Have to rebuild my computer.

[Rockin Robbins]

@propbeanie: I'll test out the video card when I get my new components. I'll not be getting the GTX 1050 ti card right away unless the GTS 250 is toast. I don't think it's been affected.

I have 16 GB of DDR3 RAM in the computer and about 12 GB not in the computer. I'll test that too to see what's good.

I don't have another AM3 motherboard to verify the CPU.

I looked up my purchase and my GA 970-UD3 motherboard, CPU and memory were purchased in 2012. They've had a good run. After five years I was still happy with performance.

@BarracudaUAK: Watch out with the Threadrippers. They are really designed for extreme multithread video editing and similar use. For games Threadrippers aren't as great. They're respectable, just not as good as you might believe looking at all those cores. Game mode turns off half of the cores just for starters.

If your primary reason for the computer is gaming, stepping down a notch or two from Threadripper could cut your cost in half without any cost at all in gaming performance. And that's always a good thing!

[BarracudaUAK]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

...

@BarracudaUAK: Watch out with the Threadrippers. They are really designed for extreme multithread video editing and similar use. For games Threadrippers aren't as great. They're respectable, just not as good as you might believe looking at all those cores. Game mode turns off half of the cores just for starters.

If your primary reason for the computer is gaming, stepping down a notch or two from Threadripper could cut your cost in half without any cost at all in gaming performance. And that's always a good thing!

I know, I've been keeping a close eye on several benchmark/reviews (in particular Linux based) for a while...

However, your comment is the same comment I heard before dual-core CPUs were the norm.
I mentioned, years ago, about wanting to get a Dual CPU motherboard, and the statement at the time was "games won't use the 2nd CPU because they aren't coded for it".
However: setting program affinity (on an old Dual-CPU or a dual-core CPU) to use CPU-0 for the game, and CPU-1 for everything else, you will end up with a net GAIN in the end.
I used to do this before the AMD patches that allowed games such as BF1942 to run with out the need to manually set program affinity...

I went to a local computer store when I built an AM3 Athlon II 2.8ghz for a family member, and told them I wanted a 4GB stick of DDR3... 1666hmz.

Store: "You don't need 4GB for games...."


They built a new FX-8350 before that AM3 got any upgrades...

Now a dual-core with 4GB won't run most games. Even if the game is OK with 4GB, the processor isn't enough...

So while current games may not make use of it, future games quite possibly will.
Also, the fact that I usually have multiple programs running at the same time will more than make up for it, with the Linux scheduler (wrong name, the program that evens the load on the CPU's Cores).

If I'm modding SH3/4, I usually have S3d open in a prefix, graphics/paint program running, 3d modeling program running, JSGME running to install the mod, then I have SH3/4 running to test changes.

If I'm modding Fallout 3/NV, then add Steam and the Fallout Mod Manager to that, in additional Wine Prefixes...

All the while, never affecting the speed of the game, and I don't have to close and re-open a program... So if I decide I don't like a change that I've made in an editor, it's as simple as "Ctrl-Z" to undo the change. Save>Import to game files>Refresh mod>start game (or maybe just reload the save file).

I appreciate the attempt to help me save a several hundred $$$, but I've been here before! (last "over-built" PC lasted me about 9 years.)


On the other side, some friends and I used to have a little "competition" to see, using Newegg or similar sites, who could build the least expensive PC to play a certain game.

Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005), Crysis, etc. The game that was the "benchmark" changed as time went on. Now it might be something like Overwatch... Kinda like build a running 4x4 or hot-rod for as little as possible. But it must do "X".

We put this constant "arm-chair building" to use on a few occasions when some elderly friends needed a PC on a fixed income. We spec'd the PC based on their needs, then built it within budget.

Also would build "money is no object" systems... On Newegg built a Dual-socket system, SCSI drives, RAID, High-end AGP Video card (Radeon 9000 series or earlier), etc....

Total: $30,000.

Later we doubled the specs for $10,000... after that the prices just kept falling.
No matter what we did, we couldn't get the prices up that high, things were just too cheap!
Which was great for our budgets.

Hmm, I think I know what I'll be doing later, Build the Cheapest PC possible.
Then challenge that group of friends again...

Again, good info, and always good for those that don't know.
I'm still not dropping $1,000 on a CPU...

Barracuda

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by BarracudaUAK

Again, good info, and always good for those that don't know.
I'm still not dropping $1,000 on a CPU...

Barracuda

The crazy thing is that compared to Intel, the $1000 CPU is an absolute bargain. You can't have all those cores hanging out there without somebody finding a way to use them........Hehehehehehehehe! No. Can't make myself spend $1000 for a CPU.

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by BarracudaUAK

I went to a local computer store when I built an AM3 Athlon II 2.8ghz for a family member, and told them I wanted a 4GB stick of DDR3... 1666hmz.

Store: "You don't need 4GB for games...."

