What am I doing wrong?

[Gnome]

So I try to put together a "low"ish cost computer, but not piece of garbage (already have GPU & PSU)

This is what I came up with


Are there local options that are better?
I don't understand why everything locally is SO much more expensive.
Also are there some options that would provide significantly higher value?

 

[Gnome]

Or alternatively


Still is it possible to do this locally for cheaper?

 

[joshuatree]

Ask the Rouxenator.

 

[Gnome]

Ask the Rouxenator.

You mean he has better buying options? (stores or suggestions, or?)

I might be choosing the wrong components. But I'm sorting by cheapest.

 

[ponder]

Or alternatively
View attachment 1658698

Still is it possible to do this locally for cheaper?

Do you need a z series mb with non-k cpu?

 

[Gnome]

Do you need a z series mb with non-k cpu?

Yeah, I realised this morning, so could bring that down some (maybe?). I've not really looked at hardware in YEARS. A bit server stuff but it is very far removed from this actually. (Xeon CPUs and motherboards have totally different monikers). So if you have recommends, hit me, I'd appreciate it

 

[Cray]

Those parts at wootware would cost +/- R9900. How important is after sales service to you; one would hate to receive the wrong motherboard or cpu from amazon but apparently it does happen.

Yeah, this for me would be the clincher, you can sometimes get cheaper stuff from Amazon directly, the problem is if something goes wrong or if you get sent the wrong part, too much admin.

 

[greg_SA]

I'd also rather by from Wootware. They have a PC builder on their website.
I'd also try get a larger SSD... 256 won't last long.

 

[Gnome]

Those parts at wootware would cost +/- R9900. How important is after sales service to you; one would hate to receive the wrong motherboard or cpu from amazon but apparently it does happen.

I actually decided the 12600KF is much better buy.
Which would make it a lot less expensive than Wootware.
But I don't actually agree that this would be R9900 from Wootware.
Could you list the components you selected?

one would hate to receive the wrong motherboard or cpu from amazon but apparently it does happen.

Yeah, this for me would be the clincher, you can sometimes get cheaper stuff from Amazon directly, the problem is if something goes wrong or if you get sent the wrong part, too much admin.

Not a problem, it would cost me nothing. They have an option where they collect from your house. If it doesn't work, you file a return and they come collect it at your house while they send you another at the same time. What kind of issues did you guys have?

 

[Gnome]

I'd also rather by from Wootware. They have a PC builder on their website.
I'd also try get a larger SSD... 256 won't last long.

To be clear I have a NAS with 87.16 TiB of space. So I'm not space constrained in the normal sense.
This computer has 1 purpose, gaming and possible for my GF to do CAD work on.

I also realised I have a "WDS100T3X0C" here at home, I'll use that (I used it in a previous NAS, then moved it to my router, which doesn't need 1TiB of storage). So I'll use the 256 in the router.

But thanks for the suggestion, noted.

 

[Exaelea]

250gb and its for one purpose.. gaming

Enjoy uninstalling your one game before you can install the next one nowadays some might not even update due to not enough temporary free space on that 256gb drive with the OS

yep, go for the WD straight away

 

[Gnome]

I got my hardware and thought I'd close this out.

I bought:
- MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk (Amazon) - $219.99
- Intel Core i5-12600KF (Amazon) - $152
- Seasonic Focus GX-850 (Amazon) - $102
- Palit 4070 Super (Wootware) - R13799
- G.Skill F5-5600J3636C16GX2-FX5 Flare X5 32GB (2x16GB) (Wootware) - R2399

I used a 1TiB SN750 NVME SSD I had.

My Amazon order cost ~R6k (motherboard and CPU, PSU was bought in a different order).
Item for item, the same CU and motherboard, from Wootware, would have cost R18k.
I got lucky, in that Amazon had the CPU at $150 after I created the original post.
The motherboard had a coupon for $10 off too.

Every item would have cost less from Amazon, but the GPU would only have been about R1k less and the RAM about R200 less. (including shipping and tax and everything, total cost it would have been cheaper).
Because RAM and GPU are the items I've personally had that failed the most, I opted to buy it locally.

I sort of regret getting that CPU in a way, I realised after AMD is much better for gaming, some of the lower core count AMD CPUs specifically.

To everyone's point, just installing Baldur's Gate 3 took > 128GiB of space, there is no way you can game on anything less than 512GiB in my opinion.

Last but not least, the RAM is EXPO (AMD), but the motherboard supports it just fine and runs at the much higher speed as advertised by the RAM.

The screen I have is 1440p and every game I've installed so far is pretty much limited by the screen I have, 1440p @ 60Hz and the FPS is just solidly locked even at the most ridiculous settings. (Don't own Cyberpunk so haven't tested that one)