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sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

Tin Tim posted:

Hey, folks.

After upgrading my old GPU as advised itt I grabbed an 860 QVO 1TB SSD to upgrade away from my HDD next. But since the SSD is so smol I haven't installed it yet due my old case not being able to hold it. My uncle (my usual go-to in PC matters) advised me to buy an icy-dock so that I can just slot the SSD in there instead of looking for a tray to hold the SSD inside of my case. Seems sensible to me since I have a bunch of space for "drives" at the top part of my case. Wanted to move the SSD there anyway since the HDD is currently at the bottom of my case and gets into conflict with the heat of my new GPU when both are taxed. It shoots up to 54c pretty quickly in such a case so I'm avoiding any such activities for now until my SSD is up and running.

Anyway... icy-dock yay or nay?

And what model should I as a general consumer grab? Currently looking at the flexiDOCK MB521SP-B since that seems to be what I want/need but I could be wrong!

You can literally just stick a SATA SSD to any surface in your PC, it has no moving parts and it doesn't matter where you put it. Getting a mounting bracket or whatever for it is kind of silly.

I used some stick-on Velcro to put it on the floor of my case next to the PSU, it doesn't give a poo poo.

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Tin Tim
Jun 4, 2012

Live by the pun - Die by the pun

sean10mm posted:

You can literally just stick a SATA SSD to any surface in your PC, it has no moving parts and it doesn't matter where you put it. Getting a mounting bracket or whatever for it is kind of silly.

I used some stick-on Velcro to put it on the floor of my case next to the PSU, it doesn't give a poo poo.
Huh, I wasn't aware that an SSD can be handled like that. I mean I still want to have it be screwed in since it's going to the upper area of my case and I wouldn't trust some tape to hold it up there for the next few years.

I guess I mostly went along with the idea of a dock because I think they are cool and I kinda want one

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

Tin Tim posted:

I think they are cool and I kinda want one

That's half the reason I do anything when I build a PC, so fair enough. :v:

Bloody Pom
Jun 5, 2011



I'm glad we've moved past the days of needing a mounting tray to slot SSDs into the old 3.5" bays, at least.

KoB
May 1, 2009
Ive got a i5 6600k 3.5ghz (LGA1151) CPU and I dont feel like replacing half my stuff, whats the best CPU option for replacing just the CPU? I know theres a new socket and stuff but I'd rather not replace everything when my pc feels good enough but I want a bit of a boost.

HappyCapybaraFamily
Sep 16, 2009


Roger Baolong Thunder Dragon has been fascinated by this sophisticated and scientifically beautiful industry since childhood, and has shown his talent in the design and manufacture of watches.

KoB posted:

Ive got a i5 6600k 3.5ghz (LGA1151) CPU and I dont feel like replacing half my stuff, whats the best CPU option for replacing just the CPU? I know theres a new socket and stuff but I'd rather not replace everything when my pc feels good enough but I want a bit of a boost.

First, the following is objectively bad advice for the money, but:

Depending on your motherboard, you might be able to put an i7-7700(K) in it. Might need a BIOS upgrade for that. The 4-core, 8-thread capability should keep your system viable for gaming for a while.

However, these CPUs are still crazy expensive considering their age and the pricing of superior, current-gen CPUs like the Zen 2 processors. They're going for at least $300 on eBay right now, which can almost get you a Ryzen 5 3600 plus mobo and 16 GB CL16 3200 RAM.

MikeC
Jul 19, 2004
BITCH ASS NARC

KoB posted:

Ive got a i5 6600k 3.5ghz (LGA1151) CPU and I dont feel like replacing half my stuff, whats the best CPU option for replacing just the CPU? I know theres a new socket and stuff but I'd rather not replace everything when my pc feels good enough but I want a bit of a boost.

What exactly are you finding unsatisfactory about your experience.

KoB
May 1, 2009

MikeC posted:

What exactly are you finding unsatisfactory about your experience.

