|OT| The PC Hardware Thread -- Buy/Upgrade/Ask/Answer
- Thread starter Durante
- Start date
I used to think this too and I think it used to be accurate. People on forums would regularly recommend that you don't need a separate AV, windows defender + common sense is all you need, and I would silently judge every one of them but also cheer them because it meant I would probably have more work as I was part time fixing fucked up computers at the time. But nowadays, I do think Windows Defender is "good enough". It's not exceptional obviously, but I just don't think most people need exceptional AV's.
I think most people need better protection and even some free solutions offer significantly better security than Defender. I'm not judging them though, It's non of my business. But if somebody asks; I'm recommending to not rely on the build in windows solution.
I guess our experiences and opinions differ here.
My MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio has been shipped.
Finally.
Finally.
It's a good effort. Maybe it's the start of their ryzen arc in GPU with this being their 1st gen of Ryzen equivalent.
I'm lock in to 3080 now. but that 10gb vram still concerns me tbh.
The MSI afterburner thread? Some current games already hit close 8gb or higher in that thread.
I'm thinking about the next gen games with UE5, etc. Don't want to be in a situation when the GPU itself have enough horsepower but I have to lower the game textures settings because of vram limitation.
Or maybe I'm just overthinking it and it'll be fine. Especially with my 1440/144 and 4k/60 setup for a 3080.
Yeah, I also can't help but feel a little bit of uneasiness about the VRAM on the nvidia cards.
The logical part of my brain tells me I'm going to run into other bottlenecks with the card before the VRAM starts to be a problem, but my 1070 has 8gigs, it just doesn't sit right with me that two gens later the 3070 still also has 8gigs.
The logical part of my brain tells me I'm going to run into other bottlenecks with the card before the VRAM starts to be a problem, but my 1070 has 8gigs, it just doesn't sit right with me that two gens later the 3070 still also has 8gigs.
Probably a bit of complacency on Nvidia's part, there hasn't been a need for more RAM at the XX70 level to this point.Yeah, I also can't help but feel a little bit of uneasiness about the VRAM on the nvidia cards.
The logical part of my brain tells me I'm going to run into other bottlenecks with the card before the VRAM starts to be a problem, but my 1070 has 8gigs, it just doesn't sit right with me that two gens later the 3070 still also has 8gigs.
In other hw things, I have once again started to look at home NAS'.
But looking at all the various boxes, I came to the realization that I'm not actually looking to get a NAS, but a DAS. I don't really need the network stuff at all, so something like the QNAP TR-004 is probably where I will land in the end. A 4 bay home raid box basically.
But looking at all the various boxes, I came to the realization that I'm not actually looking to get a NAS, but a DAS. I don't really need the network stuff at all, so something like the QNAP TR-004 is probably where I will land in the end. A 4 bay home raid box basically.
It was time. My current Noctua, the original NH-U12P, has served nearly 13 years, though I have swapped the fans on it at some point.
My Ryzen 5800X is going to ship within a week or two, apparently. The shop I bought it from shipped 40 yesterday, and my place in the queue was 57. Assuming they are getting lots of 40, I should have it by the end of next week and I can start my new build.
With the consoles out of the picture, I'm left to decide if I want to upgrade the monitor or the GPU, kinda chicken and egg situation.
- a shiny new 1440p gaming GPU with my old 1080 monitor (and I guess on the 4K set)
or
- a shiny new 1440p 120hz monitor but with my old 2060 super
Any thoughts on that ? Help ? Advice ?
Food for thoughts
There is also the matter of the soon (?) to be released rtx 3060, much more in my price range but less ideal at 1440p.
And I guess I could go 1080 120, far cheaper, but eh, is it that wise ?
- a shiny new 1440p gaming GPU with my old 1080 monitor (and I guess on the 4K set)
or
- a shiny new 1440p 120hz monitor but with my old 2060 super
Any thoughts on that ? Help ? Advice ?
Food for thoughts
There is also the matter of the soon (?) to be released rtx 3060, much more in my price range but less ideal at 1440p.
And I guess I could go 1080 120, far cheaper, but eh, is it that wise ?
