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

Serpens007 · Jul 7, 2021

Roubjon said:
Any advice between these two prebuilts from newegg?

ABS Gladiator Gaming PC - Intel i7 10700KF - GeForce RTX 3070 8GB - 16GB DDR4 3200MHz - 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD - EVGA CLC 280MM RGB AIO - Windows 10 Home 64-bit

Skytech Chronos Gaming PC Desktop - AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.60 GHz, RTX 3070 8 GB, 16 GB DDR4 3200, 1 TB NVMe SSD, B550 Motherboard, 650W Gold PSU, Windows 10 Home 64-bit, AC WiFi

I don't know about the Skytech chronos, but I've read good things about the ABS prebuilt systems. It also comes with a better motherboard and a higher wattage PSU, as well liquid cooling for the CPU. I'd wait for more opinions, but would rather go for the ABS PC

You're gonna be overkill for 1080p 60hz, but that's a good thing since you can later upgrade your screeen for higher resolutions and refresh rates :)

Infinity Times Two · Jul 7, 2021

I recently finally got my hands on a 30 series GPU, an ASUS one, and I would like to RGB match it to the rest of my rig.

I'm so confused about the interoperability between Corsairs Icue and Asus' Aura Sync.

All the controls are there for the GPU inside Icue, but it can only control about half of the GPU's RGB. Editing it inside ASUS Armoury Crate works for 100% of the RGB, but that program can't be automatically started upon booting the computer so I need to manually open it everytime for everything to match up.

exodus · Jul 7, 2021

If anyone is in the market for a decent WiFi 6 router, I can highly recommend the Asus RT-AX86U:

RT-AX86 Series(RT-AX86U/RT-AX86S)

The AX5700 WiFi 6 gaming router recommended for mobile gaming, PS5 compatible. With fast WiFi speed, large coverage and lower lag, free network security and easy setup.

www.asus.com

This thing is an absolute beast on the 5GHz band. After tweaking my control channel to a higher uncontested channel (channel 161 - 40MHz bandwidth), I'm getting 950mbps on my gigabit connection on my Wi-Fi 6 equipped PC using the built-in Intel AX200 chip (which is up one floor, around 10 feet away from the router). My Wi-Fi 5 equipped iPhone Xs still gets 500mbps at the complete other end of the house, around 30ft away through one floor and several walls.

It doesn't hurt that the router is fairly small and doesn't have the massive footprint of those hulking spiders they sell nowadays.

The Wi-Fi 6 performance is stellar compared to even much more expensive routers:

Asus-RT-AX86U-Wi-Fi-6-5-GHZ-Perfomance-Chart.png.webp

apathetic · Jul 7, 2021

Dr.Acula said:
Damn, the negative review on both have lots of reports on them failing spectacularly and spewing out smoke. lol, that's not inspiring.

Will be hard pressed to find a consumer grade UPS that doesn't have a number of those reviews. Still, like I said, researching for myself as well so they arn't ones I would personally recomend, just the 2 options I've may end up with after looking around a bit.

thenexus6 · Jul 7, 2021

I just got my first IPS monitor and noticed I have what looks like someone has wiped their fingers on my screen.

Really obvious marks going down the entire front of the panel.

Is this IPS bleed or whatever it's called? It's super distracting on anything dark (website, application, game).

Looks like pressure marks?

super-famicom · Jul 7, 2021

thenexus6 said:
I just got my first IPS monitor and noticed I have what looks like someone has wiped their fingers on my screen.

Really obvious marks going down the entire front of the panel.

Is this IPS bleed or whatever it's called? It's super distracting on anything dark (website, application, game).

Looks like pressure marks?

I have an IPS monitor and do not see that at all. Is it visible with the monitor off?

Also, take a screenshot instead of using a camera. It'll be more accurate for us to examine.

thenexus6 · Jul 7, 2021

super-famicom said:
I have an IPS monitor and do not see that at all. Is it visible with the monitor off?

Yeah even when the screen is off.

super-famicom · Jul 7, 2021

thenexus6 said:
Yeah even when the screen is off.

