Current Events > Lookinbg for cheap custom or pre-built gaming level PC pt 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

1. Is there a way to disable those horrific LED lights inside the gaming PCs? Because those are the only ones available at Costco.
2. People suggested a pre-build from Costco in the previous thread. Those are all pretty expensive though (1500 USD & up) even now. What should I do?
3. I want a dual-boot Windows 11 *ugh* and user-friendly version Linux (in the past it looked like Mint was the version that I wanted.) What kind of CPU/GPU are most compatible with it? (I'd probably exclusively use Windows 11 for gaming and software from the 90's (Win 11 can run those, right? I'm not talking about games, I'm talking about like-- old versions of Photoshop Elements and non-DOS Win 32/95 games, for example) Also, how many TB of memory would I need for such a dual-boot?

And don't tell me to make my own custom PC. I'm not confident enough to install the CPU and GPU myself.

Is it easy to break or corrupt the Linux RS?
Also, just a question, but do various Linux programs "not play well" with each other?

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

What kind of CPU/GPU are most compatible with it?

AMD GPU as their drivers are included in the Kernel. nVidia has extra steps depending on your distro

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

I'm not confident enough to install the CPU and GPU myself.

Why not? It's easy

MagiMarthKoopa posted...

AMD GPU as their drivers are included in the Kernel. nVidia has extra steps depending on your distro

Crap, all of the i9 CPU containing computers at Costco have Nvidia cards...

Why not? It's easy

I'm a massive klutz, for one thing, and people in the previous thread mentioned that you have to use some sort of glue or lube or something to install the CPU.

I would suggest staying away from pre-built even though it is massively more convenient initially. Because if something goes wrong (and it likely will considering they use cheap products) you will have no clue how to fix it and it will be massively more convenient that just building it yourself and knowing exactly how everything is set up.

Really need to know the budget and target resolution to offer a suggestion otherwise a lot of recommendations might not be viable.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

Is there a way to disable those horrific LED lights inside the gaming PCs? Because those are the only ones available at Costco.

RGB can typically be disabled through a button on the outside of the case, if not there is a setting in the BIOs.

I would look for something with a GPU that has at least 12GBs VRAM since the 8GBs that most games call for just won't cut it some of these newer games, like Dragon's Dogma 2 or Doom Eternal 4k max settings with RTX.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Oh, crap, that's even worse than I thought.

Tropicalwood posted...

RGB can typically be disabled through a button on the outside of the case, if not there is a setting in the BIOs.

I would look for something with a GPU that has at least 12GBs VRAM since the 8GBs that most games call for just won't cut it some of these newer games, like Dragon's Dogma 2 or Doom Eternal 4k max settings with RTX.

RGB? Is that what those rainbow LED lights inside the tower & keyboard are called?

Will_VIIII posted...

Really need to know the budget and target resolution to offer a suggestion otherwise a lot of recommendations might not be viable.

Target resolution? Not sure. Budget? Pref no more than 1000 USD in total if possible. (I don't need a mouse, monitor, or keyboard)

If Costco is still an option this is probably your best bet under 1k:

https://www.costco.com/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-gaming-desktop---intel-core-processor-i5-14400f---geforce-rtx-4060.product.4000251820.html

According to the picture this is dual channel RAM which a lot of prebuilds don't do. RGB lighting is unfortunately going to be the standard for a prebuilt, but as others said it can be disabled.

2TB of storage will likely be plenty. I don't think Win 11 needs more than 30GB, and if you're dual booting linux you probably want to put that on a separate removable USB drive anyway.

If the 2TB of storage isn't enough, there are plenty of external hard drive options that simply plug into a USB port on the back and don't require you to open up the PC.

Most prebuilt PCs come with a keyboard and mouse too, but if you like your existing ones they should work.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

RGB? Is that what those rainbow LED lights inside the tower & keyboard are called?

