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

[Nekyrrev]

Hi everyone.

I have an ok computer atm but my GPU (RX 480) is clearly keeping me down. I'm thinking about upgrading but when I look at the 2070 and 2080 prices I just can't put that much money in a GPU. Would buying an AMD RX 5700xt right now be stupid ? I've seen they have some driver issues but are they that bad ?
I know a new generation is on the horizon but I'm just impatient.

 

[Deleted member 25042]

Hi everyone.

I have an ok computer atm but my GPU (RX 480) is clearly keeping me down. I'm thinking about upgrading but when I look at the 2070 and 2080 prices I just can't put that much money in a GPU. Would buying an AMD RX 5700xt right now be stupid ? I've seen they have some driver issues but are they that bad ?
I know a new generation is on the horizon but I'm just impatient.

Click to shrink...

Buy one at a place with a good return policy.

Alternatively, if you're okay with losing around 8% raw perf for a more future proof architecture (RT, DLSS, VRS, mesh shaders etc + stuff like nvenc if you stream) you can go the 2060S route.

 

[Chessguy1]

It looks like my GPU in my PC is kaput. A 1070, i've had it since launch. A bunch of tiny red squares appeared on the screen while gaming and my PC crashed, and now it appears fairly consistently when trying to play a game. It has gotten worse, and now it will happen right when i bootup windows and tries to load the graphics driver i assume. If i can get past that and I don't run a game the PC works fine though, haha. I have tried everything to fix it except a full windows install.

I have a 3600x, and 90% of my gaming on a PC is playing overwatch on all low settings on a 165 fps G-SYNC monitor. I remember overwatch barely used up any resources on my 1070 while playing it, its mainly a CPU game for high framerates i believe.

Please recommend me a card. Budget is $400, but if i can get by with a $150 card that will be great as i pretty much only play overwatch. I dunno if i should get a cheap card now and use it for a year or two then upgrade, or just get a 2070 now.

Thanks, and remember i need it ASAP. Looking to order it tonight for i don't end up PC-less when my GPU fully kicks the bucket.

Click to shrink...

UPDATE:

Since my card would crash everytime I would try to run anything that required using more GPU power, i kept my computer on but just used it for light tasks like browsing the internet (the past week or so) while waiting for my new card to arrive.

My new card arrived finally like 2 weeks later (amazon delays) which is today and i booted up a game fully expecting it to crash. my old GPU is now working flawlessly, after constantly crashing for over a week. i went from praying it wouldn't crash at windows bootup til doing everything no problem now. shrug. go figure. i might just keep the 2060 super i guess, havent even installed it.

 

[NovumVeritas]

My current build is a 8600k paired with a GTX 1070 in a R6 White TG case. I don't really have a set build in mind yet but I've been thinking a Ryzen 4000 8c/16t paired with a mid-range RTX 3000 all put in a case not higher than my 24" screen paired with its stand. I'm honestly not confident making it through next-gen with 6c/6t only, I'm only gaming a 1080p 144hz VRR but I know my GTX 1070 won't last forever either even though I don't see myself upgrading to 4k anytime soon since I really don't want to exceed 24" on the monitor-side. Besides my current screen is only a year old. The only bummer will be that my 1070 has a custom-cooler and I really hope I can put it on eventual RTX 3000 cards.

Click to shrink...

Really nice idea you have there. I am pretty sure the dimensions with the customer cooler will be different though. The GPUs getting bulkier and bulkier each generation. What monitor do you have an Acer, ASUS?

 

[skullmuffins]

This might not be the best thread to ask in but can anyone give advice on how to fix my mouse? It seems to want to double click (left side) a lot and I went into the Windows 10 setting and that did nothing. I have iCue installed (M65 Pro), is there anytrhing in there I can try? It's geting rather annoying.

Click to shrink...

it's likely a physical problem with the switch under the left button. we just had a thread yesterday: https://www.resetera.com/threads/my...when-i-single-click-sensitivity-issue.189114/.

 

[Merv]

I'd recommend pairing a 3700X with a X570 instead of B450, more flexible if you want to upgrade to Ryzen 4000 later.

"Improved" is a huge understatement this time heh.

Click to shrink...

B550 sounds good, but June is still aways off.

Maybe I'll splurge a bit.

 

[NiteChylde]

Hi all,

I've mostly been gaming on console the last 13 years, apart from a couple of months of WoW in every expansion. Now I'd love to get back into PC gaming and need help with building my new rig.

This is the configuration I'm thinking about buying:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit

As I've been totally out of the loop when it comes to current hardware I mostly followed suggestions from this thread.

I'd be grateful for any comments from more experienced members.

Does that setup make sense? Anything I should definately swap for reasons?

I'm especially unsure about the SSD. Any better recommendations for fast and reliable SSDs?

And what about the cooler? I've never oc'ed before and probably won't start now. I just want a reliable and silent cooling solution. Should I just use the boxed AMD one? Switch to an AIO watercooling solution? If so, which one would you suggest to someone who has never installed one before?

