|
SalTheBard posted:Thank you! Just make sure the motherboard is finding the proper RAM profile. I have those sticks (well, the 16x2 version), and they ran at 2133 by default on my Asus B550 board because it wasn't automatically pulling their XMP profiles. (Which is an Intel thing, but Asus' AMD boards are supposed to be capable of reading them, I think?) I had to enable DOCP in the bios to get their full 3200mhz performance because the default "auto" setting wasn't doing it. Maybe this is supposed to be obvious, but I somehow managed to miss it for, like, months. 
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2021 22:45
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 12:36 |
|
|
Conveniences like hinged, easy-open side panels aren't too common in the sub-$100 range. Most good case designers have gotten rid of the old slide-in panel design by this point though, thankfully. On the Phanteks P400A ($70 on newegg), there are four thumb screws on a tempered glass side panel, and it just comes right off. The other side panel behind the motherboard is still an annoying slide-in metal panel, though (which i lost one of the screws to, of course). My one complaint is that there isn't enough space between the top of the motherboard and the top of the case to fit both top-mounted fans and a tower cooler, something that its more expensive follow-up fixes, I believe. The follow-up, the P500A is much better designed with hinged panels and some improved airflow for $110 on newegg. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 08:38 on Jun 21, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2021 08:35
|
|
|
My Asus B550-F came preflashed with a Zen 3-capable bios back in December, despite the warnings on the store page. Most motherboard manufacturers will use the latest BIOS when flashing them in the factory, and stock has been moving quickly enough that I'm sure no one has any 2020 stock sitting around.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2021 21:41
|
|
|
incogneato posted:I see that the quick picks part of the new OP is not yet completed. Hopefully it's okay if I just ask that here. I don't know what the goon consensus is, but the AMD r5 5600x has been hailed as the best best value for gaming this CPU generation among most reviewers. I picked up a 5600x with an Asus B550-F Gaming (Wi-Fi edition) late last year and am quite happy with them so far. That said, Intel CPUs are still very competitive, and they've been getting discounted more often lately which may make them better values at times. In gaming applications, AMD and Intel are very close this generation thanks to how much AMD has managed to improve single-core performance. (edit: see below for dissenting opinions on intel being competitive.) As for AMD motherboards, I don't see any reason to go with the more expensive x570 chipset. The advantages it offers over the B550 seem minimal. (Mostly they allow more PCIe Gen 4 m.2 devices, and you don't have to give up SATA ports to use them all, I think?) The Asus board I picked up seems like a solid mid-to-high end B550 board. I have no complaints about it so far, though its (optional) software can eat my rear end. As for memory, people here have said that DDR4 3600 is ideal for the newest Ryzens. 16GB is more than enough for gaming, and with a 4-slot motherboard you can easily double it if you ever feel like it's not enough. The Crucial Ballistix seems to be the current value choice. Ryzen r5 5600x is currently available at MSRP from most places ($300) - https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-5600x/p/N82E16819113666 Asus ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming (non-wifi) is currently on sale at newegg for $145 - https://www.newegg.com/asus-rog-strix-b550-f-gaming/p/N82E16813119312 (edit: $178 now, still, I paid more for a wifi version and I deemed it worth it) Crucial Ballistix DDR4-3600 (the red paint makes it go faster, also is cheaper than the other colors right now for some reason) ($89) - https://www.newegg.com/ballistix-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820164185 I would also strongly recommend a custom cooler. In a clean but airflow-constrained case, the default "wraith" air cooler for the Ryzen let my CPU reach over 100 degrees under heavy load. That's the absolute upper limit of what the Ryzen can tolerate, and it was certainly throttling its clock down at that point. There is much less consensus on coolers, other than the Noctua brand is good for air coolers. I don't know enough about water cooling to recommend anything there. I recommend looking at the Noctua collection and just picking something that fits your case and needs there. They're all better than the stock cooler (except for the comedy passive cooler option): https://www.newegg.com/Noctua-CPU-Fans-Heatsinks/BrandSubCat/ID-12454-574 Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 13:59 on Jun 24, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jun 23, 2021 23:04
|
|
|
Fair enough about Intel. I thought with them being listed at sub-MSRP on occasion it might change the value calculations, and it's true that the Prime Day 10700k deal was on my mind when I wrote that. That was an uncommon deal, and ultimately the Ryzens are the top performers overall right now.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 23, 2021 23:29
|
|
|
Mr. Haunt posted:I'm proud to say that my terrible luck has driven the price from .69 cents to currently .22 cents at the time of this post. I'm doing my part, ya'll. Thank you for your service. 
