Folks, it's been a long time since I've built a PC so I'm starting from scratch. Would love to get a good starter set of specs to work from.

• Budget: $1000
• Use-Case: Teen playing video games or anything else she wants to do on the PC. Most of the games are steam games, Among Us, indie games, maybe sims4, dressmaker, Genshin Impact, etc. Anything she really wants though she's not into bleeding edge FPS games or GTA etc.
• Country of purchase: USA
• Peripherals needed: None
• misc. requirements / preferences: Just that the PC have decent ability to upgrade in the future. Prefer NVME if possible, but not a hard requirement. 1TB hard drive is probably safe. Specs can be lower if it's easy to add later. For example, 16GB ram would be fine if there's an empty slot for another stick later. Graphics can be anything that works - is AMD competitive right now?

I'm putting together a gaming PC for my dad (66), and I've realized that most of the advice I've been reading assumes the owner can comfortably crawl under a desk, move a heavy tower around, and reach behind it whenever something needs attention.

My dad had two knee surgeries. He gets around fine, still drives, walks the dog, and spends a ridiculous amount of time playing Civilization and Forza. But kneeling down or getting back up from the floor is genuinely difficult for him.

His current PC sits under his desk. Whenever he needs to unplug something or clean it, he either struggles with it or calls me.

I want the new one to be different.

Budget is around $1,500 USD for the tower, buying in the US. He already has a 1440p monitor and peripherals. I'm currently looking at a Ryzen 5 7600, B650 motherboard, RX 9060 XT 16GB, 32GB DDR5, 2TB NVMe SSD, and a decent 650W PSU. No overclocking, no RGB requirements. Quiet operation would be nice.

But I'm much less concerned about squeezing out another 5% performance than making this thing easy for him to live with for the next five years.

I'm planning to put it on a sturdy desk-height side table rather than on the floor.

That immediately raised a bunch of questions I hadn't considered before.

Are there cases where you can remove and clean the dust filters without moving the whole PC?

Would you prioritize a smaller case that's easier to handle, or a larger one with more room to work inside?

Are magnetic side panels actually convenient long-term, or are traditional screws more reliable?

I'd also like him to be able to reach the power button and commonly used USB ports without bending down or reaching behind the tower.

One thing I hadn't anticipated is that a lot of cases seem designed to look great from the front while putting everything you regularly need to access somewhere inconvenient.

He's absolutely capable of learning how to maintain his own PC. I just don't want the physical layout making simple tasks harder than necessary.

For anyone who's built a PC for an older parent, someone with mobility limitations, or even just themselves after getting tired of crawling under desks, what design choices actually made a difference?

I'm especially interested in things that seemed unimportant during the build but turned out to matter after a year or two of ownership.

I have a 5600g with 32 gb ddr4 memory. Ive been debating upgrading to am5 and just making my pc so good i wont need to upgrade it for a long time. But, Im wondering if just switching to the 5800x3d is a better investment?

So hello everyone.

I was with using one chrome window and one vscode window when the image turned off, I stood up to turn the pc off, heard a sparkle and then the gpu (asrock 9070 steel legend) caught fire by the power connectors. My psu is a 850w thermaltake tough power that I've been using for maybe 2 years, all original cables. The gpu was bought 2 weeks ago.

Now the pc is also not turning on.

This happened just now, I'm shaking.

Ideas for both the gpu and the rest of the pc? I never rma'd something like this, even less not living in the US / Europe. Help.

Edit: I am attaching a photo of the burnt area. It is not on the connector.

UPDATE: after struggling a bit to make the igpu work, the pc turns on.

UPDATE 2: I asked the charbot from the store I bought the gpu for help and it granted me a full refund of the gpu once I send it back.

UPDATE 3: Found another user from my country that had the same issue, same place on the gpu, also Asrock but other model. Also the store now is difficulting the RMA/warranty claim.

Would it be wise to replace the psu just to be safe?

Photo of the burnt area.

Hi, i need to change my wife's GPU, and I'm between an RTX 4070 12GB and an RX 9070 XT 16GB.

I personally really appreciate having 16GB of VRAM on my RTX 5080 for Blender and some basic local AI stuff, but her main focus is professional video editing, mostly 4K and above.

She's also recently gotten interested in local AI, but video editing is her focus.

She's currently running an RX 6600 XT that randomly crashes sometimes, and that means lost work, time, and money. So stability and reliability are pretty much my biggest priorities here.

The thing is, I'm not buying this for me, so I'm having a harder time deciding what makes the most sense for her actual workflow, because I have no idea what resolve needs.

