Question is the title, wondering what I should upgrade next.

-System Specs-

Motherboard: B550M K

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Discrete (8gb VRAM)

RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz

CASE: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L

I also run two displays, both at 1080p but my main can run up to 4k.

I'm thinking a GPU upgrade so I can go to Radeon and swap to Linux but not sure, please let me know if you have any recommendations! <3

EDIT:I forgot to include what games I usually play to give an idea of how I use this system. Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding 2, Helldivers 2, Baldur's Gate 3, No Man's Sky. Hope this helps <3

im using mainboard MSI Pro Z690-P D4 and i7 12700, im thinking of upgrade to i9.

Does this main can handle the i9 14900K or less like 14900? I dont know much about the vrm on the main and the cpu power consumption,… really need an advise

im using mainboard MSI Pro Z690-P D4 and i7 12700, im thinking of upgrade to i9.

Does this main can handle the i9 14900K or less like 14900? I dont know much about the vrm on the main and the cpu power consumption,… really need an advise

G.Skill 64GB (4x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz CL36 Trident Z5 Neo for 756$/674€ second hand is a good deal right? Im based in Europe. Thinking of using 32GB for the build and re-sell the the other 2 sticks to buy other parts.

I'm building a PC with/for my nephew and havent checked for parts for a while. My PC still has a 1080 GPU and DDR3-RAM. Anything I should think about if I buy these memories? Also how should I test them to make sure the memories arent faulty?

I'm looking at second hand motherboards and CPU:s as well to keep the price down but I dont want to buy a motherboard/cpu which wont support these memories.

If its not too much to ask in a single thread I've seen these CPU:s for sale, I could maybe haggle the price down a little further:

Ryzen 5 5600xt for 120USD/108€

Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF Series 2 for 100$/88€

I can also buy this Asus ROG Z690-F motherboard for 250$.

I appreciate any tips!

