How Does One Choose a Windows PC Computer ?
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OP, your original question seems to be getting buried. The best way to learn about what windows based computer will help you is to check out one of the custom computer companies. Call or email them and they'll assign someone to work directly with you.
Explain what you want to do and how you plan to use the computer. That is the most important part. Custom companies make sales through the services they supply, not just selling hardware.
There are no obligations to buy when working with them in this manner. It also allows you to get direct answers without a lot of background discussions.
_And also You could consider an Refurbished_
Dell has good deals on these _
HP also offer refurbs, and both Dell and HP offer new machine guarantees with them. It would be well worth a look in my opinion.
There are two choices for Windows machines. Intel vs AMD processors and AMD vs Nvidia Graphics*. I'm not being facetious. Its litterally that simple.
*OK, I'll admit there is a 3rd way for non gamers (or Daz) which is just using onboard chip graphics. But as you are posting on this forum, we can assume you'll want a graphics card.
You should build your own computer. Its not any harder than putting together a mechano kit these days.
If you want a PC for Iray rendering, forget AMD cards. You need an NVIDIA card. Take the best you can get for your budget and build the rest around it.
I've had both AMD and Intel processors, both did the job. I took whatever the guy in the computer shop recommended. I had my desktop custom built; I told them what I needed and they made sure to get the right components that work well together.
Based on personal experience I would avoid Dell and HP, though.
Ok until sept 2018 I ran a stock 2010 Asus cm5571 with an Intel core 2 duo, 6 gb DDR3 RAM upgraded with a NVIDIA 640 and a seasoniuc 620w PSU. Upgraded to a 1070 Ti for a bit before buying a new PC Oct 31 2018. So I ran an old PC with a 1070 ti for a couple months before moving to a state of the art PC. I got a new PC mainly because I wanted both more RAM and a better CPU to run games I would not support with my old PC. Here are my findings based on personnal experience.
Outrider 42 is pretty much correct, GPU + Powersupply IS king for IRAY rendering. On an old PC with just a GPU and PSU upgrade you can render almost as fast as a new PC. But while DAZ studeo runs fine on small schenes of 2 characters or so, it will still bogs down with large schenes due to RAM limitations. If you run 3Dlight then CPU is king. If you are running with IRAY ONLYand not 3D light then you can get by with a modern Intel I5 or Radion R5, but you would have to pay me to accept anything less, I personally got an 8th gen intel core i7 8700 due to video game concerns. If you do use and older PC with a modern GPU, render in GPU only mode, an older CPU will actualy slow down the GPU if rendering both CPU and GPU simultaniously.
Either case RAM is your queen. While you can run on less than 16 GB, more RAM = better DAZ studeo perfromance with large scenes. Personally I think 16GB of RAM should be anyones minimum with 32 GB being the actual goal and better option. You can go with less RAM to start and upgrade later, I ran 6GB RAM form before IRAY became avaiable for DAZ studeo until, Nov 13, 2018 when my new PC came. When I bought my new PC, I went with 32 GB, but its upgradable to 64GB so I can add more later theirby extending the potensial life of this PC.
Honesty if somone is on a budget and can't afford a NEW high end PC, get the GPU and Power Supply you want first. Run it in an old PC, then upgrade the rest of your PC later.
1070 Ti renders about as quick as a stock 1080. 8 GB ram means an easier time keeping the scene in the GPU. If you can afford the 1070 Ti, I definitly think its worth the higher cost over a 1060.
