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Ah sorry, I mixed you guys together and thought you were the one asking for opinions on the keyboard. :p
Hi,
I'm still a junior here so I can't create a thread regarding a question I'd like to ask to have some opinions about it. Anyway, I feel like this question is within the scope of this thread and fits perfectly.
I currently have the following PC:
i7 3770k @ 4.7ghz
16GB DDR3 @ 2002mhz
1080 TI @ 2075mhz 1.062V
1 250GB SSD
2 Western Digital Green 2TB in Raid 0
ASUS Z77 Sabertooth motherboard
Windows 10 Pro
The rest is trivial.
I game at 4k. Would upgrading my cpu / mobo / RAM make a difference, considering the resolution I am playing at? I've looked at few benchmarks and it seems CPU barely makes a difference the higher res you play at. I currently have a mini-itx build, coupled with 3200mhz DDR4, a B450i motherboard and a Ryzen 5 2400g. Would salvaging the motherboard and the RAM from this build while purchasing a new CPU, something like either an overclocked Ryzen 5 2600 or a Ryzen 7 2700 make a notable difference?
Should I stick to the Intel route for my gaming setup? I've seen that the i5 9600K provides great performance for the price. Pricier than a 2600x, but cheaper than a 2700. I'd like a 9700k but they cost much more and this is out of my budget. I feel like my 3770k is holding me back in some games, such as Vermintide 2 where it seems to struggle quite a bit more when a horde spawn. I've tested this theory by downgrading the overclock to 4.2ghz instead of 4.7ghz while also removing the overlock on my RAM and the difference in performance is quite noticeable, even at 4k.
What should I do?
I'm still a junior here so I can't create a thread regarding a question I'd like to ask to have some opinions about it. Anyway, I feel like this question is within the scope of this thread and fits perfectly.
I currently have the following PC:
i7 3770k @ 4.7ghz
16GB DDR3 @ 2002mhz
1080 TI @ 2075mhz 1.062V
1 250GB SSD
2 Western Digital Green 2TB in Raid 0
ASUS Z77 Sabertooth motherboard
Windows 10 Pro
The rest is trivial.
I game at 4k. Would upgrading my cpu / mobo / RAM make a difference, considering the resolution I am playing at? I've looked at few benchmarks and it seems CPU barely makes a difference the higher res you play at. I currently have a mini-itx build, coupled with 3200mhz DDR4, a B450i motherboard and a Ryzen 5 2400g. Would salvaging the motherboard and the RAM from this build while purchasing a new CPU, something like either an overclocked Ryzen 5 2600 or a Ryzen 7 2700 make a notable difference?
Should I stick to the Intel route for my gaming setup? I've seen that the i5 9600K provides great performance for the price. Pricier than a 2600x, but cheaper than a 2700. I'd like a 9700k but they cost much more and this is out of my budget. I feel like my 3770k is holding me back in some games, such as Vermintide 2 where it seems to struggle quite a bit more when a horde spawn. I've tested this theory by downgrading the overclock to 4.2ghz instead of 4.7ghz while also removing the overlock on my RAM and the difference in performance is quite noticeable, even at 4k.
What should I do?
CPU tends to limit the maximum frame rate that a game will run at, regardless of resolution.
It's not that the CPU doesn't matter at higher resolutions, it's that higher resolutions put more of a strain on the GPU, so you are more likely to run into a GPU bottleneck first.
The best method to test this is using a tool like MSI Afterburner/RTSS to monitor GPU utilization.
If the frame rate is uncapped and utilization is 95%+ you don't have to worry about the CPU.
If GPU utilization is low, while the frame rate is also low, you likely have a CPU bottleneck.
You may also see total CPU usage or a single CPU core hitting 100% if you monitor those, but not always.
It may not seem intuitive, but you can be hitting a CPU bottleneck even if it doesn't report as "100% CPU usage" - which is why I would look to GPU usage first.