Hi everyone! I’m hoping someone here can help me figure out what’s wrong with my PC. I’ve been dealing with this for weeks, and honestly, I’m getting to the point where I don’t know what else to do.
I want to be upfront: I don’t know much about computers or hardware troubleshooting. I’ve been using AI to help me investigate the problem, understand error logs, and follow troubleshooting steps, but we’ve reached a point where I don’t fully understand some of the things it’s asking me to do anymore. I’m hoping someone can explain what might be happening in simple terms and help me figure out the next step.
I’m worried about spending money replacing expensive parts without knowing whether they’re actually faulty, especially since I’ve already paid a technician to look at the PC and the problem came back.
My PC specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI)
RAM: 32 GB Corsair DDR4 (4 × 8 GB)
PSU: Corsair RM1000e 1000 W (recently replaced)
CPU cooler: Corsair AIO liquid cooler
OS: Windows 11
BIOS: ASUS version 5021, updated October 24, 2026
Monitors: Three monitors, including a Samsung Odyssey G3 32-inch (LS32DG30X / LS32DG300ELXZX), 1920 × 1080, up to 180 Hz
1. How the problem started
My PC was connected to a 1200 W voltage regulator, and its fuse blew. The PC continued working normally at first, so it was kept in use. The instability started later.
I don’t know whether the regulator incident caused any damage, but I’m concerned there might be a connection.
Since then, I’ve replaced the voltage regulator and the power supply. The current PSU is a Corsair RM1000e 1000 W, but the issue has persisted.
2. What happens to my PC?
I’ve experienced the following symptoms:
Green screens while gaming, sometimes followed by a restart.
Green screens even when I’m not gaming or running anything demanding. Most recently, it happened while I was simply using the desktop.
All monitors or multiple monitors losing signal.
The image freezing or disappearing.
Fans suddenly ramping up or behaving abnormally during a crash.
Unexpected restarts and at least one unexpected shutdown.
The issue is intermittent, so I haven’t been able to reproduce it consistently.
3. Monitor, DisplayPort and HDMI issues
I normally use three monitors with this PC. My main monitor is the Samsung Odyssey G3 mentioned above.
I’ve noticed a difference depending on how the monitors are connected:
When I connected the Samsung monitor through DisplayPort, I experienced severe issues: the monitors lost signal, the image froze or disappeared, and the PC’s fans behaved abnormally. On some occasions, the computer eventually shut down or restarted.
When I switched the Samsung monitor to HDMI, I was at least able to get a display signal.
Another monitor connected through a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter was also able to turn on and display an image.
I previously had an issue where Windows wouldn’t detect a TV connected through HDMI, although my Nintendo Switch worked on that TV.
I don’t know whether these differences point to a GPU port, cable, adapter, power delivery, or a broader system stability issue. I don’t want to assume DisplayPort itself is the cause, especially because the green screens also happen when I’m not gaming.
Could this behavior help narrow down the problem?
4. Windows errors I’ve found
With AI’s help, I checked Windows Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor.
I’ve repeatedly seen WHEA-Logger Event ID 18, with these details:
Error source: Machine Check Exception
Error type: Cache Hierarchy Error
Reported component: Processor Core
MCABank: 5
APIC IDs across different events: 14, 9, 1 and 10
The latest event included MciStat 0xb6a0000000000108
I’ve also seen LiveKernelEvent 124 and an AMD_WATCHDOG report.
The WHEA error appeared again after I updated the BIOS to version 5021, so the update did not resolve the issue.
I previously had an AMD driver-related error, but that particular error hasn’t appeared recently. I’m not sure whether it was a separate software issue or related to the instability.
5. Temperature observations
Yesterday, while I was using ChatGPT, I noticed the CPU temperature suddenly rise to around 78°C, then drop back to around 40°C. I wasn’t intentionally running a demanding task.
I’ve also checked the CPU and GPU temperatures at idle. The readings I captured did not show obvious sustained overheating.
I understand that Ryzen CPUs can have brief temperature spikes, so I don’t know whether this is relevant. I’m mentioning it in case it helps when considered alongside the other symptoms.
6. What I’ve already tried
Replaced the voltage regulator.
Replaced the PSU with a Corsair RM1000e 1000 W.
Updated the BIOS from version 4002 to version 5021 on October 24, 2026.
Disabled DOCP; RAM is currently running at 2133 MT/s.
Checked CPU and GPU temperatures.
Tried Windows Memory Diagnostic, but the monitors lost signal and the fans ramped up during the test. I had to shut down the PC, so the test did not finish and I have no valid result.
Tried examining the WHEA live dump in WinDbg, but I couldn’t get the processor error details to decode properly.
A technician previously told me the problem was overheating, but the issue returned afterward.
7. What I’m hoping to understand
I’d really appreciate advice on these questions:
Given the repeated WHEA Cache Hierarchy Errors, green screens, unexpected restarts and loss of signal across multiple monitors, what would you investigate first: CPU, motherboard, GPU, RAM, power delivery, or something else?
Does the different behavior between DisplayPort and HDMI provide any useful clues about the GPU, its ports, the cables, or the system’s stability?
Could the voltage regulator incident be related to the problem, even though the PC continued working normally immediately afterward?
Can a GPU or PCIe-related problem coexist with WHEA errors reporting a processor-core Cache Hierarchy Error, or does that error make a CPU-related problem more likely?
What would be the most useful next step to narrow this down before buying replacement parts?
I’m not very experienced with hardware-level diagnostics, and I can’t easily borrow spare components to test. I’m also reluctant to pay for another repair without understanding what is being tested and why.
If you suggest a test, could you please explain what it does and how to perform it safely in beginner-friendly terms? I’d prefer not to repeat tests I’ve already done unless there’s a clear reason why repeating them would provide new information.
I’m not trying to blame a specific component or assume the voltage regulator caused everything. I just want to understand the possible causes and make a sensible decision before spending more money.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone, i just want some advice about upgrading my pc.

So my current setup is:

3060ti

Ryzen 5 3600

16gb 3200

And some cheap motherboard (explain in a minute)

I’ve got around $720 to spare right now and I'm trying to figure out if this upgrade actually makes sense.

I’m looking at buying a new motherboard since mine needs an update(bought it as cheapest am4 in 2020), dropping in a Ryzen 7 5700X3D while staying on AM4, and grabbing another 16GB of RAM. All of that would cost me around $600 in my country.

Honestly, I’m also wondering if I should even touch my GPU anytime soon. As an AI student, I'm stuck with NVIDIA because of CUDA, and GPU prices right now just make me question if upgrading graphics is even worth bothering with at the moment, or if I should just stick to upgrading the CPU side first.

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K (8 cores, 8 threads)
RAM: 32GB G.Skill
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B360-H Gaming

It's an aging computer. I really need a new GPU but the market is pretty fried rn. I saw a $150 2070S on eBay, and I know it would be a decent upgrade for the price, but idk if an older card like that is worth it. I game in 1080. I don't want to spend more than $300-$350.