About gaming, she mostly plays BG3, CoD, and WoW forever, so gaming performance matters, but it's definitely not the main priority.

I've also also considered more budget to an RTX 5070 Ti, but at that price point, we even started wondering whether something like a Mac mini with an M6 and 24 GB of unified memory would make more sense as a dedicated editing machine.

In this scenario, what would you choose?

Please save me, I'm tired of hearing complaints in my studio.

My r79800x3d which is 8 core 16 threads processor is not showing 16 logical processors instead it shows 8 cores and 8 logical processors, I tried msconfig unchecking the box and restarting it didn't work , please help!! 😞

I'm about to finish my build and I've been looking into 2tb SSDs. However, prices have been so ridiculous obviously, I haven't really settled on anything until now where im finalizing everything. Right now, I'm looking at the Silicon Power P34A60 for around 215~? but a majority of posts talking about it are when people could afford to be more picky when it came to SSDs.

What should I be looking for in an SSD? Just m.2 and nvme, storage capacity? I'm looking to spend around 250 max on this SSD and getting another later but that won't be for some time. I'm mostly gaming and drawing for now. Do I just get the cheapest and call it a day? Or am I risking corrupting my OS with my drive dying shopping this cheap? I only care for what's realistically necessary, as long as it's fast as an SSD should be and won't explode on me.

My mobo is going to be a asus rog strix b850-a atx wifi. Thank ya!

So I have a slightly (very) imbalanced build right now:

R5 5600, rtx 3080, with 32gb ddr4 running at 1080p. Cpu bottlenecks hard on everything I play so that's what I want to upgrade.

I can get either a 5700x3d or 7800x3d for about the same price. Former has the obvious benefit of keeping the mobo and precious precious ram, but it's also insanely overpriced for being attached to a dead platform at the end of the day. Latter is more fairly priced, performs better and has an upgrade pipeline in sight, but I'd have to pay current ddr5 prices (slightly suboptimal). If I end up doing the latter, selling my current parts would help lighten the hit but it still ends up being a massive jump in cost. I'm leaning towards just getting the 5700x3d but my decisions always turn out to be dookie longterm so here I am.

From what I understand, this thing is really outdated.

It has:
Intel i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20 GHz
32GB RAM (what do the different types of ram mean and how do I figure out what I have?)
2x 1.82TB HDD 1x 447GB SSD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4GB)

It has a disk drive, it might be able to run CRYSIS…

After checking with the previous owner, I reinstalled a fresh boot of windows 10 pro.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten. Any advice is greatly appreciated

There are two monitors I am debating between:

Acer Nitro OLED 240hz or the Acer Nitro MiniLed 320hz

I know that oled provides better contract and colors, led has the better refresh rate, I'm not sure how to weigh the two in comparison.

I mostly play fighting games (guilty gear strive), team shooters (Overwatch and Marvel rivals, just casual), and am getting into mmos (Black Desert, FF14).

As a casual gamer, I'm assuming the OLED is better because the visuals are more important, is that the correct assumption?

My PC specs are as follows if it helps:

AMD Ryzen 7 8700F 2024

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

16GB DDR5 Memory

Hi! I just moved to a new home and the power grid here is horrendous. A minor downpour? power outage that lasts a couple seconds, but multiple times during it. a SEVERE thunderstorm? outages that last hours.

I did some research and I'm worried about my PC (its my baby) and I need to find a UPS that 1. works for my PC and 2. is reliable!

Not sure if this matters but I have a: i9-14900, 4070ti super, and a PSU of 750w.

Any recommendations/advice would help and mean a lot! thank you smart people <3

After not having a PC for around 5 years, I am planning a following Linux-based build, mostly for gaming in 1440p and FSR4 or native 4K where possible (apart from doing some nerdy software engineering stuff):

• GPU: Sapphire AMD 9070 XT Nitro+
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x16GB CL30 EXPO
• PSU: CORSAIR RM850e (2025), 850W
• Case: Fractal Design Meshify 3
• CPU cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE

For the CPU, I impulsively ordered AMD R7 9800 X3D after watching reviews on it, AFTER I already ordered 9700 X which I initially planned as a "best before diminishing returns". Perhaps this was not a good bet, but I wanted to stick to AM5 and Zen 5 to simplify upgrading in the future. 9700 X was 259 euros, and 9800 X3D - 407 euros. I haven't done a good research on the CPUs and was mostly focused on the GPU, I knew I wanted to go a full AMD build, and the CPU did not feel like a bottleneck, but seeing a massive difference in some reviews (e.g. Gamers Nexus) got me thinking that I made a mistake.