|
|
#
¿
Jun 24, 2021 07:02
|
|
|
change my name posted:B450 boards will only come with Wifi A/C (5) and likely 1-gigabit ethernet while B550 boards will usually have WIFI 6 and 2.5-gigabit networking + the latest Bluetooth revisions, if that's something that makes a difference Yeah, I don't know if it's worth the extra money on its own (especially since there are pci cards available), but I will say that I've recently picked up a wifi 6 router to go with my b550 wifi board and I've never had a smoother online gaming experience. Though, I'm mostly just comparing that to previous wifi gens. It's probably been the most noticeable jump in wifi I've ever felt when upgrading wifi gens. The tech is legit. Also, giving yourself a pcie gen 4 m.2 slot may give you good upgrade options down the line if gen 4 nvmes become meaningfully better than gen 3.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 25, 2021 15:46
|
|
|
PRADA SLUT posted:There is a silicon shortage, so it's not just demand. A combination of silicon production shortage, plus increased demand both from people doing work from home things, people wanting an upgrade due to increased current-gen performance, more scalpers looking to make money after being out of work, and a handful of neck bearded buttcoin miners. There's no shortage of total chips being produced. Total video card shipments have been fairly typical over the last 9 months, so GPU production has not been brought down at all. Also see this article from January that has a quote from TSMC saying that their capacity is already fully utilized. The main issue appears to be production saturation. Demand is high across the board, and now every factory is already running at 100% trying to meet it all. Companies that may have reduced some of their chip orders early in the pandemic (such as car manufacturers) are now unable to ramp them back up because that capacity has been gobbled up by everyone else. And companies that would like to increase production to meet the unprecedented demand are unable to do so. And when it comes to GPUs, obviously crypto has been a big factor. Shipping is also backed up at every step of the process due to high consumer demand for basically everything across the board. The current situation is only going to improve when demand lessens and new factories open up (earliest estimate for the latter: 2023). A drop in mining demand will help a lot, but that's only one part of the puzzle as consumer demand is elevated as well. Prices will remain elevated to a degree for the next couple years most likely. Anyway, to bring this back to the subject at hand, the 20 series had low adoption rates, so the 30 series only managing to match that despite being much better value propositions for consumers is not ideal. That said, I doubt any of the big envelope-pushing companies are going to decide to just give up on making good graphics. At least most of the upcoming AAA stuff we saw at E3 looks very good. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Jun 25, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jun 25, 2021 22:53
|
|
|
We're at a crossroads with the GPU market right now. Second-hand prices have dipped somewhat, but that downward trend basically stalled over the last week. We seem to be at an awkward period where GPU companies have stopped shipping their non-LHR cards, but the LHR cards have yet to really hit the market outside of maybe a handful of models. (note: LHR cards are the ones that intentionally gimp ethereum mining.) The downward trend may not resume until we start seeing some actual LHR card drops. Basically, I don't think the market is going to get worse, but it could take a couple weeks before we start seeing meaningful price drops again in the second-hand market. I'd definitely wait a bit before pulling the trigger on any heavily overpriced cards. edit: for what it's worth, it seems pretty easy to get a 1060 6GB in on American ebay for around $300 if you're watching all the listings, so seeing a $480 price is especially gross. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Jun 26, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jun 26, 2021 14:29
|
|
|
ben shapino posted:I'm building a 5600x machine right now, with a 1060 in it until I can get a 3060 or maybe 3070. Let's assume I find a 3070 somewhere down the line. 650W should be more than sufficient for a 3070 and 5600x. I'd only worry about that wattage if you upgrade your CPU and/or GPU to higher-end models. It's one of those things where if you already have a solid 650 watter, then don't bother upgrading, it's e-waste and a waste of money. But if you're building a computer from scratch, then giving yourself a bit of extra headroom on the PSU makes sense.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 30, 2021 03:36
|
|
|
Spacedad posted:MSI has this cartoon dragon mascot that they never use in their actual product design (which I'm sure a lot of gamers sick of perpetually-stuck-in-early-2010s 'gamer aesthetics' would enjoy) but they will make a PC that looks like a giant severed head of zer0 from borderlands 2. It costs $3400 and looks like this irl lmao 
