To build or buy a new PC? [UK]*


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* The only reason i put UK in the title is because, surprise-surprise, that's where i'm from. So any 'you could buy this' links that are in foreign currency ... i couldn't.

I generally use https://www.ebuyer.com/ and https://www.scan.co.uk/ to source anything PC related. Mainly eBuyer although if any UK people know of other/better sites (no, not eBay) then feel free to suggest.

 

Back in 2010 i was coming off an ancient PC which took about 1 week to boot WinXP so i decided to build my own PC with the view of it lasting 10 years the same way that old slow machine had done. I did this for 3 reasons - 1) No preloaded crap 2) To build it to the spec i wanted, so it'd be as fast as i wanted and 3) the main reason - to simply build. I'd always wanted to have a go at building my own.

 

Now as we come towards 2020 i learn that Windows 7 support is about to end. Whether it's tomorrow or next year, sooner or later i'll end up on Windows 10 so i was thinking it could be time to buy or build a PC that is more powerful than the one i have as for some tasks my PC is actually quite slow.

I'm no hardcore gamer btw and in fact i have little to no time to play games these days, although that's not to rule out the possibility that i may.

 

 

When i built my PC back in 2010 i'm sure i spent somewhere around £1100-£1300. Looking now, you can pick up a pre-built thing for pretty cheap. https://www.ebuyer.com/store/Computer/cat/Desktop-PC and for a bit more you can get something under their gaming heading https://www.ebuyer.com/store/Computer/cat/Desktop-PC/subcat/Gaming-PC. So for anyone who's averse to clicking links - for no more than £400 you can pick up something already more powerful than what i have.

 

Speaking of which. Current specs:

 

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.80GHz

RAM: 16GB Corsair

Drives: Samsung SSD 830 (primary) 256GB with Windows 7 64bit Pro on as primary. A number of other HDDs as well as a 2TB Seagate SSHD.

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 1GB

PSU: BeQuiet 530W, Model No: BQT L7-530W

 

If i build then i'll end up spending more than this £300-£500 area, even to build the same spec of what is in the £300-£500 zone really which makes me wonder - is it worth me building or just buying?

 

If you need more info from me to give feedback then feel free to ask and i'll answer as best i can :)

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What sort of tasks do you use the computer for at the moment? You say you don't want to rule out playing games, but realistically you need to decide, do you want it to be able to play games or not? If yes, what type of games? None of the £400 ones you linked to will be able to run any modern games at playable framerates because they have integrated graphics (or a very poor APU), also these pre-builts will have the absolute cheapest PSUs/Mobos so even if you decided you want to add a dedicated GPU in the future, you might not be able to. The cheapest one with on the pages you listed with a usable GPU (GTX 1650) is the Cyberpower and that's £520. 

 

If you potentially want to play games, I'd build it yourself, then even if you don't add a GPU now, you know you can in the future. If you're not bothered about games at all and just want something a little bit faster than what you currently have going for a cheap pre-built would probably be fine.

Edited by ZakO

I won't go into too much detail but on the matter of building it yourself or buying one that's already built.  Why not go with option 3 and go with a shop that will build what you want for you?   Because my time was limited what I did for my new gaming PC was buy all the parts myself online but then took them to a shop in town and had them put it together for me.  

 

Right now though lots of online tech shops have their own "build it yourself" option, pick the parts you want and they'll do all the work and ship it out to you.  

Well, here is a DIY gaming PC for <£500

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  (£118.97 @ CCL Computers) 
Motherboard: *ASRock B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£79.85 @ CCL Computers) 
Memory: *Patriot Viper 4 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  (£38.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Storage: *Toshiba OCZ TR200 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£45.83 @ CCL Computers) 
Video Card: *Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB NITRO+ Video Card  (£129.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: *Aerocool Cylon ATX Mid Tower Case  (£32.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Power Supply: *Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  (£52.99 @ AWD-IT) 
Total: £499.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-25 13:22 BST+0100

If i'm honest there's a lot of upsides to buying a pre-made PC. I've done it in the past due to lack of time. There are some builders out there like CyberPowerPC, novatech etc where you can select specifically the parts you want, and you'll also get the warranty on it too. Often it doesn't come out massively over what you'd pay for the parts.

