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[Leonidas]

Lets face it, you will have a hard time buying the RTX 3000 series and RX 6000 series at this time as they are heavily supply constrained. Be patient, don't reward the scalpers, these components will eventually become in stock at their MSRP again. With that being said here are some builds in case you can buy a GPU at a reasonable price right now.

Builds will be updated when new products launch. For now all builds will have CPUs/GPUs at their MSRP as they are still some listings at that price (sold out).

CPUs
Recommended:
AMD Ryzen 5600X
Intel Core i5 11600K

Value:
AMD Ryzen 3600
Intel Core i5 11400F

Ryzen 3600 and Intel Core i5 11400 are both currently good values as they offer great performance at under $200. If you want to move up to top tier performance you'll need to go with an unlocked 10th or 11th-series Intel CPU (1xxxxK) or a Ryzen 5000X CPU. According to Techspot, there is a 1% difference on average between the 10900K and 5900X, and a 5% difference between 5600X and 5900X at 1080p, which shrinks at higher resolutions. Currently 6 strong cores (Intel Core 11400-11600K and AMD Ryzen 5600x) is enough for AAA gaming, however that will change some point in the future, how long? No one can say for sure... but since these PC CPUs have cores that are more powerful than what are in the current gen consoles, I don't think it will be an issue any time soon.

Go high core count only if you have things that can actually make use of them.

Ryzen 5000 w/ V Cache and Alder Lake will launch later this year, which could finally be a noticeable improvement in gaming compared to the incremental improvements we've seen in recent years.

GPUs
Recommended:
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

Value:
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The latest GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD are impressive. Nvidia has a substantial lead in heavy ray tracing applications but AMD is very competitive when it comes to rasterization performance. Currently, Nvidia leads in the $400 tier with the RTX 3060 Ti which is a fantastic GPU with better than console raster and RT capabilities. At the higher end the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT offer similar rasterization performance with the 3080 coming ahead at 4K and the 6800 XT ahead at 1080p. But in games with heavy RT effects there is a massive advantage for Nvidia GeForce RTX even before DLSS is enabled. The RTX GPUs have the ability to use DLSS 2.0 in a handful of games which increases performance with graphics that are arguably on par with native rendering. AMD is currently working on a similar feature for their 6000 series GPUs that will become available at a later date. AMD GPUs have the ability to use Smart Access Memory a brand of Resizable BAR which is also available on Intel CPUs under a different name and also coming to Nvidia GPUs at a later date.

RAM
Recommended: 32 GB DDR4 3600 Mbps

Value: 16 GB DDR4 3200 Mbps

Some may argue 16 GB is enough but 32 GB gives you a lot more freedom in desktop usage and can improve your experience. Activate your memory profiles in BIOS in order to run them at their rated speeds.

SSDs
Recommended: PCIe 3.0x4 NVMe SSD

Value: SATA SSD

The sweet spot is still PCIe 3.0 in terms of price and gaming load time performance. It could be years before we see games taking advantage of PCIe 4.0 speeds.
TechSpot did a nice article where they tested drives in a number of games and found no difference between 3.0 and 4.0 drives at this point.

PSUs
Graphics cards require more power these days than they used to, make sure you have enough PSU power or you could see system instability.

Cases
Good airflow is a concern with some cases make sure you do your research before buying a case to see if it is easy to build in and has the features you want as they can last you through a number of builds.

GamePad

Recommended:
Xbox Series Controller
PS5 Dual Sense Controller

Xbox Series controller is fantastic on PC if you play console style games. The Dual Sense is also a fantastic game pad and Steam has Dual Sense integration. Xbox Series controller is cheaper but Dual Sense can be worth it especially if more games take advantage of it's capabilities on PC.

AI Upscaling


Spatial Image Enhancement


Ray Tracing

Programs for Setup & Overclocking
CPU-Z: Information on your CPU, motherboard and memory
GPU-Z: Information on your GPU and VRAM
MSI Afterburner: overclocking utility for GPUs, works on any modern GPU from any vendor
HWiNFO64: detailed system information

CPU Benchmarks
CinebenchR20
Blender

GPU Benchmarks
Unigine Heaven
3DMark

Pricing & Compatibility
PCPartPicker: Good way to see if all your components are compatible and compare prices between components aggregated from various websites.

