The PC Builders Thread ("I Need a New PC") v3

Wraith · Mar 26, 2020

noob-noob said:
I actually found this deal which looks better to me

NZXT BLD | Custom Gaming PC Builder

Build a custom gaming PC with the NZXT BLD Service.

www.letsbld.com

I understand that this setup isn't top of the line for VR but it's already a pretty big investment for a single game so I'm trying to save where I can. Based on the specs for the rig above what kind of resolution and fps do you think I will get for HL: ALyx? Do VR games require a certain resolution cutoff or fps in order to feel smooth during gameplay? Also if you were to upgrade a single part from that rig what would you go after to get the best boost in performance? I'm assuming the graphics card but I'm way out of my depth here.

Yeah the ibuypower linked previously was a bit expensive for what you got - even some of their other builds were cheaper for better cpu/gpu.

The NZXT build here... only thing that I question is it's a B365 chipset, which by default maxes out at 2666 speeds for RAM, a fair bit slower than the 3200 RAM included. Maybe someone else can speak to running faster RAM on non-Z chipsets (I've never really looked into it).

On the Intel side RAM speed's not as big of a deal, either. And in general, it makes less difference as you run at higher resolutions. If you were aiming for 1080p 240hz or something, it might be significant. This example is on a Z390, note there's barely any difference at 1440p or 4K:

Memory Overclocking on Z390 Coffee Lake: What RAM Speed Do You Need?

We evaluate the impact of memory speeds from DDR4-2133 to DDR4-4400 on the Coffee Lake Refresh platform.

www.tomshardware.com

EDIT - Other thing I wonder is if they have a PCI-E card with a header for the front USB 3.1 gen2 Type-C port? Doesn't look like the board has a header for it, though it does have its own Type-C port on the rear panel. (Kind of doubt they'd ship a PC where one of the front ports wasn't connected.)

noob-noob · Mar 26, 2020

Wraith said:
Yeah the ibuypower linked previously was a bit expensive for what you got - even some of their other builds were cheaper for better cpu/gpu.

The NZXT build here... only thing that I question is it's a B365 chipset, which by default maxes out at 2666 speeds for RAM, a fair bit slower than the 3200 RAM included. Maybe someone else can speak to running faster RAM on non-Z chipsets (I've never really looked into it).

On the Intel side RAM speed's not as big of a deal, either. And in general, it makes less difference as you run at higher resolutions. If you were aiming for 1080p 240hz or something, it might be significant. This example is on a Z390, note there's barely any difference at 1440p or 4K:

Memory Overclocking on Z390 Coffee Lake: What RAM Speed Do You Need?

We evaluate the impact of memory speeds from DDR4-2133 to DDR4-4400 on the Coffee Lake Refresh platform.

www.tomshardware.com

EDIT - Other thing I wonder is if they have a PCI-E card with a header for the front USB 3.1 gen2 Type-C port? Doesn't look like the board has a header for it, though it does have its own Type-C port on the rear panel. (Kind of doubt they'd ship a PC where one of the front ports wasn't connected.)

I'm assuming having the headset right up to your eyes makes resolution a priority for VR so that's good to hear.

I just found this deal for an Aurora R8 on Amazon which looks much more capable than the NZXT.

Amazon.com: Alienware Aurora R8 High End Gaming Desktop AUR8-5516SLV (Intel Core i5, 16GB Memory, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 1TB Hard Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive) in Epic Silver (Renewed): Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Alienware Aurora R8 High End Gaming Desktop AUR8-5516SLV (Intel Core i5, 16GB Memory, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 1TB Hard Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive) in Epic Silver (Renewed): Computers & Accessories

www.amazon.com

Comes with one caveat though, it's refurbished 😅

KalBalboa · Mar 26, 2020

Currently putting together my new video editing parts list for next month. I've been on the following since 2013 and have cut countless projects on it:

i7 3770k
16gb DDR3 1600 RAM
1070 GTX (8GB GDDR5)
256gb SSD for OS
256gb SSD for cache
1tb WD Black for footage
6tb WD Black for storage

For my new build:

i9-9900k
64gb DDR4 3200 RAM
1070 GTX (Video cards rarely do much heavy lifting in the work I do)
1tb NVMe for OS
256gb SSD for cache
2tb NVMe for temporary footage
6tb WD Black for storage

Can anyone here advise if a Micro ATX board/mid-size tower would be feasible with this memory and video card arrangement? I haven't been in the weeds of PC building in seven years.

Vulcano's Assistant · Mar 26, 2020

KalBalboa said:
Currently putting together my new video editing parts list for next month. I've been on the following since 2013 and have cut countless projects on it:

i7 3770k

16gb DDR3 1600 RAM

1070 GTX (8GB GDDR5)

256gb SSD for OS

256gb SSD for cache

1tb WD Black for footage

6tb WD Black for storage

For my new build:

i9-9900k

64gb DDR4 3200 RAM

1070 GTX (Video cards rarely do much heavy lifting in the work I do)

1tb NVMe for OS

256gb SSD for cache

2tb NVMe for temporary footage

6tb WD Black for storage

Can anyone here advise if a Micro ATX board/mid-size tower would be feasible with these memory and video card arrangement? I haven't been in the weeds of PC building in seven years.