Barracuda

Amazing what these computer "experts" know. Maybe at the time you could get away with less RAM, but one thing you should never cut corners on when building a new rig is memory. Get as much as you can because it will eventually be needed and it will always help a game or application run better and more stable. And even more important....buy QUALITY RAM! Don't buy the half price marked down no name stuff because it never performs as well as the brand name stuff like Corsair, Kingston, G-Skill, etc. A lot of them have to dial back the timings just to keep the RAM running close to stable and not crashing your rig. Or they have to turn up the voltage powering the RAM to help it run stable with tighter RAM timings and the stuff ends up running HOT and cuts its life in half. Personally I usually buy Corsair most of the time. Great compatibility, stability and performance for the price.
I know trying to spend your money wisely and not buy the latest "bleeding edge" component is hard sometimes, but you have to balance that with buying quality and performance, not just low price. Remember....you always get what you pay for!! I had a blast building my own rigs and its a rush when you power that bad boy up for the first time!!



G'luck and have fun.
"CC"

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by CaptainCruise

Remember....you always get what you pay for!! I had a blast building my own rigs and its a rush when you power that bad boy up for the first time!!



G'luck and have fun.
"CC"

Well, I won't go along with "you always get what you pay for." I'll say you seldom get a lot more than you pay for and often get a lot less than you paid for. Finding great value is not always easy. But that 's why we build.

And there is no shot of endorphins like popping in the back panel bezel into a computer case, screwing down the motherboard, plugging in new RAM and all your peripheral cards, connecting the disk drives, keyboard, speakers, mouse, other various gizmos and firing up your new desktop computer for the first time.

Buy laptops and buy one every other year. Build a desktop and never buy a new computer again! Plus you have complete control of all components. It's a totally addictive process.

[Cyborg322]

Biggest waste of cash Expensive Motherboards - Poor Bang per Buck

Even mid Ageing ( 7 years ) mid range ASUS P7LXVI Handles GTX980ti no problem

Who needs four lanes of Pci GPU slots ? most of the Claims of "PRO" " Deluxe" Etc Etc Meaningless Little real impact on performance

Go Cheap spend on other components

RAM Memory Cheap $/per Performance good

SSD's getting cheaper all the time

Intel CPU's all day long, Processor Speeds only on paper comparison . Run cool , low power, superior architecture.

Gap between NVidea and AMD closing all the time finally AMD viable option difficult choice

Just bought ASRock Motherboard ( Needed the Z170 Chip to unlock i3 ) for budget build. Surprisingly good value other brands just out of price range some useful features ,even looks nice !

ASUS Mobo has slogging along 7 years faultless

Simon

Windows 10
Intel i5 3570k @ 4.4Ghz ( OC with Stock Fan )
Nvidia Zotac GTX980ti 6Gb VRAM
ASUS P7LXVLI
16Gb HyperX Memory @ 1600mhz ( Plenty enough for Gaming )
3 x HHD 3.5 TB + 250GB Kingston HyperX SSD

[Rockin Robbins]

My strategy has always been to go with last year's finest. I'm going to violate that this time and go for AMD Ryzen processor. It's killing the present generation of Intel chips and will even beat the next unless Intel makes huge changes. They're overpriced anyway.

I've been AMD since 2004 and never regretted it. Saved about 50% and got 90% of the performance. I'm always willing to give up a little quality for a honking good price.

But with Ryzen, that's out the window. Now you can have better for less than Intel. Probably won't last long but who cares. I love to support the underdog.

I had problems with my ASUS motherboard, but it wasn't the fault of ASUS. There was a catalytic capacitor scam going on at the time where the company who sold most of the worlds' supply was the victim of industrial espionage. The guy who stole the blueprints took them to another manufacturer, who proceeded to steal the market.

But what the thief and other company didn't know was that the formula for the electrolyte that was stolen lacked the chemical that preserved the formula. All over the world television sets, phones, radio control equipment, computers, microwaves........failed a year after manufacture. My ASUS motherboard and an EVGA graphics card both died from popped electrolytic capacitors. Today I'd fire up my soldering iron and replace the caps. Then I wasn't up to the task.

I think there are a lot of great motherboard manufacturers now. I chose the MSI because it was more Linux compatible, but ASUS, MSI, Asrock, and others are all good right now. And you're right, RAM is the biggest bang for the buck out there.

Personally SSDs don't blow my skirt up because I don't care how fast my computer boots once a week. If they get a lot more reliable and cost a quarter of what they do now I'll probably get interested.

[Cyborg322]

RR

Not sure where you get your CPU info from but don't want to get into whats best arguement its personal preference

Benchmarks
http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare...00X/3647vs3916

Electrolytic Capacitor thing interesting are we talking about the Jap Caps or the lesser quality stuff from China and the rest
There was a big deal about leakage one time too
At least blown Capacitors are easy to spot if you can be bothered to swap them

SSD has a few more benefits than just boot up, helps gaming but its only minimal, had mine a few years only invested a relatively small amount on a 250Gb for that reason, No problems so far . Spindle HDD's do the Job adequately for the rest of storage, SSD's Still expensive I agree !!

Problems with EVGA popped up just after I bought a EVGA PSU GS650w had me a little concerned but its been very good for about 3 years now performance really solid. There was also the Bursting into flames saga with GPU's very embarrassing for them for a really dumb mistake

Keep buying AMD's good man it helps keeping Intel in check with their Prices for me

Simon