PC Building Guide and Discussion #13

[SeidoN]

Check your windows event viewer from around the time of the crash. My CPU OC seemed stable and would never fail a stress test, but it was actually throwing WHEA-Logger errors and having to re-run computations due to CRC failures. Eventually it would crash. It just needed more vcore.

Could be. I'll check when I get home. My oc has always been stable but my new gpu need an 8 pin and 6 pin instead of just a 8 so it's possible hahah

I played a few games this morning with no oc and ran aida64 and prime95 with no issues. Tbh I might just roll without the oc until I can get the money together for my ryzen build

 

[SniperHF]

My oc has always been stable

It's possible your CPU degraded from being run out of spec for long enough, it does happen occasionally. But yeah with a change in GPU it makes more sense to suspect other stuff first.


My 480 only takes a single 6 pin, some 580's take an 8 and a 6

 

[flyingkiwi]

Meanwhile my single fan 1060 has no external power connectors...

Oh boy now I wanna try a mini itx build. Left the card in NZ but can probably get my parents to send it over with a package they were already going to send. Would be a nice time to do a Ryzen build. New gpu in a couple years.

It’s a terrible idea cause parts are expensive still here and I’m meant to be saving to travel and I just got a new ultrabook. All I need is a 100€ second hand Xbox to play Forza, but the itch to build is too strong.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Any comment on the Alienware Aurora desktop series? Reliability and stuff? Motherboard compatibility? Does 4K? VR?

Saw they had some pretty deals on Dell.ca for these, and they fit in line with the budget I wanted to allocate to my next PC (about 2500$ CAD). That's the one I was thinking about : Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop

I also assume there are just 2 SATA ports (which means I couldn't add the actual SSD drive - which I don't think is compatible with their motherboard anyway)? 4 RAM slots? (so I could add the 2x8 RAM bars that are presently on my PC to get 32-48 Gb?)

(I'm not expert in building PC, so pre-built with some customization is the route I'd probably prefer going through, hence my interest in those deals)

 

[SeidoN]

they look absurdly expensive for the specs

EDIT: THEY WANT 1000 DOLLARS FOR A 1TB M.2 SSD WTFFFFF

 

[SeidoN]

yeah the base PC is about double the price of the parts, and the optional parts all have about a 4x markup. insane.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

yeah the base PC is about double the price of the parts, and the optional parts all have about a 4x markup. insane.

I know I'm paying significantly more due to it being pre-built.

But I'm not building my own from scratch because I know I'll f*** up in some way, and there's no service that can do that close to where I live. Also, don't forget this is Canada, so everything is more expensive than in the US. The RTX 2070 is 700-900 CAD (after taxes) depending on the model.

 

[SeidoN]

But I'm not building my own from scratch because I know I'll **** up in some way

I hear that all the time but its simply not true. its adult legos. my brother built his first PC when he was 14 with one arm following a youtube video

prebuilts like that Dell one are gonna have a crappy OEM motherboard and id be surprised if the PSU is even 80+ gold rated. and the fact it comes with a hard drive and they want quadruple the price of an SSD to give you one is just f***ing insane.

if you really want prebuilt id look at some brands like maingear or ibuypower. Linus did a review of prebuilt supplier recently where they came out quite well where Alienware came out terribly. with alianware you are paying for poor parts and a namebadge

EDIT: heres the 4 part series if you are interested

 

[flyingkiwi]

if you really want prebuilt id look at some brands like maingear or ibuypower. Linus did a review of prebuilt supplier recently where they came out quite well where Alienware came out terribly. with alianware you are paying for poor parts and a namebadge

EDIT: heres the 4 part series if you are interested

That Linus series was excellent.

@Zaide I learnt to build (albeit with a friend) on an old Win 7 PC. Took the parts out then put them back in again a couple of times. See if friends or family have any old computers they'd be willing to give you or sell for pennies. Learnt to put the I/O shield in first, plug in the CPU fan etc. Usually it's the little things which stop it turning on, it's pretty hard to actually break something, unless you're clumsy af with an Intel socket. That might help you feel more confident on your own expensive stuff.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

I hear that all the time but its simply not true. its adult legos. my brother built his first PC when he was 14 with one arm following a youtube video

prebuilts like that Dell one are gonna have a crappy OEM motherboard and id be surprised if the PSU is even 80+ gold rated. and the fact it comes with a hard drive and they want quadruple the price of an SSD to give you one is just ****ing insane.

if you really want prebuilt id look at some brands like maingear or ibuypower. Linus did a review of prebuilt supplier recently where they came out quite well where Alienware came out terribly. with alianware you are paying for poor parts and a namebadge

EDIT: heres the 4 part series if you are interested

That's what I wanted to know regarding MB and PSU. I've looked at IBuyPower (don't know about Maingear) and they have absolutely ridiculous shipping fees to Canada, and after converting from USD to CAD, they generally come out more expensive than the Alienware I linked. For instance, Gaming Evo RTX 2070: iBUYPOWER® is 2250 CAD (without options) and add an additional 100$ in shipping.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

That Linus series was excellent.

@Zaide I learnt to build (albeit with a friend) on an old Win 7 PC. Took the parts out then put them back in again a couple of times. See if friends or family have any old computers they'd be willing to give you or sell for pennies. Learnt to put the I/O shield in first, plug in the CPU fan etc. Usually it's the little things which stop it turning on, it's pretty hard to actually break something, unless you're clumsy af with an Intel socket. That might help you feel more confident on your own expensive stuff.

I don't have friends, and none of my family have any PC to spare. Well, there'd be mine (which is a HP Pavillion in which I had the GPU changed - by a professional in Montreal - to a GTX 960 and in which the PSU was also changed when I purchased the GPU), but I'm not taking it apart. I'd probably give it to my parents if I do get a new PC.

The only things I've personally done on it is change the RAM (took me over 1 hour for that shit) and install a SSD (2 hours if I also include the shopping to find a freaking mount that fit in my case). I value my time at 50$/hour now and if I have to watch 2-3 hours of youtube videos, then another 5-7 or so hours practicing on a old PC if I can actually find one, then another 3-4 hours shopping for each individual piece and making sure everything is compatible and that i'm not missing anything, and then another 5-7 hours building it up, yeah, it's not really worth the hassle for me.

 

[flyingkiwi]

I don't have friends, and none of my family have any PC to spare. Well, there'd be mine (which is a HP Pavillion in which I had the GPU changed - by a professional in Montreal - to a GTX 960 and in which the PSU was also changed when I purchased the GPU), but I'm not taking it apart. I'd probably give it to my parents if I do get a new PC.

The only things I've personally done on it is change the RAM (took me over 1 hour for that ****) and install a SSD (2 hours if I also include the shopping to find a freaking mount that fit in my case). I value my time at 50$/hour now and if I have to watch 2-3 hours of youtube videos, then another 5-7 or so hours practicing on a old PC if I can actually find one, then another 3-4 hours shopping for each individual piece and making sure everything is compatible and that i'm not missing anything, and then another 5-7 hours building it up, yeah, it's not really worth the hassle for me.

If you're not tech savvy that's fair enough. Though definitely little things like swapping RAM are good to know how to do.

In other news they're still selling 1366x768 TVs in France at all the major stores. What the heck.

 

[Knave]

I don't have friends, and none of my family have any PC to spare. Well, there'd be mine (which is a HP Pavillion in which I had the GPU changed - by a professional in Montreal - to a GTX 960 and in which the PSU was also changed when I purchased the GPU), but I'm not taking it apart. I'd probably give it to my parents if I do get a new PC.

The only things I've personally done on it is change the RAM (took me over 1 hour for that ****) and install a SSD (2 hours if I also include the shopping to find a freaking mount that fit in my case). I value my time at 50$/hour now and if I have to watch 2-3 hours of youtube videos, then another 5-7 or so hours practicing on a old PC if I can actually find one, then another 3-4 hours shopping for each individual piece and making sure everything is compatible and that i'm not missing anything, and then another 5-7 hours building it up, yeah, it's not really worth the hassle for me.