Micro ATX z390 for a 9900K I say the Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming based on this. And since you are probably doing 16GBx4.

When you say mid-sized tower is that ATX , or a micro-ATX case that is mid-sized?

In the former there are enough options that you can choose based on looks. Mid size cases are the most popular type nowadays. I say you are good with anything like these:
- Phanteks P300A Mesh,
- Fractal Design Meshify C,
- NZXT H510,
- be quiet! pure Base 500,
- MasterBox NR600,
- CORSAIR Carbide Series 275Q.

There are fewer mATX cases nowadays, but In the later you have options like these:
- Fractal Design Define Mini C,
- Fractal Design Meshify C Mini,
- Fractal Design Node 804
- Silverstone RL08,
- Master Box NR400,
- MasterBox MB311,
- Thermaltake Core V21,
- CORSAIR Crystal 280X.

Though not a many of those have room for numerous HDDs if you see yourself having more than three 3.5" HDDs except for the Node 804.

What software do you use? In Adobe Premiere and After Effects the 9900K has a slight edge over the Ryzen 9 3900X, but the later may be more versatile with other software.

GeezyAF · Mar 26, 2020

Gundam said:
Thanks, Appreciate it!

Vulcano's Assistant said:
A recommendation from me would be to avoid itx cases that put the power supply on top of the motherboard. That's what the SG13 does, so you are limiting yourself to low profile coolers for the 3700X.

The clearance is so low in fact (61mm) , that the Wraith Prism stock cooler would not fit if you have a regular ATX PSU.

Since you mentioned that you prefer to avoid AIOs, then I think you would welcome the ability to choose more variety of air coolers than what the SG13 gives you.

Putting the PSU elsewhere results in bigger or longer cases, but you can still have something that is smaller than MATX.
Some examples:
Lian Li TU 150 (requires SFX PSU)
Fractal Dedsign Node 304
Thermaltake V1
Metallic Gear Neo Mini
NZXT H210

All of those would fit a 155mm air cooler like the Scythe Fuma 2, a couple of those like the thermaltake and NZXT fit a Noctua NH D15.

SG13 CPU clearance is 82mm with an SFX PSU, which is what you should be using in the case.
With an SFX PSU, you can do an NH-L12s with not extremely tall ram, so that Vengeance ram would have to be changed to their LPX line, otherwise everything else fits in the SG13 that you had picked out.

Gundam · Mar 26, 2020

GeezyAF said:
SG13 CPU clearance is 82mm with an SFX PSU, which is what you should be using in the case.
With an SFX PSU, you can do an NH-L12s with not extremely tall ram, so that Vengeance ram would have to be changed to their LPX line, otherwise everything else fits in the SG13 that you had picked out.

Noted, thanks :)

Dance Inferno · Mar 26, 2020

I have an issue with my HyperX Cloud II headset. I connect to my PC via USB and I've never had issues with it, but the other day I was gaming with a friend of mine and he said there was a loud hum on my mic whenever I spoke. I've been troubleshooting it over the past few days and it seems to be due to my electrical outlet not being grounded. The way I figured this out was I plugged it into my laptop and the hum exists if the laptop is plugged in, but as soon as it's on battery power the hum goes away. In fact, if I'm using it on my PC and I physically touch my PC's case, the hum becomes softer, then it returns as soon as I stop touching it (I assume I'm grounding the PC by touching it).

Does anyone know how to fix this? Using a different outlet isn't an option; none of the outlets in my apartment are grounded. Are there any accessories I can buy to ground my PC? Would buying another headset that connects to the PC via a 3.5mm jack (as opposed to USB) help?

KalBalboa · Mar 26, 2020

Vulcano's Assistant said:
Micro ATX z390 for a 9900K I say the Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming based on this. And since you are probably doing 16GBx4.

When you say mid-sized tower is that ATX , or a micro-ATX case that is mid-sized?

In the former there are enough options that you can choose based on looks. Mid size cases are the most popular type nowadays. I say you are good with anything like these:
- Phanteks P300A Mesh,
- Fractal Design Meshify C,
- NZXT H510,
- be quiet! pure Base 500,
- MasterBox NR600,
- CORSAIR Carbide Series 275Q.

There are fewer mATX cases nowadays, but In the later you have options like these:
- Fractal Design Define Mini C,
- Fractal Design Meshify C Mini,
- Fractal Design Node 804
- Silverstone RL08,
- Master Box NR400,
- MasterBox MB311,
- Thermaltake Core V21,
- CORSAIR Crystal 280X.

Though not a many of those have room for numerous HDDs if you see yourself having more than three 3.5" HDDs except for the Node 804.

What software do you use? In Adobe Premiere and After Effects the 9900K has a slight edge over the Ryzen 9 3900X, but the later may be more versatile with other software.

Thanks for such thorough feedback!

I'm an Adobe guy, which is why I'm sort of stuck with Intel. I like the 3900X a lot on paper, but I keep reading that Adobe's preference for Intel will result in faster render times for less money.

You are correct in that I'm going for 4x16gb sticks. I actually had that same Z390 board in my Amazon parts list for this build, funny enough, along with the Z390 Pro for ~$40 more.

