Best equivalent performance - best for budget

[Retired-User]

I need help / advice from the experts..

My Omen Desktop PC was purchased with the intention of joining in the gaming community.

Sadly I have never found the time - and I am unlikely find the urge to to do so in the future.

However I have benefitted from the specification as I do considerable amount of photographic and video editing among just general use.

Every facet of using this PC feels good as it responds to all sorts of tasks in super quick time. I think the term I have seen referenced is quick and punchy.

As I face up to the need to eventually upgrade to Windows 11 and  look at the cost of replacement with a like for like  - i.e. another Omen  the cost seems beyond my reach for a spec that I am hardly likely to deploy (i.e. gaming)

The challenge is to find the best PC and spec that fits my needs as I have been utilising the existing Omen.

My intuition tells me that RAM has a big influence but I am sure it is not just that simple as the processor has probably a big part to play in the equation,

My challenge to the experts is to define the best Desktop for my performance needs (quick - punchy ) with the best budgetary constraint (cheapest options).

Old fashioned I maybe but I am looking to replace the tower with another tower - i.e no composite assemblies

For anyone wishing to offer advice - I will be very much indebted to you for your assistance as I struggle to find my way through the many models and specs.

I feel sure there must be a  solution that meets my needs without the need to spend up to the sum that an upgrade of my existing Omen would escalate to.

I would quickly add that I have been a HP desk top user for some forty years - maybe more .

This post is on the HP community for that very reason so no alternative manufactures please - that would be cheeky.

[Bill_To]

Hi @Retired-User 

Your PC has decent specs. The following suggestions apply if you are using W10 now.

W10 has a couple of years left. W11 requires TPM and a newer CPU/MB.

No need to buy a new W11 PC now if you like W10 and your PC runs fine.

@Paul_Tikkanen can assist if you want to try the W11 update. W11 is very similar to W10 except for TPM and CPU requirements and W11 includes a new GUI.

Paul can provide details such as backing up data before the W11 update.

I use disk imaging software to create a W10 backup image on external media in case the W11 update fails, W11 will not load and you cannot go back to W10. The W10 external media backup image can be restored to the PC's system drive using USB recovery media.

The  USB recovery media creation instructions are provided by the disk imaging software manufacturer.

Regards

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @Retired-User 

If you are interested in installing W11 on your PC as is, you can read this discussion for how I upgraded several HP and Dell notebook and desktop PC's that did not meet the W11 hardware requirements to W11 22H2.

You have to use the version of the Rufus utility that I zipped up and attached in the discussion (v3.18).

Re: Issues upgrading to windows 11 - HP Support Community - 8517912

If the in-place upgrade fails, you should be able to clean install W11 using the bootable W11 installation flash drive you made with Rufus.

[Retired-User]

Thank you Bill-To for your reply.

Please don't think of me as arrogant but I am aware of the life cycle of W10.

I also have a file structure - not Microsoft I might add that seems to want to dump every piece of data  by default on the "C" drive - a limited capacity drive that has a finite life of read and writes and deletions.

My data footprint resides on the conventional "D " drive.

I too have provision for  an organised regular back up  in the event of a crash crisis. My data footprint is backed up to the cloud and also to a further back up drive. I also have a digital image of the PC that enables me to restore W10.

Perhaps i didn't explain myself explicitly enough but my posting was essentially about seeking to find an alternative spec to the Omen that would give me good working response for the type of work I listed - as distinct from Gaming. Have you any advice to offer in that direction. 

Regarding the "workaround" you refer to (@Paul Tikkanen)  that would enable me to use the existing PC with W11.

That seems highly precarious in the long term - how long in the W11 lifecycle would we be before the workaround is superseded by the many Microsoft Updates ?

I will adress that issue to directly to @Paul Tikkanen.

Many thanks for the communication - as said above - if you have any advice on which HP PC would be as suitable for my particular disciplines - as opposed to another Omen please share with me - that really would be appreciated.

Kind Regards

[Retired-User]

Thank you @Paul Tikkanen for your interest and reply.

I noted your achievement of using "Rufus utility" to upgrade Pc's that don't meet the Microsoft update specification.

