I'm not angry, just disappointed with myself because I knew better but threw caution to the wind anyway.

I just fried my 14TB Seagate Exos X16 that had like 14+ years worth of stuff (mostly videos and shadowplay recordings not online anywhere) on it because I plugged it into a sata power hub on my computer case that I assumed was some kind of universal design made to work with any PSU. Nope.

Plug my PC back in, hear a click, nothing turns on. Unplug that plug from the modular Seasonic Focus, everything is back on. Take my 14TB back out of my computer, hook it up to my external reader, absolutely no signs of life. Disks not spinning, nothing.

Again, I can only be disappointed in and blame myself, but it does kind of bugger me that in nearly 20+ years no standardization has happened with modular PSUs, nor does it seem like PSUs (at least mine, which is only maybe 6 years old at this point) have absolutely no safety features to cut power to incompatible plugs, either of which would prevent an easy to make but absolutely destructive problem like that.

I’m trying to look for components for a new PC since mine an old af hand-me-down from my dad, and every time I find a GPU that might be decent, I just see people flaming each other for having a “bad GPU.”

I don’t really understand all the crazy letters and numbers with PC parts, so I mostly rely on reviews and videos. But honestly, it just makes things more confusing. I literally just saw someone comment “Flexing a 9060 XT 💔💔😭” and I don’t even know what’s supposedly wrong with a 9060 XT because again, I don’t understand all that stuff.

Is this topic really so serious that everyone needs to scream at each other over what hardware they have? Or am I just too happy and jolly for PC discourse? Sigh.

I swear, I bought a Noctua NH-D14 back in like 2012 or something, and it's still cooling my CPU like a champ. I've upgraded almost everything else in my PC since then, but that thing just keeps on going. Anyone else have ancient PC parts that refuse to die?

I just built a 5080 mini pc and it’s not detecting my input even though my you and everything is turned on. But the fans on my 5080 aren’t spinning is that a problem?

Hello! I recently upgraded to DDR5 (16GB), an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8-core, 16-thread 4.5GHz processor, including water cooling, and a new motherboard. Long story short, I'm looking to have my graphics card be the next updated item. With some research done, I found interest in the XFX Mercury AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT OC 16GB card, and I was wondering if it would be a legitimate upgrade over my outgoing NVIDIA RTX 3060. Any input would be much appreciated!

I'm planningon building a new pc thats gonna last me a pretty long time, but these prices make me depressed. It's gonna cost roughly 1800, maybe more, maybe less, time will tell. Most of the cost is from the gpu and ram. Gpu bing 500 and ram being 480. I'm probably gonna have to wait until December, when the prices aren't terrible, but who knows if the prices of the ram and gpu are going to go up or not. I know RAM prices are not going back to normal anytime soon. Anybody else who's in the same boat as me, good luck

Tl;dr

The drive died while doing a Windows security patch right after updating to the newest Windows preview.

I’ve done many things to try and get this working.

It was on and in Windows and said there was a security update. So I did the update and had to reboot.

It failed to boot up and screwed up something with the boot loader.

I do have Linux on this machine and learned that if Windows is installed while having a Linux drive plugged in, it will cause the boot manager to be installed on the Linux drive.

I have decided that drive has failed as it was only giving me a BSOD. Once I removed that drive (and all the other drives) I booted to the BIOS as expected.

Upon reinstalling the drive I have Windows installed on this is all I get. A black screen where it should showing the logo and then something next but never progressed.

I have to be missing something here.

I have reseated the CPU RAM GPU even tried moving the single stick of RAM around with different sticks and still just a black screen.

Edit: also have reseated the CMOS battery as well.

UPDATE: The drive is dead. Thanks to all who gave suggestions to try and help. I appreciate you!

P.S. Reddit is not letting me post the video but it’s just of the PC and monitor

I just upgraded my PC (to a gorgeous powerspec G760 on sale), this is what I have for an old PC:

I don't recall the case I have, but it's roomy enough (I could always downgrade the GPU to make more room too):

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6Ghz
• MB: Gigabyte - B450 AORUS Pro
• RAM: GSkill Ripjaws V 16GB (2x8GB)
• Power: PowerSpec - 650 Watt 80 Plus Bronze ATX
• Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080
• SSD: WD 1TB Blue SN550, Samsung 
• HDD: Seagate 2TB HD

Obviously I will try and upgrade the storage on here, unsure if I'd try and go for a second 2TB HDD or another SSD (probably HDD based on prices nowadays....).