As for the size, I really just want to cut down on my current tower's footprint. It's 19" tall, 9" wide. My 1070 GTX is 13", so I might not be able to pull off a mATX case, right?

Vulcano's Assistant · Mar 26, 2020

KalBalboa said:
Thanks for such thorough feedback!

I'm an Adobe guy, which is why I'm sort of stuck with Intel. I like the 3900X a lot on paper, but I keep reading that Adobe's preference for Intel will result in faster render times for less money.

You are correct in that I'm going for 4x16gb sticks. I actually had that same Z390 board in my Amazon parts list for this build, funny enough, along with the Z390 Pro for ~$40 more.

As for the size, I really just want to cut down on my current tower's footprint. It's 19" tall, 9" wide. My 1070 GTX is 13", so I might not be able to pull off a mATX case, right?

Oh wow that's a long card. At 33cm I think that actually rules out a bunch of those ATX cases I suggested because was picking ones that were small. (Like the Meshify C and P300A; buth both have bigger siblings that are longer, the P400A and Meshify S2)

But you can still do mATX. Fractal cases are out, but should fit The Silverstone RL08, the Masterbox cases, and Therlmaltake Core V21, according to their websites.

KalBalboa · Mar 26, 2020

Vulcano's Assistant said:
Oh wow that's a long card. At 33cm I think that actually rules out a bunch of those ATX cases I suggested because was picking ones that were small. (Like the Meshify C and P300A; buth both have bigger siblings that are longer, the P400A and Meshify S2)

But you can still do mATX. Fractal cases are out, but should fit The Silverstone RL08, the Masterbox cases, and Therlmaltake Core V21, according to their websites.

After reading your reply I got curious and double checked: the 1070 is actually 10.5 inches long. The 13" was just the packaging dimensions from Amazon.

CvGz · Mar 27, 2020

I came into some money I otherwise wouldn't have and almost impulse bought a 2080 Ti. I talked myself out of it and would of been really foolish considering I upgraded my GTX 1070 to a RTX 2070 Super in September.

Lazybob · Mar 27, 2020

I'm considering building a media server with spare parts I hadn't gotten rid of yet. Felt it'd be a good project to keep me sane right now and maybe I'd find uses for it outside storing/streaming movies/tv. Anyone have experience putting one together? I needed advice on what drives would be ideal, if an ssd would be useful, and what's a good psu for a server that'd probably be on all the time.

Parts I have from old builds include an i7 7700k and some compatible mono (forgot which z270 one I think), 16gb ram and an old shitty but functional case. Not sure if I'd need anything else besides drives and a psu.

Terbinator · Mar 27, 2020

CvGz said:
I came into some money I otherwise wouldn't have and almost impulse bought a 2080 Ti. I talked myself out of it and would of been really foolish considering I upgraded my GTX 1070 to a RTX 2070 Super in September.

Absolutely. At least hold out for the 3 series lol.

amusix · Mar 27, 2020

Vulcano's Assistant said:
- For gaming you don't need more than more than 16GB of RAM, but if you know your work software can benefit, then keep it.
- Since the Samsung 970 EVOs are so expensive, one area to save money is to go for Adata SX8200 Pros instead, they are excellent.
- Any reason why you are going with a Micro -ATX board and a Mid Tower ATX case? There are ATX boards that are cheaper than the Asrock X570M Pro4 and are just as feature rich, like the TUF GAMING X570-Plus and the ASUS Prime X570-P.
- There is a newer and a bit smaller be quiet case that goes for $80 called the Pure Base 500, which is also a silence oriented chassis if you want to save some bucks on the the Pure base 600. Mid towers around $90 are perfectly capable to accommodate most people's needs.

Thank you so much for this.

I went with MicroATX because I'm pretty much done with a full tower form-factor-wise. I've had a monolith in my office since 95, it's time to shrink it down a touch.
The RAM is more or less for work, though I suppose I could get away with going with a single 16G chip, and then adding later, if needed.
Thanks for the advice on the drives, and I'll check the Pure Base 500.

Crazymoogle · Mar 27, 2020

Yeah, just because you go ATX doesn't mean you need a full tower. Lots of mid sized options out there. Meshify C does just fine with ATX.

Dance Inferno said:
Does anyone know how to fix this? Using a different outlet isn't an option; none of the outlets in my apartment are grounded. Are there any accessories I can buy to ground my PC? Would buying another headset that connects to the PC via a 3.5mm jack (as opposed to USB) help?

AFAIK there's no easy way to ground a socket, most hacks involve either modifying the socket (switching to 3 pin and hooking a wire to pipes), installing a GFCI, or just straight up hiring an electrician. Using a different port may help but it's impossible to know until you try.

sackboy97 · Mar 27, 2020

Hey everyone, among other upgrades, I was considering an NVMe SSD; it seems like my mobo supports it, as far as I can tell from the specs and various details, but the one I was considering is not in the actual compatibility list. Would that be a problem?
The mobo is a B360M D3H (here's the manual), and the SSD is this one from Crucial.