As a user of a 1060, I'm with bk007 here. Put out the extra dosh and get the 1070. two more gigabytes of RAM and double the CUDA cores will make a huge difference. Might not be quite double, but you can't have everything ;)
As an old gamer and someone who has been building his own `puters since the 386 days, the main recomendations I can give to you for IRay Rendering is to get the best Nvidia card you can afford and buy or build from there. Also get the best Gold or better rated power supply you can afford in a wattage sufficient to run two high end Nvidia video cards in case you want to upgrade or run multiple cards later. Most modern homes have 20 amp grounded circuits so wattage is not an issue unless you have an older home with ungrounded 10 & 15 amp circuits. And no matter what you get hardware wise, get a machine with Windows 10 Professional since Windows 7 Ultimate isn't really avaialble any more. The advantages of Professional are well worth the extra $40 or so cost wise over Home Premium. Everything else is somewhat subjective. I tend to stay away from pre-built machines from Dell, HP, etc. as they tend to be built using low bidder parts. Nothing wrong with that, but can make the upgrade path difficult as they usually spec the power supplies for the pats installed. If you feel you can't or don't want to build your own Windows machine, check if there is a local Frys or MicroCenter in your area as they both offer build services and you can spec your machine any way you want. Also check local compuer shops. It may cost more but again you can spec the machine how you want. And last there are online companies which will build to your specs. However I suggest that you really think about building your own rig. There is something really satifying about building your own computer. And if you have any issues, you have a wealth if knowledge on the internet for troubleshooting and tech support. Like others suggested in this thread, watch several build videos from multiple channels and do some research. For parts, check out hardware sites and reviews to decide what parts you want.
As you can see in this thread, the age old debate between Intel and AMD rages on. I have used both over the years depending on who's CPU's woud do what I wanted it to do. If you are building a machine to both render and gaming, I would go Intel but if all you are mainly rendering go Ryzen. Again, get the best processer you can afford for your intended purpose to future proof your machine (Intel has an issue with futureproofing as they tend to change CPU sockets like most people change socks). And that is the real advantage of a Windows machine is the upgradeability. Try to build to future proof and give upgrade paths to your build. As an example of future proofing check out my system specs below:
System Specs: Intel i5 4670K, Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 7, EVGA GTX 1070, 2x 8GB Patriot Viper 3 DDR-3 1866 memory, Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD, Hitachi HDT721010SLA360 1TB HDD, Western Digital Blue WD20EZRZ 2TB HDD Corsair HX1000W PSU, HP DVD1720 optical drive, CoolerMaster CM 690 II Case, Samsung SyncMaster P2370 Monitor @ 1080p, Windows 10 Professional 64
As you can see, it is a hodge podge of upgrades. The oldest part is the Corsair HX1000Wpower supply (10 years old but see what a good power supply can do), the case is 8 years old, and the newest parts are the GTX 1070, Samsung 860 EVO SSD, & 2GB Western Digital HHD (the Hitachi is a 9 year old data drive and while it still works, I decided to add some local redundency before I loose my data in a HDD crash). I plan on upgrading the motherboard and processor this year while still using the same PSU & case. SandyBridge is around 5 years old so it is time to upgrade. Waiting until after CES to see if I will go Intel again or jump back to AMD. I may also finally upgrade to a Blueray recorder too. Optical drives seem to be falling out of favor but I still like having one. I still have an operational five and a quarter floppy drive that I may install in my next buld just as a conversation piece for LAN parties (that ought to mess with some peoples heads but I will have to see if I can find a PCIe FFD card to install it). Good luck in your decision and hope this helps.
...W7? Yeah I had Home Edition but switched to Pro for the memory upgrade I did. Of course I didn't have a beefy GPU card at the time so I was still rendering on the CPU. W7 Pro supports up to 192 GB of memory.
W10 Home supports up to 128 GB and Pro up to 512 GB. I would opt for the Pro Edition as it gives you more control over the OS and updating than Home Edition does.
...the one tradeoff with wireless keyboards and mice is you have to keep buying batteries and, as the batteries start running low, you get more lag as well as inaccuracies. I have a wireless keyboard for my old notebook (as a number of the keys burned out from the heat of using it for rendering over many years) and would rather had a wired keyboard/mouse were it not for the limited number of USB ports on the system
Many wireless keyboards and mice are now rechargeable even without using rechargeable batteries. You simply plug them in much as you would a phone and they charge over USB.
