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Crazymoogle

Crazymoogle

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Oct 25, 2017
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Thank you! I've replaced it with the 2x16gb. I don't imagine myself going over 32gb but I guess it's better to leave it as an option. Cheaper too. I do like the look for 4 full sticks more but can't complain.

With the plan to add an AIO/Ryzen 4900x/Ampere 3000 card in 6 or so months when everything is available.

The only other addition I want to add are case fans -- up to 9 for my case (3 on top, 3 on side, 3 on bottom). It looks like the TUF MB will support that without issue, but I just want to ask: will my case be fine for the next few months without any fans?

Anything else stand out?

If 4 sticks was truly important, I would buy Corsair Vengeance RGB x2 and then get 2 dummy sticks as seen in a post above. Generally speaking you are better off on 2 sticks and it eliminates any sort of timing issues you could theoretically have on 4 sticks. But easily the most cost effective route is the 2x16 you have there.

You'll be fine with the 3600 fan for now. It's hardly the quietest thing, but it's small, it's free and it will be hidden inside that giant case. Maybe it runs hot sometimes but nothing crazy. Build setup looks good. I have the 3600 + TUF + Neo, it's good. I roll with a Dark Rock Slim fan though. I would probably want at least one case fan in that giant, but apart from running hot I don't think it will kill your build.

Gonna get a 2TB NVMe drive for my next build. Which one do you think is better for the money (price, longevity, speed, warranty and performance while full to be taken into consideration)?

Corsair MP600
Seagate Firecuda 520
Sabrent Rocket 4.0

I've been leaning to the Corsair MP600, but let me know what you think. Thanks!

I've heard just enough complaints on the Corsair forums to go for the Sabrent or Firecuda. But all three use the same chipset so I'm not really sure of the problem. I prefer the AORUS to all of them if price was equal, but generally I like Sabrent as a cheap brand.

Knowing it's Samsung, I'm guessing they will be $500+ for 2tb?

Yes, well they are starting on PCIe 4 with the Samsung 980 Pro, which is already at a strong premium over the Evo line. Expect a high price.
 

Deleted member 51957

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You definitely dont want to run it without any airflow.

Awesome, I'll try to find some fans at microcenter today but it looks like they are mostly out of stock... Unfortunate.

I was planning on doing 3 intake on the side, 3 intake on the bottom, and 3 exhaust through the AIO rad at the top... Could I potentially just order 2 sets of 3 fans and do 3 intake on side, 3 exhaust at the top for now? I'm trying to get the bare minimum setup until I pump a ton of money into this build towards the end of the year.
 
OP
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Crazymoogle

Crazymoogle

Game Developer
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,897
Asia
Awesome, I'll try to find some fans at microcenter today but it looks like they are mostly out of stock... Unfortunate.

I was planning on doing 3 intake on the side, 3 intake on the bottom, and 3 exhaust through the AIO rad at the top... Could I potentially just order 2 sets of 3 fans and do 3 intake on side, 3 exhaust at the top for now? I'm trying to get the bare minimum setup until I pump a ton of money into this build towards the end of the year.

Sure. Honestly you don't need much, just some in and out on the airflow to keep it rolling. It's going to heat up anyway with the GTX970 and 3600 screaming at full load.
 

Deleted member 179

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If you plan to upgrade your CPU down the line yeah it doesn't hurt, check prices for ASUS VG27AQ and LG 27GL850, see which is more to your liking. Just beware that your current CPU might not be able to push games to >60 fps consistently.
I figured as much. All else fails, I'll just move them over to the 1080p screen for the time being if they can't run 60. I haven't kept up on the G-Sync/Freesync battle in a while since it hasn't really mattered for me yet, will an Nvidia GPU use either now or are they still G-Sync only?

Edit: Prices on the LG are 150-200 higher than MSRP, which sucks because it sounds like the better monitor. I can get it on backorder at B&H at least.
 
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SolidSnakeUS

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,869
I've heard just enough complaints on the Corsair forums to go for the Sabrent or Firecuda. But all three use the same chipset so I'm not really sure of the problem. I prefer the AORUS to all of them if price was equal, but generally I like Sabrent as a cheap brand.