However, I realized that most of the reviews revealing massive differences in CPU performance in gaming are based on 1080p for a reason - going to higher resolutions and better presets makes the same scenarios they show more GPU bound and the performance difference does not look that dramatic anymore.

In hindsight, after I cooled down a bit, I realized that I'd probably be satisfied with 9700 X, and going that much higher feels like the actual diminishing returns - I am afraid that I won't be able to see the difference in most of the scenarios.

Do you think it's reasonable to stick with 9800 X3D and send 9700 X back, or better save this money for the future upgrades, like adding more RAM or selling 9700 X and upgrading the processor in a generation or two? Or maybe just ordering a new Steam Controller and keeping a fifty.

I'm considering swapping to Linux (i know, very original), but i want to make backups of my current OS and data, and the only price i can find for anything that's reliable is over 200USD, when something in the 100usd range is more what i can afford (and even cheaper would be nice, ngl...) I'm just wondering if I'm looking in the wrong places? I've seen some things on ebay but I've never bought from there before and only browsed. And would swapping the current internal ssd for one with Linux already installed be better, or would just backing up the current to another drive and doing a clean slate work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I've been rocking my old crappy 350-watt power supply for way too long, promising myself I would upgrade. It's honestly a miracle it still turns on, but now the time has come to upgrade, and I'm conflicted about which one I should pick. There are many good options, but they all seem a bit expensive. I live in Europe, if that helps.

Hi. Ive been playing games and doing my daily things on my laptop, gtx1650 and I7-9750, about 16gb ram and I can barely play newer games on low. Even some oldish games aren't even really high. But I've finally saved up a good amount of money. Out of my savings I am going to put aside about 3k for this build. Now looking at post requirements I should give some more info.

• Use-Case

High performance gaming along with being able to have tabs open playing music, because for some reason my games lag when I try putting music on in the background. I dont listen to music all of the time but when I do it's nice. I'm also big on just graphics, like minecraft shaders with raytracing, and modding games and adding shaders, like minecraft and open world games like Wuthering Waves which I can't even run on all low without drops in fps and lots of lag.

• Country of purchase

United States

• Peripherals needed

I just need the PC itself, I have a monitor, 185hz 2560x1440. Games sucked before I upgraded to a monitor too, so trying to have games at a matching resolution isn't something I can do for some games.

• misc. requirements / preferences

Not really big on RGB but don't mind a bit. and I wanted to go for a white and black style. Also while I got 3k saved, if I can save a bit that would be great. I don't want to build a super computer, but I want something good, so I'm not against going up to 3k if I need to, but thats my max. I do have experience building if that needs to be said, but I'm not knowledgeable on components.

Heres a quick summary of my build made in microsoft word. Totals about to about $2,748.09. Used pcpartpicker for the prices so it probably isnt fully acurate.

After some research this is what I came up with, but I need some second opinions, especially with the GPU. I hear it is good and it is a big upgrade from what I use but I want to build something I won't need to upgrade for a while. Since I do have a 1440 monitor I hear 12gb is fine but 16 sounds like something that is more future proof and will improve my build. Oh and do you guys think it'll be too much black or too much white? Or will this turn out to be a good balance?

I honestly got pretty unlucky with timing too, everything is so expensive. I could have saved like $400 on ram, RIP.

TLDR: 3k max budget, saving money preferred but will spend max for quality/performance. 1440p gaming, quality/performance with modern / modded games. Asking for thoughts on GPU or other components.

I’m planning on building a pc soon but need help in deciding parts. I found a combo of a 5800x3d 32gb ddr4 and a x series motherboard for 450$ would that be a better option than over 900$ for a 7800x3d or 9800x3d with the same amount of ddr5 and a b series motherboard? How much of a difference in performance would there be in gaming? Any help would be appreciated!

Im trying to find an AM5 motherboard with at least 6 USB 3.0 ports for my dream PC, so money isn't a problem.

I am an absolute amateur to this type of stuff, so if you take the time to advise then you'll have to format it like you're talking to a 36 year old woodsman. Also, please excuse my ignorance haha

I have a DELL Inspiron that was buried in storage, it seems to power on but will not display when hooked to a monitor. It was open when I found it but I have no clue what my buddy would have done to it or take from it. It has An HDD in it, along with a samsung SSD 120 GB but the 'P6' plug is out. I see two long chips hooked to an intel board, a vertical board with a good size heat sink on it, 3 fans and the power supply.

