New rig

[mwalimu]

A few days ago, my main desktop computer died. I click the power button and nothing happens - I couldn't even get to a CMOS screen such as if it were a hard drive failure or a Windows install problem. After googling and finding out how to test it, determined that the PSU is fine and isn't the problem, which means my processor or motherboard probably died.

Since then I've gotten PG and a bunch of stuff installed and running on my laptop. On my 3-click swing, the mouse responsiveness is noticeably different, probably more exact than on the old computer, but for the moment it's different than I'm used to. However, I don't plan to keep playing on this computer.

In getting a replacement for my desktop I have a few objectives. It doesn't have to be a high-end super-gaming rig; a mid-range would be nice. Besides PG I've been known to play RPGs such as Skyrim or Genshin Impact, and in the past World of Warcraft, so it'd be nice if it handled games like that well (by the way, I've encountered settings in these games that would be great places for a golf course, and it would be great if a fan of one of these or other similar games who also happened to be PG course designer were of a mind to build such a course, but I digress...), but I'm not one to spend hours a day on them or other graphics-intensive games like FPSs. I don't do stuff like 3D rendering or anything else that would merit a heavy-duty graphics workstation.

So I'm hoping to spend not more than about $1.2K. I could be convinced to go as high as $1.5K if the added performance is worth it, but definitely not $2K+. Thinking more than 4 cores, at least 16G memory, maybe 32G. A 2TB SSD for the main drive would be nice but I'll settle for a 1TB if the rest of the package doesn't include it. Internal drives I already have and want to be able to install are 8TB HDD, 3TB HDD, 1TB SSD, and a BD reader/DVD-RW drive, all of these SATA (some of these will eventually get migrated to a NAS/RAID but that can wait until later). Three of these is mandatory. All four is preferable but I could live with three. Would also really like a quiet case/fans. LEDs would be cool but not a deal breaker. I have mice and keyboards (and could get more easily) so I don't care if those aren't included.

So what sayest thou, experts of PGLS. Any advice or recommendations for my new computer?

[Mwh65]

Well I don't know much about the USA market but this site looks the business ...

https://www.pugetsystems.com/

[tanman05851]

Tom's Hardware has a lot of information.The Digital Storm forum has a lot of people asking similar questions(plus Digital Storm will build your computer.)
Personally I usually get the "best bang for the buck" type equipment as I'm not a huge gamer either.In any case good luck-Tyler

[TheOtherRick]

The rig that I am currently running (shown in my sig) came from these people -
https://www.xidax.com/
I bought it a few years ago and spent about what you have stated in your budget amount, by choosing a base model and clicking the "Build Yours" or "Customize" button to get in my price point. The best part about this company is they give a Lifetime Warranty! I highly recommend this company. You should definitely check them out.

[mwalimu]

Okay, so far I've checked both build-your-own sites recommended here and a couple of others I know of. The big question at the moment is whether to do a build-your-own (BYO) or a pre-built (PB). My observations so far:
1. The BYO sites are showing ship dates nearly a month out. A PB could ship in a day or two and be here in 7-10 days, maybe less.
2. BYOs seem more geared toward high-end users willing to spend $2K+. The low-end BYOs end up costing as much or more than comparable PBs.
3. Case/fan noise levels are nearly impossible to come by. There are some known good choices I can get with BYOs, whereas with a PB it's a crapshoot.

I'm thinking about this one via Newegg. I can get the larger SSD, leave out the HDD, and have the option of 16GB or 32GB of DDR4 memory (the price differential is $70 - is that worth it?) I tried entering the specs for it at userbenchmark.com but unfortunately the online listing isn't specific enough about some things such as the make/model of the motherboard (it says B460) or the RAM, but I was able to enter enough to have a pretty good idea it would get about a Yacht rating.

Edit: Option 2

[Riddler]

Check this one out in today's Shell Shocker:

https://www.newegg.com/skytech-st-chron ... bC5jb20%3d

[WTFRU115]

Well I don't blame for wanting a lot for your money, but for $99 above your max budget you can get this rig.... Good Luck

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... 17af792687

[mwalimu]

I played around with builds some more on the CyberPowerPC website, but gave up on that when I noticed the expected ship date for a build is near the end of August (especially considering the arrival date would be about the time I expect to be away for a few days). Found myself back at the one I linked earlier on Newegg, did a couple more searches and discovered one that was nearly identical but with a better graphics card for only $20 more so I went with that one instead. It should be here by the end of next week. No info on noise level, so I'm taking my chances there. Also keeping my fingers crossed that it has enough internal drive bays and connectors for them. Might have to improvise for my optical drive if the case doesn't support it. With those caveats, I think I did about as well as I could.

Thanks to all for the tips and the leads.

[Wirenut48]

This is the site I use for a BYO. With the system builder you can compare each component with current prices and where to buy them.

https://pcpartpicker.com/