As to port limitations, if you look many better keyboards include USB ports which will allow you to connect your mouse to the same port as you kb.
...when on a tight budget (like I am) you get what you can afford and what works. The notebook is only used for certain tasks that still involve Xp software.
I have no issue with cables going to the main box as I don't sit back in a gaming command chair with the keyboard in my lap but at a desk/office chair setup which has a proper height relations to reduce repetitive strain as much as possible. I also use a ergonomic trackball for my graphics work which sits on the desktop as well.
...if you work in both Iray and 3DL (like I do), Carrara, or Vue the best multi core CPU you can get is important as that is what controls the rendering. If you cannot afford a high memory GPU and are likely to become more ambitious with your scenes, you will find the process dumping to the CPU and physical memory. With a duo of straight quad core that will be a huge slowdown. Keep in mind in CPU mode the scene and Daz programme take up core memory on top of the rendering process. Before expanding the memory in my system I often found render jobs dumping to even much slower swap mode (which also puts more wear in the HDD).
Either you have that backwards or you're living in the last decade.
Apple deprecated Firewire 400 in 2008, and the last hardware upgrade cycle to include Firewire 800 ports was Late 2012 (Mac Pro and Macbook Pro models). Starting with the 2013 models, the only way to connect a legacy Firewire device to a 2013 or later model Mac has been via either a Firewire-to-Thunderbolt or Firewire-to-USB adapter.
USB has been the standard peripheral port on Macs since 2008. Wired input devices (keyboards, mice, trackballs, tablets, etc.), scanners, printers, mics, MIDI devices, digital cameras/camcorders, etc. all connect via USB.
I tend to agree...
Huh? Your household circuit couldn't care less how big a power supply you have. What it cares about is how much stuff you connect to it. And I think the issue is that you'd be hard pressed to find 1200 watts of stuff to connect to your computer. Most of the high end GPU's draw something like 250 watts. My entire system, with a 1080ti and a 1070, can barely get up to 420 watts TOTAL, measured at the wall, with the computer rendering and all GPU's at maximum. So unless you're planning on spending a few thousand $$ on GPU's, anything over around 600-850 watts is pretty much a waste. Monitors, SSD's, etc., all draw very little power. A high end CPU might draw around 65 watts maximum, but usually isn't running at max when rendering (since the GPU's are doing the work).
Back to the OP's question... you never told us the most important info:
How much is your budget? What kind of stuff do you want to render (big monster scenes or small stuff?) Do you want a desktop or laptop? Do you care about whether your scenes render in 3 minutes vs. 15 minutes, and are you willing to pay for faster rendering? Or do you do animations that you don't want to wait forever for renders? Do you plan on upgrading in the next 3 years to get a more GPU's and turn it into a rendering monster?
Without that all you'll get is the same old personal preferences based on little or no real facts.
Assuming you want a desktop, and can spend around $1,500-2,000 USD, and you render smaller scenes, and want your renders to go in maybe 10-15 minutes per frame:
...I would also make sure the case has vent fans (or a provision for them) on the top to pull heated air out more efficiently than just the single small rear one. What you want is a case that can fit a large GPU card when you can afford it. so yes a full tower would be the best bet (it also gives the internal components more "breathing room" and makes it easier to add upgrades). Also I would avoid cases with tempered glass front plates as they restrict air intake. Get one with mesh intakes as well as washable filter screens.
CPUs can still be relevant particularly if you cannot afford a high VRAM GPU card. but like to create more complex scenes that may exceed the card's memory. I would look at the forthcoming Ryzen3 generation as there will be a 3.8 GHz 16 core/32 thread CPU for just over 400$.. Also consider a decent aftermarket CPU cooler. It doesn't have to be a liquid system, one with a decent array of heat pipes and heat sink, as well as good vent fans, will do a very good job (and hopefully the builder used premium thermal paste).