Have you tried wiping the screen with a microfiber cloth to see if that comes off? If it doesn't come off, I'd exchange for a new one.

thenexus6 · Jul 7, 2021

super-famicom said:
Have you tried wiping the screen with a microfiber cloth to see if that comes off? If it doesn't come off, I'd exchange for a new one.

Haha, yes, I feel like an idiot now.. I just wiped the screen and the marks came off 😂. I got paranoid as I rarely buy nice new things and always my luck they aren't in the correct condition when I get them!

eddy · Jul 7, 2021

thenexus6 said:
Yeah even when the screen is off.

If I had to guess, I'd say this looks like a problem with the antiglare coating. Either not applied correctly, or something has made it come off in those parts.

Just a guess though. If it doesn't come off.

EDIT: Never mind. Glad they came off.

super-famicom · Jul 7, 2021

thenexus6 said:
Haha, yes, I feel like an idiot now.. I just wiped the screen and the marks came off 😂. I got paranoid as I rarely buy nice new things and always my luck they aren't in the correct condition when I get them!

Was that a new monitor or a used one? If new, those streaks should not have been there and you have been sold a model that was used and returned. Did it look like the packaging was tampered with?

thenexus6 · Jul 7, 2021

super-famicom said:
Was that a new monitor or a used one? If new, those streaks should not have been there and you have been sold a model that was used and returned. Did it look like the packaging was tampered with?

Nah it was brand new yesterday. I took it off my monitor arm and had it face down on the bed all day. So I guess it was that.

PhantomFFR · Jul 7, 2021

super-famicom said:
Also, take a screenshot instead of using a camera. It'll be more accurate for us to examine.

...this is the one case where a screenshot wouldn't actually be helpful to see the issue more clearly.

slorelli · Jul 7, 2021

Currently have a build with - 3080, Ryzen 3600 and 3200 ddr4 RAM. I play at 1440p on a 144hz monitor. Thinking about upgrading to a 5000 series. Would a 5800x be worth the upgrade or should I wait for a 5900x? I strictly game on the PC with a few apps running, nothing too crazy. Slight chance I might stream in the future.

thepenguin55 · Jul 7, 2021

Crazymoogle said:
It's very unlikely your CPU is damaged from thermals. Modern CPUs will shut down rather than let you hit 110 melting temperatures. But if your fan is working now and you still have shutdown issues, it may be suspect anyway...

Good to know. The CPU could be suspect but I think the issue is the CPU cooler as it has a LED screen on top that hasn't turned on at all since I installed it and unless the manual is wrong I have it installed correctly. When the fans for my CPU cooler were plugged into the CPU cooler they didn't work at all but as soon as I plugged them into the motherboard directly they worked. So I don't know… I have a replacement CPU cooler waiting for me at Microcenter so hopefully I'll be able to fix this today.

Kalik · Jul 7, 2021

if I buy the 3DMark benchmarking software via Steam will I be able to download/install the standalone 3DMark software through the official website and be able to get the licensed pro version?

Protein · Jul 7, 2021

Quick question:

Is $1400 a good price for a EVGA 3080ti? From an actual store.

Duck Sauce · Jul 7, 2021

Protein said:
Quick question:

Is $1400 a good price for a EVGA 3080ti? From an actual store.

If its the FTW3 version then yeah that is MSRP.

S1lentSymph0ny · Jul 7, 2021

Kalik said:
if I buy the 3DMark benchmarking software via Steam will I be able to download/install the standalone 3DMark software through the official website and be able to get the licensed pro version?

According to the devs on the Steam forum this should be possible. You will need to install and run the Steam version before the standalone version can see the license.

Is there a way to run the benchmark without Steam? :: 3DMark General Discussions

I want to run a benchmark with everything off but when I try to close Steam the app goes with it. Thanks.

steamcommunity.com

Kalik · Jul 7, 2021

S1lentSymph0ny said:
According to the devs on the Steam forum this should be possible. You will need to install and run the Steam version before the standalone version can see the license.

