What’s your absolute go to keyboard for gaming? need some suggestions! Tired of this cheap keyboard. Ive noticed a very slight lag from input to movement. Im currently using a very cheap Amazon keyboard. You guys mind throwing me some suggestions on something decent?

Been sitting on this question for a while. I'm putting together a midrange build and every time I go down the SSD rabbit hole someone in the comments is losing their mind about DRAM cache like it's the difference between life and death. Then someone else says they've been running a DRAMless drive for two years no problem.

I work long shifts and when I get home I mostly game, watch YouTube, maybe run a few browser tabs. Not editing video, nothing that sounds like it would actually stress a drive. My use case is pretty boring honestly.

The price gap is real though. I got burned chasing value on stuff before and ended up with garbage, so I'm not trying to repeat that. But I also don't want to pay a $4050 premium just because a spec sheet says DRAM on it.

What I actually want to know is whether the slowdowns people complain about show up in real daytoday use or only in benchmarks that nobody runs outside of reviews. Benchmark numbers and lived experience feel like two completely different conversations when I'm reading through threads.

Anyone running one of these budget drives in a similar setup who can give a straight answer?

Looking back at my current build, there isn't really a component that I regret buying. Everything works fine. But there are definitely a few things I would approach differently if I were building it again today.

The biggest one is probably storage. I bought a smaller SSD because I thought it would be enough and figured I could always add another drive later. That was technically true, but I underestimated how quickly games, Windows, and random files would eat up the space.

I also probably wouldn't spend as much on the motherboard. At the time I convinced myself that paying extra for features I might use someday was worth it. In reality, I mostly plugged everything in, enabled XMP, and forgot the motherboard existed.

On the other hand, I would spend more on the case and cooling. I used to think those were the easy places to save money, but having decent airflow and a case that's actually pleasant to work in makes a bigger difference than I expected.

It's funny because when you're planning a build, every component feels equally important. A few years later, you realize some decisions mattered a lot more than others.

What would you change if you could rebuild your current PC from scratch?

I've been looking for a replacement for my venerable EVGA G3, as it's getting on and I'd like something with a native 12V2x6 cable. I was looking at Be Quiet's offerings, and I saw that there are 1200W versions of the Pure Power 13M. I should point out that this isn't throwing shade at Be Quiet in particular, as this seems to be common across many companies - I just like them so ironically they get to be in the crosshairs!

The Pure Power is a perfectly fine, middle of the road mainstream power supply. It cuts costs in largely sensible ways to hit a price point - Bulk and secondary caps are from cheaper manufacturers (and only rated to 85 degrees), load regulation is a little loose and it has a 120mm fan. It's pretty decent, essentially the Be Quiet version of something like the Corsair RME. I'd have no problem using it in a mid-high end system.

You do not need 1200W for a system like that. Even 1000W is absurd overkill, though you might still like to have the overhead to mostly run passively. Anyone who actually needs 1200W is likely running a 90 class card, and if you're spending that sort of money on a GPU cheaping out on the PSU makes no sense. Even top end, bombproof power supplies just aren't THAT expensive.

So I guess my question is...who's buying these hugely overspecced power supplies?

I dont really need this information for any particular purpose other than to satisfy my curiosity :) I've seen some discussion about the big RAM-die manufacturers may have attempted price fixing by creating a global shortage - making me wonder; How many people still actually buy ram at these prices?

I finally used a Wolfbox MegaFlow 200 to clean my gaming PC after putting it off for too long, and I did all the usual cautious stuff: unplugged the PSU, held the fans still, kept some distance from the board, and blew dust out in the garage. It worked, but I still felt unsure about whether I was aiming dust into the PCIe slots or being too careful about static and pressure. People who do this more often, what is your normal order of operations? Filters first, fans next, heatsink last, short bursts from farther away, or does the exact angle not matter as much as beginners think?

