Amazing Desktop Computers & Computer Hardware

Stigg · Mar 25, 2023

I thought this would be a good thread to inspire us all in our next desktop computer.

As many of you probably already know, it takes constant study to keep up to date with the latest hardware, such as CPUs, motherboards, CPU cooling, cases, case fans, RAM, graphics cards, SSD drives, mechanical hard drives, power supplies etc.

So, I thought this thread would be a good repository for posting anything about current desktop hardware, including the latest desktop computer builds.

I won't rewrite what has already been said about it, except to say that I love Fractal Design cases and Noctua cooling. Notice that ASUS teamed up with Noctua for the graphics card?

This is some of what Mr Matt Lee has to say about it.

For this build I wanted to style the build in keeping with the case aesthetics. The Noctua NH-U12A Chromax.black is one of my favourite all time CPU coolers, even keeping the Intel i7 13700K below 70c under max load for 45 mins! With that said, when idle the temps never exceeded 30c either. Just awesome! Moving on, the ASUS x Noctua RTX 3070 is a masterpiece in it's self, carrying on that oh-so-lavish wood look with the brown and beige colourway.

alikhan · Mar 25, 2023

Computer world is amazing, I stopped the idea of having desktop like 5 years ago, but one month ago I fixed a desktop for my friend, and I got the hype, now I will make sure I will go back to building parts again. I think there is just something cool about putting pc parts together, you put time and effort into and having a great product to play with as a result. I like keeping up with the news looking at nice builds and even building my own or upgrading the present one. I like the researching of components and figuring out what works best within a given perimeter/budget.

kelper · Mar 25, 2023

I haven't had a desktop in a long time, but I don't play games. I understand the fun to be had building one and upgrading it.
You could have a lot of fun with the laptops from Framework.

Fix Consumer Electronics

We know consumer electronics can be better for you and for the environment. Unlike most products, ours are open for you to repair and upgrade

frame.work

Edwin · Mar 25, 2023

Stigg said:
I thought this would be a good thread to inspire us all in our next desktop computer.

I'm tapped out at the moment or I would!

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

I've been building my own desktops since 1998. I typically build every 4-5 years, and my last build was in 2019 so I'm looking to build a new box sometime this year. The new build also upgrades my backup system as parts from the old are moved there, so I get a new build and a PC upgrade

Beautiful build in that video BTW

Jamis · Mar 25, 2023

Technology marches on. I recently was pretty much forced to replace our 14 year old ASUS tower because of some hardware/software issue(s) that couldn't be diagnosed. It started out as a challenge and became extreme frustration, so "out with the old and in with the new". Old was an i5, 3 Ghz, 4 core, 6 GB ram and two 1 TB SATA HDDs. New is what is in the system specs. below. System image used to take 3 hours and now takes 23 minutes. Norton full system scan used to take 11 1/2 hours. It ran for the first time last night and ran for 12 minutes. Of course EVERYTHING runs WAAAAAY faster now.

badrobot · Mar 25, 2023

I learned how to build a PC when I transferred an HP off-the-shelf PC from its stock case to a bigger Thermaltake case when I was upgrading components. Transferring a PC from one case to another is essentially like building a new one because you are dealing with components and cabling in the same manner as building a new one. Except for an optional re-pasting of the CPU which I did since I it is just the one last step away from a complete re-build.

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

badrobot said:
I learned how to build a PC when I transferred an HP off-the-shelf PC from its stock case to a bigger Thermaltake case when I was upgrading components. Transferring a PC from one case to another is essentially like building a new one because you are dealing with components and cabling in the same manner as building a new one. Except for an optional re-pasting of the CPU which I did since I it is just the one last step away from a complete re-build.

That's an upgrade. My definition of a new build means building from scratch with new parts -at least motherboard, CPU, GPU, and RAM.

That's at least what I get when I build a new system. And yes, some things can be reused - case, PS, storage devices. Building also entails setting up the BIOS. Every build I do entails tweaking the BIOS to fit the build. Then there's the clean install of the OS.

Anyway, that's "my" definition of a new build when "I" say I did a new build as I know some will parse what I said.

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

I should also add that when I do a new build, that also entails getting at least a new OS drive. Later down the line, I’ll "upgrade" the other drives as they age. I do drive upgrades all the time, so…

The new next build I do I'll be getting new NVMe drives as my current board only supports PCI 3.0 where the new tech is 4.0 now.

badrobot · Mar 25, 2023

Dru2 said:
That's an upgrade. My definition of a new build means building from scratch with new parts -at least motherboard, CPU, GPU, and RAM.

