PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

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Marseille07
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Oh wow, thanks for trying it out. You're correct that RAID 0 would be an option when you're going for performance. I believe one possible downside is that if any of the drives fail, you lose the whole thing.

If my drives are the bottleneck then that's not an awful thing as far as I'm concerned; that means the bus isn't the bottleneck and I could use enclosures if I want more portability :beer
Afty
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Afty »

Marseille07 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:52 pm Do folks tech refresh their PC even though it's running fine?

This month, I hit my self-imposed tech refresh cycle of 6 years (because my last monitor broke after 7 years), but as luck would have it, it's running fine so I'm considering to just keep it going.

In April I know I have to format & install Ubuntu 22.04.
I just replaced my i7-4770 system which I bought in 2013. It was running fine, and with a newish RTX 2060 GPU could play modern games. But I got a bonus and felt justified upgrading from a 9 year old machine. The new machine is a prebuilt Lenovo with an RTX 3070 GPU, so it’s noticeably faster when playing games, but not in everyday usage.

I was able to sell the 2060 for more than I paid for it. :moneybag
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Afty wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 10:40 pm I just replaced my i7-4770 system which I bought in 2013. It was running fine, and with a newish RTX 2060 GPU could play modern games. But I got a bonus and felt justified upgrading from a 9 year old machine. The new machine is a prebuilt Lenovo with an RTX 3070 GPU, so it’s noticeably faster when playing games, but not in everyday usage.

I was able to sell the 2060 for more than I paid for it. :moneybag
Yeah, a 9 year old machine deserves an upgrade. Cool that you made money on 2060 :beer

I'm kind of exploring an idea to get a mini-PC or something and do everything through a USB hub. A tower PC is nice but it's not terribly portable.
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mmmodem
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by mmmodem »

Afty wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 10:40 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:52 pm Do folks tech refresh their PC even though it's running fine?

This month, I hit my self-imposed tech refresh cycle of 6 years (because my last monitor broke after 7 years), but as luck would have it, it's running fine so I'm considering to just keep it going.

In April I know I have to format & install Ubuntu 22.04.
I just replaced my i7-4770 system which I bought in 2013. It was running fine, and with a newish RTX 2060 GPU could play modern games. But I got a bonus and felt justified upgrading from a 9 year old machine. The new machine is a prebuilt Lenovo with an RTX 3070 GPU, so it’s noticeably faster when playing games, but not in everyday usage.

I was able to sell the 2060 for more than I paid for it. :moneybag
So jealous. I'm still chugging along with a used Dell i7-2600 that I purchased 5 years ago and luckily added an RX 580 to when it was on sale for $135 a few years ago. The one you just replaced would be a huge upgrade to me as it is. Would love to upgrade but I play just about all modern games at 1080p 60 fps (except for a few like Cyberpunk 2077).

I'm way past my usual cycle for upgrading. I'm eyeing an i5-12400 or Ryzen 5600x build whichever is cheaper. I'll change the graphics card later. I just can't do it at these inflated prices. I'll still get a noticeable fps improvement on my trusty RX 580.
runninginvestor
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by runninginvestor »

Afty wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 10:40 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 4:52 pm Do folks tech refresh their PC even though it's running fine?

This month, I hit my self-imposed tech refresh cycle of 6 years (because my last monitor broke after 7 years), but as luck would have it, it's running fine so I'm considering to just keep it going.

In April I know I have to format & install Ubuntu 22.04.
I just replaced my i7-4770 system which I bought in 2013. It was running fine, and with a newish RTX 2060 GPU could play modern games. But I got a bonus and felt justified upgrading from a 9 year old machine. The new machine is a prebuilt Lenovo with an RTX 3070 GPU, so it’s noticeably faster when playing games, but not in everyday usage.

