Posts by Robin Ruiz5

It’s in great shape—I've been using it for four months and it's basically brand new, so $2.75 would be a fair price. Anything more than that? Not happening.

What’s a fair price for a six-month-old laptop?
10510U
i7 @ 1.80GHz processor
16GB RAM
512 GB SSD

I'm looking to buy it back from my company

wiredotter14 said:Yeah, on most boards, your second M.2 slot would just run at PCIe 3.0 speeds—you wouldn't be getting the drive's full potential.

I honestly don't get why you even need a PCIe 4.0 drive for gaming or VR, let alone two. I wouldn't count dual PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots as some essential feature.

It's not for VR
it's for faster game loading
I think all future games will use this to load environments without stuttering
just like how they do for the next-gen consoles
take Spider-Man, for example—it supports it

On the Links site, you can tweak the configuration to maybe find something better
if certain parts are useless or underutilized
For instance, I'm also looking at this site:
https://www.agando-shop.de/product_i...p/info/p102889
but it doesn't look like I can build the exact custom deal I want within these specs

From what I gather, the Ryzen 7 5800 x would have the edge over an i7 right now
And I don't see anything weaker than a 3080 handling these 4K demands
Those are basically the core components—I built everything around them to stay optimized, avoiding bottlenecks without wasting money on junk

Anyway, thanks for the help. 🙂

wiredotter14 said:The memory support for these processor series is just lazy—they didn't specify which frequencies they actually validated across all models. You basically have to dig through motherboard reviews to find the real details, though you won't run into issues if you stick to reasonable speeds.

Do you seriously need two PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives? That’s overkill even for pro-level video editing—for gaming, it doesn't matter at all.
Basically, motherboards have one M.2 slot tied directly to the CPU via the PCIe interface, while the second one connects to the chipset and shares its bandwidth. Everything else—SATA ports, other M.2 slots, etc.—runs through the chipset.
From what I can see, only the Counter-Strike has two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, meaning both the CPU-linked slot and the chipset slot hit PCIe 4.0 speeds.

Read the specs carefully to figure out what you actually need.
All the boards mentioned have two M.2 slots where you can plug in drives, but not all of them offer dual PCIe 4.0 M.2 support. They also have enough SATA ports to—

SLI and Call of Duty are dead, so that's irrelevant for 99.9% of users.

Maybe M.2_1 is listed twice because it bridges the CPU and the chipset—not entirely sure.

If I were such an expert, I wouldn't be asking for help here. 🙂
So, if I'm following you, that second M.2 slot on the X570 board is actually PCIe 3.0—meaning a second Samsung 980 Pro wouldn't hit full speed and would perform just like a cheaper drive?
And I don't need more than 500GB for the main drive; that should easily hold 5 or 6 modern games at once, right?

Basically, this setup ensures nothing goes to waste.
To me, this looks like the sweet spot for 4K VR gaming on the Oculus Rift, watching 8K movies with Atmos, and high-end hi-fi audio.
Should I change anything or cut out the unnecessary costs?
Also, this build from Micro Center seems like the best deal.

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved...ed/ENp233PQBS/

wanderingbison9 said:@Robin Ruiz5/">@@Robin Ruiz5: how are you actually using Dolby Atmos? Headphones or an external setup? If it's headphones, do some digging into the board's audio section—the chipset, the isolation from the rest of the PCB, all that.

I've got an external 5.1 system for this
the whole point of Dolby Atmos isn't just the format itself—it's the quality. Usually, if a system supports Dolby Atmos, it handles everything else properly too.

wiredotter14 said:That cooler isn't too weak for a 5600X—honestly, almost any decent aftermarket cooler handles that chip just fine. It’s definitely not worth dropping cash on an entry-level AIO when you could get performance that matches or even beats it with a solid air cooler like the Noctua NH-U14S.

As for the motherboard, even that B550 you mentioned supports PCIe 4.0 and gives you two M.2 slots. One goes straight to the CPU—perfect for your main NVMe drive—and the second one runs through the chipset, which is plenty for a SATA SSD.

Total supports 2 x M.2 slot(s) and 6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
1 x M.2_1 socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support(SATA & PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
AMD B550 Chipset :
1 x M.2_2 socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)*
1 x M.2_1 socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)
6 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s)
Support Raid 0, 1, 10

I don't get why the B550 memory specs only list the AMD 4000 series and not the 5000 series.
Their website was confusing me since they listed the M.2_1 slot twice.

So, if I'm reading this right, there are enough M.2 slots to run two Samsung 980 Pro drives?
In case I want to upgrade later?
And with 6 x SATA ports, I can plug in two Samsung 860 evo 2.5 drives and still have full speed, right?