About the Corsair RMx Power supply, is there a never version available? Only find 2019 versions for the RM, not the RMx.

And lastly: Would it make sense to switch the RAM to a DDR4-3600 variant?

Thanks in advance to everyone who cares to comment!

 

[the doombass]

Looking for a bit of advice/recommendations for upgrading my old build from 2012. I have been out of the PC space for awhile now but would like to upgrade my machine as its super outdated.

Current specs: ASUS P8Z77-V LK, Intel Core i5-2500k @ 3.70 GHz, EVGA Superclocked GeForce GTX 660Ti, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB HDD

Looking at buying these upgrades: RTX 2070 Super, 500 GB SATA SSD, +8GB RAM (Limited to DDR3)

I am basically asking if this is even worth it or if I should just do a completely new build? I don't really care much for the next gen of GPU, just want something that will last me 2-5 years. From my research, the above upgrades should be compatible with my current motherboard but I don't have enough knowledge to know if I will need to do a complete new build or if this would be worth it.

Click to shrink...

Any help would be much appreciated, I am looking to buy the parts in the next day or so.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Any help would be much appreciated, I am looking to buy the parts in the next day or so.

Click to shrink...

Rebuild. Not worth upgrading the RAM over obsolete CPU and mobo combo, and the CPU will bottleneck the 2070S. Plus you probably also need a new PSU for that card.

 

[Raydonn]

Hi all,

I've mostly been gaming on console the last 13 years, apart from a couple of months of WoW in every expansion. Now I'd love to get back into PC gaming and need help with building my new rig.

This is the configuration I'm thinking about buying:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit

As I've been totally out of the loop when it comes to current hardware I mostly followed suggestions from this thread.

I'd be grateful for any comments from more experienced members.

Does that setup make sense? Anything I should definately swap for reasons?

I'm especially unsure about the SSD. Any better recommendations for fast and reliable SSDs?

And what about the cooler? I've never oc'ed before and probably won't start now. I just want a reliable and silent cooling solution. Should I just use the boxed AMD one? Switch to an AIO watercooling solution? If so, which one would you suggest to someone who has never installed one before?

About the Corsair RMx Power supply, is there a never version available? Only find 2019 versions for the RM, not the RMx.

And lastly: Would it make sense to switch to a DDR4-3600 variant?

Thanks in advance to everyone who cares to comment!

Click to shrink...

Your SSD is fine. If you want to save a few dollars, you can get this one:

ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

pcpartpicker.com

It's the same SSD, but has the heatsink attached already. (The gamer brand)
Cooler wise, the stock AMD one will be loud. If you prefer quiet, I would suggest thinking about getting the Noctua DH-15S for RAM compatibility. AIO seems unnecessary, especially if you aren't doing any overclocking.

Noctua NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler

pcpartpicker.com

Your PSU seems fine. It falls under the A Tier list, so I have no objections.

[EOL] PSU Tier List rev. 14.8

PSU Tier List 4.0 rev. 14.8 (END OF LIFE) Last Update: 27-07-2021 Legend : Gray - EoL/obsolete and/or otherwise not recommended for purchase. Green - small form-factor (gold and blue colors are disregarded due to scarcity of SFX PSUs) Gold - best units in the tier (includes requirements for blue ...

linustechtips.com

I would switch to DDR4-3600, if you can afford it.
It has great compatibility with most Zen 2 CPUs and it'll boost your Infinity Fabric speeds without tinkering to give you a couple of more FPS in games.

Any help would be much appreciated, I am looking to buy the parts in the next day or so.

Click to shrink...

Budget would be helpful. SSD always help, no matter how old the system.
Mismatch of CPU/GPU. Horribly CPU bottlenecked. If you're getting more DDR3 Ram, try to get the same model, otherwise you're going to run into potential timing problems.

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Any help would be much appreciated, I am looking to buy the parts in the next day or so.

Click to shrink...

Drop in a ryzen 3600, cheapish board, and 16gb ddr4 3200 or preferably 3600 ram. Yeah it's another $350 or so but totally worth it.

 

[Evolution of Metal]

Hi all,

I've mostly been gaming on console the last 13 years, apart from a couple of months of WoW in every expansion. Now I'd love to get back into PC gaming and need help with building my new rig.

This is the configuration I'm thinking about buying:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit

As I've been totally out of the loop when it comes to current hardware I mostly followed suggestions from this thread.

I'd be grateful for any comments from more experienced members.

Does that setup make sense? Anything I should definately swap for reasons?

I'm especially unsure about the SSD. Any better recommendations for fast and reliable SSDs?

And what about the cooler? I've never oc'ed before and probably won't start now. I just want a reliable and silent cooling solution. Should I just use the boxed AMD one? Switch to an AIO watercooling solution? If so, which one would you suggest to someone who has never installed one before?

About the Corsair RMx Power supply, is there a never version available? Only find 2019 versions for the RM, not the RMx.