 

My recommendation would be to buy one without the OS. You can just purchase a Win10 licence from ebay for £10 or whatever and save yourself a bunch of cash that way too. Get the prebuilt PC and then just load Windows on it yourself when you get it, so you know you'll have a nice clean OS and is sort of a nice middle ground.

 

Obviously from a 'PC Master Race' standpoint people will tell you you're a fool for not building it entirely yourself. If you can get a good deal on a pre-built, do it.  Hotukdeals sometimes has good deals crop up. And often with vendors like CyberPowerPc you can spec your machine up and then call them and fairly easily be offered an extra 5% off.  If you're veering that way anyway and you're happy with the price, do it. What matters at the end of the day is you end up with a machine you're happy with and can play the games you want to play on it.

 

Just a couple of very quick searches shows some good deals for ~500

 

https://www.cclonline.com/pc/specialist-gaming-pcs/pba/ccl-stryker-gaming-pc/0300010105000200050000010203/?siteID=hL3Qp0zRBOc-1X8u53NiLFBdtOL494hT7Q

 

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/mid-range-gaming-pc-3277630

4 minutes ago, CronchyNut said:

If i'm honest there's a lot of upsides to buying a pre-made PC. I've done it in the past due to lack of time. There are some builders out there like CyberPowerPC, novatech etc where you can select specifically the parts you want, and you'll also get the warranty on it too. Often it doesn't come out massively over what you'd pay for the parts.

 

My recommendation would be to buy one without the OS. You can just purchase a Win10 licence from ebay for £10 or whatever and save yourself a bunch of cash that way too. Get the prebuilt PC and then just load Windows on it yourself when you get it, so you know you'll have a nice clean OS and is sort of a nice middle ground.

 

Obviously from a 'PC Master Race' standpoint people will tell you you're a fool for not building it entirely yourself. If you can get a good deal on a pre-built, do it.  Hotukdeals sometimes has good deals crop up. And often with vendors like CyberPowerPc you can spec your machine up and then call them and fairly easily be offered an extra 5% off.  If you're veering that way anyway and you're happy with the price, do it. What matters at the end of the day is you end up with a machine you're happy with and can play the games you want to play on it.

CyberPower doesn't sell systems for 500 pounds, though...

24 minutes ago, CronchyNut said:

My recommendation would be to buy one without the OS. You can just purchase a Win10 licence from ebay for £10 or whatever and save yourself a bunch of cash that way too. Get the prebuilt PC and then just load Windows on it yourself when you get it, so you know you'll have a nice clean OS and is sort of a nice middle ground.

lolll

1 hour ago, Mockingbird said:

Well, here is a DIY gaming PC for <£500

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  (£118.97 @ CCL Computers) 
Motherboard: *ASRock B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£79.85 @ CCL Computers) 
Memory: *Patriot Viper 4 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  (£38.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Storage: *Toshiba OCZ TR200 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£45.83 @ CCL Computers) 
Video Card: *Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB NITRO+ Video Card  (£129.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: *Aerocool Cylon ATX Mid Tower Case  (£32.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Power Supply: *Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  (£52.99 @ AWD-IT) 
Total: £499.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-25 13:22 BST+0100

Unless he wants new .. everything ... he already has the case, PSU and storage.  So you could just buy a new mobo, CPU, memory and GPU.  Not purchasing a new case, PSU or a new SSD could open him up to a 1660ti which would be superior to the 570, 580 or 590.

 

So, something along the lines of what you suggested ... the

Ryzen 2600

ASrock B450

8GB of memory

1660ti

reuse current PSU, Case, Storage ...

... should put him right at or below £500 with the option of updating various components down the line (for example buying a nvme SSD for the OS or whatever).