Yes, well they are starting on PCIe 4 with the Samsung 980 Pro, which is already at a strong premium over the Evo line. Expect a high price.

What are the specific complaints about the Corsair one that you've read?

And yeah, the Pros will definitely be way up there in price.
 

SolidSnakeUS

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,869
So, 80€ more than the competition? but also +50% faster?
At that 430€+ price point 80€ more or less start becoming a bit less relevant.

The problem is that they would more than likely start with the Pro version, which are notoriously more expensive than basically anything that isn't the Optane 905p.
 

maped

Member
Mar 7, 2018
240
What are some recommendations for the best AM4 board for PCIe expansion slots? I'm looking to merge my gaming PC and unraid server and just create a VM for gaming. It will have a couple of GPUs (1 is just for Plex transcoding, so it shouldn't need x16 bandwidth...I think). Ideally I would also be able to support an HBA and maybe 1 or 2 other expansion cards.

Depends on the bandwidth need for your other expansion cards, the best you're gonna get on am4 is three native x8 and one x1, one x4 and one x2 NVME m.2 slot and one x4 U.2 slot on Asus X570 Ace. Then again, an NVME m.2 slot is only a cheap adapter away from being a pcie x4 slot, so, board layout permitting, basically any of the around 300€/$ board should have enough slots. Most of those have two x8 , two x1 and an x4 slot natively, and two x4 and one x2 m.2 slot, and even populating all of them you shouldn't be loosing more than maybe a sata port or two.
 

ApeEscaper

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,727
Bangladeshi
Just bought the AOC 24G2U as suggested by Hardware Unboxed:



First time using 144hz turned it on, i tried his calibration settings but i don't know it feels off the colours, maybe because his model is 24G2 (not with U) my one with the U model includes speakers and USB hub, apparently someone in comments said different contrast settings i don't know

Also is it worth turning on Adaptive Sync/Freesync? I use RTX 2060
 

Deleted member 2474

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Just bought the AOC 24G2U as suggested by Hardware Unboxed:



First time using 144hz turned it on, i tried his calibration settings but i don't know it feels off the colours, maybe because his model is 24G2 (not with U) my one with the U model includes speakers and USB hub, apparently someone in comments said different contrast settings i don't know

Also is it worth turning on Adaptive Sync/Freesync? I use RTX 2060


calibration settings are gonna vary slightly from panel to panel. even moreso on monitors that aren't really meant for color work, like a lot of gaming monitors where color consistency isn't a high priority when sourcing panels.

and yeah, definitely use freesync. makes for a much nicer experience in games where you can't hold a solid 144hz.
 

ApeEscaper

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,727
Bangladeshi
calibration settings are gonna vary slightly from panel to panel. even moreso on monitors that aren't really meant for color work, like a lot of gaming monitors where color consistency isn't a high priority when sourcing panels.

and yeah, definitely use freesync. makes for a much nicer experience in games where you can't hold a solid 144hz.

AOC 24G2U (24G2) Review | PC Monitors

A review of the AOC 24G2U (24G2). A 23.8" Full HD IPS model with 144Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync and a generous colour gamut.

Just found this pro calibration settings he mentioned HDMI cable has different colours etc limited RGB maybe that's why!

For some reason when i use Displayport cable No Signal. When i changed to HDMI this monitor finally works.... why does it do that i wanna use Displayport

Also i have solid 144hz, i checked online people say for omnline competitive games you shouldn't turn it on increased input lag
 
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Duck Sauce

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Oct 30, 2017
2,465
United States
So right now I have a ROG SWIFT PG35VQ. Its great and all but i'm thinking I need bigger.

I'm thinking of switching to a Samsung Odyssey G9. Anyone think its worth it?
 

Naru

Member
May 11, 2019
2,379
I was looking for a new SSD and came across something called "M.2". I never heard of it until now and was happy to see that my B450 board supports it. I bought a 1TB "WD Blue™ SN550 NVMe™ SSD" since it did cost just 10€ more (110€) than a normal SSD and the benefit of having less cables was just worth it.
 

Deleted member 51957

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I really went down the RGB rabbit hole today and ended up getting two sets of the ridiculously overpriced Corsair QL 120s. Anybody else have these? My understanding is that 6 fans is easy to manage via iCue but throwing in another 3 when I eventually get an AIO down the line will make things wild, requiring a "Commander Pro." What have I gotten myself into.