|
|
#
¿
Jun 30, 2021 10:31
|
|
|
If you insist on going with 32GB of memory, which I suppose is fine for future-proofing purposes, then I'd suggest 4x8 over 2x16. It probably depends on the stick, but there have been observable performance improvements with Ryzen CPUs when using 4 sticks over 2, even with the same brand of RAM at the same speed and timings. Supposedly it has to do with memory ranks, memory densities, and other such things I don't fully understand. It's the same price either way and you're almost certainly going to switch over to DDR5 before upgrading to 64GB anyway, so there's no reason not to.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 1, 2021 05:55
|
|
|
Gothmog1065 posted:So it looks like prices are starting to fall and availability is going up on GPUs. I'm looking for something that is equivalent or better than my Radeon HD 7870. To clarify a few things here, first of all prices are nowhere near back to normal yet. Availability is still a problem (you have to get lucky to get a card still), and prices have only just started to fall. They're still very high across the board. Even if you get lucky and win a chance to buy a card through microcenter or newegg, you're paying 20% to 30% over MSRP. If you want a guaranteed card right now, you're looking at paying over double MSRP on ebay or various newegg/amazon third party sellers. Second of all, your card is 9 years old, so yeah, basically anything would be better than it right now. The 1660 and RX 5600 are both low-end cards, and in normal times you'd be paying $200 or less for them. Currently they're $350 or more. If you really want a graphics card at this exact moment, and that's the general price range you're willing to pay, my recommendation would be locate your nearest Microcenter, show up an hour before opening (I think? others will have to correct me), and you'll be added to their lottery system with everyone else who wants a card and then be given a chance to buy what they have. The 3060 is apparently priced in the $400 range there, which is around 30% overpriced* but is far superior to the cards you mentioned. Hoping to get something decent through MIcrocenter's lottery system basically seems to be the most reliable way to get a card at not-totally-outrageous prices. If all of this sounds like it's not worth it, then wait a few months. There's reason to believe that the situation will get better over the next few months. And on your last point, you really shouldn't worry about drivers, it's basically a non-issue. "Display Driver Uninstaller" makes removing drivers trivial, and you'd want to do a clean reinstall of your drivers upon swapping hardware anyway, even if it's from the same company. *over the already somewhat overpriced MSRP. those haven't been great lately to begin with
|
|
#
¿
Jul 1, 2021 23:25
|
|
|
The issue is that it's hard to tell you what's "comparable" to such an old card. Almost any card released in the last 5 years will be better. The Radeon Vega series, 5000 series, and 6000 series, and the Geforce 10 series, 20 series, and 30 series. If you just want something to replace it to play the exact same games it has been playing and nothing better, then just load up ebay (or SA-mart if availability returns to normal) and find the cheapest card from those generations you can get your hands on, except the super low-end stuff like the Geforce 1030. In terms of where the HD 7870 was positioned within its generation as a $350 card, the closest equivalents right now would be the Geforce 3060, or 3060 Ti, when looking only at their MSRPs ($330 and $400 respectively). It's hard to say if they'll come back down to those levels anytime soon. AMD has nothing in that range currently, but if these were normal times, then perhaps they would've lowered the price on the RX 5700 XT and continued producing that. Basically, for the last few generations, you had AMD's Vega, RX5000 and RX6000 series as their flagship series, with the RX500 series as their low-end product range. They haven't released any low-end cards in the last few years. Geforce cards are harder to distinguish within a generation, but the X060 cards are generally the dividing line between budget and mainline products. Anything with a lower number than those will be pretty low-performance for that gen. Then the 20 series got a bit confusing with the Super series, but basically: just numbers = base card, Super = slightly better, Ti = super high-priced version. Any extra labels put on by their board partners like EVGA can be generally ignored. And then they released a billion different 16X0 cards for some reason that seemed to mostly be intended as slightly better, upgraded versions of the 1060 and 1050. Hope this helps identify the different products in the market. Gothmog1065 posted:5 hrs, 35 minutes, 348 miles :/ drat. :/ Next best thing is to play the Newegg Shuffle whenever a decent card shows up on it. Every day at 11 am est, 8 am pst for two hours they allow you to enter by selecting what you want. Then you'll be given a couple hours to buy it if you win. Sometimes they have decent, affordable cards there, while other times they have Zotac cards. Like today. Sigh. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Jul 2, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2021 22:35
