Optimize AdviceBetter hardware decisions, covering the power supply unit.
Optimize AdviceBetter hardware decisions, covering the power supply unit.
It's perfectly fine to purchase used GPUs. With the current high cost of new ones, second-hand options offer a more attractive price point. Personally, I wouldn't buy used PC parts, particularly GPUs, and I don't even think about used PSUs. In this video, at 11:42, Steve discusses whether buying used GPUs makes sense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Yp6pQRdns#t=11m42s
The GPU is fine, though I paid too much for what I received. I got a 3070 MSI gaming X trio, but no box or warranty came with it. I spent $250 just for the card itself, not even the anti-sag bracket. I'm upset about paying that much for such a small amount.
I’m still unsure about the mobo part ID. With so many options it’s really confusing. Should I choose the B650 or the B850? I want something that won’t break my budget too much. I have a big 4GB GPU and I prefer it for its appearance. The color should be a mix of grey, black, white, but not fully white. I need at least two NVMe slots, preferably three. USB ports are important since I use a lot of them. It should support AIO. In my mind, the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk/GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX/Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 looks good. I’d like something affordable but reliable. For Asus, I’m worried about CPU compatibility and performance. Do you have any guides that explain what to look for beyond just the user’s needs? Also, sorry for the poor English—I’m not fluent yet and getting stuck is frustrating 🥲
True.
To narrow down things, best to settle with chipset first and then look MoBos within that chipset.
Since you're going with AM5 socket CPU, here is all compatible chipsets listed + their differences,
link:
https://www.amd.com/en/products/processo...html#specs
In a nutshell, you have selection between B650/E, X670/E, B850, X870/E.
I advise against looking A620/A and B840 since those are cheap, bottom end chipsets, with limited features. But good for office builds with weak CPU.
Not an in-depth guide per se, but one critical aspect to look for are VRM phases. Namely how many main VRM phases there are. VRM configuration matters little.
E.g 12+2+1 is common, middle of the pack VRM configuration. Meaning 12 VRM phases for CPU power delivery, 2 VRM phases for GPU and 1 VRM phase for the rest of the components.
Do note that cheaper MoBos skimp on VRM phases and can have 4, 6 or 8 main phases. (E.g 8+1 conf.) While fine for Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 CPU, but not enough for Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 CPUs.
Here's good Q&A about what VRM is, and why it is important,
link:
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/vrm/
For example:
MSI B650 Tomahawk - 14+2+1 VRM configuration.
Gigabyte B640 Aorus Elite AX - 14+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 60A.
Gigabyte B640 Aorus Elite AX V2 - 12+2+2 VRM configuration, rated 60A.
All three have either 12 or 14 main VRM phases and do fine with Ryzen 5 CPU. Should suffice for Ryzen 7 CPU too, if you don't OC the chip.
There is no such thing as cheap and good. If you want cheap and good, you have to buy two MoBos: the cheap one and the good one.
Once you've settled with the chipset, there are chipset specific guides that you can read, to see which MoBos are good and which aren't.
E.g B650, link:
https://www.techspot.com/bestof/amd-b650-motherboards/
X870/E, link:
https://www.techspot.com/review/2907-amd...herboards/
Soon (next month), i too am going with new AM5 CPU-MoBo-RAM combo. The CPU i'm going with is R7 9800X3D and i'm going to pair it with MoBo that has 20+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 110A. Since after all, high-end CPU is best paired with high-end MoBo.
Sure, i could go with 24+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 110A MoBo as well, but that would be extra $100 bucks over what i chose. In my opinion, 100 bucks for extra 4 VRM phases, is too much for me. Not to mention different, less appealing looking MoBo.
Given that brand new MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio goes for $700,
amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-Tri-F...B08KWN2LZG
You paying mere $250 is actually very cheap price. For used price, i'd expect $350.
The example provided is not a good fit because the user explicitly mentioned they do not want a fully white MoBo, which the ICE version offers. As for local stores, it seems you might have overlooked a useful discussion in the forums (also a sticky post), link: https://forums. Some shops have since closed, but others are still operational; for instance: store: https://www.cel.ro/ store: https://www.emag.ro/ store: https://www.shop4pc.ro/ store: https://shop.pc-coolers.ro/en-gb/catalog/componente Open the store, place the MoBo inside, and check it out.
Hello, the mobile in Romania is about 221 Euros. It looks nice, but it feels a bit out of my budget. Regarding the color, yes, that seems like a fully white model for me, though I also notice a black/grey version that looks good too. Unfortunately, I don’t want to spend so much on a mobile and prefer to use the money for other things. I already need to sell some Counter-Strike skins to buy this PC.
In terms of color, if there’s a white part and your full PC is black, it’s like wearing a completely black outfit but with white socks. If you’re going for a mix of both, I think it could look great, but if not, maybe it won’t be as cool.
I’d like my mobile to have a main black color, but maybe some grey here and there or another color, just not too much. My ADHD doesn’t let me change that easily. 😀
Sorry for the bad English again!
Ideally, linking your stores to us and mentioning the MoBo budget would help us assess what's available within that limit. Otherwise, it's quite challenging to propose a suitable MoBo. We might consider alternatives, but they could be unavailable or exceed your budget. For example, the Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 is a solid mid-tier option, yet it would cost around 975 RON for you.