Crazymoogle · Mar 27, 2020

sackboy97 said:
Hey everyone, among other upgrades, I was considering an NVMe SSD; it seems like my mobo supports it, as far as I can tell from the specs and various details, but the one I was considering is not in the actual compatibility list. Would that be a problem?
The mobo is a B360M D3H (here's the manual), and the SSD is this one from Crucial.

Unlike memory where timings are important, M.2 NVMe doesn't really have any critical compatibility issues with motherboards. Your board clearly has support for an M.2, NVMe, 2280 drive so that one should be fine. It could be simply that the board is older than the NVMe drive and thus its family was never tested.

sackboy97 · Mar 27, 2020

Crazymoogle said:
Unlike memory where timings are important, M.2 NVMe doesn't really have any critical compatibility issues with motherboards. Your board clearly has support for an M.2, NVMe, 2280 drive so that one should be fine. It could be simply that the board is older than the NVMe drive and thus its family was never tested.

That's what I was thinking. Seeing other SSDs with pretty much the exact same specs made me pretty confident, but I wanted to make sure. Thanks!

Smokey · Mar 27, 2020

CvGz said:
I came into some money I otherwise wouldn't have and almost impulse bought a 2080 Ti. I talked myself out of it and would of been really foolish considering I upgraded my GTX 1070 to a RTX 2070 Super in September.

2080Ti is a work horse of a card. You would've been satisfied with it.

But would've been a bad time to buy lol.

Dave_6 · Mar 27, 2020

I need to undervolt my 2080ti Black. I've read they run a little warm and it was around 82 C last night while playing the RE2 Remake. I didn't have any issues but I imagine it will help a little if it ran a few degrees cooler.

Rex_DX · Mar 27, 2020

Hey all - recently I started having an issue with my new monitor. I get horizontal lines going across my screen. They're pretty mild and almost look like a "shuttering" effect if I didn't know my wallpaper doesnt have it. Sometimes they're there when I boot and persist and other times they disappear on their own. I swear I remember seeing this brought up somewhat recently in the last OT. Any guidance?

The monitor is a 27" 1440x3440 LG GSync display running at its normal (not overclocked) 100hz. Can grab the actual model no. if necessary.

Vulcano's Assistant · Mar 27, 2020

Holy shit my monitor just died with a loud pop. Now I have to go try to find something to be able to work.

Jehuty · Mar 27, 2020

I'm trying to upgrade my computer for the following generation but have no idea where to start. Currently my pc specs are:

AMD Radeaon RX580
GB of GDDR5 RAM
CPU of AMD Ryzen 5 1400 Quad-core
Windows 10 (64-bit)
4 terabytes (hard drive)

I would like to upgrade my RAM first but have no idea which one I should get. I was thinking 32GB of ram just to future proof
the desktop, but don't know which brand or whatever I should get. After the RAM, I would like to update my GPU to something
newer. Please give me some suggestions if you can.

amusix · Mar 27, 2020

Sorry to bug this thread again...but quick CPU selection question:

Is it absolutely better to go with AMD (Ryzen 7 3700X) over an equivalent Intel? Once built, I have no plans on upgrading this PC for quite some time (maybe a new GPU, if there's a massive hardware shift in the next few years) so waiting on the new socket for Intel doesn't really apply?

ChrisR · Mar 27, 2020

amusix said:
Sorry to bug this thread again...but quick CPU selection question:

Is it absolutely better to go with AMD (Ryzen 7 3700X) over an equivalent Intel? Once built, I have no plans on upgrading this PC for quite some time (maybe a new GPU, if there's a massive hardware shift in the next few years) so waiting on the new socket for Intel doesn't really apply?

How much gaming vs general desktop stuff are you planning on? If this is a pure gaming system the Intel chip is better. If you are going to use the computer for other things the Ryzen might be better for you.

Also, availability might be an issue at the moment, consider that as well.

Menx64 · Mar 27, 2020

A friend of mine is upgrading a PC, and he is looking at buy the following:

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor
Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Samsung 970 EVO

As for the GPU, he was considering a 2060 super, but ultimately he wants to wait until the new Nvidia GPUs are out. Wondering about future compatibility issues? I did advising him to invest a bit more and get a x570 motherboard, but he already went ahead a bought the b450...
Thanks!

Gundam · Mar 27, 2020

Alright, revised my list a little bit. As far as I can tell, everything should fit and work together? But I'm not sure about some things like power supply or if there are other general things that people would change out.

molnizzle · Mar 27, 2020

How concerned are people really that B450 chipsets won't work with Ryzen 4000 series? A friend is having me put together a build for him but I know nothing about AMD. The X570 boards are way more expensive.

MazeHaze · Mar 27, 2020

Alright I'm all out of ideas and I need some input from experts lol. My new PC, if I even have a light static charge from moving around my couch and I reach forward and touch the mouse on the coffee table, it will disconnect and reconnect. I am static shocking the mouse and it is disconnecting and reconnecting it instantly. If I hook up my other PC, or my girlfriends PC to the same set-up, same mouse+kb, even a hard zap on the mouse will not disconnect it. If I connect a different mouse+kb to the problem PC, I get the same results.

