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What country are you in?: Canada Do you live near Microcenter? sadly, no What are you using the system for? 70% gaming, 30% programming/VMs/stable diffusiony stuff What’s your budget? functionally unbounded If you’re gaming, what is your monitor resolution / refresh rate? How fancy do you want your graphics, from “it runs” to “Ultra preset as fast as possible”? 3440x1440@120Hz (could do 144 but my portrait sidecar monitor only does 120 and NVIDIA’s drivers seem happier if they match). I want all the settings. Ray-traced reflections and 5-bounce GI and detailed volumetric fog holding at 100fps make the good brain chemicals happen. Plus faster loading when I zone in FFXIV. Other recent games are Cyberpunk, Metro, the upcoming Dwarf Fortress update, Ghostwire, upcoming Witcher remaster. Quiet is important because I share the room so even if I have my headphones on I don’t want a leaf blower If you’re doing professional work, what software do you need to use? What’s your typical project size and complexity? It’s not exactly professional but when I do software work I usually run 2-6 containers (rarely but sometimes as actual VMs) and the stuff I compile in Rust takes about 3 mins on my 3900X—not the end of the world, but my ADHD would like it to be faster. I have a 331x70mm 4090 (Windforce) and 32GB of decent DDR4, plus good enough NVMe storage and a time-honoured D-15S. Really I just need to decide on the CPU/RAM core of the system, since my 3900X is holding my 4090 back in some cases I suspect, and I want to move to 64GB of RAM. Current case is a Fractal Torrent Compact and it’s fine but if I decide to AIO CPU or GPU I’ll need to change it out I believe. I think my choices are between:
Not entirely sure how to read the current trajectory of everything, so people’s thoughts are eagerly solicited!
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Oct 20, 2022 16:01
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Subjunctive posted:I think my choices are between: Reading more of this and other threads, I’m leaning towards 5800X3D, moving into 7800X3D in the spring. There’s 5800X3D stock locally, so please speak soon to tell me if this is a bad idea!
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Oct 21, 2022 13:46
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CordlessPen posted:Really soon, like in a gen or 2, you won't be able to have 2 gaming PCs on the same circuit at home. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to get one of the office outlets moved to its own circuit if we don’t move in the next few years. E: sorry for the double-post!
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Oct 21, 2022 13:48
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nitsuga posted:If you need something now, the 5800X3D is probably your least expensive option. Post your old CPU on SA-Mart, and you could recoup a decent bit too. old CPU goes to the wife! hers goes to a friend's kid!
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Oct 21, 2022 15:36
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:Not worth it. Performance isn't going to be gigantic between 3900x and 5800x3D. You should just wait until the 7000 series x3D (which won't be spring, more likely next fall or later), or just jump into a 7000 series now. The 5800X3D would move to replace my wife’s 3600 in time, so a bigger upgrade from that perspective. I don’t think I can say with a straight face that it’s holding me back on work stuff, though. It’d be ~$450 to run games and hobby stuff faster until the 7800X3D drops, or about $45/mo if it were to have no residual value to me afterwards. Borderline, hmm. I just feel so unbalanced with the 4090 and the 3900 and only 32G of RAM. This is maybe not a feeling I need to let motivate a purchase, however!
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Oct 21, 2022 17:29
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:If it goes to your wife’s PC, and it lives in your wife’s PC for a good time, than that might be worth it. Yeah, it’d live there until I upgraded to Zen 5 or whatever. I think I’m going to do it! Thanks all for the guidance.
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Oct 21, 2022 22:06
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There’s also “Steam Deck + Dock” as an option.
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Oct 24, 2022 15:27
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change my name posted:I'm going to do this since I don't want to lug my PC over to the TV all the time. What's the latency like if I streamed to the Deck from my gaming PC? I haven’t done it, but I hear it’s pretty decent. Steam Deck thread (on mobile so I can’t really link sorry) will have much more. I’m not sure the Deck will stream beyond its own resolution, but best to ask there.