Regardless, I'm excited to build this Saturday!
 

opticalmace

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,044
So right now I have a ROG SWIFT PG35VQ. Its great and all but i'm thinking I need bigger.

I'm thinking of switching to a Samsung Odyssey G9. Anyone think its worth it?
I'm not familiar but first Q I'd ask is if you definitely want to stick to ultrawide. For instance, a 27" 16:9 monitor is basically the same vertical space as a 34" 21:9 (http://www.displaywars.com/27-inch-16x9-vs-34-inch-21x9). So if you're more looking for vertical than horizontal, I'd consider 16:9. Depends on your interests though. Similarly, with a 39" 16:9 monitor you'll get the same height as that 49" 21:9 Samsung (http://www.displaywars.com/49-inch-21x9-vs-39-inch-16x9). Just something to ponder.
 

petermarinus

Banned
May 31, 2020
254
I was looking for a new SSD and came across something called "M.2". I never heard of it until now and was happy to see that my B450 board supports it. I bought a 1TB "WD Blue™ SN550 NVMe™ SSD" since it did cost just 10€ more (110€) than a normal SSD and the benefit of having less cables was just worth it.
Not to mention often faster as well! congrats
 

noomi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,695
New Jersey
I just want a decent 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, G-SYNC, HDR1000 monitor.

Are these still unicorns, or is there something being developed in the near future.
 

Isee

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,238
I just want a decent 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, G-SYNC, HDR1000 monitor.

Are these still unicorns, or is there something being developed in the near future.

There are some 3440x1440 variants, like the PG35VQ. But they are rather expansive.


The problem is that they would more than likely start with the Pro version, which are notoriously more expensive than basically anything that isn't the Optane 905p.

Hmm, yeah probably.
 

eddy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,768
AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for the PC platform before next-generation consoles from Sony & Microsoft. The confirmation came in the Bank of America 2020 Securities Global Technology Conference where AMD's CFO, David Kumar, stated that their next-generation GPU architecture will be available on the PC platform before the next-gen consoles arrive.

The lineup would feature the Big Navi GPU which David has revealed to be a halo product that is going to be focused at the ultra-enthusiast gaming market.

wccftech.com

AMD RDNA 2 GPUs Coming To PC First, Next Gen Consoles Later - Big Navi 'Halo' & Mainstream Radeon RX Graphics Cards With 2nd Gen Navi Later This Year

AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for PCs before next-gen consoles.

He reiterated previous claims that AMD remains "on track to launch our next-generation Zen 3 CPUs and RDNA 2 GPUs in late 2020".

videocardz.com

AMD Big Navi to arrive before next-generation consoles - VideoCardz.com

AMD Big Navi is a “halo product” AMD has confirmed that their upcoming Big Navi graphics processor will be the first product based on RDNA 2 architecture. This means that the next-generation gaming consoles (Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X), which are also officially featuring RDNA2 based...
 

laxu

Member
Nov 26, 2017
2,785
So right now I have a ROG SWIFT PG35VQ. Its great and all but i'm thinking I need bigger.

I'm thinking of switching to a Samsung Odyssey G9. Anyone think its worth it?

I have its predecessor the CRG9 and it is pretty cool. You will take a hit on HDR quality though as the G9 most likely has a similar meager 10 zone local dimming like the CRG9 does. So the most difference will be the super ultrawide aspect ratio and possibly better response time if Samsung has improved it for the G9.
 

Nothing

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,095
wccftech.com

AMD RDNA 2 GPUs Coming To PC First, Next Gen Consoles Later - Big Navi 'Halo' & Mainstream Radeon RX Graphics Cards With 2nd Gen Navi Later This Year

AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for PCs before next-gen consoles.



videocardz.com

AMD Big Navi to arrive before next-generation consoles - VideoCardz.com

AMD Big Navi is a “halo product” AMD has confirmed that their upcoming Big Navi graphics processor will be the first product based on RDNA 2 architecture. This means that the next-generation gaming consoles (Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X), which are also officially featuring RDNA2 based...
very interesting. thank you for sharing

so far, everything is still on-track for 2020 with all of the major companies.
 