|
|
|
So, an option for those who are building new systems with ideally new graphics cards, prebuilts are increasingly becoming an acceptable value. Cards are finding their way to prebuilt sellers again, and you'll have an easier time getting new hardware from them than on their own from retail stores at this point. Currently, this ABS system with a Ryzen 5600x, a 3070, and other actual off-the-shelf components like an ASUS TUF x570 board, is going for $1650 USD. ABS is Newegg's house brand for prebuilts, and they're the one prebuilt company GamersNexus decided didn't completely suck. A GamersNexus review of a different ABS system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2vrvQydVIw tl;dr: no bloatware, no BIOS fuckery, no proprietary parts. There are some obvious flaws in the one I linked (the airflow benefits the GPU a lot but the CPU hardly at all, with a weak CPU cooler), but it may make for a decent starting point for people who just want a new computer, especially in the current hosed up market. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 11:43 on Jul 3, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 3, 2021 11:19
|
|
|
LuckyCat posted:
That looks just fine. If you still have money left over in the budget, I would definitely recommend an NVMe drive as they can make a pretty noticeable difference compared to a SATA SSD. It's kinda hard to pin down the objective Best Value on those since you start seeing diminishing returns pretty quickly (the raw speeds in the top-end stuff have already exceeded what windows and consumer CPU platforms can handle) and the prices have also been fluctuating a little thanks to Chia. Still, something like WD's SN750, Crucial's P5, or Samsung's 980 are all pretty affordable and give good performance. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Jul 3, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 3, 2021 22:18
|
|
|
CoolCab posted:that's a full ATX mobo, would that fit in a mid tower? i can never tell how that works. Post your case. Unless it's a very bad mid tower, a full ATX mobo should fit fine. Full towers were mostly designed for storing a shitload of 3.5" drives in them and not for bigger motherboards.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 3, 2021 23:47
|
|
|
mA posted:Is anyone here using external DACs rather than the built in DACs on their motherboards? I finally have a good set of desktop speakers to connect to my PC, but there seems to be a common sentiment that the DACs on even high end motherboards tend not to be very good due to the electrical noise from the other components in the system. If you're happy with your onboard audio situation then I personally wouldn't see any reason to upgrade. My onboard audio catches a lot of interference from the onboard LAN port (asus b550-f wifi). Dunno if that's because I'm using powerline networking and the signal was noisier or something (I dunno how that stuff works), but I just switched to wifi and ignored the issue. 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 5, 2021 11:22
|
|
|
teagone posted:Doing a new build for another friend of mine who managed to snag a 5800X at a decent price. They also secured a kit of 2x32GB of DDR4 3600 RAM (lol) and an MSI 3060 Ti GPU. Here's the rest of the build I put together for them: PCPartPicker Part List I would be moderately worried about that case's airflow situation, but it might be fine. The front panel has stifled airflow, with air having to make a 90 degree turn to enter the case from those side vents (something air generally doesn't like to do). It's probably fine as long as you won't be slamming the CPU too hard for extended periods of time, but if you are expecting heavy workloads, have your friend consider a case with a mesh front panel instead, like https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Tempered-Gaming-Computer-CA-1J4-00S1WN-01/dp/B079G3TNDM/
|
|
#
¿
Jul 5, 2021 23:11
|
|
|
teagone posted:Would the Fuma 2 fit ok in that? The Versa H18 product page says max clearance for CPU cooler height is 155, which I think the Fuma is. Would the Fuma 2 be pressed up right against the glass side panel in that case? Lol. With all those fans, it'll probably be fine and I'm just being a worrywart. At least, I don't think the user reviews would be so good if it ran like an oven. This is something that's really hard to determine just by looking at pictures and spec sheets, and there is hardly anyone who tries to review cases empirically (Gamers Nexus does a good job, but they haven't been reviewing many micro ATX cases).