 

Just my humble suggestion.  :) 

  • Thanks 1
49 minutes ago, Jim K said:

Unless he wants new .. everything ... he already has the case, PSU and storage.  So you could just buy a new mobo, CPU, memory and GPU.  Not purchasing a new case, PSU or a new SSD could open him up to a 1660ti which would be superior to the 570, 580 or 590.

 

So, something along the lines of what you suggested ... the

Ryzen 2600

ASrock B450

8GB of memory

1660ti

reuse current PSU, Case, Storage ...

... should put him right at or below £500 with the option of updating various components down the line (for example buying a nvme SSD for the OS or whatever).

 

Just my humble suggestion.  :) 

Well, I was trying to an apples to apples comparison because he was talking about whether to buy or build a PC.

 

That said, you are absolutely right that he can reuse his storage, PSU, and case.

7 hours ago, Jim K said:

Unless he wants new .. everything ... he already has the case, PSU and storage.  So you could just buy a new mobo, CPU, memory and GPU.  Not purchasing a new case, PSU or a new SSD could open him up to a 1660ti which would be superior to the 570, 580 or 590.

 

First off thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

Secondly, i don't like to answer questions like "what do you use it for". No offence. If i mention what i 99% use it for then you will spec me the most budget machine known to man. It's like my car for example - i use it to get from A to B like most people do, so why don't i own the cheapest most economical thing ever? Because it'd be slow as sh@# and i'm quite happy spending a bit extra for that better acceleration from a standstill and from 40/50 upwards even. I wouldn't be happy with something snail pace even though it'd still get me from A-B.

 

Third - Jim K you raise a very good point and it's not one that i've decided on because this is an early days kind of idea. Before Budman comes and quotes me from a few months back where i can't afford and don't like to spend .... i know i know. But i think a lot. Often my thinking will come to nothing. I've thought about a new car for years but have the same one i bought 10 years ago. I've thought of a new sound system - but haven't spent (yet), so on & so forth. I just think....a lot and like to look at my options. Some times i go ahead, many times i don't :)

But anyway Jim, i don't actually know what i'd do there. On the one hand i'm the type of guy to just say F it and buy everything new. Total new start. Equally you raise a good point - there's nothing wrong with my case. My case cost about £150 originally.

The PSU i wonder - i wonder if it'd be better buying new, whether it'd offer me anything over this one, whether it'd be an idea to renew after 10 years, i don't know.

Regards storage, as far as the SSD goes i'd be buying a new one as main - 512GB likely. The other drives would remain the same...possibly. I'm still building this media library so that one could very well change.

20 minutes ago, Technique said:

No offence. If i mention what i 99% use it for then you will spec me the most budget machine known to man.

Okay. But if the only thing you do is surf the internet, watch some youtube videos, and check emails then you don't need a middle to high end graphics card and a lot of memory or storage space.

 

People ask that question so they can tailor a build to your needs.

 

And also keep in mind that you're wasting peoples time that are trying to help you by sending them out to research a pc that you might not have a use for.

  • Like 1
1 hour ago, trag3dy said:

Okay. But if the only thing you do is surf the internet, watch some youtube videos, and check emails then you don't need a middle to high end graphics card and a lot of memory or storage space.

 

People ask that question so they can tailor a build to your needs.

 

And also keep in mind that you're wasting peoples time that are trying to help you by sending them out to research a pc that you might not have a use for.

I disagree.

 

What i would like and what i need are two completely different things.

Like with the car for example. Nobody 'needs' a fast car, they want it. If you need a car to get from A-B then the cheapest option does the job right because the speed limit is the speed limit right?

My TV for another example. In the end i went for 58". I didn't need a 58" TV that cost me about £1100-£1200 off the top of my head. I could've saved myself close to £1000 and still got a reasonable sized TV which would've still allowed me to watch things on. I went for the one i went for because that was the one i wanted. Would a £300 40" TV have covered what i needed - to watch TV, DVDs, play consoles on etc? Of course it would've. I didn't want that though. Sure i went overkill for my needs but so what? I don't drink, i don't smoke, i can afford to spend it where i want to spend it.