I would go with at least a 750w PSU which will allow for upgrading. Very high voltage PSUs (1,000w and up) are not often supported by most normal home circuit/breaker systems.
32 GB of system memory would be the optimal for either CPU or GPU rendering. I wouldn't go below 16.
Oh and one thing not mentioned, look into a good UPS to protect your investment, particularly if you have "dirty power" in your area or live in a region that experiences frequent storms.
I stand corrected. Haven't been keeping up on modern macs, for the reasons stated in my first post here: It's a radiator cap upgrade scam.
Mind, upgrading them is easy: Take the Mac into the back yard, shoot it dead, and move a Proper Computer in to take up a bit of space under the desk. Problem solved.
Permanently.
Most of that type come with their own rechargeable batteries, even. I recommend the Logitech K350/M510 Mouse combo. They're really easy on battery power and the wave shape of the keyboard is reasonably easy on the hands than a $20 flat keyboard. I bought mine like ten years ago, and I've had to replace batteries twice.
Newegg has a refurb unit for less than $40 atm, but I paid $70 for mine at Office Depot.
A 730 psu won't suffice.
Truth is Sony Vaio was the better of the evils. Today they make the PC's durable for a year knowing if motherboards bloom or fans quit and cause chaos it is much cheaper to replace vs repair. HP's tend to stand their ground but truth be said you should have one made using certified parts. The most important thin is the size of the tower. If parts can't fit tough luck to upgrades of power supplies etc. If parts are not certified chances are they will fail and screw up other components. The most important second thing is the power unit. It dictates the growth, how many graphic cards etc you can run, providing your tower is big enough to accomodate the larger power unit. Think of it like buying a house and land. If the house takes up all the land you have no room for a garage.
Edit: Google proprietary pc's. Those tend to be stubborn mules. HP's were rumoured to be such but I have upgraded a ying yang of them.
...you mean 750w. I have a Corsair 80+ gold and it has barely ever broken a sweat even with a Titan-X (for which the suggested PSU rating is 600w).
...and remember I said "at least" (which infers 750 or higher) while Ebergerly suggested a low end of 600w.
Just had a back up computer (custom built in 2017) fail after installiung a second 1080 ti. . 2 weeks ago I paid 2400 for an upgrade. Would have been cheaper to have made different choices at the onset. Upgraded to 64gb and 2nd 1080 ti card but the 1200 power supply couldn't handle it. Forced to upgrade to a gold 1450 power supply which is a larger unit. I am maxed out. That tower has no more room.
...ah that is the difference, those require 250w each when rendering. I am only running a single Titan X for rendering and a low power 2 GB GPU to run the displays, the latter which barely affects the power curve.
1,200 - 1,450w,. You better have some hefty wiring and breakers in your place to run that. Not many homes or apartments have high amperage circuitry save for appliances like the stove, and laundry machines, as well as furnace and water heater.
I have a 1080 ti and a 1070 ti on a 850w power supply with 32 GB of RAM and a intel 8th gen core i7 8700. Something else must be at issue if a 1200w PSU cant run your machine.
I have not really scratch built a unit in 12 years but I used to. I am going to build a backup PC soon with an eye of that being my upgradeable unit.
Ebegerly has a lot of valid points.
Accurate to a point, the most common way to get a servicable PC is totake an economical off the shelf unit upgrade it with a 600w to 850w power supply add the best NVIDIA graphics card you can find that will fit in your case and finished business. If you get a good PSU and GPU you can move them to a custom built unit later. A good PSU can last 12 or more years, their is a reason why most good PSU companies have long warranties. They dont want to pay for replacement PSU's, they usually warrenty what they know it will last for.
Iray rendering is all about your GPU, everything else is second.
Right now you can get a 2080 Ti for the price of a 1080 Ti, now is not the time to shop for GPU's, on the other hand if you were only looking for a 1070/1070 Ti and 8 GB vid ram, the 1070 Ti is still very reasonabley priced has 8 GB of VRAM and runs as fast as a 1080 in most things.