I was able to sell the 2060 for more than I paid for it. :moneybag
Out of curiosity, which pre-built? I also have a Lenovo 3070 prebuilt and am pretty happy with it. Snagged it during black Friday so was reasonably priced. I have the Intel 11700 CPU version.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Afty »

runninginvestor wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:38 am Out of curiosity, which pre-built? I also have a Lenovo 3070 prebuilt and am pretty happy with it. Snagged it during black Friday so was reasonably priced. I have the Intel 11700 CPU version.
Sounds like the same one -- it's a Legion Tower 7i with an 11700k (this one: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/desktops ... 90q800ctus).

I'm happy with it too. It's very quiet, has good quality components, and was reasonably priced (or as reasonable as it gets in 2022). I did upgrade the storage by adding a second, 2 TB NVMe SSD, and scavenging the 1 TB SATA SSD from my old system and replacing the spinning disk with it.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by runninginvestor »

Afty wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:45 am
runninginvestor wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:38 am Out of curiosity, which pre-built? I also have a Lenovo 3070 prebuilt and am pretty happy with it. Snagged it during black Friday so was reasonably priced. I have the Intel 11700 CPU version.
Sounds like the same one -- it's a Legion Tower 7i with an 11700k (this one: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/desktops ... 90q800ctus).

I'm happy with it too. It's very quiet, has good quality components, and was reasonably priced (or as reasonable as it gets in 2022). I did upgrade the storage by adding a second, 2 TB NVMe SSD, and scavenging the 1 TB SATA SSD from my old system and replacing the spinning disk with it.
I have the Tower 5, so a little smaller I think.
https://psref.lenovo.com/Detail/Legion/ ... 90RS001LUS

Non k CPU (fine since I'm not into overclocking). No liquid cooling either, if that's what yours has. But stays pretty cool and fairly quiet under load. A few games like to push the fan noise but I could probably play around with the fan curve if if I ever wanted to train reduce it. A lot of air flow for the PC though so I am happy about that.

I was pretty happy with the price considering the GPU, if I could have found it, would have blown the budget by itself. I think the pc was around $1,500 with tax during Black Friday.
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Independent George
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Independent George »

I just picked up an ASRock 6700XT from MicroCenter for $600; that's actually about what I'd expect for an AIB card (+$120 from the $480 msrp). My GPU waterblock arrives tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be playing Elden Ring by Friday...

While the $600 was a bit more than I'd prefer to pay, it was close enough that it was worth the upgrade from my RX580. Regardless, I think this is a clear sign the GPU shortage is effectively over. With the Lovelace/RDNA3 generation right around the corner, I'd expect prices to come down even more in the next couple months. Miners aren't buying new cards, and scalpers can't unload at a profit on eBay. Prices are still ridiculous on the 80-class cards, but inventories are piling up, so it's only a matter of time before they drop, too. Even though the next gen GPUs are expected to be utterly ridiculous, I probably won't upgrade; the 6700XT is more than enough for the games I play.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

I just improved the performance of my two PCs in one fell swoop. How? I upgraded the keyboard.

Wait, what? The keyboard?? Yes.

I just purchased a new keyboard from Newegg (one for each of my PC builds): Rosewill Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Cherry MX Brown Switches - RK-9000V2 BR

I discuss the keyboard here: Re: Recommendation needed for a Keyboard and Mouse, but will go into the technical details here.

Google "n-key rollover usb vs. ps/2 port". Here's one explanation: PS/2 keyboards vs. USB keyboards: latency?

The PS/2 port will always be faster than the USB port. The trick is knowing by how much faster. The PS/2 port is not based on polling like the USB port. Keyboard buffer sizes, along with how the keyboard itself handles the keystrokes (hardware, firmware, mechanical switch performance) impact performance.

Here's a good definition source: Mechanical Keyboard Terminology

One small disadvantage of the PS/2 port is that it's not hot-switch plugable like the USB port. So, just reboot.