 

Also, i am not 'sending out' anyone. I am grateful for anyone who spends the time doing that of course, but i am sending nobody out. It is a general question. Building and buying a similar spec PC, from peoples experiences, which is better/cheaper/advisable. I'm asking those with years of experience in this to comment on which approach they'd recommend, not to actually build me a PC. That will come later when i get round to it.

 

Most of my use is emails, browsing, YouTube watching sure. So you'll now tell me i don't need a graphics card but like i said i don't need a 58" TV either. I'm also currently using Handbrake to save on storage space with the movies i'm ripping and my current CPU is struggling with it ... that's one task beyond the standard emails and browsing. I also said i wont rule out playing games on the PC. You ask what games, well i don't know. I didn't know when i built my existing PC, i just bought a graphics card that at the time was supposed to handle a good amount of games that were out there at that point, so that if i decided to buy something then my PC could run it.

 

 

10 hours ago, trag3dy said:

Okay. Well. Good luck. Hope you get help with the problem you have without telling anyone what it actually is.

With the problem i have? What problem do i have?

 

I came here to see what is recommended when it comes to replacing this PC with another - build or buy. The first PC i mentioned lasted 10 years before it really did need replacing. The existing one has lasted very nearly 10 years. It doesn't 'need' replacing but i'm considering it. It would therefore make sense that i am looking for another '10 year PC' with an all round reasonable specification. Not to carry out the most demanding tasks ever but something that can handle beyond your standard emails and youtube videos for 'in case....' purposes like i did when i built this PC.

 

I don't know what it is you think i'm looking for. I think you perhaps assume i want someone to go out, spec it, buy it & build it for me which clearly is not the case.

 

Speaking of which i forgot to address that point yesterday .... someone mentioned websites that'll build it for you. I'm not convinced by those. Sounds good but you buy 10 parts for £XYZ. You get them home and build it at no extra cost. Alternatively you buy the same 10 parts for the same £XYZ but now you also pay £ABC on top of that for someone to put it together for you & send it out. If i built my own then i know i'd be asking questions to double check. I remember doing this last time - does this plug go there, do i put that there (ok i didn't ask this for everything but i did for some things) but at least it wouldn't cost me any extra. Basically i'm just saying that if i chose to build then my preference would be for me to build it & not someone else.

When you build you should not build for "today" and by that I mean don't build a system that you are already looking to upgrade give it a X year lifecycle.  When you buy prebuilt look for a deal they are out there, usually around back to school times. Why not consider a 3rd option which is buying a slightly used one that someone built and now needs the cash more than the system.

I'd say at this price bracket, built it as OEMs often cheap out on some really important stuff like the Mobo and PSU.

 

Sure you could pull the PSU and use the same case, but with more modern niceties like dust filters on the case and the fact I wouldn't want to trust a 10 year old PSU with new hardware, might as well start from scratch.

 

You usually have to go higher end to find quality components across the board on a pre-built.

To build or not to build.

 

For most people around here, the enthusiasts, assembling a PC is a passion, a hobby.

 

No body can tell you what to do or what not to do with your life, especially after that Marketing 101 lecture on needs vs wants that you delivered. You seem to have your mind set already.

 

If you want to build a PC yourself, go ahead and do it.

 

If you'd rather someone else does it for you, there you go.

4 hours ago, DoctorD said:

When you build you should not build for "today" and by that I mean don't build a system that you are already looking to upgrade give it a X year lifecycle.  When you buy prebuilt look for a deal they are out there, usually around back to school times. Why not consider a 3rd option which is buying a slightly used one that someone built and now needs the cash more than the system.

I think a 10 year timeframe is reasonable but i also appreciate what you're saying. Reasonable to who and for what?

For someone who has high demands from a PC who actually does need the highest of high specs from what is available this year is unlikely to be looking at a 10 year cycle the way that i am.