Yes, and RGB is usually not too hard to turn off. Like for my PC, I have apps that can control them. I can change the colors, color patterns, or just turn everything off completely.

Some additional thoughts that'll hopefully help finalize making a decision:

MagiMarthKoopa posted...

AMD GPU as their drivers are included in the Kernel. nVidia has extra steps depending on your distro

I'm pretty sure a prebuild with an Nvidia GPU will come with it too, but getting the Nvidia app is really simple if it isn't installed already for some reason. Nvidia will provide more longevity IMO too with DLSS being better than FSR for upscaling.

Tropicalwood posted...

I would look for something with a GPU that has at least 12GBs VRAM since the 8GBs that most games call for just won't cut it some of these newer games, like Dragon's Dogma 2 or Doom Eternal 4k max settings with RTX.

Probably not a concern as I recall the TC said she wanted to only play older games (not sure how we're defining old though). The build I linked has an 8GB Nvidia GPU which is already on par with the PS5/XSX so this should last for some time, especially considering that there isn't a target resolution in mind. I'm assuming the monitor being used is a 1080p monitor.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

software from the 90's

This is probably a gamble, so if you still have a working PC that can run said programs I'd keep it around. That said, you can right click an exe file, and select compatibility mode which will have options to go as far back as Windows 95 so software that old *might* work, but the software likely wasn't designed in mind to continue working on newer operating systems this far out.

Dakimakura posted...

I would suggest staying away from pre-built even though it is massively more convenient initially. Because if something goes wrong (and it likely will considering they use cheap products) you will have no clue how to fix it and it will be massively more convenient that just building it yourself and knowing exactly how everything is set up.

Missed this but the Costco one I linked has a 2 year warranty and any issues that came up would likely be within this 2 year window.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

1. Is there a way to disable those horrific LED lights inside the gaming PCs? Because those are the only ones available at Costco.
2. People suggested a pre-build from Costco in the previous thread. Those are all pretty expensive though (1500 USD & up) even now. What should I do?
3. I want a dual-boot Windows 11 *ugh* and user-friendly version Linux (in the past it looked like Mint was the version that I wanted.) What kind of CPU/GPU are most compatible with it? (I'd probably exclusively use Windows 11 for gaming and software from the 90's (Win 11 can run those, right? I'm not talking about games, I'm talking about like-- old versions of Photoshop Elements and non-DOS Win 32/95 games, for example) Also, how many TB of memory would I need for such a dual-boot?
And don't tell me to make my own custom PC. I'm not confident enough to install the CPU and GPU myself.

I have no real thoughts on something that low budget hardware wise as Im more of a go big or go home sort, but if you want to dual boot Linux, its imperative that you have two SSDs, one for Windows and one for Linux. Set the Linux SSD as the primary boot device, and the Linux boot loader will let you boot into either Windows or Linux.

If you put both Windows and Linux on the same SSD, eventually a Windows update will make the Windows boot manager a higher priority EFI boot entry, and you wont be able to boot into Linux without booting from a live USB and manually fixing the EFI boot order.

Mint is a horrible choice, as its packages are very antiquated. The best optimized out of the box distro Ive come across is CachyOS. It has its own customized kernel and they maintain a lot of packages. Its just good to go out of the box with Nvidia GPUs and Wayland.

Mint is going to have really old Nvidia drivers and a host of other things. Honestly I would avoid anything Debian based on a desktop besides PikaOS, which has a ton of hand maintained packages to bring things up to date.

On hardware, I will just say avoid prebuilts. Theyre goin to have garbage RAM and motherboards most of the time. You can use a build service like NZXT BLD to build a PC for you, or ecollegepc, etc.

Probably not a concern as I recall the TC said she wanted to only play older games (not sure how we're defining old though). The build I linked has an 8GB Nvidia GPU which is already on par with the PS5/XSX so this should last for some time, especially considering that there isn't a target resolution in mind. I'm assuming the monitor being used is a 1080p monitor.