This also frees up a USB port. That's one less thing to poll. If you're gaming, use the PS/2 port for your keyboard.
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ee_guy
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by ee_guy »

PC Build: Dedicated Hometheater system for OTA DVR with 5.1 surround sound

8 element Yagi Antenna in attic

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Mid Tower
H470M Pro Intel LGA 1200 microATX
Core i3-10100 Comet Lake 3.6GHz Quad-Core
Ballistix Gaming 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 PC4-21300
(2) 4TB HDD
Deepcool GAMMAXX400 ccoler
BlueRay DVD
Logitech 400 Wireless KB
SiliconDust HDHomeRun Quatro HDHR5-4US Tuner
(4 simultaneous channel)

TX-SR308 - ONKYO
Bose 5.1 Speakers system
Logitech Harmony 665 10-Device Universal Remote

Windows 10
VLC, Handbrake
Plex Pass (lifetime $90 broadcast TV scheduling, automatic commercial deletions)
pseudoiterative
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by pseudoiterative »

Here's a question for the PC build thread:

I put together a cheap socket AM4 system three years ago using a $100 ryzen 2200g for CPU & graphics. It's absurdly overpowered for web browsing and runs fine for low-graphics games and number crunching. I picked a motherboard and PSU with a bit of headroom to support future upgrade paths -- empty pcie3.0x16 socket, etc.

If I wanted to keep the AM4 socket and upgrade to more CPU & more GPU without forking out $500+, is there any sensible option? or is the best option to wait until GPU mania settles down..
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

pseudoiterative wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:10 pm Here's a question for the PC build thread:

I put together a cheap socket AM4 system three years ago using a $100 ryzen 2200g for CPU & graphics. It's absurdly overpowered for web browsing and runs fine for low-graphics games and number crunching. I picked a motherboard and PSU with a bit of headroom to support future upgrade paths -- empty pcie3.0x16 socket, etc.

If I wanted to keep the AM4 socket and upgrade to more CPU & more GPU without forking out $500+, is there any sensible option? or is the best option to wait until GPU mania settles down..
CPU support still depends on your specific motherboard. What motherboard and chipset do you have? If you have a B450 or higher you could probably upgrade to a current gen Zen 3 CPU.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by pseudoiterative »

tortoise84 wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:31 pm CPU support still depends on your specific motherboard. What motherboard and chipset do you have? If you have a B450 or higher you could probably upgrade to a current gen Zen 3 CPU.
great point. yes, the motherboard is a MSI - B450M PRO-VDH PLUS
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

ee_guy wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:49 pm 8 element Yagi Antenna in attic
A Yagi antenna in the attic probably won't work as well as one outside due to multipath (google "antenna multipath"). If it works for you and all of the stations are coming from the same direction, then it's probably best to leave it alone.

Feel free to start a thread or jump on an existing one if you have antenna questions.
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tortoise84
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

pseudoiterative wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:33 pm great point. yes, the motherboard is a MSI - B450M PRO-VDH PLUS
That motherboard should support a Ryzen 5000 series CPU with the latest beta BIOS version 7A38v9C5. Be careful when flashing the BIOS because the new version might drop support for your 2200G. So you'll have to flash it with the 2200G in there, then install the new CPU and it should boot right up.

The Ryzen 5 5600X is selling for around $225, or a Ryzen 5 5600G for around $210 which has integrated graphics but it's the same as your 2200G.

Graphics cards are coming down but still a bit over your $500 price point. Do not get the $250 Radeon RX 6500 XT because it only supports 4x PCIe lanes and because your motherboard only supports PCIe Gen 3, that means the GPU will be limited to Gen 3 x 4 lanes which is not enough.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by ee_guy »

LadyGeek wrote: Mon Mar 21, 2022 6:13 am
ee_guy wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:49 pm 8 element Yagi Antenna in attic
A Yagi antenna in the attic probably won't work as well as one outside due to multipath (google "antenna multipath"). If it works for you and all of the stations are coming from the same direction, then it's probably best to leave it alone.
Yeah.. when the house was built decades ago I installed the antenna with a (Archer/Radio Shack) rotor that has since died. Fortunately the 300 ohm twin lead is still working fine.