 

You do raise a very good point and it's one that i've been seriously considering - the part i put in bold. I've been looking on Facebook Marketplace and providing nobody is trying to con anyone (always a risk in the 2nd hand market) then there are some awesome bargains to be had. Some seriously spec'd machines for good money. I don't have a burning desire to build the next PC as i've already ticked that off my to-do list. Not that i'd never do it again but last time round i wanted to do it just to say i'd done it, just to experience it.

So yeah, providing there's nothing wrong with these machines and nobody is trying to swindle me then there's some good deals on Marketplace.

2 hours ago, Peresvet said:

 

No body can tell you what to do or what not to do with your life,

Agreed, just the way nobody is here asking for people to tell me what to do with my life either. This is why the thread is coming from the angle of i'd go the buy it route because of ABC and someone else says well i'd go the build it route because of XYZ. You as an individual then look at the points put across and go yeah that guy has a point so does that guy, i hadn't thought of that so you know what i'm going to opt for that option.

 

 

 

EDIT: Damn, that's my 2,346th post. I didn't notice i was on 2,345 posts 😅

18 hours ago, Technique said:

Before Budman comes and quotes me from a few months back where i can't afford and don't like to spend

heheehe - dude made me laugh... But atleast you know it ;)  You have to be one of the most cheap SOBs around here ;)  You dream of champagne, but don't want to even spend the money on champagne of beer (miller high life)...

 

The overall topic to build or buy off the shelf can be a difficult one to be sure... Back in the day it was easier, you could actually build something better for same or cheaper cost.. But to be honest I just went recently looked into this a bit for my own needs.  And to be honest you as long as your not too picky you can for sure find something online that you can customize a bit that is cheaper then buying everything yourself, then putting it together and or having someone do it for you that will most likely do everything you want and more.

 

Where you run into problem is you want this specific "thing" then this "specific" feature then yeah that can get difficult finding off the shelf type of box that meets your price and your needs.. Like when you buy a car, maybe you only want X, but X only comes when you get option package ABC... so it also comes with Y and Z... Which you do not want really - but if you want X its going to cost you more then just X, etc.

 

Upgrading your rig, ie reuse case, reuse power supply - sure can save you money.. But if its too long in the tooth, prob not going to work anyway, etc.  A new case and or power supply are normally not the big ticket items anyway.. And really not going to change the price all that much in the big picture.

 

What I would suggest is list the things that you MUST have!  Then try and find a prebuilt system that has that.. If you can not find it - or at a price point your happy with... Then price out the parts to build your rig.. Is it still in your budget - then you have your answer.  Is it cheaper then the prebuilt?  Etc.. nobody can really tell you build is better than built since everyone has different needs and wants in their pc... There is no right or wrong answer to this question...

 

My main box is getting pretty long in the tooth, and my video card died on me... Was stuck using the built in video (single monitor)... It was a few days of HELL ;)  went back and forth - just get a new freaking rig or get replacement video card.. In the end just went with a 45$ video card that will allow me to use my existing monitors... And put off the new rig for a bit.. Not like it doesn't do what I want it to do.. And does it very quickly, etc.   But really if going to build a new rig with video card better suited for transcoding - bit pricey ;)  All the new video cards use display port, etc.  Which would mean I would get new monitors ;)  heheh  Sure I could get adapters - but hey if the new video card can do 4k.. Why not get couple of new monitors as well, etc.