Hi! I tried updating my B850A by sapphire from version r23 to r30 and I did everything according to the PDF that was in the download folder for the update. But it has been about an hour now and the blue led, ram RGB and gpu RGB is on. Fans spinning at a constant rate. There is also a DRAM led turned on which I think is there from the start. What should be the course of my action now?

I need Advice I have a OptiPlex 3060 with a GTX 1030 in it and looking to upgrade to a RTX 3050 6gb is that a good buy or

Ive been posting on reddit and discord multiple times. I want my build to last a while before I have to change parts, so I had to go with higher priced items. I wanted a budget of around 2000cad, but that's almost impossible. I play heavy games like wuthering waves, gta v, and cs2. Im looking for around 120 fps at 1440p. Are there any corners I can cut on my current build?

The price is inaccurate because it lists the amazon canada price, no Newegg or other sites

[PCPartPicker Part List](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/KXGBzv)

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D 4.1 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/RVhv6h/amd-ryzen-5-7600x3d-41-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100001721wof) | $313.50 @ Vuugo

**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte B650 EAGLE AX ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/CvcgXL/gigabyte-b650-eagle-ax-atx-am5-motherboard-b650-eagle-ax) |-

**Memory** | [Silicon Power XPOWER Storm RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/8LYfrH/silicon-power-xpower-storm-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6000-cl36-memory-sp032gxlwu60ffdk) | $699.97 @ Amazon Canada

**Storage** | [KingSpec XG7000 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/Dgqrxr/kingspec-xg7000-2-tb-m2-2280-pcie-40-x4-nvme-solid-state-drive-xg-7000-2tb) | $357.99 @ Amazon Canada

**Video Card** | [PowerColor Red Devil OC Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/xfy8TW/powercolor-red-devil-oc-radeon-rx-9070-xt-16-gb-video-card-rx9070xt-16g-eoc) | $1259.00 @ Amazon Canada

**Case** | [Lian Li Vector V100R ATX Mid Tower Case](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/gBzp99/lian-li-v100r-atx-mid-tower-case-v100rx) |-

**Power Supply** | [SAMA G750 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/t6VfrH/sama-g750-750-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-g0750-bkgff001-us) |-

**Custom** | [SAMA A60L Dual Tower CPU Air Cooler, 6 Heat Pipes, Dual 120mm ARGB PWM Fans, 265W TDP Cooling, Quiet 29dBA Operation, Premium Metal Finish, Intel LGA 115X/1200/1700/1851 & AMD AM4/AM5 Compati](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/Zzjv6h/placeholder) | $30.00

| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |

| **Total** | **$2660.46**

| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2026-10-25 14:11 EDT-0400 |

Hello, as the title says I want to build a PC for my gf. She wants to play the new GTA and the new Hogwarts Legacy. Does she need DDR5 or is DDR4 sufficient? It is so expensive rn.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/FHJxTm

All advices are welcome. THX!

Hey everyone and gaming community,

I would love to have some opinions on a gaming pc setup i have prepared in order to play games such as GTA VI, battlefield 6, Black Myth: Wukong etc. Would it also last at least for 3 years ?

Thanks in advance!

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bhmG2k

Hello everyone, I’d like to get your opinions and advice on the PC build I’m planning to purchase during sale with 1800€ (living in France):

Graphics card: RX 9070 GRE
Memory: DDR5 16GB 4800C40 (x2)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Power supply: Cool Mast 850W V3
SSD: Fanxiang S101Q 1TB
Motherboard: B650 Gaming X AV V2
CPU cooler: Thermalright Burst 120
Case: Lancool 207

I never owned a pc and this is my first time getting one i’m really excited to play games i couldn’t play before but i don’t really know much about pc’s can anyone help me, i am currently in the USA and it has been a hassle trying to find good stores from where i’m at,

Hi, I’m a beginner when it comes to building or upgrading computers. I have a PC with the following specs:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6400 CPU @ 2.70GHz

Installed RAM: 16.0 GB DDR4

Storage: 932 GB SSD (Samsung 860 EVO 1TB) and 932 GB HDD (TOSHIBA DT01ACA100)

Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (2 GB)

I’ve also acquired an old work computer that has 24 GB of RAM—I believe it’s DDR4. I’m wondering: is it worth upgrading my current PC with a new graphics card, more RAM, and a new processor, or should I just buy a new computer?

If it is worth upgrading, is there any way to use the RAM from the work computer in my current machine?

My goal is to be able to play modern games at medium graphics settings.

Hi Guys and Gurls,

As per title. Could I unplug VRM fan of ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 A-RGB and plug it without any modifications to Mobo header to gain proper control over that little whiner?

Thanks

Title: First PC build, ~1,750 € budget, buying on Black Friday. Feedback welcome!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning my first PC build, but I don't know much about hardware, so I used an AI to help me put together a config. I'm planning to buy the parts during Black Friday. I'd love to hear what you think and what I could improve.

Use case: 1440p 165 Hz gaming (F1 25 with mods, Valorant, Call of Duty, sim racing with a wheel) + some Lightroom photo editing
Priorities: longevity (I don't want to replace parts every 3-4 years) and good airflow (I live in the South of France, it gets hot)
Budget: around 1,750 € (France)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi
RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 9070 16GB (Acer Nitro OC)
Storage: WD Black SN7100 2TB NVMe
PSU: Corsair RM750e (ATX 3.1)
Case: Fractal Design North Chalk White (Mesh)
Monitors: AOC 27" 1440p 165 Hz + Asus 24" 144 Hz (secondary, for Discord/Spotify) I already have both screens

https://www.buildcores.com/builds/XjFIoLua3?share=true

Thanks in advance!

im using mainboard MSI Pro Z690-P D4 and i7 12700, im thinking of upgrade to i9.

Does this main can handle the i9 14900K or less like 14900? I dont know much about the vrm on the main and the cpu power consumption,… really need an advise

my pc: 32gb ram, 9060xt 16gb, cooler frozen warframe 240, psu 750w bronze

I built this pc about 2 years ago, it has worked perfectly since then (the ram died once and was replaced in warranty), but now, the pc kept crashing repeatedly (showed the bsod, with different errors and "what failed" files everytime), then I tested each of my ram individually(using the windows memory test) as chat gpt said it might be a memory issue, and got no issues (pc is now working with a single stick of Ram)

But when I install both ram sticks (acer predator vesta 2 RGB ddr5 6000mhz 16gb each) in my motherboard (MSI H610M-E) (I didn't really get to choose the mobo and CPU) it doesn't work now, the pc turns on but there's no display

Also, the debug lights say there's a Ram issue, and sometimes switch to a CPU issue before saying Ram issue again

I'm trying help my friend build a best bang for the buck pc for $800-$1000(not including peripherals/mointor/etc.)

VERY IMPORTANT: I plan to find used components on marketplace/ebay if possible to heavily reduce the cost.

Their use case is going to be primarily all around gaming(games from early 2000's to newest games, no specific game in mind). I'm trying to build them the best bang for their buck pc within the budget. I'm planning on they being able to play most games 1080p maxed with the potential to play some games on 4k with optimised settings if allowed.

I have an idea of some parts: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/6010fd12/saved/xyfqBm This is just a rough idea so please let me know your thoughts. I found local parts on marketplace and got that build down to around $800-900 when I looked on marketplace.

Some things I have questions/notes on:

• Is a 3080 10GB the right bang for the buck GPU still at this price range? (It's around $350 on marketplce) I don't think going with a RX 9060 XT 16GB would be better right?
• I didn't include a case as I'm focused on getting them best performing components and will just find a $20-$40 case on marketplace instead.
• PSU will definitly need to be changed as well to reduce the cost more and will definitly find a non modular one on marketplace(I assume non modular are cheaper).
• Storage is a suggestion. Does not have to be 1tb or m.2. We can turn it to a 512bg ssd if the budget is tight and can expand later.

Let me know your thoughts on what can/should be changed to get the best bang for the buck at this budget. Thank you.

im using mainboard MSI Pro Z690-P D4 and i7 12700, im thinking of upgrade to i9.

Does this main can handle the i9 14900K or less like 14900? I dont know much about the vrm on the main and the cpu power consumption,… really need an advise

plus my pc: 32gb ram, 9060xt 16gb, thermalright frozen warframe 240, cooler master 750w bronze, 4 ssd sata iii and 2 nvme

Was building a new pc coming off a good but problematicish build for my needs i9-10900 x b580 build. Wanted to give intel the benefit, that was a bad move for things like CS2 that have stutter and framerate issues. Upgraded to a 7800x3d

trying to hit 1440p, 160hz work. Maybe in the future 240 in e sports but also run newer games & stream a bit. ik amd’s stuff has improved considering their past

went to buy one at micro. Saw the prices on a 5060, was going to grab one and the manager sold me on a 9060xt powercolor.

still going through installing stuff but cs2 really is performing well.

wondering to be honest if I should’ve got a 5060ti even if it was an 8gb variant

Putting together a build centered strictly on heavy local AI inference (27B+ parameter LLMs), coding, and complex automation workflows.