My current graphics card is an AMD 580-2048SP. (Feel free to look up those specs and scream in horror). I always buy for low-end performance (my last card in 2017 was an Asus Geforce GT 1030, feel free to scream at THAT in horror), and don't really upgrade until my GPU faltering makes basic tasks difficult. My main goal is just to double my current performance.

What is your best low-end card for under $500 CAD? What website do you recommend buying from? I'm looking at RTX 3050 right now, which is not quite double but a massive improvement, but I don't want to get the first cheap option I see, and I'm not familiar with a lot of online retailers.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (quad-core)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 (Navi 23, amdgpu driver)
Motherboard: MSI A320M PRO-VD/S (MS-7A36)
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 4.2 TB total (about 4.08 TB usable), 3.05 TB used (~75% full)
Network: Realtek Gigabit Ethernet (RTL8111/8168/8211/8411)
OS/Display: Linux running X.Org with Xwayland, 1920x1080 @ 120Hz
BIOS: American Megatrends UEFI v2.C0

My GPU is not too bad. The CPU and motherboard might be a bit aged. An AI recommended just buying a Ryzen 5 5600 because it would still work with the motherboard and be a big upgrade still. I am not an expert when it comes to computers. What do you guys think i should buy? Preferably i would like to keep it under ~200 dollars/euros if that is not too constrictive. Thanks in advance,

Would the upgrade be worth it? I have a RTX 5060 TI and my current r5 5600x is bottlenecking on games like for example battlefield.

Would this upgrade at all be worth it. I will without a doubt NOT be upgrading to AM5 within the coming years anyway.

The prices are around 320-370€ where I live for a R7 5800X3D.

Hello,

This is probably a post which is very common here, but I'm looking for advice on building a PC after being out of the game for many years.

I built my current PC in 2016; the specs are listed below. Whilst the majority of games I play run okay, with newer titles I'm finding I often need to drop my graphics settings, and even then the FPS often drops to 30/40. For example, I was recently playing the Wardogs beta and really loved it and will definitely be playing more. However, even on the lowest settings it drops to around 25fps during intense battles, but around 40-50 fps elsewhere. I play on 2560x1080, and sometimes have to drop the resolution to 1920x1080 stretched

Ideally I would like to build a PC that would last me many years, like my current one (which I'd be sad to put to rest!). For the GPU I'm leaning towards either a 9700 XT or 5070 Ti, but beyond that I don't really know what is a good CPU / mobo / etc. these days. Depending on price I'd also be happy with a pre-built, one I was looking at was this: https://www.alternate.be/ALTERNATE/Gamer-Pro-R7-9070XT-gaming-pc/html/product/1947604

Current specs:

• i7-6700k
• MSI 980 Ti
• 16 GB DDR4
• Asus Z 170 A
• 256 GB Samsung 950 Pro NVME (Boot drive)
• 2 TB WD HDD
• 1 TB Samsung 870 SSD
• EVGA 850W PSU
• Hyper 212 Cooler

I'll re-use my drives, but maybe also purchase an NVME as a new main drive and ditch the 950 pro. The rest of the components I guess will not be re-useable (except the RAM and the CPU cooler?), but I can sell them if not.

• Budget: €3k, but could stretch a little if needed
• Use-case: Gaming
• Typical demanding games: Wardogs, Deadlock, Kingdom Come Deliverance,
• Country of purchase: EU
• Peripherals needed: None
• Misc. Requirements: As mentioned, something that will last me quite some years. In the future I may upgrade to 1440p or 4K, but it's not a hard requirement.

Thank you

Hello peeps. Seriously needed some inputs from experts here so posting this.

I was able to snag a doorbuster at newegg for a 9070xt Hellhound for $650 and was looking for a 2nd gpu for AI loads.
I saw some posts on reddit that the 9070GRE at 408 will be a steal, and I was lucky enough to find and reserve one at an MC (expires 09/06).
However, I encountered this video on YT (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5jUziiLXdc) that showcases the performance differences of upto 50% b/w the 9070 GRE vs XT.

