The computer and electronics super geek thread

[pengbuzz]

22 hours ago, azrael said:

At some point, I would rather start fresh and reinstall Windows.

Right; at some point, all the repairs, patching and errors here and there accrue. Better just to do an entirely new install with everything done fresh and image that/ back it up. That way, you have a fresh slate just the way you want, without the hidden damage from the previous install.

[David Hingtgen]

Thinking about upgrading CPU while I'm at it.  Would very much like to keep my DDR4 RAM if at all possible.   So just new mobo+CPU.   Currently have a Ryzen 5 3600. 

Or is DDR4 old enough that it limits mobo options too much?  DDR5 had/has a very slow adoption rate.   

Looking for just a cheap upgrade, not "a giant leap in ability".   Might even do CPU-only.  Checking around, it seems the last BIOS update for my mobo will allow the Ryzen 5600 series, but not officially the 5700/5800----but reddit says the 5800 actually works fine.   

[azrael]

3 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

Thinking about upgrading CPU while I'm at it.  Would very much like to keep my DDR4 RAM if at all possible.   So just new mobo+CPU.   Currently have a Ryzen 5 3600. 

Or is DDR4 old enough that it limits mobo options too much?  DDR5 had/has a very slow adoption rate.   

Looking for just a cheap upgrade, not "a giant leap in ability".   Might even do CPU-only.  Checking around, it seems the last BIOS update for my mobo will allow the Ryzen 5600 series, but not officially the 5700/5800----but reddit says the 5800 actually works fine.   

DDR4 is essentially a "dead-end" (it still exists but you're not going to get far with that) since no modern CPU uses it anymore. If your mobo supports the 5700X3D, I'd get that (if you are leaning toward gaming). I wouldn't spend for the 5800X (I still have one since I side-graded to the 5800X3D). If you are looking at the 5800X, get the 5700X3D. It's better for gaming and could probably get you farther, assuming the mobo supports it. Otherwise, I would go for the 5700X. The 5700X is just a lower bin'd 5800X. The specs are exactly the same but has a TDP of 65W vs the 5800X's 105W. Since this is the last bit of mileage you are going to get with DDR4, I'd wouldn't spend THAT much. If you really don't want to spend, a 5600X will do.

[David Hingtgen]

None of the CPU's seem like they'd be THAT big an improvement, so I'm currently leaning towards the 5600X, or MAYBE the 5700X "as cheap as can be reliably had from aliexpress"

[TangledThorns]

3 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

None of the CPU's seem like they'd be THAT big an improvement, so I'm currently leaning towards the 5600X, or MAYBE the 5700X "as cheap as can be reliably had from aliexpress"

 

Try the used market like Criaigslist or Facebook Marketplace to save some $$. I see 5800X3D's selling for $300 to $350 which I think is a tad high. I'll be buying used PC parts for my son's complete build later this year.    

[David Hingtgen]

5 hours ago, TangledThorns said:

 

Try the used market like Criaigslist or Facebook Marketplace to save some $$. I see 5800X3D's selling for $300 to $350 which I think is a tad high. I'll be buying used PC parts for my son's complete build later this year.    

Yeah, I'm thinking half of that, budget-wise.  Anything $200 or more is better spent on a GPU at this point.  Paying a premium for "the very best an old mobo can handle" is a bit of a waste.  

[azrael]

$300-$350 is WAY too high for a 5800X3D in 2025. Like I said, if you want 3D V-cache from the 5000-series in 2025, get the 5700X3D. Otherwise, the 5600X, 5700X/5800X are your best choices for a AM4.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am having a huge problem. The end of windows 10 support. I really hate 11.  But I need a new pc.  My i7-2600 it just not good enough anymore. But with the GPU scarcity I am in a bit of  a bind.  I still have time but I starting to get concerned.  Unfortunately, I have no Microcenter in my state. 

 

I am really starting to loathe Microsoft. 

[mikeszekely]

7 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am having a huge problem. The end of windows 10 support. I really hate 11.  But I need a new pc.  My i7-2600 it just not good enough anymore. But with the GPU scarcity I am in a bit of  a bind.  I still have time but I starting to get concerned.  Unfortunately, I have no Microcenter in my state. 

 

I am really starting to loathe Microsoft. 

I personally don't get the hate for Windows 11. I upgraded for auto HDR and direct storage, and once I got a 32:9 monitor I came to really appreciate the centered task bar. 

That said, if Windows 11 is really a no-go for you, maybe Steam OS? Valve is starting to make it available to system builders. I'm my experience with the Steam Deck it has a surprisingly usable desktop mode, and I had no trouble running the bulk of the games in my Steam library. 

[TangledThorns]

11 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am having a huge problem. The end of windows 10 support. I really hate 11.  But I need a new pc.  My i7-2600 it just not good enough anymore. But with the GPU scarcity I am in a bit of  a bind.  I still have time but I starting to get concerned.  Unfortunately, I have no Microcenter in my state. 

 

I am really starting to loathe Microsoft. 

 

Yeah, Win10 is still good imo but its EOL is why I'm building a new PCs with Win11 for me and my children this year. For my children's PCs the parts will mostly be hand me downs from my current rig or used parts. Only part will be new will be the case so it'll look like a new PC to them.

Edited Tuesday at 08:46 PM by TangledThorns

[azrael]

30 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am having a huge problem. The end of windows 10 support. I really hate 11.  But I need a new pc.  My i7-2600 it just not good enough anymore. But with the GPU scarcity I am in a bit of  a bind.  I still have time but I starting to get concerned.  Unfortunately, I have no Microcenter in my state.

