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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 21st Feb 2018 at 4:51 AM
Default Building a Desktop
Looking at the threads that already exist on this topic, they seem pretty dated (a disadvantage of how fast technology marches on, I suppose), so it seems worthwhile to create a new one.

Some of you may have noticed it's been a hot minute since I've had anything new uploaded or even in progress that I've talked about, and the more observant (or obsessive) among you may have seen me commenting towards the end of last year that all my technology seemed to die on me all at once. Well, since that point, I've managed to get a laptop for grad school and travel, and a smartphone with a battery life of more than 3 minutes (no joke) and a processor that can actually handle the tech that exists now, and this means I can FINALLY get to the point of trying to put together a new desktop gaming rig!

I'm kind of in an odd place when it comes to trying to put together a machine though... I have enough money that I don't need a bargain-basement model (though I'm not gonna be buying a top-of-the-line rig for many thousands and thousands of dollars either!), so money isn't my main concern... it's compatibility. I love a lot of games that, by now, are considered VERY old (TS1, TS2, SimCity3K, RollerCoaster & Zoo Tycoon, etc.), so backwards compatibility is very very important to me, but at the same time, I'm also interested in being able to try out some of the more modern games out there (TS3 or 4 springs to mind, among others), and knowing me, I'll keep THIS machine for a long time too (I hate 'planned obsolescence' with a passion), so I want to be sure it's something that'll still be functional a long time from now...

As to specs though, I'm really at a loss on most of it... I'm gonna get Windows 10, that's pretty much a given, and at this point Intel looks more promising than AMD, but aside from that, I got nothin'... What would you all look at if you were putting together a desktop with that kind of mentality? As much detail and reasoning/explanation as you'd care to provide... I'm not the most tech-inclined person out there (that would be my younger brother, who I'm already bothering for help constantly!)

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Mad Poster
#2 Old 21st Feb 2018 at 5:12 AM
One thing to watch out for is that right now the price of GPUs are inflated because of all the cryptocurrency mining. I'm not sure if that'll get worse or better as time goes on.

I asked my friend (who's a bit more tech-savvy when it comes to the hardware bit) and he says this:
Quote:
quad-core i5 will do fine, i think the i7 just has a larger cache
at that budget, you might as well blow it all on a gtx 1080
go for the top and play your fucking pixel people game in 4k

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#3 Old 21st Feb 2018 at 5:36 AM
I will move this to technical help.

I recently got a new rig, was just setting up buyable game objects in my game files for building and I think I am done-Thankplumbob!

I did not go to Win 10 and had the guy put on 7.
I have a 4 core
Same 16 Ram
Instead of Nvidia couldn't get what I wanted, the mining had made prices ridiculous in others) I went for an AMD Radeon RX 560 Series graphics card
I got a faster CPU as I was told sims 2 needs this with the extra cores.
Also got a 500 SSD which my operating system and Sims 2 is installed on.

A test yesterday was loading up your amazing hospital. Didn't crash. Not sure if it will lag with sims on the lot or not that will be another test. I had bought a new monitor only a couple of months back so I didn't need that. Also didn't need a keyboard or mouse. All up it was $1700 which I guessed it would be about. So not bargain basement but not real high end either.

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Scholar
#4 Old 21st Feb 2018 at 7:21 AM Last edited by ajaxsirius : 21st Feb 2018 at 2:41 PM.
Try and find something that looks like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($178.90 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z370M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($181.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.19 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Windforce OC Video Card ($244.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G Mini (Black) MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1114.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-02-21 02:10 EST-0500

There's plenty of room for tweaking.

I suggested a regular non-overclockable CPU even though the motherboard supports it because you said you're not too tech-inclined and overclocking is tricky and time consuming.
I'm not too happy with the motherboard since I couldn't find any cheaper ones on the website. But it's still a decent motherboard. It just has features that you're paying for that I don't feel you'll be using.
I suggested 16GB of RAM instead of only 8GB because it'll help with smooth performance if you have chrome tabs, music running, videos rendering etc.
I suggested an Nvidia card instead of an AMD because I feel that Nvidia's GTX 1050 Ti is a good balance between price and performance. However you could go with AMD's cheaper but less powerful RX 560 or more powerful and more expensive RX 570 if you want AMD instead of Nvidia.
I put a 500GB SSD, but you could go cheaper and get a 256/250GB SSD. I don't recommend smaller than 250GB though. And I put a 3TB traditional drive for storage of other stuff such as pictures and videos. again, you can go smaller and spend less if you want.
Power supply was picked according to the video card chosen. If you choose a different video card, revise your PSU choice as well.
Case is 100% a personal pick. I like this one. Feel free to change it up.