This is an area you can buy what you need now and upgrade later. As a general rule of thumb, I would buy a minimum of 16 GB ram, I think 32 GB is Ideal. 32 GB lets you fill 2 slots with 16 GB chips then if you really want to upgrade later, just buy 2 more of the chips you have and your up to 64 GB. That being said, I can render a pic on a 1080 Ti while playing a Video Game on my 1070 Ti with 32 GB. I don't think you would need go above 32GB unless you really want to. If you are building your own computer then would still make sure your motherboard will support 64 GB RAM for futureproofing purposes though.
One other thing to remember. Intel CPU's interface with RAM at 2666 mhz and AMD CPU's at 2933 mhz. Faster RAM is more expensive, you don't need faster RAM unless you plan on overclocking your computer. Save a few $ and stick with what your CPU company's interface speed supports unless you are overclocking.
The biggest thing to look for in your case is the clearance room for your GPU and your CPU cooler. I looked at a lot of cases and many dont have a lot of extra room for coolers and GPU's. A descent midtower is fine, just be careful as many I saw on newegg did not have the clearace for 1080, 2080, 1080 ti, or 2080 ti cards. While I personnaly prefer full towers for the extra breathing room, a descently selected midtower can provide for your needs. I also echo Krypto Kid in this area, pay attension to the cases ventalation. You want mesh intake not tempered glass, you also want top mounted exhaust capability. Anything extra is icing on the cake.
You only need to care about your CPU if you are rendering 3dlight or you plan on overclocking your computer. If you are using 3dlight or you plan on overclocking your computer then you want a Ryzen 7 or an Intel i7/i9. If you want 4k high end video gaming, Intel is the better option for gaming, if you dont care about high end video gaming, the Ryzen 7 is the slightly better slightly cheeper option for rendering. Better CPU's often need better cooling options.
Casual MMO players and IRAY Renderers don't need worry about high end CPU's. If you don't render in 3dLight then a modern Intel i5 or Ryzen 5 will be sufficient for rendering and causual gaming purposes. I used to run DAZ studeo with a 2010 intel Core 2 Duo and 6GB of DDR3 Ram, a modern i5 or Ryzen 5 will be fine. They also require less cooling and draw less power and are theirfore easier on the power supply requirements.
Whichever route you go with, get a current generation CPU. It will be viable longer.
Generally if you have only 1 GPU 600w is sufficient, 850w will support 2. If you really want extra security get a platinum or titanium rated PSU instead one that is over 1000 Watts. Platinum and titanium will have higher sustained watts. The rating on a PSU determined what % of its watts are sustained full time, total PSU power is only for short bursts. A lower end bronze rated 1000 watt PSU might not outperform a high end titanium 850w PSU in sustained environments like rendering large scenes on 2x1080 Ti's. If you can't run your PC on an 850w PSU, you may want to consider disconnecting your Refrigeratior from your computer's PSU. You may have to go to the kitchen to get your next snack and drink, but it will proling the life of your PSU and improve the safety of your houses electrical system.
People who need to run over 850w with higher end PSU's are usualy running high end CPU's, overclocking their CPU and theirfore require extra cooling for the computer to keep the system cool. The only systems that actualy may need this is high end 4k competitive Video Gaming. Overclocking draws extra power because you are putting more power into the CPU and RAM to overclock it. Overclocking generates extra heat in your CPU, Motherboard, and RAM. This has the negative side effect of shortening the lifespan of your CPU, Motheerboard, and RAM. It also increased cooling requirements and power draw to sustain said cooling system also. Casual MMO players and IRAY Renderers don't need to overclock their computers.
Pick a good quality PSU company like seasonic or corsair thats been around for a while, look at the warrenties, thats how long you can expect the PSU to last for. I would not go under gold rated, get titanium or platinum if possible. Be wary of small never before heard companies, you don't know what your getting until they have been arround for a few years. While your main PSU companies might not be as high quality as PC power and cooling was in the early 2000's, they are stable and reliable.