I thought maybe it was the motherboard, so I RMA'd the mobo and replaced the ram, same issue. Could it be the case? The power supply? Maybe this particular line of motherboards is really sensitive? (Asus x570). Those are the only 3 options left but I'd appreciate any input.

catpurrcat · Mar 27, 2020

Rex_DX said:
Hey all - recently I started having an issue with my new monitor. I get horizontal lines going across my screen. They're pretty mild and almost look like a "shuttering" effect if I didn't know my wallpaper doesnt have it. Sometimes they're there when I boot and persist and other times they disappear on their own. I swear I remember seeing this brought up somewhat recently in the last OT. Any guidance?

The monitor is a 27" 1440x3440 LG GSync display running at its normal (not overclocked) 100hz. Can grab the actual model no. if necessary.

Start with new cables. Get a high quality HDMI or displayport cable. I can personally vouch for monoprice HDMI certified 4k cables and best buy insignia displayport cables.

Deleted member 35478 · Mar 27, 2020

Ordered a new monitor. Started window shopping GPU's, and it seems poor timing to buy a gpu due to rumors the rtx 3000's could offer a 50% performance increase over rtx 2000. Currently have a gtx 1080 SC, new monitor 1440p 144hz.

evrythngwastakn · Mar 27, 2020

So operation make my jet engine less jet engine-y. A kindly member here is going to send me a used CPU cooler to replace the yoyo'ing drone of my stock 3600x cooler so I'll need some thermal paste to apply. Any particular type? Arctic silver? Arctic MX? grizzly something or another?

i might try replacing the paste on my MSI Armor RX580 OC as well since that is insanely loud to boot. Saw someone onYouTube took off the stock fans and Jerry rigged some 120mm case fans into the heatsink which helped lower his noise and temps so I'm quasi Temped to drop $30cdn to try that as it makes me not wanna use my PC as you can hear it blasting in the next room. I don't think spending $80-100cdn on An Accelero or something is worth it considering I wanna get a new GPU this winter.

Vulcano's Assistant · Mar 27, 2020

Gundam said:
Alright, revised my list a little bit. As far as I can tell, everything should fit and work together? But I'm not sure about some things like power supply or if there are other general things that people would change out.

That's a good power supply (you would be fine going for 650W tho), but since you mention it. I think I would personally use a smaller SFX PSU in this case because that would add an extra 20mm of space under the GPU. Since you are using a mini card and that already has small fans and a small cooler. Or I would choose a longer card that extends beyond the length of the PSU. The case may be for itx mobos, but it can fit most full length GPUs.

Alternatively, if I you are looking to save in some areas you could switch the Noctua NH-U12A for a Scythe Fuma 2, and Switch the 970 Evo for an Adata SX8200 Pro.

Gundam · Mar 27, 2020

Vulcano's Assistant said:
That's a good power supply (you would be fine going for 650W tho), but since you mention it. I think I would personally use a smaller SFX PSU in this case because that would add an extra 20mm of space under the GPU. Since you are using a mini card and that already has small fans and a small cooler. Or I would choose a longer card that extends beyond the length of the PSU. The case may be for itx mobos, but it can fit most full length GPUs.

Alternatively, if I you are looking to save in some areas you could switch the Noctua NH-U12A for a Scythe Fuma 2, and Switch the 970 Evo for an Adata SX8200 Pro.

Thanks, appreciate it!

Astronut325 · Mar 27, 2020

Hey folks... I'm know this is for desktop PCs, but I can't find a laptop thread. I'm trying to decide between two laptops. All the specs are identical except their CPU:

i5-1035G1
or
AMD Ryzen 3500u

I don't plan to game much. Maybe some light gaming here and there but I have a dedicated desktop PC for that. Mainly need it office/school stuff. Any thoughts? Is the Intel CPU worth an extra $50-100?

molnizzle · Mar 27, 2020

Gundam said:
Thanks, appreciate it!

You can also consider getting an EVGA "Hybrid" model GPU and use it as exhaust. That's what I did. Have the same case as you.

Don't copy my "pull" config for the CPU rad though. Temps aren't great. I'm too lazy to try reconfigure the whole thing though... ITX building does take a bit of patience, even in a case as big as this one.

Crazymoogle · Mar 28, 2020

molnizzle said:
How concerned are people really that B450 chipsets won't work with Ryzen 4000 series? A friend is having me put together a build for him but I know nothing about AMD. The X570 boards are way more expensive.

Fairly concerned, I'd say. Generally the rule of thumb with motherboards is if they use a chipset more than one generation old, they aren't likely to get updates because the MB manufacturers have so many boards that they tend to just lightly refresh the latest models. It's not a guarantee though, and much depends on if the B450 chipset has enough "stuff" in its internals that Ryzen 4000 is compatible with. So it could be that B450 is compatible but your specific motherboard doesn't get the update, sort of like how Android phones tend to struggle with this sort of thing...

My gamble list is this:

(NO GAMBLE) Ryzen 3700X + B450 TOMAHAWK MAX: you won't take a chance. You get an awesome 8 core/16 thread CPU now.
(SMALL GAMBLE) Ryzen 3600 + X570 TUF: you are planning on Ryzen 4000 and want the best value CPU today while you wait.
(BIG GAMBLE) Ryzen 3600 + B450 TOMAHAWK MAX: you're taking a big gamble but save the most by going all value.