Is there a way to run the benchmark without Steam? :: 3DMark General Discussions

I want to run a benchmark with everything off but when I try to close Steam the app goes with it. Thanks.

steamcommunity.com

cool...thanks...now I can buy it during the Steam Summer sale

Anomander · Jul 8, 2021

I'm looking for a PC speaker with a digital volume control, ideally which has a screen that I see what the current volume is. Is this too much to ask? Seems like every PC speaker on the market has these shitty analogue volume adjustment wheels.

Deleted member 99254 · Jul 8, 2021

thenexus6 said:
I just got my first IPS monitor and noticed I have what looks like someone has wiped their fingers on my screen.

Really obvious marks going down the entire front of the panel.

Is this IPS bleed or whatever it's called? It's super distracting on anything dark (website, application, game).

Looks like pressure marks?

Looks like the matte coating has been applied unevenly. Is it visible on a white field?

SecondNature · Jul 8, 2021

Trying to make a budget friendly upgrade that can still play my games at 1080P + 144 FPS

Is this okay:

MOBO

With the Ryzen 2600

Jisgsaw · Jul 9, 2021

Ok, hoping you guys can save me some money trying to debug my PC:

Since I built it last year, my PC had some very infrequent BSOD (like maybe once every month). Interestingly enough never when under stress, always only on almost idle (like 5% CPU / 5-10 % GPU usage).
Since a couple of week, the BSODs have become more and more frequent (without HW or SW change), with this week it being every half hour or so (even in Safe Mode). Error messages are all over the place (IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, KERNEL_AUTO_BOOST_INVALID_LOCK_RELEASE, SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED_M, CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT, KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL), always from the kernel.
I updated all my drivers, Windows and BIOS, did a full virus scan, tried unplugging all USB devices, all to no avail. So I'm guessing it would rather be a hardware error somewhere.

Temps are fine, all SSDs are fine too, Windows is (according to its self integrity tests) fine too.
I did a four pass MemTest86 without errors, so I guessed it's not the ram, leaving the MB or CPU as root cause.

Now where it gets interesting: I deactivated AXMP this morning (completely forgot I had it on). And since then, I had the longest run without issues (5h).
The MemTest however passed while AXMP was on. Could the AXMP be the cause of my BSODs anyway?
Also to note: since a week after building everything up, I can't address the RGB on the RAM sticks anymore, and their default (ugly) rainbow pattern has a slightly shorter cycle on one of the stick, bringing them out of sync. Is this rather a MB or RAM issue?

MB: MSI X570 Tomahawk (latest BIOS)
RAM: G:Skill Trident Z (2*16)
CPU: 3700X

TL;DR
So long story short, my questions:
- Can my BSOD have been caused by the CPU, RAM or AXMP, if the RAM passed the MemTest with AXMP on?
- If AXMP were my issue, is there a way to know which from the CPU, RAM or Motherboard are faulty? Though if it were XMP, why did it work (mostly) for a year before bringing constant BSODs?
- Is there any way to be sure it is not driver related?

I would somehow appreciate not having to buy new hardware when the one I have is not defective (especially with the current shortages), but short of buying new RAM, MB and CPU, I don't see how I can know from where my issue comes from.
(if a helpful soul has too much free time, I have exported a handful crash dumps with WinDbg, but on the surface I didn't see anything too helpful in them)

Crazymoogle · Jul 9, 2021

SecondNature said:
Trying to make a budget friendly upgrade that can still play my games at 1080P + 144 FPS
Is this okay: ASROCK B450M PRO4 MOBO
With the Ryzen 2600

Yeah, it's a B450M. A bargain basement one but it should work with that CPU out of the box. At a glance it looks like a good option, and a quick google search doesn't immediately show any VRM complaints. Should be okay. Unless you're talking about the HDV version?

Jisgsaw said:
TL;DR
So long story short, my questions:
- Can my BSOD have been caused by the CPU, RAM or AXMP, if the RAM passed the MemTest with AXMP on?
- If AXMP were my issue, is there a way to know which from the CPU, RAM or Motherboard are faulty?
- Is there any way to be sure it is not driver related?