And lastly: Would it make sense to switch the RAM to a DDR4-3600 variant?

Thanks in advance to everyone who cares to comment!

Click to shrink...

Your build is fine. All the parts are among great when it comes to their price/performance. Any changes are not worth spending time pondering or evaluating which PSU or Cooler is 10% better price/performance. RAM switch is not worth unless you find it for $10 more.

The only big savings you can make is to get Windows key from ebay for $3.

 

[Menx64]

Question guys. I have a chance to get a brand new RTX 2080 super for cheap ($500~)... Do you think is a wise investment, or waiting for the new GPUs makes more sense? Thank you!

 

[Ted]

Hi all, really silly question that i think I know the answer to but wanted to run it past this thread.

So I have a PC I built in 2016 (1060/Ryzen 1600/8GB RAM) which I use for gaming. The 8GB RAM is in two 4GB 2666mhz sticks. I now have two 8GB 2666mhz sticks that are a different brand. I think the easiest thing to do is pull the old 4GB sticks and just replace them with the two 8GB sticks rather than fuck about with mismatched sizes/brands.

I assume the extra 8GB isn't worth any potential hassle?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time out of their day to answer. Much appreciated.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Question guys. I have a chance to get a brand new RTX 2080 super for cheap ($500~)... Do you think is a wise investment, or waiting for the new GPUs makes more sense? Thank you!

Click to shrink...

At $500 it's a no brainer.

 

[Shoichi]

Question guys. I have a chance to get a brand new RTX 2080 super for cheap ($500~)... Do you think is a wise investment, or waiting for the new GPUs makes more sense? Thank you!

Click to shrink...

Thats an easy yes imo especially for one that is brand new

 

[Vulcano's Assistant]

Hi all, really silly question that i think I know the answer to but wanted to run it past this thread.

So I have a PC I built in 2016 (1060/Ryzen 1600/8GB RAM) which I use for gaming. The 8GB RAM is in two 4GB 2666mhz sticks. I now have two 8GB 2666mhz sticks that are a different brand. I think the easiest thing to do is pull the old 4GB sticks and just replace them with the two 8GB sticks rather than fuck about with mismatched sizes/brands.

I assume the extra 8GB isn't worth any potential hassle?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time out of their day to answer. Much appreciated.

Click to shrink...

One can combine different brands and speeds, but I think at the very minimum they should be of the same sizes.

Is not that the Mobo won't recognize the mismatched set, but who knows what problems it will cause. You may even lose dual channel, but I suppose it depends on the Mobo.

 

[Black_Stride]

Hi all, really silly question that i think I know the answer to but wanted to run it past this thread.

So I have a PC I built in 2016 (1060/Ryzen 1600/8GB RAM) which I use for gaming. The 8GB RAM is in two 4GB 2666mhz sticks. I now have two 8GB 2666mhz sticks that are a different brand. I think the easiest thing to do is pull the old 4GB sticks and just replace them with the two 8GB sticks rather than fuck about with mismatched sizes/brands.

I assume the extra 8GB isn't worth any potential hassle?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time out of their day to answer. Much appreciated.

Click to shrink...

As the speeds are the same speed you should have no problems.
Easy work is to install it and check for any issues, if they are from the same manufacturer you are likely to be able to get by on 24GB of RAM.
If there are any problems just uninstall the 4GB chips.
Extra RAM never killed nobody.

A1 - 4GB
A2 - 8GB
B1 - 4GB
B2 - 8GB

24GB once you get to 16GB of usage the RAM will start performing like single rank RAM but thats not really an issue.
Youve got nothing to really worry about.

 

[Ted]

Hmm, I had sort of assumed like Vulcano's Assistant that it would be a hassle/risk but maybe it is worth a go Black_Stride.

Do you mind if I ask a related question Black_Stride? A1/A2 etc. I assume they are the RAM slots. I was just going to put the 8GB sticks in the slots the 4GB sticks are currently in. Would they be A1/B1? I assume so only based on the assumption that "1" is primary? If all of that is right (probably not!) why the smaller sticks in the primary slots? It seems counter intuitive but so many PC things can be at times I guess.

Sorry fo being a bit of an idiot but I'm afraid I just am a bit of an idiot!

Have a fab day/evening Vulcano's Assistant & Black_Stride (excellent usernames and avatars by the way).

 

[mp77]

I'm putting together my first PC in 8 years and welcome feedback on this potential build. I'm fairly committed to getting a 2080 ti even if isn't especially rational. I have a little more budget to play with so upgrades or change recommendations that are more expensive are ok. Thanks!

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xtXnK4

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($294.14 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *MSI X470 GAMING PLUS MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Dual OC Video Card ($1179.99 @ Amazon)
Case: be quiet! Pure Base 500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.90 @ B&H)
Power Supply: *EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($106.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: be quiet! SilentWings 3 pwm 59.5 CFM 140 mm Fan ($26.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $2095.88

Click to shrink...