Just not getting the Frames I'd like in games it feels like.

tuyop
Sep 15, 2006

Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted

Fun Shoe

Tin Tim posted:

Huh, I wasn't aware that an SSD can be handled like that. I mean I still want to have it be screwed in since it's going to the upper area of my case and I wouldn't trust some tape to hold it up there for the next few years.

I guess I mostly went along with the idea of a dock because I think they are cool and I kinda want one

I temporarily taped one to the side of the drive bays with some rolls of scotch tape in like 2014.

Then I forgot about it and carried that PC around the country. Halifax to Slave Lake, eventually. Mostly haphazardly in the back of a Mazda 3.

When it was time to gut the system in 2018, that ssd was still there, just dustily taped.

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World
FWIW I have the exact same CPU and concluded that all the CPU upgrade options on my mobo are trash. It may depend on the chipset though.

spunkshui
Oct 5, 2011



KoB posted:

Just not getting the Frames I'd like in games it feels like.

Whats your GPU?

KoB
May 1, 2009

spunkshui posted:

Whats your GPU?

1080ti

MikeC
Jul 19, 2004
BITCH ASS NARC

KoB posted:

1080ti

So the games you are playing are clearly running into frame dropping due to the CPU. The odds of you finding an SMT enabled chip on the used market at a reasonable price are slim. If you are not willing to migrate the 1080ti to a new platform you are pretty much stuck.

KoB
May 1, 2009

MikeC posted:

So the games you are playing are clearly running into frame dropping due to the CPU. The odds of you finding an SMT enabled chip on the used market at a reasonable price are slim. If you are not willing to migrate the 1080ti to a new platform you are pretty much stuck.

Thats kinda what I figured, thanks. Ill just have to think on going in on a full refresh.

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

KoB posted:

Thats kinda what I figured, thanks. Ill just have to think on going in on a full refresh.

What's your motherboard? Depending on the chipset it may have a more viable option than the wildly overpriced for the performance gain i7-7700k (but I kinda doubt it.)

Chimp_On_Stilts
Aug 31, 2004
Holy Hell.
I am looking into NVMe hard drives in the 2-4TB range. I've never had an NVMe drive before.

I keep seeing drives from a company called "Sabrent" but I'm not familiar with them.

Is Sabrent known for quality parts? Should I consider them alongside mainstays in the hard disk world like Western Digital, Samsung, etc?

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

Yeah they are good. Just avoid the QLC drives and post what you're buying here or in the SSD megathread before buying it.

KoB
May 1, 2009

sean10mm posted:

What's your motherboard? Depending on the chipset it may have a more viable option than the wildly overpriced for the performance gain i7-7700k (but I kinda doubt it.)

ASRock Z170 Extreme4 LGA 1151 Intel Z170

Kraftwerk
Aug 13, 2011
i do not have 10,000 bircoins, please stop asking

sean10mm posted:

What's your motherboard? Depending on the chipset it may have a more viable option than the wildly overpriced for the performance gain i7-7700k (but I kinda doubt it.)

How big of an upgrade would you say the latest ryzens are compared to the 7700?

Scruff McGruff
Feb 13, 2007

Jesus, kid, you're almost a detective. All you need now is a gun, a gut, and three ex-wives.

Tin Tim posted:

Huh, I wasn't aware that an SSD can be handled like that. I mean I still want to have it be screwed in since it's going to the upper area of my case and I wouldn't trust some tape to hold it up there for the next few years.

I guess I mostly went along with the idea of a dock because I think they are cool and I kinda want one

I've used both internal and external docks from Icydock and they've been perfectly fine, though I have had a couple of times where my server's cache drive has overheated inside this but the airflow in my server's not the best and my house's AC was out at the time so ambient temps were also higher than normal.

MikeC
Jul 19, 2004
BITCH ASS NARC

Kraftwerk posted:

How big of an upgrade would you say the latest ryzens are compared to the 7700?

Depends on the game and how heavily they utilize multithreading. 4c/4t started getting hammered by games as early as games like Deus Ex Mankind Divided. We are starting to see games scale past 4c/8t and some tests show that they can positively scale past 8c/16t (but with heavy diminishing returns). That is before you consider things like streaming or just background processes running in windows. For example, RGB software is known to take its fair share of CPU time.