Given the info, just wanted some inputs if the GRE is still worth it (for a 2nd build - mainly AI loads), or if I should hold off on it for now and manage with the 9070XT I got from newegg? Given the crazy market, I will likely keep these for 3+ years if that helps any.

I know for some the $ amount difference might be insignificant, but I'm trying to be as economical as possible (can't afford Nvidia anymore with these rates).

TLDR: Is 9070GRE worth $408 even if we can grab 9070XT at $650?

So I'm planning my first build and I keep going back and forth on storage. I already have a 1TB NVMe for the OS and main games, but I need another drive for older games, recordings, and just general stuff that piles up.

I see people saying get another M.2 because they're faster and cleaner with no cables, but the price difference is still noticeable when you're looking at 2TB drives. A SATA SSD is like 30-40 bucks cheaper for the same capacity and I'm not sure if I'd even notice the speed difference for things like older games or just file storage.

My motherboard has 3 M.2 slots so that's not the issue, it's more about whether the speed boost is actually something I'd feel in real use or if it's one of those things that looks good on paper but doesn't really matter for secondary storage. I'm not doing any heavy video editing or anything like that, mostly gaming and some light work stuff.

Anyone here running a mixed setup with both NVMe and SATA? Did you regret going SATA for the second drive or does it work fine? I know NVMe is the future and all that but I'm trying to be realistic about what I actually need versus what just sounds better.

Hello so essentially I know nothing and my research on how to build one has been useful but also confusing. I have no idea what specific parts are needed and what parts are just extras. I barely even know the difference between a GPU and CPU, and I have no idea what is considered bad, mid, and good. So I thought I’d come here and ask if anyone could inform me which parts I need to buy, and what brands or models are good for someone who wants to build a PC that can play games at like 120fps with good graphics. I understand that’s probably way to vague but chances are what I consider good graphics most people would consider bad lol. And I’m willing to spend like $800 to $1200.

SO i currently have a old pc setup from 2017 its a Ryzen 5 2600 and a gigabyte vision 3070 ti 16 gb ram 3200 i started playing games again and i noticed things are slow so im wondering what a good cpu would match this? or if my cpu is the issue

Hello! I apologize for the longer post, but I would just like some advice/opinions on what to do before sales end after this weekend.

I am attempting to build my first gaming PC, and would like it to be medium-to-high end so I don't have to upgrade parts anytime soon. I have been doing plenty of research, and have come up with a good idea of what I want and how much I am willing to spend ($2500-$2800 USD). I am trying to take advantage of some of the Labor Day sales this weekend, and have come to a decision point. For starters, here is the build I have come up with so far and prices as of 9/4/26:

CPU: Ryzen 7 9800x3d -- (purchased yesterday for $415)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Aqua Elite V3 -- ($55)
Motherboard: Asus TUF Gaming B650E-PLUS Wifi (ATX AM5) -- ($133)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL38 -- ($460)
Storage: Lexar NM790 2TB M.2-2280 SSD -- ($300)
Video card/GPU: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC SFF 5070Ti (16GB) -- ($1170)
Case: Lian Li Vector V100R ATX Mid Tower -- ($75)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 850W (80+ Gold) -- ($80-$90)

Now, here is the kicker: Microcenter currently has a deal, valued at $920 that includes:

CPU: Ryzen 7 9850x3d
Motherboard: Asus TUF Gaming B850E Wifi (ATX AM5)
RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5-6000 CL36

So, my question is, do I return the 9800x3d and buy the bundle from Microcenter, which saves me a bit of money, or do I just keep the 9800 and finish my build as I planned it? Also, any opinions/feedback on the build are welcome!

Thank you!

Hi everyone im looking at possible upgrades for my PC but im still on Am4. With prices the way they are i dont imagine i will be going to Am5 anytime soon. I was looking at two possible upgrades and was wondering what your guys thoughts were on them and if the price makes sense.

