|OT| The PC Hardware Thread -- Buy/Upgrade/Ask/Answer

fantomena

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Dec 17, 2018
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That TUF 3080 seems to be the winner so far. 10C or more cooler than the MSI, Palit, Zotac offering.
OC or non-OC version? Othewise, that's really nice, Im interested in ROG Strix OC, but it's costs a lot more than both of the TUF.
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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its worth buy a nvme for games? i should wait for next gen consoles?
Not even a little.
Might change in a year or two once Microsoft's StoreMI gets some usage.
But they are getting so cheap... might as well get one if you are looking for more storage.
 
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Eferis

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its worth buy a nvme for games? i should wait for next gen consoles?
Nah. I would suggest getting a nvme right now only if you were already in the market for a new SSD since they're getting cheaper and they're faster.
 
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uraizen

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Oct 7, 2018
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I'll probably be smacked on the nose with a newspaper for considering it, but do we have any comparisons between the 3090 and a 3080FE or 2080 Ti? Something with fps numbers for games. I know it won't be that big of a difference, but I'm curious
 

gabbo

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Nah. I would suggest getting a nvme right now only if you were already in the market for a new SSD since they're getting cheaper and they're faster.
Sticking with SATA till maybe mid console gen when we start to see a need for one would be advisable, yes?
I ask this as someone who will be building a new machine soon and it would be the first time i've gone nvme (sata ssd for OS, different ssd for games right now)
 
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Durante

Durante

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I'll probably be smacked on the nose with a newspaper for considering it, but do we have any comparisons between the 3090 and a 3080FE or 2080 Ti? Something with fps numbers for games. I know it won't be that big of a difference, but I'm curious
We don't have that yet.

But I'll tell you that the 3090 FE will be 20% faster than a 3080 FE when 100% GPU limited, and less than that when less GPU limited (which will be quite common across a broader range of games).
 
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texhnolyze

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Oct 19, 2018
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Hello folks,

I'm planning to buy my first SSD, but with very limited budget. Is the WD Blue a good option for 500gb? I have absolutely zero knowledge in storage brands and manufacturer. I never had any problem with storage in the past so I don't know which is bad and good.
 
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warp_

タコベルが大好き
Apr 18, 2019
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for playing games/using as storage most of the ssds are about the same so it's really just about most size for your buck, imo best value is the go to there. for an os or production drive you'd want to get something with a dram cache and great write speeds or an nvme for super speed.

looking around at deals right now in the 500gb catagory this is looking like a solid deal on a budget ssd with a 5 year warranty.:
Amazon product
in the end they are all faster than an hdd so it's an upgrade no matter what.
 
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Arulan

Lizardman
Dec 7, 2018
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We don't have that yet.

But I'll tell you that the 3090 FE will be 20% faster than a 3080 FE when 100% GPU limited, and less than that when less GPU limited (which will be quite common across a broader range of games).
That's what the leaks are pointing to, and based on the spec difference it makes sense.

I was originally going to go for the 3090, as pushing 4k120 can use everything it can get, but I think the 3080 will do the job. I may have to lower a few settings to bump it up closer to 100-120, but spending +$800 for so little gains seems like a really poor choice.

Now if I can only buy a 3080... 😢
 

gabbo

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Dec 22, 2018
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Hello folks,

I'm planning to buy my first SSD, but with very limited budget. Is the WD Blue a good option for 500gb? I have absolutely zero knowledge in storage brands and manufacturer. I never had any problem with storage in the past so I don't know which is bad and good.
The Blue in either SATA (if you dont have an m.2 slot) or NVME form is a good one to pick up.
 
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ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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as pushing 4k120
You might want to wait a couple of extra weeks to see if those RTX 3080 20GB leaks are true tbh. Especially for 4k.
I sound like an ass, and sorry for that: But buying before the entire lineup is revealed: Please don't do it meta. Let them fight for current stock, the cards are not going away.


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Oh, Gimme that one. I'd actually try to brave scalpers and bots to get my mitts on that card.
There is also a "vision" mainboard from Gigabyte (B550)

 

Stevey

Gromlintroid
Dec 8, 2018
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I sound like an ass, and sorry for that: But buying before the entire lineup is revealed: Please don't do it meta. Let them fight for current stock, the cards are not going away.
This is actually sound advice, there's no rush really.

Also, I'm thinking of not getting that EVGA that needs 3 power connectors, only difference I can see is its OCd 90MHZ more than the next card down which is cheaper and only needs 2 connectors.
 

Phoenix RISING

A phoenix always RISES!
Apr 23, 2019
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All these ppl talking about gold PSUs when I'm running a bronze.

Yall making me nervous.



We don't have that yet.

