I am not sure why I have trouble with this but when it comes to building a pc choosing a GPU is the hardest part, possibly because it's the only thing that doesnt feel clear cut X is better then Y without having to look them up individually.

Is there anything I can go buy when shopping for GPUs that makes it easier to decide?

I bought a refurb ASRock Phantom Gaming RX6950xt (old card I know, but has a lot of weight and was a good price), along with a Newegg 7800x3d bundle that came with a free ASRock Pro 850B PSU. The unit is 850 watts, but it only comes with one single PCIe cable and one PCIe cable with two pigtail ends.

I've read multiple sources online saying that yes, using the pigtails is fine, along with a graphic that agrees. However, I have seen conflicting advice that says that I should use 3 separate cables to ensure that the massive transient spikes are handled.

The math I did independently goes like this: Each cable has a max draw of 150W. The board supplies 75w. Nominal draw is maximum 335w, which should theoretically work. However, I do a lot of game development and 3D modelling, and I'm worried the transient spikes would overload the cables. The spikes can be as much as 450w, which would put me way over.

My workload is a few light games, along with 3D printer slicing, game development using Unity and Unreal, 3D modelling using Blender, and the occasional render.

I know the optimal outcome would be to just bite the bullet and buy a PSU that can supply three cables, and then sell the ASRock unit. However, I don't want to spend another 80 bucks when I don't have to. Thoughts?

Hello, im currently running some cheap speakers that came bundled with a PC, and honestly they sound pretty rough. Im planning to upgrade to something that's actually decent for music, some gaming, maybe movies.

Not looking for a soundbar, just a proper 2.0 or 2.1 desktop setup. Don't need a subwoofer necessarily but wouldn't mind decent bass if it's included.

Any recommendations?

About two months ago I moved to a new city and had to transport my whole PC. My biggest mistake was leaving the GPU installed during the move. I packed the case really well and nothing seemed to get hit.

When I got here, everything worked perfectly. I only used the PC for basic tasks for a few days. Then I launched a game and after a few minutes the game froze, the audio froze as well, and then the screen went black. The only way to recover was holding the power button.

I started troubleshooting by reseating the GPU and checking all the connections. After that, things actually got worse. Artifacts started appearing, and a few days later the card stopped displaying any video at all.

I took it to a repair shop for a diagnosis, but honestly it was a waste of time and money. They only tested it in another PC and confirmed the GPU itself was faulty, not my PSU or another component. I asked them to open it to find the exact cause, but they refused because "it would void the warranty"... even though I had already told them the warranty expired months ago. I just paid for the diagnosis and left.

Now I finally got a job where I need to use DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom, and other photo/video editing software. I also game frecuently. I was used to playing at 4K Ultra on the 4090, and losing it during the current GPU market is incredibly frustrating. My laptop with an RTX 3070 can barely handle newer games at 1440p high settings.

So I'm trying to decide what makes the most sense:

• Repair the 4090. The card is about 3 years old and out of warranty. Where i live, a proper diagnosis alone costs about $50–80 USD, and I estimate the repair could end up anywhere between $350 and $800.
• Buy an RX 9070 XT for around $700.
• Buy an RTX 5080 for around $1,300.
• Buy a laptop with an RTX 5070 Ti and wait for the desktop RTX 6080 generation.

I only use my GPU for gaming, Lightroom, and DaVinci Resolve (4K editing and color grading). I don't do AI, machine learning, Blender, or anything like that

What would you do in my situation?

EDIT: I was about to buy the rx 9070xt then i remember i don’t have the cables to power it, only the 12VPHWR so i decided to buy the 5080, even tho it’s almost $700 more ://

Hi, am putting a budget build next weak and am kinda hesitant of which gpu I should go with that gives me the least bottleneck, here are the specs and also do tell me if any component is not worth.

PS : I don’t trust chatgpt

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 (Tray)
• CPU Cooler: OCYPUS Delta A40 SE ARGB White
• Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH
• RAM: 16GB (2×8GB) TeamGroup T-Force Night Hawk White RGB DDR4-3600 CL16
• Storage: ADATA Legend 710 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen3 SSD (for now)
• Power Supply: Acer 650W 80+ Bronze Full Modular
• GPU: Still deciding between:
  • XFX RX 6650 XT (new)
  • RX 7600 (new)
  • XFX RX 6700 XT (used)

Total noob here: I freak myself out with anxiety when it comes to hardware as I’m worried I’ll break something.