BTW, your keyboard note explains why motherboards still have ps/2 slots.. for the gamers.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

Then I won't suggest changing the feed to 75 Ohm coax. The twin lead is probably a better antenna than the Yagi at this point. :)

I do notice a bit of a typing difference between the old (USB) and new (PS/2) keyboards. It's probably due to buffering, hard to say. In any case, I'm happy with the new keyboard.
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Independent George
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Independent George »

Speaking of keyboards, I mostly love my Logitech MX Keys wireless keyboard, but the thing I hate is the fact that there's no easy way to disassemble it for maintenance. You can only blow out so much debris without disassembly, and like so much of modern electronics, the damned thing is glued together and specifically designed to be non-user serviceable.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

EVGA 3060 $430 + shipping: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3657-KR
EVGA 3070 Ti $720 + shipping: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3785-KL
Search for an EVGA Associate's code for 3% off.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

I'm now even happier with my keyboard. After more research, I purchased some o-rings to dampen the sound.

- Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard Rubber O-Rings, Switch Sound Dampener Compatible w/Cherry MX and Kailh Switches, 120 pcs - RO-100T, O Ring

In addition to the sound, the o-rings also dampened the typing impact. It also smoothed out the travel while striking the keys. The key stroke distance is shorted by the depth of the o-ring.

That being said, I'd say the o-rings are a significant improvement over what I was using before. Keyboards are always personal preference, YMMV. However, I think this is a big step up. I can type even faster and with more comfort.

Be aware that removing / reinstalling keys can be frustrating if you're not used to working with small parts. The larger keys, such as the space bar, are supported by a metal spring and 2 very small plastic posts (in addition to the main key post). The trick is to pull the key out and leave the 2 supports in position. Install the o-ring and press the key firmly down on the keyboard.

Also, those small support posts are not symmetrical. You'll need a small, thin screwdriver to carefully push those supports in alignment with the mounting clip. When they're properly aligned, it's an easy press-on of the key cap.

Expect about 1 hour labor per keyboard. I have 2 keyboards.
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tortoise84
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

EVGA 3050 $300 + shipping: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3553-KR

There's actually a previous gen 2060 6GB (non Super) for $330 + shipping which is a little faster than the 3050.
https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P4-2068-KR

Search for an EVGA Associate's code for 3% off.
Independent George wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:19 pm I just picked up an ASRock 6700XT from MicroCenter for $600; that's actually about what I'd expect for an AIB card (+$120 from the $480 msrp). My GPU waterblock arrives tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be playing Elden Ring by Friday...

While the $600 was a bit more than I'd prefer to pay, it was close enough that it was worth the upgrade from my RX580. Regardless, I think this is a clear sign the GPU shortage is effectively over. With the Lovelace/RDNA3 generation right around the corner, I'd expect prices to come down even more in the next couple months. Miners aren't buying new cards, and scalpers can't unload at a profit on eBay. Prices are still ridiculous on the 80-class cards, but inventories are piling up, so it's only a matter of time before they drop, too. Even though the next gen GPUs are expected to be utterly ridiculous, I probably won't upgrade; the 6700XT is more than enough for the games I play.
How did your build go?

There's a 3080 10GB with a water block for $920: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3899-KL
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

tortoise84 wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:43 pm EVGA 3050 $300 + shipping: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3553-KR

There's actually a previous gen 2060 6GB (non Super) for $330 + shipping which is a little faster than the 3050.
https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P4-2068-KR
You (or others) might want to read Nvidia Hierarchy Shows the RTX 3050 Can't Keep Up With the Old RTX 2060 | Tom's Hardware.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Independent George »

tortoise84 wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:43 pmHow did your build go?

There's a 3080 10GB with a water block for $920: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... P5-3899-KL
Whoah, that's a fantastic deal - not much more than the $750 I paid for GPU + block, but much, much faster. Really, that's within range of the original $700 MSRP, and I'd have jumped on it if I didn't already have my 6700XT. As it is, I think I'm just going to hold on to this one and build an overpowered ITX machine when the next gen of graphics comes out (eta 2024).

The build went fantastic - much, much faster and easier now that I actually know what I'm doing. I actually had to make a small mod to my water block - while my GPU uses the reference PCB, the pins for the power connection were in a slightly different spot and were therefore blocked by acrylic on the block; no water went through that section, so five minutes of trimming with a saw fixed it. The GPU works great - it's more than sufficient for my needs, and Elden Ring has actually lived up to the hype.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

Peculiar_Investor wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:27 pm ...You (or others) might want to read Nvidia Hierarchy Shows the RTX 3050 Can't Keep Up With the Old RTX 2060 | Tom's Hardware.
I'm happy to see that my "old" RTX 2060 Super is not in the bottom tier.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Mudpuppy »

LadyGeek wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 6:13 pm
Peculiar_Investor wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 4:27 pm ...You (or others) might want to read Nvidia Hierarchy Shows the RTX 3050 Can't Keep Up With the Old RTX 2060 | Tom's Hardware.
I'm happy to see that my "old" RTX 2060 Super is not in the bottom tier.
My 1660 Super is in the bottom tier, yet I don't play games much, other than Civilization 6 and Kerbal Space Program during vacation days, and I don't have any other intensive GPU applications (or even applications that offload computing threads to the GPU), so I don't have a compelling reason to upgrade.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

Intel Core i7-12700K $327.24: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FXNVDBJ
Lowest ever price on a latest gen CPU with 8 P-Cores with Hyper-Threading and 4 E-Cores.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by sweetmorty »

Independent George wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:32 pm The build went fantastic - much, much faster and easier now that I actually know what I'm doing. I actually had to make a small mod to my water block - while my GPU uses the reference PCB, the pins for the power connection were in a slightly different spot and were therefore blocked by acrylic on the block; no water went through that section, so five minutes of trimming with a saw fixed it. The GPU works great - it's more than sufficient for my needs, and Elden Ring has actually lived up to the hype.
Elden Ring is hands-down the best $60 I've spent on a video game in a long time.

Fun to see a PC thread here. I bought a EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 at Micro Center back in February... kind of kicking myself now that the prices are going down, but I had the cash to spend at the time and never have had top-of-the-line graphics so I made the plunge. I do want to get a water block for it at some point. Elden Ring 4K @ 60 FPS and DCS at max settings is amazing.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

sweetmorty wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:01 pm Fun to see a PC thread here. I bought a EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 at Micro Center back in February... kind of kicking myself now that the prices are going down, but I had the cash to spend at the time and never have had top-of-the-line graphics so I made the plunge. I do want to get a water block for it at some point. Elden Ring 4K @ 60 FPS and DCS at max settings is amazing.
Consider getting the EVGA AIO for it when it comes back in stock: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... HY-1988-B1
I have it factory installed on my 3080 Ti and the temps only get up to 60C even when drawing 400W.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by sweetmorty »

tortoise84 wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 7:10 pm
sweetmorty wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:01 pm Fun to see a PC thread here. I bought a EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 at Micro Center back in February... kind of kicking myself now that the prices are going down, but I had the cash to spend at the time and never have had top-of-the-line graphics so I made the plunge. I do want to get a water block for it at some point. Elden Ring 4K @ 60 FPS and DCS at max settings is amazing.
Consider getting the EVGA AIO for it when it comes back in stock: https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... HY-1988-B1
I have it factory installed on my 3080 Ti and the temps only get up to 60C even when drawing 400W.
Wow, those are some good temps. My GPU gets up to about 75-80C when running DCS, GPU clocks at around 1890-1900 MHz, power @ 405 W. I have left the profile settings at stock. The fans sound just like a F/A-18C which I'm saying adds to the flight-sim experience... :P

I can't fit that EVGA AIO GPU cooler in my current chassis, which was kept over from a pre-built I got a few years ago for a GTX 1660. The 3090 barely fits with the PCIe cables almost budging the glass cover open. It would probably airflow a lot if I just get a bigger case. However, people are saying the 3090 is a card that can run hot, so I'm not too concerned.