But I'll tell you that the 3090 FE will be 20% faster than a 3080 FE when 100% GPU limited, and less than that when less GPU limited (which will be quite common across a broader range of games).
The early 3090 leaks are indicating 10% or less in gaming benchmarks compared to the 3080.

Rumor is, 3090 might be better for 8k. But right now, there's no practical reason to buy a 3090 over a 3080 except that you might actually be able to buy one because it will be in stock due to the expense and comparatively poor performance for double the cost.
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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Phoenix RISING

A phoenix always RISES!
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People ordered 20k Zotac RTX 3080 Trinity cards on Amazon.de
Twenty thousand for this one model alone, on just Amazon.de
👀


WTF is happening here.

Yeah I saw that tweet.

I'm one of those kinds of people who will upgrade every generation if the gains justify the expense.

I may not be the only person who sat out the 20 series. But the 30 series looks like sex.
 
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ISee

Oh_no!
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Yeah I saw that tweet.

I'm one of those kinds of people who will upgrade every generation if the gains justify the expense.

I may not be the only person who sat out the 20 series. But the 30 series looks like sex.
That's fine.
I'm more thinking about how total 3080 pre orders and demand needs to look like.

AMD sleeping on the thirst is bad for them. Really, really bad.
 

Phoenix RISING

A phoenix always RISES!
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That's fine.
I'm more thinking about how total 3080 pre orders and demand needs to look like.

AMD sleeping on the thirst is bad for them. Really, really bad.
They said October.

The supply might not meet the demand for Nvidia cards.

Also, AMD got the console contracts. Remember that. They're not getting stuck just holding an L.

Early reports of the 3090 performance, and AMD might be within range. We'll see before fall is over.
 
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Eferis

MetaMember
Nov 12, 2018
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People ordered 20k Zotac RTX 3080 Trinity cards on Amazon.de
Twenty thousand for this one model alone, on just Amazon.de
👀


WTF is happening here.

It's happening that it looked to be the only GPU available in the whole universe so everyone from everywhere ordered it. It was "purchasable" for like 10 hours. It was pretty clear that it was an error but at least it was a bit of hope.
 
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Phoenix RISING

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It's happening that it looked to be the only GPU available in the whole universe so everyone from everywhere ordered it. It was "purchasable" for like 10 hours. It was pretty clear that it was an error but at least it was a bit of hope.
That's the thing. If any of these cards were available for pre-order, we'd have a better idea of what demand looks like.
 
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Panda Pedinte

Best Sig Maker on the board!
Sep 20, 2018
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After 4 years I feel it's finally time to upgrade my pc, tbh I would rather build a new one but with the current state of my country all the pc parts costs are a bit absurd right now, so I'm thinking about upgrading to a better GPU.

Currently this is my poor man's setup:
  • Processor: Intel i5-4440
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3PH
  • Storage: WD Blue 1TB
  • Power Supply: Corsair ATX CXM 450W
  • GPU: Asus ROG STRIX-RX460
  • Memory: 2x 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz Kingston
  • Case: PCyes! Java
  • Display: Dell P2317H
As I said it's pretty outdated and I'll be able to upgrade only the GPU and maybe a SSD so what card do you recommend? The ones that could still be in my budget are:

RX 570 4GB
GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
GTX 1660 6GB (If I can find one cheap enough :negative-blob:)
 

SkyStarblaze

Starlit Entity
Aug 20, 2020
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I realized, with Cyberpunk's requirements being as tame as they are I think I made the right choice waiting till early 2021 to upgrade my PC. By then the stock situation will hopefully have mellowed out, I'll know what AMD has in store on the GPU-side, Zen 3 will be out and any extra SKUs on Nvidia's side should also have surfaced.
 

d00d3n

MetaMember
Jan 26, 2019
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At what exact time was the 3080 FE released on the nvidia web page?

What day is the 3090 FE supposed to be released on the nvidia web page (presumably at the same time of the day as the 3080)?
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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RX 570 4GB
GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
GTX 1660 6GB (If I can find one cheap enough :negative-blob:)
Get the best GPU you can easily afford.

Best case scenario an RX 570 is equal to a GTX 1660.
Worst case scenario a GTX 1660 is 25% faster than an RX 570.
Also 4GB of VRAM, even for 1080p maybe no longer the best idea in 2021.

Maybe check out the used market? No idea when an RTX 3060 is going to release, but RTX 2060 (non Super) cards could get real cheap for a while.
 
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Joe Spangle

Playing....
Apr 17, 2019
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At what exact time was the 3080 FE released on the nvidia web page?

What day is the 3090 FE supposed to be released on the nvidia web page (presumably at the same time of the day as the 3080)?
It was 2pm BST. 3090 is due on Thursday and at the same time i think.
 
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Panda Pedinte

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Get the best GPU you can easily afford.