You can ride out the 2060 Super and grab the new monitor. It's not like it's suddenly become a potato that isn't capable of pulling its own weight. And then maybe grab the 3000 level card when the price is right for one of those - 3070 price drop or a 3060 release
Thanks for your input, I fear having been a little insufferable as of late with all my 'what to buy oh what to buy posts', but your answers are really valued everyone
Now we are in agreement that I should go 1440p 120 instead of 4k 60 ? It was always the plan as I already have a 4K TV, but seeing the benchmark from the last few AAA (admittedly shit ones), I'm not sure I will often go further than 60 fps. You could say there are always the myriad of less hungry games, but I don't buy a monitor every day, better ask a stupid question than lamenting over 400+ euros.
Now we are in agreement that I should go 1440p 120 instead of 4k 60 ? It was always the plan as I already have a 4K TV, but seeing the benchmark from the last few AAA (admittedly shit ones), I'm not sure I will often go further than 60 fps. You could say there are always the myriad of less hungry games, but I don't buy a monitor every day, better ask a stupid question than lamenting over 400+ euros.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #2,022
I'd say 1440p120 is preferable to 4k60 -- the former should include VRR support though, but it's almsot standard for high refresh monitors these days.
Yeah still undecided between the Asus TUF VG27AQ
www.rtings.com
and the LG 27GL850-B
www.rtings.com
The former seems to be better overall, but the LG has better response time at 60hz, and if I’m resigned to have some IPS glow, I would really like to avoid ghosting or corona.
Feel free to suggest another monitor or correct any false assumptions
ASUS TUF VG27AQ Review
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is a popular entry-level 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor that first came out in 2019. It has a native 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock...
www.rtings.com
and the LG 27GL850-B
LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B Review
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is an entry-level 1440p gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. Part of the LG UltraGear lineup sitting above the LG 27GL650F-B, it'...
www.rtings.com
The former seems to be better overall, but the LG has better response time at 60hz, and if I’m resigned to have some IPS glow, I would really like to avoid ghosting or corona.
Feel free to suggest another monitor or correct any false assumptions
Yeah still undecided between the Asus TUF VG27AQ
ASUS TUF VG27AQ Review
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is a popular entry-level 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor that first came out in 2019. It has a native 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock...
and the LG 27GL850-B
LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B Review
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is an entry-level 1440p gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. Part of the LG UltraGear lineup sitting above the LG 27GL650F-B, it'...
The former seems to be better overall, but the LG has better response time at 60hz, and if I’m resigned to have some IPS glow, I would really like to avoid ghosting or corona.
Feel free to suggest another monitor or correct any false assumptions
I have this ASUS and am more than happy with it, refresh rate> resolution IMO
Gsync is the best upgrade I've done in years
ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q Review
Old G-Sync displays have build in specialized modules. Often called "the $200 green tech tax" in the early days of variable refresh rate tech.
While true that those modules were expansive, they provided a couple benefits and G-Sync Displays were for a long time superior over Free Sync Displays because of them.
New G-Sync branded displays are "normal" Free Sync Displays that were certified by Nvidia to be good enough and fulfill "nvidias high VRR standard"
And while those "old" or "true" G-Sync displays may still have a couple advantages like a much higher variable refresh rate range (e.g. our display works from 1Hz to 165Hz) there is a big downside: They will only work with Nvidia GPUs. While "new" G-Sync branded Displays will also work with AMD GPUs.
But for one exception. There are displays with a G-Sync Ultimate certification. Those are high end, HDR monitors with (again) build in specialized modules that help coordinating those high, 1000nit+ brightness levels and control zones that are necessary to achieve good HDR results. They will also only work with Nvidia GPUs.
Interesting Trivia (imo): In the beginning of G-Sync, Nvidia was selling those modules as DIY kits, and people were modifying certain displays themselves.
Hello, Hardware people. I come to you with a Quest and a question. My trusty laptop, that has somehow endured what I could throw at it for the past three years, is starting to show rather strong signs of age. The USB port failed when I booted it up today, and it took a restart to get it to work. It also has intermittent BSODs and is overall feeling like it's not that far from becoming a brick.