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Exit Music

Member
Nov 13, 2017
1,082
I'm not familiar but first Q I'd ask is if you definitely want to stick to ultrawide. For instance, a 27" 16:9 monitor is basically the same vertical space as a 34" 21:9 (http://www.displaywars.com/27-inch-16x9-vs-34-inch-21x9). So if you're more looking for vertical than horizontal, I'd consider 16:9. Depends on your interests though. Similarly, with a 39" 16:9 monitor you'll get the same height as that 49" 21:9 Samsung (http://www.displaywars.com/49-inch-21x9-vs-39-inch-16x9). Just something to ponder.

Is 21:9 worse for motion sickness? It seems like fov would be problematic for FPS.
 

HarryDemeanor

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,426
wccftech.com

AMD RDNA 2 GPUs Coming To PC First, Next Gen Consoles Later - Big Navi 'Halo' & Mainstream Radeon RX Graphics Cards With 2nd Gen Navi Later This Year

AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for PCs before next-gen consoles.



videocardz.com

AMD Big Navi to arrive before next-generation consoles - VideoCardz.com

AMD Big Navi is a “halo product” AMD has confirmed that their upcoming Big Navi graphics processor will be the first product based on RDNA 2 architecture. This means that the next-generation gaming consoles (Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X), which are also officially featuring RDNA2 based...
Hope it performs well to give nVidia some competition.
 

Gabbo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,576
wccftech.com

AMD RDNA 2 GPUs Coming To PC First, Next Gen Consoles Later - Big Navi 'Halo' & Mainstream Radeon RX Graphics Cards With 2nd Gen Navi Later This Year

AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for PCs before next-gen consoles.



videocardz.com

AMD Big Navi to arrive before next-generation consoles - VideoCardz.com

AMD Big Navi is a “halo product” AMD has confirmed that their upcoming Big Navi graphics processor will be the first product based on RDNA 2 architecture. This means that the next-generation gaming consoles (Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X), which are also officially featuring RDNA2 based...
Sounds like it will be their high end as well as the rest of the lineup. Which is good because I dont have the cash for Radeon's Titan equivalent and would go for a 2060/2070-equivalent from Big Navi
 
OP
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Crazymoogle

Crazymoogle

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Oct 25, 2017
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I just want a decent 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, G-SYNC, HDR1000 monitor.

Are these still unicorns, or is there something being developed in the near future.

As mentioned, nothing reasonably priced in the near future.

There are two tech tracks ongoing right now that could yield this sort of thing further on:
  • Samsung is slowly abandoning all LED production in favor of QD-OLED, which means either their existing VA panels are doomed or they intend to eventually convert that line over to OLED.

  • The LED market is gradually shifting to MiniLED and MicroLED. As always it sounds like we will see this first with Apple products, potentially the 2021 iPad (MiniLED). This is reassuring for PC panels as the iPad is a low profile, large screen device, so typically advancements we see there proliferate throughout the market 1-2 years later.
Of course, it's also possible by that point that HDMI 2.1 / DisplayPort 2.0 and modern video cards makes 4K the defacto sweet spot resolution. So who knows....
 

Sabin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,708
Thank you! I've replaced it with the 2x16gb. I don't imagine myself going over 32gb but I guess it's better to leave it as an option. Cheaper too. I do like the look for 4 full sticks more but can't complain.

Here's what I've picked out all from microcenter:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($169.99)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($178.99)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($179.89)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4 GB Video Card
Case: Lian Li O11D-PCMR ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G1+ 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Total: $688.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-03 10:18 EDT-0400


With the plan to add an AIO/Ryzen 4900x/Ampere 3000 card in 6 or so months when everything is available.

The only other addition I want to add are case fans -- up to 9 for my case (3 on top, 3 on side, 3 on bottom). It looks like the TUF MB will support that without issue, but I just want to ask: will my case be fine for the next few months without any fans?

Anything else stand out?

Don't forget that the O11 Dynamic is aimed at AIO and Costume loop solution and only supports CPU Tower up to 155mm height also you want at least 6 fans better 9.
 

Deleted member 51957

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Don't forget that the O11 Dynamic is aimed at AIO and Costume loop solution and only supports CPU Tower up to 155mm height also you want at least 6 fans better 9.