I'd go with
ASUS Prime X570-P $149.90
(or a B450 Tomahawk Max if you want to save some bucks)
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 TI GAMING X TRIO $1214 after coupon (+$20 prepaid card by MSI)
(The Asus Dual isn't that great and the price difference is worth it imo)

Click to shrink...

Thanks. I especially appreciate you suggesting a different 2080 ti. Out of curiosity why do you suggest that motherboard?

 

[Black_Stride]

Hmm, I had sort of assumed like Vulcano's Assistant that it would be a hassle/risk but maybe it is worth a go Black_Stride.

Do you mind if I ask a related question Black_Stride? A1/A2 etc. I assume they are the RAM slots. I was just going to put the 8GB sticks in the slots the 4GB sticks are currently in. Would they be A1/B1? I assume so only based on the assumption that "1" is primary? If all of that is right (probably not!) why the smaller sticks in the primary slots? It seems counter intuitive but so many PC things can be at times I guess.

Sorry being a bit of an idiot but I'm afraid I just am a bit of an idiot!

Have a fab day/evening Vulcano's Assistant & Black_Stride (excellent usernames and avatars by the way).

Click to shrink...

Yeah thats the general labeling for motherboards.

A1 is the closest to the CPU
A2 is the one after it.
B1 next
B2 last.

A2 and B2 are said to be the most stable slots so tis why i figured put the bigger chips in there.
Also in the even something goes wrong (highly unlikely), you will still have your bigger chips in the more stable and faster slots.

P.S The only performance difference ive every seen from using A2 and B2 over using A1 and B1 is when overclocking RAM. But ive pretty much just stuck to it since forever now.
Motherboard manuals even print it in nowadays.

 

[asmith906]

Hi everyone.

I have an ok computer atm but my GPU (RX 480) is clearly keeping me down. I'm thinking about upgrading but when I look at the 2070 and 2080 prices I just can't put that much money in a GPU. Would buying an AMD RX 5700xt right now be stupid ? I've seen they have some driver issues but are they that bad ?
I know a new generation is on the horizon but I'm just impatient.

Click to shrink...

A lot of the driver issues have been fixed with AMD's latest driver. I personally haven't had any trouble with my RX 5700

 

[Bosh]

I have a PS2 but it had some hiccups yesterday that I was able to fix. Made me wonder though, how powerful of a PC do you need to emulate PS2 games well?

Been thinking about building a PC more and more lately. For someone that does not need 4k graphics but just wants to enjoy some single player games what type of budget should I be thinking $600 ? More ?

 

[Ted]

Thanks Black_Stride, that's super interesting. Since I'm a stickler for following instructions when it comes to stuff I don't get I think my 4GB stick must be in A2 and B2. I sort of remember similar diagrams in the manual for my motherboard. I'm glad I kept the packaging and stuff for it when I built it, I'll pull that out of the loft to check when I try and install the 8GBs.

I'm thinking that since I've been getting by on 8GB even if I only end I'm with 16GB I'm still up so it's all good. The extra 8GB would just be gravy. Mind, I do like gravy.... mmm.

Thanks again for the answers Black_Stride, this stuff is really interesting but so far out of my wheelhouse!

 

[Nester]

Looking to upgrade my current PC. I currently have -

i7-4790
16GB DDR3
EVGA 2070 RTX, moving to the new PC
256GB SSD primary drive, 4TB data drive
Avermedia C985 HDMI capture card (secondary, only does 720p60) and Micomsoft USB 3.0 HDMI capture card (primary, 1080p60)

I have to purchase everything from Microcenter, so this is what I'm looking at for a build -

i9-9900k (They're all sold out of Ryzen's so it's not an option but I prefer Intel anyways)
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro
Inland M.2 drive replacing the current SSD, which will go in a new media PC we'll be building with the old PC guts.
32GB RAM which we'll probably be upgrading to 64 in the next few months.

PC is mainly used for streaming console games (I use the GPU for encoding, not the CPU) and I'll be putting an Avermedia 4k Live Gamer internal capture card in there along with the USB 3.0 HDMI capture card we use right now.

Any suggestions for things I should change? There's not a whole ton to select from in the motherboard department, that's the only place I feel I could improve.

Ordered the Avermedia 4k capture card from Best Buy and it's not arriving until May 4th so I think I'm just going to watch the stock levels of motherboards at Microcenter until then and not be so pushy to buy right away today.

 

[Black_Stride]

I have a PS2 but it had some hiccups yesterday that I was able to fix. Made me wonder though, how powerful of a PC do you need to emulate PS2 games well?

Been thinking about building a PC more and more lately. For someone that does not need 4k graphics but just wants to enjoy some single player games what type of budget should I be thinking $600 ? More ?

Click to shrink...

You can get by with a pretty weak computer by todays standard if trying to emulate a PS2.
Like pretty much any midrange processor from the last 10 years paired with a GPU from the last maybe 6 to 10 years again.
I know people having smooth 60 all day everyday with 2500Ks matched to GTX770s.


