Building New PC

[viper37]

Viper, thanks for the excellent advice    .

The Mobo BIOS was already updated, so the problem won't go away. I think I will follow your (and GF's) advice and update the build by changing mobo, cpu, ram and GPU. I'm still unsure about the SSD, because right now I'm using an OCZ SATA SSD as my main drive, and it works quite well, although it's becoming a bit old (it's up since at least five/six years) and small (it's a 128 gb only), so maybe going for a M.2 SSD could be an option.

Considering that I won't do any kind of overclocking, is there a reason to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler, or the one coming with the CPU is enough?

What's the meaning of the 6-12-12-23 (or such) numbers for the RAM sticks?

And last question, the PSU: I've a Corsair TX750, non-modular, 80+ Bronze, and it's there since ten years: I've read somewhere that after some time the PSU tend to lose efficiency, is it true? Should I change this, too?

Oh, and one more thing: is there some kind of GPU shortage going on? On italian sites it's impossible to get a video card, I've found all the other possible parts but video cards are out of stock everywhere, on Amazon.it too (and I've tried the sister sites from France, Germany, UK, Spain. Turkey, too...)

L.

You're welcome, Grumbler too

I'm still unsure about the SSD, because right now I'm using an OCZ SATA SSD as my main drive, and it works quite well, although it's becoming a bit old (it's up since at least five/six years) and small (it's a 128 gb only), so maybe going for a M.2 SSD could be an option.

There's something funny about these SSDs.  Technically speaking, a newer M.2 drive will be faster than your old drive, there is no doubt about it.  But can you notice it?  Ahh. The question.

There's a guy I casually follow on Youtube, Linus Tech Tips.  He made the tests, 3 computers, nearly exactly the same, except for the SSDs.  One had a SATA interface, the other one M.2 and the last the newer technology.  Out of 3 guys who blindtested games on these rigs, the newest standard was seen as the slowest for them, and the old SATA one came out first for 2 of them.

So bottom line, do not change the SSD for better speed, you would be limited by other factors. Change the SSD IF you think it is too small for your needs. Then it's worth going for a newer one.

Considering that I won't do any kind of overclocking, is there a reason to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler, or the one coming with the CPU is enough?

Some people here found the Ryzen cooler to be noisy and they disliked it.  I didn't find it noisy in my office (Ryzen 5 and 3s) but at home I had liquid cooling prior to buying my Ryzen CPU, so I don't really know how it behaves for gaming.

I tend to recommend to use the default cooling solutions, it is quite ok for most users.  If you find it too noisy in your games, you can still have it changed later.  My guess is that if you find your actual cooler allright sound-wise, the Ryzen's Wraith cooler will be quieter than this.  If it's driving you insane currently, than yeah, maybe a much better cooler than the default one is required.

If it's cooling you are worried about, there is no need to worry, it is an excellent cooler, and even with moderate overclocking it would still work pretty well.

I found this nice video where it compares older AMD coolers to their new ones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqMychnXSrw

What's the meaning of the 6-12-12-23 (or such) numbers for the RAM sticks?

Latency.
Rather than retyping everything, here's a very good text about it:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cas-latency-ram-cl-timings-glossary-definition,6011.html

Technically, the lower, the better.  But again, the same problem as with the SSDs: will you notice a difference while gaming? The answer is no.  Clock speed is more important here, but don't go overboard either.  3000-3200 is allright for an AMD gaming computer.  Depending on specials, sometimes, I have seen 3200mhz cheaper than 3000mhz kits.  While 4000mhz RAM would be theoritically better, the only practical advantage is for those who want to achieve higher overclocking.  I'm not really sure it is noticeable in most games.  I expect you will be playing, not actively benchmarking  

They usually recommend 15 (the last number) CAS latency for modern CPUs with DDR4.  Mine is 16 or 17 and works pretty well.

As for manufacturers, G. Skill is good, so are Crucial and Corsair, and a few others.  In my case, if they happen to be defective (and it did happen), all three require me to have them returned in the US for warranty repairs.  It might be worth looking at, before buying, in your case, if they can be serviced in the EU for cheaper shipping costs.  Same goes for the motherboard.  These are probably the two components that get defective the most over time or on arrival.

I like dram sticks that come with some form of "cooler" design, they tend to dissipate heat better, something that has a similar look to this:

compared to the "plain" old green stick.  I have had far lesser problems with these than other sticks in gaming computers, as heat increases inside the case while gaming, sometimes.

And last question, the PSU: I've a Corsair TX750, non-modular, 80+ Bronze, and it's there since ten years: I've read somewhere that after some time the PSU tend to lose efficiency, is it true? Should I change this, too?

It's not a false statement.

However, you have to look at what they define efficiency for.  Will you risk destroying your CPU or other component?  No, unless it is defective (which I assume it is not).  What could happen is that to give you 750w, it will actually draw 900w or 1000w from the wall because it has diminished efficiency.

And I will again stress the could.  These PSUs are actually very good, and to pass certifications like 80+bronze, Gold, Platinum,etc, it means they have to be built with very good components to resists the stress tests.  Will they diminish efficiency over time?  Yes, but not by very much.  It's possible that when you first bought it, it required to draw 860w from the wall to give you 750w and now it needs 862w.  Not enough to be worth the costs, and that is only if it was the worst case scenario, which is unlikely.

With your current config, you have room to spare if you want to add extra devices/components, so there's no need to change it, even if it was a little bit less efficient than on your first day.

If it is defective, it's another matter entirely, of course, but since it is not...

Energy savings are something to consider, but it's also negligeable.  There's a good text about the energy savings here between 80+ up to 80+Platinum:
https://appuals.com/gold-vs-bronze-psu/
It's for the US market, but still, it gives you a good idea.  The difference between your current PSU and a new 80+ Platinum 750w amount to 10$ a year.  Figure how much time it takes to recuperate your investment

For now, keep it.  It can last maybe another 10 years with no problem.  I figure it's not always running at 100% load all day long, so it's like a car run by a priest only for his Sunday mass

Oh, and one more thing: is there some kind of GPU shortage going on? On italian sites it's impossible to get a video card, I've found all the other possible parts but video cards are out of stock everywhere, on Amazon.it too (and I've tried the sister sites from France, Germany, UK, Spain. Turkey, too...)

Yes   Both AMD and Nvidia have released excellent new cards late this fall and covid is not helping manufacturing...

There's a rush of people suddenly wanting to upgrade their computers, not just gamers.  Many parts seem hard to get by.  Some of the newest AMD Ryzen cpus are also hard to find.  I think the newest Threadripper is back order in many places.

You might want to look at a generation or two behind the latest ones, or look for used cards on E-bay.  Sometimes, there are deals on open box, products that were returned to the store within a couple of weeks.  But man, this year, it's crazy.  The prices are insanely high, there's been barely no specials on computer parts for Black Friday and Boxing Day, yet CPUs and GPUs are flying off the shelves.  1000-1500$CAN for a GPU is excessive for my personal tastes.  I'd have thought with the death of Crossfire and SLI the prices would have diminished a little, but no, still to the roof.

[Pedrito]

As always, super helpful answers 

One more question:
Should I decide to buy a new SSD, while my older one is still in good working order (only issue is the size, it's a 128 gb), what would you do:

- keep the old SSD as master disk, for OS and Office suite, and use the new one for games and photo editing software (while all the data and backup will be in an older, larger HDD);
or
- clone the older SSD to the newer one, and effectively use only one (and marginally faster) SSD for everything (with data in the HDD, as above)? What's the headache level for cloning a SSD content to a newer one? What are the best (and simplest!) applications to clone a disc? Windows 10 will accept the hardware swap or will it be a riotous, malevolent piece of software? (This last question can be asked for a new Mobo-CPU combo, too).

Thanks,

L.

[viper37]

As always, super helpful answers 

One more question:
Should I decide to buy a new SSD, while my older one is still in good working order (only issue is the size, it's a 128 gb), what would you do:

- keep the old SSD as master disk, for OS and Office suite, and use the new one for games and photo editing software (while all the data and backup will be in an older, larger HDD);
or
- clone the older SSD to the newer one, and effectively use only one (and marginally faster) SSD for everything (with data in the HDD, as above)? What's the headache level for cloning a SSD content to a newer one? What are the best (and simplest!) applications to clone a disc? Windows 10 will accept the hardware swap or will it be a riotous, malevolent piece of software? (This last question can be asked for a new Mobo-CPU combo, too).

Thanks,

L.

I would clone the SSD to the new one and discard the 128gb one.  128gb is low for storage.  Use your SSD.

as for cloning, it ain't too hard to do with the proper software.

AOEMI Backupper does it for free:
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-copy-your-windows-installation-to-an-ssd

The PC Mag instructions require you to buy a USB to SATA adapter, but you don't need it.  Just plug your old SSD on your new board and boot from it when everything is installed.  Windows might ask to be re-activated, but wait until the copy is done.

It's well detailed, but if you need clarification, do not hesitate

[viper37]

I forgot.  The first time you will boot, Windows may ask for re-activation, you can do it right there, it shouldn't be much of a hassle.  Make sure you have your Windows license nearby before switching motherboard&hardware, in case you have problems and need to phone Windows license support.  It is unlikely to be a problem, even then, it is unlikely you will need your license#, but better safe than sorry.

[Pedrito]

 

Next week parts will be arriving, I'll keep you updated on the operations. Thank you!

L.

[Barrister]

I forgot.  The first time you will boot, Windows may ask for re-activation, you can do it right there, it shouldn't be much of a hassle.  Make sure you have your Windows license nearby before switching motherboard&hardware, in case you have problems and need to phone Windows.  It is unlikely to be a problem, even then, it is unlikely you will need your license#, but better safe than sorry.

I had a brand-new build 4 1/2 years ago, but I went to try and re-use my copy of Windows.

I called up Microsoft and they had no problem giving me a new activation code.

[viper37]

I forgot.  The first time you will boot, Windows may ask for re-activation, you can do it right there, it shouldn't be much of a hassle.  Make sure you have your Windows license nearby before switching motherboard&hardware, in case you have problems and need to phone Windows.  It is unlikely to be a problem, even then, it is unlikely you will need your license#, but better safe than sorry.

I had a brand-new build 4 1/2 years ago, but I went to try and re-use my copy of Windows.

I called up Microsoft and they had no problem giving me a new activation code.

Yes, it's usually not a problem.  Only once did I need to look up for my license numbers and give them to MS until I got the right one (I had 5 Windows 8 licenses).

[viper37]

Next week parts will be arriving, I'll keep you updated on the operations. Thank you!

L.

Looking forward to it!

[Caliga]

I'm now leaning toward doing an AMD build for my next PC, but of course the Ryzen 5 CPUs are out of stock everywhere on account of their excellent price point vs. performance....

[Darth Wagtaros]

I'm now leaning toward doing an AMD build for my next PC, but of course the Ryzen 5 CPUs are out of stock everywhere on account of their excellent price point vs. performance....

Not a Threadripper?  I had AMD for the longest time.  This last time I found a (suspiciously) good deal on a late model i9, so I'm back to Intel. 

[Caliga]

Nah, I'm not paying that much for a CPU.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Nah, I'm not paying that much for a CPU.

I guess if you don't care about having lot's of cores.  All the cores.

[Caliga]

I like lots of cores, but I don't think I have any apps (even FS2020) that would make use of them.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I like lots of cores, but I don't think I have any apps (even FS2020) that would make use of them.

I dont think there are many at all.

[Pedrito]

Next week parts will be arriving, I'll keep you updated on the operations. Thank you!

L.

Looking forward to it!

Build completed in a couple hours (including a complete dusting of case and fans)!
But more important, the link you gave me about cloning the HDD was an absolute blessing: not only the cloning program, AOMEI Backupper, is fast, safe and dumb-proof, but in the article they suggest using AOMEI Partition Assistant to manage the partitions: well, this one is even easier to use, and partition managing, that the last time I installed a new HD was an absolute headache, has become a breeze.
Thank you so much, Viper, much appreciated help!

L.