Buildapc

I'm currently using an AMD 5950x and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 LHR, pushing video to a Dell U4021QW, which is a 40" monitor running 5120x2160@60hz. A few of the games I play are pretty challenged at that resolution, so I'm thinking of upgrading at least the video card. Is there any reason to build a new system with a newer CPU as well?

For my Ryzen 9 7950X3D, should I get a 360 AIO liquid cooler or a Noctua air cooler?

I'm looking for a standalone liquid cooler (not a custom loop) that can keep a 7950X3D cool. I would prefer if it had one of those customizable screens that displays the temperature and for it to not break the bank since I'm already over budget.

Usecase

2k ultrawide gaming, programming with local servers running in background. all on linux. portable enough for air travel. Should last 4-5 years before part upgrades.

Parts

Lists

PCPartPicker List
pcpricetracker list (indian)

Thank you!

Alternative Youtube Link

Trying to build a pink case for the wife that's relatively future proof. No gaming, just web browsing, music (not production), YouTube, and ms office stuff.

The problem is that I've only built two machines and this is the first time I'm doing a color scheme. Im also stuck between DDR4 and 5. I don't think she needs the power but if I don't get the 5 now I feel like I'd have to replace the mobo if she needs to upgrade.

If theres any suggestions yall have to make it more compatible, more pink, cheaper, or more powerful without spending much more, please roast me on it (don't change the case though she's set on that).

I'm in the process of building a PC and will be moving states next month. Ideally, I'd like to at least get it built and booted up before moving, because I'm moving to a more rural area without easy access to a MicroCenter or other store that sells components. It'll be a ~700 mile drive, the second half of which will be through smaller mountain roads. What is the best way to do this, so I can avoid damaging any components?

Edit: Thanks for the advice everybody, the consensus seems to be to remove and package separately the hard disks, GPU, and anything else heavy that sticks out from the board, then wrap the whole thing in towels and blankets and lay it on its back for the duration of the journey.

Hello!

I was unsure where to post this question, but I figure that this community is as good of a place as any.

I am looking for wireless mouse suggestions. I currently use a Lenovo ThinkPad Bluetooth mouse "MOBTC9LA". It is fine and serves its purpose, but it is horribly small and uncomfortable as well as wasteful in regards of using AA batteries.

My basic requirements are wireless and preferably rechargeable via USB C, but micro USB is okay if USB C isn't available. I would also prefer if it were Bluetooth. I see a few listed online, but I was hoping for a real human suggestion as opposed to sifting through paid off and fake reviews.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

^Mods^ ^if^ ^this^ ^is^ ^the^ ^wrong^ ^community^ ^let^ ^me^ ^know^ ^and^ ^I^ ^will^ ^move^ ^on.^

I am building a new PC. I want to run Linux and windows on separate SATA 2.5/3.5 SSD hard drives. I need windows (Winn11 Pro) for work. Linux will run all personal computing needs.

I have a horrible history with dual booting Linux and windows (grub getting murdered).

I currently plan to shut down the PC, switch power to the drives, and start up on the other OS.

Can i use a switch which only toggles power to each drive while keeping data cables attached to accomplish this? Will this be possible with windows on one drive?

Is there a smarter solution?

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Kingwin-Optimized-Controls-Provide-Longevity/dp/B00TZR3E70

Thanks!

BIOS version: 6332

Motherboard:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6FvZxr/asus-prime-a320m-k-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-prime-a320m-k

CPU:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Qk2bt6/amd-ryzen-9-5950x-34-ghz-16-core-processor-100-100000059wof

According to part picker the cpu should work with version 5862

So it seats nicely and machine powers on, but then the lights on my mouse/keyboard flash on, then off. Then after about a minute the PC turns off.

According to part picker my power supply can handle what I have attached with the new CPU, but I don't really know how to test that.

Already took out the cmos battery and reset.

Putting in my old cpu works just fine, so I didn't brick anything.

Any ideas?

Hi! A while ago I got my new pc after posting here, I was good advised. This new build is for a friend, he already has the 3080. What are your thoughts?