Best case scenario an RX 570 is equal to a GTX 1660.
Worst case scenario a GTX 1660 is 25% faster than an RX 570.
Also 4GB of VRAM, even for 1080p maybe no longer the best idea in 2021.

Maybe check out the used market? No idea when an RTX 3060 is going to release, but RTX 2060 (non Super) cards could get real cheap for a while.
The used market around there is also bonkers with the prices, sometimes almost matching the price of a new one. I checked some used RTX 2060 and they are out of my league. I'll keep watching the market as AMD will still announce their new line of cards.
 
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didamangi

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Nov 16, 2018
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Yeah, I'm gonna wait just a little bit until some of the next gen games pc port comes around and see if those 16gb/20gb of ram makes a difference. More time for me to save up anyway.
 
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Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
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The MS press release lost me. Can I buy whatever new Xbox pad I want, like the blue one (although I’m not sold on it and the old grey with touches of green was more my thing :blobclosecry:) or should I specifically buy a for PC version ?
Are every models bluetooth dongle compatible ? I mean dongle from a random manufacturer, not the official MS one.
 

didamangi

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The MS press release lost me. Can I buy whatever new Xbox pad I want, like the blue one (although I’m not sold on it and the old grey with touches of green was more my thing :blobclosecry:) or should I specifically buy a for PC version ?
Are every models bluetooth dongle compatible ? I mean dongle from a random manufacturer, not the official MS one.
You can buy any xbox series pad you want and pair it via bluetooth with any usb bluetooth dongle.

IIRC the only advantage of using the official wireless dongle is that you can use the audio jack on the controller as your audio source and more stable connection than bluetooth.
 

Joe Spangle

Playing....
Apr 17, 2019
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Im thinking of cancelling my order for a 3080 MSI Trio. Been reading about stock issues and it doesnt look like they (OCUK) will be sending it out any time soon. Its not really the card i wanted, i was after a FE, i just felt like getting an order in for any card was important at the time. They have charged my credit card which is annoying as it could be another month + before they get stock back. I wanted the new card for CYberpunk but thinking about it i could probably wait until its out and patched up a bit (there are always launch issues these days) so if im going to wait for that i can wait for an FE to come back into stock.
 
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Arkanius

Junior Member
Dec 21, 2018
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Still can't find any 3080's in Portugal
I'm eyeying the TUF, do we know when ASUS will deliver more stock throughout Europe?
 

gabbo

MetaMember
Dec 22, 2018
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Video card upgrade options question.
When I build my new desktop machine I'll be moving my current machine into my htpc (the silverstone gd09 can hold it), but im currently using a full size GTX 970 in my desktop and a 1050TI in the htpc. I'm not sure how constrained things will be or how much a difference in temps the 970 would make.

Would it be worth moving to a 1650/1660 in their place (mini and low profile cards are pretty good price from the right retailers here) performance wise? Power draw would be better even if I can't rock ultra settings on my 4k tv and temp wise it might be a smarter choice.
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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Video card upgrade options question.
When I build my new desktop machine I'll be moving my current machine into my htpc (the silverstone gd09 can hold it), but im currently using a full size GTX 970 in my desktop and a 1050TI in the htpc. I'm not sure how constrained things will be or how much a difference in temps the 970 would make.

Would it be worth moving to a 1650/1660 in their place (mini and low profile cards are pretty good price from the right retailers here) performance wise? Power draw would be better even if I can't rock ultra settings on my 4k tv and temp wise it might be a smarter choice.
1660 should be about 20% faster than a 970.
 

TheTrain

MetaMember
Jun 11, 2019
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Soooo...how much of a bottleneck will be an i7 6700K for a 3080 or..ehm..a 3090?
Keep in mind that I would upgrade everything else at the start of the 2021, I just don't want to change everything right now
 

ISee

Oh_no!
Mar 1, 2019
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Soooo...how much of a bottleneck will be an i7 6700K for a 3080 or..ehm..a 3090?
Keep in mind that I would upgrade everything else at the start of the 2021, I just don't want to change everything right now
On your sweet 3440x1440 ultra wide with 200Hz?
Quiet a lot, if you want to max out the GPU and frame rate. Which is probably what you want, as you are thinking about a 3090.
Wait for ryzen 4000 and see if that's good enough. If not an overclocked 10900k is your best option currently.
 
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d00d3n

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Jan 26, 2019
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So, who is going to attempt to buy a 3090 in about five hours?

I bought a ROG Swift PG35VQ in august, so I have convinced myself that I now have to buy the 3090 to get the most out of my pc monitor purchase. That is the sunk cost fallacy, I guess? Seems pretty stupid and unnecessary to do this, especially after the reports of only about 10-12% better performance in most games compared with the 3080, but what are you supposed to do. (my existing GPU is the 2080 ti)