I would somehow appreciate not having to buy new hardware when the one I have is not defective (especially with the current shortages), but short of buying new RAM, MB and CPU, I don't see how I can know from where my issue comes from.
(if a helpful soul has too much free time, I have exported a handful crash dumps with WinDbg, but on the surface I didn't see anything too helpful in them)

I think (?) that A-XMP is the name MSI uses for DOCP? If so then it's the setup you need for your RAM to run at its marketed profile (ie: not DDR-2133). Intel calls their XMP, but that's trademarked, so...different names everywhere!

1. I would absolutely try resetting your BIOS to defaults or even doing a CMOS reset. Then re-enable "AXMP" and see if it works. This literally has fixed crash problems I had with G.Skill TridentZ sticks before.

2. I think if you want to speed it up I would specifically try Karhu RAM Test. It's not free, sorry, but it's not a lot and it will find a problem in <10 minutes most of the time where Memtest might never find anything. If money is a problem you can try checking reddit for other recommended apps, but that one has been bulletproof for me.

But yes, this absolutely does smell of a RAM problem. Hopefully just a configuration issue and not a hardware problem, though.

If you want to go down another path I would try nuking any MSI control software you have. But to me this feels more suspect of RAM first.

Jisgsaw · Jul 9, 2021

Crazymoogle said:
I think (?) that A-XMP is the name MSI uses for DOCP?

Yes, I forgot the correct name, and that's how it's called in the MSI BIOS.

Crazymoogle said:
1. I would absolutely try resetting your BIOS to defaults or even doing a CMOS reset. Then re-enable "AXMP" and see if it works. This literally has fixed crash problems I had with G.Skill TridentZ sticks before.

Will try that next week, I'll use this weekend to ascertain that turning DOCP off solved the issue.

Crazymoogle said:
2. I think if you want to speed it up I would specifically try Karhu RAM Test. It's not free, sorry, but it's not a lot and it will find a problem in <10 minutes most of the time where Memtest might never find anything. If money is a problem you can try checking reddit for other recommended apps, but that one has been bulletproof for me.

Might try that too. Money isn't a problem in itself (more finding the right HW, waiting for delivery, returning things and so on), and that's honestly pretty cheap.

Crazymoogle said:
If you want to go down another path I would try nuking any MSI control software you have.

Ohh right, I'll definitively do that. DragonCenter is one of the biggest pile of garbage I installed, shit almost bricked my MB when doing the BIOS update.

Thanks for the quick answer.
Though if DOCP or the RAM really is the problem, I wonder why it (almost) worked for one year before becoming that unstable?

Crazymoogle · Jul 9, 2021

Jisgsaw said:
Though if DOCP really is the problem, I wonder why it (almost) worked for one year before becoming that unstable?

Maybe a random setting change you made and forgot. Or hell, pure chance that a memory bitflip happened. Could be a lot of reasons. Maybe even a memory DIMM is slightly out and needs to be physically re-seated because of an accidental bump because of someone in your place. It's really hard to say, just that I find it's safer at this point to just triage the easy/direct stuff before you get into the full warfare of reinstalling windows or literally doing component swaps...we all hope it's not static damage, blown capacitors, or just something rotten hardware wise under the hood.

Jisgsaw · Jul 9, 2021

Crazymoogle said:
Maybe even a memory DIMM is slightly out and needs to be physically re-seated because of an accidental bump because of someone in your place.

Oh yeah, forgot to add: that won't be it, that's the first thing I checked when I saw the errors I was getting.
Eh, as long as it works again, I'll be happy... Thanks again.

PhantomFFR · Jul 9, 2021

SecondNature said:
Trying to make a budget friendly upgrade that can still play my games at 1080P + 144 FPS

Is this okay:

MOBO

With the Ryzen 2600

If you already have the CPU and a working motherboard, upgrading the motherboard won't lead to a significant performance increase. If you don't have the CPU, without checking benchmarks or current prices, I'd think an Intel i5-10400 + appropriate mainboard would be a better performing solution for you at a similar price.

Shopolic · Jul 9, 2021

Sorry to ask this question about an old garbage system here between posts about ray tracing and...! :D
One of my systems has a 4GB of RAM and it's the details of it:

I don't play games with it and just want to buy another 4GB RAM for it. Can I buy this one and add it to my PC? Or there will be some problems between those models?

