Comparison between current PC and proposed new one

[roghun]

I've decided to stick with an AIO PC for my new purchase (for a variety of reasons).

I know the proposed new PC will be better/faster than what I have now, but I would like to get some confidence regarding how much better an experience and performance I can expect. I don't do gaming but I do use Lightroom and Photoshop heavily and their performance has got much worse over the last year.

Current AIO:

27" 1920x1080 60Hz
Intel i7-4790S 3.2 GHz
16Gb RAM DDR3 1600 MHz
Intel HD 4600
2 Tb HDD

Proposed new AIO:

27" Vanguard II 1920x1080 144Hz
Intel i7-9700 3.0 GHz 12 Mb Cache
32Gb Corsair 2400 MHz DDR4
4Gb Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 - HDMI
2Tb HDD (for data, documents and photos)
256Gb Intel 760p M.2 NVME PCLE SSD (for OS and programs)

I realise there's a whole host of selections possible, but the proposed spec is at the very top of my budget . . . . I just really want to know whether I can definitely expect a massive improvement compared to what I have now (if that makes sense!).

 

[Oussebon]

Tbh you can probably just add an SSD to your current PC and see a massive improvement

Yes, the 9700 is faster than the 4790S, and yes you get a dedicated GPU in your new system (does your current one not have room for one?) but the presence of an SSD alone may account for the greatest part of any improvement you'd get.

A desktop PC would quite possibly be cheaper, give you more choice, and potentially offer more performance than an AIO. And you would be able to use a higher resolution monitor with it, which would be an advantage for photo editing etc. There are plenty of smart, compact cases.

For instance:

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC Q2778VQE 27" QHD LED - 2560 x 1440
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,142.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/qKEZS7AK5m/

The monitor is there as a placeholder - I wouldn't buy that one for your uses. The AOC Q3279VWFD8 would be a good choice and a similar price to the one I put in the spec. Out of stock on PCS but you can source elsewhere. Or any other 27-32" 1440p IPS monitor you like.

 

[Oussebon]

Or a small form factor PC. Which I don't normally advocate, but would advocate over an AIO.

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN NODE 304 Mini ITX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC Q2778VQE 27" QHD LED - 2560 x 1440
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,197.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-sff-gaming/DDB0PsQfv7/

 

[roghun]

Or a small form factor PC. Which I don't normally advocate, but would advocate over an AIO.

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN NODE 304 Mini ITX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC Q2778VQE 27" QHD LED - 2560 x 1440
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,197.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-sff-gaming/DDB0PsQfv7/

Many thanks for both of your replies above.
My main reason for AIO (and I understand the limitations of these compared to tower/mini + separate monitor) is that it's more easily portable in that I can (and do) take it away with me on holiday in the UK (which is when I do a lot of wildlife photography and processing).

However, you still have got me thinking again on this!

By the way, what does this mean (Wi-Fi not included)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)

How would the Wi-Fi not included affect me?

Many thanks.

 

[Oussebon]

By the way, what does this mean (Wi-Fi not included)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)

How would the Wi-Fi not included affect me?

If you connect the PC to a network e.g. to your router so it can access the internet, wirelessly you need a wifi card, or a USB wifi adapter. If you connect the PC to your router with a network cable, you don't need a wifi card.

The 'regular' size desktop (first spec I posted) didn't include wifi but you can add a wifi card for £8 or use a USB adapter bought from anywhere. The mini system (2nd spec) has AC Wifi and Bluetooth 5.0 built into its motherboard.

I'd suggest that it's not much more effort taking a mini PC + monitor than it is an AIO. Okay, you're carrying 2 things instead of 1, but each is a bit smaller and lighter. And if the screen gets damaged, you only need to buy a new monitor - whereas if the screen on your AIO gets damaged (or were to fail out of warranty) that would be rather awkward(!)

And you get the benefit of being able to buy a 1440p IPS monitor which would be a big upgrade over a 1080p screen for photo editing, with getting on for double the pixel density. I do think the mini PC route is the best balance here, so well worth having a look at as you say

 

[roghun]

If you connect the PC to a network e.g. to your router so it can access the internet, wirelessly you need a wifi card, or a USB wifi adapter. If you connect the PC to your router with a network cable, you don't need a wifi card.

The 'regular' size desktop (first spec I posted) didn't include wifi but you can add a wifi card for £8 or use a USB adapter bought from anywhere. The mini system (2nd spec) has AC Wifi and Bluetooth 5.0 built into its motherboard.

I'd suggest that it's not much more effort taking a mini PC + monitor than it is an AIO. Okay, you're carrying 2 things instead of 1, but each is a bit smaller and lighter. And if the screen gets damaged, you only need to buy a new monitor - whereas if the screen on your AIO gets damaged (or were to fail out of warranty) that would be rather awkward(!)

And you get the benefit of being able to buy a 1440p IPS monitor which would be a big upgrade over a 1080p screen for photo editing, with getting on for double the pixel density. I do think the mini PC route is the best balance here, so well worth having a look at as you say

Many thanks, much appreciated !

 

[roghun]

I think I've finally got over my original 'insistence' of getting another AIO!

So I've come up with a spec based on Oussebon's first suggestion above . . . slightly amended . . . .

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs

The Outer Worlds -OR- Borderlands 3 w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
256GB INTEL® 760p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 3210MB/sR | 1315MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 80 Series High Performance CPU Cooler (AMD)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+
Monitor Cables
1 x 2 METRE GOLD PLATED V1.4 HDMI CABLE
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,198.00 including VAT and Delivery

The plan would be to put the OS on the M.2 SSD along with the programs (including Lightroom and Photoshop). The Lightroom catalogue would be held on the 7200rpm HDD along with all of my Photo folders/images.

How does this look to everyone and have I forgotten anything obvious please?

Thanks

 

[Oussebon]

You will want to add an additional SSD yourself in due course to hold the lightroom catalogue and your photos. 2TB Sata SSDs are around £200.

The monitor is a 6bit+FRC, 1080p panel. You probably want to look at a 1440p monitor for around £200.

You'll want 3000 or 3200Mhz RAM ideally - Ryzen CPUs benefit from faster RAM, as does photoshop even with Intel CPUs.

Drop the cheap CPU cooler because the stock AMD one will be as good. And don't bother with the better thermal paste with a cheap cooler, if you were going to spend more on cooling, buying a decent upgrade over the stock AMD cooler should be the priority e.g. a 240mm AIO cooler or the Noctua cooler if aiming for a quiet system.

The 350W PSU will limit upgrade options, and if aiming for a quiet system the TXm or RMx ideally would be the way to go.

The 760p SSD is bad value. It's slower but not much cheaper than the 970 Evo. And it's about the same price as an SX6000 SSD twice the size.