Consider using the iGPU or stepping down a GPU generation until the current GPU troubles pass? Seeing that you are coming from a i7-2600 (which is way past Microsoft's supported CPU reqs for Windows 11), even modern iGPUs could handle a majority of tasks. If you want to do some gaming without the dedicated GPU, consider the Ryzen 5 8600G or Ryzen 7 8700G. The 8700G comes with the Radeon 780M, which is surprisingly capable of 1080p gaming for an iGPU. 

The other choice is to look for a previous gen GPU. RTX 3060/4060s or RX 7600XTs are still being sold at, relatively, decent prices.

 

43 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am really starting to loathe Microsoft. 

 Have you thought about Macs? 😅 😝

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

I personally don't get the hate for Windows 11. I upgraded for auto HDR and direct storage, and once I got a 32:9 monitor I came to really appreciate the centered task bar. 

That said, if Windows 11 is really a no-go for you, maybe Steam OS? Valve is starting to make it available to system builders. I'm my experience with the Steam Deck it has a surprisingly usable desktop mode, and I had no trouble running the bulk of the games in my Steam library. 

 

1 hour ago, TangledThorns said:

 

Yeah, Win10 is still good imo but its EOL is why I'm building a new PCs with Win11 for me and my children this year. For my children's PCs the parts will mostly be hand me downs from my current rig or used parts. Only part will be new will be the case so it'll look like a new PC to them.

 

30 minutes ago, azrael said:

Consider using the iGPU or stepping down a GPU generation until the current GPU troubles pass? Seeing that you are coming from a i7-2600 (which is way past Microsoft's supported CPU reqs for Windows 11), even modern iGPUs could handle a majority of tasks. If you want to do some gaming without the dedicated GPU, consider the Ryzen 5 8600G or Ryzen 7 8700G. The 8700G comes with the Radeon 780M, which is surprisingly capable of 1080p gaming for an iGPU. 

The other choice is to look for a previous gen GPU. RTX 3060/4060s or RX 7600XTs are still being sold at, relatively, decent prices.

 

 Have you thought about Macs? 😅 😝

If I have to use 11 i will.  I am just not a fan of it.

The Pc i use now was a cheap dell refurb. But now I can afford a decent rig.  I do not feel like compromising this time.  I was set on the 5070ti. But then the 9070xt came out and I realized I want that.  I really have to do something by early September. 

 

1 possibility  is to take my radeon 6700 hd and put it in my new pc until I can get a new video card. 

I will not buy a mac.

[azrael]

4 hours ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

The Pc i use now was a cheap dell refurb. But now I can afford a decent rig.  I do not feel like compromising this time.  I was set on the 5070ti. But then the 9070xt came out and I realized I want that.  I really have to do something by early September. 

Probably should have led with that...

Keep in mind Windows 10 will not stop working after October, it just won't receive any more updates. So you don't need to rush out and buy parts before September. That being said, we'll probably see deals start coming out around July-September when Back-to-School-deals start coming up. Buying a GPU will be a "No" until at least summer. Supplies are too limited and price gouging is rampant at time of this post. You could start piecing a new computer but I would wait till deals start popping up. You may be forced to keep that 6700 HD in your system way past due date if the market doesn't cool..

[pengbuzz]

5 minutes ago, azrael said:

Probably should have led with that...

Keep in mind Windows 10 will not stop working after October, it just won't receive any more updates. So you don't need to rush out and buy parts before September. That being said, we'll probably see deals start coming out around July-September when Back-to-School-deals start coming up. Buying a GPU will be a "No" until at least summer. Supplies are too limited and price gouging is rampant at time of this post. You could start piecing a new computer but I would wait till deals start popping up. You may be forced to keep that 6700 HD in your system way past due date if the market doesn't cool..

Well, I'm using Win10 Pro on a Dell 3020 SFF (Intel Core i5 4590 @ 3.30GH) with 16Gb RAM, NVIDIA GeForce ( Gigabyte) GT1030 (2GBVRAM) and an 223GB SSD. Looks like I'm not doing much to upgrade to anything for the next 3 millennia. 

Sad to say: Win 11 isn't in my future anytime soon.

Edited Wednesday at 03:09 AM by pengbuzz

[David Hingtgen]

I'm still glad I bought my 3060 when I did---things have only gotten worse overall with newer stuff/prices, and the 3060 is only SLIGHTLY cheaper now than when I bought mine, despite it being older now.  

That said, I am tempted by the 4060 Ti 16GB...

[TangledThorns]

I used Win11 for work and its fine for me. I think as long as its not like Win8 I'll be OK with it. OMFG those stupid tiles. Win8 is one Microsoft OS that I'm glad I skipped.

[TangledThorns]

I've been following Trackalacker like it was a stock ticker yesterday and though I wanted a 5070 Ti I decided to splurge on a MSI GeForce RTX 5080 16G SHADOW 3X OC for $1249 from their website. Still above my planned budget but I've always had mid-range cards so what the heck, lol.

That being said supply seems to be improving, not great, but still improving. So scalpers can get f'd!

Now I'm waiting on MSI to release their new MAG 850M mobo so can start on my next complete build soon!!

 

 

[davidwhangchoi]

That's a decent price in the current market, only about $250 mark up ain't too bad.

I posted a 5070 card that was open for 12 hours, the market is starting to cool for nvidia cards. ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 cards now sit on shelves as gamers reject $3,719 price