Upgrading from laptop gaming to a desktop PC.

Forums › Desktop computing › Upgrading from laptop gaming to a desktop PC.

Twalknz72

156 posts

Master Geek

#307149 23-Sep-2023 17:50

Hello again my helpful people. I'm at it again, upgrading, this time for myself. I currently have a laptop that's a couple years old.

Laptop specs:

Acer aspire 7 GTX 1050ti gaming laptop 15.6" FHD
Intel i7-8750H 6 core
16GB ram
500GB SSD + 1T HDD
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB graphics

My youngest and I play similar games and ideally I'd like something that's not on par or slightly better as close to the $1,500 mark as possible for the tower.

My youngest specs:

Intel Comet Lake Core i7 10700K 8 Core 3.8Ghz, 16MB
Cooler Master MasterBox MB320L ARGB Mini Tower PC Case
CRYORIG H5 Ultimate XF140 CPU Cooler With 140mm Fan
Samsung 860 QVO MZ-76Q1T0BW 1TB
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB M.2 Internal SSD
Gigabyte B460M DS3H AC MATX Form Factor
PNY XLR8 Desktop Gaming 16GB (2 X 8GB) 2666Mhz DDR4 DIMM
EVGA 600 BR 600W Power Supply 80+ Bronze

I'm looking at this and thought I'd ask you lovely people for your opinion, help and suggestions once again. https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/systems/ready-to-ship-pc/gaming-pc/droid-rtx-3060-ryzen-5-5600-gaming-pc

I'd probably be looking at this monitor, same as my oldest, as well.
https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/peripherals/monitors/gaming-monitors/asus-tuf-gaming-vg27aq-27-wqhd-165hz-ips-gaming-monitor

Your opinions, suggestions, criticism and advice always welcome.

Thank you

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477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3131049 23-Sep-2023 18:28

What is the GPU in your "youngest" PC or are that on IGPU?

The GPU in the PC you linked is a 3060 Twin Edge 8GB, FYI "the 3060 8GB has a cut down die and is about 20% slower than the 12GB variant."

Twalknz72

156 posts

Master Geek

#3131055 23-Sep-2023 18:35

Sorry thought I'd included that.
The youngest GPU
GeForce RTX 2060 super windforce 8GB GDDR6

Qazzy03

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3131056 23-Sep-2023 18:48

Twalknz72: Sorry thought I'd included that.
The youngest GPU
GeForce RTX 2060 super windforce 8GB GDDR6

You are all good,

I had a quick look at Computer Lounge annd PB Tech and staying under $1600.00, this one below would be my pick.

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/systems/ready-to-ship-pc/gaming-pc/druid-rtx-3060-core-i5-12400f-gaming-pc

It has the full 12GB 3060, will be more than enough at 1080p and will be capable of 1440p and if you will have access to good tech like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation (I say this owning a AMD GPU)

The 12400f is a solid CPU as well, you get bluetooth and wifi on the motherboard and enough ram.... I would think about getting another 2 x 8GB of DDR4 nowish before it goes to more limited stock and harder to find.

Twalknz72

156 posts

Master Geek

#3131058 23-Sep-2023 19:08

My computer knowledge is extremely limited. So I understood most of your last comment but not

" if you will have access to good tech like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation (I say this owning a AMD GPU) "

I'm not sure what that means, sorry. I was looking at the AMD as I googled that processor vs my youngest i7 and it came out on top. I really struggle comparing AMD to Intel.

Now what you're saying about the 12GB 3050, is that going to be good with that monitor? That's what my oldest has, admittedly he's got a much beefier machine. When I was asking for advise on his, a year or so ago, people said that was a good one and seeing it in action I've have to agree.

Qazzy03

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3131062 23-Sep-2023 19:51

Twalknz72: My computer knowledge is extremely limited. So I understood most of your last comment but not

" if you will have access to good tech like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation (I say this owning a AMD GPU) "

I'm not sure what that means, sorry. I was looking at the AMD as I googled that processor vs my youngest i7 and it came out on top. I really struggle comparing AMD to Intel.

Now what you're saying about the 12GB 3050, is that going to be good with that monitor? That's what my oldest has, admittedly he's got a much beefier machine. When I was asking for advise on his, a year or so ago, people said that was a good one and seeing it in action I've have to agree.

Again all good.

Lets break it down between the 2 PC's

CPU

The Intel 12400F vs the AMD 5600, the perform about the same with the 12400F taking a lead in some titles.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2448-amd-ryzen-5600-vs-intel-core-i5-12400f/

The 12400F is on par with the 10700K and will take the lead if the the BIOS settings to limit power are turned off.

"Good technology like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation." - What i meant here:

Nvida have been hard at work coming up with software that will let their RTX GPU's perform better.