You could easily build an emulation machine for cheap today and depend on the route you go you could even have it as a decent 1080p machine.

AMD 3200G
Any B450 motherboard
Nvidia GTX anything if its in the shops likely it will get the job done. Find a cheap GTX 9 or 10 and you should be able to even push PS3 and X360 games no problem
8GB of RAM.

You dont even need a GPU right now, you can test to see f the 3200G can push whatever game you are trying to run on its iGPU (But id get an iGPU).

Should be under 600 dollars.

 

[Bosh]

You can get by with a pretty weak computer by todays standard if trying to emulate a PS2.
Like pretty much any midrange processor from the last 10 years paired with a GPU from the last maybe 6 to 10 years again.
I know people having smooth 60 all day everyday with 2500Ks matched to GTX770s.


You could easily build an emulation machine for cheap today and depend on the route you go you could even have it as a decent 1080p machine.

AMD 3200G
Any B450 motherboard
Nvidia GTX anything if its in the shops likely it will get the job done. Find a cheap GTX 9 or 10 and you should be able to even push PS3 and X360 games no problem
8GB of RAM.

You dont even need a GPU right now, you can test to see f the 3200G can push whatever game you are trying to run on its iGPU (But id get an iGPU).

Should be under 600 dollars.

Click to shrink...

Good information and thank you for the detailed post! I already have a 29inch 21:9 style monitor for work (nice big Excel screen!) So don't have to worry about that for time being.

 

[Skyfireblaze]

Really nice idea you have there. I am pretty sure the dimensions with the customer cooler will be different though. The GPUs getting bulkier and bulkier each generation. What monitor do you have an Acer, ASUS?

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I hope it will turn out well :) And yeah that's my fear too, although the Arctic Xtreme III is really beefy bit itself so aslong as the mount and cooling-points match it should be doable. I just hope the cooler is reusable at all, I didn't do the replacement myself but rather brought my GPU and the cooler to a local PC shop for installation. And my monitor is a MSI Optix MAG241CR.

 

[NovumVeritas]

Thanks, I hope it will turn out well :) And yeah that's my fear too, although the Arctic Xtreme III is really beefy bit itself so aslong as the mount and cooling-points match it should be doable. I just hope the cooler is reusable at all, I didn't do the replacement myself but rather brought my GPU and the cooler to a local PC shop for installation. And my monitor is a MSI Optix MAG241CR.

Click to shrink...

I read good things about the monitor, I hope the cooler will work out for you. I never installed a custom cooler for a GPU though.
And you are welcome :)

 

[Vex]

Motherfuck.

UPS guy comes to my house and drops my CPU over the fucking fence like he performing a game-winning slam dunk. Just walks away without even ringing the doorbell. I have a front patio camera and saw this shit when I wasn't around. My fence is high as hell and he let it drop on the concrete.

My shit better not be fucked up.

 

[Lady Bow]

Planning a first build right now. Could I get a check over my pc parts list to make sure everything's alright?

(Build is for 144hz 1080p-1440p Gaming w/ overclocking + Video Editing/Photoshop)

(Budget: $1,700-$1,800)

(Would like to stick with Nvidia/Intel)


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($514.00 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X63 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $1730.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-22 18:53 EDT-0400

 

[Deleted member 25042]

Thanks. I especially appreciate you suggesting a different 2080 ti. Out of curiosity why do you suggest that motherboard?

Click to shrink...

For the price, it's one of the better X570 boards with solid VRM performance.
It's pretty simple though so if you want more I/O, wifi etc a TUF X570-Plus (Wifi or not) would be a good option
It's $190 though so quite a bit more than your original choice

Top 5 Best X570 Motherboards

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedMerch: http://crowdmade.com/hardwareunboxedGigabyte X570 Aorus Elite: https://amzn.to/2Z3759IAs...

www.youtube.com

Budget X570 VRM Thermal Performance, A Must Watch For Potential Buyers!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedMerch: http://store.hardwareunboxed.comAsus Prime X570-P: https://amzn.to/2LjRKd4Asrock X570 Pr...

www.youtube.com

 

[Relix]

Weird request.
My new PC will be on a different room. A studio basically where I work. I have a monitor there that i plan to upgrade at sometime to a high frame rate (currently it's an ultra wide 1080 capped at 60). Still, my 4K and home theater are on the other room. I'd like to plug my PC every once in a while to that TV to get some nice 4K HDR and comfy couch. What are my choices here?

1. Just buy a long ass HDMI cable and connect to the Tv? It's about 40 feet.
2. Disconnect shit and move my tower when I want to do this
3. Is there a solution that can help me with this that I am not aware of?

 

[catpurrcat]

Weird request.
My new PC will be on a different room. A studio basically where I work. I have a monitor there that i plan to upgrade at sometime to a high frame rate (currently it's an ultra wide 1080 capped at 60). Still, my 4K and home theater are on the other room. I'd like to plug my PC every once in a while to that TV to get some nice 4K HDR and comfy couch. What are my choices here?