This would leave me feeling a little exposed and concerned. 

How certain are you that whatever workaround this utility deploys - that it will not be rendered obsolete by future Microsoft Updates for W11 ?

By implication this workaround would be rendering the CPU - in my case an HP CPU as being used outside its scope. As much as you are a respected  contributor  to the HP Community it  surprises me that the moderator has not red flagged this as it clearly cuts across HP as much as it does Microsoft. 

With all due respect I think I will steer clear of that option.

To the  question my posting was seeking to resolve - that is to find an appropriate specification / model of HP PC  that would practically  meet my stated uses - without spending an excessive sum on an Omen that I clearly do not need.

If you do have any advice to offer in that direction it will be well received.

Kind Regards

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I don't understand why you believe my suggestions should be 'red flagged.'

Nothing I have proposed is illegal, immoral, or violates any of the forum rules of participation.

All Microsoft has to say about installing W11 on unsupported hardware is that it is not recommended, not that you can't, or you're not allowed to.

Installing Windows 11 on devices that don't meet minimum system requirements - Microsoft Support

There are dozens of videos/websites out there from folks providing all kinds of ways to bypass the W11 hardware requirement checks to install W11.

Any W11 workaround is rendered obsolete every time Microsoft releases a new build of W11 each Sept-Oct.

You have to make the Rufus-created ISO file each time a new build of W11 comes out so you can update to the latest version, because the PC will never get an automatic W11 update from Microsoft.

It doesn't bother me in the least to have to do that once a year.

During the rest of the year, everything works as it should regarding the quality and security updates.

If you are not willing to deploy Rufus once a year to make new W11 installer, then I do not recommend you go that route.

Unfortunately, I have no suggestions for buying a consumer class PC.

I only use HP and Dell business class notebooks and PC's.

For HP PC's I buy the Elitedesk towers and for Dells, I buy the Optiplex model series.

Cheers, 

Paul

[Bill_To · Accepted solution]

Hi @Retired-User 

My pleasure.

I generally don't recommend: specific PC purchase options or specific component upgrades.

Don't want to get into the "shoot the messenger" situation.

I think the Microsoft: CPU and TPM limitations are arbitrary.

Regards

[Retired-User]

Bill-To

Thanks for explaining your position regarding recommendations.

Understand your viewpoint.

Just to put your mind at rest - i am not a violent man and abhor firearms so you are not - and would not - be in danger,

Thanks for the conversation.

[Retired-User]

Paul-Tikkanan

thank you for your response.

Your  explanation of Rufus and its annual deployment is enlightening.

However your statement that in using Rufus you are not doing anything illegal or immoral is not quite so clear cut in my mind.

When it comes to morals -  or lack of - i think Microsoft are firmly in the dock as the issue preventing me (and many thousands) using my existing I7 processor for another generation are quite arbitrary and as they are seemingly easily  negotiable with Rufus they can just as easily be negotiated by Microsoft. We are after all supposed to be saving the planet by cutting down on all this electronic waste.

On the question of legality. Thank you for pointing out the Microsoft position regarding unsupported hardware - having had brushes with Microsoft in the past it is not a statement i would have expected.

Further to that - I am not sure that the Microsoft position would go on to endorse the use of arbitrary workarounds which in some way must modify their licence protected software. Users beware - Microsoft will be watching.

If i were to consider using Rufus I would be reading the Microsoft licence terms and conditions very carefully.

i have waited for a fix to  from Microsoft as the issues as presenting on my PC rendering it effectively obsolete to W11are quite arbitrary. In factual terms it renders my PC of high spec ultimately potentially useless in terms of on line use.

As regards red flags - it is pretty obvious to me that potentially sales of HP products will be affected if this workaround was permissible to Microsoft and utilised on a grand scale - another reason why I don't envisage Microsoft doing the honourable thing. 

Pleas be assured I mean  no malice and have very much found the conversation both enlightening and somewhat invigorating. 

As regards offering no advice for a prospective purchase - inadvertently you have done just that with your reference to the Elite range of Pc's  - a route i think I was heading towards eventually.

Kind Regards

Retired User