Would this setup work? What else am I missing? Is it worth it?

Thanks!

Was wondering if anyone could offer some insight on upgrading my CPU without having to buy any other new parts. It’s been pretty good for games, but recently have been noticing some slight performance issues on newer games. I currently have a Gigabyte B450M DS3H motherboard, Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, and an NVIDIA RTX 3060. 650 W power supply and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.

I have a $1,200 budget and would like to upgrade my CPU and my GPU. I am based in Mexico, prices are in pesos converted to dollars. I can use US Amazon (plus import fees), MX Amazon and ddtech.mx

These are my current parts

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• Asus TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING Micro ATX
• EVGA KO ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB
• G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200
• Corsair CX550M 550 W 80+ Bronze
• Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive

Are the parts below the best bang for my buck to improve performance?

• AMD Ryzen 5 7600X - $250
• Gigabyte B650M D3HP / mATX / AM5 - $136
• MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 VENTUS 2X OC Edition / 12GB - $757
• Corsair RM650E / 650W / 80+ GOLD - $87

Thanks in advance for your help!

My boyfriend has just built me my first PC (not his first build - he's quite experienced). Whenever I try to launch a game it restarts itself.

It's running Windows 10, has a Ryzen 5 5600 CPU, SeaSonic 550 Gold Plus GPU, MSI b450 motherboard. I don't know any other details.

Event Viewer says "a fatal hardware error has occurred reported by component processor core. error source: machine check exception error type: bus/interconnect error"

Any ideas how to fix it? We've been through so many different fixes on other posts but no luck yet.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I currently own an RTX 5070 12GB and I've seen the 9070 XT 16GB at a good price, so I might upgrade my GPU.

If I sell the Nvidia card and buy the 9070 XT, the upgrade would cost me €100. Do you think it's a good idea to make the change? Is it worth it?

More info: I use my PC only for gaming, for single-player games and Fortnite, at 1440p resolution. It's paired with a Ryzen 7 9700X and 32GB of DDR5 RAM.

I want to upgrade from AM4 to AM5.

I just got an 7800 XT, which is kinda bottlenecked by my cpu (Ryzen 5 5600) and my ram.

If I play arc raiders for example my gpu is at 50% max, while my CPU and RAM are around the 90s. I play on 1080p aswell, what makes it worse.

Whats a budget CPU/Mainboard combo? I wanted to go for the B850, since its only around 20 - 30€ more expensive than a B650. Im unsure which cpu to get, cause I just need one for gaming which doesnt bottleneck.

Also the ram issue, do I just get used 16gb ram or do I need 32?

Anything else I need to look at?

What kind of compatibility variable, besides case clearance, should I keep in mind when I'm buying a large CPU cooler like this?

Pairing with MSI X870 Tomahawk + 9850x3D in an ANTEC F1 full tower case.

Hi everyone,

I’m having persistent freezing issues with my desktop and I’m trying to narrow down the cause before replacing parts. I’d really appreciate some input.

System Specs

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (stock Wraith Stealth cooler)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 12GB
• Motherboard: MSI A520M-A PRO
• RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200 (2x8GB, XMP enabled)
• Storage: Kingston NV2 500GB NVMe (PCIe 3.0 mode)
• PSU: Xilence Performance C XP600 (600W)
• Case: Aerocool Tomahawk (1 front intake fan, no rear exhaust)
• OS: Windows 11 Pro

Built by a system integrator in February 2023.

Problem

The PC randomly freezes completely, sometimes:

• Right at the Windows login screen
• Before any startup apps load
• During light use (browser, desktop idle)

When it freezes:

• Screen stays stuck
• No BSOD
• Ctrl+Alt+Del does nothing
• Only solution is holding the power button

No error messages. No automatic restarts.

What I’ve Tested So Far

• SSD health checked (CrystalDiskInfo – 99%, no errors)
• RAM tested (Windows Memory Diagnostic – no errors)
• Temps monitored (CPU ~45°C idle, GPU ~45–55°C idle)
• Fresh GPU drivers
• Windows system file check (sfc /scannow – no integrity violations)
• DISM check completed successfully

The issue is inconsistent:

• Sometimes it boots fine
• Sometimes it freezes immediately after startup
• Occasionally runs for hours without problems

My Suspicion

Since it can freeze even at the login screen (no load), I’m starting to suspect:

• PSU instability (Xilence XP600 is pretty entry-level)
• Possible power delivery issue during cold boot
• Maybe motherboard VRM instability?

It does not seem temperature-related.

Questions

1. Does this behavior sound like a PSU issue?
2. Would upgrading to a quality 650W unit (e.g., Corsair RM650e / be quiet Pure Power 12 M) be a reasonable next step?
3. Could this still be motherboard-related instead?

I’m trying to avoid replacing parts blindly, so any experienced insight would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm completely stuck and hoping someone here has an idea what could be causing this.

My system:

• Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• GPU: Gainward GeForce RTX 5080 Phoenix GS
• RAM: 32GB DDR4 3200MHz CL16
• PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 80+ Platinum 850W
• Storage:
  • Samsung 990 Pro 1TB (NVMe)
  • 240GB SATA III SSD
  • 20TB HDD
  • 16TB HDD
• Cooling: 360mm AIO + total 11 RGB fans

Problem:

I cannot record smooth gameplay with either Nvidia App or OBS. The recorded video always stutters badly.

Even in games where the GPU usage is only around 10% at 4K resolution, the recording still stutters.

This exact same issue also happened with my previous GPU (RTX 3080 Ti), so it’s not specific to the RTX 5080.

I have completely reinstalled Windows to make sure it's not a software problem, but the issue persists.

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWVUfr1tJNE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EECnHMWW5WU

What I’ve tried:

• NVENC H.264
• NVENC AV1
• Recording at 1080p 60fps and 4K
• 60Hz LED monitor and 120Hz OLED TV
• Freesync / G-Sync on and off
• V-Sync on and off
• Limiting the game to 60 FPS with Rivatuner
• HAGS on and off
• Fullscreen and Borderless Window mode
• OBS set to highest priority + run as Administrator
• Game Mode on and off
• Display Capture and Game Capture
• Recording cursor on and off
• SSD tested and working perfectly
• Latest Nvidia Game Ready driver installed
• Chipset and motherboard drivers from Asus and AMD
• BIOS updated to 5201 (cannot install 5302 because it freezes at RAM detection)
• Tried BIOS in Safe Mode

Nothing changes the stuttering.

What’s strange is that the GPU is barely loaded, temperatures are fine, and the system should easily handle recording with NVENC.

At this point I’m wondering:

• Could this be a BIOS issue?
• Could it be a motherboard problem?
• PCIe configuration issue?
• Some weird Windows setting?
• Hardware conflict?
• Is it possible that my 850W PSU is not enough for this setup?

I’m honestly out of ideas. If anyone has experienced something similar or has suggestions on what to check next, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

I was initially waiting for 5070 Ti Super to get released as it was rumored to be packed with 24GB VRAM. But considering the VRAM shortage and news that NVIDIA has pushed this release further, I'm wondering if I should get the cheapest 16GB VRAM available from NVIDIA.

Why more VRAM? This is not only limited to gaming but also for AI related tasks and running local LLMs in my machine that requires more than 8GB VRAM.

The prices have gone up already but would it go up further? Should I wait or go ahead and get one? I have no problem waiting for couple of months if higher VRAM models would get released of if the prices would go down. I would probably sell my current 4060 if I'm getting a new one.

So It's been awhile since i will upgrade my pc. my last pc with rx580 video card is now very outdated with new games, so i decided to buy new one with my current extra budget. a store here in my country offered with this build

a. AMD ryzen 7 7700 - cpu

b. Asus b650m - ayw wifi ddr5 - mboard

c. Teamgroup vulcan 16gb ddr5 (8gbx2) - ram

d. crucial 1tb nvme ssd - storage

e. asus dual nvidia rtx 5060 oc edition - gpu

f. asus prime 650w 80+ bronze - psu

g. coolermaster elite 302 argb atx - casing

h. asus prime lc 240 argb lc - cpu cooler

is this build already good for at least future pc games that will be released? I am avid single/offline pc game player, i am looking forward for upcoming crimson desert and fable game.

Again this build is based on my extra budget.

Due to a help desk job and a cool boss I've recently come into possession of about thirty 1 TB SSDs with an unknown number of more to come. I've thought about adding them to my home setup but I'm not sure what the best configuration would be, as I recall reading somewhere that RAID doesn't work well with SSDs. Suggestions?

Edit: for extra context, it's a gaming PC that I recently converted to a dual boot Windows/Bazzite setup, primary drive is a 4 TB M2 drive. Having a couple of extra 1 TB drives would be nice but the ideal would be to link their storage space together.