All that considered and at this point after spending so much money on my PC and buying a condo, it's definitely just a want and not a need lol. I'm more than happy with the PC performance and I'll also be able to use the GPU for some deep learning AI courses. Maybe in a few years I'll do a cooling system upgrade including the chassis --- those water-cooled RGB systems are so cool to look at.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by tortoise84 »

Yeah, actually I used to have an EVGA 3080 Ti FTW3 air-cooled, which ran right at the 83C thermal throttling point. But because the GPU market was so crazy back then, I was able to sell it for a small profit and get the EVGA 3080 Ti Hybrid AIO water-cooled at MSRP through the EVGA queue system. With water cooling, the 3080 Ti AIO is able to maintain higher boost clocks of 2100+ MHz, and still only reaches 60C. The stock radiator fans were a bit loud, but it was easy to swap them out for some spare Arctic P12 PWM fans that I had which are much more quiet. So I highly recommend water cooling any 350+ W GPU because it really is better on all fronts: dramatically lower temps, less fan noise and higher boost clocks.

I play a lot of Microsoft Flight Sim and it's actually CPU limited by my 5600X, so the 3080 Ti only does around 60 fps at 1440p with Ultra detail settings. I made a video here: https://youtu.be/fuPK3ibBIj4 . But the good news is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with its 96 MB of L3 cache has shown a dramatic 40% improvement in MS Flight Sim specifically, so I'm looking forward to that. Although I may also wait a while for the price to come down since I don't want to spend all my money constantly upgrading my PC lol.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Independent George »

For those who have friends/family that are not comfortable with a homebrewed PC, Gamers Nexus finally found a good SI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VVC1NOgqeg

I'm posting this because the Maingear CEO showed up on the Moore's Law is Dead podcast today, and it's a great listen for those interested in hardware:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3c11m736uk
Marseille07
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is released, I am going to install it on my PC this weekend.

So far the installer experience is extremely poor, the disc is cranking and a bunch of services failing to start. The live CD took 20 minutes to boot.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

Perhaps you intended to discuss this in a different thread? Try installing Ubuntu from USB.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by keith6014 »

I am curious about hardware [ tower cases, mother board, cpu, RAM, disks,etc..] prices. Have they been going up, steady or dropping?
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by keith6014 »

Marseille07 wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:56 pm Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is released, I am going to install it on my PC this weekend.

So far the installer experience is extremely poor, the disc is cranking and a bunch of services failing to start. The live CD took 20 minutes to boot.
Why do you get something so recent? Is it for particular hardware support? Let me know how the user experience is, I may dive in with you. :sharebeer

FWIW, I've been on 16.x for 3+ years, and it just works.

Edit: Use a USB bare image installer.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Thanks, I'm a bit old school and I have not created a bootable USB stick before. The DVD installer did work eventually (it did take 20 minutes to load the live DVD portion from which to install the OS) and I'm now accessing from Ubuntu 22.04.
$ uname -a
Linux <hostname> 5.15.0-25-generic #25-Ubuntu SMP Wed Mar 30 15:54:22 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=22.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=jammy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 22.04 LTS"
I've been using Ubuntu LTS since 16.04, and it's been my tradition to jump on it as soon as a new version is released.

Since I'm talking about my custom-built PC, it's tangentially related to this thread (Imo) but if it is off-topic then I won't comment further on this.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by whodidntante »

I'm thinking of a refresh to my i7 6700k and glad to see prices go down and availability go up. I will pull the trigger eventually, but no urgent need so I can wait for the next gen or for an excellent deal on current gen.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by j9j »

Computer hardware is definitely stabilizing. Processors on discount and Rtx 3080 for less than 1k and 3060ti for $500 are regularly popping up. Now just needs cars to follow suit.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

I have a PC tower running Ubuntu & hosting a couple of data HDDs running ext4, the default filesystem for Ubuntu.

However, down the road I might consider pulling those disks out and connect to a Windows laptop via USB. With this use case in mind, does it make sense to run NTFS on those HDDs even today inside the PC tower? I guess some filenames might go wonky (such as ones including "?").

Another option is to install some ext4-reading software on Windows and mount that way, but it'd add a layer of complexity to it.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

I don't think concerns for NTFS format compatibility exist anymore. Years ago, Linux writing to NTFS formats was someone unreliable because Microsoft was using a proprietary format. Today, there shouldn't be any issues. I don't have any issues with my Win 10 SATA drives connected to my dual-boot Win 10 / Linux PC.

Just remember that the OS defines file access permissions. Linux doesn't care about Windows 10 security.

If you have sensitive files, the only way to protect them from Linux is encryption. Otherwise, Linus will read and write to every file on the NTFS disk regardless of how you set it up in Windows.

On a related note - if you can't access a file in Windows due to permissions, boot with a Linux CD and you'll get access in no time flat.
Wiki To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

LadyGeek wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 6:27 am I don't think concerns for NTFS format compatibility exist anymore. Years ago, Linux writing to NTFS formats was someone unreliable because Microsoft was using a proprietary format. Today, there shouldn't be any issues. I don't have any issues with my Win 10 SATA drives connected to my dual-boot Win 10 / Linux PC.

Just remember that the OS defines file access permissions. Linux doesn't care about Windows 10 security.

If you have sensitive files, the only way to protect them from Linux is encryption. Otherwise, Linus will read and write to every file on the NTFS disk regardless of how you set it up in Windows.

On a related note - if you can't access a file in Windows due to permissions, boot with a Linux CD and you'll get access in no time flat.
Thanks. Permissions are an interesting topic I'm trying to think through. I just mounted a VeraCrypt volume which is running NTFS and everything is 700 because NTFS doesn't have linux permissions and Ubuntu simply lists what I have.

I'm not sure what to think about this, it is probably not the end of the world but if I copy Python scripts onto NTFS then I lose those correct bits forever.

I'm thinking maybe I can try something like this, although I'm not sure if this method can actually write to ext4: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandl ... and-wsl-2/
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by LadyGeek »

You really, really don't want to mess around with low-level drive formats. The errors can be very subtle and you'll never figure out what went wrong. Drive formats take years to perfect. I honestly don't trust Microsoft with anything where they're not the primary developer.

Perhaps the best way is to use a 'read-only' utility as you suggest. If you want to deep-dive into this further, I recommend starting a new thread. (We're digging into software here.)

BTW, I also use Ubuntu and VeraCrypt (Ubuntu and MS Windows).
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by lazydavid »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 6:23 am You really, really don't want to mess around with low-level drive formats. The errors can be very subtle and you'll never figure out what went wrong. Drive formats take years to perfect. I honestly don't trust Microsoft with anything where they're not the primary developer.
Did I miss the part where the discussion veered off into low-level formatting?
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by audioengr »

LadyGeek wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:34 pm
Mudpuppy wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:23 pm My refresh cycle is more on the order of every 10 years, with smaller upgrades (mostly GPU) potentially happening mid-way through. The build I detailed at the start of this thread was motivated by the fact my old system's CPU was going to be taken out of the supported CPU list in VMware Workstation Pro and I use virtual machines extensively (in fact, I'm posting this reply from a virtual machine).
I should mention that this website is entirely VM.
Just curious how soon until you move the site to a container?
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by kabob »

ee_guy wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:49 pm PC Build: Dedicated Hometheater system for OTA DVR with 5.1 surround sound

8 element Yagi Antenna in attic

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Mid Tower
H470M Pro Intel LGA 1200 microATX
Core i3-10100 Comet Lake 3.6GHz Quad-Core
Ballistix Gaming 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 PC4-21300
(2) 4TB HDD
Deepcool GAMMAXX400 ccoler
BlueRay DVD
Logitech 400 Wireless KB
SiliconDust HDHomeRun Quatro HDHR5-4US Tuner
(4 simultaneous channel)

TX-SR308 - ONKYO
Bose 5.1 Speakers system
Logitech Harmony 665 10-Device Universal Remote