Youtube
Gamers Nexus
Digital Foundry

Websites
Anandtech
Techpowerup
Techspot

SIGGRAPH: August 9-13




MOD NOTE by DGrayson - Just another thanks to Leonidas for this awesome thread. But note this is not a "static" thread. As Leonidas indicated there will be announcements soon that can cause us to update and change our recommendations. But my main point is that if anyone wants to contribute please let us know. For example I can see room for more detailed explanations on recommended Monitors, Cases, Motherboards, PSUs etc, even Mouses, Keyboards. The list is endless really. So please reach out if anyone wants to tackle any of this or if you have any other suggestions just let us know!

 

[Topher]

Adding a section covering mechanical keyboards.

Mechanical Keyboards

Membrane keyboards are common, cheap, and there really isn't much to say about them outside of what is covered in the features and form factor sections. So mechanical is the focus here. The "gaming" mechanical keyboard aspect is largely marketing outside of the macro functionality. A non-gaming mechanical keyboard and a gaming mechanical keyboard are ultimately not very different in functionality.

This will be broken down into the following sections: features, switches, form factors, keycaps, and brands.

Features

Media controls: The ability to play/stop songs, mute, volume control, etc.
Backlighting: LEDs embedded in the actual switch can lights up the keys for better visibility and possibly very color RGB effects.
Macro Keys: Keys that have dedicated functions not typically found in a standard keyboard. Usually these are programmed using proprietary software that comes with the keyboard. Allows for mimicking keystrokes or even mouse buttons as well as functions not necessarily gaming related such as launching a program.
Wireless. Typically via USB dongle or Bluetooth
Tilt. Adjustable feet on the bottom of the keyboard to tilt the back up for more typing comfort.
Palm Rest. A rest....for your palm.

Here is an example of a mechanical keyboard that incorporates all these features except it isn't wireless. This is the $200 Corsair K95 Platinum XT. As you can see it has media controls behind the numeric keypad and function keys, it has RGB backlighting, and it has programmable Macro keys on the left side.

Amazon.com: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Backlit RGB LED, Cherry MX RGB Blue, Black: Computers & Accessories

Contrast the K95 with the K65 which lacks the macro keys and a volume rocker.

Amazon.com: Corsair K65 LUX RGB Compact Mechanical Keyboard - USB Passthrough & Media Controls - Linear & Quiet - Cherry MX Red - RGB LED Backlit: Computers & Accessories

This HyperX Alloy FPS Pro has only red back lighting and no macro or dedicated media controls.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKHP2NK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Of course, the feature set for these keyboards are going to dictate the price.

Switches:

The crux of the mechanical keyboard is the switch. Cherry MX is by far the most well-known switch manufacturer. Other brands exist, but typically most follow the same switch schemes as Cherry so that will be the focus.

The above images are not from Cherry MX, but it serves to demonstrate the differences. Notice in the image above the four most common variants of switches.

Red - Designed to make less noise without a tactile response.

Brown - Designed to make less noise but provide a tactile response.

Blue - Designed to make a clicky noise with each keystroke as well as a tactile response.

Black - The same as red but with a higher actuation force. Less common that the other three.

Actuation force, in layman's terms, is amount of pressure required to activate the keypress. The above switches also have variants with different actuation forces. Some keyboards have lower profile versions of switches that allow the height of the keyboard to be shorter.

One of the drawbacks to mechanical keyboards is the noise. Typing can be loud. To help lessen this, some switch manufacturers offer "silent" versions with dampeners on the switch. However, this does not make typing truly silent and does change the feel. These switches can feel more mushy than normal switches so like everything else, try before you buy if possible.

Here is a video demonstrating the Cherry MX Red Silent switches.



Some keyboard manufacturers such as Razer and Logitech have developed their own switches on schemes. For example, Razer uses Green, Yellow, and Orange to describe their switches. Fundamentally, Green is the same as Cherry MX Blue. Orange is the same as Brown. And Yellow is the same as Red. Logitech, HyperX, and Roccat have also created their switches which are all variations of the above.

There are also other switch brands not associated directly with switch manufacturers. Gateron and Kailh are well known alternatives to Cherry MX. All these switches, for the most part, follow the same Cherry MX conventions along with multiple variations of actuation force.

Form Factors:

Full Size Keyboard
The K95 pictured above is a full sized keyboard. It has a standard key layout with numeric keypad.

Steel Series Apex 5 Full Size keyboard

Amazon.com: SteelSeries Apex 5 Hybrid Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Per-Key RGB Illumination – Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy Frame – OLED Smart Display (Hybrid Blue Switch): Computers & Accessories

TKL Keyboard

TKL means "ten key less". It is a normal sized keyboard without the numeric keypad.

Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition TKL keyboard

Amazon.com: Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition TKL Tenkeyless Gaming Keyboard: Fastest Keyboard Switches Ever - Linear Optical Switches - Chroma RGB Lighting - PBT Keycaps - Onboard Memory - Classic Black: Computers & Accessories


75% Keyboard

These keyboards lack numeric keypads and removes spacing between main keyboard body and the directional and navigation keys.

Keychron K2

Amazon.com: Keychron K2 Wireless Bluetooth/USB Wired Gaming Mechanical Keyboard, Compact 84 Keys RGB LED Backlit N-Key Rollover Aluminum Frame for Mac Windows, Gateron Brown Switch, Version 2: Computers & Accessories

65% Keyboard

Similar to 75% but removes the entire top row and directional keys. Many of these functions are still available with Fn keys that toggle dual functionality of other keys. For example, the number keys along with - and + can be toggled to server as F1-F12.

Durgod Hades 65% keyboard

Amazon.com: Durgod Hades 68 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - 65% Layout - Cherry Profile - NKRO - USB Type C - Aluminium Chassis (Cherry Silent Red, White PBT): Computers & Accessories

60% Keyboard

Similar to 65% but removes navigation keys (page up, page down, home, end) and directional keys.

Ducky One Mini RGB 60% Keyboard

Amazon.com: Ducky One Mini RGB LED 60% Double Shot PBT Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry MX Brown): Electronics

40% Keyboard

About as slimmed down as you can get.

Minivan Keyboard

The MiniVan Custom Mechanical Keyboard Kit | Price & Reviews | Drop

Keycaps

A great thing about mechanical keyboards is the fact that the keycaps can be removed and replaced. The most common mechanical keyboards come with ABS keycaps which means the keycap is simple molded plastic that has been painted. Another option is Double Shot PBT. These are higher quality keycaps that are not painted, but have two separate plastic molds of contrasting colors combined to form a keycap. These keycaps last longer and have a premium feel. The downside to this, however, is it that backlighting may not be as bright or may even look quite a bit off in some areas. This is due to the dual molds that can make it harder for light to shine through. Some manufacturers have been able to mitigate this issue with more attention to the actual character placement on the key.

Here is an excellent video explaining the differences between ABS and Double Shot PBT



Buying a keyboard that comes with Double Shot PBT is not required in some cases. HyperX, Razer, and Corsair offer replacement Double Shot PBT keycaps:

CORSAIR GAMING PBT Double-shot Keycaps Full 104/105-Keyset — White

CORSAIR raises the bar on keyboard performance with PBT double-shot, backlit compatible keycaps. Each keycap is created using our special two-shot molding process, ensuring more durability, more stability and legends that won’t fade.

www.corsair.com

HyperX | High Quality Gaming Gear

HyperX is a brand committed to making sure every gamer feels they are included. No matter who you are, or what you play, WE'RE ALL GAMERS.

www.hyperxgaming.com

Razer PBT Keycap Upgrade Set - Gaming Keyboards Accessories | Razer United States

The Razer PBT Keycap Upgrade Set works with Razer and standard 104/105 key US or UK layouts, includes a 120 doubleshot PBT keycaps and additional stabilizers.

www.razer.com

There are also third party options (such as the Havit keycaps below), but care MUST be taken to ensure the keycaps are designed for the form factor of the keyboard owned.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SGF9DTY/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Major Brands

Corsair
Does not have many options outside of full size and TKL keyboards, but these are very popular keyboards. Several variations of features. Uses Cherry MX switches exclusively.

Gaming Keyboards | RGB & Wireless Keyboards | CORSAIR

CORSAIR gaming keyboards power top esports professionals with features like CHERRY mechanical keyswitches and powerful CORSAIR iCUE software. Shop now.

www.corsair.com

HyperX
Only full size and TKL, but variations in features. Has models that have Cherry MX, Kailh, as well as their own HyperX switches.

HyperX | High Quality Gaming Gear

HyperX is a brand committed to making sure every gamer feels they are included. No matter who you are, or what you play, WE'RE ALL GAMERS.

www.hyperxgaming.com

Logitech
As with HyperX and Corsair, no options outside of full and TKL. Uses their own Romer-G switches exclusively.