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2021 00:14
|
|
I'm reading more about the Lian Li 205M and looks like there's a little over an inch of space in the gap between where the fans mount and the front panel. Should be ok, right? Especially with 2x140mm fans up front?
|
ben shapino posted:ThermalTake versa h18 I'm not sure I understand the routing situation here. The case's PSU shroud conceals the PSU on two sides, but with the side on the backside of the case remaining open, allowing for direct cable routing around the back of the motherboard. If you're trying to reach over to the open slot on the right side of the PSU shroud, there's a shorter way. (image taken from a newegg review of the case)  If the green path there is still too long, use this thing: https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812198007 Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Jul 6, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2021 03:18
|
|
|
That was going to be my first recommendation since SFX power supplies are not really meant for mATX cases (they're more for ITX cases), but if he can get by using the SFX power supply, then it'll at least provide a cleaner cable arrangement. And if it works, it works.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2021 03:24
|
|
|
Butterfly Valley posted:In that case just try to find this in your local market. Or an extension would also work as has been said. Not that cord specifically. It's unlikely that a corsair modular power cable will work in a cooler master PSU, and it's potentially very dangerous to try. I would contact cooler master customer support and inquire as to which cables are compatible with your PSU before buying any longer replacement cables. As noted earlier in the thread, this is not a concern for extension cables. You can buy extension cables on newegg for pretty cheap, like the one I linked above.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2021 08:28
|
|
|
If I'm understanding Antec's design right, the intention behind the P10 Flux is to create a positive pressure environment. The idea is to have a large number of intake fans that build up air pressure within the case, and then air finds its way out through any pathway it can find, ideally through the channels the designers intend. In this kind of setup, exhaust fans sometimes don't actually contribute much to the thermal situation. An example of this is the CoolerMaster TD500. It comes equipped with three large intakes and no exhaust, and it has fairly respectable thermals in its stock configuration. Gamers Nexus in their review added an exhaust fan, and the cpu temp at load went down by 1 degree. I don't think the GPU temp budged. In the P10 Flux, the single exhaust fan's main job appears to be to channel air up towards the CPU before it leaves the case. I imagine that increasing the size of the exhaust fan won't actually accomplish much beyond adding to the cost and noise. Now, whether its design is actually effective is another story. It seems like it's probably okay as it is, though I question if this design is any better than just having a good front to back wind tunnel box. I say if you're willing to try out Antec's design, you should trust in their engineers and roll with the stock config for at least a little bit before making any changes. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Jul 6, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2021 12:37
|
|
|
stuker posted:So my existing system's GPU fans have started making some pretty awful noises and parts are starting to arrive, so I'm probably going to pull the trigger on most of what was outstanding (will definitely do some more research into the 2x16 vs 4x8 memory situation, thanks). One thing I'm a bit unclear on is with the NVMe drives-- very new to me since last time I built. I think I'd ideally like to have a 2TB NVMe drive in there eventually but prices just don't seem great right now. Am I correct in interpreting the B550's specs that it can handle 2 NVMe drives (at PCIe 3.0 x4, which seems to match the SN550s) with the 3070 in the 4.0 x16 slot? I'm fine with buying 1TB for now and expanding with a 2TB down the road, I just don't want to wind up with a drive I can't use. So, most B550 boards will have two m.2 slots. What happens is that the chipset controls one, and the CPU controls the other (the top one, because it's closer to the CPU). Zen 2 and 3 chips have PCIe 4.0 controllers, allowing that slot to use 4.0 lanes. There is no conflict between the 4.0 x16 slot and the m.2 one. You can use both at the same time in 4.0 mode without a problem, and so neither will it be a problem with the NVMe in 3.0 mode. The chipset slot will always be in 3.0 mode since that's the most the B550 can handle. Some motherboards have to disable some SATA slots when using the chipset m.2 slot, though the motherboard you've chosen does not appear to have this restriction (at least, it doesn't mention any such restriction in its manual). TL;DR: Yes, that's just fine. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Jul 7, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2021 03:18
|
|
|
