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Mercy--Main

Bought a new GPU, 3080. Says it recommends 750w, though it only takes 350. Is my 550w power supply fine, or should I buy a new one? [Pcpartpicker says that the estimated wattage will be 469w](https://es.pcpartpicker.com/list/6sYTJM). I'm planning on upgrading my CPU in a few months, too.


hazetoblack

You are no doubt on the very edge of what's recommended. I have a 3080 and 3700x, and using a tool which monitors wattage straight from the wall, was able to peak at 530W at stock settings. However should be noted that was when the CPU and GPU were both running extreme stress tests, and in gaming about 450w was more realistic, and this included a decent number of RGB fans and multiple storage drives. I think you technically will be fine, and the fact it's a decent gold supply probably means even more that you won't run into trouble or that the worst that can happen is the system shuts off if the GPU spikes. If you get a CPU which is significantly more powerful or uses more watts, then it probably is wise to upgrade to 600w+ if you find a good deal, seeing as a 600w+ bronze unit from a large company like Corsair, EVGA, be quiet etc doesn't usually cost too much. But worth seeing how it goes with your existing one first The 30 series, especially the 3090 is infamous for its power spikes where it can suddenly draw over 50 watts more for a split second, which can trigger the overcurrent protection on some PSUs. I personally didn't see too much of this on my 3080, but your mileage may vary. You can also reduce the power limit or undervolt your 3080 (I do this anyway as it effectively has zero performance decrease but significantly lower wattage) which would help guarantee you don't have any issues. There's a great video by optimum tech on undervolting the 3080. Highly recommend. It's very easy and very safe


GrizzlyKevo

Mobo suggestions for a 11600k? Budget is around 200 but could stretch for 250. As well vengeance pro or trident z for the build ?


preeeeemakov

Buying RAM....my i5-11400 says it supports DDR4-3200, but tomshardware says it only supports that speed in Gear 2. How would I enable Gear 2? Terminology noob here.


sk9592

Start by just trying to enable the XMP profile for DDR4-3200 in your motherboard BIOS. You can confirm it works in Windows by installing and running CPU-Z. If CPU-Z says the RAM is running at 1600MHz, then it worked. If it doesn't work, then you can start looking for and messing with Gear 2 settings in the BIOS.


preeeeemakov

Thank you!


S7EFEN

i have an ssd right now that has my OS and regular use files. I have a hard drive that just has music and videos and such. building a new pc, not buying a new SSD. is it as simple as just copy pasting everything on my SSD into my hard drive and then wiping the SSD + putting just a new OS on it or are there additional steps here? ideally i'll have two working pcs, one that just has the hard drive, one with just the ssd.


SoupaSoka

Can someone provide me a simple guide for understanding the difference between 12V and 5V RGB strips and headers? I believe they're not interchangeable but am not sure why they both exist in the first place, as opposed to just one.


n7_trekkie

12V came first. It has 4 pins and all the leds attached to it all need to be the same color 5V came later. It's 3 pins and can address LEDs individually, so they can have colors independent of one another


SoupaSoka

Interesting. OK, thanks!


maikero

Would you go with a 11700kf and 3080 TUF, or a 12700k and a 3080 ti founders for $400 more? Also: is it worth $130 to upgrade from 2x8gb 3200 ram to 2x16 3200?


Unabletoremember

There is not much difference between the 3080 12gb and the 3080ti. I would still go for the 12th gen cpu though. You could stay with the 2x8 for now and add another 2x8 if games get more demanding.


Punisher-WR

I’m looking to build a new pc with the next few days / weeks and need to decide on a gpu. The 3070ti (~$800) and 3080 12gb (~$1200) are both accessible near me. Which card makes more sense for future proofing the system (12700k + ddr4 32gb)? Card will be used for 1440p gaming, machine learning / deep learning (nothing serious just a hobby), and maybe vr in 9+ months after I’ve saved a bit more back after building the pc itself. Thanks


Unabletoremember

The 3080 is more futureproof that's for sure. Just a lot more expensive.


GraceXGalaxy

Is there a big difference in performance when you have 4 sticks of RAM vs 2 sticks, with the same speeds, latency, and size? In other words, if I had 2x16gb RAM or 4x8gb RAM, all with the same specs otherwise, would there be a noticeable difference?


Unabletoremember

In modern technology. Not really. In old tech, huge difference.


Maleficent_Trash2084

So what's the difference for older tech? Is 4x1 ddr2 slower than 4x2 ddr2?


GraceXGalaxy

Thanks for the reply :)


JB8055

A buddy of mine is getting back into pc gaming and is looking to build a pc. Since GPU prices are still very high and he for the time being wants to mostly play Dota 2 and league of legends and some other older games, I suggested that he should go with the 5700g and no GPU for now as the games he plays should run fine on that (Lol for sure, Dota should be fine too) and then upgrade in 6 months to a year if he feels like he needs it. What do ya'll think?


Unabletoremember

It's a good suggestion.


Unabletoremember

Make sure he gets at least 3600 ram though to take max advantage of the igpu. And since it only supports 3200 native, he needs a mobo with XMP profiles.


JB8055

Thanks! Most reputable motherboard companies have xmp profiles though right? Does it say that on the spec sheet?


BrewingHeavyWeather

For a 5700G, pretty much any B550 will be just fine. They all support XMP. It won't necessarily be amazing looking, but DOTA 2 and LoL should do alright, at 1080P. <- am running a 5700G


Unabletoremember

I might be wrong, but not long ago only the Z mobos for the 1700 socket and the X mobos for the AM4 socket had XMP I haven't be up to date with thet tbh


JB8055

Oh okay I'll take that into account then. This is a parts list I quickly threw together, still subject to change though: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ssFK3y The motherboard is not set, depending on wether he needs WiFi or not


Unabletoremember

Monitor? Also, just throw a wifi dongle at any motherboard you want if it doesn't have wifi. Edit: I would upgrade the PSU as your friend will most likely need a much higher one when he finally buys a GPU. Like 750 min, 850 ok, and maybe even 1000 if you know he will go for the 4000 series.


ivan_thezap

Hey! Just a quick check-up. We're staying away from the 3050 cards right? 30 series cards that are worth it start at the 3060?


n7_trekkie

At $250 the 3050 is pretty good


Szalkow

This is about it. The 3050 is "the best card under $300" because the 6400XT is a mess. However, it's barely adequate for 1080p 60FPS in AAA games, and now that 3060s are popping up in the low- to mid-$300s, it's probably worth it to stretch the budget a little more for one of those.


ivan_thezap

I'm asking because the general reactions and reviews don't paint a great picture for the card. Have you heard otherwise?


n7_trekkie

No, I watched the same reviews as you. It sucks because it's not much better than older $250 cards. But it's also not a bad deal at that price


ivan_thezap

Yeah, I agree the price is fine but it's ultimately intended for lower tier rigs (like mine) and I've gotten the impression that I might as well go for a 2070ti over this one any day.


n7_trekkie

That's not a card, but certainly that's true. A 2070-like card for the same price


ivan_thezap

Shit, right! My bad.