Gaming Keyboards - Wireless, Mechanical, TKL | Logitech G

Browse Gaming Keyboards. Logitech G professional gaming keyboards are engineered to compete. For serious gamers looking for high quality and high performance.

www.logitechg.com

Steel Series
Steel Series has developed their own switches with the capability of adjusting the actuation force programmatically as well as more conventional switches. Only full size and TKL options.

Gaming Keyboards for PC and Mac | SteelSeries

SteelSeries offers a variety of gaming keyboards for the ultimate gaming experience. Mechanical, Cherry MX, membrane, RGB lighting, and more.

steelseries.com

Razer
Has 60% keyboards as well as full size and TKL.

Gaming Keyboards and Keypads: Mechanical, RGB, Wireless & More | Razer United States

Find the best computer keyboards and keypads for gaming. Mechanical, optical or mecha-membrane key switches, and Chroma RGB backlighting.

www.razer.com

Roccat
TKL and full size only.

– Roccat-USA

en.roccat.org

DIY
Yep. Just like you can build your own PC, you can build your own keyboard. Go here for more:

How to Build a Custom Keyboard With Mechanical Switches: A Complete Guide

Custom keyboards are easy to make with mechanical switches. You need only a few parts and a little bit of elbow grease to get started.

www.makeuseof.com

Others
While the above covers most of the major brands, there are many other options available, most of which are available on Amazon, but are not going to be available in stores to try. When buying on Amazon, make sure you are aware of the return window as mechanical keyboards are expensive and you certainly do not want to be stuck with one your are dissatisfied with.

Final Word
There is no universal recommendation that can be made when it comes to keyboards. Personal experiences and preferences are going to vary. The best approach in deciding on a type of keyboard is first hand usage. Many retail outlets such as Microcenter and Best Buy have keyboards on display for demo purposes. Sometimes a store demo isn't enough though. It may take extensive usage after the purchase to come to a conclusion so make sure the store has a really good return policy.

 

[GreatnessRD]

It's 2021. May your temps be low and frames high. And your PC parts in stock...


Eventually

 

[diffusionx]

I've been trying to get a 3080 since mid-September, absolutely no luck at all, it's as bad now as it was on day one. In fact, maybe worse now with BTC being $30K I assume miners are back in the game.

Closest I got was a preorer on Amazon they canceled a few days later.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I've been trying to get a 3080 since mid-September, absolutely no luck at all, it's as bad now as it was on day one. In fact, maybe worse now with BTC being $30K I assume miners are back in the game.

Closest I got was a preorer on Amazon they canceled a few days later.

I feel ya. I've been searching for a 3080 since Day 1 of launch. Been trying to spend $750 on a GPU for the better part of 3.5 months with no luck. At this point, I just don't even look anymore. I'll buy one when Nvidia wants to take their head out of their ass and sell me one.

 

[Yerd]

I got lucky today. Best Buy stocked their GPUs online. I got myself( knock wood) a 3090FE. Now I just need to find a waterblock to put on it. Wasn't really planning on buying this GPU. I had planned on 3080ti.

I nearly bought 2 of them....$1500x2 I decided not.

I also just finished yesterday plumbing my PC into my new case after getting a new CPU. Now I'm going to have to empty out the fluid and redo it once I get a waterblock for the 3090.

This is how I knew best buy was stocking today. Use this to get your GPUs.

Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games

Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

discord.gg

 

[TintoConCasera]

Still waiting. Only 2 weeks more and my 3070 should be here.

If any of you believe in any gods, please pray for it to not be cancelled.

 

[WakeTheWolf]

I'm wondering if an RX 5700XT will last me until this stock situation calms down. I'm mainly using it for 1440p and paired with Ryzen 5 3600

 

[rofif]

I'm wondering if an RX 5700XT will last me until this stock situation calms down. I'm mainly using it for 1440p and paired with Ryzen 5 3600

it's like 2070 but without DLSS. Will be enough until stock restocks no worries !

 

[diffusionx]

I got lucky today. Best Buy stocked their GPUs online. I got myself( knock wood) a 3090FE. Now I just need to find a waterblock to put on it. Wasn't really planning on buying this GPU. I had planned on 3080ti.

I nearly bought 2 of them....$1500x2 I decided not.

I also just finished yesterday plumbing my PC into my new case after getting a new CPU. Now I'm going to have to empty out the fluid and redo it once I get a waterblock for the 3090.

This is how I knew best buy was stocking today. Use this to get your GPUs.

Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games

Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

discord.gg

I'm on one of those bots and have been for a while now, and struck out on the 3080 BB restocks today.