Pilfered Pallbearers posted:If your board supports 2 it’s fine, just be aware it’ll usually shut off some regular SATA ports if those are important to you. That's not a SN550. The drive you linked is rated at a much lower speed. We can quibble about whether that speed increase results in tangible benefits, but I think the price bump to a PCIe 3 drive is worth the extra money. Though, it may not be a bad idea to only use a single NVMe as a drive for your system and demanding games, and then put your less load-intensive games on a SATA drive. Games that you only load into once for example like strategy games don't benefit much from being on an NVMe. I still have a large HDD for media and undemanding games and a SATA SSD for my medium load-heavy games. Not everything has to be on a blazing fast state of the art drive. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Jul 7, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2021 03:24
|
|
|
stuker posted:To clarify: as far as 1x 2TB SN550 vs 2x 1TB SN550s goes, I was thinking I'd go with the 2TB now if not for pricing/availability. Instead I'm leaning towards a 1TB for the moment and just wanted to confirm I'd be able to bring in a 2TB drive down the road alongside the existing 1TB NVMe. Fair point to be made that getting 2x 1TBs right now is easier and cheaper than a 2TB, but I don't need the additional space that urgently so I'll probably wait it out on the second drive. One last suggestion: Consider the Inland Premium over the SN550. I've heard good things about it, and it appears to be a generally better performer for about the same cost.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2021 03:35
|
|
|
The most common cause for shorting in my experience has come from over-torqueing screws. Give each screw a turn to the left and see if that helps?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2021 13:41
|
|
|
DammitJanet posted:My gaming rig from 2014 is starting to get a little worn-out, and the time to upgrade is upon me. Among the CPUs that are readily available, the Ryzen 5600x for $300 is the best value. For pure gaming the 11400F from Intel is a better value at its MSRP, but it's currently heavily overpriced and the 5600x is better suited for your production and editing needs anyway. The 5800x and 5900x can also be worth it depending on your specific editing tasks, but you'd be going a bit over budget to get them and the 5900x is pretty hard to find. The 5950x is the only AMD CPU this gen I'd say is basically never worth it unless you need every ounce of performance possible. So, with that said, something like this is what I'd consider: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ymznDc The budget is relatively tight on this. There's room to upgrade to a wi-fi capable motherboard if you need that, but not to upgrade to 32GB of RAM (is that useful for video editing? idk lol) without ditching the SSD. The 2x8 kit of that RAM is on sale right now and will go up in price again in a couple days. The 2x16 kit is not on sale, though, so if you do opt for 32GB, get two of the 2x8 kits.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2021 23:30
|
|
|
LorneReams posted:My computer is starting to show its age, and it's been so long since I even thought about building a new one (I think my current one was built in 2013). I just spent the whole day going over articles and trying to understand what a new system would even look like. My current system is a i5 2500K that is overclocked to 4.3 and a 1080 founders edition. I'm starting to get slowdowns in plex, so I figure it's time. Without knowing what you'll use this for, my first thought is that this is huge overkill for fixing plex slowdowns. It's also overkill for gaming. You could save a lot of money that could go towards a new video card or something instead by dropping down to a 5600x and a B550 board. The 5800x offers no advantage in gaming in even the most CPU-bottlenecked scenarios, and x570 boards generally offer little over b550 boards beyond just more of the fast stuff that b550 boards already offer in small numbers (pcie gen 4 m.2 slots, 10Gbps usb). Unless you have a lot of high-speed USB devices and/or are planning to get a ton of gen 4 NVMe drives, there's no need to get an x570 board. And those are not normal usage scenarios, gen 4 NVMe drives generally don't offer any tangible advantage to the typical PC user since windows and CPU architectures aren't well-equipped to handle all that speed currently. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Jul 9, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 9, 2021 00:01
|
|
|
