The PC build thread

I wanted to quote this so it can be seen and paid close attention paid to it! ALL processors regardless of who makes it are designed to throttle back if they get much hotter than they are designed for! Even with people that are knowledgeable about computers, this can be something that will sneak up on you! I had an old HP laptop that about every year or so I had to take it apart because dust would settle between the fan and the cooling fins on the heatsink. Over time I would start to notice the system getting sluggish and sure enough, after running SpeedFan I saw I needed to take it apart. I finally donated it a while back. Because my right hand now shakes I can no longer do that detailed work. I'm serious about CPUs throttling back when they get hot! Clean those systems on a regular basis. I yank the back cover off my desktop and blow out all 3 fans and my power supply with a can of air! DO NOT USE regular compressed air for this! Compressed air is full of moisture that can harm a computer! I have spoken to several drivers over the last few years that will use their tractor air supply with an attachment using this -----


----inline with it to blow ALL their electronics out along with the cab from time to time in really dusty places. Just as a personal choice I don't recommend doing it on a computer. I stand behind my canned air position!

 

On the subject of M.2 I feel the need to make sure everybody understands the difference between these two basic types. In the image below are two M.2 drives. However, the bottom one is NVMe and the top one is SATA. They WILL NOT interchange! NVMe is connected directly into the PCIe right into the CPU lanes! This makes it extremely fast! M.2 SATA MUST be connected to the port connected to the computer bus that connects to a mass storage device, and because of this is slower. Still faster than the old platter drives though!



Unless your computer has a port for NVMe YOU CAN NOT USE IT! I know two people that bought this by mistake! Below is a photo of the same type of adapter I am using on my Dell laptop. I had an extra M.2 SATA so I bought this and it's running great!



I blurred the brand names because I don't feel comfortable posting photos of branded retail products on TTR.

 

Yes solid state of any kind is better especially in a truck, and notwithstanding the difference in nvme vs sata, m.2 is the superior form choice in a truck because it is slotted in straight to the motherboard as opposed to needing to secure it , then run cables, reduce failure points as best you can

 

Right now, is it even possible to buy a new OEM laptop that does not come with some type of SSD?

 

I THINK theres a few hybrids still, but very uncommon now and usually only on dirt cheap compys with too large a storage capacity for the pricepoint.

 

- You've got a budget which is good... Are you willing to spend +/- 20% giving current market prices? (Mostly the 20% + side)
- What do you want to use your computer for? Gaming? Streaming? Watching Youtube/video's / Media Consumption?
- Do you want to build your computer for, A: function, or B: "to look pretty" or both?
- What kind of monitor do you want to game/stream/watch media at? 1080p? 1440p? 4k?

These kind of questions will determine what kind of hardware you might want to look at for a "current" build that will last 3+ years...

Also given the current global supply chain issues that are going on, going for the "top end" parts are going to cost you. I got lucky and paid a grand for my GPU that at MSRP should have cost 800 USD. So expect mark ups and scalper type of prices if you want to go high end hardware...

If you give some basic info to the above, I'm sure a decent build list can be had for the money your willing to spend.

 

Well that's why I said 2k. I don't think I'll spend near that much. I'll use it for gaming and streaming. Hooked up to my 32" TV. It don't need to be pretty. Since most likely ending up in the truck. For sure needs to be rugged.

 

Everything is goimg to need to start at the case

You handy? Want to make your own case? This helps a lot, buy a pc test bench setup and build it into what you want.

Not so handy? What dimensional constraints will you have?

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zGLvp2

- KB/Mouse and monitor not included.
- Was going to go with a 5600X, but they are out of stock.
- Went with a beefy PSU for power headroom
- Mobo "may" need a bios update, but the nice thing about this one is you can update easily.
- Case is a personal choice, but I have one of these in the house, and it's got great thermals and good out of the box fans without having to upgrade.
- GPU is pretty much the only thing your going to pay almost double MSRP for, but the 3060 is a good card
- Also went with the AIO for cooling since it's going to be in the truck on occasion and you don't need the mobo stress of having a big, beefy air cooler wiggling around.
- I always use a separate SSD for my OS, so I don't have to worry about losing any media if something goes wrong, but you can save some money by using only one. Your choice.

- And lastly. These are trusted brands to me for reliability and RMA process.

 

I had a 5600x in box for 3 months never installed it , bought to replace 3600x but I put in a 3600ti and I didn't see any reason to replace processer after getting 140 fps In COD MW . Sold the 5600x shortly afterward.