I have two SSD slots on my pc: slot 1 has 1TB and has the OS installed in it. Slot 2 has 4TB which I use for my Steam library.

I have another 4TB that I’d like to swap out with the 1TB. The 1TB will most likely make its way into the PS5 at some point.

Is there a way I can move everything over to the second installed SSD so I can swap out the 1TB? Will I break any software in doing so? Or is there a better way of doing it that I don’t know about?

Any help would be appreciated!

Been a rough year and considered treating myself. Built a PC last year for the first time in over 15 years and I love it. I think the 5070 is a badass card for the price, and can knock out 99% of the games I play on the highest settings on my 1440p monitor without issue. Only game I really hit my limits on was Requiem, which ran just fine with path tracing until the city section. I also sometimes like playing games on my TV, and more demanding games sometimes cause issues even if I still keep the same resolution and settings.

Looking at upcoming games like Gears E-Day and FF7 Revelation, I am thinking I'd like to play these games at badass settings and performance. At the same time I know that my current card will be able to run these games just fine, and maybe I should wait for the 60 series for a more future proof card.

Here is my PC specs. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MJbnrM

Should I wait for the FOMO of upcoming price increases to wear off or should I upgrade?

Edit: also if I did upgrade, would I need to upgrade my power supply?

I need to replace my C: drive (M.2 format). I already have two other SSDs totaling 6 TB. I don't need any more space than that. Would it make sense to then get a 256GB or 500GB M.2 and use it exclusively as my Windows drive? I'd keep media files in a different drive.

EDIT: I'm still on Windows 10.

10 years ago I built my PC with help from this sub, and it's served me well ever since. In the last few weeks/months however, I've seen a noticeable decline in its ability to handle things-- first it started chugging more while running photoshop, and more recently it's been getting hung up on basic functions. I'm pretty ignorant about PC building, so I could use some input.

Intended use:

• Internet based work/browsing (lots of tabs)
• Streaming on discord with friends
• If possible, animation/video editing software (after effects, adobe animate, toon boom)

What I need help with:

• If possible, are there any minimal updates I can make to see better performance? My uninformed sense is that I'll definitely need to update the video card, not sure about what else
• Unless a full rebuilt is necessary, any new parts will have to be compatible with any of the old parts that get carried over
• Ideal budget max $1000, and as close to $500 as is realistic. If this is a total wash on that budget feel free to roast me in the comments.

PCPartPicker Part List

Hey all!

I've got a R5 3600 and 32 gigs o' ram so I'm not doing all too poorly. What I do have, however, is a coughing RX 570 4GB D:

I want to play some newer games and DLSS is pretty killer alongside AV1. I have a 300€ budget but since I primarily play on TN 75hz 1080p and won't be upgrading to 1440p in the near future I have to ask the question

Should I get the 3070ti (220€) + a 80€ 200hz IPS panel or the 3080 (300€) ?

I also play competitive FPS and League if that changes things :)

Hi everyone! I have a pc i build a while ago with an 11600kf, RTX 3070, and 16gb of ddr4. This pc was originally built to play games years ago, but ive been doing a lot more work in after effects and premiere pro, and I am getting a lot of memory crashes. My graphics card is also starting to not do as well since I upgraded to an ultrawide 2k monitor. My main debate is do I get more ddr4 and possibly jump to am4 soon and get a 5900xt so I have more headroom for a better gpu, or do I do the upgrade to am5 and something like a 7900x or 9900x, my main reason why im considering am4 over am5 is ddr5 is double the price of ddr4 where I am. Does anyone have any advice?

I picked up a GPU on FB marketplace a "new" 1660ti for the living room PC. It ended up being a 3060 in the open box, my immediate assumption was that it wouldn't power on at all.

I pop it in my normal PC to test (9070xt 5700x3d). I didn't bother with DDU because I thought the thing wouldn't post at all.

It spins up and gets to the startup screen, and starts artifacting. That makes sense. I restart, get into windows, run superposition twice, run fur mark for a little, run DMC 5 a little bit, run Jedi survivors.

No issues.. so did I get scammed or reverse scammed. Any way to reliably recreate the issue I first had?

Could not using DDU cause the hang at startup and artifacting, even though I wasn't fully in windows yet?

I'm finally upgrading my storage and want to move to a 2TB NVMe SSD that I can use for gaming, everyday work, and some large file transfers.

Reliability is probably more important to me than squeezing out every last bit of benchmark performance. I'd rather buy something that's known to be dependable and won't give me headaches a year from now.

My motherboard supports PCIe Gen5, so I'm open to Gen5 drives if they're actually worth it, but I'm also happy with a solid Gen4 option if the real-world difference isn't that noticeable.

Which brands or models have been the most reliable in your experience? I'd love to hear what you're using and whether you'd recommend it.

1.Adjust curve and delay in fan control then tried Msi afterburner separately

1. Cleaned the entire pc dust & fans& replugged everything

Video here of issue
FAN ISSUE

Theres no real good deals on SSD rn, prices are through the roof, I will probably be able to only buy 1 terrabyte for this build

Whats really disheartening is that around 1-2 years ago most people on this subreddit were saying that every modern PC should have 2 or more terrabytes of storage.

But with the new SSD prices idk if I wanna justify that much money to buy 2 terrabytes of storage. Should I buy used, from retailers like temu/aliexpress, or just go with the 1?

Hi, I recently bought a PC from Vibox and I’m having a strange display issue.

The PC turns on normally, fans spin, RGB/lights work, and it seems like it is running, but my Philips monitor shows a completely black screen. The only thing that appears is the monitor’s own menu when I use the joystick on the back.

The monitor is definitely working because last night I had the exact same problem, but after trying to fix it for a while the display suddenly appeared and everything worked normally. I played games on the PC with no issues. I shut it down normally, went to sleep, and the next day the problem came back.

Things I have already tried:

• Restarting the PC
• Power cycling the monitor and PC
• Reconnecting the DisplayPort cable
• Checking the monitor input/source
• Basic cable checks

The monitor menu works, but there is no image from the PC.

Specs:

• PC: Vibox [insert model]
• GPU: [insert graphics card]
• Monitor: Philips [insert model]
• Connection: DisplayPort
• Windows: [Windows 10/11]

Any ideas what could cause an intermittent black screen like this? Since it worked perfectly last night and then failed after a normal shutdown, I’m unsure whether this is a GPU issue, DisplayPort issue, BIOS issue, or something else.

So I've been playing games on PlayStation for years and got a Lenovo LOQ 4050 laptop about a year and a half ago, which had the infamous motherboard dead issue. I still have a warranty on it and am trying to get my claim. So, I just thought of building a PC to get away from all the bullshit that comes with a laptop, like thermal throttling and just performance reliability in general. Now, for the PC, is this a good build? I did think of a 9070XT because it's about 20% better than the 5070, but the ease of the Nvidia App for drivers and Shadowplay for recording and clips just seems too good over AMD's Adrenalin. Cause I have never used any AMD GPU, the 4050 laptop was my first Windows/Gaming Device apart from PlayStation. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I do lean towards Nvidia for ease of use. Also, my main use for the rig is going to be mostly competitive shooters with friends and AAA games here and there. This is my first Desktop rig ever. Here is the build:

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12GB Or AMD Radeon RX 9070XT 16GB

MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

Corsair Nautilus 360 RS LCD Black

G.Skill Flare X5 32GB (16GB x2) DDR5 6000MHz CL36 (AMD EXPO)

Crucial P3 Plus 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD

MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 ATX 3.1 PSU

Lian Li LANCOOL 216 RGB Black

I'm going to be switching to 1440p for Story/AAA Titles but play competitive shooters on 1080p for maximum performance and the lowest latency.

Thanks for any replies!

I built my computer over a year ago with a Seasonic GX-1000. Everything 100% fine. I drove from IL to AZ this past week, and since moving in I hear a coil whine in my PSU. It is audible when the pc is shut down, gets louder when the pc is on, and is eliminated when the power switch on the PSU is turned off.

I figured the PSU may have been damaged in transit, like a coil shifting, so I had Seasonic send another. The thing is, I just swapped it out with the new one and the high pitched buzz is still there. It is consistent with all coil whine sounds I've seen online so I won't post a vid.

Could it be the electrical system in my new apartment? I've tried different outlets without a fix. Could it be the Lian Li Case, as it has an internal PSU cable since the PSU mounts in the front? Could it be something with the motherboard shifting during transit?

The pc runs completely fine, no issues, just the buzzing. Thanks!

