Skip to main content
DearTheiery
DearTheiery
Known Participant
May 16, 2017
Answered

Seeking reliable Non-Apple system recommendations

  • May 16, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 1269 views

I have looked through many of the threads here, but haven't been able to find the answers I'm looking for. So, at the risk of driving myself and others mad, here is yet another request for system suggestions...

I recently shipped my iMac from Canada to Europe and United Postal Service destroyed it during transit. The insurance will give me about $2000 CAD (about $1300 USD or Euro) and I'm looking to replace the iMac with a Windows machine because my understanding is that I might get the same horsepower as the iMac by buying or building a windows machine. I've never built a computer and I'm not totally interested in trying now, however I would if it was easy for a beginner and cheaper.

I was not running a beast by any means, clearly. It was a 21-inch iMac and it had about 80% of the processing power that I needed it to have.

The specs were:

               PROCESSOR  2.9GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5

               MEMORY  16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM-2X8GB

               HARD DRIVE  1TB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm

               NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

Taking into consideration that the cost of an iMac includes a rather decent monitor, is it possible to buy or build a comparable Windows machine within my budget of $1300 USD? If so, would I build it myself or are there companies that build reliable systems and ship internationally? (I am aware that this last question exposes my horrible, horrible ignorance. Yes, I've been a Apple baby for too long, and have never actually bought a non-apple in my life. So I have stupid questions. I accept that).

Any links to good hardware sites, or expert advice about what I'm getting myself into would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Finally, is it true that Premiere CC 2017 won't export Apple Pro Res when it's running on Windows machines anymore? That was a big reason why I bought the Mac last time. If this is true, how do people work around this?

Thanks,
Harris

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer RoninEdits

    the best value system config for around that price would have a ryzen 5 1600X and gtx 1050 ti 4gb. that would leave enough money for other parts, including a monitor and storage like ssd(s) and hdd. it might be possible to buy a pre-built or off-the-shelf system with those parts for around your budget as well. unless you have someone that can help you build it, i would suggest buying one already built.

    1 reply

    RoninEdits
    RoninEditsCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    May 17, 2017

    the best value system config for around that price would have a ryzen 5 1600X and gtx 1050 ti 4gb. that would leave enough money for other parts, including a monitor and storage like ssd(s) and hdd. it might be possible to buy a pre-built or off-the-shelf system with those parts for around your budget as well. unless you have someone that can help you build it, i would suggest buying one already built.

    DearTheiery
    DearTheieryAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 18, 2017

    Thanks! These components do seem to be top quality for lowest buck. Any thoughts on RAM, like how much I should get, and which brand?

    RoninEdits
    RoninEdits
    Inspiring
    May 18, 2017

    16gb for HD, 32gb for 4k projects, are common recommendations. ryzen can be somewhat picky with its memory, you may need to check the motherboard qvl for a list of supported ram. corsair lpx seems to be one of the kits that plays nice with most ryzen motherboards. memory speed around ddr4-3000 is also good for a small performance boost.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices