Build new Windows Desktop Q?

Status
Not open for further replies.

LDS

Sep 14, 2012
1,771
299
zim said:
Would need a good screen resolution though, would the resolution need to be the same as the desktop ? Or is the whole idea daft and a no-go?

Remote desktop allows for different resolutions (and even bit depth... be aware of it) - you can connect to a PC running a 4K monitor and have a remote session in a window at 800x600 :) There's though a max resolution supported, depending on the Windows version and remote desktop client protocol support (see https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/31983.remote-desktop-protocol-maximum-supported-resolutions.aspx).

Editing images (but for very simple needs) in an RDP session is IMHO not advisable - basically you have the graphics rendered by the GPU on machine A (probably calibrated of the local monitor), compressed, transferred, and displayed by the GPU on machine B on its monitor (maybe with its calibration).

If you prefer a laptop you can still use a powerful enough one, connected to external monitor(s)/storage, etc., maybe using a docking station to avoid to have to reconnect cables each time.
 
Upvote 0
zim said:
I feel I'm in danger of highjacking the OPs thread but thanks MtSP and LSD really appreciate your input.

Regards

OP here -- don't sweat it -- all info about desktop vs laptop welcome -

I'm making this transition from laptop in the field to desktop in the office ... and at the moment, am using an ASUS 17" laptop to power a BENQ 2700 monitor for in-house work. So, until I decide how to best build the desktop, bits and pieces of info come into play. i'm a outdoors stills photo guy, not a techie, so appreciate any info when determining what is important for this transition.
 
Upvote 0
Make 100% certain your video card can deliver to your BenQ2700PT.
Start here;
https://www.google.com/search?q=Adobe+RGB&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#safe=off&q=Adobe+RGB+video+card

Use an M.2 drive for your OS and applications.
If possible, use a second M.2 for your regular use files.
Back up to SSD or HDD.
Pack the motherboard with the maximum memory it will take.

Here's a handy thing if your case has optical drive bays, it slides right in, allows hot swapping bare 2.5" & 3.5" drives, SSD or HDD, slick for backups.
17-998-185-02.jpg

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817998185




I build fresh every six years or so, in between I fall out of touch with the current art.

Here's a simplified, basic outline, I'm sure to overlook something;
1) Determine your intended use.
You know this one, it's photo editing.

2) That means you'll need a monitor capable of aRGB.
You've got that already, BenQ2700PT

3) You need a graphics card appropriate for that monitor.
It might be that there are motherboards with this built in to onboard graphics by now. If I was building right now, I'd find out. Start with the google linky thing above.

4) Pick a chipset. This is one of the more tedious steps. There's AMD and Intel. AMD survives for good reason just as Intel thrives for good reason.
Pick from the current generation. Consult both manufacturer's 'road maps'. If it looks like something highly intriguing will be released soon, wait for it. If that release is a year away, don't wait.

5) Pick a processor compatible with that chipset. Faster is better, I'm pretty sure all adjust speed automatically now, idle very low when not pushed to save power and extend life.

6) Pick a motherboard with that chipset, compare features between several motherboard manufacturers.
My last couple of builds have been on ASUS motherboards. Knowing that I now lean towards ASUS, I look at everyone else's offerings first, then kick myself for spending all that time. I expect to spend and kick again at my next build.

7) I mentioned maxing the memory above, consult and compare both processor and motherboard manufacturer's compatibility lists. It's a tedious exercise, maybe not even essential, but I've been blocked by incompatibility in the past, once only.

8) Minimum of one drive for your OS and programs, another for your regularly used files.
M.2 drives are THE THING today, for sure use one for your boot/OS/Programs drive.
Some motherboards have slots for an M.2 drive, I'd find out if any motherboards can slot in two of them.
M.2 drives can also connect into a PCI-e slot if mounted on a card to do so.
Best I know, there's no performance difference between an M.2 mounted direct or through a PCI-e slot, except for using up a PCI-e slot. Does your chosen motherboard have enough PCI-e slots for your needs?
I use 256 GB drives for my dailies, 1 TB drives for back ups. A valid case for larger drives can easily be made and I'll not argue, few would make a case for smaller.

9) Case, count the bays, ask your spouse if it'll be allowed in the home.

