PC for video editing/Gaming

[buffalotuna]

I'm looking for a PC for video editing/motion graphics (Adobe) and a bit of gaming and I would need atleast 16 GB of ram, gtx 1060(atleast), intel i7, and an OS for it as well. I'm in Eden, North Carolina. I don't trust myself to build it so I was getting an estimate from a shop to build it. The build they quoted me was:

Intel Core i7-8700 3.2GHz
Gigabyte Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 16GB(2x 8GB) DDR4-2400
NZXT Midtower Case (Black)
Kingston 240GB SSD (OS drive)
WD Blue 2TB HDD(Storage)
GTX 1060 6GB
750W Corsair 80+ Bronze PSU
Windows 10 Home 64bit

This was quoted to me at $1551.50 including tax and labor costs. I wasn't sure if it'd be cheaper to buy one pre-built due to labor costs or to get one with better specs pre-built.

 

[richiestang_78]

I would check out NZXT.com and use their builder service, I built a computer with better specs then you listed for cheaper. Also I woudl check out Xidax.com, I've heard they offer very nice builds for a fair price as well.


The Issue I have with local shops is they typically charge waaaay to much for labor and also use lower quality/tier parts while charging for premium ones.

 

[azaran]

The parts listed, or at least as I can best guess based off the description, runs about $1000ish if you were to buy them yourself. So the shop is basically charging you $500 for the labor on that. Considering its local, that's not terrible if it also includes a good warranty plan. However as Richiestang said, check out online pricing. Maingear for equivalent costs and extra $200 but their service is amazing. Xidax has more restrictive options but does cost less. And ibuypower is everywhere with tons of options.

 

[buffalotuna]

Considering the first rig, do you think either of the following is better? My concern with the dell is overheating or potentially not being able to do any upgrades on it in the future and needing to buy a whole new pc

A $1374.99 Dell 8930 with i7 8700 with 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz,
256GB M.2 PCIe x4 SSD + 2TB 7200 rpm Hard Drive,
Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2

or
From NZXT/BLD, with build service for $1508.90
a NZXT H200 case with seasonic 650W Gold,
MSI GTX 1060 ARMOR 6G OCV1,
Intel Core i7-8700K 6-Core 3.7 GHz,
MSI Z370I GAMING PRO CARBON AC ITX,
G.SKILL Ripjaws V 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2666 MHz,
SSD: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB,
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB,
CRYORIG H7

 

[azaran]

The Dell does seem to have some reports of CPU overheating, but it doesn't seem to be universal. It seems the cooler design has to work pretty hard so noise can be an issue.

As for upgrading, it seems people have been able to install new PSUs in to the unit, specifically the Corsair HX and RM series. The issues people have run in to is the slimline adapter for the optical drive (easily found online) and possibly a right angle adapter (also easily found online) for the drives. Replacing the PSU will require removing and reinstalling the CPU cooler do to cabling placement. This may be a blessing in disguise as you can then use a higher quality thermal compound when installing the cooler.

Dells in general can be picky about video card upgrades. Sometimes a BIOS update can fix things, sometimes you have to get deep in to it. Asus and gigabyte seem to have the most trouble but it'll depend on the specific models.

In general, a prebuilt is always going to have more issues with upgrades than a custom built. Companies like Dell custom fabricate their towers for ease of construction and pricing on their end. Rarely do they take in to account user upgrades. Even when they do, as this model is marketed as, it still comes with conditions and restrictions that you wont find with most home built systems. It'll also cost more than building it yourself. But keep in mind, part of the price markup usually involves tech support. If you're not comfortable being your own tech support, the price offset will pay for itself after 1 or 2 service calls to a computer tech.