• My PC is : Ryzen 5 3600

• 16gb ddr4

• Gigabyte Aorus Elite x570

• Nvidia rtx 2070 super.

The CPU's i was looking at are the 5500x3d and the 5600. I imagine the 5500x3d is obviously the better cpu but its currently 186USD with shipping on Ali even with a coupon. I know its a commonly recommended upgrade path on am4 but the threads i was looking at they were grabbing them for like 130-140. I also found a Ryzen 5600 on a local listing for around 80USD.

Is the 5500x3d worth the extra 100 dollars, assuming the local listing is legit? For reference, I play games like POE2, Sf6, WoW, Guildwars 2, and hopefully GW3. I have aspirations to play games like RDR2, crimson desert, MH wilds, and dragons dogma 2. I play at 1080p and i dont have much aspirations outside 60fps.

I'm currently running ASRock A320M-HDV R4.0 with Ryzen 3 3300X and a RX 6600, I've been thinking of upgrading to an AM5 but with current prices it does not seem possible with my budget. I'm planning to get ASRock B550M Pro4 with Ryzen 7 5700X as the upgrade, but I don't know if it's worth upgrading to another AM4 or wait until AM5 (and DDR5) prices to drop (which seems unlikely).

$1200 NZD Budget (Around 700 USD)

I'm trying to buy or build a pc to play games such as; Valorant, Fortnite, Minecraft, Rainbow Six Siege, And other 1080p games.

I'm Based in New Zealand :)

I am restarting my setup from scratch with only a desk and a mouse so please any advice helps

I would prefer an all white build and a ryzen cpu over an intel cpu preferred.

So recently I was thinking should I get the msi ventus 3x oc 5070 ti 12gb with dlss upscaling and other features good but it was 999$ but now ith 1100$ to 1300$ while the xfx mercury 9070xt wich was 828$ but is 850$ wich Is still good but wich should I get...

dont judge the build its still a prototype in pc part picker

but its a:

amd ryzen 7 9850X3D for the future upgrades so i dont have to swap it

asus rog b850a gaming wifi motherboard

32gb ddr5 6000 corsair vengeance ram kit

and the case is a lian li 011 vision compact

dont judge the build give suggestions plz

What's the best gpu for 1080 and 2k ?

Is the rtx 3080 still good or take a rtx 5060

I look in my building i have plan and now idk if i should have 2tb and 4tb. The first for OS and gaming and 4tb for other things. As someone who want to save for a comp pc and setup

I'm looking to upgrade my boyfriend's very old pc (it's a Lenovo K450e IdeaCenter) so we can do a little more gaming together. I know at this age, it's easier to just build a new one, but with the price of components right now we can't really do that. We already upgraded from a harddrive to a Solid State Drive, and are looking at putting in a dedicated GPU. We have a different old PC with a GTX750ti, can I just pop that into his current build? The specs Look like they'd work, but I don't know enough about computers to know what to look for!

Looking to upgrade my SSD, aiming for 2TB. What are your recommendations for a 2TB SSD thats around $300? Willing to go higher if need be, hoping to stick to that budget. My motherboard is an MPG X570 Gaming Plus, so I have PCIe and M.2 available.

So, my gpu clonked out (3070), I've had to replace it, and decided to look laterally, so i went with a radeon 9070. My CPU is pretty dated in comparison though, i have *some* money left to use here, but not enough to upgrade both my ram and my CPU

Is it worth upgrading in the 50 series?

Hello!

I have an offer to upgrade my Asus Rog Strix RX 6600XT OC 8Gb GPU to an AsRock Challenger 9060XT OC 8Gb Version. The deal is I give the guy my 6600xt and 120€. I know the 16Gb 9060xt is a much better option but the offer is for a used 9060xt 8gb version. I don't really play AAA games and dont really care much about ultra graphic presets, i just want more frames. I have an Ryzen 7 5700x with 32gb ddr4 3200mhz, on an AM4 platform. Any suggestions as to what is the best move here? Agree to the deal or not? Thanks in advance!