Here's a few examples:
- i5-2500K at 4.5GHz in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided with a GTX 960 - 60% GPU Utilization - 43.7 FPS
- i5-2500K at 4.5GHz in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided with a GTX 1070 - 33% GPU Utilization - 43.7 FPS
Even without looking at the CPU usage you can tell that the game is clearly CPU-limited because it is at 43.7 FPS with both GPUs. The only thing that changes between the two GPUs is that we see lower utilization with the faster GPU (because it has to work less to hit 43.7 FPS).
And these are stats from the same scene (though possibly different graphical settings) once I upgraded to a Ryzen CPU:
- R7-1700X at 3.9GHz in DXMD with a GTX 1070 and SMT Enabled - 38% GPU utilization - 61 FPS.
- R7-1700X at 3.9GHz in DXMD with a GTX 1070 and SMT Disabled - 56% GPU utilization - 92 FPS.
Despite CPU usage being 67/68% overall, GPU usage is still nowhere near 100% - which indicates that the CPU is still the bottleneck at those settings.
But this was set up specifically to test how fast the CPU could run the game, and what effect simultaneous multi-threading had on its performance - so it was running at 720p on the low detail preset. This test tells me that the maximum performance I can achieve in that scene (which is the most demanding one I could find in the game) would be 92 FPS on that CPU.
When I set the resolution back to my monitor's native 3440x1440 instead of 720p, and turned up the details again, GPU utilization was at 99% and frame rate was below 92 FPS.
So while the CPU I have limits the game to a maximum of 92 FPS, at my actual gameplay settings, the GPU is the limiting factor.
If I upgraded to a much faster GPU like a 2080Ti, then I might run into issues where I am actually hitting 92 FPS in-game at 3440x1440, but with my current 1070 it doesn't matter at all.
And here's one final example from Yakuza 0:
- R7-1700X at 3.9GHz in Yakuza 0 with Denuvo present - 61% GPU usage - 96 FPS
- R7-1700X at 3.9GHz in Yakuza 0 with Denuvo removed - 67% GPU usage - 104 FPS
With Denuvo removed none of the cores hit 100%, overall CPU usage increases to 46% and GPU usage increases to 67%. The hardware is better utilized without Denuvo, increasing the frame rate to 104 FPS, but it's still CPU-limited.
In this case, while performance is technically being held back by the CPU (in theory it would run at ~155 FPS if the CPU was fast enough) it's still running above 100 FPS which is perfectly acceptable.
With the CPU's upper limit being ~104 FPS and GPU usage being ~67% that means I could increase the resolution or use supersampling to fully make use of the GPU.
Thanks for the feebback. I really appreciate this.
That's what I thought. For years, what I say while looking at benchmarks between cpus, no matter what the resolution is, is that there's a drastic difference in FPS between older cpus and newers ones and that the higher your resolution is, the less impact the cpu has since you are hitting GPU bottleneck at a certain point. Still, scenarios that are CPU bound can still happen when playing in 4k. One example from this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r13w50_5tqM
In the case of vermintide 2, I'd be interested to see whether or not I still experience the same framerate drops at those same moments while playing in 720p for example. If that is the case, I can clearly see the benefits of upgrading my CPU and by doing so, the motherboard and the RAM as well.
This is a good tip. I will definitely take that into account when I'll do my test.
Asked in the gaming laptop thread but I thought it would be a good idea to re-post, just in case anyone here can help:
I just bought the Asus PG279Q and hooked it up as my main monitor. I also have a 1080p 144hz monitor, and my TV (TCL P607) hooked up to my PC as well. The issue I'm having is that I was using my TV to play Forza Horizon 4 in 4K and HDR but wanted to try playing on my new monitor. However whenever I try to display the game on my new monitor the screen goes crazy (starts displaying all kinds of colors / static / etc) and locks up. I assumed this was because the game was trying to send a HDR signal when the monitor doesn't support it.
So I tried disabling HDR on my TV and switching the resolution to 2560 x 1440 and it worked fine, but then when I switched back to my new monitor it did the same thing. No other games do this as far as I know.
So I tried disabling HDR on my TV and switching the resolution to 2560 x 1440 and it worked fine, but then when I switched back to my new monitor it did the same thing. No other games do this as far as I know.
Yes I disabled HDR in Windows for my TV since it is only device I have that supports it. That is what I meant in my original post, but it wasn't worded well. I then confirmed that when I was displaying the game on my TV that HDR was not enabled. I then closed the game and tried to launch the game on my new monitor and still encountered the issue.
Does anyone know of a way of making ReShade work with the Mega Man X Legacy Collections? I am not happy with the 2 filters in that collection, so having one of the ReShade CRT filters would be awesome. Sadly these collections crash when you drop ReShade into the folder.
I have a 500 MB SSD where I keep some games and want to add an additional 1 TB SSD (already have an HDD for storage). If I add the 1 TB SSD and move my games there but not the operating system, will it be slower and by how much given that the operating and the games are on separate SSDs vs now when they are on the same SSD? Or is it significantly better to just move the operating system to keep the games and operating system on the same SSD?
Edit to note, apologies if this has been asked before and I missed it.
Edit to note, apologies if this has been asked before and I missed it.
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Theoretically, having the OS and applications (games) on separate drives should actually give you a performance advantage. It means the OS can putz around on it's own drive without interrupting the Read/Write operations of the game. Given that Seek Time is not an issue on SSDs this is much less of an advantage than with hard drives, but it certainly shouldn't be slower.
Any time I have MSI Afterburner running my mechanical hard drive makes constant read/write sounds until I quit back out. It's installed on my OS drive (an SSD), so I've no idea why this is happening. As it stands I can't use Afterburner at all since the noise is too annoying. Help...?
How do I turn off Windows 10 controller support for metro apps?
It's absolutely INFURIATING to navigate this shit with Controller Companion. My goddamn PC is in the other room, and I can't mess with the display settings when the TV isn't set as an active display.
It's absolutely INFURIATING to navigate this shit with Controller Companion. My goddamn PC is in the other room, and I can't mess with the display settings when the TV isn't set as an active display.
You could use something like Process Monitor and see if it's accessing/modifying any specific files on your hard drive.
Just set "MSIAfterburner.exe" in the filters (like this) and look for any paths relevant to your hard drive. I'm pretty sure you can search for "X:" where X is the assigned letter of your hard drive.
Folks, this question's all about COOLING! I've got a Ryzen 5 2600X that I don't intend to overclock. However, I'm currently seeing tems of 80-90 degrees while gaming, partially because my thermal paste application isn't great, and partially because the airflow in my PC case is terrible. I figure if I'm going to reapply my thermal paste, I might as well get a case I like (never cared for my current Thermaltake Versa N21).
I'm thinking about getting an NZXT H500, but I've got a few questions about CPU cooling. I'm not sure whether I should get:
- A Deepcool GAMAXX 400 (white) - $38
- A Deepcool NEPTWIN (white) - $45
- An FSP Windale 6 - $48
- An NZXT Kraken M22 120mm (currently on sale for $60)
- A Deepcool CAPTAIN 240EX White ($80)
As I said, I don't intend to overclock. I'm just not sure whether I should spend the extra money to get the Kraken or CAPTAIN. Right now my CPU temps are out of control. I'll be reapplying thermal paste, switching to Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut from a badly applied AMD stock paste job. Will the air coolers be able to bring me down to about 70-ish degrees, or should I go for one of the AIO's, and if so, which one? Kraken reviews are so-so (but it's so pretty). The CAPTAIN's performance is also so-so, but I'd really rather not go over $100 for a cooler unless I absolutely have to.
Thoughts?
I'm thinking about getting an NZXT H500, but I've got a few questions about CPU cooling. I'm not sure whether I should get:
- A Deepcool GAMAXX 400 (white) - $38
- A Deepcool NEPTWIN (white) - $45
- An FSP Windale 6 - $48
- An NZXT Kraken M22 120mm (currently on sale for $60)
- A Deepcool CAPTAIN 240EX White ($80)
As I said, I don't intend to overclock. I'm just not sure whether I should spend the extra money to get the Kraken or CAPTAIN. Right now my CPU temps are out of control. I'll be reapplying thermal paste, switching to Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut from a badly applied AMD stock paste job. Will the air coolers be able to bring me down to about 70-ish degrees, or should I go for one of the AIO's, and if so, which one? Kraken reviews are so-so (but it's so pretty). The CAPTAIN's performance is also so-so, but I'd really rather not go over $100 for a cooler unless I absolutely have to.
Thoughts?
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Problem magically disappeared today so didn't get to try this, but I'll keep it in mind if it reappears. Thank you!
High temps might be caused by xfr giving too much voltage. My 2700x was getting close to 90s in cpu bound games. Set the cpu to something like 4ghz and undervolt and you'll get much better temps.
H500 has pretty poor airflow so get water cooling definitely.
Alright guys and gals, please help me find a certain computer desk/dual monitor attachment. I'll do my best to explain what I'm looking for.
I need something that allows my two monitors to be side by side, which is normal. The feature that I need it to have is that Monitor A would be on the left side, Monitor B on the right side: it would then be able to swivel and change positions, bringing the A to the right side, and B to the left side; same height, etc. Essentially, I want to be able to swap their places, without physically picking them up and rotating them out.
Thank you!
I need something that allows my two monitors to be side by side, which is normal. The feature that I need it to have is that Monitor A would be on the left side, Monitor B on the right side: it would then be able to swivel and change positions, bringing the A to the right side, and B to the left side; same height, etc. Essentially, I want to be able to swap their places, without physically picking them up and rotating them out.
Thank you!
How do i reinstall a PC ("factory reset") where Windows 7 came pre-installed? I thought this would be an obvious thing to find quickly on Google, but from what i can see, its not.
My memory is fading me, but I think you may need the disc or dongle that came with Windows 7 or your disc that came with you computer.
Unfortunately i have no such thing. This is an older computer, and i think it only came with Windows 7 pre-installed. If a disc was included, its not something i have.
First, read through this article to find your CD key.
Then you can use this Microsoft page to download the appropriate Windows ISO for your key.
Finally, you can burn that ISO file to a disk, or use Microsoft USB/DVD tool, and install windows through a bootable USB stick.
That doesnt work unfortunately (to download from Microsoft's webside. I already have the serial key on a sticker on the PC). It only works if you have a serial key from a retail version of Windows 7, not pre-installed versions. I tried it already, and i just get a message saying that i need to contact the manufacturer or something. Thats not much of an option either since i dont have the reciept for the PC, which i assume is needed to do that.
Thanks for the help so far anyway to the both of you =)
This looks like it should work for ya
Aww, bummer. Yeah I'm not sure what options you have, then. Couldn't hurt to reach out to the manufacturer, if they're still in business. They might just be able to look up your CD key if you give it to them?
At that point you'd need to buy a new OEM version of Windows 7. Or upgrade to Windows 10.
I can try to contact the manufacturer just to hear (they're still in business). Their customer support just closed about 20 minutes ago, so i'll have to try tomorrow or so.
Its a pity if theress no easier option. I'm glad that Microsoft improved upton this with Windows 8 and 10. There you can just download a recovery media and it works perfectly. No need for any serial key, and it doesnt matter if its a retail or OEM license. But as i mentioned right above here, i can try to hear with the manufacturer tomorrow or so, just to see what they say.
Yeah for sure. Windows 7 was the best version of Windows by far, but it did lack some really needful features in the end. I know people like to dog Windows 10 a lot, but I honestly love it a lot. A far cry from Windows 8.
It doesn't seem to be working correctly even if you have a retail version of Windows 7. I tried it with a key here and it only offered me French or Korean downloads (it's an English version).
I'd recommend that you upgrade to Windows 10 rather than reinstalling 7 though, and possibly reinstalling 10 once you have a license for that machine. There's only ~9 months of support remaining for Windows 7.