 

[GreatnessRD]

Leonidas I was always curious, what's in your personal rig? What's under the hood, pimp?!

 

[baphomet]

Stuff is out there to be bought if you stay on top of it.

That being said My 5900x/3090 build is done and should hold me over for a couple years at least

 

[Yerd]

I'm on one of those bots and have been for a while now, and struck out on the 3080 BB restocks today.

Were you around when stock was live? I think a lot more people are gunning for 3080 than 3090, that's why I was able to get one. Seemed the 3090 were in stock a lot longer.

 

[StateofMajora]

Leonidas I was always curious, what's in your personal rig? What's under the hood, pimp?!

Secretly a 5950x

 

[GreatnessRD]

Stuff is out there to be bought if you stay on top of it.

That being said My 5900x/3090 build is done and should hold me over for a couple years at least

This is true to an extent. You got more people going for 80s than 90s. I know at my local Microcenter, some 3090s have sat on the shelves until almost 5pm. But them 5900x's? A mad house for them thangs.

 

[baphomet]

This is true to an extent. You got more people going for 80s than 90s. I know at my local Microcenter, some 3090s have sat on the shelves until almost 5pm. But them 5900x's? A mad house for them thangs.

I more so meant the 3000 series. I've managed to score a couple 3080s and 3090s with a bit of effort.

You're right about the 5000's though. They're significantly more difficult to come across.

 

[dave_d]

Were you around when stock was live? I think a lot more people are gunning for 3080 than 3090, that's why I was able to get one. Seemed the 3090 were in stock a lot longer.

I was able to snag one of the 3070s so I guess they were in stock longer. Come to think of it I was never even able to even see a 3080 in stock. (For 3070s and 3060s I could at least see "Add to cart" although I managed to only be able to buy one of them.)

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Motherboards guys?

B550 vs X570

Which one would be best to get for a Ryzen 5 and 3070 combo?

 

[DGrayson]

Thank you Leonidas for making this thread!

 

[ancelotti]

I would get the best board you can find in your price range, and not worry too much about the specific chipset unless you really need the extra features for video editing or whatever. There's a vrm tier list here that should help you decide: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1137619-motherboard-vrm-tier-list-v2-currently-amd-only/

That said, I personally went with a X570 because I fell for the Asus marketing around the Dark Hero. It's still a great board, but I could have saved some money if I went with something cheaper and I don't think I would have missed out on anything.

What a bitch it was getting a 3080. The first one I bought was DOA, and the second one ended up being a boring Dell OEM model, but at least it works and was closer to MSRP than most others are going for around these parts.

 

[Rex_DX]

Thanks for the new thread!

nVidia's ploy worked. I'd been trying to get a 3080 since day one.

Finally saw a 3090 at MSRP last week.

I now have a 3090.

Well-played nVidia. Smh

 

[BusierDonkey]

Motherboards guys?

B550 vs X570

Which one would be best to get for a Ryzen 5 and 3070 combo?

Depends on what you think you'll need. Generally you don't want to cheap out on the mobo, but you also don't need to be overspending on that part either.

You're looking at PCIe 4.0 to the processor with X570 and PCIe 3.0 with B550. Both have PCIe 4.0 for the M.2 storage.

Do you think your PC will see a great benefit from PCIe 4.0 over 3.0? Do you think that difference is worth the added cost? Right now nobody has a crystal ball to see exactly how things will benefit in the near future so it's a bit of a gamble.

You can get X570 mobos in the same price range as B550 if you keep your eyes peeled. Generally expect less flashy lights, but also keep an eye on VRM quality, If you plan to overclock and send a lot of power to the processor you'll want to make sure you get a board with better quality in that area. The only other thing to consider is if you want on-board M.2 storage, and how many slots you want.

 

[Celcius]

Nice job on the OP. The subtitle made me lol.
I've been trying to get an RTX 3090 since day one. I've been waiting on the evga queue since 10/17 but otherwise I've given up on trying to get a card for now. Looking forward to seeing what nvidia announces next week though.

 

[GreatnessRD]

Nice job on the OP. The subtitle made me lol.
I've been trying to get an RTX 3090 since day one. I've been waiting on the evga queue since 10/17 but otherwise I've given up on trying to get a card for now. Looking forward to seeing what nvidia announces next week though.