 

So yeah your question can be difficult..  Good luck on your search.  But dude in the end your going to have to spend some money ;)

 

edit:  While your searching for the new perfect rig... Make sure to research how the video card does with transcoding via the gpu, etc. Since your also playing with plex - your going to want a video card that can transcode FAST.. especially if you want to do x265 at some point to save space, etc... I ended up being pretty happy with my $45 video card since it can transcode to 264 way faster then my cpu, and my old video card didn't support any gpu transcoding.  Can't do 265 - but what do you want for $45 ;)

1 hour ago, BudMan said:

My main box is getting pretty long in the tooth, and my video card died on me... Was stuck using the built in video (single monitor)... It was a few days of HELL ;)  went back and forth - just get a new freaking rig or get replacement video card.. In the end just went with a 45$ video card that will allow me to use my existing monitors... And put off the new rig for a bit.. Not like it doesn't do what I want it to do.. And does it very quickly, etc.   But really if going to build a new rig with video card better suited for transcoding - bit pricey ;)  All the new video cards use display port, etc.  Which would mean I would get new monitors ;)  heheh  Sure I could get adapters - but hey if the new video card can do 4k.. Why not get couple of new monitors as well, etc.

And your wife would kill you... :laugh:

Yeah would of gotten the crazy long eye roll for sure... But I did plant the seed that its not going to be long.. When I told here how old the machine was..  Hey let me try this card to see if it fixes it, but if not - prob just best to buy a new one with old it is, etc ;)  Might be the mother board that is bad, if the video card doesn't work - hehehe

 

Maybe a xmas gift for myself?  Would be slick to say transcode a 2 hour movie to x265 in less than 15 minutes ;)

5 hours ago, BudMan said:

So yeah your question can be difficult..  Good luck on your search.  But dude in the end your going to have to spend some money ;)

 

I'm strange, i know. I know i'm as tight as a ducks arse but then one day i'll blow a load on nothing. Crazy, stupid, whatever.

I have an interest in cars but that's an area i'm not comfortable spending in too much - simply because with a car, any d'head out there can ruin what you worked hard for. They can ram you from behind, hit you head on, smash the crap out of your wing mirror (as happened to me a few weeks ago) or you can come back to your car after having parked in a car park & best case scenario is you have a scrape, worst case is your door/bonnet/bumper etc is totally folded in. I see it on a local FB group i'm on - "any witnesses at such & such a location on such & such a date/time .... someone has hit my car and not left their details".

 

On the one hand you have the argument of don't let others dictate to you, if you want it then have it.

Personally i don't like to spend too much in areas where outsiders can ruin what i worked for ... because i have a very short fuse.

 

Instead i prefer to spend where the only person who can F-up the goods is myself (or my wife). That's why i spent more than i needed to on the TV. It's why i went overkill with the PC i built at the time. It's why i get a market leading mobile phone (& then keep it until it dies - still on my iPhone 6S which i bought on its release date).

 

So i do spend, just in certain areas and at certain times after much weighing up the +/-. I'm not an impulsive purchaser. If i'm still thinking about it months down the line then i tend to buy it but i give myself the time to discuss with myself do i need/want it bad enough, whatever 'it' is because, and drifting slightly off topic here, my main priority is double headed - building a regular savings pot and also since i started late, ploughing as much as i can in to my retirement pot so that i don't have to work until i die. Boring i know, but hey ho.

 

 

 

EDIT: On a side note and back on topic, i had a look at Marketplace just now. I've selected the first "gaming pc" spec that showed up - that's the term i used (gaming PC), not that i'm specifically looking for a gaming PC but whatever...

 

Quote

Windows 10 home fully activated

Ryzen 3 2200g processor

8GB DDR4 Ram dual channel @2400mhz

GTX EVGA 970 4GB Graphic Card VR Ready

500GB Solid State Drive so super fast

3x 120mm Blue LED Fans keeping things cool

550w Thermaltake Power Supply

Time Spy score of 3562

£480. Not sure if that's good or bad. I wont be buying it, i'm just posting it as an indication of what is being sold locally and for what price.

What does the mother board have for other stuff?  How many sata ports, does it have usb 3.1, how many slots, how many bays, etc. how many nics?  How much ram can you put in?  Stuff like that can be a big factor.

 

Have you done any research on that video card when it comes to transcoding, to support your new plex habit ;)  Quick google that gtx 970 might be only to do hevc 8 bit..  And does some sort of cpu+gpu hybrid transcoding?

