Is this a smart purchase or a costly mistake? (i7 8700 Dell)
Is this a smart purchase or a costly mistake? (i7 8700 Dell)
Looking at the setup, it seems like a decent build for gaming and video editing. The main downsides are the PCIe 3.0 interface, but it doesn’t seem as limiting as I thought. The system is prebuilt and the PSU can be upgraded easily, which is good. I estimate it’s worth around $750 or more, but after selling the GTX 1060 6GB, it drops to about $400.
For gaming and encoding, the GPU is likely sufficient, though Intel QSV might be a minor concern. The build looks solid overall—just a few things to watch for. If you’re considering it, it’s a solid investment.
I checked the numbers: a Ryzen 3600 (~$150), 32GB RAM (~$150), 500GB NVMe SSD (~$50+), GTX 1060 (~$150), and a case around $100. That adds up to roughly $750+, though you might be paying less if you buy parts separately.
The biggest worry is the PCIe 3.0 bottleneck, but I saw evidence it won’t be a big issue with an RTX 3080 or higher. Also, NVMe speeds shouldn’t be a problem. Overall, it feels like a smart choice for your needs.
Thanks! P.S.—I listed it in CPU, motherboards, and memory sections mainly because the CPU is my main concern.
Search for options with am4 or lga 1700 specifications. It offers great value and customization, though it's OEM. Includes a 5300g processor and an RX 5500 for 549. Upgrading to the 1650 Super adds significant performance without extra cost. RAM is overpriced; consider adding your own later. Link provided for reference.
I'm not 100% sure if you understood the point of the post tbh. I'm long-winded to be fair... Configuring the HP prebuilt to be comparable to the Dell system as far as core count, SSD, RAM etc... It'd be priced at basically $900. Even if I sold the included GPU that I wouldn't need (let's say an additional $20 for the 1650 super for total of $920), I'd recoup like $200 for a total out the door price of about $720. If I sell the included 1060 in this prebuilt, I'm basically paying $400, even slightly less out of pocket for a comparable system. So I'm not really seeing the comparison here, unless I'm missing something obvious.
The 8700 offers a solid build, but its resale value isn't exceptional. Unless the price drops to $100 or below, it might not be worth the purchase. Compared to the i5 10400, which fetches around $130, performance remains similar. The graphics card could likely command a bit more than $150 when resold, while used units usually sit between $200 and $250. Current listings suggest around $150–$200 for the GPU.
Memory specifications are probably 2133Mhz with poor timing, making it less valuable. Buying a used consumer SSD isn't recommended, but it might be worth about $30 at most. The motherboard is likely proprietary, especially on newer Dell prebuilt models, which limits upgrade options and may reduce its value. If it's proprietary, using standard cases won't work.
The case is probably not worth much unless it's a recent build, and you can't use standard ones. Overall, the PC is decent but not a great value. If you're focusing only on CPU, memory, RAM, and storage, a new build under $500 could be better.
A possible upgrade path is to opt for the i5 10400 around $400, which could match or exceed the 8700's performance, especially if memory is faster (2666MHz or less). That would likely be a worthwhile investment.
It's really helpful, thanks! I guess I tend to overstate the worth in certain spots but undervalue the GPU... Still, if I budget around $200 for a GPU (and Dell's 1060 is hitting over $200), I might end up spending closer to $350 for the rest of the gear... But even with a bit more on main parts, they're new. Those prices also include discounts for the case and PSU, though I have a spare so that might not matter much... It's a tough decision, mainly because I'm tight on cash right now. Ugh, this is challenging... Although honestly, I still use an optical drive more than most and a built-in card reader is a nice touch—things I didn't really focus on before, which definitely adds value here. I think if I keep thinking about it, maybe simplicity is the best way forward...