Deleted member 99254 · Jul 9, 2021

Shambalakan said:
Sorry to ask this question about an old garbage system here between posts about ray tracing and...! :D
One of my systems has a 4GB of RAM and it's the details of it:

I don't play games with it and just want to buy another 4GB RAM for it. Can I buy this one and add it to my PC? Or there will be some problems between those models?

Make sure the voltages match, DDR3 is remarkable tolerant for mismatched modules. I don't see much information about timings sadly other than the datasheet stating it allows a CL of 8 at slower speeds

Shopolic · Jul 9, 2021

eyescube said:
Make sure the voltages match, DDR3 is remarkable tolerant for mismatched modules. I don't see much information about timings sadly other than the datasheet stating it allows a CL of 8 at slower speeds

Thanks for helping. I didn't know anything about voltage in RAMs.
Checked RAMs and it seems both are working at 1.5 V:
Old RAM:

Kingston:

There won't be any problem to use RAMs from two companies, right? My old RAM is Patriot and this one is Kingston.

Deleted member 99254 · Jul 9, 2021

Difference in size will make dual channel support an uncertainty. But you're correct in the assumption that mismatching brands won't cause trouble by itself.

Super Craig · Jul 9, 2021

I have a Dark Hero motherboard, which supposedly uses the daisy chain setup for memory. I have 2x 16GB sticks just now. Will it really make that much of a difference adding another pair in as opposed to replacing them with 2x 32GB sticks? I'm running them at XMP just now.

Cyanity · Jul 9, 2021

Can't wait to put a 3070ti in my 5600x ryzen build. And my old 1070 is still worth a lot on the used market, so that will help pay for the 3070!

SmartWaffles · Jul 9, 2021

Super Craig said:
I have a Dark Hero motherboard, which supposedly uses the daisy chain setup for memory. I have 2x 16GB sticks just now. Will it really make that much of a difference adding another pair in as opposed to replacing them with 2x 32GB sticks? I'm running them at XMP just now.

4x16GB puts a gigantic amount of stress on the CPU's internal memory controller. 32GB stick itself is also kinda an uncharted territory for non Threadripper platforms. You might want to consult your motherboard's QVL list for a general idea.

Super Craig · Jul 9, 2021

SmartWaffles said:
4x16GB puts a gigantic amount of stress on the CPU's internal memory controller. 32GB stick itself is also kinda an uncharted territory for non Threadripper platforms. You might want to consult your motherboard's QVL list for a general idea.

Cheers. The 2x 32GB set is on there, but I can't see anything for the 2x 16GB I've already got.

elLOaSTy · Jul 9, 2021

Everyone here was so great helping me build out my PC last year. Ive had some real shit bluetooth since day 1 and it wasnt an issue until I got my new desk. I can't get more than a few feet away or it disconnects or misses keys. How do I go about resolving or fixing this. Does the Bluetooth on my board need an antennae I dont have or something.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard

LordRuyn · Jul 9, 2021

Chooms said:
Everyone here was so great helping me build out my PC last year. Ive had some real shit bluetooth since day 1 and it wasnt an issue until I got my new desk. I can't get more than a few feet away or it disconnects or misses keys. How do I go about resolving or fixing this. Does the Bluetooth on my board need an antennae I dont have or something.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard

Bluetooth is on the same chip as the Intel wifi AFAIK, use the wifi antenna.

EDIT: Just confirmed with my MSI manual, that is indeed the case. The wifi antennae are also for Bluetooth

elLOaSTy · Jul 9, 2021

LordRuyn said:
Bluetooth is on the same chip as the Intel wifi AFAIK, use the wifi antenna.

EDIT: Just confirmed with my MSI manual, that is indeed the case. The wifi antennae are also for Bluetooth

Oh awesome, I thought that might be the case. I didn't have the WiFi in because I use ethernet and it's kind of big and ugle, but I guess I'll use it now. Now I just need to dig it out of the closet.

