PC Building Guide and Discussion #14

[93LEAFS]

From Steam's most recent hardware survey, about 22% of Linux users on Steam are using SteamOS. Linux users make up 1.38% of all users, so assuming all SteamOS users are on Steam Deck, Deck users made up about 0.3% of users in January. Given that most of those users are probably not even using the Deck to play AAA games, I highly doubt any developers are putting in discrete optimization for the Deck beyond making sure the game runs.

It's more the unique RDNA 2.0 and infinity fabric stuff, that hardware that performance-wise is comparable is able to exceed its capabilities if the game is designed to optimize those aspects (which it was since it's a PS5 launch exclusive which uses RDNA 1.5 and uses AMD hardware designed to get the most out of FSR). The Steam Deck is just a secondary beneficiary of things they were already implementing in the games design. That it can perform to a level that is comparable to the minimums that seem higher on paper. The games Ultra settings also seem to favor AMD with it listing the GPU requirements as a 4080 on Nvidia side and 6800xt on AMD, although maybe that's entirely VRAM.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Similar to consoles, the steam deck uses unique architecture to outperform what it actually is. Now, games are nowhere near as optimized to the same extent major releases for Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft consoles. But, while its GPU on paper is probably at best comparable to a GTX 1050, it offers full RDNA 2.0 support and FSR. It's a benefit of highly customized architecture designed to essentially do one thing (play video games).

While games will never be as optimized as Nintendo Switch games. Look at the Switch's specs compared to PCs built in the past 8 years, 9th-gen and even their 8th gen console competitors, it's astonishing the Switch can natively run games like The Witcher 3, Doom Eternal, and Sonic Frontiers even if they are stripped down but still playable ports. It's one of the main reasons it's almost impossible to compare what highly customized architecture like those in consoles can get out of a game to PC counterparts. High-end GPU/CPU combos will brute force better performance but there are tons of tricks to get a game to run in a playable state if you are focusing on that platforms exact specifications. My guess is as a game I believe is supported by AMD, and the fact Sony uses AMD that there is something around the AMD RNDA 1.5 (PS5's architechture), the Steam Decks RDNA 2.0 and FSR systems that Square Enix leaned into to make the game perform above specs.

While you are correct and it's very true that specific hardware optimization can work wonders, I think it's worth noting that none of that would really affect a minimum spec because the Deck....well, it would use Deck hardware, so hardware requirements don't really apply. Hence I think it's still a question mark.


Also, fun fact: The GTX 1050 can also use FSR.

 

[Osprey]

Nvidia is at it again. First, the "4080 12GB" was really the 4070 die. Now, the laptop "4090" is really the 4080 die.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Nvidia being anti-consumer? Never would have expected that! They can afford to do that since they dominate the market and people just keep spreading their buttcheeks asking for more.

The prices on those laptops are absurd too. Like Tim says in the video, you are much better served building a power house desktop if you want top gaming performances instead of giving an arm and a leg for something portable but that is so inferior.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Remember when i said the 4070 Ti is a dumb card?

https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed/status/1623147278293934081?s=20&t=VOBjmMQmmVKvKSNfe31wmQ

Imagine paying the Nvidia tax for all their features and not being able to use them because they can't be bothered to put a decent amount of VRAM. Not a card that will age well at all.

 

[aleshemsky83]

Is there a way around 2 factor authentication? Recently there’s been hacking attempts on my steam and my Gmail. Somehow someone managed to open a google ads account connected with my gmail, which I reported and had shut down. I’m just wondering if there’s anyway around 2 factor that’s known, other than stealing my phone number that is.

 

[Osprey]

I'm not aware of a way around it if your phone number is required, Google allows you to get prompts on devices that you're already logged into and even skip the second step entirely on devices that you trust. I'd take a look at Google's 2-Step Verification page, verify that it's enabled, check which devices you're signed into and maybe revoke all devices at the bottom.

Account settings: Your browser is not supported.

myaccount.google.com

 

[Natey]

Need a bit of help. I'm not very tech savvy (I don't want to take out my motherboard), but I'm looking for a CPU cooler. My CPU has always ran a little hot (it's an intel, no doubt) with the stock cooler, but never a worry. Wild Hearts came out recently and it's now running at 100C when playing the game. Normally it was between 60-75, depending on the game. For comparison sake, to show that the PC has decent cooling overall, my GPU is around 65.