So your looking to build a low end computer. Something under 150 €/$/£ Well then here's what I recommend.

• CPU: I7 2600/3770 or Xeon 1230- V1/2

i7 2600s

These CPUs make for an exceptional performer. While power consumption is much to be desired. They tend to be quite powerful and found quite cheap.i think these are still decent budget offerings

• MB

• The mucai h61 is a pretty decent MB. Extremely cheap can be picked up for as little as £13 on alliexpress I can speak from experience having used my h61 for 7 months now

Mucai board AliExpress

• Intels own brand of MB can tend to be quite cheap and can be picked for as little as £15. Do research into the model of intel MB you'll be getting as these tend to be quite finicky from what I hear.

intel board

• GPUS

• I personally recommend the gtx 700 series 760s in particular can be picked up for as little as £18 and they're decent performers

Gtx 760 ebay

• If you've got a bit more to spend. I advice you go for the AMD Rx 480/570 or perhaps do what I did and save. I managed to get a gtx 980ti for a whopping £20.
• PSUS
• You should never cheap out on your PSU. Get a cheap name brand if possible. I recommend checking for old stock. And display items it's how I landed a Corsair CX550.for a whopping £27.58.

I feel like a case can really make or break a build. Or at least your enjoyment of it. My specs are below, but I sort of picked a case at random. I'm looking for suggestions.

My current build has served me since 2010 and it's time to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard, and case. Everything that can be replaced easily has been and it's really showing it's age. I mention this because it's likely the case I pick will be used for the next ten years of my life!

Stuff I care about

• Ease of opening for cleaning/assembling. Part of why I don't clean my current on as much as I should is how annoying it is to open.
• Ease of moving. I'm more interested in handles than weight, but I still don't want something stupidly heavy.
• Size. I'd prefer something a little too big rather than something a little too small. I don't necessarily want a full tower though. As long as I can get in easily and there is some extra room for the next GPU I'll inevitably buy in the next 10 years I'm good.

Stuff I don't care about

• Water cooling. I have zero interest in getting custom water cooling. Too much effort for me.
• Looks. I don't really want some crazy RBG thing, but I also don't specifically need some super minimalist thing either.
• Price. So, obviously I don't want to waste money, but if I need to splurge a little I'm willing to. Within reason.

PCPartPicker Part List

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but thought it might help some people, or at least be entertaining.

This is partly a cautionary tale and partly a story of how I nearly got outsmarted by a tiny switch. I've been tinkering with custom-built PCs for over 10 years now, so I'm not exactly a newbie. I've followed all the troubleshooting advice, tried every step, and usually nailed down the problem quickly. But this time, a little thing decided to teach me a big lesson.

A few days ago, my PC was purring along perfectly. No hiccups, no warning signs, just smooth sailing. Then one morning, I hit the power button, the fans start spinning, the lights flash on, and... nothing. Nada. No beeps, no display, just a PC with stage fright.

Cue several hours of troubleshooting. I strip it down to the essentials: PSU, CPU, RAM, and motherboard. Still no love. I try the RAM sticks one at a time in different slots, like some desperate game of PC bingo. No luck. I swap in a different PSU. Same old story. Now I'm getting that sinking feeling; it's either the CPU or the motherboard, and I've got no spares to test with.

So I think, "Well, if I'm going to buy a new CPU or motherboard and risk guessing wrong, I might as well upgrade everything!" I go all-in and order a whole new setup: motherboard, CPU, cooler, and even DDR5 RAM since my new board demands it. Problem solved, right?

Fast forward to the next day, and the new gear arrives. I spend a couple of hours installing everything. Okay, maybe a bit longer because I forgot the cooler bracket and had to reinstall the motherboard a couple of times. But hey, that's normal, right? Finally, it's ready. I hit the power button, fans spin, lights come on, and... nothing. No beeps, no display. Again.

Now I'm thoroughly confused. Thankfully, this new motherboard has indicator lights to show boot progress. It shows the CPU is working, but it gets stuck on RAM and restarts. I go through all the RAM troubleshooting steps again. Still nothing. Then, in a fit of frustration, I don't push a RAM stick in all the way. Suddenly, a beep code! I look it up: "No RAM installed." I push the stick in properly, and the beep goes away.

