Desktop Worth it for my Use Case?

[AdventureGuy]

I built my first system a while ago. However, as APs (I'm taking five APs next year) and SAT come up, I've had less and less time to game, which is what the system was first made for. I don't think that downward slope towards gaming will change any time soon. I am super enthusiastic about desktop hardware and building computers is something I love to do, but I don't think it makes logical sense for my use case anymore. Should I say goodbye for good to the PCMasterRace? Don't worry I won't move to a Mac or console lol. Sorry if this was more of a rant and concern than anything else and nothing about hardware.

 

[why_wolf]

Well if you are about to head towards college then a laptop becomes a much better idea all around. At a minimum if you do want to keep the desktop going you should consider downsizing to a smaller case size. mATX at least or best iTX.

 

[Karadjgne]

pc's have more than just usage as gaming tools, the internet alone has ungodly amounts of info that might pertain to your AP's , even something as simple as extra tutorial help. There's also options for online classes, homework turn-ins etc.

So i'd not be in any hurry to bury the pc yet.

You are also forgetting any breaks between semesters, time not working, summer! etc.

 

[ArchitSahu]

Keep the system for options. Always better to have one in hand in case you hit some free time. If it has a minor impact on anything, should keep it.

SAT brings back some memories, it was not too long ago I gave mine. If you want, I do not mind sharing some tips that helped me. Maths was pretty easy as my school is miles ahead of what is done. What is tricky in the Math section is not the concept but how to know WHICH concept to apply and where. That is the only part.

 

[AdventureGuy]

Well if you are about to head towards college then a laptop becomes a much better idea all around. At a minimum if you do want to keep the desktop going you should consider downsizing to a smaller case size. mATX at least or best iTX.

That is another reason why I might not end up building a PC in the future. It's too much of a hassle to move the computer. Even if it's an ITX I still need to get a monitor. And looking at some of my friends' lifestyles in college they seem very mobile.

 

[AdventureGuy]

pc's have more than just usage as gaming tools, the internet alone has ungodly amounts of info that might pertain to your AP's , even something as simple as extra tutorial help. There's also options for online classes, homework turn-ins etc.

So i'd not be in any hurry to bury the pc yet.

You are also forgetting any breaks between semesters, time not working, summer! etc.

I can see where you are coming from in breaks. On breaks I do play some Fortnite with my squad and it's fun. But I'm just not sure if it's really worth it to have a desktop just for that. I will definitely be using my current desktop for as long as I can, but I was just debating that, in the future, if I should built another system to replace my current one once it becomes "outdated".

 

[AdventureGuy]

Keep the system for options. Always better to have one in hand in case you hit some free time. If it has a minor impact on anything, should keep it.

SAT brings back some memories, it was not too long ago I gave mine. If you want, I do not mind sharing some tips that helped me. Maths was pretty easy as my school is miles ahead of what is done. What is tricky in the Math section is not the concept but how to know WHICH concept to apply and where. That is the only part.

Yeah I notice the the importance of having a desktop around. I will definitely be keeping my current one for as long as I can. But I just don't know if I should build another one when the time comes.

Also I'm practicing for SAT right now. Sophomore year for me is about to end. I'm good on math, but since I'm an immigrant I'm having most trouble on reading (I got a 500 on the reading section of my PSAT :/)

 

[why_wolf]

Well if you are about to head towards college then a laptop becomes a much better idea all around. At a minimum if you do want to keep the desktop going you should consider downsizing to a smaller case size. mATX at least or best iTX.

That is another reason why I might not end up building a PC in the future. It's too much of a hassle to move the computer. Even if it's an ITX I still need to get a monitor. And looking at some of my friends' lifestyles in college they seem very mobile.

Yeah that's why I say laptop. Plus you have no idea what size room you'll end up in, or hallway like my one friend literally lived in for a year. You can keep an eye out for laptops that have a thunderport that will allow you to use an external GPU. That would keep the laptop relevant for a lot longer than a normal one.

 

[Karadjgne]

What's outdated? I'm still putting around on an i7-3770K and gtx970 with a 120Gb ssd. Last new piece of equipment was headphones.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

I'm into PC's myself, but with work etc don't have the time I used to have plus gaming isn't as interesting as it used to be. I'm 37 btw. But I still like to fire up world of warships a night or 2 a week for a few rounds and on weekends.

 

[AdventureGuy]

What's outdated? I'm still putting around on an i7-3770K and gtx970 with a 120Gb ssd. Last new piece of equipment was headphones.

Nothing's outdated. I have an i5 7600K, GTX 1070, and a 250GB SSD/2TB HDD. It's just that my laptop is really old and I'm going to buy a new one soon and that purchase decision will be directly influenced. Let's just put it this way: if I will continue building desktops, then I won't have to worry about performance on my laptop. However, if my current PC will be the last one I'll build, then I might have to consider getting a laptop with actual decent specs, since my laptop will most likely last longer than my desktop if I also stop upgrading it.

 

[AdventureGuy]

Well if you are about to head towards college then a laptop becomes a much better idea all around. At a minimum if you do want to keep the desktop going you should consider downsizing to a smaller case size. mATX at least or best iTX.

That is another reason why I might not end up building a PC in the future. It's too much of a hassle to move the computer. Even if it's an ITX I still need to get a monitor. And looking at some of my friends' lifestyles in college they seem very mobile.

Yeah that's why I say laptop. Plus you have no idea what size room you'll end up in, or hallway like my one friend literally lived in for a year. You can keep an eye out for laptops that have a thunderport that will allow you to use an external GPU. That would keep the laptop relevant for a lot longer than a normal one.

I'm considering taking that route. It'll also put a lot more life into my current graphics card too. It is an open air graphics card instead of a blower though - Zotac GTX 1070 Amp! Edition to be specific. Will that be a problem???????

 

[why_wolf]

Well if you are about to head towards college then a laptop becomes a much better idea all around. At a minimum if you do want to keep the desktop going you should consider downsizing to a smaller case size. mATX at least or best iTX.

That is another reason why I might not end up building a PC in the future. It's too much of a hassle to move the computer. Even if it's an ITX I still need to get a monitor. And looking at some of my friends' lifestyles in college they seem very mobile.

Yeah that's why I say laptop. Plus you have no idea what size room you'll end up in, or hallway like my one friend literally lived in for a year. You can keep an eye out for laptops that have a thunderport that will allow you to use an external GPU. That would keep the laptop relevant for a lot longer than a normal one.

I'm considering taking that route. It'll also put a lot more life into my current graphics card too. It is an open air graphics card instead of a blower though - Zotac GTX 1070 Amp! Edition to be specific. Will that be a problem???????

blower would be better but I doubt it would be a major problem.