If you're worried about compatibility with older software, I'd highly recommend reconsider using Windows 10. Your issue is more likely to be a software problem than a hardware problem. As for longevity I don't think you can really rely on hardware lasting more than 5 years. Expecting 5 years is reasonable, but past that I feel that it's luck based. Regardless on how much you spend. So I usually just pick hardware that will last remain relevant for 4 years. So no top of the line CPUs or GPUs for me.

EDIT: Just noticed I put a 250GB SSD, should be a 500GB.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#5 Old 3rd Mar 2018 at 5:34 PM
OK, I have my first draft of components put together... I count it as an accomplishment for myself that (I think) all the components are actually compatible with one another and ended up only slightly more expensive than the ballpark that I was hoping for for the tower, but that doesn't mean I have any expectation that this will be what I'll actually end up going with... I'm sure some of these components are way overboard for anything I'm likely to want to do, while others are probably so substandard that they'd need to be replaced almost immediately. What do you think/recommend/want to mock me for?

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($338.99 from Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Corsair - H75 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.99 from Newegg)

Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.39 from OutletPC)

RAM: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($219.89 from OutletPC)

Memory: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 from Adorama)
and
Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.79 from OutletPC)

Video Card: ATI - FirePro W7000 4GB Video Card ($240.13 from Amazon)

Case: Corsair - SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 from Amazon)

Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 from SuperBiiz)

Optical Drive: LG - WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.89 from OutletPC)

OS: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 from OutletPC)

Total cost comes to $1495.93. Thoughts?

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Scholar
#6 Old 4th Mar 2018 at 8:22 AM
Don't get a K processor. You're paying extra for overclocking capability which you probably won't use. If you absolutely want 6 cores, go with the i7-8700 and save 40 bucks. I do recommend the i5-8400 at $180 though. You save 160 bucks and that extra power isnt really going to be noticeable unless you're playing modern games or video editing.

The GPU you chose is a workstation GPU, not a gaming GPU. Choose a GPU who's name starts with either Nvidia GeForce or AMD RX -
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#7 Old 13th Mar 2018 at 4:49 PM
As far as overclocking goes, I tend to keep hardware for a long time (much longer than the median lifespan for most products) and so being able to overclock the system as a way of squeezing a little more life out of it towards the end is worth a few extra bucks to me.

At this point my big question is on graphics cards... everything else 'expensive' in the build I've been able to at least learn enough about to not really worry that I'm just gonna be throwing money down the drain, but I can't figure out graphics cards. Add on to that the fact that cryptocurrency is making the price on even lower-end ones spike, and I feel like I need to find some way of knowing what I'm doing in that area much better before I actually spend good money on it.

So I guess right now what I need is a way of learning more about graphics cards and what to be looking for beyond just the basic specs for them... I'm wanting to be able to handle TS2 and TS3 certainly, and ideally something that would let me play around with newer games too, and I'm probably looking at $200-$300 for the GPU for this build.

Thoughts on that?

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#8 Old 13th Mar 2018 at 5:13 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Zarathustra
As far as overclocking goes, I tend to keep hardware for a long time (much longer than the median lifespan for most products) and so being able to overclock the system as a way of squeezing a little more life out of it towards the end is worth a few extra bucks to me.

At this point my big question is on graphics cards... everything else 'expensive' in the build I've been able to at least learn enough about to not really worry that I'm just gonna be throwing money down the drain, but I can't figure out graphics cards. Add on to that the fact that cryptocurrency is making the price on even lower-end ones spike, and I feel like I need to find some way of knowing what I'm doing in that area much better before I actually spend good money on it.

So I guess right now what I need is a way of learning more about graphics cards and what to be looking for beyond just the basic specs for them... I'm wanting to be able to handle TS2 and TS3 certainly, and ideally something that would let me play around with newer games too, and I'm probably looking at $200-$300 for the GPU for this build.

Thoughts on that?