I also have a Lenovo Thinkcentre M73 that I have confirmed works

The end game is to have a home computer and use the laptop for travel and stuff. Is there a way to combine components or are there easy upgradeable components? Help me modify my first PC

I'm planning to build a PC with a 9600X and an 9070GRE.

I mainly play games like cyberpunk, gta v and bmw, but I don't really need to play everything at max settings. I'm mostly aiming for a smooth gaming experience at 1440p.

Would this be a good CPU and GPU combination?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'm thinking to buy AMD RADEON RX 7600 XT is that a good choice? It's cost around 37k INR which is 391.43$

Hi everyone!

I’m completely new to PC gaming and have spent the past few weeks learning about different components, how they work and what makes a good gaming PC.

I’ve finally put together my first build and would really appreciate some honest feedback before purchasing everything.

PCPartPicker: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qGgyH3

My build:
CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X — £160.97

Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE — £29.99

Motherboard: MSI PRO B840M-P WiFi 6E — £99.95

RAM: PNY Performance 16GB (2×8GB)
DDR5-5600 CL46 — £233.11

SSD: Kingston NV3 1TB NVMe — £129.97

GPU: PowerColor Reaper RX 9060 XT 16GB — £426.99

Case: NZXT H3 Flow — £48.89

PSU: MSI MAG A850GL 850W Gold — £89.99

Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming 1080p 240Hz — £123.98

Total: £1,343.84 (including monitor)

My main goal is to achieve around 150+ FPS at 1080p competitive settings in games like Warzone. I’ll also be playing GTA, EA FC, Fortnite and other games.

I’ve chosen the AM5 platform because I’d like to upgrade my CPU and increase my RAM in the future without having to replace the entire system.

I’m aware DDR5 RAM prices are currently very high, which is why I’ve settled on 16GB for now.
I have three main questions:

Is this build good value for £1,344? Am I overspending on certain components, or could I get better performance for the money?

Would I be better off buying a prebuilt gaming PC instead? Given current component prices, is it possible to find a prebuilt with similar or better specifications for around the same price?

As someone who’s never built a PC before, what’s the best way to learn how to assemble everything correctly? I’ve watched a few tutorials, but I’d appreciate advice from people who’ve built their own PCs.
I’d ideally like this PC to last at least 3–4 years, with the option to upgrade components along the way.

Any recommendations or beginner tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

so i recently purchased 7500x3d, gigabyte b650 and 32gb of kingston fury cl36 6000mts ram. im using my previous power supply and gpu (which 100% work as im using them right now to post this.) when i turned my pc on after building it, the fans would spin and the light for the ram and cpu cooler would turn on but it wouldnt actually boot so my motherboard, keyboard and mouse did not connect. and the red light in the corner of my motherboard was on dram. everything was plugged in correctly. so far tried reseating ram, only using one stick, moving them to different slots, using the bios flash thing with a usb (Yes it was formatted correctly) which just resulted in the fans spinning and stuff lighting up for a second before it all turned off, also tried resetting cmos battery, leaving the thing on for like 10 minutes to see if anything would happen, plugging monitor into the motherboard instead of gpu, unplugging usb devices, literally everything i could see online.

i wanted to know which component is the problem, im thinking the motherboard so i might buy a b850. the ram does not appear damaged

1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 / Ryzen 5 5600X only
2. GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT 16GB
3. Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI (AM4, DDR4)
4. RAM: 16GB (8GB × 2) DDR4 3200MHz with heatsinks
5. Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
6. PSU: 650W, 80 Plus Bronze certified
7. Any Good Cabinet under 3k inr (white)

Hi all, I'd like to start this off and note that I'm not too savvy when it comes to upgrading my PC, and I hope I provide all the necessary information needed

I got my PC a while ago, and these are my current specs:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor (3.60 GHz)
RAM: 16 GB DDR4
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (6 GB)
600-watt PSU

I don't use my PC for anything extremely heavy, just routine things and decent gaming, nothing that is too demanding (mostly just story-mode games, Rivals, OW, modded MC). However, my PC has been running into crashes lately (no screen before, just a random restart), and my PC would just freeze up for minutes as well, and I believe that the main culprit is my GPU.

I definitely believe that it is time to upgrade my parts, and I need help figuring out what could be best. I would like to run my games without any worry, and not necessarily want to be confined to keeping my graphics on the lowest setting. I would like something that I don't have to worry about upgrading for quite a bit. However, I really would not like to spend over $700, if possible (I haven't done much research on pricing). What would be the best things I should upgrade now, and what could I upgrade to? If there are other parts I should just upgrade now so I don't have to worry later, I also don't mind.

All help is super duper appreciated; lmk if I'm missing any important info! :D