PC Upgrade Ideas

Timothy Kim60 said:To be honest, I think it’s more of an internet issue...

Have you checked out your CPU load in Task Manager while you're streaming 1080p video? You know, hit ctrl+shift+esc and check the performance tab...

I don't think it's really the connection, though. My speeds stay rock solid at 30 Mbps—I'm hardwired, too—and I run speedtests pretty often, so it's always steady.

Yeah, I did peek at Task Manager. RAM usage sits right around 5.5 GB, never really climbs past 6, but my CPU is definitely working overtime... and the integrated graphics (that HD 610) are doing the same thing, hitting maybe 80% usage during certain spikes...🤔

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, I think your internet is the bottleneck here...

Ever checked your CPU load in Task Manager while running 1080p video? (Hit ctrl+shift+esc then check the Performance tab)

Yeah. Also, try switching browsers and make sure hardware acceleration is enabled. Google Chrome is the best for YouTube

Keith Johnson96 said:I wouldn't say it's incorrect, since I'm getting a steady 30 Mbps on a wired connection, and I run speedtests pretty often, so the stability seems consistent.

Yeah, I checked the Task Manager and my RAM usage is sitting at about 5.5 GB—it hasn't ever pushed past 6 GB—but my CPU usage stays quite high, and my integrated graphics (Intel HD 610) are also hitting around 80% during certain spikes.🤔

Try right-clicking on a YouTube video and selecting "Stats for nerds" to see if the codec listed under Codecs is avc1 or H.264. If you see H.264, maybe try grabbing the h264ify extension for Edge.

wanderingbison9 said:Right-click a YouTube video, hit "stats for nerds," and check if the codec is avc1 or H.264. If it's showing H.264, just grab the h264ify extension for Edge.

What's the actual benefit there?
Isn't H.264 supposed to be natively supported in Edge anyway?

wiredotter14 said:What exactly is the benefit there?

I mean, shouldn't VP9 be natively supported in Chrome by now?

From what I can gather, that Pentium seems to be struggling with hardware VP9 decoding, which would explain why the CPU usage is hitting such high levels.

It might also be worth double-checking if the latest drivers have been installed.

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If the CPU core is sitting at 80%, you shouldn't be seeing any stuttering. That usually only happens when it hits 100% for a few seconds... maybe try throwing in a cheap GPU from $33 just to get HD playback, though that feels like a bit of a band-aid fix...

Try overclocking the integrated graphics on the processor... it’s probably hovering around 300 MHz right now when it could likely hit 1000, so you really need to check the specs for that specific chip...

Disable all those energy-saving settings in the BIOS, crank the CPU fan to max, and then give it a shot...

I’ve got an old dual-core E8400 with 5GB of DDR3 RAM and basic onboard graphics—this setup is over a decade old and still plays YouTube at 1080p without a single hitch... so honestly, this issue sounds pretty wild to me...

wanderingbison9 said:From what I can gather, that Pentium is struggling with hardware VP9 decoding, which explains why the CPU usage is hitting the roof...

You should probably double-check if those drivers are fully up to date, too.

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The drivers are actually current. And hey, thanks for the tip on h264 earlier, looks like we finally cracked it... 👍 I tried running two 1080p videos at once and everything is running way smoother now. It still stutters just a tiny bit in Firefox or Opera, but Chrome handles it perfectly, no issues at all...😁

Keith Johnson96 said:I just updated the drivers. Thanks for the tip regarding h264, because I think we actually solved the issue 👍 I tried running two 1080p videos at the same time and everything runs significantly smoother now. It still stutters a little bit in Firefox or Opera, but in Chrome, it’s perfectly seamless 😁

No worries at all, since h264ify doesn't actually perform any conversion; it simply "forces" the player to use the h264 version of the clip, which is something YouTube keeps available anyway for devices that can't handle VP9. On paper, that Intel HD 610 should be able to handle VP9 playback without breaking a sweat, but in practice, who knows? It might just be right on the edge of its capabilities, much like how you see things play out with polaris AMD hardware.

Hey everyone.

If I can jump in here... 😁

So, looking to upgrade my rig a bit—could use some help.

I need three things: a motherboard, a CPU, and some DDR4 RAM (at least 16 gigs).

What combos should I be looking at?

1. $3000 - $1167

Here's what's been offered so far:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B450-F Gaming, LGA 1700, DDR4, DVI, HDMI, ATX

Processor: Ryzen 5 3600 XT

Memory: Kingston 16 GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4, 2666 Mhz, DIMM, Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro

Total comes out to about $1167.

Thoughts on this setup? Or hit me with yours.

2. Up to $1667

3. Up to $2500 (can you actually get a whole PC for that?!)

Honestly, there's no point in picking up a 3600XT when you can just grab a standard Ryzen 5 3600 instead; it's simply not worth the extra cash.

Besides, you missed the most critical part—what are you actually planning to use this PC for, and what other components are you running in your current build?

Nah, just for gaming—nothing crazy or super demanding though.