LunaSerena · Jul 9, 2021

Chooms said:
Everyone here was so great helping me build out my PC last year. Ive had some real shit bluetooth since day 1 and it wasnt an issue until I got my new desk. I can't get more than a few feet away or it disconnects or misses keys. How do I go about resolving or fixing this. Does the Bluetooth on my board need an antennae I dont have or something.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard

Are you using the antenna that came with the motherboard? I have the same board, but my Bluetooth connection is excellent. With my XM3 headphones, I get range in almost all my house.

ss_lemonade · Jul 9, 2021

LordRuyn said:
Bluetooth is on the same chip as the Intel wifi AFAIK, use the wifi antenna.

EDIT: Just confirmed with my MSI manual, that is indeed the case. The wifi antennae are also for Bluetooth

This is the case too with my asrock x570 taichi motherboard. Bluetooth is nearly unusable without the external antenna

elLOaSTy · Jul 9, 2021

LunaSerena said:
Are you using the antenna that came with the motherboard? I have the same board, but my Bluetooth connection is excellent. With my XM3 headphones, I get range in almost all my house.

Yeah I wasn't I'm going to now though. I didn't use WiFI so I didnt have it installed since it was kinda ugly

Cien · Jul 9, 2021

I finally got my 3080ti and my build is complete.

Thank you kind Reddit soul who didnt scalp the shit out of the card.

LordRuyn · Jul 9, 2021

Chooms said:
Oh awesome, I thought that might be the case. I didn't have the WiFi in because I use ethernet and it's kind of big and ugle, but I guess I'll use it now. Now I just need to dig it out of the closet.

Glad to be able to help! Let me know if that fixes your issue once you hook it up.

professor_t · Jul 9, 2021

Okay, experts, I could use a hand. I currently have a Frankenstein's monster of a PC that's a mix of a great GPU, a good power source, decent RAM, an SSD, an aging case and a flagging CPU. I mainly want to upgrade the CPU and the case, so I'm looking for recommendations on:

A new CPU (I'm leaning toward a 5800x)
A matching motherboard (I have no idea)
A good case (I mostly care about good looks and good airflow; it doesn't need to be compact)

Here's what I have:

GPU - EVGA RTX 3080 FTW Ultra
RAM - Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Power - Corsair RM 850x
Storage - a combo of an SSD and an HDD (for extra storage)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (I also will do my own digging if pointed in the right direction).

Cost really isn't much of an issue for me. I don't want to WASTE money, but I don't really have limits if the final product is worth it. However, I also don't want to wait forever, which is why I lean toward a 5800 over a 5900.

I Don't Like · Jul 9, 2021

Getting so impatient I'm thinking of grabbing a EVGA 3090 hydrocopper that I found for sale locally (new) and for a somewhat reasonable price and then just selling it when I get the EVGA queue notification for a 3080Ti (or maybe even a 3090 depending on model). Will certainly take a hit based on timing and I'm probably being greedy with my 2080Ti still rocking the shit but I'm impulsive as hell and money isn't an issue, so it's tempting. On the other hand I have been strictly opposed to paying scalpers. Never done it and always told myself I wouldn't.

professor_t said:
Okay, experts, I could use a hand. I currently have a Frankenstein's monster of a PC that's a mix of a great GPU, a good power source, decent RAM, an SSD, an aging case and a flagging CPU. I mainly want to upgrade the CPU and the case, so I'm looking for recommendations on:

A new CPU (I'm leaning toward a 5800x)
A matching motherboard (I have no idea)
A good case (I mostly care about good looks and good airflow; it doesn't need to be compact)

Here's what I have:

GPU - EVGA RTX 3080 FTW Ultra
RAM - Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Power - Corsair RM 850x
Storage - a combo of an SSD and an HDD (for extra storage)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (I also will do my own digging if pointed in the right direction).

Cost really isn't much of an issue for me. I don't want to WASTE money, but I don't really have limits if the final product is worth it. However, I also don't want to wait forever, which is why I lean toward a 5800 over a 5900.

I assume this is for gaming? 5800x and any mobo from the major brands depending on the aesthetics and price you want is fine. Among the various price points/tiers, mobos have almost exactly the same features. I'll always stan ASUS ROG so check out the Strix Gaming line.

