New Desktop PC Build or Buy???

[RANGER295]

Thank you for all of the replies. I will start looking at all the links and specific recommendations.

Are you actually doing CAD work? Coincidentally I've talked to a few people that mumble out what they plan to do with the computer and say CAD and don't actually know what CAD is but think it's a super resource heavy software so if you say that others know to recommend something with some power behind it.

Regardless, most discreet gpus will handle it unless you're getting into some very complex and large stuff.

Honestly the CAD work that I do these days is not very demanding. For the more demanding stuff I will probably just use my computer at work. I will not be running simulations and stuff like that. I also am not going to be buying extra seats. Realistically speaking the only CAD type stuff I will be using this computer for would be onshape or fusion 360 along with possibly some proprietary CAM software that I have unlimited seats for. Fusion and onshape are basically cloud-based so there is not a lot of demand on the computer itself. The gaming part is definitely the bigger demand. I personally want to put some of the battlefield games on there along with flight simulator. I told my boys to give me a list of computer games they would be interested in having someday so I will see what they come up with. I have not played a PC game since battlefield 2 which was probably over 15 years ago back in college.

Build your own, of course. My previous PC ran for 9 years before I built my current one. It didn?t break. It was just obsolete for mid-tier games. My current one is already 5 years old and running well.

The last non laptop PC I had I built I'm guessing sometime around 2005? It ran on XP. I think I had it for around 12 years or maybe longer. We ran it after they stopped supporting XP.. it got to wear fewer and fewer things ran on it. One day we pushed the power button and nothing happened.

[SanDiego619]

I would definitely build, you get a much better end result. Just make sure you get an nvme m2 drive and fast bus speed, fast ram, that baby's gonna be amazing! I love building pcs and now it's even easier than it was just 10 years ago.

[67Cuda]

I love building pcs and now it's even easier than it was just 10 years ago.

And computer parts are not over priced either. Great time to build.

Here's a website to pick parts and see what it will cost.

https://pcpartpicker.com/

[HHGT]

I've always preferred Gigabyte motherboards. They've always been the more stable/less problematic, at least in my experience.

Just saying.....

[sd_shooter]

AMD

[ViPER395]

I'm due for a new one too.

[RANGER295]

I would definitely build, you get a much better end result. Just make sure you get an nvme m2 drive and fast bus speed, fast ram, that baby's gonna be amazing! I love building pcs and now it's even easier than it was just 10 years ago.

I have only built three including the when I built with my dad in grade school and the one I built with him in high school but back then I thought it was super cool. One factor besides bang for the buck that was making me lean towards building is I think it would be a good activity to do with my boys.

[RANGER295]

And computer parts are not over priced either. Great time to build.

Here's a website to pick parts and see what it will cost.
https://pcpartpicker.com/

That is a cool site. I just built one on there and it came out to be $2,100

[high_revs]

I have only built three including the when I built with my dad in grade school and the one I built with him in high school but back then I thought it was super cool. One factor besides bang for the buck that was making me lean towards building is I think it would be a good activity to do with my boys.

this is what this build is for - for kid actually. else i wouldn't have rgb'ed it at all though i had some rgb fans on mine from 2021 that i could just move to his and get black fans for cheaper price. just a pita if i have to remove the air cooler (can't remember what i did).



last one i put together maybe late 1990s? cases aren't about air flow and the power supply is build into the tower. had to meddle with dip or irq switches then if any errors? can't recall if there was even usb back then.

[SanDiego619]

That is a cool site. I just built one on there and it came out to be $2,100

2100?? Dang, why is it so much? I just put together a "pretty good" computer on pcparts picker, i7-13700k with 64gb g.skill ram, 2tb nvme, rtx 3060, and it was just over 1400. I did not include monitors. Did you get a better CPU?

[tigerpan]

Nowdays build you own don’t save a lot money expect you get some better parts.

[baih777]

Build your own.
A couple of fast SSD.
Lots of memory
Graphics card $$$
After market cpu cooler.
Add a.couple more internal fans.

[SactoDoug]

BTW, you can share your build from PC Parts Picker. This is what I built last month and have been enjoying ever since.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2RyyKX

[RANGER295]

2100?? Dang, why is it so much? I just put together a "pretty good" computer on pcparts picker, i7-13700k with 64gb g.skill ram, 2tb nvme, rtx 3060, and it was just over 1400. I did not include monitors. Did you get a better CPU?

I really have to do more research on stuff. I was kind of just messing with it and grabbing parts. I did go a step up on CPU from what I was looking at. The video card was also more than I originally was thinking. A lot of those components I picked based on highest rating or most popular. After sorting with those filters I picked the highest performance in the top five most popular. I would not go based on that without more research but that is how I ended up there other than the CPU which is basically what I am leaning towards but the next step up.

Edit: I forgot to post the link to the build... https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NvRNyg

[WoodTurner]

If it's reasonable for you to drive out to microcenter, they have the beat deals I can find. They have a few great deals on bundles such as:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/5006269/AMD_Ryzen_7_7700X,_MSI_B650-P_Pro_WiFi,_GSkill_Flare_X5_Series_32GB_DDR5-6000_Kit,_Computer_Build_Combo

You can add on one of their 4070s for sale like the MSI 4070 for $580 or a reference AMD 6950xt for $550($600 with a $50 discount when buying a CPU). Plus storage, PSU, and case. You can have a killer PC for ~$1,400