Leave posted:I'm not looking to build a machine, but I am looking to buy a pre-built; I'm not quite sure if this is the right thread or not, and if it isn't, let me know and I'll post in that thread, but would this computer be worth a drat? It looks good and the price is within my range, but I want to be sure before I go ahead and make a major purchase like that. Be careful with Lenovo desktop PCs, they seem very hit or miss. GamersNexus recently reviewed a different PC using a similar but slightly different case design (no mesh front), and it underperformed due to a really lovely memory configuration. Their prebuilts in general seem put together with very little thought about actual use scenarios. I've seen PCs with an i3 10300 and 1650 Super with 64GB of RAM on newegg. Who is that for? Why are they putting Ryzen APUs into PCs with dGPUs when there are better performing CPUs for less? I guess they're just slapping whatever parts they can get their hands on into a box and shipping them out without much care. I understand why an OEM might do this considering the market conditions, but it still makes for some confusing and lovely PCs. Anyway, on paper the PC you linked seems kinda meh but perhaps an acceptable budget machine considering the price inflation for most computer parts we're seeing right now. But again, given that this is a Lenovo machine, there's a fatal flaw that ruins the whole thing: the power supply. That PC is going to crash and encounter other serious issues during demanding moments in games. I would avoid unless you're willing to replace the PSU (which aren't especially expensive, but are a huge pain in the rear end and requires some knowledge of PC building). What are you hoping for with your new PC? What kind of tasks are you doing and what kind of games do you want to play? That would help narrow your options down better. Ultimately though, it's very hard to find a good value in the current market. The alternative to the PC you linked I'd suggest is this one. ABS is Newegg's house brand, and they seem to do a semi-decent job of picking smart components and putting together PCs that make sense without too much of a markup, though this PC still probably costs about $200 more than it probably would during normal market conditions. This PC looks like it should at least operate okay within its spec, which is better than what you can say about Lenovo's junk. And those specs are kinda meh by today's standards but they should let you play current AAA games on reasonably high settings at 1080p, though it may choke a little on the really demanding stuff like Cyberpunk unless you turn down the settings more (though the 2060 supports DLSS, a really cool tech that should help the card punch above its weight) Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Jul 10, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2021 06:01
|
|
|
CoolCab posted:it's not terrible but it's kind of a mismatch for gaming imo - more money spend on the CPU when i imagine most people would strongly prefer spending more on the GPU. you could get away with much less. i have also heard bad things about the thermals of those. oof people complaining in the reviews about the cooler yeah maybe it's kind of terrible. it also probably is single rank because the big prebuilt boys love doing that for some insane reason, so your CPU will be even more constrained. 3060 desktop units are still somewhat pricey unfortunately. The cheapest one of those on Newegg currently is $1250, and it does not look particularly great. The thermals seem bad unless you move some fans around (and then lose the RGB look on the front panel, which may or may not be bad for you). And the parts look good in theory, but it apparently uses a motherboard with a custom BIOS that is missing some features and limiting the system unnecessarily, which is making me reconsider my recommendation above. In a review of another ABS computer, they mention that there are workarounds, but it risks bricking your motherboard if something goes wrong. Welcome to the world of OEMs, I guess. Most prebuilts will be like this. If you're willing to work around those issues, though, I don't think it'd be a bad system necessarily, though again maybe a few hundred bucks overpriced (especially considering the issues you'll have to solve yourself) (edit: wait, that's a 10400F, not an 11400F. Meh, maybe it's worse than I thought. This one for $50 more with the same specs is probably better, if you can tolerate the god-awful front panel design) Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Jul 10, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2021 06:38
|
|
|
Xenolalia posted:Hey so I want to preface this by saying that I used to be able to build computers but then I stopped for 6 years and forgot everything. This does not seem possible with your motherboard. Most decent modern motherboards have "BIOS Flashback" capability, where they can flash the bios from a USB stick without the computer even running. Biostar is a lovely brand, though. It doesn't surprise me to see that not only do they not support bios flashback, but they're too cheap to pre-flash the motherboards, even. Without an older Ryzen chip on hand, I don't believe there's a way around this. Maybe you can double check that all of your components are properly seated and you don't have any shorts first, but if it still fails to post then it seems like you'll have to try to refund the motherboard and buy another. I would suggest an MSI B550 Tomahawk or the Asus ROG Strix B550-F. As far as I'm aware, both are shipping pre-flashed, but if yours isn't for some reason then they come with bios flashback.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2021 22:41
|
|
|
I assume he meant 3.5" and misspoke. Or are those big fuckin floppies making a comeback?? edit: actually it's been so long that i've forgotten which drives are which. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 08:33 on Jul 13, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 12, 2021 21:53