So now I know the RAM isn't the issue. Then, it hits me. I reach beneath the GPU, yank out the CPU reset switch header, and power it up again. Single beep. I have never sighed so hard in my life.

Nowhere in all the troubleshooting guides or videos I've seen did it mention unplugging case headers. No one said, "Hey, maybe your reset switch has decided to go rogue and mess with you." But here I was, having just bought a bunch of shiny new hardware because of a pesky, broken reset button.

The moral of the story? If your PC fails to boot and gives you no beep codes, unplug the RAM. If you get a "no RAM installed" beep code, your CPU is fine. Then, check the case headers. You won't find advice telling you to try a different case, but sometimes, the smallest culprits cause the biggest headaches.

TLDR: My PC wouldn't post because of a faulty CPU reset switch on the case constantly restarting the CPU. This led me to think it was the motherboard or CPU and buy a bunch of new hardware unnecessarily.

Have been building up this PC over the past couple years. Runs well but am trying to figure out what the best upgrade would be at this point. My guess is memory, but I’m not sure. Budget is flexible but would like to stay under $300. Thanks!

edit to clarify this is a gaming rig

Hi everyone,

It's been many years since I've last built a PC from scratch or even upgraded any parts. I've been using a prebuilt Lenovo Legion Cube C530‐19ICB for several years now and I'm generally happy with it mostly because the case fits nicely in my living room cabinet (hooked up to the TV).

I have an option to purchase a new RTX 40 Series card in a few days for a decent price and I'm wondering which of these will be compatible to my existing PC:

1. 4060Ti (8GB)

2. 4070 Super

3. 4080 Super

I assume I need to check dimensions (not sure if everything has a standard like "full height" etc.) and PSU Watts (how strict are these requirements?). Not sure if there's PCI type/width issues or anything else I need to cover, or what do I get the info for both my PC and each card from.

If anyone can help guide me through figuring out which of these cards could be compatible, I'd appreciate it a lot!

Edit: Seems like the 4080 is too much for my current build (card length, PSU, etc.) but both the 4070 and 4060 could work. Thanks everyone for your advice!

Hello! I have chosen some parts for a PC based around a monitor I currently have. I have a 4k monitor and the games I'd like to play on it and the current PC I have isn't cutting it anymore unfortunately.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3Vc2cH

These are the parts I've chosen, I already have 24GB of RAM, just wondering if there's anything cheaper I can get to lower the price and get similar performance. I don't have much experience in building PCs but I've done a bit of research

Currently would like to play Helldivers 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 on the 4k monitor with no issue.

Simply put I have built a gaming tower that I have no monitor that will connect with the machine only having a BIOS and no OS. As I understand it, I need something that will connect with an HDMI cable, but that seems to be either a traditional monitor or a tablet. I'm completely unsure which would be more stable, and therefore "better." I lean towards the normal static monitor over HDMI enabled tablets, but I am uncertain if that is just me being out of touch with the latest hardware.

This is the build list I used, except I doubled the RAM to 64 GB of the same type.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mykt4M

Thank you very much, in advance.

Hey all,

I took a gamble on a "for parts" 5800x3d that had a few bent pins. I currently have a 5600x with an ASUS TUF x570-Plus WiFi and thought this would be a nice upgrade.

The problem I'm seeing, is that the system won't post with the 5800 and hangs with the orange/yellow DRAM LED on the motherboard.

I thought to update the BIOS with the old CPU, but I already had a version that would support the new one. After that, I tried swapping RAM modules and only using one, then the other. Eventually I updated the BIOS to the most recent version and resetting with the jumper, but it still won't post.

Looking at the pin layout and considering the bent pins were all in one corner, I am wondering if the original owner tried to install this CPU rotated 90° and delivered some high power where it shouldn't've gone.

Any fun ideas, or did I just pay for a nice learning experience?