Those are the value motherboards I feel have the best chance at Ryzen 4000 support. Both are widely respected and punch above their weight in terms of VRM potential.

MazeHaze said:
Alright I'm all out of ideas and I need some input from experts lol. My new PC, if I even have a light static charge from moving around my couch and I reach forward and touch the mouse on the coffee table, it will disconnect and reconnect. I am static shocking the mouse and it is disconnecting and reconnecting it instantly. If I hook up my other PC, or my girlfriends PC to the same set-up, same mouse+kb, even a hard zap on the mouse will not disconnect it. If I connect a different mouse+kb to the problem PC, I get the same results.

I thought maybe it was the motherboard, so I RMA'd the mobo and replaced the ram, same issue. Could it be the case? The power supply? Maybe this particular line of motherboards is really sensitive? (Asus x570). Those are the only 3 options left but I'd appreciate any input.

We had someone in the previous thread with this problem, and it's (probably) not a PC hardware problem. There's a slight chance the motherboard was installed incorrectly and is not grounded to the case (just a matter of making sure you used all of the standoffs and the correct screws) but beyond that it's likely a ground problem with your outlet. Try another outlet (one you're confident is grounded) and see if you can replicate the problem.

Based on what you're saying, it's possible there is also a ground issue with either your power supply cable or the case. But I'd try to rule out the outlet first. If you think it's the case then what you need to try is using different USB plugs (are you using the front or the back of the case? try the opposite) to understand if a specific USB plug or set of plugs is not grounded properly.

Superkamikazee said:
Ordered a new monitor. Started window shopping GPU's, and it seems poor timing to buy a gpu due to rumors the rtx 3000's could offer a 50% performance increase over rtx 2000. Currently have a gtx 1080 SC, new monitor 1440p 144hz.

Yeah, I said as much in the first post where I keep the Buyer's Guide 😁 That being said, I've run a 1440p144 monitor for years now on a 4670K/GTX970 and now a 3600/GTX970. You may never see that FPS but it's still a good experience overall.

evrythngwastakn said:
So operation make my jet engine less jet engine-y. A kindly member here is going to send me a used CPU cooler to replace the yoyo'ing drone of my stock 3600x cooler so I'll need some thermal paste to apply. Any particular type? Arctic silver? Arctic MX? grizzly something or another?

i might try replacing the paste on my MSI Armor RX580 OC as well since that is insanely loud to boot. Saw someone onYouTube took off the stock fans and Jerry rigged some 120mm case fans into the heatsink which helped lower his noise and temps so I'm quasi Temped to drop $30cdn to try that as it makes me not wanna use my PC as you can hear it blasting in the next room. I don't think spending $80-100cdn on An Accelero or something is worth it considering I wanna get a new GPU this winter.

There is no particular requirement to use the enthusiast paste, but since it can help, it's honestly your choice:

Arctic MX-4
Arctic Silver 5 (different company, lol)
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (not "conductonaut", liquid metal has a bunch of warnings and is really unnecessary for the 3600X)
Noctua NT-H1

I've used almost all of them all recently, I'd guess I'd say Kryonaut is the most convenient/popular, but use whatever. Should be enough leftover in the tube for your 580 overall if you end up doing that.

MazeHaze · Mar 28, 2020

Crazymoogle said:
Fairly concerned, I'd say. Generally the rule of thumb with motherboards is if they use a chipset more than one generation old, they aren't likely to get updates because the MB manufacturers have so many boards that they tend to just lightly refresh the latest models. It's not a guarantee though, and much depends on if the B450 chipset has enough "stuff" in its internals that Ryzen 4000 is compatible with. So it could be that B450 is compatible but your specific motherboard doesn't get the update, sort of like how Android phones tend to struggle with this sort of thing...

My gamble list is this:

(NO GAMBLE) Ryzen 3700X + B450 TOMAHAWK MAX: you won't take a chance. You get an awesome 8 core/16 thread CPU now.

(SMALL GAMBLE) Ryzen 3600 + X570 TUF: you are planning on Ryzen 4000 and want the best value CPU today while you wait.

(BIG GAMBLE) Ryzen 3600 + B450 TOMAHAWK MAX: you're taking a big gamble but save the most by going all value.

Those are the value motherboards I feel have the best chance at Ryzen 4000 support. Both are widely respected and punch above their weight in terms of VRM potential.

We had someone in the previous thread with this problem, and it's (probably) not a PC hardware problem. There's a slight chance the motherboard was installed incorrectly and is not grounded to the case (just a matter of making sure you used all of the standoffs and the correct screws) but beyond that it's likely a ground problem with your outlet. Try another outlet (one you're confident is grounded) and see if you can replicate the problem.

Based on what you're saying, it's possible there is also a ground issue with either your power supply cable or the case. But I'd try to rule out the outlet first. If you think it's the case then what you need to try is using different USB plugs (are you using the front or the back of the case? try the opposite) to understand if a specific USB plug or set of plugs is not grounded properly.

Yeah, I said as much in the first post where I keep the Buyer's Guide 😁 That being said, I've run a 1440p144 monitor for years now on a 4670K/GTX970 and now a 3600/GTX970. You may never see that FPS but it's still a good experience overall.

