Hello everyone!
This is my first post here. I found my way here while researching a nice configuration for my new desktop PC and found the contents of this forum and the Youtube channel really helpful.
The last time I used a desktop PC privately is some 20 years ago. Back then I did not build it myself either. As I am appalled by Apple’s current pricing and its move away from (semi-)pro apps, I would like to get out of this ecosystem. A nice new desktop PC might be a good start, I suppose. Therefore, I would like to build a new system completely from scratch and do so myself (as in assembling the components myself). Accordingly, I do not want to re-use anything.
Location:
I live in Germany and therefore will have to spend my money in EUR, preferably at Alternate.
Aims:
My demands for the system are manifold and I will try to organise them below. All the points mentioned should be accomplished without too much fan noise.
-
Regular daily use
No problems here, I guess… -
Photography
I like to take photographs with a decent camera and do my own RAW processing and organisation (Capture One Pro, darktable, and the likes) and some image manipulation (the GIMP). -
(Financial/statistical) simulations
Due to my professional background, I like/have to do some CPU- and RAM-intensive financial/statistical simulations from time to time. -
Gaming
I am not a regular gamer and do not have too much time for it anyway. That being said, I really like simulation and strategy games (like Anno 1800 and Starcraft II) and the odd RPG (like Skyrim) or survival horror game. Although I know that the GPU idea below is not the best for 4K gaming, I would still like to get a 4K monitor due to my photography-related stuff and would like to game in FHD (which should nicely scale down from a 4K monitor, I suppose).
Operating systems:
I have quite a lot of Linux experience as I use Ubuntu on a daily basis at work. A Linux system should be my primary OS (most likely Ubuntu or a derivative of Ubuntu). For gaming, I would like to have Windows as a separate system into which I can boot from Bios at start-up.
The key therefore is to find hardware that plays nicely with both operating systems.
Budget:
Without a monitor (will have to look into this as well though), the whole system should ideally cost at most 1,500 EUR. If there is a considerable gain to be had by spending a bit more, I might think about it. Overall, I am looking for a powerful but still value-oriented rig that will last me for the next 6 years or so.
Current configuration idea:
After some research I came up with the following configuration.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
Mainboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
RAM: G.Skill RipJaws V black DDR-4 3200 (2x 16 GB)
PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500W (with cable management)
Cooling: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B
Case: Fractal Design Defince C
M.2-SSD for main system (Linux): Samsung 970 EVO 1 TB
SATA-SSD for secondary system (Windows): Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB
SATA-SSD for photos, music, etc.: SanDisk Ultra 3D 2 TB
WLAN: Some PCIe card or USB adapter
This setup will cost approx. 1,400 EUR as of yesterday.
Questions:
I would like to pick your brains about the following.
a)
Does this system seem to be OK and working for my use case as well as in both operating systems? If not, where should I switch components (ideally with specific recommendations)?
b)
As I would like to be able to play Anno 1800 (which is kind of resource-hungry) with rather detailed settings, I guess that a GTX 1660 Super is the minimum requirement for a GPU. Stronger GPUs suffer from being weak value propositions and/or power hogs, though.
I know that AMD GPUs have a better history of OS drivers under Linux. However, currently there seem to be many problems with Radeon cards (blue screens, etc.). Nvidia seems to be a better bet then, right? Or is this issue blown out of proportion online?
c)
Do you have specific recommendations for a wireless solution (either PCIe or USB). Unfortunately, due to a bad supply of plugs in my flat, I currently have to use WLAN.
d)
If you had a good recommendation for a nice 27 inch 4K monitor with good colour accuracy and brightness, I would really appreciate it as well.
Thank you very much for your patience and for sharing your experiences/suggestions!
All the best!