Windows 10
VLC, Handbrake
Plex Pass (lifetime $90 broadcast TV scheduling, automatic commercial deletions)
*** RealNice Hometheater Sys There!
As another SiliconDust reciever user, that's a Fine sys youve put together. I'm runnin a SiliconDust HR Prime triple Cablecard reviever & integrated WholeHouse DVR & ScheduleGuide and wanta extend to OTA.
Actually, if I pull the cablcard from the Prime receiver & connect a OTA antenna I get & and can watch OTA signals - But nasty Guide/NoScheduler... and my lastcentury antenna is marginal at best (but does provide proofofconceptfunctionality)
That: Plex Pass (lifetime $90 broadcast TV scheduling, automatic commercial deletions) - Sounds RealNice!!!
Am replyin/markin your sys in mythreads and will get back to ya on this later - extending my OTA is on my ToDoList for this yr.
That: 8 element Yagi Antenna in attic - Sounds RealNice Too!

Gotta love SiliconDust Stuff, from experience, SiliconDust reclievers and network/software compatibility is by far the best reliable integrated residential digital solution out there - other may work but are shaky/flaky and limited, SiliconDust stuff is ready for Primetime OutaTheBox...

Like your Sys, will get in touch, later...
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Since this thread is about hardware, I ordered an enclosure to try connecting my ext4 HDD to a Windows laptop via USB and try out various options to read / write ext4 on Windows.

If I can find a solution, great. If not, I'll roll a die and format my data disks as NTFS.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by mrmass »

kabob wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:25 am
ee_guy wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:49 pm PC Build: Dedicated Hometheater system for OTA DVR with 5.1 surround sound

8 element Yagi Antenna in attic

Corsair CC-9011075-WW Carbide Series 100R Mid Tower
H470M Pro Intel LGA 1200 microATX
Core i3-10100 Comet Lake 3.6GHz Quad-Core
Ballistix Gaming 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 PC4-21300
(2) 4TB HDD
Deepcool GAMMAXX400 ccoler
BlueRay DVD
Logitech 400 Wireless KB
SiliconDust HDHomeRun Quatro HDHR5-4US Tuner
(4 simultaneous channel)

TX-SR308 - ONKYO
Bose 5.1 Speakers system
Logitech Harmony 665 10-Device Universal Remote

Windows 10
VLC, Handbrake
Plex Pass (lifetime $90 broadcast TV scheduling, automatic commercial deletions)
*** RealNice Hometheater Sys There!
As another SiliconDust reciever user, that's a Fine sys youve put together. I'm runnin a SiliconDust HR Prime triple Cablecard reviever & integrated WholeHouse DVR & ScheduleGuide and wanta extend to OTA.
Actually, if I pull the cablcard from the Prime receiver & connect a OTA antenna I get & and can watch OTA signals - But nasty Guide/NoScheduler... and my lastcentury antenna is marginal at best (but does provide proofofconceptfunctionality)
That: Plex Pass (lifetime $90 broadcast TV scheduling, automatic commercial deletions) - Sounds RealNice!!!
Am replyin/markin your sys in mythreads and will get back to ya on this later - extending my OTA is on my ToDoList for this yr.
That: 8 element Yagi Antenna in attic - Sounds RealNice Too!

Gotta love SiliconDust Stuff, from experience, SiliconDust reclievers and network/software compatibility is by far the best reliable integrated residential digital solution out there - other may work but are shaky/flaky and limited, SiliconDust stuff is ready for Primetime OutaTheBox...

Like your Sys, will get in touch, later...
I dabble with HDHomerun stuff. For a DVR I was using ChannelsDVR https://getchannels.com/dvr-server/

I've moved on to Tivo but Channels is very good. TV Everywhere was what I enjoyed.
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Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Post by Marseille07 »

Any thoughts on hosting HDDs inside of a PC vs buying enclosures and connecting them via USB?

I've been doing the former for years, but thinking it might make sense to do the latter as HDDs are more portable sitting outside than inside. This also means my next PC doesn't have to be a tall tower.

The downsides are USB connectivity might be less stable than SATA, can get unplugged while in use, more prone to damage etc etc?
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