I would like to try and pick a new laptop, considering I can't quite go for a desktop yet because of my current situation. The question I come to you is : is there a place that eases the choosing process a little more than having to go to a few online stores and just using the search function and then trying to cross-reference the maze that are graphics card and CPUs in that market to know what is actually worth a damn?
Thanks!
I would like to try and pick a new laptop, considering I can't quite go for a desktop yet because of my current situation. The question I come to you is : is there a place that eases the choosing process a little more than having to go to a few online stores and just using the search function and then trying to cross-reference the maze that are graphics card and CPUs in that market to know what is actually worth a damn?
Thanks!
I ordered a 3090 strix a day or so after release.
They can't even tell me if it will arrive next month,,,
So I finally have a day off, all my parts are here, I'm about to install the power supply and it says I should test it first. I plug in the power cable to the wall and the power supply, plug in the 2 motherboard cables, attach the tester, and turn it on... and the fan doesn't spin. It just makes a click sound after I flick the switch, and nothing... It's a Seasonic PRIME GX-850
Does this mean it's broken? Or should I install it into the PC and hope for the best?
Does this mean it's broken? Or should I install it into the PC and hope for the best?
According to Seasonic's website, PRIME GX power supplies are "fanless until 40% load". Does your tester indicate if it's receiving power or not?
The tester is just a piece of plastic that that you put on the end of the motherboard cable so the PSU thinks it's plugged into the motherboard. The only indication is the fan unfortunately. The sheet mentions that it won't work in Hybrid mode, but I've turned the fan mode switch to both options and it doesn't come on in either of them...
I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and hook it up and hope it's fine. The worst that can happen is I wasted a bit of time. If I have to RMA it it's going to be even more time.
I'm typing to you all from my new PC! A few more giant pains in my ass had to be dealt with(my m.2 drive wouldn't show up in Windows install so I had to remove my video card and put the m2 in the other slot - whoops), then my monitor stopped working for no reason, my blue tooth wouldn't work for a while, etc. Anyway, I'm installing shit now. Yay!
I installed all my new stuff as well earlier today.
Some in progress photos. Before dusting the case, wasn't even that dusty in the end. Surprising really.
The old unit going out. Good night sweet prince.
And new one going in. Moved the ram and nvme here from the old one.
Getting it up and running was actually bit of a hassle since I couldn't get the new bios to flash on the first try.
Had to dig up my old laptop and mess around with the usb stick, got it working thankfully.
Another thing of note, starting to think about moving back to a somewhat roomier case after all. I just don't enjoy messing with hardware when it's so cramped. Big hands.
Some in progress photos. Before dusting the case, wasn't even that dusty in the end. Surprising really.
The old unit going out. Good night sweet prince.
And new one going in. Moved the ram and nvme here from the old one.
Getting it up and running was actually bit of a hassle since I couldn't get the new bios to flash on the first try.
Had to dig up my old laptop and mess around with the usb stick, got it working thankfully.
Another thing of note, starting to think about moving back to a somewhat roomier case after all. I just don't enjoy messing with hardware when it's so cramped. Big hands.
Another thing of note, starting to think about moving back to a somewhat roomier case after all. I just don't enjoy messing with hardware when it's so cramped. Big hands.
Full tower cases all the way
Lg 27GL850 for 400 euros. I'm tempted. Should I bite ?
Can you think of a better monitor for this price bracket (400 to 450 euros) ?
Very interested in this one because of the overdrive setting not needing to be touched between 60 and 100+ hz. But yeah, mediocre contrast.
edit - The new model has been reviewed on rtings, looks like it gains... bloom ?
Oh it's 4k, missed that.
Can you think of a better monitor for this price bracket (400 to 450 euros) ?
Very interested in this one because of the overdrive setting not needing to be touched between 60 and 100+ hz. But yeah, mediocre contrast.
edit - The new model has been reviewed on rtings, looks like it gains... bloom ?
Oh it's 4k, missed that.