10) Power supply; the better ones have power use calculators on their websites, by now you know what components you'll be using, plug them into the calculator(s), add some overkill for whatnots you may add or upgrade in the future.

11) Processor cooler. Tough topic. Figure the stock cooler to be for demonstration purposes only, not suitable if you press the system much at all.
I used one like this, about 1 1/2 steps up from stock;
35-103-182-02.jpg

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103182&cm_re=hyper_t4-_-35-103-182-_-Product
I read lots of reviews and form discussions on the topic, I expected this cooler to be merely adequate but not outstanding.
I read many threads where posters waxed ecstatic about their water coolers allowing this processor to clock up from stock at 3.5 GHz to 4.3 Ghz.
Messing with overclocking is beyond my pay grade, also beyond my interest level. I've never done it, I have memories of a buddy who always did and was continually replacing processors.
All that said, ASUS motherboards now include a utility that tweaks fan, memory and processor speeds in gradual increments, effectively stress testing the system until it blue screens. When the system reboots from that blue screen, all clockings are set just below that threshold.
Of course I couldn't resist this simple task, point and click being well within my skill set.
The result with this cooler I expected only mediocrity from, the overclock went from 3.5 GHz to 4.3 Ghz, same as forum posters got with liquid cooling.
Disclaimer time, none of this cooling info may be currently applicable as different processor/chipset generations have very different thermal characteristics.
Oh, from others' tests, configure the processor fan to pull rather than push, it's slightly more efficient that way.

12) Case fans, yes.

13) Whatever I've forgotten or overlooked.

14) Build it yourself. Assembling the hardware is screwdriver and needle nose pliers simple. Well, and good light, maybe a magnifier.
Cable routing is important for cooling, there's also aesthetic pride looking at, maybe showing off your tidy job.

15) Installing the OS might be the most intimidating thing about a first time build. There are plenty tutorials available that explain the various options, or, just take your time, follow the prompts but never accept default settings without clicking in to look at the options. Microsoft has made Windows installation fairly easy, even most Linux distros have been easy to install for many years now.
With separate disks, you should have no need to partition them, so that's a worry that isn't.


p.s. I just read through the specs on the BenQ SW2700PT, I'm impressed. Had it been on the market at my most recent build I would certainly have considered it. It looks to cover all the bases this NEC does with several additional innovations all at less than half the price.
 
Upvote 0
Tolusina ::

Thanks for the info - current Laptop = ASUS (2016), and a like it a lot. Was aiming at ASUS for Desktop MB too, so am glad to read what you say about ASUS - also, it has Samsung Evo as C: working SSD, and similar as M.2 storage drive D:. which stores a copy of all my working data ... in addition, 16G memory. Also, I back-up everything on external SSD 250g ... and add those as needed. I maintain two copies of everything photo and document ... goes back over fifteen years, tho' some of the older digital shots aren't worth much in today's tech world - HA, but they're mine :) - have film and slides that have been scanned too, and still have the originals - most of it anyway.

Am looking at the Intel, have had Intel for years, every update ... so will stay with it -- Laptop has Intel i7 ... also looking at the GeForce GTX 1080 at the moment - as one choice for graphic card. Expensive, but not as much as the Quattro (Yikes!!) ...

I'm probably looking at a similar setup for the desktop as in my laptop - but upgrade the graphics card - the laptop screen need help, so at present it pushes the Ben Q 2700 when I'm home ... as soon as I finish this Desktop build, laptop will become my travel LT, and the majority of processing will take place at home with the new desktop --

The Laptop and Desktop will spend almost ZERO time online - they are my working computers - and I hesitate to expose the data to online presence - even duplicated elsewhere ... too much work. And, I have a Toshiba Laptop that travels with us also, and it does all the online connecting ... I don't work photos on it - it just communicates with clients, editors, etc ...

So, hopefully, I'll stay as isolated as possible with photos and data, and not worry about some of the tech issues that arrive via the web ...

We only want to do this once, with no mistakes because we didn't ask a stupid question - we don't think any question is stupid, unless we don't ask it - :)

We're small, (wife and me) so can't afford the highest end 'stuff' at this time, we want to make good choices that will last a while ... we want to take our time, and do quality work, rather then volume - so, speed of production is not as important as getting it right for our clients.

Thermaltake looks nice - we transfer data to SSD storage now with USB - it's like crossing the ocean in a rowboat.