Thanks for the tip! I'm actually putting the pieces together now... Not sure if you saw but I have 6 QL 120s coming in on Saturday which will be the day I first 'power on.'

The plan is to use the stock AMD cooler for now and then when I upgrade to Ryzen 4900x I'll get another 3 QL 120s to fit into the AIO I go with. Should end up looking pretty clean I think!
 

Sabin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,708
Thanks for the tip! I'm actually putting the pieces together now... Not sure if you saw but I have 6 QL 120s coming in on Saturday which will be the day I first 'power on.'

The plan is to use the stock AMD cooler for now and then when I upgrade to Ryzen 4900x I'll get another 3 QL 120s to fit into the AIO I go with. Should end up looking pretty clean I think!

Should look pretty good yeah.

I personaly wait for the Lian Li Uni Fans and the O11 Dynamic Mini Case.

 

Caz

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,055
Canada
wccftech.com

AMD RDNA 2 GPUs Coming To PC First, Next Gen Consoles Later - Big Navi 'Halo' & Mainstream Radeon RX Graphics Cards With 2nd Gen Navi Later This Year

AMD has confirmed that its RDNA 2 'Big Navi' GPU will be coming to Radeon RX graphics cards for PCs before next-gen consoles.



videocardz.com

AMD Big Navi to arrive before next-generation consoles - VideoCardz.com

AMD Big Navi is a “halo product” AMD has confirmed that their upcoming Big Navi graphics processor will be the first product based on RDNA 2 architecture. This means that the next-generation gaming consoles (Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X), which are also officially featuring RDNA2 based...
Hopefully, we'll have some competition on the high-end like we've sen on the low/mid-range; anything above the 1660 Ti/1660 Super is obscenely overpriced when it comes to NVIDIA (5700/XT going for the same/lower price than 2060S/2070S) but there's no AMD competitor at the 2080/S/Ti level moment.
 
Oct 25, 2017
4,466
I was able to snag an NZXT H1 today! Gonna use it to build my wife's first desktop PC and couldn't be more excited. Mine will be in the NCase M1 v6 once that arrives, and my current system (built in a Define R6) is moving to the living room to be the gaming rig.
 

Deleted member 2652

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I'm dumb and forgot my case was a micro atx. time to send back the tomahawk. i guess i'll get the gigabyte b450 aorus m
 

Skyfireblaze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,257
CPU/RAM/Mobo came in. Can just swap my current stuff without a full restore of windows?
No, you'll get kernel panic. Do a fresh install of Windows.

It isn't necessary anymore to fresh install Windows since Vista. Just uninstall all current drivers you can with the old hardware and then put the new stuff in. At first boot Windows will say "Getting Devices Ready" and then it should be fine after an additional reboot. Then install the chipset-drivers for your new mobo and you should be good. Mind you depending on what Windows key you have it might get invalidated.
 

Deleted member 51957

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Ahh I may have messed up with my mobo choice because I didn't realize my AIO in the future will require a usb 2.0 header.

The TUF motherboard has 2 usb 2.0 headers, so I thought I would get a nzxt internal usb hub to expand that to 4 total and be fine.

But now i'm counting the following necessary usb headers in my final build:
- one for corsair commander pro
- one for front panel IO
- two for each of the corsair lightning node cores
- one for the aio

The nzxt hub includes two regular usb ports, so I'm thinking I can buy a usb 2 header -> usb 2 port adapter and use that as a solution...

EDIT: ahh the commander pro includes 2 usb headers that I can use for the node cores, so I should actually be all set.
 

PhantomFFR

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,302
Vienna, Austria, EU, Earth
The TUF motherboard has 2 usb 2.0 headers, so I thought I would get a nzxt internal usb hub to expand that to 4 total and be fine.

But now i'm counting the following necessary usb headers in my final build:
- one for corsair commander pro
- one for front panel IO

EDIT: ahh the commander pro includes 2 usb headers that I can use for the node cores, so I should actually be all set.

Also if I'm not mistaken your chosen case does not have front USB 2.0, which would be somewhat anachronistic anyway.
 

Deleted member 51957

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Also if I'm not mistaken your chosen case does not have front USB 2.0, which would be somewhat anachronistic anyway.