|
|
|
Lemming posted:Does this prebuilt look decent? I saw someone upthread mention that the ABS prebuilts from Newegg weren't godawful, and this one has a 3070 in it https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali532/p/N82E16883360137 Most of the reviews seem to be for an older version with crappier components. On paper, the components in this updated version are decent. The case looks like garbage to my eyes, but I guess that's a matter of taste. The front-panel airflow performance looks like it'll be sub-par, though, which is an issue. They're using an AIO instead of a heatsink+fan like their older model did, but are mounting the AIO to the suffocated front panel and using it as the sole source of inflow. I think the system's going to run warm to hot, even with the water-cooled CPU. This could be partially fixed by mounting the AIO radiator to the top and placing some 120mm fans on the front panel. The CPU should run cooler, and hopefully the GPU too. Cool enough for stock hardware configurations, at least. Reviews indicate there's no dust filtration, so be prepared to buy a can of air and give it a good dusting every few months. If all of this sounds okay to you, then... I guess? In normal times I'd say that PC isn't worth it, but it seems to be among the better values out there at its current price. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Jul 13, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 04:23
|
|
|
lordofthefishes posted:This plus a couple other devices. I can get away with 2 bays but more would be better. Consider the Fractal Design Focus G for a very cheap option. The much more expensive Define R5 is an option if you want a shitload of drive bays. Without knowing anything about build quality and ease of installation, I would prefer the Focus G here for having what appears to be better airflow without having to leave some gimmicky hinged panel open. The offset in these cases means that the topmost front-panel fan will still blow below the CPU. This may not be much of an issue with a tower cooler and a rear exhaust fan, though—your tower cooler's fans should redirect internal case airflow towards it. Just don't try using AIO water cooling if that's something you wanted to do. With a front radiator mount, your pump will be at the top of the loop (which is quite bad), and your optical drives will obstruct a top panel mount. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 08:15 on Jul 13, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 08:05
|
|
|
VelociBacon posted:I have the define r5 and like it but I'm surprised they still sell it - I thought there was an r6 or even r7 by this point. There's an R7, though it appears to have only one 5.25" slot, and I'm not sure if it even comes with a cage for it. It's also like $170 on newegg right now. They even still manufacture and sell the Core 1000 case from 2013, apparently. I didn't mention that one due to how antiquated its design is compared to the Focus G and Define Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 08:34 on Jul 13, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 08:30
|
|
|
I looked at some more cases with 5.25" bays, and drat, SilverStone is still keeping it real with some 2001-rear end cases.  Look at that 2.5" bay. I actually kind of dig the melding of old and new elements here, a mesh section in the front panel mixed with some early 2000s business tower design. A shame about the complete lack of cable management space. edit: pretty sure this is case is a few years older actually but has been relisted for some reason. Still, lol. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Jul 13, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 11:15
|
|
|
The Joe Man posted:This is what I use and I love it to death: This is the newer version https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/define/define-7-xl/black/ I didn't recommend it because I didn't see that there were included drive mounts, but it seems there are and it does support two 5.25" drives. That's down from 4, but the R2 is out of production. $210 is the cheapest I found it though. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1561271-REG/fractal_design_fd_c_def7x_01_define_7_xl_full.html. May as well go with the $50 Focus G unless you really need all that extra size for something.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 12:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 12:36 |
|
|
The Joe Man posted:My buddy recently bought the Define 7 XL and he hates it. Weird grill vs fan placement options and a lot less customizable. Also dude said he wants more than 2 bays (unless I'm missing something). Phanteks is a very popular brand, mostly for their mesh-fronted cases which are all great. They made their name by beating Fractal Designs at airflow performance, which may be why I forgot some of their other older designs had those drive bays. Also they weren't showing up in newegg's search when looking for multiple drive bays (thanks newegg). Anyway, the Enthoo Pro may be what the op wants since it gives a third bay without breaking the bank (don't be fooled, the top slot is an i/o panel i'm pretty sure)
|
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 14:14
|
|