We plan to put this together - and we have a son-in-law that is tech-smart and will help if we have glitches ...

BTW: Ben Q just released a Ben Q SW3200PT, but I already bought the 2700, and it's about as big a space as I have for a monitor at the moment, and still leave space for a dual monitor if that comes down the pipe later...
 
Upvote 0

LDS

Sep 14, 2012
1,771
299
tolusina said:
Pack the motherboard with the maximum memory it will take.

You may just waste money on unused memory, depending on how much memory the MB takes, and how much your applications actually uses. Reliable memory will ensure less risks of corrupted data.

tolusina said:
I read many threads where posters waxed ecstatic about their water coolers allowing this processor to clock up from stock at 3.5 GHz to 4.3 Ghz.

There are now some simple, ready to use, water cooling system. IMHO, for less demanding needs (not extreme overclocking, not really needed for image editing), they have a great advantage: they are much quieter. If workplace noise is an issue, they could be investigated. They are a little more complex to install, though, and may not be compatible with every case/motherboard combination.

IMHO for an image editing and storage system, reliability takes precedence over performance. Gamers - which are often the main target for custom built systems - don't really care as long as their games don't crash. If a texture is corrupted for a few seconds, no problem. Or there are the high frequency trading systems that are run to death (and replaced every few months) because every millisecond saved means more money made.

While you may prefer your photo processing systems runs as smoothly as possible, and doesn't risk to corrupt anything.

nVidia Quadro cards are not really different from the non-Quadro line, but are certified for use with specific demanding applications, and have optimized drivers, which may enable features like 10bit support. For photo editing, one doesn't really need one of the high-end cards which are designed for demanding 3D applications (unless you plan to use them as well), and take a lot of power, forcing to install also a more expensive power supply.
 
Upvote 0
My maximum memory suggestion is one made mostly with long term longevity in mind.

First to grasp about small memory problems is that when memory fills, the PC slows to a crawl as some of memory's contents gets cleared and written to disc as a "Page File" or "Swap File". Disc read/writes are orders of magnitude slower than memory read/writes, disc I/O has always been PC's worst internal bottleneck though the gap is closing with M.2 drives.

This build has 32 GB, way overkill in today's environment I'll readily admit.
16 GB is adequate for everything I've thrown at it so far.
8 GB is pretty much the lower practical limit, I often see 6.5 GB in use just web browsing with two browsers and multiple tabs/windows.

During the WINDOWS 7 installation (since upgraded to WIN 10) I did see about 10 GB in use as it took itself online to get updates, something to be anticipated at WINDOWS installation if installing from retail media. MAYBE, if the latest installer is downloaded, it might be current and not require updating.
Anyway, during the install while updating and using 10 GB memory, the system would have slowed the process to hours of agonizing waiting had the system only had 8 GB memory to work with.

The longevity issue I mentioned comes from my last build running XP on another ASUS.
Best I recall at the time, 500 MB was the suggested minimum, I doubled that to 1 GB, the motherboard's maximum capacity was 4 GB.
Had I maxed that memory to 4 GB when I built it, that system would still be operational using one of the 'lighter' Linux distros.
But I can no longer upgrade that board to its maximum capacity, that memory is long gone from the market.
My own rule now is max the memory at build time for maximum longevity.
- - -
Quadro cards, yes.
I hesitated to name a recommendation because I'm a couple years behind right now, PC tech changes so fast there may currently be solutions other that Quadros I'm unaware of.
When I built, I mistakenly thought a DisplayPort interface would suffice, RustyTheGeek somehow clued me in to my error, I then added a Quadro 620 for full 10 bit/channel color support.
---
Air cooling and noise.
I'm old, my hearing is fading, my fans may be making noise I cannot hear.
I have three case fans, one fan on the CPU cooler.
The only time I've heard the fans at all is when I've run the ASUS utility that overclocks, part of the process is setting fan speeds.
No wait, I think I heard some fan noise when stitching a panorama.

Modern fans are speed controlled by the motherboard, speeds and cooling increase appropriate to load.
As far as I know, liquid coolers also have fans.
Air cooling noise has simply not been an issue on this build.
Screenshot of the ASUS utility as I wrote this post, you can see the fans were all just idling, processor was at twice idle, dropped shortly after.

 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.