1. Just buy a long ass HDMI cable and connect to the Tv? It's about 40 feet.
2. Disconnect shit and move my tower when I want to do this
3. Is there a solution that can help me with this that I am not aware of?

Click to shrink...

Run an "active" HDMI cable if you're using a long length like that. They cost more (obviously) but it will be able to carry the signal at 4k HDR for long distances without dropping or flickering.

 

[ThereAreFourNaan]

Hi everyone.

I have an ok computer atm but my GPU (RX 480) is clearly keeping me down. I'm thinking about upgrading but when I look at the 2070 and 2080 prices I just can't put that much money in a GPU. Would buying an AMD RX 5700xt right now be stupid ? I've seen they have some driver issues but are they that bad ?
I know a new generation is on the horizon but I'm just impatient.

Click to shrink...

The 5700xt, if the drivers are stable, is a good price:perf card. The big question is more like - do you want to buy a GPU that explicitly lacks several features consoles shipping in 6 months will have? If you're planning on the 5700xt as a stopgap card, I think it'll do you well, but if you plan to keep this for 3+ years I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[elLOaSTy]

Looking to build a PC. As a MAC OS user I was going to build a new laptop to replace my aging 15inch retina. Instead I'll keep using this as a personal computer until it dies and use that money towards a PC.

That said I have a budget of around 2 thousand dollars to spend. THis will be my first custom PC and really the first PC I have owned since 2005.

I'm going to use it for video editing, digital illistration, gaming, streaming and VR. I'd like a very capable system, with a fast SSD but the SSD size doesn't need to be massive.

I'm thinking Intel because that's all I've used but I'm open to AMD especially if Intel is about to Upgrade and AMD is mid cycle. I'd be down for a 2080 but if it means I have to compromise on other factors too much it's not the most important.

I also honestly don't need lights on my machine at all. In fact the more invisible I can make it the better.

The PC part picker in the initial thread was very helpful. The high end gaming AMD/Intel builds are really great places to start.

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

This is where I'm at now, but truthfully I could spend more if It could get me better performance. My friend sent me this build based on everything but included a monitor which I don't need as I already have a great monitor to use, which gives me some more room.

Any recommendations from the forum? I'd love my first build to go well.

 

[Nida]

Any recommendations for a monitor for $700 or under? I was going to go with the 27 inch Asus that was recommended in another thread but it's OOS on Amazon unless I want to pay a $300 markup.

 

[Cream Stout]

EVGA has their 2080 Super XC Ultra for $609 (with r/buildapcsales affiliate code) but it's a B-stock.

Worth the leap?

 

[LorentzFactor]

Made a last minute MB change as Newegg had a pretty good deal for the ASUS X570-I STRIX but for backorder. Hopefully it goes through in a couple weeks. Also, I think I'll try a custom water loop eventually but as I'll likely upgrade with Nvidia's new GPU line release and I don't what to waste money for a waterblock on my current GPU.

 

[Vulcano's Assistant]

Looking to build a PC. As a MAC OS user I was going to build a new laptop to replace my aging 15inch retina. Instead I'll keep using this as a personal computer until it dies and use that money towards a PC.

That said I have a budget of around 2 thousand dollars to spend. THis will be my first custom PC and really the first PC I have owned since 2005.

I'm going to use it for video editing, digital illistration, gaming, streaming and VR. I'd like a very capable system, with a fast SSD but the SSD size doesn't need to be massive.

I'm thinking Intel because that's all I've used but I'm open to AMD especially if Intel is about to Upgrade and AMD is mid cycle. I'd be down for a 2080 but if it means I have to compromise on other factors too much it's not the most important.

I also honestly don't need lights on my machine at all. In fact the more invisible I can make it the better.

The PC part picker in the initial thread was very helpful. The high end gaming AMD/Intel builds are really great places to start.

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB AORUS Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

This is where I'm at now, but truthfully I could spend more if It could get me better performance. My friend sent me this build based on everything but included a monitor which I don't need as I already have a great monitor to use, which gives me some more room.

Any recommendations from the forum? I'd love my first build to go well.

Click to shrink...

The i7 9700K is on a weird spot if you want to build a PC for work and streaming as well as gaming; it being a i7 K model without hyper-threading. Good speed, but for the price not the optimal choice for video editing and streaming, you are getting 8 cores, but not 16 threads.

If you were to go for a Ryzen 7 3700X to get 16-threads it would look something like this:

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

Other changes/suggestions:
- Cooler: The 3700X comes with the Wraith Prism cooler, the hyper 212 isn't a big step up over it. You would be fine without an additional cooler, but I added am Artic Freezer 34 eSports Duo because it is the cheapest decent step up over both Hyper 212 and Wraith Prism.

edit: Welp, the 34 eSports Duo used to be around $37, now it is approaching $50. Then another options are Thermalright coolers around $50. Just heads up that they are tall and don't fit every case.