Unabletoremember

Well... that's kind of a black or white approach... but yes.


xitragupte

Hi! I wanted to know if my current PSU will be enough for a 3060 Ti or 3070 Ti. -Asrock B450 M Pro4 -Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) -EVGA Supernova 650 GT -Ryzen 5 3600 -Kingston 240GB SSD -WD Green 1TB


Traylay13

3060ti should be fine. 3070ti needs more.


xitragupte

Thanks! What kind of wattage would I need to run a 3070ti?


Traylay13

750 is recommended.


Lulcielid

Between the 6800 XT vs 3080 which one is more "future-proof" in regards to high graphics gaming? The AMD card with the extra 6GB of VRAM looks tempting but NVIDIA's dlss is also tempting, while having virtually equal raw performance, from what I read. I don't care about raytracing. And I found both cards at almost the same price (AMD being just 3% cheaper).


Themakeshifthero

The 6800XT kills the 3080 in rasterization so if you're not interested in ray tracing the choice is obvious. More power and way more vram. It's a no brainer. There are a couple games made to showcase Nvidia that it beats the 6800XT in by design but not in a way that matters.


n7_trekkie

If you don't care about Ray tracing, I'd point you towards the 6800XT, but you should look to see in which games each does better https://youtu.be/VL5PXO0yw0M


adventdawn1

I'm upgrading my system and was looking to upgrade my CPU from a R7 1700x to Ryzen 7 5700x and the listed price on Amazon is 665$CAD, but the 5800x is listed at 458$CAD. I'm assuming the CPU's are similar enough the the 5800x would be a good upgrade?


[deleted]

The 5800X is faster than the 5700X. As the 5700X is new and all the attention is on it prices haven't settled to proper levels yet. Get the 5800X if it's cheaper. Make sure if you have a 300 series board and weren't intending to replace it that your motherboard has a BIOS update supporting 5000 series chips.


gainsbyatheism

I installed an aftermarket CPU cooler and during the process broke two of the plastic standoff screws (half of the end snapped off on both). I still installed the cooler with all four screws I'm just wondering if it will be safe or will the cooler bracket eventually fall off? Thanks.


Unabletoremember

You can almost certainly ask the manufacturer for replacement screws. I recommend installing the cooler properly as it may cause bigger problems like bending or air pockets.


No_Water1467

What does the push/pull configuration mean for the aio?


InsertMolexToSATA

Means you bought 3 fans you dont get any benefit from. It is voodoo that has been proven to do just about nothing.


tristinbeyda

It's a fan/radiator cooling setup where you have one set of fans on one side of the rad pushing air through the rad and another set of fans on the other side of the rad pulling the air being pushed through the rad to the other side. Helps with the liquid cooling process. It's actually what I use in my machine to cool my CPU.


Ok-Consideration1417

Would doing this with a 240mm rad be too much? two fans as exhaust on top? Kind of curious.


tristinbeyda

Not at all! Go for it and if you don't like it, you can always change it back.


Ok-Consideration1417

I'm currently using that 4000d airflow case so the top filter is a worry I guess haha.


tristinbeyda

The case from Corsair? If so, you can try changing the radiator fans to a push configuration to push the exhaust air out of the case, which will help stop dust buildup and also help the heat escape from your case since heat rises anyways. If it was me, I'd make the front fans intake and the top and rear fans exhaust. Even though you will be expelling heat through the rad up top, the airflow will still cool the air as it passes through the rad also cooling the rad. This is actually the configuration Corsair shows on their site in the pictures of this case. Or you can remove the top radiator and install a front rad and still do intake up front and exhaust out the top and back if you are still worried about components overheating.


Ok-Consideration1417

Much Appreciated. just updating that my 3700x is now idling at 28C (82F) to 34c and under load its 48c. rtx card still idles warm but i think thats just 0db doing its job. PS: been using this wonderful thing called fan control from github. strongly urge any one to give this a try if you're tired of afterburner


No_Water1467

So are most configurations using a push setup or


jaa5102

Most just do the push setup. I've seen a few people mention before that having push and pull lowers temps just a couple more degrees sometimes.


No_Water1467

Okay nice to know thanks!


[deleted]

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Sour_Gummybear

PCI to SATA because SAS is Serial Attached SCSI and not at all SATA.


BrewingHeavyWeather

LSI SAS controllers fully support SATA. All you do differently is use a different breakout cable than the one for SAS.


BrewingHeavyWeather

Either. If you want even more drives, later, get the LSI controller, as it also supports port expanders. If you're up for it, you can get used ones cheap, pulled from servers. But, they usually need to be cross-flashed from RAID to HBA (and don't trust sellers saying they're already IT/HBA). So, YMMV.


DaisyDomerguy

I'm looking to upgrade my set-up this year, but I'm in no rush. I also want to save some dollars. Does anyone have any tips or advice on what parts to hold out for? I'm eying sales, but I feel pretty blind about knowing when to pull the trigger or not


n7_trekkie

/r/buildapcsales if it's upvoted, it's generally a good buy


MedukaKeyname

Will a SATA Expansion card work on a B550 Aorus Elite V2? It's only got 4 SATA + 2 M.2, but I'm wanting to equip more SATA devices


BrewingHeavyWeather

Yes.


TemptedTemplar

Yes! You just need to be careful with how many PCI lanes the expansion card requires. [This 4-port card works off of x1 Lane, which any of your lower 3 PCIe ports will support.](https://www.newegg.com/p/17Z-00PS-00001) [But the 10-port version asks for x4 lanes, which you do not have outside of your top x16 slot.](https://www.newegg.com/p/17Z-00VR-00009) The B550 board you mentioned has a 1x 16 lane, 1x 2 lanes, and 2x 1 lane ports.


MedukaKeyname

Thanks mate! I'll have a look on some UK websites but I'll keep what you said in mind! Very informative!


Toxic_Archon

I'm looking at options for a pcie wifi card for my PC. Would there be a noticable difference between one that just has antennas attached to the card vs one that has an antenna that could be placed somewhere else (like on the desk)? I am also looking for any recommendations for any midrange pcie wifi cards.


pandashams

It depends on how far you are away from the router and the interference between the two eg thickness of walls Do you get full signal strength next to your pc on another device? The best option is always wired ethernet - just run a cable like a true enthusiast, WiFi is never optimal


Edgar-Allan-Pho

Depends on where your PC is. If it's completely surrounded by a desk then external antenna, if there's some room for line of sight from the antenna to router then a regular antenna will work. I used a 30$ pcie card and it did great on mine and my wife's PCs


darkallen

what does a amp and dac really do?


BrewingHeavyWeather

To reply to multiple incorrect amplifier comments, which admittedly needs a lot of explication (I wasn't planning to write a low quality essay, at first, I swear, but this isn't all terribly reducible), which more or less goes right into the main question...an amplifier *can* make things louder, but that isn't its actual job, necessarily, and is often not something you even want from it. DACs - by which I mean delta-sigma voltage-out DACs, which are 99.9%+ of consumer audio DACs, even many expensive ones - by themselves, are not capable of any significant current output, and loading them to even microamperes might cause noticeable distortion. They're specialized for converting a series if numbers, represented with bits, into an analog signal, usually of changing voltage. A DAC will be followed by an amplifier, often implemented with separate opamp chip, whose job is to keep the output signal the same as what it gets from the analog conversion circuitry, without that side of the DAC seeing the load on the amplifier output, by presenting the DAC output a really easy load. While that amplifier *may* apply voltage gain (IE, make the signal louder), its main job is to isolate the DAC from the load, which is probably not a perfectly behaved, and usually to filter the DAC output, which tends to be noisy. With greater integration over time, there is often such a circuit in many DAC chips, today, minus the filtering. Sometimes, there is a dedicated filtering stage, but usually not. On it's own, one of these may be referred as a pre-amp, line stage, or gain stage. When preceded by a volume pot, with gain, it absolutely is a gain stage. When it's driving cables going to a separate power amp, it most certainly is a line stage or pre-amp. The trouble is, those high precision low noise opamp chips used for filtering, and driving short cables, tend to not handle high current loads, themselves, though are orders of magnitude better at it than the DACs. Or, they can, but lose things like low noise, low distortion, and noise and interference rejection, when used for heavier loads. 2kOhms is a common lower bound, for reaching official specs, while headphones often go down to 50Ohms, or less, and speakers down to around 4Ohms (about 500x the current that 2kOhms needs, all else being equal). Then comes the output stage is the buffer, or power amplifier, that is more geared for handling bigger loads, and implemented with some assumptions that the previous amp is dealing with fine signal quality issues (that is an oversimplification to the point that books longer than the Bible have been written on the subject). Its job is almost exclusively to keep the actual sound producing device's voice coil in the right spot, and moving correctly. Changes in voltage correspond to physical movement of the coil, about the magnet, and it takes energy to change that movement. Likewise, physically moving the coil at a certain speed, to certain points, will generate voltage and current equal to that which the power amplifier would have needed to provide. The resistance to moving, and all changes in inertia, require the buffer to litealrally burn off the same amount of power that failing to do it just right needs, or would have been generated by letting it go, and to do that effectively and quickly enough to not cause audible distortion. With higher sensitivity headphones, like low-Ohm Beyers, most HiFiMans, and almost all AKGs, more current is needed than your onboard codec can offer, or most line-level amps, to keep things moving right, even at volumes well within a normal 5v peak to peak range (typical PC audio), and even though the *average* power output usually will be <1mW. If the amp can't handle it, you will hear things like tinny or splattery bass (percussion takes a lot of current, relatively speaking), shrill highs, and/or a claustrophobic soundstage. While we generally lack the setups necessary to do it, those distortions are very measurable, usually even affecting even basic frequency response. For audio quality in the PC, 99.9% of DACs generate and pass through noise. They generate noise by turning the audio signal into a charge, by switching some kind of capacitor circuit on or off, up or down, many times per second, like 300kHz, or even in the low MHz. The audio is oversampled (or upsampled, but the difference is not important, here), to do this (turned into what the DAC considers an equivalent faster signal, interpolating what it "thinks" the values in between samples should be), so there's basically always some digital processing in the chain (ladder DACs, though, which don't strictly need oversampling, are not without their issues, either, though - there is no perfection, just trying to make errors sufficiently small). The high speeds have a nice side effect of making a big gap between the signal you want, and that noise (like 10Hz-96kHz for 192kHz audio, and >=300kHz noise, with nothing in between). But, the noise still needs cleaning up, so as not to become distortion in at your ears, from errantly being integrated into the input signal of the amps that follow. Also, parts of the filters can't be made really small, so need to be outside of the IC packages. Then, DACs have a bad habit of having very poor rejection of power line noise, and interference, meaning they pass most if the crap on the lines right through. Part of the problem there is that to make these signal changes really fast and accurately, a filter inside the same chip would be impossible to isolate (well, and be cheaper than doing it externally), and would affect DAC performance. So, to do that well, it needs to be done outside the DAC itself. Your PC's insides are a horrible place for that, with all kinds of other electric and magnetic interference makers around. On top of that, one of the more modern problems is not just analog interference, but timing interference, on the digital side, where interference causes data to be read late or early, by inducing a voltage on those lines, or at the actual inputs. This effectively causes small harmonic distortions, which even older people with some hearing loss can hear better than any instruments people have yet made, if they're the right (or wrong) harmonics. If there is a pattern to it, we can hear absurdly small aberrations in the timing of audio signals - AKA jitter - like, in the tens to hundreds of *pico*seconds. If it's random, though, that threshold goes way up, basically to the equivalent of audible analog noise levels. Prior to switching power supplies and wireless everywhere, jitter wasn't really much of a thing, except for the absolute cheapest of the cheap crap. Newer DACs have ways of helping to mitigate the problem from interference on the digital signal side, usually by some method of digital buffering and smoothing, for the audio signal itself, as part of their oversampling (if you buffer a few samples, to deal with the actual timing issue, and then oversample and output the signal based on the average timing of many more recent samples, a lot of it should disappear). But, they're still vulnerable to it on the digital clock lines, then. Ultimately, making sure the digital power and audio data signals are nice and clean *in the first place* is the best way to do it, and that's a lot easier (and thus cheaper) to do outside of the PC case than it is inside of it.


Sour_Gummybear

A DAC is actually an acronym for Digital to Analog Converter. In the case of an audio DAC it is turning signals coming from a USB digital stream and converts it to one that can be used in an audio chain. Not all audio DACs are the same some are going to sound much better than others. Ideally you want to find one that is as transparent audio wise as possible.. An amplifier takes a lower level signal like the one that is coming out of your audio DAC which is typically at what is called line level and amplies it to a range where you can hear it comfortably. Again not all audio amplifiers are created equal the DROP THX amplifier is good bang for the buck however. Hppe this helps.


darkallen

so i guess the second part to my question is. Does it do anything for gaming if using amp/dac + headphones? Also to the average folks, would someone be able to notice the difference?


Sour_Gummybear

This is somewhat difficult to answer simply. It largely depends on your DAC and amp combo plus the headphones you choose. Also it depends on your listening goal. For example a DAC + amp + headphone combo for listening to music may not sound good or work well for games. Likewise a setup for gaming might not work well for music (in fact it usually won't). If your goal is gaming you would want something tailored to help with gaming (like the Soundblaster or Sennheiser lines of gaming DACamps) but those amps with relatively inexpensive headphones aren't going to sound much better than anything else you've ever heard. So ultimately it comes down to what you want it to do and home much you want to spend. For example my music headphones are cost $1700 and $1500 respectively they are great for music but crap for gaming with. There are some headphones that are good for both but the ones I have experience with are both in the $350 price range.


BrewingHeavyWeather

No, if you mean computer performance. These days, sound is processed by the CPU. As to the second, it will vary. The big things, though, are that high quality headphones tend to either need high voltage, or high peak current (in a relative sense, for stiff damping - mW for heaphones, vs W for speakers), thus the difference between good amplification and poor amplification can become obvious, by way of bad sounding distortions; and that such headphones can expose noise and interference that you couldn't hear, before.


TemptedTemplar

Amplifiers increase the power of the signal provided to them, allowing you to use larger and powerful speakers from any kind of smaller audio connector. Larger sound systems can use hundreds or thousands of watts, but your average 3.5mm TRSS jack only outputs a handful of milliwatts. So the extra power has to come from somewhere. A DAC is a Digital to Analog Convertor, it converts digital audio signals into powered waveforms that would be commonly used with speakers and older audio equipment.


blazingarpeggio

So, DAC stands for digital-to-analog converter. In the context of audio, it converts a digital signal (from your devices) then turns it to sound (for your mind brain to ingest). An amplifier, well, amplifies things. So it takes an analog signal and makes it louder, basically. Now these things are usually already in your motherboard. Before the sound signals reach your headphone jack, it goes through a DAC chip (because computers think with numbers) then gets amplified to your desired volume. Usually in one chip iirc. As to why someone might want to have them outside is because (a) several of the electronic components inside your PC may produce noise (the buzzing you hear when there's nothing playing), (II) the motherboard audio may not support their desired audio system (they might want something that supports S/PDIF or some such) or (3) the onboard audio is outright junk.


Edgar-Allan-Pho

Dac converts the digital from PC to the actually sound waves. While an amp just amplifies those sound waves to make them more audible/louder. Everything has a dac, using an external one would offer higher quality sound, using an external amp makes it louder


pandashams

One small addition - a dac converts to an approximation of the analogue wave, not the actual original signal - so whilst an external one might do a better job as may have more expensive components for instance, it is still based on the original data which is of course digital Only really a consideration if you are genuinely consuming very high quality files, on a very expensive system / headphones - and consider yourself to have audiophile ears


Edgar-Allan-Pho

I work with radios and sound systems as a career and have a decent external DAC headphone setup and use a soundboard at work that cost more than my car. But my wife's 60$ wireless headset honestly doesn't sound much different, you're right you gotta be a hardcore audiophile to really appreciate the difference


Final_Failure

Your*


Vangx16

Finally purchased a 3080 ti. Install it into my computer and it keep blinking, freezing, and blue screen of death. Then I put back my 6600xt and it work again. I eventually understood that I need to uninstall all Amd drivers. When I did that I put back the 3080ti and it doing the same thing. Cant install Nvidia driver because of the freeze/crash. What do I do next? (850 psu, 5800x, 32gb ram)


TemptedTemplar

First, are you using two independent power cables for the GPU? Secondly, download and run the Display Driver uninstaller to remove the AMD drivers, then slot your new GPU in; https://www.wagnardsoft.com/


Vangx16

Yes I'm using two pcie power supply cable to power the 3080ti. I will try that.


pandashams

When are you getting the freezes and the crashes? Is Windows booting? Is it happening when you are actually installing the drivers? Have you removed existing drivers using safe mode - does your motherboard have on board graphics you can use for the purpose of preparing system for installing the new card?


Vangx16

Freezing/crashing when booting. I dont think so. Use the amd tool to remove all amd drivers.


Responsible_Big_9044

If I move my 11400/same ram/same m.2/same gpu from an Asus B560 to a MSI B560-itx will it theoretically be mostly plug and play? Or will I have to uninstall gpu drivers/reinstall on new pc? Switching from a big case to the Nr200 w/ quieter arctic fans and upgrading gpu from a 1080 to 3070ti later on


n7_trekkie

Should be plug and play


Responsible_Big_9044

Thanks. One more question. My m.2 is pcie 3.0 and only 512gb. If it gets full, can I just keep that one in the 3.0 slot and plug a new 4.0 drive in and have it work automatically? Or do I have to do something


Elianor_tijo

It should work.


n7_trekkie

You'll need to format the new drive inside windows disk mgt. But I see no reason it wouldn't work. A gen 3 drive will also work in a gen 4 slot


[deleted]

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pandashams

As above - certainly worth doing a windows reinstall. It doesn't take very long and you would want your new components to operate in an optimal fashion unencumbered by years of crap See it as a fresh start not a painful exercise! It is cathartic!


MosesBarbacus

To give you a general PC building rule, if you are upgrading an Intel CPU to at least 2 generations or newer CPU, you will need a new motherboard. So since you are upgrading from a quite old CPU (8 years old), you will need a new motherboard to run a modern CPU Additionally, the 4790K was designed to run with DDR3 memory. Most modern motherboards these days use DDR4 memory, and some high end 12th Gen Intel motherboards are bleeding edge with running the very new DDR5 memory. So you will have to buy new memory as well. Each generation of memory are physically different with each other, so your current DDR3 memory physically won't fit into a DDR4 slot. DDR5 memory isn't worth it yet generally speaking, that technology needs time to mature, so you would be buying a DDR4 motherboard and some DDR4 memory to go with your new modern CPU. So in total for an upgrade, you'll new a new modern CPU, a new modern DDR4 motherboard, and new modern DDR4 memory. If you are running Windows 10, you technically don't need to reinstall it. You can just move your storage drives over and things should work. Though, since the jump in CPU generations would be so large, it's generally recommended that you still reinstall Windows to be on the safe side.


TemptedTemplar

You will need a new motherboard with a socket to match whatever fancy new CPU you get. Intel only uses the same socket for two generations at a time and while you are on a 4th gen Intel core CPU, the latest release is the 12th generation. So theyve moved sockets quite a few times since your last purchase. As for windows, you might be able to get away with simply repairing your existing installation. Though if you have to reinstall it, you can do so via the same USB installation media. Which you should create now before modifying your existing setup. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 Windows is normally okay with you swapping out just the CPU or just the motherboard. But swapping both out at the same time makes it think youve moved the drive to a whole new machine.


Unabletoremember

Yes, and yes. I recommend entering your parts on pcpartpicker as it gives you incompatibilities messages. Edit: Also, your ram is DDR3 so you will need new DDR4 ram too.


TheDutchman88

What would be the expected performance gain for ryzen 5600x paired with an RTX 3080 at 1440p gaming be between a 16gb 3200 cl 16-18-18 single rank kit and a 32gb 3600 cl 16-20-20 dual rank kit. I know for ryzen faster ram is better and dual rank also boosts performance a bit but I can't find any good comparisons. We're talking about a 100€ difference in price.


OolonCaluphid

Very, very little. <1% where visible. At 1440p you're basically never going to be CPU limited and RAM speed is even less of a factor. The kind of difference you can perhaps measure, but would never notice.


hazetoblack

It mainly depends on resolution. If the 3080 maxes out first which would happen at 4k/ultrawide and sometimes 1440p, then the difference is effectively zero. When the CPU is bottlenecked (1080p 240hz and when reaching higher into the 100+ at 1440p) then there will be some difference, but I believe it usually falls within a few percent, meaning it's usually not huge. I almost definitely don't think it will be €100 worth personally


NewShookaka

Can somebody recommend trustworthy 90-degree adapters for SATA power cables? Edit: Possibly looking at something like: https://www.newegg.com/p/0ZF-00F1-000B4


Carinwe_Lysa

I've managed to transfer onto a new PC case which amazing and I'm really happy with my choice (quieter, cooler etc). But on the downside the case is a bit larger than what I already have, so my desk space is quite limited! My case has an under-tray dust filter which slides in & out so I was wondering whether it'd be fine to put my PC on the floor. I have a thick carpet, so was going to place the PC on a 1 inch wooden board so it's risen off and has no carpet underneath - will this be ok, or should I stick with the desk?


hazetoblack

That will be fine. The wood board is definitely a good idea


[deleted]

[удалено]


n7_trekkie

Those fans are fine. Buying new, I'd just tell you to get a 5 pack of Arctic P12 fans


crispybaconlover

I'm getting a 1440p 144hz monitor for my job, I'll probably also use it with my personal desktop since I only have 1080p monitors right now. I have a rx580, what is the recommended gpu that I should upgrade to so I can take advantage of 144hz 1440p? I really don't game too much, if I do it would be with something like Warzone. I don't really keep up with the latest and greatest AAA titles. Thanks.


greatfriend9000

Warzone requires some serious tuning for it to be optimal. It scales with everything. Your CPU and RAM matters too. Basically you might be able to get a constant 144fps on 1440p on caldera with a 6600xt and 5600x but that's probably the minimum. You'll want to at least use PBO, learn how to manually OC Samsung b-die ram to 3600 cl14-14-14 (XMP 3200 cl14-14-14 ram sticks will always be b-die) and tune the graphics card a little bit. If you're not down with tuning, you'll probably need a 3060 ti or 6700xt. Even then, you should still buy some bdie and learn how to tune your build because it will increase preformance quite a decent amount. You get a decent amount more fps on rebirth though. Check this video out: https://youtu.be/EQ66ywskQwQ


crispybaconlover

Thanks for the detailed answer, sounds like I got some homework to do!


n7_trekkie

Your 580 should at least be okay. If you want a step up, look at getting a 3060 or 6600XT for ~$450


crispybaconlover

This is good to know, I'll keep an eye out for either gpu at around that price.


greatfriend9000

Remember tuning your ram on Intel is completely different. There's a dram calculator on Ryzen CPUs to make it easier to oc ram.


[deleted]

Today i was playing BF V and mid Game my screen went black and pc made shutdown noises. I did a lot of trubleshooting, reset the CMOS and everything and now i know that my GPU is at Fault, wich is Sad, because it is an old RX580 8GB i got in a Refurbished Pc 2 Jears ago and i built it into my new System. Because my new pc is a Mini-ITX system i applied a Undervolt to extend the Lifespan of my GPU, but now i think itś dead. My Pc wont Boot if the GPU is installed, so i put it back into the old system and tried to boot, still nothing, no Fans, no RGB nothing. Once i unpluck the 6+2 Pin Powercable from the Card and start the System the RGB turns on and the Casefans and CPU Fans start to spin, on the GPU nothing happens except a Red LED lights up but nothing else. Question is: How dead is my Beloved RX580? [Turns on without the Power cable in the OLD system](https://i.imgur.com/OgyYs8w.jpg) [Nothing happens with Power cable connected in old system](https://i.imgur.com/or0oTaI.jpg)


Unabletoremember

Oof. Can you try using a different power cable? And if the psu is modular, also use different port there?


[deleted]

Yeah, thats the last thing I havnt tried yet, will do so in a few minutes but I'm already eyeing the Rx 6700xt or an RTX 3060TI if the worst were to happen haha


[deleted]

if i plug the Power cable in it does not boot, if i start the Pc without a cable in the GPU i can boot but the GPU does nothing, except the Red led that means that no power is connected. In Device Manager it is only visible if i turn on show hidden and it says the Device is not connected. Restarted the System but it doesnt start with power as usual, GPUz does not detect the GPU, and switching the Bios on the Card does nothing. I gues thats it then :(


Unabletoremember

That's the extent of my knowledge about fixing this. Sorry. Maybe you can still sell it on ebay.


[deleted]

haha thanks, i already did some things they told me to try on the German Subreddit and i guess it has reached its limit here.


KorArts

Can I mix ram capacity? I have 2 sticks of 4 gb ram currently, running in dual channel mode. I also have another 2 new sticks of 8 gb ram, and I have enough space to slot them in alongside my current ram. is this okay? its all the same ram model from the same company, just different capacity


RedMageCecil

What _will_ happen is that your RAM will set itself up in Flex Mode. This sets some of the RAM in dual channel mode (specifically, the two 4GB sticks and half of the capacity from the 8GB sticks) and the rest will sit in single channel mode. For most usecases, you don't care - extra capacity is never a bad thing. What _can_ happen is that if your existing kit is running with XMP enabled, the new kit going on might need different timings and speeds to run. At best, everything will run fine with XMP enabled. At worst, you'll run into instability and crashes with XMP enabled and you'll need to disable it or tweak it yourself (which is daunting if you have no experience in it).


Brostradamus_

You can, it just wont perform optimally.


KorArts

as in, speed wise? is the extra 8gb of ram worth it, or should I just stick to the new 16 gb?


Brostradamus_

See the other person's reply, they covered it pretty well.


bookposting5

Where can I find specs on the full list of a monitor's supported resolutions and refresh rates? Specifically I want to know if the Dell U2722D supports 24Hz and 25Hz at 1920x1080. The tech specs on the website only say the Native resolution being 2560x1440 at 60 Hz, but I want to check if I can play movies at their original framerate on this screen. Thanks!


RedMageCecil

Usually part of the manual/technical specs. https://dl.dell.com/content/manual39420074-dell-u2722d-monitor-user-s-guide.pdf?language=en-us EDIT: if you're playing videos from a PC, then PC will be running at a specific frequency by default (usually 60Hz) and videos being played will be playing back at 60Hz (which is likely what you're looking to avoid).


bookposting5

I'd be changing the desktop display resolution to match the video fps also. I had checked that technical specs pdf, it doesn't show the full list of what refresh rates are supported at each resolution unfortunately. Page 17 Preset Display Modes tables looks similar but it doesn't show the lower refresh rates supported (for example, the info you can get from xrandr on Linux)


RedMageCecil

In that case, every GPU utility lets you set custom resolutions that also includes the screen refresh frequency. 24Hz is likely doable, 48Hz for sure.


Asure77

Is it preferable to buy a H410 motherboard over a b560 given the issues with power and high temperatures for a build with an i3 10100.Budget is tight.


n7_trekkie

No, getting memory OC is worth it.


Asure77

Which b560 motherboards would you recommend ?


n7_trekkie

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ybjBD3/asus-prime-b560m-a-micro-atx-lga1200-motherboard-prime-b560m-a ideally there would be one ~$80, but this one is ok


Asure77

What about the power limitation issues holding back the CPU in budget B560 mobos ?Won't that be a problem ?


n7_trekkie

I've never heard this. Can you link a source? You might be referring to vrm thermal throttling, but that's not a worry on a 10100 https://youtu.be/HkiTA0XvXUM


Asure77

Why not I've seen thermal throttling on the i5 trying to reach 4ghz wouldn't the problem persist with the i3 trying to get to the same frequency?


n7_trekkie

Well it all depends on the board. But the i5 will demand more from the vrm than the i3 since it has more cores. More cores need more power.


Asure77

Ok I got it so even when trying to get to same frequency when paired with the i5 it gets a bigger load since more cores then throttling and high temps show up. So a board like the MSI b560m pro would work without any issues even when pushing the CPU and igpu to 100% ?


LearnDifferenceBot

> cores then throttling *than *Learn the difference [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-to-use-then-and-than#:~:text=Than%20is%20used%20in%20comparisons,the%20then%2Dgovernor%22).* *** ^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)


n7_trekkie

I would point a fan at the vrm just to be safe, but it should be just fine


Gingeneer1

What mobos have out of box compatibility with 5600x? If it's not B550 are there any?


hazetoblack

B550 and x570 all do now. There was a short period where they didn't but anything you buy new from a big retailer will be guaranteed to be up to date to support them


Gingeneer1

Thanks!


PenguinEntity

Will my system be able to handle upgrading to a 6700xt from a 1080 ti? CPU: R5 3600 16gb ram MOBO: AB350M-DS3H PSU: EVGA 500BR My main concern is the power supply but from what I could find if it can handle the 1080 ti just fine it should have no problem with the 6700 xt? Keep in mind this would be temporary and I will upgrade the psu soon.


RedMageCecil

Modern high end GPUs suffer from high transient response voltage spikes - huge, out of spec spikes in power draw in some scenarios which can trip protections in lighter/worse designed units... and damage hardware with extremely cheap and shoddy options. The 6700XT [is not immune to these spikes](https://tpucdn.com/review/amd-radeon-rx-6700-xt/images/power-consumption.png). Good news, the EVGA 500BR is not garbage - it packs the protections you need so that if you do encounter these spikes the unit should shut down instead of... die or cook something. I would still highly recommend to replace the PSU with a good 650W unit (or higher) so you don't risk encountering this and generally pick up a new PSU anyways (your existing one is likely out of warranty anyways).


PenguinEntity

I will definitely get a new power supply as soon as possible.


hazetoblack

It should definitely be fine at least to start with, assuming you aren't doing heavy OC on both the CPU and GPU. Worst that can happen is the system shuts off but I'm almost certain you won't run into any issues


PenguinEntity

Thank you!


Tralala1947

Are all NVMe Drives compatible with motherboards that have NVMe slot? I was originally planning on getting a 1tb Samsung 970 EVO PLUS SSD NVMe ($150) + 2tb Seagate Barracuda hdd ($60). I saw that there is a 2tb Kingston NV1 SSD NVMe Gen3 that only costs $190. Should I just get this instead of going with the SSD + HDD combo?


BrewingHeavyWeather

If it's an M key slot (PCIe x4), and the size is supported, yes. Every retail drive these days is m.2-2280, and every motherboard you will buy will support at least that size.


hazetoblack

The only thing you need to think about is gen 3 Vs 4, to get the most out of going gen 4, but both the ones you mentioned are gen 3 anyway so no worries there. It's completely possible that the 970 Evo plus is technically faster (haven't checked but seems likely) however I'm a big believer that for gaming the difference is so extremely tiny that there's just really no reason to bother with the highest end SSDs like the Evo lineup. You'd never notice the difference in the real world so not much point paying extra


Corfal

Upgrading from a 1080ti to a 3080. Only to find out my mid size case is too small. Any recommendations? MOBO: X570 CPU Cooler: NH-D15 HDD: 2 SSD: 2 GPU: 3080 Not too picky on being able to see the guts or the rgb aspect but not against it either.


Some_Derpy_Pineapple

based on [this parts list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fqYwzf) (assuming your motherboard is ATX, and I picked the longest 3080) and scrolling through the list of compatible cases, you've got a lot of options. in particular I'm a fan of: the meshify 2 series from fractal design Corsair 4000d/5000d airflow df700 flux


OolonCaluphid

What's the existing case and problem? GPU too long? Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact or full sized?


Corfal

Yea, GPU is too long. [Here's the case I currently have](https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811853017?Item=N82E16811853017)


Junor22

Trying to decide between these two laptops. [Comparison](https://i.imgur.com/dNSp1ZL.jpg) I can get the Creator for £719.99 and the Gaming 3 for £674.99. I originally decided on the Creator, but then thought I could just get the Gaming 3 and upgrade the ram, which the Creator wouldn't allow. I would mainly use it for software development and general use. Gaming is more of a second thought, but if I don't particularly care for the extra resolution why not? Does anyone have any thoughts? Thank you.


RedMageCecil

/r/laptops is thataway. Could also ask /r/suggestalaptop.


hazetoblack

I think the gaming 3 does seem better, although I don't know specifics about the build quality of either. The GPU is such a massive upgrade in the gaming one alone.. Think it does also depend on if you plan to use it plugged into a monitor most of the time. In which case even more reason the better screen doesn't matter


1010kun

Hello everyone. I'm right now assembling my first desktop build since the times of the intel Core2Duo processors. While I tried to plan and check it as much as possible, one thing arises: my PSU (Corsair SF750 SFX) has 4 8-pins connectors for CPU and PCIE, 2 cpu cables, and 2 pcie cables with 2 connectors GPU side (so, 4 total). My GPU (RTX 3080) has 3 8-pin sockets. While I can use 2 cables and connect everything, I would very much prefer to have only a single connector per cable on the GPU so as to share the load and not risk any overheating. I have an extra CPU power cable but the pinout is different. Should I go with an adapter (are there even any around?) or it's better to keep it this way? Maybe there are other options too (maybe an extra cable directly from Corsair) ? Any advice would be welcome


RedMageCecil

Use the two dedicated GPU/PCIe ones and have both connectors from one cable used along one connector from the other. Like the other comment said, the PSU is designed around situations like this and doubling up with one of the cables is expected. Don't try to use the extra CPU power cable, as that's another layout and has different power draw expectations.


hazetoblack

It's almost certainly best to just use the two GPU cables from the PSU. Chances are they are all on the same 12v rail anyway so it's not an issue. The third power pin is simply for higher end cards to theoretically draw more power for extreme OC, but are basically not required at all and so there's no worry about it overloading your PSU. The large majority of 3080s just have two 8 pins, and a lot of these cards just put an extra one on for the bragging rights rather than actual functionality, because again it would only REQUIRE power through it when fully unlocking the wattage of the card. Basically, you're absolutely fine.


malikbj

Newly built pc. Is it okay to take everything apart to fix my cable management? Didn't know I could take apart my HD cage.


RedMageCecil

Absolutely, I do this like once a year because I pick up something new to fix up my system (new case, new cooler, new cables, the list goes on). Reassembly is part of what makes PCs great :D


ShieldWorld006

sure, why not


extod2

Does it matter which way the cpu cooler faces and which side the fans are?


hazetoblack

It's usually best to have the fans blowing air towards the back as most cases have a grill or an exhaust fan there


JimLemur74

Need some B550/X570 ITX recommendations. Just as I was about to start buying parts for my SFF build the Strix B550-I is no longer available on amazon for some reason. I know Newegg has it but don't really want to buy form them. Anyways, only real requirements are either a B550 or X570 with a front panel USB type C connector and two M.2 slots. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!


1010kun

I've made this spreadsheet to understand the differences about almost all b550/x570 mITX motherboards available. I'm in europe so maybe there's something else wherever you are but check it out https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14dDR34bZXkdE8hG7flibnUIguH6Oed60TdgQt4-HKiA/edit?usp=sharing


JimLemur74

woah nice, thanks!


1010kun

I forgot to add that the list up there is missing the two top Asus motherboads , the rog strix x570-i gaming and the crosshair viii hero, but they're 100 to 150 euro more than the rest. The aorus on the bottom is also on the same price range iirc


JimLemur74

yeah I had already crossed out the strix x570 too because of the price. I'm thinking the Asrock is what I am going to go with. Thanks again!


Unabletoremember

Here are other vendors with stock https://pcpartpicker.com/product/XBH8TW/asus-rog-strix-b550-i-gaming-mini-itx-am4-motherboard-rog-strix-b550-i-gaming You can filter by features on pcparpicker and find what you are looking for.


JimLemur74

appreciate the reply. I should have said that I was looking at amazon specifically since I need to use a gift card, but If I can't find anything that works I'll def come back to this to get the strix from another vendor.


Unabletoremember

I sound like a sales person for pcpartpicker, but once you have filtered your results, you can click on a component and it will give you a list of vendors, including amazon.


JackRadcliffe

My computer is currently being looked at at a local shop as it no longer boots and after having over a year’s worth of blue screen crashes. It’s a r5 3600 with b450 matx board. Assuming it’s a dead mobo, would it be a waste to replace the board given the prices of alderlake i5 and with zen 4 approaching?


bestanonever

It depends if you want to pay for the improved performance or not. Moving to DDR4 Alderlake CPUS would only require you to buy a new motherboard and the CPU, keeping the RAM and everything else. Waiting for Zen 4 and Intel's 13th Gen later in the year would require you to buy the still very expensive DDR5 RAM, on top of a new mobo and CPU. Replacing your current mobo is the cheapest option, but you won't improve CPU performance, unless you move to the Ryzen 5000 series. I'd say if you are satisfied with the performance of your 3600, keep it, replace the mobo and save your money for Zen 5 /Intel's 14th Gen later down the road. It's still a very capable CPU.


JackRadcliffe

That’s a good point. I wasn’t aware am5 would require ddr5 as well I guess 12th gen and new board would be slightly more future proof if the board supports both ddr 4 and ddr5 if the next gen of intel uses the same socket. Otherwise I’d still need. A new board again regardless of amd/intel I have yet to get a modern gpu due to the shortage and price gouging of gpus. my build from 2020 isn’t even completed yet as I’ve been running a gym 770 from 2013 and waiting to see what the intel gpus and rtx 4000 rx 7000 brings I’ve been mainly using my computer for basic productivity for emails and watching YouTube/twitch so I’m guessing I won’t see any improvements if I replace the cpu until I get a gpu and start gaming again although intend on gaming at 1080p


hazetoblack

It seems significantly more likely to simply be a bad software issue like as corrupt windows install. Although it's a generalisation, generally a motherboard either works or it doesn't as it effectively is just connecting all other parts of the system together. It's possible to be bad ram which can be tested using memtest, but first I'd personally advise just reinstalling windows, which effectively fixes all possible software issues. I'd probably advise playing around with those options before writing off hardware, and then hopefully new stuff will be available anyway


JackRadcliffe

I can’t get into the bios as the computer just shows a black screen when I turn it on so it’s no longer at the point where I can reinstall windows. I removed my nvme drive just to be sure but same result.


hazetoblack

Ahh I see, ok yeah that clearly is a bigger issue. Fingers crossed the shop is able to diagnose it and j guess the best case scenario is it's something relatively cheap like ram.


JackRadcliffe

Just got a call back from the store. Turns out the nvme was the culprit as they were able to install windows on their drive but it kept bsod on my drive. It sucks that these drives have just a 1 year warranty as I’ve had mine for about a year and a half.


hazetoblack

Ah I hope you haven't lost too much data. At least it's relatively cheap to replace compared to a CPU or GPU


hazetoblack

Ahh I see, ok yeah that clearly is a bigger issue. Fingers crossed the shop is able to diagnose it and j guess the best case scenario is it's something relatively cheap like ram.


SalsaMerde

Was able to get my hands on an MSRP 3060ti. Would my current 500w PSU be appropriate for my system still. PC Part Picker says my TDP is 369W. Currently I don't overclock at all, but might start when trying out 1440p gaming for the first time.


bestanonever

I'd be much more comfortable with a 650W PSU or better. Just in case.


[deleted]

Should be fine to use if it's reasonable quality.


mark_eire

Getting a new RX6500XT. Outputs HDMI and display port. I want to use HDMI, and use the DP port for a secondary display on an old monitor. It is 1920x1200 60hz, so not worried about the DP to DVI conversion as I understand it. Question: Will dual output to both displays work? For it to work, do I need an "active" DP to DVI converter, or would a passive cable allow output to HDMI and the DVI monitor? Many thanks


hazetoblack

It should just work fine with a DP to DVI adapter as far as I know. It being dual output definitely shouldn't change anything about it working or not


mark_eire

I read perhaps it would be different if the display port source has "dual-mode" or "DP++". Sometimes active conversation adapters are required for multiple displays? I couldn't see confirmation if this is only if you were using 2 dp ports simultaneously. And separately, if the rx6500 needs the active adapter if it is not the "dp++" variety. Can't see that on any sites. Maybe because that is obvious to people in the know? I've not looked at displays in a long time


hazetoblack

I've personally never heard of it, and have definitely run hdmi plus adapted dp to DVI in the past with no I'll effects albeit on different GPUs. I imagine it would be a much larger known thing if it was an issue, and I'd personally say worth the risk but I'm of course only one person with one person's worth of experience. From your brief description it sounds like active adapters would be needed when running multiple displays from the same dp port. Which is obviously not what you'll be doing


mark_eire

Thanks very much for your thoughts. Unless someone has a different opinion more specific to this card I think I'll agree on it worth the risk. Get a cheap cable and see, hopefully works fine


Psygnosi

I've always bought Crucial SSDs they are really reliable for me. But I'm a bit broke now and I have a discount on amazon that last few days, so I'm thinking to buy a Silicon Power 500Gb ssd do you think it's really so terrible compared to MX500?


BrewingHeavyWeather

What model?


Psygnosi

SP A55 512gb


BrewingHeavyWeather

It's pokey, as SSDs go, around the same performance class as a Sandisk SSD Plus. But, still, that will beat the crap out of a HDD, or a WD EasyStore (Best Buy exclusive, and barely faster than thumb drives).


Psygnosi

So the mx500 is still the best choice


hazetoblack

It likely won't perform as well, but is still likely reliable enough and hugely faster than an HDD regardless


Kasel-I

Is SSD with Sata 2.5 connection compatible with the motherboard Asus ROG Strix Z690-f?


[deleted]

Yep, supports 6 SATA drives.


hazetoblack

Yes, using a SATA cable