I am currently using an ancient Core 2 Quad Q6600 based system with 975X Express chipset. I acquired it in 2007 and it has proven to be extremely reliable. It has served me well but now I feel the need to move to more modern configuration.
I am driven insane by the number of options that are available and totally confused about where to compromise and where not to.
The system is going to be used mostly for software design/development/maintenance (web/cloud/client-server) and the primary OS would be Windows 10. Earlier I used multipe systems for creating development and testing environment, but now I intend to use virtualization for everything. So this single system must be able to run all the required VMs.
Some of these VMs are going to host large applications such as SharePoint/MS SQL Server (for development/testing/demo purposes only).Though there will be several VMs, I can't think of any scenario that will require me to run more than three VM at the same time.
Secondary requirements include Photoshop (serious usage with large files), video editing (in Camtasia), and able to play some of my favorite video games of previous decade (Crysis, Civilization, to name a few).
Finally, the system must remain viable for next 5-7 years.
So here is a configuration that I have in mind:
(All prices are as per Indian market converted to USD)
1. Core i7 6700K
Dilemma 1: To K or not to K. I am not much into overclocking. But 6700K has a great base clockspeed of 4.0 GHz and it is not much more expensive compared to non-K version. Together, the 6700K and the Asus Z170 Pro Gaming 64 GB would cost me around $100 more compared to Non-K 6700 + Asus H170 Pro Gaming.
Dilemma 2: Considering that I must keep this new build for at least next five years, is it going to be enough? or I need something like Haswell-E (5820K)? or wait for Broadwell-E? While the 5820K is reasonably priced ($500), X99 boards are ridiculously priced here in India (50% more compared to Z170).
Note: The reason to select Core i7 is its eight threads which would come handy in running multiple VM. If Core i5 can handle 3-4 VM simultaneously, I would go for that only. The problem is there are no specific benchmarks that show virtualization performance of a CPU.
2. 32 GB DDR4
3. Samsung EVO 850 500 GB SSD and WD Black 2 TB HDD
Dilemma: Should I go for Samsung EVO 850 1 TB SSD so that all my VM can reside on it? Or should I go for more reliable 850 Pro 512 GB?
I am leaning towards 1 TB SSD which costs $200 more than the 500 GB version. But at the same time I don't think I need to put every VM on SSD.
4. Asus GeForce GTX950 2 GB DDR5
There is almost no dilemma here. The only question is whether it would be good enough to drive a WQHD display or not. If required, I can spend $80 more to get a 4 GB GTX960 instead.
5. Dell UltraSharp 25" U2515H
Dilemma: It is just too damn expensive (~$500) and I am totally unsure whether I am making the right choice here. The main idea is to have more screen space for more windows and WQHD seems to be good enough.
But not only this Dell 25" U2515H is exepnsive, it has a PPI of 118 which might be an eye strain. For comparison, I have a Yoga 14 convertible with 1080p native resolution resulting in a PPI of 165. Fortunately it works well at 150% scale (Windows 10).
Ideal choice would be 27" WQHD but they all are priced terribly ($800 and up)
Meanwhile, I am currently using Dell UltraSharp 2007FP which is 1600x1200. So instead of retiring it, I can add a relatively inexpensive 1080p monitor and have a dual-monitor setup and save almost $300. How does that sound?
I have never tried a dual monitor setup. If I pair a 24" 1080p monitor with my existing 20" 1600x1200 (4:3), would it work technically? And more importantly would it be practically usable?
So...please advise me...where to spend more and where to save...thank you all.
I am driven insane by the number of options that are available and totally confused about where to compromise and where not to.
The system is going to be used mostly for software design/development/maintenance (web/cloud/client-server) and the primary OS would be Windows 10. Earlier I used multipe systems for creating development and testing environment, but now I intend to use virtualization for everything. So this single system must be able to run all the required VMs.
Some of these VMs are going to host large applications such as SharePoint/MS SQL Server (for development/testing/demo purposes only).Though there will be several VMs, I can't think of any scenario that will require me to run more than three VM at the same time.
Secondary requirements include Photoshop (serious usage with large files), video editing (in Camtasia), and able to play some of my favorite video games of previous decade (Crysis, Civilization, to name a few).
Finally, the system must remain viable for next 5-7 years.
So here is a configuration that I have in mind:
(All prices are as per Indian market converted to USD)
1. Core i7 6700K
Dilemma 1: To K or not to K. I am not much into overclocking. But 6700K has a great base clockspeed of 4.0 GHz and it is not much more expensive compared to non-K version. Together, the 6700K and the Asus Z170 Pro Gaming 64 GB would cost me around $100 more compared to Non-K 6700 + Asus H170 Pro Gaming.
Dilemma 2: Considering that I must keep this new build for at least next five years, is it going to be enough? or I need something like Haswell-E (5820K)? or wait for Broadwell-E? While the 5820K is reasonably priced ($500), X99 boards are ridiculously priced here in India (50% more compared to Z170).
Note: The reason to select Core i7 is its eight threads which would come handy in running multiple VM. If Core i5 can handle 3-4 VM simultaneously, I would go for that only. The problem is there are no specific benchmarks that show virtualization performance of a CPU.
2. 32 GB DDR4
3. Samsung EVO 850 500 GB SSD and WD Black 2 TB HDD
Dilemma: Should I go for Samsung EVO 850 1 TB SSD so that all my VM can reside on it? Or should I go for more reliable 850 Pro 512 GB?
I am leaning towards 1 TB SSD which costs $200 more than the 500 GB version. But at the same time I don't think I need to put every VM on SSD.
4. Asus GeForce GTX950 2 GB DDR5
There is almost no dilemma here. The only question is whether it would be good enough to drive a WQHD display or not. If required, I can spend $80 more to get a 4 GB GTX960 instead.
5. Dell UltraSharp 25" U2515H
Dilemma: It is just too damn expensive (~$500) and I am totally unsure whether I am making the right choice here. The main idea is to have more screen space for more windows and WQHD seems to be good enough.
But not only this Dell 25" U2515H is exepnsive, it has a PPI of 118 which might be an eye strain. For comparison, I have a Yoga 14 convertible with 1080p native resolution resulting in a PPI of 165. Fortunately it works well at 150% scale (Windows 10).
Ideal choice would be 27" WQHD but they all are priced terribly ($800 and up)
Meanwhile, I am currently using Dell UltraSharp 2007FP which is 1600x1200. So instead of retiring it, I can add a relatively inexpensive 1080p monitor and have a dual-monitor setup and save almost $300. How does that sound?
I have never tried a dual monitor setup. If I pair a 24" 1080p monitor with my existing 20" 1600x1200 (4:3), would it work technically? And more importantly would it be practically usable?
So...please advise me...where to spend more and where to save...thank you all.
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