windows 11. It's annoying I'm being forced down this route as I'm still very happy with the performance.

My current desktop specs are as follows:

motherboard: ASUS LGA 1151 STRIX Z270E GAMING Intel Z270 ATX
CPU: Intel Core i7-7700k 4.2 GHz (8 CPUs)
RAM: Corsair 16GB DDR4 Red Vengeance LPX 3000MHz
Graphics Card: ASUS TURBO-GTX1060-6G 6 GB
Storage (operating System): WD WDS100T1B0A 1 TB 2.5-Inch Internal SSD
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1TB PCIe M.2 2280SS SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Air CPU Cooler "RR-212E-16PK-R1, 4 x Heatpipe, 1x 120mm PWM Fan, Intel/AMD"
PSU: Corsair CP-9020048-UK Builder Series CX600 ATX/EPS 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supply Unit, 600 W
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 PC Case - Black/Pearl

So the question is I'm looking to upgrade the bits that need upgrading and to keep the bits that don't. I know I will have to get a new motherboard, CPU and RAM etc but I'd like to keep the case, power supply, storage drives etc. Is there a possibility that I can keep the current graphics card then upgrade when I save some more cash?

I've been a bit out of touch with the state of the art and doing some research now so looking for some recommendations.

Are the Intel Core ultra CPUS better than than the i7, i9 etc?
I kind of like the look of the ROG STRIX z890-F motherboard, which looks like an upgrade from my existing motherboard. What is a good CPU combination?

I'd like to spend no more than £1500 initially. I generally do internet browsing, coding, spreadsheet work and play the odd game. I also do a bit of trading and run large backtests which will benefit from a good amount of memory and CPU speed.

Any help and suggestions really appreciated.

Ed
 
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EdF_uk said:
will have to be replaced (somewhat) in order to accommodate Windows 11
Click to expand...
It doesn't.

7th gen PCs can support all of the requirements, including the TPM and I believe your board has a header for an external one anyhow, there's also a BIOS update that specifically mentions Windows 11 support. 7th gen CPUs also have hardware support for the security features, which minimises the performance loss earlier CPUs have when they're enabled.

The snag is, you may have to do feature updates manually, but it otherwise works fine.

EdF_uk said:
Are the Intel Core ultra CPUS better than than the i7, i9 etc?
Click to expand...
Better depends on the context, but they're newer and don't have the degradation issues that 13th-14th gen CPUs can suffer from.

Ultra 5 is equivalent to i5 and Ultra 7 to i7. I wouldn't want to buy one of those until the black friday deals commence, because there were huge discounts awhile back on the 245K and 265K.

Performance varies a lot, sometimes they're actually slower than the previous gen model, but I'd take one anyway, given the potential for problems with 13th-14th gen.

EdF_uk said:
I kind of like the look of the ROG STRIX z890-F motherboard, which looks like an upgrade from my existing motherboard. What is a good CPU combination?
Click to expand...
If your current PC serves your needs I'd go with a 245K, or a 265K if the deal is really good. A £300+ motherboard seems like a waste, unless there are features you really want that aren't present on the cheaper boards.

EdF_uk said:
Is there a possibility that I can keep the current graphics card then upgrade when I save some more cash?
Click to expand...
Yeah, but you may get some UEFI/GOP issues with running Windows 11, if you're not already running in UEFI mode. I'd advise getting a non-K or K CPU rather than F or KF, so that you have the integrated graphics as a backup.

EdF_uk said:
I know I will have to get a new motherboard, CPU and RAM etc but I'd like to keep the case, power supply, storage drives etc.
Click to expand...
For £1500 you could easily do everything.

EdF_uk said:
I also do a bit of trading and run large backtests which will benefit from a good amount of memory and CPU speed.
Click to expand...
How much memory? The kit in my spec might seem ridiculous, but prices are going mad right now, so could be good insurance.

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £1,482.83 (includes delivery: £11.98)​
 
OcUK Gaming Z87 Bundle - Intel Ultra 7 265K - MSI Z890
PRO-INT-05764
£589 (incl. VAT)
£450 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Crucial Pro 96GB (2x48GB) DDR5 PC5-44800C46 5600MHz Dual Channel Kit
MEM-CRU-01084
£900 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Zotac GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Twin Edge 16GB GDDR7 PCI-Express Graphics Card
GRA-ZTC-04916
£410 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Team Group G70 PRO 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive
STO-TMG-02618
£130 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Lian Li Lancool 216 Mid-tower PC case - Black
CA-7BG-LL
£86 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Antec HCG 850 Pro Platinum 850W ATX3.1 Full modular Power Supply
POW-ATC-02745
£160 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Black Dual Tower CPU Air Cooler
COO-TLR-03280
£40 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
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Thanks very much for the comprehensive responses. Interesting, so it sounds like there's a work around to get Windows 11 running however I'd quite liek to bring things up to date if I can. I like the look of your basket @Tetras. Some serious RAM there, which actually I'd quite like. What motherboard are you using?