Everything else in my rig is fine; I've got last year's GPU, so there's no point in swapping that out yet.

Newegg.com
You can grab an R7 2700X for $392
Get your motherboard and RAM at Micro Center
MSI B450 Tomahawk Max $283
DDR4 16GB (2x8) Patriot 3200MHz
G.Skill Trident Z, PVS416G320C6K $174
It’ll be a massive upgrade for $850

Alexander Moore67 said:Best Buy
So you've got an R7 2700X for... what? $392
Grab the motherboard and RAM from Newegg.
MSI B450 Tomahawk Max $283
Patriot DDR4 16GB (2x8) 3200MHz—enough for most people? Maybe.
G.Skill Trident Z, PVS416G320C6K $174
Insane upgrade for... $850

How does that stack up against what I wrote above?

Roger Garcia4 said:How does it stack up against what I wrote above?

Hard to say without knowing the rest of your build, but generally, it's a much better value. You're getting a slightly slower gaming CPU for way less cash, but you get 8 cores instead of 6 and a solid stock cooler, making it more "futureproof."

If you're chasing every single frame in CS:GO or something like that, then stick with the Ryzen 5 3600 (not the XT!) or maybe go Intel.

I was hoping you might be able to lend me a bit more of your expertise on this matter.

We have currently laid out our upgrade plan centered around a Ryzen 5 5600 (whether that includes the X variant or not once it finally hits the shelves), paired with an ASRock B550M Pro4 and 16 GB of DDR4 memory.
However, a sudden possibility has emerged where my budget might actually exceed what we originally anticipated, which means I am now seriously contemplating stepping up to a Ryzen 7 5800X.
I did mention previously that the sole purpose of this entire endeavor is gaming, yet I see that the prices for both the Ryzen 7 5800X and the R9 3950XT are sitting right around $17.
The question weighing on my mind is whether these processors offer a significant enough leap over the 5600 to justify the jump, or if it would be far more prudent to take those extra $267 and sink them into a superior monitor instead.

My current setup consists of the following:

CPU Intel i5-4570 Gigabyte H87 Corsair
Motherboard Gigabyte Ga-H87-HD3
RAM Corsair 4x4GB DDR3 1600 C9
Monitor AOC IPS 23" 12367Fm 1080p.
GPU EVGA GeForce GTX 1070
PSU EVGA Super Nova 550 GS
SSD Kingston 250 GB
Two 1 TB WD HDDs
Case Corsair Airflow 400L

Nah, the 5600X is a beast. The 5800X? Totally overpriced. You're paying way too much per core compared to the 5900X. Look, if you're just gaming, stick with the 5600X. If you're doing video editing or heavy workstation stuff, go for the 5900X. As far as I'm concerned, the 5800X is a bad deal. Better to take that extra cash and dump it into a better GPU—maybe hunt down an RTX 3060 Ti or something similar.

The difference is $333, not 800

Honestly, I have absolutely no regrets about refusing to throw money down the drain on things that don't matter.

Good grief, I completely missed the fact that the Ryzen 5 5600X has dipped below $2,700—I mean, I know prices fluctuate wildly, but seeing those numbers move like that caught me totally off guard.

I’ve been sitting here, nursing my coffee and staring at spreadsheets, weighing the possibility that perhaps I should just bite the bullet and opt for an eight-core processor after all.

Make sure to check back right before you pull the trigger, because deals and prices are constantly shifting.

Regarding the motherboard, the Pro4 is still a solid value, but if you want the absolute best bang for your buck right now, this is the winner:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B550M+AORUS+ELITE

Thanks.
Naturally, we’re going to sit on our hands just a little longer, primarily because you suggested we wait to see how the market reacts once that R5 5600 finally hits the shelves. It’s better to be cautious, isn't it?
If I may ask, purely out of a sense of restless curiosity...
To my amateur, unrefined eyes, it always seemed as though an R9 would simply overpower an R5 by virtue of its tier. So, my internal logic was leaning toward grabbing an older generation R9 instead.
I don't hold any particular allegiance to either Intel or AMD; I've owned both at various points in my life, so I'm not swayed by brand loyalty.
But tell me, where does a powerhouse like the i9 even fit into this entire equation?

The Core i5 series is a massive leap forward for gaming compared to anything they've put out before. If you can swing it, there’s really no debate. The 5600X sits right around where an i7 10700K would be, but it pulls way less power. Sure, the i9 10900K is a bit faster, but honestly? Not worth the extra cash. I’d rather push for a Core i9 in that price range if I were in your shoes. With a budget of 2500-$1000, it’s a no-brainer—grab the 5600X or just wait for the 5600 to save a few bucks. It’s pretty obvious Intel isn't pushing those full 8-core chiplets at the same margins anymore, which is why the 5600X and Core i9 are so much cheaper per core than the 5800X or 5950X. I'd say the Core i9 is a killer chip and totally worth it if you have the cash and actually need the juice , but realistically, any money spent beyond the 5600X is better off going toward your GPU or a decent monitor.