I'm sure there's a local computer shop that will do it for you and you could get a better deal than HP or a prebuilt one. Canada Computers assembles for $50 according to their website, their prices are usually competitive-ish but I can't claim to know how reliable their service is.

I know my parents went to a local shop (not a chain store) but I can't recall the name. That thing is still running many years later.

I would search local stores, reviews, phone them and see what's offered.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

I'm sure there's a local computer shop that will do it for you and you could get a better deal than HP or a prebuilt one. Canada Computers assembles for $50 according to their website, their prices are usually competitive-ish but I can't claim to know how reliable their service is.

I know my parents went to a local shop (not a chain store) but I can't recall the name. That thing is still running many years later.

I would search local stores, reviews, phone them and see what's offered.

I searched and there isn't any place close to where I live (I don't have a car). The only place I could find gives me an amazing error on their website under their "build your gaming pc", although they do have good reviews. Located in a ghetto and not accessible by bus, however. Only opened during typical work hours too - during which I also happen to be working. Quebec City is really awful in regards to that kind of stuff, unlike Montreal.
(seems like the highest GPU they have is the GTX 1050 too lol)

 

[flyingkiwi]

I searched and there isn't any place close to where I live (I don't have a car). The only place I could find gives me an amazing error on their website under their "build your gaming pc", although they do have good reviews. Located in a ghetto and not accessible by bus, however. Only opened during typical work hours too - during which I also happen to be working. Quebec City is really awful in regards to that kind of stuff, unlike Montreal.
(seems like the highest GPU they have is the GTX 1050 too lol)

You’ve probably considered it but Is jumping on a bus or train to Montreal for a day/weekend/Habs game an option ? I don’t mean going out of your way, but as part of a short vacation or a trip you were going to make anyway. Maybe one of the shops there would be happy to build and ship to QC, or you could take it back in your luggage if it isn’t huge.

I can commiserate on price, my country makes Canadian hardware look cheap. In fact that’s where I bought my major PC parts almost five years ago now cause I was on a vacation over Xmas/Boxing Day. 3yrs later a trip to Australia to visit family turned into a new graphics card.

Speaking of Boxing Day and the like, how urgent is the new PC? It’s September now so Black Friday/Cyber Monday isn’t too far out, could be some better deals on prebuilt systems then too.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

You’ve probably considered it but Is jumping on a bus or train to Montreal for a day/weekend/Habs game an option ? I don’t mean going out of your way, but as part of a short vacation or a trip you were going to make anyway. Maybe one of the shops there would be happy to build and ship to QC, or you could take it back in your luggage if it isn’t huge.

I can commiserate on price, my country makes Canadian hardware look cheap. In fact that’s where I bought my major PC parts almost five years ago now cause I was on a vacation over Xmas/Boxing Day. 3yrs later a trip to Australia to visit family turned into a new graphics card.

Speaking of Boxing Day and the like, how urgent is the new PC? It’s September now so Black Friday/Cyber Monday isn’t too far out, could be some better deals on prebuilt systems then too.

Not urgent at all, tho my current PC is getting old (got it in 2012). I don't have any trip back to Montreal planned in the next couple of months. And I'd probably need to find a "non branded" shop once there, because the one I mentionned I got my 960 + PSU from were far from cheap. Think it came out (including installation) to like 500 CAD. For a 960 and a PSU.

 

[Dick Sledge]

So I've gotten my new PC built. It has a 3700x and a rtx 2080.

I'm trying to play Control (got it free with the gpu) and it keeps crashing on me. Initially I was in DX12 and it crashed within the first 10 minutes usually. Switched to DX11 seems to be working a lot better but still crashes on me.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on. The cpu and gpu temps aren't out of control or anything like that.

Any ideas or fixes?

 

[SniperHF]

I'm trying to play Control (got it free with the gpu) and it keeps crashing on me. Initially I was in DX12 and it crashed within the first 10 minutes usually. Switched to DX11 seems to be working a lot better but still crashes on me.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on. The cpu and gpu temps aren't out of control or anything like that.