Really? Where do you live? I know the Microcenter closest to me has had the 3090 sitting on shelves well into the afternoon a last couple goes. I know everyone is running around like mad men trying to get a 3080, however.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Depends on what you think you'll need. Generally you don't want to cheap out on the mobo, but you also don't need to be overspending on that part either.

You're looking at PCIe 4.0 to the processor with X570 and PCIe 3.0 with B550. Both have PCIe 4.0 for the M.2 storage.

Do you think your PC will see a great benefit from PCIe 4.0 over 3.0? Do you think that difference is worth the added cost? Right now nobody has a crystal ball to see exactly how things will benefit in the near future so it's a bit of a gamble.

You can get X570 mobos in the same price range as B550 if you keep your eyes peeled. Generally expect less flashy lights, but also keep an eye on VRM quality, If you plan to overclock and send a lot of power to the processor you'll want to make sure you get a board with better quality in that area. The only other thing to consider is if you want on-board M.2 storage, and how many slots you want.

No plans to overclock anything. Maybe just the GPU. I don't want to mess with CPU overclocks. I will get an AIO watercooler for it and leave it at that.

I don't know what benefits PCIe 4.0 have over 3.0 but I guess I can google or youtube that and find out.

As for flashy lights. Yeah I would like those lol. I want my AH GHEE BEE.

Also I just want 1 on-board M.2 storage option. I don't need to have 2. I think that is overkill.

Also want to say thank you for the response. Every bit of advice is a huge help as I'm still deep in researching every possible part for my build well ahead of time.

 

[Celcius]

Really? Where do you live? I know the Microcenter closest to me has had the 3090 sitting on shelves well into the afternoon a last couple goes. I know everyone is running around like mad men trying to get a 3080, however.

I'm in Texas. I haven't been to microcenter in a while, but when I went months ago it was super crowded and I'd prefer to avoid that during the pandemic.

 

[DGrayson]

I posted this in the OP but will add it here as well -

MOD NOTE - Just another thanks to Leonidas for this awesome thread. But note this is not a "static" thread. As Leonidas indicated there will be announcements soon that can cause us to update and change our recommendations. But my main point is that if anyone wants to contribute please let us know. For example I can see room for more detailed explanations on recommended Monitors, Cases, Motherboards, PSUs etc, even Mouses, Keyboards. The list is endless really. So please reach out if anyone wants to tackle any of this or if you have any other suggestions just let us know!

 

[EviLore]

Leonidas Let me know if you want a new custom tag, removed your old negative one. Cheers.

 

[Soodanim]

Another incarnation of one of the best threads and communities on GAF. Some great people frequent this thread and I’ve learned plenty.

 

[daninthemix]

What are the chances of Rocket Lake being a) available and b) amazing?

 

[notseqi]

Thanks for making the thread Leonidas
Tho with no cards available at a reasonable price I'll probably have to check your 2022 effort.

 

[GaviotaGrande]

16GB of RAM for the greatest tier? MSFS2020 says no.

Also, that thread title.

 

[Xyphie]

Motherboards guys?

B550 vs X570

Which one would be best to get for a Ryzen 5 and 3070 combo?

IMO B550 is the way to go.

The only thing you really give up with B550 is PCIe 4.0 on PCIe devices attached to the chipset itself. You still get PCIe 4.0 on the GPU (16x) and one M.2 slot for a SSD (4x) as those are connected directly to the CPU. If you want to add another SSD down the line you can still get up to ~4GB/s on a second M.2 slot.

 

[darth.shrimp]

Is the stock cooler really enough for a Ryzen 5600? Not planning on overclocking or anything, but I heard it had some overheating issues at launch. (not planning on finding one anytime soon, either)

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Why doesn't Nvidia want my money? I'm ready for that 3080 any day now...

 

[DGrayson]

Is the stock cooler really enough for a Ryzen 5600? Not planning on overclocking or anything, but I heard it had some overheating issues at launch. (not planning on finding one anytime soon, either)

Ive never tried Ryzen coolers but my main issue with the stock Intel coolers I used in the past is they were loud as hell.

 

[notseqi]

Is the stock cooler really enough for a Ryzen 5600? Not planning on overclocking or anything, but I heard it had some overheating issues at launch. (not planning on finding one anytime soon, either)

Looks fine for the 65W TDP, the 2600 with the same TDP stays under 75° with heavy workloads according to this reddit thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/8ei2qk/wraith_prism_vs_wraith_spire_vs_wraith_stealth/

Check local listings for people trying to get rid of their boxed Spires or Prisms if you want a bit more performance, I just checked and they are sub20€ around here.

