The computer is dead - not really, but it's a cool phrase - long live the computer. Time for some fresh metal. This is along, detailed review of my new custom-build desktop PC designed for extended usage for the next decade, including philosophy and considerations, hardware specification, Windows 10 setup, post-install configuration and tweaks, ergonomics and efficiency, display scaling, performance, temperatures, gaming, annoyances and errors, audio issues, motherboard replacement due to faulty NVMe controller, other observations, and more. Enjoy. https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/new-desktop-2020-windows-10.html Cheers, Mrk
Very interesting article thanks. I was impressed by the amount of work you had to put to configure Win 10. If you find the time could you install some Distro on one of the SSDs and compare?
Thanks. I've done some testing on a similar platform. Fast yes, but then no miracles - you can read my Slimbook & kubuntu setup for reference. I can't use one of the ssd, as they are already in use for backups. Mrk
I just went through the same determination, a new custom system to replace the one I had built by eCollegePC.com in 2012. The only difference now is I had the system built by a local outfit following my bullet point list of instructions. It's based on an ASRock Z390 Extreme4 with an i9-9900K and dual 500GB 970 EVO PLUS's and 2x8GB 3200 Ballistics LT Sport sticks. In a triple fan Fractal Focus G case, gunmetal grey, with a Seasonic 550W 80+ Gold and a Noctua NH-U12S cooler. Windows 10 Pro. I don't game, so no GPU card. It cost me about $200 over the street prices of the parts and includes a three year parts and labor warranty. It's worth it as now my primary PC has grown past the "hobby" phase, being so totally integrated in my life. All those auto-pay accounts keep me awake at night. The only thing it doesn't do is pay the monthly city services bill. (I use them to keep my checking account alive.) The only issues I had was bumping heads with protected folders and core isolation. Thanks for posting up your article, an interesting read - the annoyances not unlike that for a box I built in 1997 using an Athlon XP on a Pelican mobo with three SCSI drives in a RAID array. But what fun it was.
When I buy a new desktop, it's probably going to be the Lenovo IdeaCentre T540, what do you guys think? https://www.coolblue.nl/product/830399/lenovo-ideacentre-t540-15icb-90l1005gmh.html
Six core i5-9400,1TB M.2 SSD, good stuff. Nice case. No specs on the RAM or the chipset, though. Unless you game, the GTX 1660 is a waste of ~$250 USD, whatever that converts to in your currency. The i5 on-board UHD Graphics 630 is far more than enough for anything video you'd want to do, even amateur video production. You otherwise might want to shop for a box without a GPU card. If you do game, 16GB RAM. Of course, bloatware removal will be your initial experience...
Thanks for the feedback. I think it's currently the best choice for me. I especially like the big 1TB SSD which is more than enough of diskspace for me, and I will finally be able to get rid of slow HDD's. The GPU is good enough, since I'm not a hardcore gamer. CPU is not that important, I mostly do web browsing, 8MB of RAM should also be enough.
BTW, what do you guys think about all in one desktops? To me it's weird that they still don't offer 1TB SSD's and also no powerful GPU, very disappointing. Plus they are quite pricey. https://store.hp.com/us/en/vwa/desktops/form=All-in-One;ssd=Yes
Funny, with me it's the other way around. I only trust bigname vendors like Lenovo, HP, Acer and Dell. I would never buy a Medion PC for example, simply because it's not a top brand. I know it's silly, because they are probably using the same components. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medion
OK cool, I have a technical question for you. Do you think it would be possible to install a more powerful GPU inside all-in-one desktops?
Possible yes, but will it work well - maybe. It depends on the heat dissipation factor. Sometimes all-in-ones are built as is, so if you need something bigger, faster and hotter, they won't necessarily be able to handle it. At the end of the day, it's all about heat. Mrk
In addition to Mrkvonic's reply, apart from heat, I can also imagine the PSU could be a limiting factor, if you choose to install a power hungry GPU in a pre-built desktop.
OK thanks, I just wondered if there are any specific GPU's that fit in all-in-one PC's, but I'm guessing it's not a good idea to mess around with it. The reason I asked is because I do want to play video games on PC's.
BTW, I just discovered that they finally decided to make very powerful "all in one" desktops, very exciting stuff! But I wonder how they managed to squeeze in such powerful GPU's? And I wonder if they aren't too noisy. Of course, they are way overpriced if you ask me. https://www.coolblue.nl/en/product/863104/hp-envy-32-a1200nd-all-in-one.html https://www.coolblue.nl/en/product/863105/hp-envy-32-a1100nd-all-in-one.html