Back when the GTX 660 was launched, it was pretty much the baseline I'd use to recommend cards. It was just right for TS3 (TS2 has more lenient requirements, so anything that could play TS3 well, should be powerful enough for TS2). You didn't need anything more powerful just for TS3, and if you went lower (say GTX 650) you'd need to start lowering settings.

So basically a GTX 660 is as low as you'd want to go. Obviously GTX 660s are no longer being made. But you can use benchmarks to get an approximate idea of how much better modern cards are. Anandtech's benchmark data is decent: https://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU16/1489

If you use that system to compare a GTX 660 to a modern GTX 1060 you'll notice that the GTX 1060 is about 200% - 300% better. Even if it's not totally accurate, it gives us a good picture. This also shows us that you could even go down to a GTX 1050 Ti (which is about 50% - 60% weaker than the GTX 1060, see : https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pag..._review,12.html) and still be okay. The point is, even the GTX 1050 Ti, which is on the lower end of gaming cards should still have plenty of power to run TS3.

Now the real question is how much are you willing to spend. The GTX 1050 Ti is $240. I consider this to be your baseline since if you go below that (to the GTX 1050 at $160) you start to skirt the line where you may have to start reducing graphic settings in order to play TS3 with 60 fps.

The more you spend, the more powerful the card will be, and the more games it will have the juice to run well. It will also be relevant longer. One thing I do need to point out though is that regardless of how much you spend, your card will last just as long PHYSICALLY. Spending more doesn't make your card less prone oxidation or blow caps etc. Spending more will only make your card more powerful, and thus more relevant to you.

I personally used to find that spending about $350 - $400 dollars was the sweet spot for me. The card would last me about 4 years before I had to start lowering quality settings. I am an avid gamer though. I play games like Crysis, Skyrim + mods and Witcher and other graphically demanding games. So if you don't play those, your card will remain more relevant to you for longer than mine do to me.

I said I "used" to because things have changed. Cards are stupid expensive. I remember I paid about $400 for my GTX 970. A GTX 1070 today, which should be in the same category, costs $700 instead of $400. If I sold my USED gtx 970 today, I'm sure I could get about $300 - $350. And that's AFTER using it HEAVILY for almost 4 years now. It's crazy.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#9 Old 13th Mar 2018 at 9:19 PM
That gives me a lot of useful information, thanks!

I wonder though, since GPU prices are still so inflated right now, if I should buy the other components and get the computer mostly built and running just by using the integrated graphics (which are comparative crap, but they'd be enough to operate the system, if not games) for the time being... Then when Bitcoin inevitably tanks or gets banned in too many countries to be viable, I can get a GPU closer to MSRP... (or if it looks like that won't happen, at least give the manufacturers a little more time to catch up to demand, and bring prices down that way)

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#10 Old 14th Mar 2018 at 3:46 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Zarathustra
That gives me a lot of useful information, thanks!

I wonder though, since GPU prices are still so inflated right now, if I should buy the other components and get the computer mostly built and running just by using the integrated graphics (which are comparative crap, but they'd be enough to operate the system, if not games) for the time being... Then when Bitcoin inevitably tanks or gets banned in too many countries to be viable, I can get a GPU closer to MSRP... (or if it looks like that won't happen, at least give the manufacturers a little more time to catch up to demand, and bring prices down that way)


What is in your desktop right now? I'm not sure it's worth it to upgrade from an old CPU +old GPU to a new CPU + no GPU.
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#11 Old 14th Mar 2018 at 4:21 AM
@Zarathustra My new AMD Radeon RX 560 Series graphics card is handling my game and 12 gigs of CC pretty well. It also didn't seem to be involved in this mining thing. Skyrim and Dragon Age Inquisition are both looking nice. it's also 4gb. http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-r...view-34033.html
The only drawback is I have heard of some shady stuff. https://www.pcworld.com/article/324...ards-worse.html

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#12 Old 14th Mar 2018 at 4:26 AM
Quote: Originally posted by ajaxsirius
What is in your desktop right now? I'm not sure it's worth it to upgrade from an old CPU +old GPU to a new CPU + no GPU.


I don't have one, so nothing whatsoever... The very very old laptop that I'd used for TS2 is deader than dead now, so I have a cheap non-gaming laptop for internet and school, and no desktop at all. This is all building up from absolutely nothing (at least as far as games are concerned) at the moment.