There is no particular requirement to use the enthusiast paste, but since it can help, it's honestly your choice:

Arctic MX-4

Arctic Silver 5 (different company, lol)

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (not "conductonaut", liquid metal has a bunch of warnings and is really unnecessary for the 3600X)

Noctua NT-H1

I've used almost all of them all recently, I'd guess I'd say Kryonaut is the most convenient/popular, but use whatever. Should be enough leftover in the tube for your 580 overall if you end up doing that.

It's not the outlet, outlet is grounded, and I've hooked two other PC's up to the same outlet that do not exhibit this behavior. Just this PC. Also it happens no matter which USB ports I use, even in the back straight into the motherboard. Don't think it's a motherboard issue because I RMA'd and replaced the motherboard and the issue still persists. The PSU is a generic Apevia, so maybe that's the issue? I had my old machine hooked up to this same setup for years with no issue.

Black_Stride · Mar 28, 2020

Jehuty said:
I'm trying to upgrade my computer for the following generation but have no idea where to start. Currently my pc specs are:

AMD Radeaon RX580
GB of GDDR5 RAM
CPU of AMD Ryzen 5 1400 Quad-core
Windows 10 (64-bit)
4 terabytes (hard drive)

I would like to upgrade my RAM first but have no idea which one I should get. I was thinking 32GB of ram just to future proof
the desktop, but don't know which brand or whatever I should get. After the RAM, I would like to update my GPU to something
newer. Please give me some suggestions if you can.

Depending on your motherboard and hw much you want to "keep up with nextgen", you are effectively going to be doing a whole rebuild

The Ryzen 1400 will not be able to keep up.....im sure its already struggling right now with AAA games, I imagine the frametime graph is wonky as we speak......as games start getting more CPU intensive itll be a huge huge bottleneck making upgrading you GPU almost pointless.

Youve got options to upgrade for the cheap if the motherboard allows.
Get a R7 2600 and atleast you have 8 cores and will have R5 3600 levels of performance, if you want to see metrics with modern games
Want to really feel safe? Go all the way up to a Ryzen 7 3700X.

You didnt say how much RAM you have but 16GB is enough even for nextgen, 32GB if you can find it for cheap.
But seriously 16GB is enough, I dont know any game and doubt we will see one soon that asks for more than that to actually start.
As for brands Corsair is relatively cheap and gets the job done well......realistically if you are purchasing from any reputable store all the sticks should be more than decent.

Your GPU is okay for now, wait to see what the year holds before jumping right now.
THe RX580 should hold out till we know what AMD and Nvidia are doing for their graphics cards.
If theres a super sweet deal on an RTX 2060 Super then jump on that, else just wait for announcements.

For now you dont even need an SSD for gaming unless you are playing Star Citizen, save and wait for prices to drop then you can jump on an SSD.

With that upgrade you should be fine well into nextgen if not the whole generation.

molnizzle said:
You can also consider getting an EVGA "Hybrid" model GPU and use it as exhaust. That's what I did. Have the same case as you.

Don't copy my "pull" config for the CPU rad though. Temps aren't great. I'm too lazy to try reconfigure the whole thing though... ITX building does take a bit of patience, even in a case as big as this one.

Your front RAD is intake your rear RAD is exhaust?
Doesnt seem like a bad idea.
It does like a pain in the ass......very clean, but still a pain in the ass.

How are temps.....is your motherboard okay on load, has the underpinnings of a VRM disaster written all over it.

Crazymoogle · Mar 28, 2020

MazeHaze said:
It's not the outlet, outlet is grounded, and I've hooked two other PC's up to the same outlet that do not exhibit this behavior. Just this PC. Also it happens no matter which USB ports I use, even in the back straight into the motherboard. Don't think it's a motherboard issue because I RMA'd and replaced the motherboard and the issue still persists. The PSU is a generic Apevia, so maybe that's the issue? I had my old machine hooked up to this same setup for years with no issue.

I get it, but it's way cheaper to test your PC on a different outlet to rule that out before you go PSU shopping, completely rebuild your PC in the case, or start exploring other options like a grounding wire in your chair or rubber mats. Your call. As you've guessed, four most likely points of failure:

outlet
PSU
case/motherboard interface
device (mouse)

I'm most suspicious about the case, but...whew, a lot of work there. Your call.

molnizzle · Mar 28, 2020

Black_Stride said:
Your front RAD is intake your rear RAD is exhaust?
Doesnt seem like a bad idea.
It does like a pain in the ass......very clean, but still a pain in the ass.

How are temps.....is your motherboard okay on load, has the underpinnings of a VRM disaster written all over it.

Yep. Temps are great everywhere but the CPU itself. I can't go beyond 1.18 Vcore without throttling my i7-4790k under load. I suspect if I had gone with a push config I'd be getting better temps. Attaching the fans to the rad and then to the case in that way would be a huge ordeal now though, I have to pretty much take the computer apart to change or move anything. Very little wiggle room. At this point I'm just waiting for new Intel chips to do a full re-build.