Yeah they are usb 3... unfortunately the TUF motherboard only has one usb 3 gen 1 port so I'd prefer to connect the usb c to that via adapter, then put the usb 3 i/o ports into one of the usb 2 headers via adapter as well. It's a mess and probably not worth it.

EDIT: Yeah I'm just gonna sacrifice one my front panel options... It's not something I'd ever really use regardless and the amount of adapters I'd have to buy don't make it worth it.

So I think I can make do with just 2 usb 2.0 headers -- one for the commander pro (which then bridges all the cores) and one for the eventual AIO.

Anything else that might take usb 2 that I'm not considering?
 

eddy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,768
Just a head's up if you've bought a Corsair SF(F) power supply in the last year or so.

SF Series Voluntary Product Replacement
...
We have recently identified higher-than normal RMA rates among our SF family of small-form-factor PSUs. Following a thorough investigation, we have found a potential issue that can manifest when the PSU is exposed to a combination of both high temperatures, and high humidity. This regrettably can cause the PSU to fail. This issue potentially affects units in lot codes 194448xx to 201148xx, manufactured between October 2019 and March 2020.
 

BigAT

Member
Oct 30, 2017
909
I'm not sure if there is a better thread for this, but I'm looking for laptop recommendations. First time buying a laptop, I just need something for working for home, maybe able to run indie games. I'm looking to keep it under $750.
 

Huntersknoll

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,717
I've decided to throw my hat back in the PC arena. I switched to consoles for this current gen but for next gen I'm thinking about doing at PC+PS5 combo.

I'm just stuck on deciding if I want to do a 4k build or do a 1440p high refresh rate (Samsung Odyssey G7 🤤). I have a pretty deep desk so I don't know if I would be really getting the benefits from a 4k monitor.
 

super-famicom

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
25,377
I'm not sure if there is a better thread for this, but I'm looking for laptop recommendations. First time buying a laptop, I just need something for working for home, maybe able to run indie games. I'm looking to keep it under $750.

Used Thinkpad. These are like tanks and last practically forever. The keyboard is great, and used models are plentiful due to them being used in big corporations who upgrade every few years. All parts are replaceable, so if you get a model with specs you like but the screen isn't 1080p, you can replace that with a better screen. Throw in an SSD for good measure; some used models are sold without a HDD or SSD, which actually lowers the cost. You can then get a better SSD yourself.

This site is great and helped me out last year. I ended up getting a used T460 for only $230 and it was in near perfect condition.

www.bobble.tech

Used ThinkPad Buyer's Guide

New, live technology Q&A weekly on YouTube! Email your questions to [email protected], and join live or view the archive for the answers!
 

DJ Lushious

Enhanced Xperience
Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,330
It isn't necessary anymore to fresh install Windows since Vista. Just uninstall all current drivers you can with the old hardware and then put the new stuff in. At first boot Windows will say "Getting Devices Ready" and then it should be fine after an additional reboot. Then install the chipset-drivers for your new mobo and you should be good. Mind you depending on what Windows key you have it might get invalidated.
The Windows key is tied to the motherboard, yes (or a Microsoft account). Where does Microsoft acknowledge this is a viable path for a Windows installation?

I still wouldn't go about taking a current Windows installation and drop it into a completely different system. Best practice is fresh install and that will remove any potential headaches.
 

Skyfireblaze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,257
The Windows key is tied to the motherboard, yes. I still wouldn't go about taking a current Windows installation and drop it into a completely different system. Best practice is fresh install and that will remove any potential headaches.

Well it certainly can't hurt that much is true but I was just saying that it's rare to encounter headaches not doing that nowadays. Most people that test hardware on testbenches don't bother doing that anymore either, it used to be a big problem with XP and prior but thanks to newer, more flexible driver-models in Windows it's been largely a non-issue. I haven't reinstalled my Windows since the day I installed Windows 7 64bit with an AMD Phenom II 955 and I swapped hardware wildly around, even my current Windows 10 install still stems from this original Win7 install that I upgraded and I have zero issues so far.

Plus every time you are installing a big Windows 10 feature update like the current 2004 May Update it is basically a full reinstall anyways. The way these big Win10 updates work, it takes your user-files and configs, does a fresh install of the OS with the new build and then re-integrates everything at the end.