Any ideas or fixes?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, check the event viewer

Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System
And Application.

Look around the timestamps of your crashes and see if something bugged out. Sometimes you'll see driver crashes in there, memory issues, HDD/SSD read errors, any number of things.

If no other game is doing it, I'd likely blame the game and or driver combination. You can try downgrading your video card driver to an older one.

 

[Dick Sledge]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, check the event viewer

Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System
And Application.

Look around the timestamps of your crashes and see if something bugged out. Sometimes you'll see driver crashes in there, memory issues, HDD/SSD read errors, any number of things.

If no other game is doing it, I'd likely blame the game and or driver combination. You can try downgrading your video card driver to an older one.

I'll check that out, although I'm not entirely sure how to read it but I'll figure it out.

The crashes sometimes go to a complete restart where my gpu fans will crank up and be incredibly loud, other times just crashes to the desktop.

 

[SniperHF]

I'll check that out, although I'm not entirely sure how to read it but I'll figure it out.

The crashes sometimes go to a complete restart where my gpu fans will crank up and be incredibly loud, other times just crashes to the desktop.

I can't remember if 10's looks the same as 7's but it's surely close:

It's usually sorted by Date first. You can pretty well ignore anything with a I (information) Icon.
If you crashed at 2:30, look for 2:30 on that date and see if there's anything yellow or red. Click each message and in the bottom box you'll see the full text. For example my network dropped at 12:34 for whatever reason (I think I used sleep mode)

 

[Dick Sledge]

I can't remember if 10's looks the same as 7's but it's surely close:
View attachment 252529

It's usually sorted by Date first. You can pretty well ignore anything with a I (information) Icon.
If you crashed at 2:30, look for 2:30 on that date and see if there's anything yellow or red. Click each message and in the bottom box you'll see the full text. For example my network dropped at 12:34 for whatever reason (I think I used sleep mode)

Some of the errors are for things not running properly on start up. Which I know is a logitech driver. The others are for Windows activation, since my new build didn't carry over my license key. One said "disk" but why would the disk cause crashes like that?

 

[Dick Sledge]

After some reading some people think it could be the PSU?

I've got a 80+ gold Cooler Master 650w. It's less than 6 months old. I don't think that could be it.

 

[SniperHF]

One said "disk" but why would the disk cause crashes like that?

Ya gotta click it and get the full error to see what the alert is for (could be unrelated), but if the game is trying to load something and you have some corrupt data it could crash the application. If it's not for nearly the exact time of your crash it's likely not related too.

Or for example a month ago when my HDD was on the fritz, anytime Windows tried to write something to the page file it would throw write errors like mad and my system would completely freeze.

 

[SniperHF]

After some reading some people think it could be the PSU?

I've got a 80+ gold Cooler Master 650w. It's less than 6 months old. I don't think that could be it.

It certainly could be, but it could be a lot of things.
I would not suspect the power supply first on a crash that doesn't always completely halt your system and sometimes crashes to desktop. Usually if you lack for power your whole system goes down.

That screams software issue to me, driver, game bug, or corrupt data (you could try to validate the game data on steam or whatever platform it's on)

Also if other games aren't causing crashes, it's probably not hardware.

 

[Dick Sledge]

It certainly could be, but it could be a lot of things.
I would not suspect the power supply first on a crash that doesn't always completely halt your system and sometimes crashes to desktop. Usually if you lack for power your whole system goes down.

That screams software issue to me, driver, game bug, or corrupt data (you could try to validate the game data on steam or whatever platform it's on)

Also if other games aren't causing crashes, it's probably not hardware.

So Control was the 1st game (and only until this point) game I've played on the new build.

I just decided to test out AC Odyssey since I've put 50 plus hours into that game on my old system with no issues. I just got done playing for almost an hour with zero hiccups.

So it's probably not the psu, not the thermals, not the new GPU.

I'm guessing it's the game itself. Or is this a normal issue with the Epic games launcher since this is the 1st game I've played using it?