Just googled why the RAM is so expensive atm. AI!

Crazy.
 
EdF_uk said:
What motherboard are you using?
Click to expand...
If you click the bundle it tells you more details, but it is a (MSI) Z890 Gaming Plus WIFI.

EdF_uk said:
Some serious RAM there, which actually I'd quite like.
Click to expand...
I'd advise getting your order in soon(ish), it could easily double when stock runs out.

It is SSDs and RAM you need to order now, the rest can wait, though graphics cards are expected to go up too (due to the VRAM).
 
Tetras said:
It is SSDs and RAM you need to order now, the rest can wait, though graphics cards are expected to go up too (due to the VRAM).
Click to expand...

Excellent advice for a mission critical move. NAND and DRAM prices are absolutely mooning! DRAM is up 171% YoY.

OP, buy the memory and SSD whether you end up pulling the trigger or not - you can always return them.
 
OK I will have a think about buying some RAM now. I was planning to keep the SSD's that I already have if I can.

I think the motherboard you that comes in the bundle will be great. Why is the ASUS one so much more expensive? Memory capability is less and from what I can the only other difference is it looks like it has x2 Thunderbolt.
 
What cooler is recommended with the i7 Core Ultra? I want something that is suitable and not ridiculous. Is there a good air cooler that some can recommend?

Cheers,

Ed
 
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Space Monkey said:
@Tetras

Do you think with the upcoming discounts on the newer Intel CPUs that the free game promo will still be available as well?
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Officially it ends on 31 January, though I suspect retailers do run out of keys on these kind of offers.

EdF_uk said:
What cooler is recommended with the i7 Core Ultra? I want something that is suitable and not ridiculous. Is there a good air cooler that some can recommend?
Click to expand...
The peerless assassin/phantom spirit in my spec is a widely recommended air cooler because it is cheap and very effective, competing with some coolers that cost double or triple the price.

It is not a cooler I'd buy to run the 265K at full pelt 24/7, but good enough outside of that usage (subject to fan curve adjustment).

EdF_uk said:
Why is the ASUS one so much more expensive? Memory capability is less and from what I can the only other difference is it looks like it has x2 Thunderbolt.
Click to expand...
The Strix boards aren't really meant for the mainstream anymore, Asus added about £100 to their price on the latest gen across AMD/Intel.

From what I can see, with a quick comparison:

The Strix has a MEGA VRM, rated way higher than the MSI, but it is overkill for the current Core Ultra CPUs. It also has an 8-layer PCB, which can contribute to lower temperatures and PCI-E/memory stability, whereas the MSI is 6-layer.

The Strix has lots of USB 3.x ports on the rear I/O, but the MSI only has 3 (not including Type-C) and the rest are USB 2.0.

The Strix uses a high-end audio codec, has an integrated AMP and optical/SPDIF on the rear I/O.

The Strix says it supports power delivery over Type-C and as you noted it has 2x TB compared to just 1x on the MSI.

The Strix uses latches (for graphics/M.2), whereas the MSI only has this feature for M.2 slots, with the graphics the usual clip.

The Strix has customisable RGB on the I/O cover. MSI do support this, but I don't think it is present on the Gaming Plus.

The Strix has 5x M.2 slots, compared to the 4x on the MSI.

EdF_uk said:
OK I will have a think about buying some RAM now. I was planning to keep the SSD's that I already have if I can.
Click to expand...
2TB isn't a lot, if you suspect you might need more capacity in the near future I'd buy now.
 
So I think I’ve nailed down what I’m going for. Question is will the prices coming down because of Black Friday?

I’m in the US atm and I’ve seen the stuff is £100 cheaper here.
 
EdF_uk said:
Question is will the prices coming down because of Black Friday?
Click to expand...
From my spec:

The 245K and 265K have been heavily discounted again.

Unlikely there's any movement in price on the RAM/SSD. These are still climbing.

Graphics card, I doubt there's much room to discount a 5060 Ti.

PSU and case have already got offer prices.
 
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