New PC: First in 10 years, mainly video editing

DarthErik

Hello Hive Mind!

My current desktop PC is getting long in the tooth.  It was a screamin' Win7 machine, but with Win10 it's less than stellar, so I want an upgrade.  Its main uses are as follows:

1. Photo and video editing.  I mostly edit 1080p, and am interested in possible expansion into 4K (and maybe higher) some day.  I don't do anything that is heavy on CGI/special effects, though some day I might like to learn lightsabers.  My annual Christmas gift is a family DVD, so an optical drive is a necessity.  I'm interested in a very large hard drive for storing lots of video (to include some of my old camcorder tapes some day) all in one place.  For backups, I have an external drive and a Backblaze subscription.
2. Gaming.  I mostly play older games like Civilization IV and Diablo II, with occasional forays into newer titles like Battletech and Pathfinder: Kingmaker.  I'm past the peak of my gaming days, however, so this is a lower priority.
3. Office.  Nothing much to say here.  I use Office 365 for all my office needs.

My proposed build link is below.  I want to use Micro Center, as they have been good to me in the past (however infrequently I buy new machines these days).  Any advice from the Hive Mind is greatly appreciated.

Excelsior,

Erik

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=2b903bd9-fbb5-44d6-a899-233de4355833

TSTonyV

You can drop that extra CPU cooler since the stock cooler that comes with the 3700X is actually pretty decent already. 

Depending on your exact workload and how much CPU or GPU based work you do you could potentially save cost in one of those areas, but the build looks pretty good all around and you shouldn't have any complaints. 

DarthErik

TSTonyV said:

You can drop that extra CPU cooler since the stock cooler that comes with the 3700X is actually pretty decent already. 

Depending on your exact workload and how much CPU or GPU based work you do you could potentially save cost in one of those areas, but the build looks pretty good all around and you shouldn't have any complaints. 

Thank you for the advice! I removed the extra cooler and may change the SSD as well. Overall, this build is overkill for my current needs, but it does give me something I can "grow into" over time. The way I envision this now, the SSD would be my boot drive, and would contain the OS and software, while the 10TB HDD would be for file storage (photos, videos, etc.). How does Micro Center pick a boot drive?

TSTonyV

DarthErik said:

TSTonyV said:

You can drop that extra CPU cooler since the stock cooler that comes with the 3700X is actually pretty decent already. 

Depending on your exact workload and how much CPU or GPU based work you do you could potentially save cost in one of those areas, but the build looks pretty good all around and you shouldn't have any complaints. 

Thank you for the advice! I removed the extra cooler and may change the SSD as well. Overall, this build is overkill for my current needs, but it does give me something I can "grow into" over time. The way I envision this now, the SSD would be my boot drive, and would contain the OS and software, while the 10TB HDD would be for file storage (photos, videos, etc.). How does Micro Center pick a boot drive?

Most SSDs are going to function nearly identically, so I would just figure out which type you want, then find the cheapest price at the storage amount you want. Generally speaking our Inland drives are the least expensive at a given capacity. 

DarthErik

I'm ready to place the order, but now it looks like some of my requested parts (graphics card and optical drive) aren't in stock.  Do you recommend waiting until parts are restocked, or changing the build with different parts?  I've made a few changes to the build but the link should be the same as before.

Regards,

Erik

PowerSpec_MikeW

@DarthErik

That depends entirely on your time table to get this built and how set you are on the brands and those specific components. We can certainly help you choose alternatives if you like.

DarthErik

I'm open to suggestions on substitute components, as long as the quality and price are comparable.  I'd like to get this ordered within a week or so, but it is not a crisis-level priority.

Also, I'd like to pay the extra $ to have Micro Center staff assemble this beast (which I expect can be selected when I go to check out).  My meaty fingers and delicate electronics don't go well together.

PowerSpec_MikeW

@DarthErik

I like your choice for the GPU very well, but I'd have no problem swapping it for the ASUS Strix 5700 XT in the same price range. As for the ODD, ASUS is what I've always had for ODD's, which as been a little while. The only comparable product is this LG drive here: https://www.microcenter.com/product/607024/lg-wh16ns60-12x-internal-blu-ray-disc-drive

DarthErik

I just placed my reservation for the components!  I went with your suggested alternate for the ODD; a few extra bucks either way doesn't bother me, as long as the thing works.  The reservation # is 10952176.  I noticed that there was no selection for building the PC.  How do I add that to my order?

PowerSpec_MikeW

@DarthErik

Unfortunately we don't have that option at checkout as of yet. Basically we'll have you come in to pay for the order and then we'll get it over to service to be assembled. If you would like to build it yourself we do have guides on our troubleshooting forum to help and we offer technical support as well.

DarthErik

Sounds good; I will still plan on having you guys build it.  Thank you!

DarthErik

OK, it looks like a partial order is ready, everything except the optical drive.  The original ASUS optical drive was out of stock, so I switched to a new one.  This is now also out of stock.  How's this going to work?  Should I still come out and pay for the partial list, then pay for the optical drive (and assembly fee) when the drive comes in, then pick up the finished PC when it's built?

Sorry for all the silly questions...you can certainly tell I only do this every 10 years or so.

Erik

TSPhillipT

Hello @DarthErik

I recommend coming in for the partial order and our sales consultants can see if we can use a different optical drive.  We may have external ones that work as well.  Keep in mind, the case you have picked out doesn't really work with an internal ODD, you will need to remove the left side panel anytime you want to access that internal ODD.  

DarthErik

Hmm, good to know re: accessibility of an internal ODD.  With that in mind, an external should serve just fine.  I'll be out in an hour or two and we can talk more then.

Later,

Erik

TSTonyV

Be sure to post your build once you've got it all put together! We'd love to see it when it's done, and of course if you need any other help we're happy to do so. 

DarthErik

I had hoped it would come home last night, but it didn't; guessing the store was just too busy (a good thing).  Fingers crossed that it's ready tonight!

DarthErik

I brought it home yesterday, and will post a pic or 2 when it's unboxed.  I was, of course, an idiot and forgot to order WiFi capability with it.  I have a hard-line I can use in the PC's current location, but when it moves, I'll need a Plan B.  Sigh...one of these times I'll get it right the first time!