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PC build 1
- status:
- active
- oneline:
- a custom machine for fun and...more fun
It's high time I assemble a desktop computer. The hardest part will be saving up the cash for it—not because I'm broke, but because I'll almost certainly be tempted to buy synth parts instead.
Planning
At a high level, I want to bisect the machine into two: a Linux side for most of my work and a Windows side for the occasional game1). Ideally, each would be installed on its own SSD, with a much larger disk shared between the two2). I want to give each side a related hostname to reflect this dual nature.
The hardware will be selected based on the most demanding software I intend to run on it. Since my laptop can run most things reasonably well, that list mostly contains games.
| Software | CPU | RAM | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfactory | quad-core 3.5 GHz | 8 GB | GTX 770 |
| Space Engineers | quad-core 3.0–4.5 GHz | 8–16 GB | GTX 750–GTX 1070 |
| Tyranny | 2.8–3.5 GHz | 6–8 GB | GTS 450–GTX 560 |
| Outer Wilds | 6–8 GB | GTX 660–GTX 1060 | |
| Cities: Skylines | 3–3.5 GHz | 8–16 GB | GTX 450–GTX 580 |
Going by this table, a quad-core 3.5 GHz CPU and 16 GB of RAM should suffice to start. As for the motherboard, 4-ish SATA ports would be ideal. I'd also like one with sufficient space to increase my RAM if desired in the future (maybe get a single 16 GB stick?). Expansion slots will be dictated by choice of GPU.
An ultra-wide monitor would be awesome, although I have no clue where I'm going to put it (or the machine itself, for that matter).