Do I really need more than 500GB if I already have another 2TB SSD sitting there?
I mean, looking at the games I'll be playing most of the time, that's maybe 250GB.
In three years, those same types of games might grow by 25%, so maybe 310GB?
I can always just move stuff over to the two extra drives.

Regarding networking, the pricier board has that ROG GameFirst junk—supposedly helps with streaming or upload speeds while gaming.
Seems useless, but can it actually be used for anything else besides that?

On the audio side, honestly, I don't see much difference aside from the expensive one having some sound management software.
Whatever, who cares.
Everything else looks identical—they just rearranged the layout to make the first one look different, making you think the expensive one is better.

The cheaper one actually lists way more software on their site—probably because someone was too lazy to write it all down.

What's the point of these "special features"?
Is there actually a reason to go for this X570 board?
It doesn't even support SLI anymore since Nvidia ditched it for newer models.
So why was the ROG Strix X570-F picked as a "best buy" for AMD CPUs?
I don't see the advantage at all.
The ROG Strix X570-E at least has 2.5GB networking if you really need it.

For watching movies, 4K/8K, Dolby Atmos, or Hi-Fi playback, I don't see a difference between these two cards.

Maybe I'm wrong.

wiredotter14 said:You can't go wrong with the Noctua NH-U14S—it's a solid cooler, more than enough for Ryzen. Going liquid is just throwing money away and taking unnecessary risks. As for the motherboard, what do you actually need an X570 for? Which features matter to you?

Basically, I want room to upgrade later.
It needs PCIe 4.0 support since I'm grabbing a Samsung 980 Pro.
I also need at least two slots for my Samsung SSD / Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB drives.
And it has to handle future RAM upgrades—right now I'm looking at 2x16GB 3600MHz.
That’s the core stuff.
Everything else is just extra.
The PC is mainly for gaming and watching movies/listening to music where I want high-end playback.
I'm talking 4K/8K video and 5.1 Atmos for movies, plus the best audio possible.

By the way, wiredotter14 told me that cooler was too weak.
Are you sure that one will cut it?
I plan on doing heavy 4K VR gaming, especially Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

wiredotter14 said:That's a really weak cooler—you're better off getting a quality air cooler, especially if noise matters to you.

What are the prices on those motherboards? No point talking without looking at the numbers.

Which cooler are you suggesting?

Noctua NH-U14S ($75)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 ($38)
NZXT Kraken 240 ($49)
Corsair Hydro Series ($75)
Corsair H80i V2 ($88)
Corsair H100x ($93)
Corsair Pro XT ($128)
Corsair H80i V2 w/ Noctua Fans ($115)
Corsair H100x w/ Noctua Fans ($118)
Corsair Platinum Series ($131)
Corsair Platinum Series ($138)

And all I know is the price difference. 😁
So I'll just list them starting from $0.00.

1. +$1,000.00 - ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s)
2. -$31.67 - ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
3. +$85.00 - ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0)
4. +$184.17 - ASUS ROG Maximus Hero (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI)
5. +$21.67 - ASUS ROG Strix X570-E GAMING: ATX (USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 4.0)

Honestly, number 3 looks like the winner—too bad they don't have the X570-E, which has 2.5GB networking and Wi-Fi, though that would probably cost an extra $40.

In this case, the Hero is "only" $200 more than the B450-F, but according to these comparisons, it's $300—so you're "saving" $100, apparently. -.-
The X570-F is "only" $116 more, while this comparison claims it's usually $150 more.
I think that's the best buy here.

Comparing the X570-F and the Hero, you're paying $100 extra for a 2.5Gb network adapter (which is worth about $30 alone) and some gold accents. -.-
https://pangoly.com/en/compare/mothe...7-000d3a0da064

It's a shame they don't carry the X570-E (it's dumb that the E model is supposedly better than the F when the F is actually the larger board. -.-)

https://pangoly.com/en/compare/mothe...d-000d3a0da064

I need a motherboard recommendation that actually fits the rest of this build—plus I need two extra slots for two 1TB Samsung EVO 860 SSDs (basically looking for that high-speed storage similar to what consoles use for upcoming games, plus my 2x1TB fast drives)

Not sure which cooler to go with either—maybe some extra fans if the case gets too tight

Case : PCS P209 RGB MID TOWER CASE
Overclocked AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8 Core (3.8 GHz @ up to 4.8 GHz)

Which of these boards should I pick:
1. ASUS STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s)
2. ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
3. ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0)
4. ASUS CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI)
5. Gigabyte X570 gaming x: ATX (USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 4.0)

32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive 500GB Samsung 980 Pro M. 2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply : CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Corsair H60 2018 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler (any suggestions?)
Thermal paste: ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND?