Help me build my PC 2020 Catch All

polq37 wrote:

So, I ordered a Seasonic Prime 850 power supply a while back. I finally got around to installing it last night and it ... didn't work. I tested it with the little tester jumper thingy that came with it and the fan turned on. In the computer itself though, nothing happened. Unnerving to say the least. Redid everything and plugged the old supply back in and the computer was fine.

Anyway, I returned it and ordered a Corsair HX1000.

The old supply was a 10 year old Corsair HX750.

That's a bummer-- Seasonic Prime Ultras have been my go-to for my last few builds. The one time I had a real problem was in my recent build, where I tried to port over my otherwise-flawless Prime Ultra 750W to power a Ryzen 7 5800X and EVGA 3090 FTW Ultra. Then I ran into random shutdowns due to the graphics card sending excess noise down the 12V sense wire, tricking the PSU into thinking there was a power surge where there was none. I upgraded to a more formidable Seasonic Prime Ultra 1000W 80+ Titanium and haven't had a single issue since. Though in hindsight, I do wish I went with a beefy Super Flower or Corsair HX to avoid the issue entirely-- I found out that there's still a slight risk of shutdowns even with the more powerful 1000W Seasonic PSU, but so far it's been perfect.

This is my recently completed build that uses many of the same components being talked about.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor ($483.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($227.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($201.67 @ Amazon)
Storage: SK hynix Gold P31 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 24.0" 1920x1200 60 Hz Monitor
Monitor: Dell U2412M 24.0" 1920x1200 60 Hz Monitor
Monitor: Acer Predator XB271HUA 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech G502 Proteus Core Wired Optical Mouse
Total: $1376.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-12-03 17:45 EST-0500

Can highly recommend The Lancool II Mesh and confirm no issue with running the 3080 powered by the FOCUS 850. YMMV and all that. In retrospect, the only thing I'd change on my build is perhaps going with a B550.

So, what's the price of those RTX 2060 12 gb's gonna be? They're basically 2060 Supers.

I'm guessing $500 just to screw everyone over. I hope I'm wrong and they go with $350.

garion333 wrote:

I hope I'm wrong and they go with $350.

New computer is in. It's shiny. Still setting it up though, and learned something new... I hate Windows 11.

I'm working through my frustration at many of the new Windows 11 idiotsyncracies, but one has got me stumped. I mapped all my network drives, same as I had in Windows 10. But 11 refuses to show them as "Devices and Drives". They show up clearly enough in This PC, complete with the drive letters, but only under the Network Locations section. I didn't think this would make much difference, but boy does it. Any application that used to find files by drive letter is now completely unable to find the files.

Is there any way to force Windows 11 to view a mapped network drive as an actual local drive, the way it's supposed to?

My college age son would like a different case for his PC. He has an Alienware Aurora R7.

Questions:

1. Is it possible to swap out the components into a new case?
2. How difficult is it?

(I know difficulty is subjective. I’ve taken apart laptops to replace fans or an LCD panel, and on desktops I’ve installed hard drives, ram, and, many, many….many, years ago built my own PC. Like Windows 95 old. I’d like to know how much work it is, do I need special tools, that kind of thing.)

I would hesitate. The fans and such are selected for the case they are in, and the controls are tuned to that. So you'd need a case that would have *at least* the same size and placement of fans, and seals just as well as the R7, or you're going to be adjusting the fan control system so you don't fry the cpu and graphics and RAM. That means that the case will likely be bigger.

You need to make sure the case supports the form factor of the motherboard and the cooling system. You'll need one that fits the power supply and the location in which it is mounted. You'll want at least the same number and type of drive bays. You'll want to make sure you have enough USB ports in back, front and top locations to duplicate the R7.

Tools would be a small screwdriver set, static mat with ground and wrist connector, flashlight.

Honestly, it seems like a lot of cost and effort for a cosmetic change...

Does Dell/Alienware still use non-standard parts? If so that could cause complications.

No idea but they really fit things in there tightly. Good airflow, but tight. And the cases are sealed except for the fan intakes/outlets, so you can't just do an "open" style case and expect the control algorithms to work right. (I'm open to opposing evidence on that last point.)

I don't think there's a problem with moving it to a new case, it'll teach you how to build your own because you're gonna have to disconnect nearly everything and reconnect it. It will take hours though, probably.

But the real question is: Why? What's the goal? If it's a heating issue, then upgrade fans, replace the cpu goop, etc. Don't need a new case to get some lower temps.

garion333 wrote:

But the real question is: Why? What's the goal? If it's a heating issue, then upgrade fans, replace the cpu goop, etc. Don't need a new case to get some lower temps.

The goal: he wants a cooler case.

Well, not thermodynamically cool.

cool

5000brians wrote:
garion333 wrote:

But the real question is: Why? What's the goal? If it's a heating issue, then upgrade fans, replace the cpu goop, etc. Don't need a new case to get some lower temps.

The goal: he wants a cooler case.

Well, not thermodynamically cool.

cool

Seems like a potentially painful learning experience.

As Robear said, I would hesitate. In fact, I wouldn't just hesitate. I would be really, really, extra hesitant about this.

Dell built a lot of their business model on using non-standard fitting parts that weren't compatible with non-Dell products. But, I haven't messed with any Dell computers in years, so my knowledge isn't current. Still, I'd guess it was around 85% likely that there is something crucial in that Alienware PC that won't fit into a standard ATX case.

Robear wrote:

No idea but they really fit things in there tightly. Good airflow, but tight. And the cases are sealed except for the fan intakes/outlets, so you can't just do an "open" style case and expect the control algorithms to work right. (I'm open to opposing evidence on that last point.)

Ahhh I didn’t realize that there was a fan control algorithm that is tuned based on the design of the case/airflow.

I also wasn’t sure about non-standard parts.

I believe the Alienware uses (in its fan control) temperature thresholds to figure out how to control the fans. Those are usually settable, so I *think* you'd need to adjust them for a new case.

But he's in college... At the risk of being too nosy, how is this your problem and not one for him and his friends? They can bend metal and plastic, or learn how to do it - casemods are a thing. If he can't buy it, and you won't buy it for him, well... I suspect he'll get creative and learn something new...

Personally, I think those Alienware cases full of useless decorative plastic paneling are ripe for replacement.

BUT, the problem is that they typically don't have a standard rear IO shield, opting instead to mold the rear IO openings into the case itself.

You can certainly live without an IO shield, but it probably would make the case replacement a bit less satisfying.

Fan stuff is a solvable problem, especially if your new case has better ventilation than the old one.

Robear wrote:

But he's in college... At the risk of being too nosy, how is this your problem and not one for him and his friends? They can bend metal and plastic, or learn how to do it - casemods are a thing. If he can't buy it, and you won't buy it for him, well... I suspect he'll get creative and learn something new... :-)

Ha! Not a problem! Was thinking of doing it as a Christmas gift. I’m an engineer/nerd and actually like do this kind of thing occasionally. He is definitely not! Just likes to play the games.

Understood. Sorry for making the assumption.

Is a i7 9700k good enough for a 3080 ti? Or do I need to finally upgrade to a Ryzen 7 or 9?

The Bottleneck Calculator indicates that this is a good pairing (note: 3080ti isn't available in the calculator yet; this was based off 3080).

Yeah, you're good for another couple of years.

Moggy wrote:

An update on my "replace my monitor with a TV project". I ended up getting an LG 55" C1 OLED. Very good picture. It was an "opportunity purchase" when the wife and I went to CostCo last week. One of my goals in going to the bigger screen was to avoid the need for reading glasses while on the computer. I'm happy to report that has proven to be the case :-)

Picture of the monitor. It's been working really well. The only downside is I have another LG in the room and both TV remotes turn both TVs on and off. While you can pair the remotes for the other functions, on/off isn't paired. Workable but irritating.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/wkTwAu3.jpg)

You might be able to ditch the remote for the LG you are using as a monitor and just cover up the IR sensor. Download ControlMyMonitor from NirSoft and see if it will let you control the monitor. If so you can make a small batch file and assign it to a hotkey to turn the display on and off. You mileage may vary though. I can use it to turn my Dell monitors off but not back on for instance.

So Dell just emailed me and said my laptop is built and has been sent to the fulfillment center. It isn't due until early January. Their website says the order is still on track for an ontime delivery. I am hoping that I will get it well ahead of schedule making up for the delay they originally gave me.

When mine was built, it shipped like a day later. August.

kazar wrote:

So Dell just emailed me and said my laptop is built and has been sent to the fulfillment center. It isn't due until early January. Their website says the order is still on track for an ontime delivery. I am hoping that I will get it well ahead of schedule making up for the delay they originally gave me.

Female Doggo a lot and get a free mouse pad?

I've been on FedEx watch all day. Supposed to arrive today. It's "out for delivery", so I can't leave the house because that's when it'll show up.

Fortunately, I've plenty of things to be keeping me busy all day.

Those days stink. Lol

Well, it arrived!

All looks good, though it's going to take some time to "take ownership". I'm little disappointed that the packing was as minimal as it was. No nice manual or "getting started" booklet like their laptops come with. Just a power cord. Still, I plugged it in and 15 minutes later here I am!

I need to copy over some files from my last PC and start installing software, but that's going to be a much slower process. No need to clog up this PC with all the detritus from the last.

Maybe some of you already saw this on the Discord server (https://discord.com/channels/141393642857168897/141393642857168897/917576623388237834) last night but I thought I’d post here in the hope of finding a solution.

I am unable to play any Gamepass games/am having odd behavior with the Xbox app afte the Win10 patch that was applied in the last couple of days.

Short version:
1. Game Pass games (Halo Inf, B4B) fail to start with a error window suggesting that it cannot access the directory where the games reside, possibly due to a permissions error.
2. Discovered I had been signed out of Xbox app, but could not sign back in. Clicking Sign In did nothing (brief screen flash as of the dialog was going to appear but…doesn’t)
3. Tried several combinations of restarting computer, repairing/resetting/uninstalling/reinstalling Xbox app and Xbox live with no change in behavior. Tried re-starting several Xbox related services.
4. Through all troubleshooting, Xbox app is *very* slow. All icons take 10s of seconds to load. Maybe even a minute.
5. Found that if I logged into *another* win10 user account, then signed into the Xbox app with *my* account, I could start B4B. Response is snappy. Halo Inf starts, but then fails at the sign I screen, going into and infinite loop of “Welcome, Let’s Go!” and “Press Enter to Sign In!”
6. Determined that under my user account, I could log in using the Xbox companion app, then I could log into the Xbox app. Games still don’t work tho (same error window), and it’s still very slow.

A couple times I checked the task list and found that Windows anti-virus was using like 25-30% of my ram which struck me as odd…seemed like a lot. AV issue?

Planning to reach out to Microsoft to try to get some support but was thinking Makonde someone else has seen this issue. Thanks. (Cross posting to the Xbox gamepass thread)

Make sure you have enough drive space. IIRC I had this problem or something similar and it is because Game pass games download the giant installer, install the game and leave the giant installer on the drive. So it basically takes up double the drive space. And I believe if you delete the installer, it won't work either...

You should be able to google search for a solution.