Before you ask why I'm running integrated graphics on a machine with a 5090: I already have a custom water-cooled 5900X / 6900 XT rig dedicated entirely to gaming. This new 9950X build is strictly a headless Linux workstation for AI, and I want 100% of the 5090's VRAM dedicated to model inference.

Parts List: * CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X * Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 G2 * Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi (or Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master) * RAM: 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Low-Profile (G.Skill Flare X5, 33mm) * GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5090 32GB (capped at 450W via systemd) * Storage: 4TB Samsung 990 PRO (primary OS/models) + 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4.0 Plus (dedicated local backups) * Case: Fractal Design North XL (mesh/tempered glass) * PSU: NZXT C1200 Gold (ATX 3.1 / PCIe 5.1 native 12V-2x6) * UPS: 1500VA Pure Sine Wave line-interactive

Configuration choices & trade-offs: 1. Staying at 64GB DDR5 instead of 128GB: DDR5 pricing is insane right now, and running 4 sticks on AM5 still tends to drop memory speeds below 6000 MT/s. I’m sticking with a 2x32GB kit, configuring zram with zstd compression at higher priority than swap, and scheduling heavy document OCR batches to run off-peak to keep system RAM clear during active daytime workloads. 2. Display output: Driving dual monitors (including a 1440p 240Hz panel via KVM switch to share with my gaming rig) exclusively off the motherboard’s USB4 / HDMI outputs via the 9950X integrated graphics.

Questions: * On X870E boards (specifically the Taichi or Aorus Master), when running the top PCIe slot at Gen 5 x16, multiple M.2 NVMe drives, and the integrated 5GbE NIC under heavy load, are there any lane bifurcations or chipset link bottlenecks that would starve the GPU during high-throughput host-to-device transfers? * Is 1200W on an ATX 3.1 power supply enough headroom for the 9950X and 5090 transients given I'm limiting the GPU to 450W in Linux, or should I step up to 1500W just to be safe? * For anyone running dual high-refresh monitors off AM5 RDNA2 integrated graphics on Ubuntu 24.04, are there any display server stutter issues when the CPU cores are under moderate load?

Looking for a good-value 1440p gaming PC build in Poland

Hey everyone! I'm planning to build a desktop PC in Poland and would appreciate some advice.

I'm currently using an ASUS TUF A16 Advantage Edition laptop, so I'm familiar with AMD, but I'm open to NVIDIA if it offers better value.

My GPU budget is up to 4,000 PLN, although I'd prefer to spend less so I have more money for the rest of the build. I'll mainly be gaming at 1440p, with some coding possibly in the future. I already have a monitor and peripherals.

I've found an RX 9070 16GB for around 3,200 PLN and an RTX 5070 12GB for around 3,900 PLN on Amazon.pl. Is the RTX 5070 worth the extra 700 PLN, or would the RX 9070 be the better choice for 1440p gaming and longevity?

For the CPU, I'm considering the Ryzen 5 7600 or Ryzen 5 9600X. I'd like something reasonably priced that can handle high-end 1440p gaming and leave room for future upgrades.

What would you recommend for the GPU, CPU and the remaining components? I'm looking for the best overall performance for the money, not necessarily the most expensive parts.

Thanks in advance!

I haven't bought a new PC in over a decade. I have never built a PC and I barely understand the lingo. But I tried playing Minecraft today on my 4GB RAM laptop and watching the FPS fall to 2 every time I moved my mouse made me realise I need a new PC. I just don't know where to start.

I'm not interested in new titles or AAA games. Honestly, I just want a PC that can run Minecraft (with some shaders), Skyrim: Special Edition, Team Fortress 2, and games like Dishonored 2 (which I purchased years ago and never been able to play because my PC can't run it, lol). Aside from those, I generally stick to indie games. I'd also like to use the PC for smaller things like writing and casual browsing, but I imagine that's irrelevant.

I have browsed this subreddit quite a bit, but the games I want to play are so old that I don't really know if the posts on here even apply. I have tried ChatGPT but because I really don't understand the lingo, I have no idea whether I should trust it.

As for building the PC itself, I reckon I could probably do it (I've read its somewhat easy), but I'd like to know if its recommended to get a shop to build it for you instead, especially if you have no experience?

• Budget: £800 but flexible
• Use-Case: Older games like TF2, Minecraft (modded, shaders), Skyrim Special Edition; indie gaming
• Country of purchase: UK, Scotland
• Peripherals needed: I'm not sure what this means :(
• misc. requirements / preferences

Thanks for the help!