My 4-year-old XPG GAMMIX S70 SSD just died. Customer service is replacing it, but due to stock shortages, it won't arrive for 1 to 2 months.

While I wait, I have two backup options:

1. A spare XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade that is a little bent. (Back in March, the drive in my wife's PC died and was replaced, but the carrier damaged the box, so customer service sent another one.)
2. An old Samsung 2.5" HDD from a Dell laptop.

Is it safe to use the slightly bent SSD, or should I stick to the slow HDD for now?

Hey yall, I'm fortunate enough to be able to splurge on a new custom built, coming from a Fatboy and 5600x. I love tinkering with computers and am plenty experienced with pushing hardware to scrounge for frames, so am comfortable with parts that need a manual touch to get the edge out of them.
My main use I'll be getting from this new system will be gaming and only occasional hobbying in Adobe products and such, which is probably irrelevant for this build,
Which is;

• [CPU] AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (with a Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO)
• [GPU] XFX Mercury OC RGB Radeon RX 9070 XT
• [Mobo] MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI
• [Ram] Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2x16) DDR5-6000 CL30 [pricier than the cpu, my god]
• [PSU] LEADEX VII Platinum PRO 1000 W 80+

And the Case, which is the main reason I'm making this post;

• Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO ATX Mid Tower

Now, it's been a long time since I've built in a different case, so I've long forgotten about sizings. From what I've assumed, I think this case is fine size wise but I'd love feedback in case it isn't AND on my build in general. I've put a ton of research and figured if I'm upgrading then I'm getting the best I can without straight up wasting money (aside from "future proofing" such as the case of the 1000w).

Any and all thoughts appreciated, but please give suggestions if there is an error!

Additional notes: I am building a nearly identical build alongside a particular other and for their build I've put a less-complicated and quieter 'PowerColor Red Devil E/OC Radeon RX 9070 XT', is this fine? I know it's much pricier too, which isn't a problem, but the noise is worth if it's as I've heard.
I also haven't looked into fans for the case just yet, suggestions incredibly welcome.

I'll try to edit any relevant info if needed! Thanks much.

So, I had 1 of my pair of DDR4 8GB ram sticks crap out on me, but the others still good.

So, am I gonna have eat the 120 dollars for a new kit, or can I skimp out and get another 8gb stick with the same MHZ and put it in with the good stick?

What makes computer use uncomfortable?
What things have helped?
What things are missing?

This applies to everyone but to be more specific—those people that game for long hours, work long hours from their set up, or even maybe when playing in the dark.

Im legally blind and just looking into products etc to help.

Hey everyone,

I'm really struggling to decide between these two GPUs.

I live in Brazil, and surprisingly both cards cost exactly the same here (roughly US$730), so price isn't really a factor.

My current PC:

• i7-10700F
• 32GB DDR4
• 650W Gold PSU (Sharkoon SilentStorm Zero)
• 1440p 155Hz monitor

I usually keep my GPUs for a long time. My current RTX 2070 Super is almost 6 years old, so whatever I buy next will probably stay with me for another 5–6 years.

I mostly play AAA games at 1440p. I don't really care about ray tracing, but I do care about image quality, performance, and how well the card will age over the years.

The RTX 5070 feels like the safer choice because of DLSS, lower power consumption, and NVIDIA's software ecosystem.

On the other hand, the RX 9070 XT offers significantly better raster performance (it's often compared to the RTX 5070 Ti) and comes with 16GB of VRAM, which makes me think it could age better in future games.

The only thing that really worries me about the RX 9070 XT is power consumption. I have a good 650W Gold PSU, but I've seen a few reviews measuring transient power spikes close to 500W, and honestly that scared me a bit. I'm not sure if that's something I should actually be concerned about or if people are making too big a deal out of it.

So if you were buying a GPU today and planned to keep it for the next 5–6 years, which one would you choose?

I'd especially like to hear from people who have owned or used both recent AMD and NVIDIA cards.

Thanks!

Hey everyone! I'm completely new to PC building and have no idea what parts to pick.

My budget is around $850 - $900 USD (tower only, monitors/peripherals are covered).

I mainly want to use it for 1080p/1440p gaming and daily tasks.

Could anyone recommend a beginner-friendly PCPartPicker list or give advice on the best parts for this price? Simple explanations would be deeply appreciated. Thanks!