It's down to choosing between limited and full dynamic range. You can use both with RGB and only limited with 444. What happens on the TV between these options depends on how the TV's input is setup.
Yeah, i've got good experience with Windows 10 as well. Works just as good as Windows 7, from my user experience at least.
I see. Does it still cost money to upgrade to Windows 10 by the way?
I think it's still possible to upgrade your license for free, even though the upgrade program officially ended in 2016.
So full RGB would be my best bet for SDR games and general viewing/youtube I take it?
I don't really do a lot of HDR gaming on PC so I could manually switch for the rare occasion.
Well, you'd need to switch to 422 anyway to use HDR10 in 4K with 60Hz over HDMI 2.0 so yeah. Desktop in 422's color compression looks pretty bad.
How do I stop my PC from automatically, randomly powering on my receiver even though the PC itself is powered off (yes, I turn my PC off when not in use)? I'm guessing it's my PC doing it because I don't have this issue with the other stuff connected to the receiver (consoles, bluray player). Only when my PC is connected to it via HDMI, I would sometimes randomly find my receiver switched on the following morning, or after a day of not using it.
Try disabling HDMI CEC on the input you're connecting your PC to.
I ended up getting the Deepcool Captain 240EX RGB. First time I've dabbled with water cooling and I'm super pleased. So far I've gone from temps 85-90 while gaming to an absolute max of 50. Granted I haven't played long enough yet to heat saturate the coolant, but so far so good. Also super pleased with the quality of the H500 for the price.
It's also the first time I've attempted proper cable management. I'm pleased with the results (don't look in the back).
I've been messing around with a cheap bluetooth adapter on my PC to use my DS4 and Xbox1 pads wirelessly. Both pair and operate fine, but if I move even 6-8 feet away from the receiver (plugged into the top/front of my PC case) I start to get major input lag and inconsistent inputs, even with direct line of sight.
Is this because
1) I bought a super cheap bluetooth adapter?
2) It's only inches away from a USB 3.0 port (though it is plugged into a 2.0)?
3) Something I haven't thought of?
4) all of the above
Is this because
1) I bought a super cheap bluetooth adapter?
2) It's only inches away from a USB 3.0 port (though it is plugged into a 2.0)?
3) Something I haven't thought of?
4) all of the above
Help me AudioEra!
I have a Atmos 5.1.2 setup running off of a RX-V683 receiver. My PC is connected via HDMI.
When playing an Atmos supported game, everything seems to work fine. For non Atmos content or just plain, non-gaming related stuff, I set the speaker setup to 7.1. However, I noticed that when I test the speakers in the Windows Sound Control Panel, any sound sent to the side speakers (in my case, ceiling speakers) are sent to the rear speakers. Rear speaker sounds are also sent to the rear speakers. What gives? I imagine I may also be losing possible 7.1 audio in games that support it?
I have a Atmos 5.1.2 setup running off of a RX-V683 receiver. My PC is connected via HDMI.
When playing an Atmos supported game, everything seems to work fine. For non Atmos content or just plain, non-gaming related stuff, I set the speaker setup to 7.1. However, I noticed that when I test the speakers in the Windows Sound Control Panel, any sound sent to the side speakers (in my case, ceiling speakers) are sent to the rear speakers. Rear speaker sounds are also sent to the rear speakers. What gives? I imagine I may also be losing possible 7.1 audio in games that support it?
I posted this in the PC builders thread but I think it actually makes more sense here? I hope it's okay if I post it again to get a wider sample size for feedback
Griff said:
Pea in the center! there's no need to spread.
If super cheap is <$150 then yeah. But I think SLI is not that widely suppoted.
My friend runs SLI with two 2080 Ti's. Before I ran my 2080Ti I ran 2 1080Ti's. It seems he has the same issues with SLI now that I had with my old setup. Poor support, problems with frame pacing, problems with gsync, other random issues (even in supported titles)... To me at least, it doesn't seem like NVLink improved much of anything. It's very hard to recommend SLI for any reason unless you want to have to tinker with every game you play.