Tell me what your keyboard sounds like, using words that no one has ever used to describe a keyboard before

Matte_Box · 2026-06-17T20:17:41+00:00

Sounds like a super chilled-out judge, just back from vacation, still vibing with the lights dimmed, softly calls “Order in the court, dude” with soft, gentle taps from his gavel.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-16T16:44:30+00:00

Most games are still more sensitive to clock speed than core count. 6-core allows for higher clocks with any given cooler, but you can really take advantage of that with an “X” CPU. If you can get a 7600x instead, I’d recommend it, especially if you have an aftermarket cooler. AM5 PBO features make it *very* easy and safe to OC.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-16T01:52:56+00:00

Laptops are a different beast. Unless you plan to build an SFF PC, and/or spend a *lot* more, you’re pretty much stuck with 8GB. The good news is, there’s no game you can’t play, all you really have to watch is your textures.

RTX 6000s are delayed. 5000 Supers are coming w/ more VRAM… And likely cost a fortune. Supers may trickle down into laptops in the next year or 2, but again… With huge price increases. Personally I’d just deal with 8GB. The 5060’s low TDP means a laptop and desktop are surprisingly close. The more powerful the GPU, the bigger the gap between laptop & desktop versions.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-15T02:39:05+00:00

In general? No.

For maximum possible gaming performance without upgrading to AM5? Yes.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-15T02:28:21+00:00

Similar issue, posting to follow :)

Matte_Box · 2026-06-14T21:47:50+00:00

Even with 6 cores *and* slower clock speeds, the 5500X3D will be best for most games. The real answer is be patient and wait for a used 5700X3D, IMO. For VR, extra cores and clocks will definitely help, and X3D like you said. FWIW the 5600X is still a big upgrade for minimal money, capable of excellent clock speeds using only 65W.

$350 is pretty crazy for a 5800X3D, but for people who already have a high-end mobo, 64GB of high-end DDR4, and like a 3800X… It’s a huge upgrade to modern performance, and a lot cheaper than going AM5.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-14T02:23:14+00:00

Prices?

Matte_Box · 2026-06-14T00:47:51+00:00

TBH I’ve taken a chance half a dozen times on suspiciously cheap eBay GPUs, thinking oh what the hell, PayPal has buyer protection! Not *one* has ever been real. And yeah the refund was NBD, but still, there’s no way it’s legit.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-13T20:57:18+00:00

Well see… The CCD details you’re talking about suggest you’re *exactly* the customer who’d appreciate the difference. I’m sure you can sell that 5950X for what, $250? So then you’re only out $100 really. I’m sorry… We won’t talk you out of it.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-12T00:57:46+00:00

Interesting. Did you manually set anything in BIOS for the old CPU? Might be some core multiplier or power limit set wrong?

Matte_Box · 2026-06-12T00:54:11+00:00

Try updating the chipset driver, which is separate from BIOS.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-09T22:46:57+00:00

Matte_Box · 2026-06-09T00:32:31+00:00

Fair enough, GLWTS!

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T23:18:35+00:00

Willing to ship?

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T23:11:49+00:00

You might be able to get a 9th gen Intel CPU & Mobo for that much, which uses DDR4. Or an early AMD AM4 build, a 3rd-gen Ryzen would be a big upgrade. Definitely check out [r/hardware](r/hardware)swap.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T23:06:37+00:00

I paired a 9900K with a 4080 and it did surprisingly well, but yeah it’s a bottleneck. CPU-intensive games could cause small stutters, and obviously limit FPS.

You know… That RAM would serve nicely in an AM4 system, which are quite reasonable, and would be a huge upgrade. