PC Building Guide and Discussion #13

[aleshemsky83]

Doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with your laptop, sounds in line with what a laptop with a GPU has for battery life.

As for a battery bank, using a battery bank is sort of inefficient. So if you got a 100Wh battery bank your probably only double your battery life in practice from the 50 wh internal battery.

 

[sigma six]

AMD approved my RMA claim, new proc on the way back to me. Whew I was afraid some shady shit would go down somehow and I'd have to eat it.
Praying to any and all spiritual entities that I win the silicon lottery this time. I want to play SW Fallen Order on my new machine, damnit!

 

[PK Cronin]

AMD approved my RMA claim, new proc on the way back to me. Whew I was afraid some shady **** would go down somehow and I'd have to eat it.
Praying to any and all spiritual entities that I win the silicon lottery this time. I want to play SW Fallen Order on my new machine, damnit!

 

[WickedWrister]

Thoughts on this build? Mainly for PC gaming and some VR titles


As mentioned previously I haven't built a PC in ~15 years, so had to brush up on the latest components. Is the AMD stock CPU cooler actually good enough for the 3600X?

Same goes for the Case fans, included 2 120 mm ones as well. Monitor might be overkill too but not sure

Configure Your PC

CPU: (1) AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8GHz 6 Core AM4 Boxed Processor with Wraith Spire Cooler ($199.99 EACH)

Motherboard: (1) ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming 4 AM4 ATX AMD Motherboard ($149.99 EACH)

RAM: (1) Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 2 x 8GB DDR4-3200 PC4-25600 CL16 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit CMK16GX4M2D3200 - Black ($66.99 EACH)

Case: (1) NZXT H510 Tempered Glass ATX Mid-Tower Computer Case - Black/White ($71.99 EACH)

Power Supply: (1) PowerSpec 650 Watt 80 Plus Bronze ATX Semi-Modular Power Supply ($59.99 EACH)

Video Card: (1) PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5700 XT Overclocked Dual-Fan 8GB GDDR6 PCIe 4.0 Video Card ($399.99 EACH)

2.5" SSD: (1) Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD 3-bit MLC V-NAND SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5" Internal Solid State Drive ($109.99 EACH)

Operating System: (1) Microsoft Microsoft Windows 10 Home 32/64-Bit - USB ($139.99 EACH)

Monitors: (1) ASUS VG279Q 27" Full HD 144Hz DVI HDMI DP FreeSync LED Gaming Monitor ($299.99 EACH)
Total: $1,498.91
Generated by Micro Center (12/27/2019 10:40:33 PM)

 

[SniperHF]

As mentioned previously I haven't built a PC in ~15 years, so had to brush up on the latest components. Is the AMD stock CPU cooler actually good enough for the 3600X?

Yes, AMD's stock coolers are pretty good. Particularly if you'll never overclock you wont' need more than the stock cooler.

This is true of Intel's stock cooler as well but it's not as effective.

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD 3-bit MLC V-NAND SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5" Internal Solid State Drive ($109.99 EACH)

If it's a new PC and you don't have any legacy stuff to deal with, there's not much reason to stick with the SATA plug. You could change this to an m.2 drive (either SATA or NVMe, SATA is cheaper). m.2 drives plug in like a stick of RAM basically. 2 fewer cables to muck with.

EDIT: Apparently they think the 860 EVO 1TB m.2 version is worth 60 more bucks
It's not, I'd get the SATA in that case. Though This crucial 1TB is $119:
Crucial MX500 1TB SSD 3D TLC NAND SATA III - Micro Center


EDIT 2: Now that I think about it, you might get mixed about m.2 vs sata since you haven't built in a long time.

There are two different contexts "SATA" is used in.

The physical interface:
SATA or M.2

The logical bus:
SATA or NVMe

You can have a SATA connector drive like the one you picked. They always run on a SATA 6Gb/s bus.
You can have an m.2 connector drive like the one I linked that uses the same SATA 6Gb/s bus. So it will be the same speed basically as the former, except no wires.

And finally you can have an m.2 connector drive but one that uses the NVMe/PCIe bus. These are fast as f*** but in practical usage like say games, not all that much faster IMO.

: (1) ASUS VG279Q 27" Full HD 144Hz DVI HDMI DP FreeSync LED Gaming Monitor ($299.99 EACH)

Personally I think 27" monitors are too big. 24" is my max that's comfortable.

Same goes for the Case fans, included 2 120 mm ones as well.

According to the googles , the NZXT case you picked already has 2 included 120mm fans. 4 certainly won't hurt, but for a stock speed system at room temperature you arguably don't even need more than 1. I'd remove both if you haven't bought yet.

 

[WickedWrister]

Thanks for the reply!

The clarification on m.2 vs SATA was much needed. I honestly can't believe that's even storage LOL, it looks like RAM. I like what I've heard about NVME (good for streaming although this build isn't ideally suited for that). And I suppose it can't hurt to invest in the new tech now, rather than wish I had 2 years down the road.

My nearby Microcenter didn't have the SSD you linked in stock, but this should be compatible as well no? Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD 3-bit MLC NAND M.2 - Micro Center

Also regarding the case fans, I was planning on going with just whatever came with the case. Not buying any additional fans


*EDIT* Looking at other SSD's, I for the life of me cant figure out the difference between the one I just posted and this one for ~$50 more Samsung 970 EVO+ 1TB SSD V-NAND M.2 2280 - Micro Center

 

[SniperHF]

My nearby Microcenter didn't have the SSD you linked in stock, but this should be compatible as well no? Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD 3-bit MLC NAND M.2 - Micro Center

Yes.

For an idea of what I mean by practical benefits.
Load times:
Samsung 970 EVO 500 GB Review

16.8 seconds vs 19.7 seconds on a 4 generation's old MX300 drive. It's not like the kinda gains in going from a HDD to an SSD.

It's much more useful for stuff like databases or large file transfers/compression.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yes.

For an idea of what I mean by practical benefits.
Load times:
Samsung 970 EVO 500 GB Review

16.8 seconds vs 19.7 seconds on a 4 generation's old MX300 drive. It's not like the kinda gains in going from a HDD to an SSD.

It's much more useful for stuff like databases or large file transfers/compression.

What is the general feeling about the the Intel 660p Series nvme m.2 stick? I know it's not as fast as the Samsung stick, but some of the benchmarks, are not noticeable to the user right? It's $50 cheaper. Is it a good buy or is there something i'm missing?

 

[Caeldan]

What is the general feeling about the the Intel 660p Series nvme m.2 stick? I know it's not as fast as the Samsung stick, but some of the benchmarks, are not noticeable to the user right? It's $50 cheaper. Is it a good buy or is there something i'm missing?

I remember looking at it as an option for my os drive, and the feeling I got from reviews is that you play a bit of roulette with that one in terms of reliability.

The adata xpg drives seemed to be the preferred nvme for value.

 

[aleshemsky83]

What is the general feeling about the the Intel 660p Series nvme m.2 stick? I know it's not as fast as the Samsung stick, but some of the benchmarks, are not noticeable to the user right? It's $50 cheaper. Is it a good buy or is there something i'm missing?

Yeah basically in real life use cases for most people you won't notice. I think linustechtips did a video on it but it had a weird title so it might be hard to find.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Thanks for the reply's. Going to do some research on the adata xpg. I put the intel into my wifes computer as her only drive. I mean 1TB for a computer that plays WoW, GW2 and has a bunch of songs has been plenty for her so far. It's in a itx case (Dan Case) but the mobo will allow a second m.2 stick on the back side. So far we've had no negative reactions to heat in the computer. It's got an i-7 9700 and a EVGA RTX 2070. Currently using a Noctua NH-L9i for the cpu and that's it. No case fans. The design of the case having the GPU behind the mobo using a riser is genius. It allows both components to draw fresh air from the fully vented sides and then just exhaust out the top due to convection. I'm seriously impressed with this and will be using it for the next build i do for myself.

 

[WickedWrister]

Asrock X570 Pro4 Performance Results - UserBenchmark

My first build in a while. OC the CPU to 4 ghz with good readings. This SSD NVME is a BEAST! Thanks to @SniperHF for the recommendation. Might get another 1TB stick as im downloading more games than expected. Although my limitations are my internet speed as expected.

Has anyone used Ryzen Master to OC - seems much simpler than BIOS

 

[Kestrel]

So... I'm thinking of upgrading my dad's old Q8200 system. If I can get a new (Chinese brand) X79 board, 16 GB of registered RAM, and an E5 2650 V2 Xeon processor for roughly 170ish Canadian - so under $150 USD - think that's worth it? Obviously, that's not the most recent generation of stuff, but that seems like it would be a very significant upgrade to what he has, for very little money.

 

[SniperHF]

So... I'm thinking of upgrading my dad's old Q8200 system. If I can get a new (Chinese brand) X79 board, 16 GB of registered RAM, and an E5 2650 V2 Xeon processor for roughly 170ish Canadian - so under $150 USD - think that's worth it? Obviously, that's not the most recent generation of stuff, but that seems like it would be a very significant upgrade to what he has, for very little money.

Guess it depends what he's doing ,but yeah that's a pretty big upgrade. The 2650 is really not good single threaded though. If it's just an internet reader and light gamer it's fine.

The cheapest new option might be an R3 1200, prolly comes out to about $250 CA when you factor in taxes/shipping. It's better single threaded than the Xeon, worse multi, but still a big upgrade on the q8200.

I will say the 16GB RAM is the standard thing is slightly overblown. So you might not need it. 8GB is enough in most cases if you don't leave a ton of stuff going in the background.

 

[Kestrel]

Guess it depends what he's doing ,but yeah that's a pretty big upgrade. The 2650 is really not good single threaded though. If it's just an internet reader and light gamer it's fine.

The cheapest new option might be an R3 1200, prolly comes out to about $250 CA when you factor in taxes/shipping. It's better single threaded than the Xeon, worse multi, but still a big upgrade on the q8200.

I will say the 16GB RAM is the standard thing is slightly overblown. So you might not need it. 8GB is enough in most cases if you don't leave a ton of stuff going in the background.

I was also looking at an E5-1660 v2 - two less cores, but it looks like it's a lot stronger in single threaded stuff. His current gaming consists of solitaire, so I'm not too worried about that. The RAM is just $42 CDN for 16 GB, so I figure, why not? How do you feel about the E5-1660 v2?

 

[SniperHF]

but it looks like it's a lot stronger in single threaded stuf

It's all around better. I probably wouldn't pay a ton more though given the usage. The 2650 would run cooler.

Given the situation I'd probably prefer a 4c/8t cpu. 8c/16t seems way overkill , eventhough they are a lot weaker. Unless your dad runs a lot of software rendering or something.

I'm not sure what the compatibility situation is with the boards, the E5-1620 seems like a good compromise. Not sure on the pricing though, it could even be more expensive

 

[Kestrel]

It's all around better. I probably wouldn't pay a ton more though given the usage. The 2650 would run cooler.

Given the situation I'd probably prefer a 4c/8t cpu. 8c/16t seems way overkill , eventhough they are a lot weaker. Unless your dad runs a lot of software rendering or something.

I'm not sure what the compatibility situation is with the boards, the E5-1620 seems like a good compromise. Not sure on the pricing though, it could even be more expensive

It's like another $20 to go with the E5-1620 - so, hardly a deal breaker. It at least feels like a very significant upgrade for not a lot of money. It would give him native USB 3 which would be nice too - he occasionally does large USB drive transfers. I did install a USB 3 card in his computer, but I suspect the performance is somewhat substandard. And, I have an m.2 (not nvme) drive not being used that I'd give him.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the input, it helps. I like extra cores, but the 1620 does seem to be a significantly better processor generally speaking.

 

[Kestrel]

And of course, it turns out that it's not the E5-1620 v2 that is $20 more - it's the v1. Still, I'm thinking seriously about the upgrade - it's a cheap way to go for someone who really doesn't need a current gen computer.

 

[God King Fudge]

Ok. So sometime in November I turned my PC off for the night, came back the next day to a bad mobo.