SSD: The Crucial P1 is Crucial's cheapest and slowest NVMe. Since you mentioned speed, I switched it for the The ADATA SX8200 Pro because it is a faster drive, and recommended for tasks like video editing. Very close to Samsung 970 EVO performance, but cheaper.

GPU: You said you didn't care about lights, since that Aorus 2080 Super if full of them, and is likely more expensive than other options in part because of aesthetic features, I changed it to Gigabyte's other more boring looking model.

Case: There is a Meshify C that doesn't have a glass side panel, it is a little cheaper, and that way any internal LEDs can be ignored. Another option around the same price could be the be Quiet! Pure Base 600 or Pure Base 500, but these are not as open for airflow as the meshify C.

 

[elLOaSTy]

The i7 9700K is on a weird spot if you want to build a PC for work and streaming as well as gaming; it being a i7 K model without hyper-threading. Good speed, but for the price not the optimal choice for video editing and streaming, you are getting 8 cores, but not 16 threads.

If you were to go for a Ryzen 7 3700X to get 16-threads it would look something like this:

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

Other changes/suggestions:
- Cooler: The 3700X comes with the Wraith Prism cooler, the hyper 212 isn't a big step up over it. You would be fine without an additional cooler, but I added am Artic Freezer 34 eSports Duo because it is the cheapest decent step up over both Hyper 212 and Wraith Prism.

edit: Welp, the 34 eSports Duo used to be around $37, now it is approaching $50. Then another options are Thermalright coolers around $50. Just heads up that they are tall and don't fit every case.

SSD: The Crucial P1 is Crucial's cheapest and slowest NVMe. Since you mentioned speed, I switched it for the The ADATA SX8200 Pro because it is a faster drive, and recommended for tasks like video editing. Very close to Samsung 970 EVO performance, but cheaper.

GPU: You said you didn't care about lights, since that Aorus 2080 Super if full of them, and is likely more expensive than other options in part because of aesthetic features, I changed it to Gigabyte's other more boring looking model.

Case: There is a Meshify C that doesn't have a glass side panel, it is a little cheaper, and that way any internal LEDs can be ignored. Another option around the same price could be the be Quiet! Pure Base 600 or Pure Base 500, but these are not as open for airflow as the meshify C.

Click to shrink...

Thank you! This is a great comprehensive breakdown, very helpful. I don't really hate or care for the lights, I just want the PC to be as efficient as possible even if it sacrifices style.

Also those are some big points for ssd speed, threading and cooling. This setup is about 1800 when I remove the display so thats great.

 

[Vulcano's Assistant]

Thank you! This is a great comprehensive breakdown, very helpful. I don't really hate or care for the lights, I just want the PC to be as efficient as possible even if it sacrifices style.

Also those are some big points for ssd speed, threading and cooling. This setup is about 1800 when I remove the display so thats great.

Click to shrink...

I just recalled that on Ryzen another area where you could squeeze a bit more performance is by getting RAM with a lower CAS latency. This pair should be a bit faster than the ones you chose, which are 18. It is not as a good a deal as those other modules, but getting two of 16Gb instead of 4 of 8GB, helps a bit, so it is not a lot more.

 

[Vulcano's Assistant]

Planning a first build right now. Could I get a check over my pc parts list to make sure everything's alright?

(Build is for 144hz 1080p-1440p Gaming w/ overclocking + Video Editing/Photoshop)

(Budget: $1,700-$1,800)

(Would like to stick with Nvidia/Intel)


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($514.00 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X63 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan ($21.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $1730.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-22 18:53 EDT-0400

Click to shrink...

Not sure if by choice, but the only thing that sticks out to me is that the M.2 SSD is a SATA SSD.

DRAMless and only up to 2,400 MBps reads, so not the best Nvme performance, but Western Digital has this $120 priced model that is NVMe.

Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

pcpartpicker.com

But if you want a drive that does go up to 3000MBps reads, Inland Premium 1 TB seems to be the most affordable at the moment.

Inland Premium 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

pcpartpicker.com

 

[Lady Bow]

Not sure if by choice, but the only thing that sticks out to me is that the M.2 SSD is a SATA SSD.

DRAMless and only up to 2,400 MBps reads, so not the best Nvme performance, but Western Digital has this $120 priced model that is NVMe.

Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

pcpartpicker.com

But if you want a drive that does go up to 3000MBps reads, Inland Premium 1 TB seems to be the most affordable at the moment.

Inland Premium 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

pcpartpicker.com

Click to shrink...

Ooh thanks for catching my flub. I did mean to get an NVME and not SATA. I do think I'll go with that Inland drive, seems like a good combo of price/performance.

 

[NiteChylde]

Thank you to everyone who commented on my build! I pulled the trigger last night and ordered the following stuff:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

I just hope all the stuff will be delivered within the next couple of days. We have some major problems with parcel deliveries here in Germany right now, due to COVID-19. Curious to see if I'll be able to start building sometime next week.

Without overclocking, should I add some more fans to the case? It comes with 2x 120mm fans (1 front / 1 back). Or should that be enough? I have no experience with current hardware and keep wondering...