That's at least what I get when I build a new system. And yes, some things can be reused - case, PS, storage devices. Building also entails setting up the BIOS. Every build I do entails tweaking the BIOS to fit the build. Then there's the clean install of the OS.

Anyway, that's "my" definition of a new build when "I" say I did a new build as I know some will parse what I said.

I know it's an upgrade.
I am telling a story HOW I LEARNED to build (putting components together) a PC and how it is the same like "building" a new PC. There was not a lot of Youtube how-to-videos back then. That was more than 10 years ago. And I only built from scratch from then on.

SmokeMe · Mar 25, 2023

(Short version, I left out a few builds in-between)
I started out learning PC construction by replacing 3MB w/ 8MB of ram on my 1st PC a 486 Tandy.
12/1995 (excited about Windows 95 then) I bought a Micron 133MHz PC that I sweated inside it when upgrading the ram & shorted something out, I called Micron for a replacement MB & I then learned how to R&R the MB using the existing parts.
7/1998 my local FRY’s electronics was selling PC kits so my friend & I each bought 1 each & assembled them w/ each other’s assistance.
Every 2-3 years since I’ve been reusing the case & PS to build a new PC.
In the last 2 years I rebuilt the Main Rig, Test Rig 1 & added a completely new Windows 2016 Server w/ 6TB of Samsung SSD storage to the mix.
*None had the HR’s for Windows 11 so I just bought a Laptop to Test that on.

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

badrobot said:
I know it's an upgrade.
I am telling a story HOW I LEARNED

And I was telling HOW "I" DO THINGS! in comparision

badrobot · Mar 25, 2023

Dru2 said:
And I was telling HOW "I" DO THINGS! in comparision

well, you didn't have to quote me on that. You are making it look like you are correcting me again like you always do.
You just EARNED A BADGE from me.

computer_user · Mar 25, 2023

Wonder how my wife would feel about me using our dining room table for a killer build ...

badrobot · Mar 25, 2023

SmokeMe said:
I started out learning PC construction by replacing 3MB w/ 8MB of ram on my 1st PC a 486 Tandy.

It's not an easy task (PC Building). You have to start somewhere. I think the first PC upgrade related thing I did was replacing a power supply, which goes with installation of a new GPU.

Stigg · Mar 25, 2023

When I'm deciding on a new computer build, the first thing I decide on is the CPU.
Once that decision is made, I then look for a motherboard for that CPU socket.
I then need to decide on a case to suit the motherboard form factor and a power supply.
I then decide on how much memory I want and get the correct memory for that motherboard.
For a graphics card, it's a choice of either NVIDIA or AMD and how much I want to spend. I'm an NVIDIA fan.

Edwin · Mar 25, 2023

computer_user said:
Wonder how my wife would feel about me using our dining room table for a killer build ...

As long as you don't mind eating TV Dinners for the duration!!!

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

Stigg said:
When I'm deciding on a new computer build, the first thing I decide on is the CPU.
Once that decision is made, I then look for a motherboard for that CPU socket.

That's how I do it. CPU first then motherboard. The CPU just determines base performance of the build, but the motherboard is actually the most important component of the build. Here, I always go for premium boards with lots of tech. RAM is typically 4 x 8 for 32gig.

I tend to be brand loyal so there's no hunting there - Intel, Gigabyte MB, Corsair memory and AIO cooler, Samsung drives. AMD GPU.

That's me

Dru2 · Mar 25, 2023

badrobot said:
well, you didn't have to quote me on that. You are making it look like you are correcting me again like you always do.
You just EARNED A BADGE from me.

I cannot control the feeling of others, so If every post I make is deemed confrontational, then there will always be tension and we'll never get along. I'm trying to get along, but I have opinions just like everyone else who posts in these forums.

And whatever badge I earned from you, I earned something.

Peace

Stigg · Mar 25, 2023

This is not the simplest video I've seen on how to build a PC, but it's current.

I don't agree with everything in this video. It could have been made shorter and simpler and not talked about BIOS flashing for this particular video. BIOS flashing should be a separate video as you'll rarely need to flash the BIOS to get your new computer up and running. I would have installed the RAM before installing the CPU cooler. There is some other stuff that could have been omitted.

He did say it's optional, but I have never used an anti-static wrist strap. You also don't need the magnetic parts tray.

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