 

I know you just put that up as an example... But its missing a lot of info that would help you decide to be honest.  Is that 500GB drive nvme m.2?  Or normal sata interface?

To be honest, you're asking questions that don't surprise me that YOU are asking them. That's not to say i know what you're talking about because i absolutely do not. nvme2whatchusay? The point i'm making is yeah perhaps the regulars on this forum would put their serial numbers on their 10 page sales advert but your average Joe wouldn't even think of it.

 

I did actually buy a new video card that was recommended to me on here. The shyster was selling a card with a bent backing plate that wouldn't fit though. Got my money back on that one even after his kicking and screaming. Thank you eBay dispute :)

So it's as you were - still the same card i had from day 1.

 

On the topic of Plex, i watched a movie for the first time in a long time without any buffering whatsoever at the weekend. Not a single bit. Most seem to have even just a little at some point during the movie but not this weekend.

 

Pitch Perfect 3 😆 blame the wife.

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    • Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 by Razvan Serea Subtitle Edit is a powerful, free, and user-friendly subtitle editing tool designed for creating, editing, and converting subtitles for videos. It supports a wide range of subtitle formats, including SRT, ****, and SUB, allowing users to easily modify and adjust subtitles for accurate timing and formatting. With its intuitive interface, Subtitle Edit provides a variety of features such as waveform audio display, spell-check, subtitle synchronization, and real-time video preview, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and professionals. The software also includes powerful tools for batch processing, translating subtitles, and converting between different subtitle formats. Subtitle Edit features: Create/adjust/sync/translate subtitle lines Convert between SubRib, MicroDVD, Advanced Sub Station Alpha, Sub Station Alpha, D-Cinema, SAMI, youtube sbv, and many more (300+ different formats!) Cool audio visualizer control - can display wave form and/or spectrogram Video player uses mpv, DirectShow, or VLC media player Visually sync/adjust a subtitle (start/end position and speed) Audio to text (speech recognition) via Whisper or Vosk/Kaldi Auto Translation via Google translate Rip subtitles from a (decrypted) dvd Import and OCR VobSub sub/idx binary subtitles Import and OCR Blu-ray .sup files - bd sup reading is based on Java code from BDSup2Sub Can open subtitles embedded inside Matroska files Can open subtitles (text, closed captions, VobSub) embedded inside mp4/mv4 files Can open/OCR XSub subtitles embedded inside divx/avi files Can open/OCR DVB and teletext subtitles embedded inside .ts/.m2ts (Transport Stream) files Can open/OCR Blu-ray subtitles embedded inside .m2ts (Transport Stream) files Merge/split subtitles Adjust display time Fix common errors wizard....and more. Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 changelog: Subtitle Edit 5 is a major new release and a big step for the project. For the first time, Subtitle Edit runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single, modern, cross-platform codebase. The builds are self-contained, so no separate .NET installation is required, and on macOS and Linux the needed media components (mpv/ffmpeg) are bundled in. Please read before upgrading: Subtitle Edit 5 is a new application, not just an update of Subtitle Edit 4. It has been rebuilt from the ground up to be cross-platform, so: It is not 100% the same app. The look, layout, and some workflows have changed. Some things are in different places, and a few behave differently than in SE4. Not every SE4 feature exists in SE5 yet. SE5 covers all the core editing, conversion, sync, video playback, OCR, and online services, but some of the more specialized SE4 tools are not available yet. Features will continue to be added. If you rely on a specific SE4 feature that is missing, please keep SE4 installed alongside SE5. The easiest way to run both side by side is to use the Portable versions of SE4 and SE5, which keep their settings separate and do not interfere with each other. Which version should I use? Subtitle Edit 5: recommended for most users on Windows 10 (22H2) or newer, macOS 12+, and Linux. Subtitle Edit 4: please continue to use SE4 if you are on an older Windows version (Windows 7/8), or on older / slower computers where SE5 may not run well. SE4 remains available and is the right choice in those cases. To run SE4 and SE5 at the same time, use the Portable versions - you can try SE5 while keeping SE4 as a fallback. Download: Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 | ARM64 | ~60.0 MB (Open Source) Download: Subtitle Edit Portable | 103.0 MB View: Subtitle Edit Homepage | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Google Pixel 11 series: Here's what to expect by Hamid Ganji Google Pixel 10 series In recent years, Google has successfully turned its Pixel devices into worthy contenders in the smartphone market. The search giant is now preparing to launch the Pixel 11 series in just a few months, and many Pixel fans are likely wondering what Google has in store for them this year. The next lineup of Google smartphones includes four devices: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. This year, we don’t expect Google to bring revolutionary upgrades to its handsets, and the Pixel 11 series is likely to receive modest hardware improvements alongside a slew of AI-powered features. Here are the rumored specifications of the Google Pixel 11 series ahead of its official debut: When will the new Pixel phones be unveiled? The last two generations of Google Pixel phones (Pixel 9 series and Pixel 10 series) were launched in August, unlike the previous three generations that debuted in October. With that in mind, we expect Google to unveil the Pixel 11 series sometime in August 2026. The exact launch date has yet to be confirmed. Google Pixel 11 CAD renders - Image via AndroidHeadlines How much will the Pixel 11 series cost? Predicting the final price of upcoming smartphones has become increasingly difficult. As you may know, RAM and memory prices are rising sharply, leading to significant increases in the cost of consumer electronics. Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that price increases for some future Apple products are unavoidable, suggesting that the iPhone 18 series could become more expensive. Google has remained tight-lipped about any potential price increases for the Pixel 11 series. If the company manages to maintain last year’s pricing structure, here’s what the lineup could cost: Pixel 11: $799 Pixel 11 Pro: $999 Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,199 Pixel 11 Pro Fold: $1,799 Given current market conditions, it may be difficult for Google to avoid raising prices unless it adopts cost-saving measures, such as equipping the base model with 8GB of RAM. Google Pixel 11 series anticipated specs: We expect the Google Pixel 11 series to debut with a new Tensor G6 processor as well as an upgraded camera system. The overall design, however, is expected to remain largely unchanged across the lineup. Specifications Pixel 11 Pixel 11 Pro Pixel 11 Pro XL Pixel 11 Pro Fold Display 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED / 120Hz refresh rate / up to 3100 nits of brightness 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness 6.8-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness 8-inch inner screen and 6.4-inch outer display, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness RAM & Processor Tensor G6 / 8-12GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 12-16GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 12-16GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 16GB of RAM Storage options 128GB or 256GB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Camera 50MP main sensor, 13MP ultra-wide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto, 10.5MP front camera 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 42MP selfie camera 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 42MP selfie camera 50MP main camera, 10.5MP ultra-wide camera, 10.8MP telephoto camera, 10MP front camera, 10MP inner camera Battery 4,840 mAh 4,707 mAh 5,000 mAh 4,658 mAh Software Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 The Pixel 11 series won’t be a major departure from its predecessor, with Google instead focusing on subtle improvements and AI additions such as Gemini Intelligence. However, a patent filed by Google suggests the company is working on a removable battery for its smartphones, and we could see this feature make its way to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Given that nearly all smartphones today lack removable batteries, such a feature would be a welcome addition to future Pixel devices. That said, it may not arrive with this year’s lineup after all, and the final decision is yet to be made by Google. The Pixel 11 series could also face an uphill battle in the market. In the Android segment, Samsung is performing well with the Galaxy S26 series, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup is also expected to launch next month. On the other hand, Apple is preparing to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September alongside its first foldable iPhone.
    • At least AMD is still taking Windows 10 seriously (after the oops) before it consumer extended support ends. @WaltC - Memories, 2x Voodoo in SLI with a Riva TNT with an Aureal A3D soundcard.
    • So size is the ONLY selling point????? People have been plugging in PC's to TV's in living rooms for 20+ years. I would take a bigger box for more peformance. Also lot and lots of SFF/Mini ITX build guides out there.
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