If you want an SSD for a boot drive I would go for 500gb minimum, 250 is enough for OS and a couple games or other programs but 500gb gives you growth room. One thing to remember, Drives take power. Many people who find they have PSU issues with 850w or higher PSU's tend to have extra HDD"s and fans. I would prabably get 2 Drives, 1 for boot and 1 for storage. If you want a dedicated backup drive I would get an external HDD/SSD. You do want to back up your 3d projects in a source that not part of your computer's internal drives. Krypto Kid had a bad incident recently loosing years of work, it was a real eye opener for many. Also remember, while Daz and other companies may let you download your purchased content years after purchase, those companies might not be around forever. You should prabably keep a backup of your purchased 3d content and Librabry also.
Two benefits to SSDs; they use less power, and make less noise. A third, which I don't know of anyone testing in real-life situations, is that failure (when talked about with SSDs) usually refers to the fact that they can no longer be written to; this means though that they can still be read from - which is considered to be anything up to 50 years; how accurate this is, I've no clue.
Oh and a fourth; drop an SSD (on carpet especially) it is unlikely to come to any harm - unless you're unlucky like I was and follow it up by stepping on it hard (I tripped.).
The main disadvantage is cost, which is now a lot less.
Anyone recommending anything about PC hardware not aware that Nvidia has launched the 20xx line and ended production of the 1080ti, 1080, 1070 and 1070ti really should ask themselves what business they have giving advice about something about which they are this badly misinformed.
also yes, people do need to worry about getting a good case. There are a lot of bad cases out there. Trust me when I say you don't want to build a PC in a cheap case. You also don't want your system in a case with bad ventilation.
A 250 Gb SSD is more than enough for Windows and a lot of programs. Just don't put your 3d assets on it. HDD are cheap. Get a big one and put most everything but the os and programs you run a lot there.
Again...
Power Supplies: If your circuit is a standard 15 amp circuit in the US, at 115volts, it can handle (115 x 15) watts, or around 1,725 watts. Allowing for some margin, let's say it's more towards 1,500 watts. If you have an older house, or in another country, your numbers may vary. Now obviously if you're also running a room air conditioner on the same circuit or something equally ridiculous, then don't be surprised if your circuit might trip if you're only drawing 300 watts on your computer.
Now, considering that most of the new and old consumer grade GPU's run at around 250 watts max, that means that 2 GPU's only requires 500 watts. So what else are you possibly running in your computer that will crank it up anywhere near 1,500 watts? If you have a reasonable answer to that, then you're probably running equipment that few if any others on this forum have or will ever have. Of course you can find an exception to anything, but it probably doesn't apply to anyone here.
So don't run a bunch of other stuff on the same circuit as your computer is plugged into, or else your breaker will trip. BTW, it generally won't affect your house wiring, since you probably have a breaker panel (or even fuse box) which is designed to open if you overload the circuit so that the wiring doesn't get damaged. If it trips, just re-set it, and figure out that the real reason it tripped (maybe you also have a space heater plugged into the same circuit...). So plug your PC into the other outlet.
Again, I have a Ryzen 7 1700 with 64GB system RAM and a GTX-1080ti and GTX-1070 and a bunch of case fans and the entire system can't get up past 450 watts running full out doing renders. Why do I need more than a 600 watt power supply? I'm sure as heck not going to buy a new $1,000 GPU anytime soon. Like I say, if the OP is ready to drop $3,000 on a new computer and buy 3 overpriced GPU's or something, then obviously they'd have to re-evaluate all of this.
Also, like I said, you can buy a 2,500 watt power supply and your home wiring will be fine. What matters is HOW MUCH YOU LOAD the power supply, ie, how much stuff you connect to it. And a 2,500 watt power supply would mean you'll need 10 GPU's connected in order to load it to 2,500 watts. Do the math. Few people will ever have enough equipment installed in their PC (or money to buy it) to even have to worry about whether their 1,500 watt power supply will cause circuit problems.