Older games, but newer graphical design (both 2d and 3d) programs. I can install my own RAM cards if I have to (I already know the rule is both cards must have the same memory capacity)

Mint is going to have really old Nvidia drivers and a host of other things. Honestly I would avoid anything Debian based on a desktop besides PikaOS, which has a ton of hand maintained packages to bring things up to date.

Mint was what I gave as an example. I already figured that it wasn't something I would liter

On hardware, I will just say avoid prebuilts. Theyre goin to have garbage RAM and motherboards most of the time. You can use a build service like NZXT BLD to build a PC for you, or ecollegepc, etc.

I don't know if I have one of those close to where I live, though.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

If you fuck up the hardware, you may need to buy entire new replacement parts (and install those, during which you could fuck it up again), costing you more money.

If you fuck up the software, you just have to wipe it and start again. Even if you break it and can't figure out how to fix it yourself, getting a technician to fix this is a 1-2 hour job that doesn't require purchasing parts, compared to replacing a part which is also the same time if not more and *does* require purchasing parts. Feeling confident with trying out Linux while not feeling confident about building / upgrading your own PC is very understandable.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

Older games, but newer graphical design (both 2d and 3d) programs. I can install my own RAM cards if I have to (I already know the rule is both cards must have the same memory capacity)

Mint was what I gave as an example. I already figured that it wasn't something I would liter

I don't know if I have one of those close to where I live, though.

Why would they need to be? They build a PC, pack it with expanding foam packs to keep stuff held in place etc., package it, and ship it to you. You take it out of the box, remove the side panel (or it may be a hinged door depending on your case, like mine is), remove the foam packs, put the side panel back on, plug it in, turn on the power supply, and turn it on.

With the NZXT one I think its basically a $100 build fee and it comes with a 2+ year warranty if memory serves, but you may be restricted to only NZXT cases, which Im not the biggest fan of.

Either of those will get you a much better machine than any prebuilt aside from those from boutique brands like Falcon Northwest, Origin PC, etc., and theyll come with similar warranty and support at least in the NZXT case, probably both.

Now that you mention it though, if you are lucky enough to live near a Microcenter, thanks your best option full stop. They have the best hardware deals you can find (in particular, CPU / motherboard combo deals; with your budget youre probably going to want a 9600X and a B series motherboard), and they will build a nice system for you that you can take home.

Hyena_Of_Ice posted...

Older games, but newer graphical design (both 2d and 3d) programs. I can install my own RAM cards if I have to (I already know the rule is both cards must have the same memory capacity)

There's a bit more to it. You have to install them in an order that isn't intuitive, I built my latest computer two years ago ignoring all manuals until I had an error upon booting. Turns out A1 and A2 for memory is wrong, you have to install it in B1 and B2 or else it won't boot.

Tropicalwood posted...

There's a bit more to it. You have to install them in an order that isn't intuitive, I built my latest computer two years ago ignoring all manuals until I had an error upon booting. Turns out A1 and A2 for memory is wrong, you have to install it in B1 and B2 or else it won't boot.

Should be A1 and B1.

Tropicalwood posted...

There's a bit more to it. You have to install them in an order that isn't intuitive, I built my latest computer two years ago ignoring all manuals until I had an error upon booting. Turns out A1 and A2 for memory is wrong, you have to install it in B1 and B2 or else it won't boot.

1. there shouldn't be any error in this case
2. you want a1 and b1 for dual channel.
3. it just sounds like you have a bad ram slot.

Have to admit pre built and Linux is funny to me. If you want Linux, I just feel like you are already on the road to building your own.

I think I got a great gaming laptop off the Bust Buy (heh) website but my local Best Buy had a bunch of shitty 15" screen ones. The one I ordered was 18" and has some hardware for near $1500 All things considered. I am sure this videocard is last gen ummm....

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop. I was just too tired to go through the hassle of getting a proper tower and monitor when the most demanding game I played so far was very simple games actually.

ConfusedTorchic posted...

1. there shouldn't be any error in this case
2. you want a1 and b1 for dual channel.
3. it just sounds like you have a bad ram slot.

Well you're wrong, because I was mistaken on what it was.
It was even weirder.

According to Asrock's manual, single stick configuration is to insert into B2, dual channel is B2 + A2.

I was remembering it as.
A1 B1 A2 B2
Actual order according to the manual was:
A1 A2 B1 B2.

You think you would start at the letter A and the number 1, not the letter B and the number 2.

Tropicalwood posted...

According to Asrock's manual, single stick configuration is to insert into B2, dual channel is B2 + A2.

Either A1+B1 or A2+B2 should work. Key word "should". The point is you want one in A, one in B, matching slots. (If you were using four sticks, you'd want A1 and B1 to be identical; and A2 and B2 to be identical.)

Tropicalwood posted...

Well you're wrong, because I was mistaken on what it was.
It was even weirder.

According to Asrock's manual, single stick configuration is to insert into B2, dual channel is B2 + A2.

I was remembering it as.
A1 B1 A2 B2
Actual order according to the manual was:
A1 A2 B1 B2.

You think you would start at the letter A and the number 1, not the letter B and the number 2.

what is the motherboard, then

because i know that i am not wrong.

ConfusedTorchic posted...

what is the motherboard, then

because i know that i am not wrong.

Asrock Tachi X870E, the installation on DIMMs is page 26, or 30 in pdf format.

Looked up a random gigabyte motherboard, they do the same weird stuff, except it's A2 for single stick. So maybe A1 B1 is standard on some OEM, just not one of the ones I've looked at recently.

Since we're on a topic of gaming PCs, how powerful of a tower can I get for $800 before taxes?

nocturnal_traveler posted...

Since we're on a topic of gaming PCs, how powerful of a tower can I get for $800 before taxes?

How many pennies can you pinch? You got storage already, maybe an old computer you can steal things from how sketchy of a part are you willing to go for is another great question.
Hit up pcpartpicker and you can build or find something someone already built.

$800 used to get you something great, these days it's a good PC since GPUs are insanely overpriced.

nocturnal_traveler posted...

Since we're on a topic of gaming PCs, how powerful of a tower can I get for $800 before taxes?

Plenty powerful. Better than consoles

nocturnal_traveler posted...

Since we're on a topic of gaming PCs, how powerful of a tower can I get for $800 before taxes?

Not much honestly unless you build it yourself. Pre built, it'll probably really suck.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


All software engineers are hardware engineers....

I wish I could build my own Gunvarrel robot, but I guess I just knew my limits and cut myself off before I even tried. It didn't help when the support was odd.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


There's no real connection between being able to use Linux and knowing how to put together PC hardware.

TC, I fully support you dual booting Linux, it's a fantastic way to learn Linux. If you need distro advice there's a few Linux users on CE, I'm sure we'd all be happy to give advice.

CE will actually help you build a PC in Linux with Impact!

Mint is a great jumping off point and probably the best "easy mode" distro.

It has it's problems, but all distros do. Installing proprietary graphics drivers is pretty painless, where as that can be a nightmare on some distros.

I'd actually recommend installing a virtual machine and trying a bunch of distros.

RasterGraphic posted...

Mint is a great jumping off point and probably the best "easy mode" distro.

It has it's problems, but all distros do. Installing proprietary graphics drivers is pretty painless, where as that can be a nightmare on some distros.

I'd actually recommend installing a virtual machine and trying a bunch of distros.

After reading through the thread I was actually surprised to see Mint being maligned so much. It's a fantastic distro for a Windows user to dip their toes into Linux. Sure they're likely to change distros one day but the ease of use coming from Windows really helps stop people from feeling overwhelmed.

mint is literally better than every single thing mentioned itt

Enclave posted...

After reading through the thread I was actually surprised to see Mint being maligned so much.