Would also bump that 16GB RAM to 32 if you're playing AAA titles these days.

I've been using open-air cases for almost a decade so don't have any useful input there.

PhantomFFR · Jul 9, 2021

professor_t said:
Okay, experts, I could use a hand. I currently have a Frankenstein's monster of a PC that's a mix of a great GPU, a good power source, decent RAM, an SSD, an aging case and a flagging CPU. I mainly want to upgrade the CPU and the case, so I'm looking for recommendations on:

A new CPU (I'm leaning toward a 5800x)
A matching motherboard (I have no idea)
A good case (I mostly care about good looks and good airflow; it doesn't need to be compact)

Here's what I have:

GPU - EVGA RTX 3080 FTW Ultra
RAM - Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Power - Corsair RM 850x
Storage - a combo of an SSD and an HDD (for extra storage)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (I also will do my own digging if pointed in the right direction).

Cost really isn't much of an issue for me. I don't want to WASTE money, but I don't really have limits if the final product is worth it. However, I also don't want to wait forever, which is why I lean toward a 5800 over a 5900.

...what CPU, mainboard and case do you currently have?

Zoidn · Jul 9, 2021

professor_t said:
Okay, experts, I could use a hand. I currently have a Frankenstein's monster of a PC that's a mix of a great GPU, a good power source, decent RAM, an SSD, an aging case and a flagging CPU. I mainly want to upgrade the CPU and the case, so I'm looking for recommendations on:

A new CPU (I'm leaning toward a 5800x)
A matching motherboard (I have no idea)
A good case (I mostly care about good looks and good airflow; it doesn't need to be compact)

For those three I feel 5800x, B550 Tomahawk and the Meshify 2 could be good choices.

Vulcano's Assistant · Jul 9, 2021

professor_t said:
Okay, experts, I could use a hand. I currently have a Frankenstein's monster of a PC that's a mix of a great GPU, a good power source, decent RAM, an SSD, an aging case and a flagging CPU. I mainly want to upgrade the CPU and the case, so I'm looking for recommendations on:

A new CPU (I'm leaning toward a 5800x)
A matching motherboard (I have no idea)
A good case (I mostly care about good looks and good airflow; it doesn't need to be compact)

Here's what I have:

GPU - EVGA RTX 3080 FTW Ultra
RAM - Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Power - Corsair RM 850x
Storage - a combo of an SSD and an HDD (for extra storage)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (I also will do my own digging if pointed in the right direction).

Cost really isn't much of an issue for me. I don't want to WASTE money, but I don't really have limits if the final product is worth it. However, I also don't want to wait forever, which is why I lean toward a 5800 over a 5900.

5800X sounds good, I've seen them recently on deals too, so they are no longer at inflated prices, I think.
Mobo for that is a choice between X570 and B550. The main difference between the two chipsets is that B550 has a single x16 slot for GPUs that is PCIe 4.0 and a single M.2 port for nvme SSDs that are PCIe 4.0 ( the rest being 3.0), while x570 could have two of each or more.
There are both expensive and cheaper models of each, but the ceiling is on X570 models and the floor on B550.
I would say you are looking for a B550 board around $150 or a x570 around $190, if I had to say a brand, then MSI. There is no performance or gaming benefit of going for a $250 board or more unless you really like an specific feature that's found only on a particular expensive board ( for example SLI capability, or if you want at least 3 M.2 ports, or hell simply for the looks)

For cases, there are various brands putting out consistently good airflow options for the past two years or so. I would say check which one you prefer the looks between these and/or their size variations:
- Fractal Design Meshify 2 ( 2 XL, 2 Compact)
- Corsair 4000D Airflow ( 5000D, 7000D)
- Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh
- Lian Li 215
- Lian Li O11 Dynamic (O11 Air, O11 XL, O11 Mini)( these don't have as good airflow as mesh cases but they are the ever popular choice for people wanting to display the interior components)
- Phanteks Eclipse P400A (P200A, P300A, P360A, P500A)
- Phanteks Eclipse P600
- be Quiet! Pure Base 500DX

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

Well, Tosca isn't for everyone

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