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#13 Old 14th Mar 2018 at 10:06 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Zarathustra
I don't have one, so nothing whatsoever... The very very old laptop that I'd used for TS2 is deader than dead now, so I have a cheap non-gaming laptop for internet and school, and no desktop at all. This is all building up from absolutely nothing (at least as far as games are concerned) at the moment.


Then yea you could get a CPU now, try with the iGPU (I don't think it'll perform well though) and wait. You could also checkout that RX 560 4GB mentioned above (~$220) or the GTX 1050 Ti (~$240) and the sell it off and buy something better further down the line.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#14 Old 14th Mar 2018 at 4:30 PM
The other alternative that's occurred to me (which I initially dismissed but am now considering) is to buy a used PS3 and used games, and just use that as a way of filling my entertainment gap until GPU prices stabilize... The price for the console now is less than the difference between GPU MSRP and current prices, and I've literally never owned a console and haven't even played one since the N64 days, so I'd have no shortage of new things to play in the interim.

I just hate the notion of having to spend 2x the money for a GPU because I've convinced myself I need it 'now' instead of waiting a few months...

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#15 Old 15th Mar 2018 at 4:29 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Zarathustra
The other alternative [...] is to buy a used PS3 and used games


Ah well that's a whole other realm lol. There are PLENTY of good games on old consoles. I have a PS3, a 3DS and a Vita myself and still enjoy them. If you go down that route though you may have enough games to last more than a few months.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#16 Old 21st Mar 2018 at 2:42 AM
Hmmm... PS3 not seeming to have been such a good idea, so now I'm back to trying to figure out a desktop (which at this point really just means figuring out a GPU for it) I'm not seeing any real indication that the market's gonna get better anytime soon (though I'm figuring that I'll wait until April in the hopes that the second quarter is when manufacturers will have figured out the right production level, at least some), but I'm also thinking that I need something soon, because I'm more and more unhappy with so many other (unrelated) things, and I really really need to have something that I can enjoy. Ergo, probably a 6GB GPU somewhere in the ~$350 range...

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#17 Old 21st Mar 2018 at 5:30 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Zarathustra
Hmmm... PS3 not seeming to have been such a good idea, so now I'm back to trying to figure out a desktop (which at this point really just means figuring out a GPU for it) I'm not seeing any real indication that the market's gonna get better anytime soon (though I'm figuring that I'll wait until April in the hopes that the second quarter is when manufacturers will have figured out the right production level, at least some), but I'm also thinking that I need something soon, because I'm more and more unhappy with so many other (unrelated) things, and I really really need to have something that I can enjoy. Ergo, probably a 6GB GPU somewhere in the ~$350 range...


https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-AOR.../dp/B0748JBT8J/

GTX 1060 6GB. But you may not actually be able to buy it for the $360 it's listed at. Keep shopping, good luck!
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#18 Old 21st Mar 2018 at 6:55 PM
That's actually the one that's currently at the top of the list... Gigabyte seems like the manufacturer that usually still has the prices that are the least inflated, but still available and with reasonably good reviews. And at least right now, it does look like it's still available at that price from a few different retailers, so that's promising!

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Mad Poster
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#19 Old 28th Mar 2018 at 5:24 AM
So at this point I'm trying to fine-tune and find cost-saving options on some of the components... I'm also trying to figure out the best way of future-proofing my build, but that seems to be another area that doesn't have a whole lot of useful information out there. Pretty much all I've got at this point is knowing that I want an ATX motherboard and a mid- to full-size tower so I have the most possible space for additional components or larger replacements in the future. Any additional thoughts?

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#20 Old 28th Mar 2018 at 6:11 AM Last edited by d_dgjdhh : 29th Mar 2018 at 4:29 AM.
For finding cost-savings, if you don't mind buying the components on different dates, you could try that. For example, if you're shopping at a website or at a store that frequently rotates their sales, you may be able to buy the items when they become on sale. Get them shipped to your home piece by piece. Although, if it's going to cost you shipping/handling fees for each order, then maybe you'd want to reconsider that option. Secondly, if you don't mine parts from boxes that were opened and resealed by the store, and they give discounted prices to get those off their hands, maybe you can settle for those type of purchases as well.

In terms of future-proofing your computer, that'll depend on how far in the future you're willing to accept changing your computer again. I'd probably guess that 7 years into the future is a long enough expectation for your computer to be in operable condition, given developments and updates in software and hardware. Although if the adage that technology changes rapidly (e.g. every 6 months) continues to be true, then future proofing may not help very much.