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Oct 24, 2022 15:39
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Phlegmish posted:Feel free to tell me what you'd change. I don't know anything about motherboards, so I was just guessing there. The CPU cooler is pretty cheap but should be fine? For the PSU I assume 750W will be more than enough. Definitely get a Windows 11 key from Lodge North or whoever else in SA Mart for  instead.
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Nov 2, 2022 22:21
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:TDP is not always 1:1 watts I didn’t know that! What units is TDP specified in if not watts?
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Nov 7, 2022 14:14
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I’m looking to build a system around a 7800X3D when it’s released, so I’m looking for advice on an AM5 board with lots of I/O and support for 128GB, CPU air cooler, and memory. The case I have on the way is a Fractal Design North, if that matters for cooler fitting. Wifi on the motherboard would also be welcome, but I could wrangle a PCI card if the board was otherwise fantastic. I am not price sensitive, but would like to avoid being really stupid. I’m also interested in advice on fan setup for the North, which will have a Windforce 4090 in it as well. Thanks in advance for your help!
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Mar 15, 2023 02:32
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The manual for the motherboard I ordered (ROG STRIX X670E-E GAMING WIFI) says that the module for connecting to a front-panel USB-C connector is sold separately, but I don't know how to find it to buy. Manual excerpt:  Anyone know where I can get a compatible module?
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Mar 16, 2023 20:08
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MarcusSA posted:My case just had a plug for the front panel that connected to that. Oh, so I just need...some sort of cable for it. That's helpful, thank you!
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Mar 16, 2023 20:26
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DoombatINC posted:What case are you trying to hook it up to? Usually if a case has a USB-C port then the cable for it is hardwired to the port and part of the front panel wiring octopus. Ah, a Fractal Design North. It arrived today but I haven’t opened it up to check. Thanks!
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Mar 16, 2023 20:36
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MarcusSA posted:I’d wait unless you find a good deal on one before hand. I bought a ROG STRIX one but it’ll still be in its return window when the 7800X3D comes out, so I can hedge that bet.
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Mar 21, 2023 23:27
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I’m going to build a new AM5 machine as soon as my 7800X3D arrives, but now I’m worried that I’m going to regret having 4x32GB instead of trying to find 2x64GB or even 2x48GB from the newfangled non-binary ones. I understand that 2PDC runs slower than 1DPC because the memory controller needs to do more work to manage things, but I can’t figure out really how much the impact is going to be and I don’t have any instincts about DDR5 timings anyway. I’ve got a ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E GAMING WIFI motherboard, and the RAM is G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) at DDR5 6000 (part number F5-6000J3040G32GX2-TZ5NR). Am I really going to be hobbling my machine for gaming and software development/VM tasks if I run with 4 DIMMs? I don’t remember this being talked about as much with DDR4, but maybe I just missed it.
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Apr 12, 2023 17:03
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:64GB DIMMs don't exist yet, and 4x32GB is really tough for Zen 4. As in, you're unlikely to even run them at 4800. 2x48GB may be fine in the future, but most AM5 motherboards don't support nonbinary memory yet, and the ones that do have incomplete support. I'll link Level 1 Techs again because they also did a video about this: Thanks, I’ll watch that video and then I guess try to figure out what to do with the extra 64GB. What does “incomplete support” mean here? Fixable via BIOS update or need to wait on a hardware revision?
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Apr 12, 2023 17:26
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:64GB DIMMs don't exist yet, and 4x32GB is really tough for Zen 4. As in, you're unlikely to even run them at 4800. 2x48GB may be fine in the future, but most AM5 motherboards don't support nonbinary memory yet, and the ones that do have incomplete support. I'll link Level 1 Techs again because they also did a video about this: Thanks again for the video. I keep forgetting how good Level 1 Techs is. He says at one point that he thinks the issue is with the CPU rather than the board. Does that mean the 7800X3D will never do 128GB acceptably, or is this sort of thing amenable to microcode or AGESA update? I swear I used to know things about computers.
