VANITY - New Computer Recommendations?

Question | 8/02/2024 | By Laz A. Mataz

[Lazamataz]

Hey folks. My current computer, while relatively new at about 18 months, has been problematic since purchase. Since it was only a lateral move in performance, I'd like to upgrade to a new machine, a problem-free one.

These are the specifications I am looking for:

• Not Intel-based. I hear Intel is having major problems with their chips lately, and that the chips are simply frying outright. Maybe that is only for a certain set of chips, so I could be convinced to return to Intel, but I'm leaning towards AMD or other mainstream chipsets.
• I'd like it optimized for gaming and computer application development, and to a much lesser extent, media creation.
• At least a 1 TB SSD primary drive. 2 TB would be even better, but 1 would suffice.
• Wouldn't mind 32G of memory but I can throw that in later.
• Monitor unnecessary. I have 2 good ones.
• No need for secondary drives, I have a bunch of those I can hang off the new machine.
• I can afford about $1700 or so after taxes.

I'd like to hear my fellow FReeper recommendations! Lenovo seems to be a decent brand and seems to gravitate towards AMD. I'm not a big fan of HP (this current problematic machine is HP, AMD Ryzen 5) but I can be convinced.

[null and void]

You can say anything you want!

Yep, to use a phrase seldom heard today, and then only with Richter scale irony, "It's a free country"...

[LouieFisk]

“I can afford about $1700 or so after taxes.”
—
My father would have gotten at least 12 good used cars for that amount of $.

Only comment on your question, though - general advice to anyone: get a couple external SSD drives, also, to keep anything of importance (backup, backup). Don’t depend on your internal drive - or worse, throwing your info up into the cloud - for that.

[Openurmind]

I am thoroughly impressed with Lenovo. Just recently acquired a small thinkpad laptop. It doesn’t have a disk drive but I can live without one. It is FAST.

AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U w/ Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx × 4

5.7 GiB Ram.

256.1 GB hard drive (think it is solid state)

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Picasso graphics card.

Pretty impressive for it’s small size. And even though it doesn’t have much ram it actually runs 3D games very well because of the graphics card I guess. And... It is Linux friendly for switching to Linux like I did right away.

So thumbs up for Lenovo.

[T.B. Yoits]

Laz,

I've had a lot of success with Microsoft Surface Pro laptops and 2-in-1 tablets.

You can use one with the smaller 13" screen since you don't need the large screen size if you're using separate monitors. (You will need a Surface dock to connect one to the dual monitors).

Most are 16GB but they do go up to 64GB.

[fretzer]

If you want to run local AI models, get an NVidia GPU. You can run some of them using the cpu and DRAM but it will be very slow. The NVidia RTX50 series may be released this fall, maybe not. The more VRAM the better.

[servo1969]

If you or anyone reading this decides the ARE willing to build their own PC here’s a decent guide:

https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-pc-builds-gaming

Some are Intel based, some are AMD. You can always mix and match.

[bankwalker]

fair enough ...

[The Louiswu]

If you must have windows then build your own. Use https://pcpartpicker.com/ to choose what you need.

[chiller]

After years of trouble with PCs and updates, my MacBook Air was heavenly.

11 years on my first....perfect for business, accounting, graphics, entertainment. (never did gaming) . Finally replaced with another and astounded again.

The Apple peeps seemed much more intuitive as to needs.

[yldstrk]

I agree with you Laz. On Mac. Just get a Dell. Avoid HP like the plague.

[yldstrk]

My son builds his own and he always has the coolest.

[fretzer]

BTW - I built a system about a year ago using an Intel i7-13700K raptor lake CPU, 64GB mem and an RTX4080, no problems.

[KC Burke]

Based on this pre-built gaming unit you are on target price wise. Two day shipping.
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Prebuilt-Gaming-PC-GLX-99615

[ShadowAce]

System 76

I really like mine.

[chiller]

Curious, Laz...

..why no Macs for you ?

[faithhopecharity]

Can only recommend avoiding Dell

(warranty service sent computer back smashed into pieces, shipping crate was intact so it wasn’t broken up in transit)

[Notthemomma]

You KNOW those “windows” were made by apple, right?
Windows, icons, mouse, pull-down menus (the so-called WIMP interface) were by apple and appropriated by Msoft, and the brainwashed masses think Windows means....well, what you think, something unrelated and “better” than mac. Even Excel was originally written for the mac.

But to the matter at hand. I run a large iMac with oodles RAM, vRAM, and SSD storage and beaucoup dual cores. I get the best of both world—for things that the Mac is especially good with—graphics—and for programs that do better on Windows (Dragon dictation software, some games) I run BootCamp on the iMac with Windows 10, and I play COD:MWII and III, Halo, and others through Win10 and Battle.net and Steam, and it runs just fine. Yep, more than $1700, but you get what you pay for.

[Notthemomma]

PS, it’s the last iMac model with the intel chip!

[ConservativeMind]

You didn't mention if you wanted a desktop or laptop.

I have been happy with my ASUS ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 16” 165Hz Gaming Laptop FHD-AMD Ryzen 7. I put 64 GB of high speed RAM in it and a 2 TB Samsung 990 PRO SERIES SSD. With Black Friday discounts last year, it all came to $1050. The battery is bigger than most, too, and it's rather ruggedized. It has USB 4.0, as well.

I'd look for another ASUS AMD deal.

[Lazamataz]

Desktop preferred...might consider a great power laptop though....