A few things I might consider for the future:
- What type of cable connections are expected to continue being used, given the slow transition from old to new technology (e.g. USB ports)?
- What might start being used given advancements in display technology (e.g. DisplayPort for 4K resolution monitors. Not sure what 8K monitors will look like, since it's only Apple that has it so far?)?
- What storage medium might be used given higher volume of storage & the need to read through tons of data (e.g. M.2 SSDs)?

Then there's technology being researched, like HAMR Hard Drives that use a laser to record data in smaller spaces, thus increasing the potential size of a hard disk. Those technology researches, although interesting, may become a flop if no one uses it. Buying some latest device isn't always a good idea if it's some fad, and then disappears from the public's conscious. That would mean less support from merchants who provide the product.

I don't know if this helps you get some ideas of what to look for, what might still need developing, what you're willing not to wait for if research isn't completed given a certain time....yeah.

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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#21 Old 15th Apr 2018 at 6:50 PM
I'm pretty well set on the components I want, hardware-wise, at least (with the exception of the GPU- that's still probably gonna depend on how much different ones cost when I actually get to the point of buying things), so now I'm trying to figure out how much more money it's worth spending to make a tower that looks good... there's a few components that I wanted for their specs that also have RGB lighting, and it seems like it'd be worth at least a bit more to kind of run with that, and get a tower that actually has a coherent look to it... now I just have to figure out how far I want to go with that!

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#22 Old 22nd Apr 2018 at 7:21 PM
Regarding the GPU, maybe you'd like to tell us what type of monitor you'll be using when attaching it to the GPU. Also tell us the expected resolution you'd like to play the games at?

For example, do you plan on plugging the computer to a TV monitor, or a PC monitor?
What diagonal size will it be?
What aspect ratio do you want (e.g. 16:9, 16:10, 4:3, 21:9, etc.)?
Do you want 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) or 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)?
How close will the monitor be between you and it?

These would be questions to ask yourself before choosing a GPU.

If you want 4K resolution, you'd need a GPU with a Display-Port output (and need to buy the cable for Display-Port).

If you're gonna be sitting close to the monitor while getting a bigger screen, a 4K resolution would be better so that you'll see less pixels than that of a 1080p monitor.

Likewise, if you're gonna be using a smaller monitor, a 4K resolution would not be as noticeably different than a 1080p resolution, and so a grander GPU isn't necessary.

So let us know about your current monitor/TV, or your potential search for a newer monitor/TV.

---------------------------------------

Regarding the tower's look, are you planning to showcase it in some location that you'll see it and notice it often? And to show it to friends and family to see how nice it looks?

I feel that lights, fancy colors, and some other designs that aren't going to be seen often makes spending that extra money unnecessary, and can be allocated to your GPU budget. Say for example you get a plain black computer tower, and you place it inside your desk (with ventilation holes). There wouldn't be a need to make it fancy.

Although, to be fair, I'm more of a utilitarian-type of person who doesn't always care about the look of something, so long as it functions correctly and lasts long. If you are more into the look of something, then nevermind my suggestion to avoid spending more on something that looks better than the other component that does the same or better given an uninspiring design.

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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#23 Old 23rd Apr 2018 at 10:37 PM
A monitor is probably the other 'important' component that I'm still looking around for... Hardware that's just gonna be inside the tower I'm fine buying entirely online, but for things that I actually look at or touch (so, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc), I want to at least play around with in-person first (even if I eventually buy online for better prices), and there's not really much option for that where I live... Best Buy is pretty much the only electronics store in town. Long story short, I'm not 100% sure on a monitor yet. I know I want a dual-display though, for a variety of reasons, so I'm looking at buying two mid-range monitors (and yeah, monitors, not TVs), rather than one really big fancy one, and my desk setup will have the display probably 2-3 feet from my eyes most of the time.

As to appearances, I am planning on having the tower out in the open where I can see it, so it's definitely worth something to me to make it look good. That being said, I'm not spending money on looks instead of performance- I'm usually settling on a performance benchmark for a component and then deciding to spend a little big more beyond that to make it look better. Plus, having it out in the open and wanting it to look good gives me more motivation to make sure to go in and blow the dust out of the tower from time to time, so it'll help performance-wise too!

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