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Apr 12, 2023 21:30
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BlankSystemDaemon posted:He's a bit too broad in his description for it to be possible to pin it down that way (it sounds like guess-work instead of something he's investigated) - DDR5 (and PCIe5) both supposedly necessitate adding several layers of PCB to maintain signal integrity, but DDR5 with ECC isn't any wider than DDR4 with ECC, since they're both 64 bits of data and 8 bits of Hamming code (the on-die ECC doesn't figure into this, as that affects the individual chips on each DIMM, and is needed for maintaining signal integrity for the chips themselves). I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, but you know too much about computer.
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Apr 13, 2023 00:33
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OK, I have assembled the machine but it won't even start to boot and I seem to have run out of things to check. I have a ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E GAMING WIFI with a Q-code display, and the motherboard is getting power (the RGB at the back lights up) but neither the front panel power switch nor the on-motherboard "start" button do anything. I don't even get 00 on the Q-code which should happen AIUI before anything else can go wrong. Searching the web has been pretty fruitless, so I'm here in the hope that someone can point out the stupid thing I've probably done wrong. I thought it would boot as far as 00 (and indeed beyond) without so much as a CPU present, so I'm not sure what's going on here. Thanks for any insight you can provide.
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Apr 13, 2023 16:40
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BlankSystemDaemon posted:There's a table of the Q-codes in the manual, and 00 isn't used. Is there a PC speaker connected, and is it beeping? You might be able to use American Megatrends' collection of beep codes if so. Hmm, the paper manual lists "00 - Power on. Reset type detection (soft/hard)". I would be very disappointed with a DOA part, geez. I wonder where I might have caused a short, hmm. Thanks! E: I don't have a PC speaker, alas.
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Apr 13, 2023 16:52
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BlankSystemDaemon posted:EDIT2: Someone elsewhere previously mentioned that AM5 mandates a flashback option from manufacturers, so maybe your BIOS needs to be flashed? Thank you so much. I can’t find a sticker with the BIOS version number, but it has a build date of 22-09 and 0922 didn’t come out until February so I bet that’s it. I will painstakingly remove the cooler and CPU and get my BIOS update on. You are wonderful.
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Apr 13, 2023 17:20
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I put the stick in and held the button, and the LED started flashing while the USB stick’s LED indicated activity. Took ~10 mins and then the LEDs went off. Waited another couple of minutes to be sure, powered it off at the PSU, took out the USB stick, turned the PSU back on. Still nothing. 
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Apr 13, 2023 17:53
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BlankSystemDaemon posted:Please read the manual about 3 seconds vs 5 seconds (then turning solid) for the flashback functionality. Sorry, the light kept flashing at a constant pace the whole time. It didn’t turn solid at any point that I saw. I think I held it for 3 seconds, though the light started flashing after about 2.
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Apr 13, 2023 18:27
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With 3 days until the end of the motherboard return window with Newegg maybe I should disassemble it and ship it back today for a replacement? I’m not sure what else to try and it sure looked like the BIOS update was working (it was doing something with the USB stick for ten minutes at least)
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Apr 13, 2023 18:58
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BlankSystemDaemon posted:Does the motherboard return window end in 3 days, or do you have to start the return process within 3 days? It sounds like Newegg has to have the thing back in 3 days. Time to pack and try to find a box to ship it in!
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Apr 13, 2023 19:38
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Edit: got it dropped off before last pickup today, but almost sent my 4TB SN850x along with it, yikes! Replacement might be here as soon as tomorrow. I wonder if I got a September 2022-vintage board because someone else returned it because it didn't work and it just got repackaged. It didn't look like it had been previously opened, but I don't know how that process works exactly with respect to the accessories getting replaced/rebagged. Real edit: whoops, that wasn't an edit!
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Apr 13, 2023 21:42
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Cockmaster posted:If anyone is having trouble finding an AMD 7800X3D, I just ordered one from here: Ignoring the little DOA issue I had, the ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E GAMING WIFI 6E Socket AM5 checks all those boxes I believe. I wouldn't worry too much about infringing on the GPUs bandwidth, though, since AIUI GPUs don't currently come close to saturating modern PCI links.