GPU's: GPU's are insanely overpriced right now. Last year people were complaining about the $800 GTX-1080ti. And now most of the RTX series are STARTING at $800, and their performance (last I saw) wasn't that much of a price/performance gain over a 1080ti. Are you telling me that people are now willing to drop a $3,000 on a bunch of GPU's?? Not likely. Best bet is to buy a used GTX, but IMO that's something I'd never do. Like I said, now is NOT the time to buy a rendering machine.
MEMORY: You can either decide to figure what you really need, or take the "just in case" approach. Again a scene generally requires system RAM that is approximately 2-3 times the GPU VRAM GB in order to load. That's a fact. If all you can afford today is a used, 4GB GPU, and none of your other software uses tons of RAM, do you really need 32-64GB? That's up to you to decide. I have 64GB and virtually never use more than 32GB. Again, you can use facts or fears.
CPU's: Again, there's no right answer here. Some are totally convinced that a high power, water cooled CPU is important. I dont' think the facts generally support that. I have a high end PC, and I do a lot of graphics and software development and video editing and so on. And if I kept track of the total usage of my 8/16 cores of my Ryzen over the last year, all 8/16 cores are pretty much unsed for 95% of the time. EVERYTHING is GPU's nowadays. And there is absolutely no way I would EVER consider water cooling or anything like that, since I never overclock my devices because it's a total waste, IMO, and a huge, unnecessary paranoid annoyance. Of course in this age of super expensive GPU's you may be in a position to have to use CPU, in which case my condolences.
SSD's/Hard Drives: Someone mentioned the power consumption of SSD's vs. Hard drives being an advantage. Are you serious? The total power usage of SSD's and hard drives is in the range of less than 5 watts. Totally negligible compared to a 70 watt CPU and 250 watt GPU.
Again, to the OP...
If you want really useful data, rather than just personal preferences from those with general concepts about what they view as "good", I'd suggest you actually tell us what you need.
I didn't notice anyone saying that. I thought it was obvious to everyone about the RTX fiasco that's been going on. In any case I just checked newegg and looks like you can buy a new GTX-1070 for $300-400, so clearly they're still alive and well. If I was in the market for a GPU I'd be all over that. And the RTX version is around $500.
It all comes down to what you need and what you can afford.
I believe you're confusing watts with volts. 1,000w is 1,000 watts, and is a measure of power dissipation. Volts is a measure of electrical "pressure".
And Watts = Volts X Amps.
I think what you meant to say is "Very high wattage PSU's (1,000 and up) are not supported by most normal home circuit/breaker systems", which, as I mentioned, isn't quite right. 1,000 watts at 115 volts is around 8.7 amps, and most home breakers are 15 amps. Even if it's a 10 amp breaker you'd probably be okay, and that's ONLY IF YOU LOADED THE PSU UP TO 1,000 watts, which few of us do since we allow a bit of margin. Since everyone here likes to get a much bigger power supply than they need, it's very doubtful you'd come even close to causing problems. And like I say, worst case is the breaker trips and you have to adjust the load on the circuit.
First, this belief that everyone loves in a brand new building is absurd.
There are lots and lots of 10 amp circuits in apartments and homes in the US. There are even more old 15 amp breakers that if checked with calibrated equipment wouldn't actually trip at 15 amps.
Therefore yes, people have had problems with 1200 and even 1000 watt psu's. As to why they're drawing so much? Everything draws more as it ages, lots of gpu's come with factory oc's, anybody buying a Ryzen cpu and not dialing in at least a modest oc has to be looked at strangely, DS encourages dropping lots of older gpu's into a system and then there's dust.
So please stop telling people they'll be ok when they clearly aren't. I do this for a living and I've installed a brand new system that worked fine at my home on my 15 amp circuit that immediately tripped the customers labeled 20 amp.