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Interestingly, as I was looking at the Meshify 2 from Fractal and its prices over here, I stumbled upon several Meshify 2 Compact (FD-C-MES2C-01 ) listings. I'm not seeing it on Fractal's site or any news sites as officially announced, so I guess it's time to put my insider hat on and break the news. Huge scoops.
Looks like availability on two sites is 27-28.1.2021.
Not a big stretch to guess that it's going to be exactly what it sounds like, like Define 7 Compact, but Meshify 2.
Which I could be interested in, except for the reduced cabling room behind the mobo.
Looks like availability on two sites is 27-28.1.2021.
Not a big stretch to guess that it's going to be exactly what it sounds like, like Define 7 Compact, but Meshify 2.
Which I could be interested in, except for the reduced cabling room behind the mobo.
Agreed. I won't even consider a display that isn't 120Hz+ with VRR.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #2,044
The Vulkan Raytracing specification is now done!
www.khronos.org
Now we need to port our stuff and get an AMD GPU, I'm really curious how it performs.
Vulkan Ray Tracing Final Specification Release
Today, Khronos has released the final versions of the set of Vulkan, GLSL and SPIR-V extension specifications that seamlessly integrate ray tracing into the existing Vulkan framework. This is a significant milestone as it is the industry’s first open, cross-vendor, cross-platform standard for...
www.khronos.org
Now we need to port our stuff and get an AMD GPU, I'm really curious how it performs.
Ugh... What to do about this power supply.
So, my new computer is working. But the fan on the PSU did not come on when I tested as per my previous posts.... And I can't tell if the fan is working on the PSU or not because it's not supposed to run very much anyway and it's completely enclosed in metal when it's in my case so I can't see the fan.
I had e-mailed Seasonic right away when it didn't work saying the fan didn't come on during the test, and they are saying to RMA it... which is a huge hassle, naturally. And I will have to pay for the shipping.. And they won't ship a replacement out until they receive this one and test it.
Oh, and did I mention that Newegg just extended their return policy to 2 months, but only on purchases made in November and I bought this in October? [UWSL][/UWSL]
So, my new computer is working. But the fan on the PSU did not come on when I tested as per my previous posts.... And I can't tell if the fan is working on the PSU or not because it's not supposed to run very much anyway and it's completely enclosed in metal when it's in my case so I can't see the fan.
I had e-mailed Seasonic right away when it didn't work saying the fan didn't come on during the test, and they are saying to RMA it... which is a huge hassle, naturally. And I will have to pay for the shipping.. And they won't ship a replacement out until they receive this one and test it.
Oh, and did I mention that Newegg just extended their return policy to 2 months, but only on purchases made in November and I bought this in October? [UWSL]
[/UWSL]
Well, you could buy the same PSU from Newegg again. When it arrives send in your current PSU to Seasonic, when the replacement arrives, send in the "new" Newegg unit back under the new return policy.
You could even leave the cables in, all you'd need to do is exchange the units.
You could even leave the cables in, all you'd need to do is exchange the units.
You're a genius! I can't believe I didn't think of that. If I was feeling particularly sneaky, couldn't I just return the broken one to Newegg and pretend it's the new one? Or are they too smart for that?
I'm pretty sure they're serialised.
My EVGA PSU fan doesn't spin up till it hits a certain temp, I've never seen it spinning yet in over a year.
Although I have software with it so I can monitor temps and turn the fan on manually if I want to
Do you not have anything like that for yours?
My EVGA PSU fan doesn't spin up till it hits a certain temp, I've never seen it spinning yet in over a year.
Although I have software with it so I can monitor temps and turn the fan on manually if I want to
Do you not have anything like that for yours?
It doesn't look like there is any software for it on Seasonic's site.
Looking more closely at Newegg's return policy, it looks like they could reject the return if the product has been opened and this PSU was vacuum sealed in plastic wrap so even ordering one to use while I wait for Seasonic to replace the defective one might lead to me being stuck with a second power supply. Maybe I'll see if Amazon has something comparable for me to use while I wait, since their return policies are much more lenient.
Either way, I'm going to call Seasonic directly today, and see what they say.
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I imagine they test returns. Plus that's fraud and I have no doubt, at least here in the UK, that would result in a visit from the police.