Black_Stride · Mar 28, 2020

molnizzle said:
Yep. Temps are great everywhere but the CPU itself. They're not terrible, but I can't go far beyond 1.18 Vcore without throttling my i7-4790k. I suspect that if I had gone with a push config I'd be getting better temps. Attaching the fans to the rad and then to the case in that way would be a huge ordeal now though, I have to pretty much take the computer apart to change or move anything. Very little wiggle room. At this point I'm just waiting for new Intel chips to do a full re-build.

New Intel chips?
So you want even worse thermals?.....The new chips are going to be an absolute bitch to cool from all the leaks we have right now.
Why an aversion to Ryzen?

DSP · Mar 28, 2020

Astronut325 said:
Hey folks... I'm know this is for desktop PCs, but I can't find a laptop thread. I'm trying to decide between two laptops. All the specs are identical except their CPU:

i5-1035G1
or
AMD Ryzen 3500u

I don't plan to game much. Maybe some light gaming here and there but I have a dedicated desktop PC for that. Mainly need it office/school stuff. Any thoughts? Is the Intel CPU worth an extra $50-100?

With Intel you will get better battery life and power management/standby time. AMD is still janky and you will see significantly worse battery life. CPU performance is better on Intel too. This is not a Zen2 part, it is a Zen+ part. The new 4000 series are a huge improvement and are considered better than IceLake, if you can wait, wait.

The graphic performance on Vega 8 is a lot better than Intel G1 but it is still not good to play games well and you don't want to play games anyway.

Also check the wifi card, Intel models usually ship with better cards than AMD models for reasons. Intel AX200 wifi6 is pretty good and ship with a lot of icelake laptops while AMD could be shipping with Killer wifi which is pretty bad in my experience. Qualcomm based wifi cards are also very good,

MegaBeefBowl · Mar 28, 2020

Quick question

Is there a reason the current recommendation for AMD CPUs are the Ryzen 3700x over the 3600? If my use is solely gaming, am I truly in need of the 8 cores? It seems gaming performance is a sub 5% gain when comparing them on benchmark sites. Just wanted to get some clarification here before nailing down my budgets.

Crazymoogle · Mar 28, 2020

MegaBeefBowl said:
Is there a reason the current recommendation for AMD CPUs are the Ryzen 3700x over the 3600? If my use is solely gaming, am I truly in need of the 8 cores? It seems gaming performance is a sub 5% gain when comparing them on benchmark sites. Just wanted to get some clarification here before nailing down my budgets.

Currently? No. The difference is basically 2 cores/4 threads and maybe some OC headroom. The reason people gravitate towards the 3700X is that it's feature-equivalent to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, both of which are 8c/16t processors. Of course, on those platforms some cores/threads will be dedicated to the OS, but Windows isn't immune to that either.

tl;dr for now 6 cores/12 threads is great. But the extra cores may be useful down the road.

MegaBeefBowl · Mar 28, 2020

Crazymoogle said:
Currently? No. The difference is basically 2 cores/4 threads and maybe some OC headroom. The reason people gravitate towards the 3700X is that it's feature-equivalent to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, both of which are 8c/16t processors. Of course, on those platforms some cores/threads will be dedicated to the OS, but Windows isn't immune to that either.

tl;dr for now 6 cores/12 threads is great. But the extra cores may be useful down the road.

So it's a potential future proofing practice. Gotcha.

Makes sense, but not worth the price spike for me right now. If i need the extra performance next gen I'll just pick up 4000 when that releases. Thanks for the reply.

Crazymoogle · Mar 28, 2020

MegaBeefBowl said:
Makes sense, but not worth the price spike for me right now. If i need the extra performance next gen I'll just pick up 4000 when that releases. Thanks for the reply.

I'm in the same boat. 3600 price is just so much better than anything above it, felt it was better to take the gamble on X570 support for Ryzen 4000 than to spend big on a CPU now.

MazeHaze · Mar 28, 2020

Crazymoogle said:
I get it, but it's way cheaper to test your PC on a different outlet to rule that out before you go PSU shopping, completely rebuild your PC in the case, or start exploring other options like a grounding wire in your chair or rubber mats. Your call. As you've guessed, four most likely points of failure:

outlet

PSU

case/motherboard interface

device (mouse)

I'm most suspicious about the case, but...whew, a lot of work there. Your call.

I already tried a different outlet before I replaced the motherboard

Crazymoogle · Mar 28, 2020

MazeHaze said:
I already tried a different outlet before I replaced the motherboard

Alright, then you're down to the case and PSU...if you have a spare PSU that's definitely worth a try. Or if you just want a fast solution, you could try grounding yourself instead - if your wrist hits the table before the mouse, you could ground a wire to your mousing surface? Basically try and defuse the static before it can get to the mouse.

liquidmetal14 · Mar 28, 2020

molnizzle said:
You can also consider getting an EVGA "Hybrid" model GPU and use it as exhaust. That's what I did. Have the same case as you.

Don't copy my "pull" config for the CPU rad though. Temps aren't great. I'm too lazy to try reconfigure the whole thing though... ITX building does take a bit of patience, even in a case as big as this one.

that looks similar to the computer I just got. It's my first smaller build except I have the 20 80 super and at the end of the day it's only really audible when I'm playing something more intense. I'm not one that has ever built for noise but it's definitely the most powerful and the quiet is I've had. I have a Corsair Crystal Series 680x RGB case.

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