@KoB. If you are up for it, see if you can do a clean reinstall of windows to claw back some performance by removing the junk that has accumulated over the years.

Rinkles
Oct 24, 2010

What I'm getting at is...
Do you feel the same way?

MikeC posted:

RGB software is known to take its fair share of CPU time.

Lol, for real?

a fatguy baldspot
Aug 29, 2018

So is this

MSI GT 1030 2G LP OC Graphic Card 2 GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Low Profile HDMI, DisplayPort

Better than these?

Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 460, or AMD® Radeon™ R7 260X or AMD® Radeon™ HD 6970, or Intel® Iris Pro™ 580

Since the number is higher than most of them, I'm guessing so.

MikeC
Jul 19, 2004
BITCH ASS NARC

Rinkles posted:

Lol, for real?

I mean it won't break your gaming experience on its own but it does need to poll the CPU and the scheduler is going to get it in there at some point in time. The point is that as you keep installing useless poo poo on your computer over the years it adds up and can hit your system with a measurable loss. Gamers Nexus had a video a while back where they installed every piece of RGB bloatware and you had frame dropping in some games. Civ turn-times increased by a second or so, etc etc.


a fatguy baldspot posted:

So is this

MSI GT 1030 2G LP OC Graphic Card 2 GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Low Profile HDMI, DisplayPort

Better than these?

Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 460, or AMD® Radeon™ R7 260X or AMD® Radeon™ HD 6970, or Intel® Iris Pro™ 580

Since the number is higher than most of them, I'm guessing so.

A handy chart https://www.mooreslawisdead.com/gpu-ranking

tuyop
Sep 15, 2006

Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted

Fun Shoe

MikeC posted:

I mean it won't break your gaming experience on its own but it does need to poll the CPU and the scheduler is going to get it in there at some point in time. The point is that as you keep installing useless poo poo on your computer over the years it adds up and can hit your system with a measurable loss. Gamers Nexus had a video a while back where they installed every piece of RGB bloatware and you had frame dropping in some games. Civ turn-times increased by a second or so, etc etc.


A handy chart https://www.mooreslawisdead.com/gpu-ranking

Oh cool, the 5700xt is pretty sweet!

Bloody Pom
Jun 5, 2011



MikeC posted:

I mean it won't break your gaming experience on its own but it does need to poll the CPU and the scheduler is going to get it in there at some point in time. The point is that as you keep installing useless poo poo on your computer over the years it adds up and can hit your system with a measurable loss. Gamers Nexus had a video a while back where they installed every piece of RGB bloatware and you had frame dropping in some games. Civ turn-times increased by a second or so, etc etc.

It really doesn't help that a lot of RGB software is also a barely-functional mess. Gigabyte's is so bad that I had to uninstall Aorus Engine as well just to get things to reset to the default rainbow cycle. I wish manufacturers would bake RGB control into the BIOS like they have with fan control.

Mistikman
Jan 21, 2001

I was born ready. I'm Ron Fucking Swanson.

Bloody Pom posted:

It really doesn't help that a lot of RGB software is also a barely-functional mess. Gigabyte's is so bad that I had to uninstall Aorus Engine as well just to get things to reset to the default rainbow cycle. I wish manufacturers would bake RGB control into the BIOS like they have with fan control.

I literally had to install RGB controls for both my monitor and my motherboard, because both defaulted to bright circus bullshit and you can't even turn it off without the loving software.

For my motherboard, it had lights on if it was on or off, so since my computer is in my room, it meant the only way to make my computer not some loving nightmare lighthouse was to unplug it from the wall when I wasn't using it, unless I wanted their loving RGB malware installed.

I loving hate RGB, but it gets added to a ton of otherwise high quality products.

Subjunctive
Sep 12, 2006

✨sparkle and shine✨

Mistikman posted:

I literally had to install RGB controls for both my monitor and my motherboard, because both defaulted to bright circus bullshit and you can't even turn it off without the loving software.