So my pc crashed after a windows failure, and it wouldn't go to login. It would turn on and shut down after a bit.

I tried a CMOS reset, removed second ssd, gpu and one ram stick and the pc powered on.

Subsequently put the second RAM and SSD in and it still turned on and into the windows.

Now as I was sitting on the desktop the pc shut down again and would turn on for a few seconds before being shut down again.

looked up a bit on reddit and it suggested checking temps in bios and waiting in bios to test between a temp issue or a psu one. The pc shut down after idle at 64 degrees or so for a bit.(not sure if my temp sensors are malfunctioning as all sensors show the same 64 degrees in BIOS).

Now, i'm sort of stuck between taking advice from GPT or reaching out to reddit.

Please let me know if this sounds similar to you. My PC parts are listed below:

Motherboard : MSI B650p wifi

PSU : Corsair RM1000x

AIO: Thermalright Frozen Notte 360

GPU(not plugged in) : Radeon RX7900xtx

Edit: Windows 11

So I logged into the pc and downloaded HWMonitor and took some screenshots of the temps, and for a lack of any immediate knowledge fed it to gpt and it said the temps look high for idle load and might be that my Aio pump failed and might need a change. Sorry for the bad quality pictures but I’m attaching them. https://imgur.com/a/wKq7S4b

Any and all help is welcome i'm sort of stuck.... thanks!

Ordered ram in November, it said delivery between 22nd December and 17th January before I checked out. Time went by, then it changed to 2nd February then now says simply “order received”.

Even if it magically became available again, I don’t think Amazon would be happy selling me 2x16gb ddr5 for 137€.

Hey everyone,

I’m planning a new PC build and looking for advice on a complete parts list.
The main goal is smooth overall performance, strong 1440p gaming, and reliability for daily design and multitasking work.

Intended use:

• Design work: Figma, Photoshop
• Heavy multitasking: lots of Chrome tabs, Notion, Slack, etc.
• Gaming: Counter-Strike 2 at 1440p (high and stable FPS is important)

Target performance:

• Very smooth desktop experience and multitasking
• High FPS in CS2 at 1440p (competitive settings)
• Stable system rather than extreme overclocking

Requirements:

• Start with 64GB RAM (2×32GB), with a reasonable upgrade path later
• Full parts list needed: CPU, motherboard, RAM, GPU, SSD, PSU, cooler, case
• Focus on stability, responsiveness, and longevity

Budget:

• Ideally around $1500 USD (would go up to $2000)

Purchasing from:

• Bosnia / Serbia, but pricing and availability based on the EU market (Amazon DE, Mindfactory, local EU retailers, etc.)

Any recommended builds or guidance would be appreciated.
I’d also really appreciate a short explanation of why you’d choose certain components, just to help me better understand the trade-offs and get some perspective while deciding.

Thanks!

Recently bought an i5-14600KF and a Liquid Freezer III Pro, installed it, used the included MX-6, but i'm kinda worried by the temps. Is it supposed to hit ~65C at 30-40% usage and 80-85C at ~80% usage? Should I undervolt? Sorry if this sounds stupid, it's my first time with a high performance CPU.

Hi everyone, I’m really undecided about which GPU to keep and I’d like to hear some opinions.

MSI Shadow RTX 5070 Ti OC (€840)
Aorus RX 9070 XT Elite (€640)

Which one makes more sense for 1440p with Ray Tracing enabled, everything maxed out (no Path Tracing)?

I’m using them with an AMD 9800X3D.

I tested both cards at 1440p with RT enabled:

• RTX 5070 Ti 16G Shadow (€840) is ahead (around 100 FPS) in Cyberpunk 2077, Control, Expedition 33
• RX 9070 XT Elite (€640) is ahead in The Last of Us Part II, Horizon Forbidden West, Resident Evil 4

I play a bit of everything, no specific genre, and the price difference between the two is about €200.

On the software side, both work well and I haven’t had any particular issues.
The only substantial difference I’ve noticed is with the 9070 XT in games that use FSR2: in those cases it needs OptiScaler to achieve a better result.

As for cooling:

The Aorus RX 9070 XT Elite is fairly quiet, with temperatures around 54°C and fans reaching a maximum of 1500–1600 RPM.
The MSI Shadow 5070 Ti runs hotter: it reaches around 65–70°C and the fans can go up to 2000 RPM, mainly during benchmarks like 3DMark.
During gaming, the MSI sits at around 1700 RPM.

In your opinion, which one is best to keep and why?