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When i first load windows i get flickering on my main monitor but its only since a driver update from Nvidia.  It flickers about 5-6 times and then all is well.

Nvidia drivers can be a bit funny when it comes to multi-monitor setups. Try uninstalling the drivers and installing an earlier driver and see if the problem continues.

did you see the finished builds I posted above ?

If they're older games then you'd probably be fine waiting and saving some money with the 3060.
You might also be able to snag a 2070 for a killer price if people start selling them off.

If you're willing to put medium or low, then it's not worth it
It's worth it if you want to crank high or ultra and still keep the frame rate and frame time buttery smooth

Since you game at 1080p, you have two choices. You could buy a RTX 2070 or a RTX 3060. 

Considering that my 2070S + 3900x is 70% CPU bound in tomb raider highest settings, and CPU is only able to push 145fps when not GPU bound
I would say it's going to let you crank all settings at max for the next few years
 
Just make sure your CPU have enough threads so that you won't get frame pacing issues (3700x have plenty)

Depending on which titles you play it's a good choice, especially if you play with Ultra settings and want to make sure you get max performance.
 
It won't really bottleneck a 3700x enough to be worth noting.

Nvidia claims the 3070 is much like a 2080Ti in some cases.
So you could look up 2080Ti numbers to give you a basic gauge of expectations (vs 2070S/5700XT) and from your CPU platform.

no
it will be a excellent choice. you wont even just get 144 fps. more like 200+ fps in most esports titles.

A used 2070s would be fine. Though, with the 3070, you could crank settings and just be fine for a few years.

Thanks for all of you're replies and insight! I think I have enough information too make a decision!
 

Hi, even though this laptop is a little over budget, I suggest this one. My friend got one, and its great! Its a Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series 2 in 1 Black edition. Starts at $1350 USD. 
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/2-in-1-laptops/inspiron-15-7000-2-in-1-laptop-black/spd/inspiron-15-7591-2-in-1-laptop/n27591ebqys
Here are the specs:
4 Core 10th gen i7 Nvidia MX250 Graphics 16bg of ram 512gb ssd storage 1080p 15" touchscreen with stylus included 68 Whr battery Hope this helps!

I had a MacBook Air 2018 and it was great, fiancée has it now since I upgraded to a Pro 16” last year 

Talking to a guy who had a gaming laptop that he lugged to school 2 days a week. I mean if you stay at online only, and only take it every once in a while then OK. But Im telling you if you plan on going several days a week to actual physical class, your not going to want to lug those around. Save your back the pain. 
 
Personally after using my Mac. I would say look for something less powerful but has a better battery life. Its nice not having to be plugged in all the time. Gaming laptops are not known to have good battery life. I have the 13" MacBook Pro and I have to say that's a nice size. Id stick to 13-14" models. Because at the end of the day you have a desktop that can do the heavy lifting and has the bigger screen when you need it. 

Do you have any OS requirements? Are you open to all OS's? 
 
I don't think programing has really strict requirements. Now @Lord Vile thru out the Macbook. I will tell you this. I have a MacBook Pro 2020 with the 10th gen i5. Its a lot of money for what it is. Dont get me wrong, Im happy with my purchase. Because I dont have to deal with Microsofts crap on this machine (not a big fan of Windows 10). On the other side of it the US government generously gave me $1200 as a "Stimulus Check", well I choose to use that "Stimulus Check" to stimulate the economy by buying a MacBook Pro, I did my country a great service (LOL). You can defiantly get more computer for less if you dont do a Mac. Another machine I was looking at was laptops by System 76 with Ubuntu installed. 
 
At the very least I would make this suggestion. Look for a ultrabook. You want something light and thin, that's easy to carry around. This is coming from a previous college student. Battery life is another important thing if you're going to be using it a lot at school without power outlets available. Is this going to be your only machine? If so, you might want to get something with a HDMI port or some kinda of video out. This way when you at home/dorm room you can connect to an external display, just because multiple displays are great for multi tasking and in some cases they are defiantly useful when writing a research paper. 

Default answer is MacBook but depends on if it’s right for the programs you’re using 

So in conclusion, the gigabyte X570 gaming x is not the best quality board out there, but there should be no issues with the ASUS 5700 TUF card. If you have a 12/16 core CPU, make sure especially you have a good quality motherboard to go along with it. 
 
 

Thanks for your response. That is something to consider, spend a little more and get decently more performance.
 
I will give that a video a watch!
 
 

Hardware Unboxed did a review on this exact card.
TL;DW, it's awesome but priced so closely to RX 5700 XT's that it becomes a little difficult to recommend. Looking at Newegg.ca prices, you're within $10 CAD (2% more) of a reference (blower style) RX 5700 XT, and $40 CAD (7% more) from the Asus RX 5700 XT TUF. In both cases, the 5700 XT would average roughly 12% more frames across the board. 
 

Watch GamersNexus videos on the RX 5700 cards before making a purchase. Steve goes way in depth on each card.

Doesn't matter for 1080p 60 Hz.

Wouldn't matter in this case, get whatever you think is more convenient (DVI has screws to hold it in place, HDMI is less bulky).

Well I appreciate your time explaining how positive pressure is achieved and your thoughts about the case, very insightful. It seems like an awesome case, that has everything I am looking for in a case. I will probably poke around to see what is else out there in the world of cases, but I think that the Phanteks P600S is the one for me.
 
Also thanks for the response @TVwazhere. Duly noted. 

Thanks for your time and help!