For my motherboard, it had lights on if it was on or off, so since my computer is in my room, it meant the only way to make my computer not some loving nightmare lighthouse was to unplug it from the wall when I wasn't using it, unless I wanted their loving RGB malware installed.

I loving hate RGB, but it gets added to a ton of otherwise high quality products.

This seems like a problem that a hobby knife or pair of flush cutters can solve pretty effectively!

Bloody Pom
Jun 5, 2011



Subjunctive posted:

This seems like a problem that a hobby knife or pair of flush cutters can solve pretty effectively!

For light strips sure, but for a lot of PC components they're built directly into the housing under translucent plastic. I don't know about you but I don't feel like stabbing away at a liquid cooling block with a sharp object.

My motherboard allows me to switch off all lighting in the BIOS at least.

Subjunctive
Sep 12, 2006

✨sparkle and shine✨

Bloody Pom posted:

For light strips sure, but for a lot of PC components they're built directly into the housing under translucent plastic. I don't know about you but I don't feel like stabbing away at a liquid cooling block with a sharp object.

My motherboard allows me to switch off all lighting in the BIOS at least.

ah yeah, for that you need electrical tape. definitely a bad scene

Chimp_On_Stilts
Aug 31, 2004
Holy Hell.
I'm case shopping.

What ATX cases do y'all like the aesthetics of? I'm tired of drab black boxes.

I'm wondering if I can find a case with the following:
- Separate chamber for routing cables (I'd like to keep the main chamber uncluttered)
- No optical drive bays (I don't need 'em, reduces clutter, maybe even allows the case to be smaller)
- Large aesthetically pleasing window
- Hard to shatter (I have pets who might, for example, knock something off my desk onto the case - so no tempered glass tops)
- No dumbass "we tried to make it look like a Ferrari" weird angles, big openings, etc. (Example of one such case I think is hideous)
- Front or top USB and USB-C connectors

I realize aesthetics are extremely subjective, so I'm fishing for opinions.

Also, what are some case features you have enjoyed and which aren't obvious things to shop for? Anything to add to my list above?

So far, I think I like this Fractal Meshify case, but that's after a pretty casual search. I also wish it was available in more than white and black. I'd like to see more options.

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

Most people like the looks of the NZXT H510

Alchenar
Apr 9, 2008

The Lian-Li O11 is also extremely popular. That and the H510 are an enormous proportion of builds that people post pictures of online.

On Terra Firma
Feb 12, 2008

Mu Zeta posted:

Most people like the looks of the NZXT H510


The problem with cases like these is my cat likes to jump up and turn off the power when I'm doing something important.

v1ld
Apr 16, 2012

The recently released Lian Li Lancool II Mesh has very good airflow, reviewed well for features and looks pretty nice. It's challenged my resolve to not upgrade my case until I next upgrade CPU. The Phanteks P400A and siblings are also nice looking mesh cases.

Tin Tim
Jun 4, 2012

Live by the pun - Die by the pun

Scruff McGruff posted:

I've used both internal and external docks from Icydock and they've been perfectly fine, though I have had a couple of times where my server's cache drive has overheated inside this but the airflow in my server's not the best and my house's AC was out at the time so ambient temps were also higher than normal.
Thanks for the feedback! I ordered a double slot dock so that I can add another SSD if I decide to get back into video editing at some point in the future

th3t00t
Aug 14, 2007

GOOD CLEAN FOOTBALL
Hello thread I'm looking for some advice. My goal is to be able to play games on ultra at 1440p 144hz for a few years before needing to step up to the next gen cpu/mobo/ram.

My 550w psu went out of warranty in March. I have a fractal r4 case with the 2 stock fans it came with, the bearing in the rear exhaust fan is shot and makes a grinding noise. And a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler.

My plan is to upgrade and update my parts to accommodate for a 3080ti and overclock of my 9600k.

For PSU I'm looking at a corsair rm850x. I'd like to have some room to upgrade in the future and have plenty of wattage for OCing 3080ti and 9600k. 850w should be plenty for that right?

For overclocking my 9600k, will the CM 212 be sufficient or should I be looking at AIO's?