This game is poorly optimized, but an aftermarket cooler wouldn't hurt for the CPU.

I'd like something that's not too expensive and very easy to install. I don't want to remove the MOBO from the unit because I feel like I'd have an awful time trying to rebuild it lol --- give me the closest thing to plug and play.

 

[Osprey]

Nearly all aftermarket coolers (at least the good ones) attach to a backplate that goes on the underside of the motherboard. Finding one that doesn't require that could be tricky. Here's one that supposedly doesn't:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Heatsink-Assembly-Cooling-BXTS15A/dp/B013U542QE/

...but you'll have to make sure that it's compatible with your CPU. It says that it's compatible with the LGA2011 socket, so you'd have to look in your OS or BIOS for the model of your CPU and look it up to see if it uses LGA2011. If not, then google for the socket that it does use and "cooler that doesn't require a backplate" or something like that. You might also look for other Intel coolers with that plastic push pin design (because you push the pins through the motherboard holes and they expand on the other side to secure it).

Are you sure that your case doesn't have a removable back panel to allow you to access the underside of the motherboard? A lot of modern cases do.

 

[aleshemsky83]

Now my Amazon account has had an attempted hack, and like my Steam account, they also had my password, it is the exact same password so I should have figured. I guess I should change the passwords. I do wonder how people guess these passwords, its an isnanely long password with lots of special characters, and I only ever log in to credible sites.

Two factor authentication really is a lifesaver.

 

[Osprey]

I doubt that they guessed your password. I imagine that a website that you have an account with (even if it's been years since you used it) was hacked and they got your e-mail address and password from that. Now, they're trying that combination on other sites. You should make sure that there aren't any other sites that use the same combination and change the passwords if there are. Ideally, you should also make it so that your passwords for all of these sites (even the ones with 2 factor) are at least slightly different.

 

[mouser]

Need a bit of help. I'm not very tech savvy (I don't want to take out my motherboard), but I'm looking for a CPU cooler. My CPU has always ran a little hot (it's an intel, no doubt) with the stock cooler, but never a worry. Wild Hearts came out recently and it's now running at 100C when playing the game. Normally it was between 60-75, depending on the game. For comparison sake, to show that the PC has decent cooling overall, my GPU is around 65.

This game is poorly optimized, but an aftermarket cooler wouldn't hurt for the CPU.

I'd like something that's not too expensive and very easy to install. I don't want to remove the MOBO from the unit because I feel like I'd have an awful time trying to rebuild it lol --- give me the closest thing to plug and play.

Is Wild Hearts the first 100% cpu usage game you’ve played? If you’ve been playing other max cpu games before and are now experiencing 100C vs 75C cpu temps previously this may be your cpu cooler isn’t functioning as well as it used to rather than a problem created by the new game.

There are many reasons why a CPU cooler performance can degrade. Most common causes are the connection between the CPU and cooler unit has degraded (cooler may have slightly detached from the cpu), or the cooler fan is no longer working at full efficiency.

 

[Natey]

Is Wild Hearts the first 100% cpu usage game you’ve played? If you’ve been playing other max cpu games before and are now experiencing 100C vs 75C cpu temps previously this may be your cpu cooler isn’t functioning as well as it used to rather than a problem created by the new game.

There are many reasons why a CPU cooler performance can degrade. Most common causes are the connection between the CPU and cooler unit has degraded (cooler may have slightly detached from the cpu), or the cooler fan is no longer working at full efficiency.

Yeah, it was just Wild Hearts. Every other game I tried after was completely normal temps. The temps I'm used too. And I threw some pretty intensive games at it.

It was just the stock intel CPU cooler. I ended up buying a Noctua Redux and putting it in. Wild Hearts, after an hour, was hitting max temps of like 61. It's idling in the 30s now as well. The stock cooler I removed had a little dog hair buildup on the blades, but not much.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

So the pump of the EK 280 Elite AIO is too big for the Meshlicious when the system is in 4 GPU slot mode...
I had to buy a new 280 (be quiet! Pure Loop 280). Have to wait till Thursday now.
Extreme stress with this just not fitting is an understatement.

 

[Osprey]

The modder who added ray tracing to the original DOOM and Quake has released his similar mod for Half-Life:

Releases · sultim-t/xash-rt

Fork of the Xash3D FWGS with a real-time path tracing - sultim-t/xash-rt

github.com

I'm never going to get around to new shooters like Atomic Heart if modders keep giving me new reasons to re-play my favorite 90s shooters.

