Two Build Options Vs Dell XPS

[Cath_HK]

Hi there, I need a build for the following:

1. Photoshop
2. Illustrator
3. Lightroom
4. Video Editing (more of a future need)
5. I work with large/raw files

I live in Hong Kong (previously mentioned). I have already purchased a Dell UltraSharp 27 4K HDR 顯示器 - UP2720Q monitor.

The following two builds are options that are based on build recommendations from your PC build tool but modified based on the items that are actually in stock in Hong Kong. Can you please let me know your thoughts:

Build One:

Motherboard: MSI X570 Tomahawk (HK 1699)
CPU: AMD 3950X (HK6340)
Memory: G.Skill 64GB (16Gx4) (HK 2880)
Hard Disk: 4TB (HK 730) - no brand specified?
SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1 TB (HK1480)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 Super (HK6999)
Cooler: NZXT X63 (Be Quiet not available) (HK1199)
Tower Case: NZXT H510 (HK 1199)
Power Supply: ASUS 750w Gold
Windows 10 (HK 980)
Build Cost: (HK450)

Total Cost: HK 24,854 or approx USD $3194

Build Two:

Motherboard: ASS Z490 E (HK 2699)
CPU: Intel i9 10900K (HK4890)
Memory: G.Skill 64GB (16Gx4) (HK 2880)
Hard Disk: 4TB (HK 730) - no brand specified?
SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1 TB (HK1480)
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 Super (HK6999)
Cooler: NZXT X63 (Be Quiet not available) (HK1199)
Tower Case: NZXT H510 (HK 1199)
Power Supply: ASUS 750w Gold
Windows 10 (HK 980)
Build Cost: (HK450)

Total Cost: HK 24,404 or approx USD $3136

Option 3: Dell XPS

• 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700 processor(8-Core, 16M Cache, 2.9GHz to 4.8GHz)
• Windows 10
• NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 SUPER™ 8GB GDDR6
  32GB, 2x16GB, DDR4, 2933Mhz
  1TB M.2 PCIe SSD + 1TB SATA 7200 RPM HDD

Total Cost: HK 15,999

Key considerations aside from the design software that I use:

1. My old Lenovo already had 16GB RAM and I was constantly having to close apps, wait, or sometimes completely restart the machine and I don't want that experience again. Also, I want this build to last for 3-5 years which is why Option 3 might cost less, but not sure about my aspiration of 3-5 years. That said, please tell me if you think Option 1 or 2 is overkill for my use case and where I can save money.
2. This is for my business so I want the most reliable option

Final three questions:

1. the Dell XPS comes with a bunch of ports and slots. This might be a dumb question, but do I need to specify this in my build for Option 1 and 2 or should I expect that will come with it. If so, recommendations would be great.

2. Also, my old Lenovo was connected by a cable to my equally old and still functioning server Synology DS213 - which I don't want to replace yet. Do you see any problems with any of these options working with my current server?

3. This might be another dumb question, but should I be considering WIFI in any of these options. I do have a WIFI enabled printer that I would like to use via WIFI rather than via the server

Please note this build will never be used for gaming or 3D modelling etc but I do expect that it will be used more extensively in the next year or so for video editing (at the moment this is minimal).

Thanks is advance.
Catherine

 

[Jerry James]

Hey Cathy, both builds look good to me. The Dell pre-built seems to offer good hardware for the price, but that might be because the new generation of Nvidia cards (3000 series) have already been announced and they look cheaper + better than previous-generation graphics cards like the RTX 2070 Super.

As I mentioned in the other thread, this really is the worst time to be upgrading - especially if you want a 3+ year lifespan. Both AMD CPUs and Nvidia GPUs are expected to launch within the year, and will most likely bring down prices on these parts by a good margin.

Nonetheless, if you absolutely do need a machine now and can't delay for a couple of months (completely understandable for professional work), then both the builds look pretty good - just a couple of notes.

- The extra cores on the 3950x won't really help you with your primary workloads that much(except video editing). I'd recommend sticking to the Ryzen 9 3900x for the best value if you don't expect to do extensive Video Editing and exports in the near future. You can always upgrade by swapping out the CPU for a new one without any issues.

- Motherboards on the Intel I'd switch out to either the Gigabyte Z490 Vision D or MSI MEG Z490 Unify Motherboard, depending on availability in HK. The motherboard on the AMD build is fine if you don't need any higher-end features like additional NVMe storage slots, and so on.


On to your questions:
1. Depends on what sorts of extensibility you need. You can find the ports and slots available on every motherboard by Googling their full name and visiting the manufacturer page. The images there will give you an idea of what to expect.
2. No, the Synology DS213 should work just fine with either of these options
3. All the boards you picked, and the ones I recommended do have Wi-Fi, so you're covered on that front either way!