So I've been working on my Asus N76VZ for the last 5 years, mainly for coding, media consumption and some low level gaming, it certainly delivered great performance, but overall, I always felt it was kinda overrated in terms of value. It cost me about $1500 at the time (yeah.. pricing in the EU), I was expecting more from it, but I guess laptops aren't the best fighters with planned obsolescence. I was expecting better build quality (and not crappy plastic), good sound (and long lasting), better battery life (in your dreams) and generally a better experience.
The reason why I opted for a laptop was mainly because of travelling EU-China a lot, but now I think it's time to settle down and get serious about compute gear. So here I am, right now, researching, planning and stalking GPU stocks. There could never be a better time for an upgrade, as the AMD hype got real, I mean excellent bang for buck, such an insane value!
What I actually need
a platform built to last, at least 5 years as my current gear
a decent & efficient workstation, a true multitasking powerhouse
editing/encoding videos for tutorials
coding (with multiple code editors and large file libraries), testing (all major browsers at once) and deploying
music production (did I mention I also do sound design and harmonics?)
modern tech (USB 3.1, NVME drives, DDR4)
decent PC gaming (Borderlands, UnrealTournament, Dota2, Warcraft 3/3remastered, Diablo, Starcraft)
The GEAR I am going for
Right, so I will list the gear I'm currently hovering at, explaining why I've chosen each, so without further a due, let's dig into the matter:
CPU
As this decides the platform to go, I choose the AMD R7 1700, because:
excellent multitasking
great productivity scores (see below)
it's the best value in the prosumer market (8C/16T for ~$300), according to most reviewers
unlocked for overclocking (with the motherboard I chose, it should go 4Ghz like a breeze)
I still haven't decided on it yet, they are so damn expensive. I need a 1440p 34" ultrawide IPS monitor, I don't think dual monitors is a healthy practice.
TOPICS OF INTEREST
What would you change in the specs and why?
Do you think RGB lighting is here to stay?
Do you think it's an overkill for my work requirements?
IMPORTANT: Do you the motherboard is an overkill? (Tomahawk could probably be a better value?)
Should I get an after market CPU cooler? (Considering OC and the chosen case) If yes, which one is best for the buck?
What is your gear and what is it for?
My web development gear purchase plans, what do you think? | Ecency
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