 

[Smelling Salt]

Man, so many fond memories of playing HL1 on my old Pentium 200. And playing multiplayer over my 33.6 modem, which I eventually upgraded to to 56k and saw pings dip into the high 200s !!!!

 

[Osprey]

Man, so many fond memories of playing HL1 on my old Pentium 200. And playing multiplayer over my 33.6 modem, which I eventually upgraded to to 56k and saw pings dip into the high 200s !!!!

Did you play on WON? An hour ago, while looking for a version of HL1 that the mod would work with, I mounted an old ISO that I have and the old school Sierra installer had an ad for WON on it. It brought back memories.

 

[Smelling Salt]

Did you play on WON? An hour ago, while looking for a version of HL1 that the mod would work with, I mounted an old ISO that I have and the old school Sierra installer had an ad for WON on it. It brought back memories.

Yes! Ah the good ol' days. Oh shit next map is a custom map I need to download at the slowest speed possible. Or someone in the lobby had a custom skin you needed to download.

I ran a few servers too once I got cable.

 

[93LEAFS]

After how impressive the 5800x3D was last generation, I'm sort of surprised how the newer X3d chips aren't really showing dominance over Intel 13th gen, especially when factoring in price to performance. 7950x3D is very impressive. I guess the real test will be the 7800x3D, as that has a chance of being the best price to performance CPU before you get into whole set-up costs (AM5 boards are still on the pricy side).

 

[PeteWorrell]

All recent CPUs are really good at gaming overall. Most people don't use benchmarks to evaluate their computer and they don't have a high end GPU to push them to their limit.

The 7950X3D is nearly $1000 in Canada. AM5 continues to be poor value.

 

[McDNicks17]

Hey guys. Fiddling around with an older pre-built and I'm looking to upgrade the RAM. It has an ASRock A320M-HDV R3.0 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600 in it.

I don't know much about building PCs, but it looks like the specs say it can support two DDR4s with a max 2933 Mhz.

Would this be a good choice?
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX (AMD Ryzen Ready) 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 2933 (PC4 23400) AMD Optimized Desktop Memory Model CMK16GX4M2Z2933C16

 

[Osprey]

Hey guys. Fiddling around with an older pre-built and I'm looking to upgrade the RAM. It has an ASRock A320M-HDV R3.0 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600 in it.

I don't know much about building PCs, but it looks like the specs say it can support two DDR4s with a max 2933 Mhz.

Would this be a good choice?
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX (AMD Ryzen Ready) 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 2933 (PC4 23400) AMD Optimized Desktop Memory Model CMK16GX4M2Z2933C16

That looks like it'll work, but there's a faster set that's also cheaper and has much cheaper shipping:
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model CMK16GX4M2E3200C16
I would get that, instead. Even though you may not run it at the faster speed, the headroom is nice to have for stability and doesn't hurt, but the real reason to go for it is the much cheaper price, especially after shipping.

 

[McDNicks17]

That looks like it'll work, but there's a faster set that's also cheaper and has much cheaper shipping:
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model CMK16GX4M2E3200C16
I would get that, instead. Even though you may not run it at the faster speed, the headroom is nice to have for stability and doesn't hurt.

Oh, nice. I wasn't sure if a faster set would just run at the lower Mhz or not. Thanks.

 

[Osprey]

Oh, nice. I wasn't sure if a faster set would just run at the lower Mhz or not. Thanks.

It will, yes. The speed rating is just the fastest speed that it can run at.

I'm noticing now that the difference between the sets (besides the speed rating) is the most expensive one is labeled as "AMD Ryzen Ready" and "AMD Optimized" and the cheaper one mentions "Intel XMP," so one is targeted at AMD users and the other at Intel. I think that it's just marketing, though. I bet that there's no difference between the two sets, other than the speed rating. Both even mention "AMD 300 Series" (your motherboard, being an A320, is from the 300 series) in the "recommended use" sections of their specs page. So, I think that you're fine and should still buy the cheaper set, but I want to give you all of the information.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Lovely to see all the gamers leaving negative reviews on new games because they are in denial about the limitations of their high-end 8GB GPU. Spoilers: They better get used to it because it's only the beginning with all the Unreal Engine 5 games that will come out in the future.