Most of the problems I've had with it are problems you could find in any distro, and most have long since been resolved.

Cinnamon's launcher menu is pretty slow though, doesn't seem to be related to graphics at all. Virtually every other Linux desktop launcher is faster in my experience.

It's not such a big deal as to disqualify it from serious usage, but its jarring. Hardware doesn't really seem to affect it, it's just as slow on my old i5 GTX670 as it is on any of my modern gaming laptops.

As a software developer, the outdated packages are a pain though. There's nothing more annoying than realizing you have to build a whole chain of dependencies yourself.

But not everyone programs as a hobby, so that's not something the affects the everyday person.

Mint is overrated. It's something you should only be installing for your grandma that has an outdated PC.

OpenSUSE Tumbleweed is the best

Perhaps, but if you're going to recommend Linux to someone who isn't already familiar with POSIX systems, it's your best bet for them to not hate it.

MagiMarthKoopa posted...

Mint is overrated. It's something you should only be installing for your grandma that has an outdated PC.

OpenSUSE Tumbleweed is the best

Again though, we're talking about somebody new to Linux. You'll not find me recommending Mint to somebody who's an old hand at using Linux but somebody fresh from Windows who has zero Linux experience? Mint is a damn good recommendation for them to dip their toes in and get used to the environment. You want to make learning Linux as painless as possible and a distro like Mint is perfect for that. Especially when I have no idea just how experienced TC is with a computer in general.

The fact that you say it's good for installing on your grandma's PC just proves my point. That's exactly what you want when somebody is trying it out for the first time, you want their experience to be as smooth and painless as possible.

I only use mint because of the cinnamon DE

Enclave posted...

Again though, we're talking about somebody new to Linux. You'll not find me recommending Mint to somebody who's an old hand at using Linux but somebody fresh from Windows who has zero Linux experience? Mint is a damn good recommendation for them to dip their toes in and get used to the environment. You want to make learning Linux as painless as possible and a distro like Mint is perfect for that. Especially when I have no idea just how experienced TC is with a computer in general.

The fact that you say it's good for installing on your grandma's PC just proves my point. That's exactly what you want when somebody is trying it out for the first time, you want their experience to be as smooth and painless as possible.

No its not. What happens when you recommend Mint to gamers is Mints ancient packages make for a poor gaming experience, and their takeaway isnt:
Man, Mint has old packages, maybe I should try another distro.

Its:
Man, Linux sucks for gaming, Im going to go back to Windows.

CachyOS or PikaOS with Cinnamon will give the Windows UI youre praising it for while working infinitely better for gaming, development, productivity, etc. Hell, Mint doesnt even support Wayland. I literally couldnt even stand to use it for all of 2 minutes, as Xorg feels like garbage now.

Enclave posted...

Again though, we're talking about somebody new to Linux. You'll not find me recommending Mint to somebody who's an old hand at using Linux but somebody fresh from Windows who has zero Linux experience? Mint is a damn good recommendation for them to dip their toes in and get used to the environment. You want to make learning Linux as painless as possible and a distro like Mint is perfect for that. Especially when I have no idea just how experienced TC is with a computer in general.

The fact that you say it's good for installing on your grandma's PC just proves my point. That's exactly what you want when somebody is trying it out for the first time, you want their experience to be as smooth and painless as possible.

I recommend OpenSUSE because it's the best at everything

Tumbleweed provides leading edge packages for modern gaming, while avoiding Arch's issues of a rolling release model, and still being super stable
The installation is easier than Windows and provides a good default setup, unlike Arch
KDE Plasma is pretty much the same as Windows, and it's the DE that Steam Deck uses, so it integrates better with Wayland and games while performing better than other DEs on modern hardware
YAST provides a GUI for a package management alternative to the console, and Discover installed by default for Flatpaks
Snapper installed by default provides a failsafe for any breakage to easily rollback to

There isn't anything about it that makes it more difficult to use than Mint