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Apr 13, 2023 23:16
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:I did it because I just want to build the most powerful gaming PC possible I guess, but sensible buyers should probably look at other options. 
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Apr 14, 2023 18:01
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If I install Windows on a drive and then stick it in another computer, I just need to re-activate it with my key and it’ll be happy, right? I want to get a start on arranging my new drive while I wait for the replacement motherboard to arrive.
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Apr 17, 2023 20:21
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OK, new motherboard arrived and we got it all assembled. It boots to the point of showing the C5 Q-code, which isn't in the manual but per the internet seems to be related to memory. I've got sticks (2x32) in the recommended A2+B2 slots and their pretty lights are lighting up, so I think this is the part where I just wait forever for it to train the memory? Some guy on Reddit reported that it took like 40 minutes for his to boot the first time, though he didn't say how much memory he had. Thanks to Dr. Video Games 0031 and BlankSystemDaemon for their help last time, here's to hoping that patience is all I need for this! E: hmm, the yellow DRAM Q-LED light is on too, so maybe things aren't just going to work out. E2: I tried 1 DIMM in B2 and that booted into memtest after a firmware update for the LED, so then I added back the DIMM to A2 and booted again, and this time after a while in Q-code 15 with the DRAM LED lit, I'm in BIOS with everything detected! Huzzah! Subjunctive fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Apr 19, 2023 |
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Apr 19, 2023 14:27
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I should have asked this before: what's the best way to copy a user from one Windows installation to another? I don't want to mess up subtle ownership stuff or similar by ending up with different user IDs or something.
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Apr 19, 2023 18:23
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grack posted:You could use a large air cooler like a Thermalright Peerless Assassin, but I would suggest replacing the fans as they're okay but not great. Yeah I went with the Peerless Assassin this time for my 7800X3D build and it’s louder than I remember my Noctua being even before curve tuning. Might be the case fans on the Fractal North but replacing those now is going to be annoying I think.
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Apr 23, 2023 18:36
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Blowjob Overtime posted:Is there a use case for the heatsink add-on? This will be almost exclusively for gaming in a full-size case with a lot of airflow. No, SSDs like to be warm when operating anyway.
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May 1, 2023 22:46
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My daughter has a school assignment to research and specify a computer setup for a video editor. I can happily talk her through pcpartpicker and such, but I was wondering what general guides to “so you want to build a computer…” are out there that I might also point her at for more background.
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May 19, 2023 00:02
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Thanks!
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May 20, 2023 20:41
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ZombieCrew posted:Does asus armory crate have a bios update feature? I thought it did, i but i cant find it. Not that I could find by reading about it, but I never let it get installed on my computer.
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May 23, 2023 02:44
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So I built a 7800X3D system a month or two ago, and I have a problem where it intermittently just turns off, and won’t turn back on until I flip the physical switch on the PSU off and on. (My case doesn’t have a reset button, so I haven’t tried that.) No other symptoms. I tried replacing the PSU (1600W) but it happened again. What’s the next most likely thing for it to be? All the parts are out of the return window, and I don’t expect to be able to RMA based on something that might not happen more than once a week. Could be an expensive finding-out process!
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May 23, 2023 18:54
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Jobert posted:Kind of sounds like something inside the case shorts and the PSU protection trips. No, it’s a fully modular PSU and I rechecked everything when I swapped power supplies. I guess it could be a case connector thing shorting? I’ll investigate those tonight.
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May 23, 2023 19:12
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Yeah I thought about that but it’s so intermittent that I’d have to run like that for a month to start to believe it had fixed it, and then if it does, what do I do? I don’t really want to have to replace the brand new case, but I also don’t know what it would tell me about solving the problem. All these devices were connected to the previous incarnation of my desktop, so the new pieces are CPU, RAM, motherboard, PSU, case. I’ve now tried two PSUs so that’s probably not it.
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May 23, 2023 20:59
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