I'm currently waiting for all the components for my PC upgrade to arrive. Got the motherboard today and immediately upon opening, I noticed that the CMOS battery was not in its slot but just kind of next to it loose on top of the board. The slot seems fine, it seems to fit securely in there. No scratches on the board either. But now I'm a bit worried - could the battery have shorted something on the motherboard? It holds a charge after all. What do you think - should I return it for a new one untested or are the chances of the battery harming anything so miniscule that I should just go for it and use it in my build?

... caused by my own tinkering.

Edit: SOLVED! simply disconnecting the drives and then adding them one by one (starting with the windows drive, dont know if thats important) did the trick

(Sorry if this is the wrong community for HELP ME posts like this, couldnt find one that fit the bill better)

So recently i made up my find about switching my self-build from 2018 from win10 to linux mint, though i first wanted to try it out in dual-boot. I created a bootable usb and started the installation process to a partition on an ssd thats seperate from the hdd that holds my windows installation. Installation worked out fine, PC powered down from live usb mint and booted into mint from my petition (worked fine). Afterwards i powered it down to check if i could access windows.

After turning it on, instead of showing the GRUB OS selections screen, it just showed a GRUB command window, and my keyboard wasnt recognized.

Powered down, disconnected the ssd in hopes of forcing windows to start, no luck. Entering BIOS via f2 or del on startup didnt work either (probably because fast boot was enabled), tried every available usb-port for the keyboard to either get into BIOS or at least get GRUB to respond. Nothing.

After shopping for solutions online, i cleared CMOS via the button on the mobo. I hoped it would either help the keyboard get recognised by GRUB, or at least deactivate fast-boot. But after powering the pc on again, my screen stays blank and the indication LEDs DRAM and BOOT are glowing.

I already tried taking out one of the two ram-sticks and placing the remaining one in each of the slots, then did the same withe other stick. No effect on the DRAM LED.

Im not quite at wits end here, but i thought before i continue to haphazardly apply fixes found online (and probably making it worse) i would look wether anybody here has good ideas for what steps to take next.

Here is my hardware:

Mobo: nzxt n7 b550

cpu: amd ryzen 5 5600x

gpu: amd rx 580 sapphire nitro+

psu: be quiet pure power 11 500W

ssd: kingston 240gb (linux boot)

hdd1: barracuda 1tb (win10 boot)

hdd2: wd blue 2tb (mostly games and stuff)

Anyone got any recommendations or warnings about specific hdd / ssd / storage brands or models at the moment? Thinking about buying another drive instead of being smart and cleaning up my files. I've been pretty happy with Samsung but I've heard they had a clunker of a drive with high failure rates lately. HDD, SSD and I think I have an extra spare M2 nvme slot on my motherboard, so all recommendations are welcome. Price isn't a huge concern, but I don't feel the need to drop a thousand dollars on a single 22TB drive, anything 5TB and above will do fine for now.

Gaming

• Mostly a huge array of co-op games, performance doesn't matter much, just good 1440 frame rate with high settings.
• HOWEVER, sim racing is my exception and I'm wanting to upgrade from a single 27" to something more immersive. Considering I'm on the most minimal, a TV, triple 24s, or VR are all big immersion upgrades, but each with their pros and cons. But all demanding more of the GPU,ideally keeping rates at 120, even 90 maybe... 1080 for triples, but ideally 1440 all-round to make use of FSR better.

Data Science

• I need my PC to be a workhorse. Many hours of my week are ETL of big datasets and complex models. Lots of calculation time and lots of loading tables/arrays into memory for queries and transforms.
• Ive recently gone up to 32GB DDR4 3600 (going to go to 64) and an R9 5900X. It's done nothing huge for gaming, but it's increased my data crunching tasks significantly.

What I have right now...

Guts

• Asus PRIME X570-P ATX AM4 Motherboard
• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor
• MSI MECH 2X Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card
• Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory

Storage (This is way behind)

• Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
• Silicon Power UD90 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
• And some ancient 2TB 7200 HDD that's a dying archive only drive

Primary display

• Acer Nitro XZ272U Pbmiiphx 27.0" 2560 x 1440 165 Hz Curved Monitor

Cooling

• Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case
• Deepcool LT520 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Where I'm stuck...