DLSS stands for deep learning super sampling. It's a type of video rendering technique that looks to boost framerates by rendering frames at a lower resolution (more FPS).

Frame generation, the GPU can make more FPS, these FPS are "faked by AI" instead of generated from the game.

ray reconstruction improves the created DLSS images / frames you see on the screen, makes stuff pretty.. usually.

The RTX 3060 12GB verison is just a bit faster than the 2060 super, so if you and your son are happy with the screen and what the 2060 super looks like, then you will be more than fine.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-review/3

Why you should avoid the 8GB model of the RTX 3060, significantly worse and IMO the 2060 super is better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPbIsxIQb8M

Also the PC I linked has a 1TB SSD drive while the AMD 5600 one only has 512GB, more of an FYI, if you wanted to increase your budget, it could change recommendations but best bang for buck, it you want a pre-built from PB tech / Computer Lounge haven't looked at other sites.

The 12400F will be a beefier machine the CPU, GPU and RAM are better, your Son would have you beat in Power Supply and 2TB more storage than you.

My monitor knowledge is limited, so someone else might have suggestions on if it is good or not.

Batman

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#3131076 23-Sep-2023 20:41

i've just built some gaming PCs for my kids here's what i found

Ryzen 5500/5600 with a 3070 - with this setup you will game at 165fps at 1080p high settings

with your 5600 and 3060 and a 1440 monitor you'll be gaming at lowest settings

at your budget - if you don't use the monitor for work, get a 1080p monitor, 24-27" is the sweet spot depending on how near you sit to the monitor.

Twalknz72

156 posts

Master Geek

#3131077 23-Sep-2023 20:51

Batman:
i've just built some gaming PCs for my kids here's what i found

Ryzen 5500/5600 with a 3070 - with this setup you will game at 165fps at 1080p high settings

with your 5600 and 3060 and a 1440 monitor you'll be gaming at lowest settings

at your budget - if you don't use the monitor for work, get a 1080p monitor, 24-27" is the sweet spot depending on how near you sit to the monitor.

The monitor would be for gaming and I think, at this stage, I'll be leaning towards the i5 with the 12GB 3060 GPU. So is there a monitor you'd suggest?

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Batman

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#3131079 23-Sep-2023 20:57

Twalknz72: The monitor would be for gaming and I think, at this stage, I'll be leaning towards the i5 with the 12GB 3060 GPU. So is there a monitor you'd suggest?

this comes with the internet's highest recommendation for a budget monitor - the screen is tops but the adjustment knobs and skeleton is budget

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MONAOC62703/AOC-27G2SP-27-FHD-165Hz-Gaming-Monitor-1920x1080

Twalknz72

156 posts

Master Geek

#3131080 23-Sep-2023 21:01

Qazzy03:
Twalknz72: My computer knowledge is extremely limited. So I understood most of your last comment but not

" if you will have access to good tech like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation (I say this owning a AMD GPU) "

I'm not sure what that means, sorry. I was looking at the AMD as I googled that processor vs my youngest i7 and it came out on top. I really struggle comparing AMD to Intel.

Now what you're saying about the 12GB 3050, is that going to be good with that monitor? That's what my oldest has, admittedly he's got a much beefier machine. When I was asking for advise on his, a year or so ago, people said that was a good one and seeing it in action I've have to agree.

Again all good.

Lets break it down between the 2 PC's

CPU

The Intel 12400F vs the AMD 5600, the perform about the same with the 12400F taking a lead in some titles.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2448-amd-ryzen-5600-vs-intel-core-i5-12400f/

The 12400F is on par with the 10700K and will take the lead if the the BIOS settings to limit power are turned off.

"Good technology like DLSS, ray reconstruction and frame generation." - What i meant here:

Nvida have been hard at work coming up with software that will let their RTX GPU's perform better.

DLSS stands for deep learning super sampling. It's a type of video rendering technique that looks to boost framerates by rendering frames at a lower resolution (more FPS).

Frame generation, the GPU can make more FPS, these FPS are "faked by AI" instead of generated from the game.

ray reconstruction improves the created DLSS images / frames you see on the screen, makes stuff pretty.. usually.

The RTX 3060 12GB verison is just a bit faster than the 2060 super, so if you and your son are happy with the screen and what the 2060 super looks like, then you will be more than fine.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-review/3

Why you should avoid the 8GB model of the RTX 3060, significantly worse and IMO the 2060 super is better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPbIsxIQb8M

Also the PC I linked has a 1TB SSD drive while the AMD 5600 one only has 512GB, more of an FYI, if you wanted to increase your budget, it could change recommendations but best bang for buck, it you want a pre-built from PB tech / Computer Lounge haven't looked at other sites.

The 12400F will be a beefier machine the CPU, GPU and RAM are better, your Son would have you beat in Power Supply and 2TB more storage than you.

My monitor knowledge is limited, so someone else might have suggestions on if it is good or not.

Ok so I will absolutely not touch any prebuild from PB tech ever again. We ordered my youngest from them, paid for assembly and it arrived with the GPU still in it's box, not installed. As stated I'm not a PC builder so we had to get someone out to sort it and they basically had to take the thing apart and put it back together again. Trying to recoup our outlay for this from PB tech was not easy. Completely different experience with computer lounge when ordering my oldest PC.

To answer your question about looking at other places though, I have, kind of. I really struggle comparing all the different bits from one computer to the next. I understand enough to get me into trouble and know I don't know enough. With every computer, 3, I've bought for the boys it's like learning another language. I retain a bit from one to the next but certainly not enough.

I do definitely see your point, between the 2 computers. I think the i5 is the best out of the 2. I honestly didn't even see that one when I was searching computer lounge.

Batman

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#3131081 23-Sep-2023 21:04

Twalknz72:

The monitor would be for gaming and I think, at this stage, I'll be leaning towards the i5 with the 12GB 3060 GPU. So is there a monitor you'd suggest?

i'm afraid at 1080p with a 3060 you'd be gaming at medium to low settings to get 165 fps but i guess you can't have everything

Batman

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#3131082 23-Sep-2023 21:07

and when you buy a gaming monitor you need to adjust the settings for overdrive and fastest response. the best settings are never default for some reason.

Batman

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#3131084 23-Sep-2023 21:10

Twalknz72:

I do definitely see your point, between the 2 computers. I think the i5 is the best out of the 2. I honestly didn't even see that one when I was searching computer lounge.

just by eyeballing the 2 systems the ryzen from PB tech case looks way to short - you won't be able to fit a longer GPU if you decide to upgrade

the i5 from CL has a "normal" depth and will fit those crazy long GPUs (they are like a brick nowadays, and cost like a gold bar)

Qazzy03

477 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3131085 23-Sep-2023 21:19

Twalknz72:

Ok so I will absolutely not touch any prebuild from PB tech ever again.

Fair enough, I have bought parts from both and I can say in my expericence Computer Lounge has the better customer experience if something needs to be returned.

I think the I5 system would suit you if you are looking for something on par with your sons one, it is a couple % better but not hugely / significantly better.

My suggestion for monitor buy the tower first, test with your son's and if your happy go for it, U/Batman is correct you will have to have your quality settings lower at 1440p compared to 1080p. It comes down to are you okay running at a mixture of medium and low at 1440p or do you want ultra and high settings at 1080p. Also way more frames at 1080p vs 1440p but it is a give and take. While saying that if you and your son are happy with what the 2060 super is doing at 1440p, then the 3060 12GB will be able to meet that and beat it.

P.S I game at 60FPS, 4k, I have never gamed at high FPS aka more than 100 fps, so no clue what that is like/if important to you.

If i was going for a 1080p monitor from CL it would be either (note I ignored cruved monitors because I have never used one.... they could be all good and if they are there are more options):

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/peripherals/monitors/gaming-monitors/viewsonic-viewsonic-omni-vx2728-fhd165hz-05ms-fast-ips-gaming-monitor

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/peripherals/monitors/gaming-monitors/asus-tuf-gaming-vg259qr-gaming-monitor-245-165hz-1ms

Batman

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#3131087 23-Sep-2023 21:31

Twalknz72:

To answer your question about looking at other places though, I have, kind of. I really struggle comparing all the different bits from one computer to the next. I understand enough to get me into trouble and know I don't know enough. With every computer, 3, I've bought for the boys it's like learning another language. I retain a bit from one to the next but certainly not enough.

i recently build 3 gaming PCs for my kids using frankenstein parts

took me 48 hrs for the first one, 24 hrs for the second one, and 3 hrs for the 3rd one.

SpartanVXL

1306 posts

Uber Geek

#3131095 23-Sep-2023 22:30

Don’t worry about not knowing every little tidbit, it’s an absolute maze to navigate. There is a reason the console market exists.

For 1080p many GPU’s even from old gen are still viable for 60fps, a 3060 will be fine. If you are intending to run 1440p you want to have at least 3060ti or 3070. To go any further with quality settings or higher framerate you want a 4070 or better. For 4k you want GPU’s that have high memory bandwidth, 3080/3080ti/4080/3090/4090.

The above also doesn’t cover more modern games that may need better CPU/RAM performance (see recent UE5 games) but the i5 12400f or 5600x matched with at least 3600MHz DDR4 or 5600MHz DDR5 for the i5 will be okay.

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