Besides that, I could need a good recommendation for either a WQHD or UHD screen, 27 to 32 inches, 144hz with HDR and G-Sync or FreeSync (which I understand should be enough thanks to current nVIDIA drivers supporting it) that's decently priced. I've checked several models but they either were way too expensive in my eyes or something else was off that I didn't like, like the screen being fixed on its stand and not being adjustable really, stuff like that. Maybe someone can point me in a good direction.

 

[Nekyrrev]

Alternatively, if you're okay with losing around 8% raw perf for a more future proof architecture (RT, DLSS, VRS, mesh shaders etc + stuff like nvenc if you stream) you can go the 2060S route.

Click to shrink...

The 5700xt, if the drivers are stable, is a good price:perf card. The big question is more like - do you want to buy a GPU that explicitly lacks several features consoles shipping in 6 months will have? If you're planning on the 5700xt as a stopgap card, I think it'll do you well, but if you plan to keep this for 3+ years I wouldn't recommend it.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for your answers, it's pretty comprehensive.
I didn't think about DLSS but it's indeed a pretty big deal. I'll wait a bit and I might go for a 2060 if I see a good price.

 

[ThereAreFourNaan]

Thank you for your answers, it's pretty comprehensive.
I didn't think about DLSS but it's indeed a pretty big deal. I'll wait a bit and I might go for a 2060 if I see a good price.

Click to shrink...

I'd suggest the 2060 super if you can budget for it, because the move to 8GB of VRAM will help with some longevity versus 6GB. Better performance in general is just a bonus on top there.

 

[Polyh3dron]

Congratulations on your purchase. I hope to read some impressions.

Click to shrink...

All I knew of HDR prior to this ASUS ROG PG27UQ monitor purchase was my experience with my LG E9 OLED. The local dimming on the screen feels a tad cheap in comparison. And yeah, even with my 2080 Ti, very few games will actually run at 4K and 144Hz. But the great thing is that I can play games at 1440p with HDR and 144 Hz, or play them in 4K at a lower frame rate, and having G-Sync makes the frame rate chugging hardly noticeable most of the time. Also, I'll be ready for 4K/144 Hz whenever the cards come out that can pull that off. The colors and HDR are incredibly accurate. Bottom line, I am really happy that I was able to get a monitor that truly does it all, even if current graphics cards won't let it do all of the things all of the time. As far as I'm concerned, it was money well spent since I highly doubt I will see a better 16:9 monitor for a long time, aside from how bummed I will be when the PS5 can't take full advantage of it due to the lack of HDMI 2.1 in it.

 

[Skyfireblaze]

I read good things about the monitor, I hope the cooler will work out for you. I never installed a custom cooler for a GPU though.
And you are welcome :)

Click to shrink...

Whatever you read I can confirm it, I bought it on a whim by an ERA recommendation after my old monitor broke and I instantly felt in heaven as soon as I enabled 144hz and G-Sync :D I needed half an hour to get used to the curve and I definitely don't regret picking 1080p 144hz over 4k 60hz. And thanks, yeah with all my experience that part I felt was better left to professionals, if I had damaged my 1070 back then I would have been devastated.

 

[Raydonn]

Thank you to everyone who commented on my build! I pulled the trigger last night and ordered the following stuff:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

I just hope all the stuff will be delivered within the next couple of days. We have some major problems with parcel deliveries here in Germany right now, due to COVID-19. Curious to see if I'll be able to start building sometime next week.

Without overclocking, should I add some more fans to the case? It comes with 2x 120mm fans (1 front / 1 back). Or should that be enough? I have no experience with current hardware and keep wondering...

Besides that, I could need a good recommendation for either a WQHD or UHD screen, 27 to 32 inches, 144hz with HDR and G-Sync or FreeSync (which I understand should be enough thanks to current nVIDIA drivers supporting it) that's decently priced. I've checked several models but they either were way too expensive in my eyes or something else was off that I didn't like, like the screen being fixed on its stand and not being adjustable really, stuff like that. Maybe someone can point me in a good direction.

Click to shrink...

No OC = More fans are useless. Your system will run at around 30-40C at idle, depending on ambient temp, and reach up to ~75C at max load. (At idle, some fans will probably not even spin.) That's all within fine limits. Adding a fan or two will knock off maybe 5 degrees at most. Just clean the case annually (more if pets involved) of dust to keep the airflow intact. (Use a hairdryer on no-heat setting.)

Budget for monitor? You can also check out these review websites for an idea.

Monitor Reviews: Best of 2024

311 Monitor reviews. Start with our picks for the best monitors below. These are the ones we recommend based on our testing and in-depth monitor reviews.

www.rtings.com

Reviews of Monitors and Displays from TFTCentral

Expert monitor and display reviews with in depth analysis, testing, results and measurements. In depth, thorough and experienced

www.tftcentral.co.uk

But generally, the recommendation is either the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ or LG 27GL850.