• Should I go up to AM5 even though I just got the 5900X?
• Do I then go DDR5 instead of 64GB DDR4 or am I getting too many year's ahead of myself?
• The 6700XT is not overclocking friendly, for sim racing I may need to bump up if going for more display.
• For storage, what's the best way to go for a bunch of games installed, but also not having stuff get in the way of data crunching applications and calculations? Should I reserve a drive purely for data? Can I dedicate anything to it on top of the 64GM RAM coming in?
• Lastly, the display conundrum for sim racing; VR, TV, triples... 49" UW on top of any above upgrades is just way over budget.

I'm basically just after ideas of what to prioritise next, what can wait a while, and what path I should be starting on for future-proofing without spending the budget on future gear too soon while it's all expensive.

Advice much appreciated.

I’m in the market for a new monitor. It’ll be used for gaming and browsing, but also light graphic design/video editing and lots of email- and document-writing, some spreadsheets, etc. My graphics work is not very color sensitive, and I have a “normal” $100 IPS monitor on the side to compare.

The two options that caught my eye so far:

BenQ Mobiuz EX3410R - 34” 21:9 1440p 144hz VA with 1000R curve (450 USD)

BenQ Mobiuz EX270QM - 27” 16:9 1440p 240hz IPS (570 USD)

I’m upgrading from a 24” Acer Predator XB253Q GX 1080p 240hz IPS, which I chose because I had a 90’s desk with a hutch that limited monitor size. I’ve been fairly happy with it despite a few quirks and low PPI, but that desk is going to the curb soon so it’s time for something bigger.

My PC is Ryzen 5800X3D, 32G RAM, RTX 4700 Ti. I predict my usual games will hover around 180-200 fps in QHD, and 120-140 in UWQHD.

I know I’d be happy with what would be a direct upgrade to a 27” 1440p version of my current monitor, but I’m feeling the pull toward the novelty of UW and curved. I've only had 16:9 and a few 16:10 flat monitors.

Here are my concerns about going UW curved:

1. Since I’m doing some WFH text and graphics, I want to make sure I won’t regret the leap. I think I’d get used to the curve, but I’ve heard that some VA panels can get a bit wonky with text.

2. While my graphics work is not very color sensitive, it sometimes is a little bit… I can’t be giving people jaundice, I mean. The Acer isn’t exactly perfect either, but it’s good enough. And I always check photos on my side monitor and my phone.

3. Whatever I choose will be my daily driver for probably 7+ years. I’m concerned that there will always be adjustments and compromises if I go curved. Meanwhile, flat 16:9 is fool-proof, but I’ll always suffer from grass-is-greener syndrome.

4. I know both of these options run the risk of backlight bleed - the VA because it’s large and curved, and the IPS because it’s IPS. The “IPS glow” doesn’t really bother me too much, but edge bleed would. I got lucky with my Acer - it’s pretty much solid black. I don’t know which would be more risky for developing backlight bleed.

5. The EX270QM is brighter and has much better color - bother a wider gamut and more accurate. I’m not sure if the curve and extra width will be a worthy trade-off, even if I love 21:9 curved. So, again, a different grass is greener problem.

6. I really enjoyed 240hz G-Sync smoothness, but I don’t play serious competitive stuff and I could downgrade to 144hz, as long as the other benefits are worth the trade-off. I also think QHD will hover around 180fps in my current games, and UWQHD around 140 maybe. I’d probably only get the full benefit of 240hz QHD in older games.

Do any of you own either of these or similar monitors? And even if not, please alleviate any of my concerns or try to sway me one way or another. If you have other recommendations in the $450-600 range, I’d welcome them too.

Edit - TL;DR: I’m torn and indecisive between 21:9 1440p curved VA and 16:9 1440p flat IPS. Color and quality are important, but so is gaming immersion. I yearn for something new from my 16:9 past, but I’m afraid I’ll fight with regret. I seek to learn from wisdom and experience. Please help.