For case fans, I've been thinking of getting 4x Noctua NF-A14 PWM 140mm. Going from 66cfm intake 66cfm exhaust to 164 cfm intake 164 cfm exhaust.

I'm also going to need a dual-dvi converter cable of some sort for my secondary monitor. Display port to dvi is probably best?

Speccy copy paste of my current situation.

CPU
Intel Core i5 9600K @ 3.70GHz 35 °C
Coffee Lake 14nm Technology
RAM
16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1599MHz (16-18-18-38)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. Z390 UD (U3E1) 36 °C
Graphics
DUAL-DVI (2560x1440@59Hz)
27GL850 (2560x1440@100Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (MSI) 32 °C
Storage
465GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (SATA (SSD)) 32 °C
1863GB Crucial CT2000BX500SSD1 (SATA (SSD)) 29 °C
59GB Crucial C300-CTFDDAC064MAG (SATA (SSD))

Klyith
Aug 3, 2007

GBS Pledge Week

On Terra Firma posted:

The problem with cases like these is my cat likes to jump up and turn off the power when I'm doing something important.

A bunch of Cooler Master cases have the front panel & power button on a 45° angle that's cat-safe.

The aesthetics are frequently more on the xtreme gamer side with CM, but they're not drab black boxes.


Subjunctive posted:

This seems like a problem that a hobby knife or pair of flush cutters can solve pretty effectively!

That is a terrible idea as PCBs have multiple layers and you don't know what's around / underneath the LEDs. And you've just killed your warranty if you make a mistake.

The electrical tape idea, or better yet just buying a case that doesn't have glass sides, is much better.

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

th3t00t posted:

Hello thread I'm looking for some advice. My goal is to be able to play games on ultra at 1440p 144hz for a few years before needing to step up to the next gen cpu/mobo/ram.

My 550w psu went out of warranty in March. I have a fractal r4 case with the 2 stock fans it came with, the bearing in the rear exhaust fan is shot and makes a grinding noise. And a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler.

My plan is to upgrade and update my parts to accommodate for a 3080ti and overclock of my 9600k.

For PSU I'm looking at a corsair rm850x. I'd like to have some room to upgrade in the future and have plenty of wattage for OCing 3080ti and 9600k. 850w should be plenty for that right?

For overclocking my 9600k, will the CM 212 be sufficient or should I be looking at AIO's?

For case fans, I've been thinking of getting 4x Noctua NF-A14 PWM 140mm. Going from 66cfm intake 66cfm exhaust to 164 cfm intake 164 cfm exhaust.

I'm also going to need a dual-dvi converter cable of some sort for my secondary monitor. Display port to dvi is probably best?

Speccy copy paste of my current situation.

CPU
Intel Core i5 9600K @ 3.70GHz 35 °C
Coffee Lake 14nm Technology
RAM
16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1599MHz (16-18-18-38)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. Z390 UD (U3E1) 36 °C
Graphics
DUAL-DVI (2560x1440@59Hz)
27GL850 (2560x1440@100Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (MSI) 32 °C
Storage
465GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (SATA (SSD)) 32 °C
1863GB Crucial CT2000BX500SSD1 (SATA (SSD)) 29 °C
59GB Crucial C300-CTFDDAC064MAG (SATA (SSD))

IMO the 9600K is in a gray area where you're probably fine for a while, but there are already games that can use 8 threads and it only has 6.

A Hyper 212 probably isn't enough to OC that thing properly, it can draw like 180 watts at 5ghz or something. I'd stick a Noctua D15 or D15S on that fucker.

Noctua fans rule, though you can buy their P14S Redux fans for the same basic performance at a lower price. The difference in CFM @ dB between them is within the margin of error (and in at least one test actually favored the cheaper Redux fan!)

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dublish
Oct 31, 2011


Alchenar posted:

The Lian-Li O11 is also extremely popular. That and the H510 are an enormous proportion of builds that people post pictures of online.

For a slightly smaller option, the O11 Mini is supposed to be launching at the end of this month or early September.

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