I recently replaced the mobo but I'm feeling like my 1070TI is running way hotter than it used to? It used to idle at 26-30C but now it idles at like 54C. It doesn't seem to get excessively hot during load, but it still gets hotter than it used to, up into the high 70's, and I'm only running 1080P.

Are those temps fine or do I need to be concerned?

 

[SniperHF]

It used to idle at 26-30C but now it idles at like 54C. It doesn't seem to get excessively hot during load, but it still gets hotter than it used to, up into the high 70's, and I'm only running 1080P.

Load temp is a bit higher but not insane.

Idle is high, but maybe you were seeing the CPU temp before?
TPU's review of an MSI 1070 Ti had it idle at 52C
MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming 8 GB Review



Is it a dual fan model? Maybe one fan isn't spinning?

Or maybe it has idle fan 0% and it wasn't doing that before and now is?
This would very easily cause a higher idle temp than what you used to see if you had idle 0% disabled (and maybe forgot you did it)

Which model 1070 ti is?

I'd also want to know the RPMs the fans were spinning at, and if they are changing based on temps or not (they should). If you don't have it, you can download GPUz or MSI Afterburner (better but more complicated) and it will tell you.

 

[God King Fudge]

Dual fan. Both are spinning. I have the MSI Titanium 8GB.

I'll check on the Afterburner at home. It's possible I was looking at the CPU Temp, but I doubt I was to be honest. I did look in Afterburner the other night and didn't see anything unusual, but I'll bring it up again tonight and get some snaps.

It just seems so much higher than it used to be, but I may be totally imagining things, because I never paid a ton of attention to it because it never got really high. I feel like under load it used to be in the 60's or so.

 

[God King Fudge]

Load temp is a bit higher but not insane.

Idle is high, but maybe you were seeing the CPU temp before?
TPU's review of an MSI 1070 Ti had it idle at 52C
MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming 8 GB Review



Is it a dual fan model? Maybe one fan isn't spinning?

Or maybe it has idle fan 0% and it wasn't doing that before and now is?
This would very easily cause a higher idle temp than what you used to see if you had idle 0% disabled (and maybe forgot you did it)

Which model 1070 ti is?

I'd also want to know the RPMs the fans were spinning at, and if they are changing based on temps or not (they should). If you don't have it, you can download GPUz or MSI Afterburner (better but more complicated) and it will tell you.

So I just realized the issue. When I first power on the PC, the fans will spin, but by the time I hit desktop, they've stopped. If I disconnect one of the power connectors, the fans start back up. If I reboot, they turn on for a few seconds and then stop.

Neeeever mind. Once it hits 60, the fans spin up. Idling at between 47-52 right now.

 

[SniperHF]

So I just realized the issue. When I first power on the PC, the fans will spin, but by the time I hit desktop, they've stopped. If I disconnect one of the power connectors, the fans start back up. If I reboot, they turn on for a few seconds and then stop.

Neeeever mind. Once it hits 60, the fans spin up. Idling at between 47-52 right now.

This all sounds normal to me.

Basically if you want cooler idle temps you can disable the 0% idle speed and have it run at like 20% and see what it does. I'm not familiar with Nvidia's options these days but I assume it has some fan controls in there somewhere. If not you can use Afterburner.

The main reason for 0% fan speeds at idle is noise. But a graphics card fan that isn't a crappy blower doesn't really make that much noise <40% depending on the model.


It's possible your card had a poor application of thermal compound and it's breaking down causing higher temps. But it's not that old a card so it's unlikely.

 

[Dick Sledge]

So I bought a new gaming laptop that I got in the mail today. Currently typing on.

Nothing fancy 1660ti. I installed AC Odyssey to see how this laptop would handle it before I installed more ram.

Every time I load it up it's just a black background with a white square in the upper left hand corner. I downloaded geforce and updated the drivers and still nothing. I'm currently installing a smaller game from steam just to see if it opens.

Anyone ever experience this or know what it is/has a fix? The only thing I can think of is the laptop went in to sleep mode twice that interrupted the download. Usually that shouldn't be an issue at all but I'm not sure at this point.

Edit: figured it out, it was a rive tuner setting of all things.