Ive never tried Ryzen coolers but my main issue with the stock Intel coolers I used in the past is they were loud as hell.

They were cute little things working their cute little butts off, way too small fans iirc.
My 2600x has a boxed Wraith Spire, nice and quiet, we've come a long way.

 

[ratburger]

my PC has always done this thing where the whole system like, seizes up every few hours for a few seconds and then keeps going as normal

everything will be running normally and then all of a sudden the screen will freeze and the sound just halts in its tracks and gets stretched out into a whine, and then it goes back to normal after 3-5 seconds. this will happen whether i'm gaming or just browsing youtube or whatever else

i've done some google research on what the problem might be, but based on the nature of the issue it's hard to pin down. some similar forum topics seem to point to the power supply?

I bought my PC prebuilt a couple years ago, it has the following specs. any advice would be super helpful!

Intel Core i7-8700K Processor 3.7GHz;
ASUS Prime Z370-P motherboard
650 watt power supply
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6;
16GB DDR4-3200 RAM;
500GB Solid State Drive;
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro

Since you mentioned that it's a prebuilt system, I'd take a close look at any crapware that came preinstalled. McAfee/Norton/etc. antivirus programs should be the first to go, but the problem could be caused by some other program periodically checking online for updates or something.

 

[Xyphie]

Unfortunately AMD started cheaping out on the stock cooler. 5600X only comes with the Wraith Stealth so we're talking typical Intel Stock Cooler equivalent.

Coolers like Hyper 212 regularly go on sale for like $30, so it makes no sense not going for one of those given the lifespan of a heatsink cooler. Like a case or PSU it's one of those things that will last you through multiple builds.

 

[Amory]

Since you mentioned that it's a prebuilt system, I'd take a close look at any crapware that came preinstalled. McAfee/Norton/etc. antivirus programs should be the first to go, but the problem could be caused by some other program periodically checking online for updates or something.

I actually took a look through my installed programs list yesterday and uninstalled anything I didn't recognize. there wasn't any obviously spammy crap, but I uninstalled whatever was there that I don't use regularly

I haven't had the issue again since changing the power settings to high performance as you suggested. So hopefully that might have solved it, we'll see. Thanks again for your help.

While researching the problem I saw someone say that issues like this can stem from an underpowered power supply relative to the rest of the PC components. Any truth to that? Do you happen to know if 650w is sufficient for my setup? If I keep having the problem, at least swapping out the power supply would be a pretty cheap solution to try.

 

[diffusionx]

Unfortunately AMD started cheaping out on the stock cooler. 5600X only comes with the Wraith Stealth so we're talking typical Intel Stock Cooler equivalent.

Coolers like Hyper 212 regularly go on sale for like $30, so it makes no sense not going for one of those given the lifespan of a heatsink cooler. Like a case or PSU it's one of those things that will last you through multiple builds.

That's disappointing, my 1600 came with the WRAITH SPIRE and my 3700X with the WRAITH PRISM, which looks like the MAX with RGB (which makes it go faster I hear).

 

[darth.shrimp]

which looks like the MAX with RGB (which makes it go faster I hear).

Only the red LEDs do. Purple LEDs make your cooler quieter, and yellow LEDs.... well, you probably don't want to put yellow LEDs in your system.

 

[Mista]

Sold out edition Fucking hell, this covid didn’t only destroy people.

 

[notseqi]

and yellow LEDs.... well, you probably don't want to put yellow LEDs in your system.[/ISPOILER]

Golden... Power?

 

[Yerd]

with RGB (which makes it go faster I hear).

You can put you ear right up to the spinning fan blades and hear how much faster the RGB is.

 

[Kazza]

Nice thread Leonidas , but I think I'm going to put this on my ignore list. It's a bit depressing seeing the new PC thread knowing that you can't actually buy anything because it's never in stock. I've made peace with that fact, and if anyone wants me, I'll be in the backlog thread

 

[BusierDonkey]

No plans to overclock anything. Maybe just the GPU. I don't want to mess with CPU overclocks. I will get an AIO watercooler for it and leave it at that.

I don't know what benefits PCIe 4.0 have over 3.0 but I guess I can google or youtube that and find out.

As for flashy lights. Yeah I would like those lol. I want my AH GHEE BEE.

Also I just want 1 on-board M.2 storage option. I don't need to have 2. I think that is overkill.

Also want to say thank you for the response. Every bit of advice is a huge help as I'm still deep in researching every possible part for my build well ahead of time.

You will likely be overclocking everything, base clocks are never really used in a built PC on the CPU or GPU as there is no reason not to run at least the auto OC, my phrasing was poorly chosen. The question really should have been phrased how far are you planning on pushing your OC? For example, if I just set my mobo OC profile to auto, it automatically OCs my 10600K to 4.9Ghz (factory is 4.1) and runs 100% stable with no changes to voltage. On the GPU side, once you're set up, download and run Afterburner, it does a good job handling the OC on your GPU automatically the same way. With both, if you decide later to get curious, you can safely tinker without fear of burning it all down as the components really don't let that happen anymore.

From your reply I think auto settings will be what you use and with an AIO there's no reason not to. That said you still don't want to cheap out on VRM or build quality, but you also don't need features you won't use. The more OC you throw at the CPU the hotter it will run as well but if you're planning on running a decent cooler you shouldn't have any issues. I would also recommend running two drives in your system, a small closed C: drive dedicated to system files and another larger drive for everything else. Basically you want a C: drive that you never use and is dedicated purely to the system itself. It really does make things easy if you expand in the future or upgrade major components.

For what you've indicated so far I think you'd be fine spending a bit less on the mobo and going B550 since you don't seem to be interested in tinkering with performance as much. If you want more bling you start creeping back into higher pricing to have it though. Basically if a mobo has good RGB it will be loaded up with other options as well like multiple m.2 slots, better VRMs, better Wifi, and more on-board cooling for the VRMs and I/O components

Something like this should cover your needs outside the RGB. Single M.2, decent on-board cooling and VRM but still has USB-C. MSI's Bois is super simple to use and activating automatic CPU and RAM OCs are both one-click. I have no affinity to MSI mobos though I do currently use one and an MSI GPU. These choices just fit my search criteria of price/features/reviews. Asus, Aorus, Gigabyte, etc all make good products so go by what you think looks good, features and user reviews, not the name on the box.

MSI B550-A PRO ProSeries Motherboard (AMD AM4, DDR4, PCIe 4.0, SATA 6Gb/s, M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI/DP, ATX) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

MSI B550-A PRO ProSeries Motherboard (AMD AM4, DDR4, PCIe 4.0, SATA 6Gb/s, M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI/DP, ATX) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

If you want more bling, you're pretty much stuck with more everything else. $10 more gets you better VRMs, cooling, I/O components and some lighting without going crazy and inflating the price. Given the option I'd spend the $10. Worst case you never use the extra M.2 slot, but all the other parts are still better overall.

MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus Gaming Motherboard (AMD AM4, DDR4, PCIe 4.0, SATA 6Gb/s, M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI/DP, ATX) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus Gaming Motherboard (AMD AM4, DDR4, PCIe 4.0, SATA 6Gb/s, M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI/DP, ATX) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

Now if you aren't in a hurry to get the mobo I'd sit on my hands for now as there aren't any decent sales going. Around CES (Jan 11-14) there should be some decent deals popping up. Around Black Friday got my Z-490 mobo for $100 off making it about the same price as the cheaper options but it came with much better components, more features like wi-fi 6/Lightning USB/etc and even a few more lights. I got my CPU for $100 off and go two M.2 drives (500GB/1TB) for $150. In all I saved a few hundred dollars.

If you can afford to be patient and keep your eyes peeled on a few online stores you could probably run across a decent X570 mobo for what some B550 mobos are selling for, or just get a higher-end B550 mobo cheaper. You might also want to keep your eyes peeled at local PC retailers for CPU/mobo combos as they tend to offer those deals as a means to get local traffic to stop in and spend a bit more on other parts.

 

[poodaddy]

Nice thread Leonidas , but I think I'm going to put this on my ignore list. It's a bit depressing seeing the new PC thread knowing that you can't actually buy anything because it's never in stock. I've made peace with that fact, and if anyone wants me, I'll be in the backlog thread

Same boat here. This is the year of the backlog for me. There is so much I've been trying to get around to reading/playing/watching, and this is the perfect year to catch up. Maybe I'll look into finally starting my masters degree too......


Thanks for being in such shit shape video game video game industry, you may inadvertently be responsible for me completing my education finally. Hooray.

 

[cormack12]

Great work Leonidas - these threads are godsends to those like me who can't be arsed reading round for ages

 

[mansoor1980]

got a 1660 super and hope it lasts a couple of years for my build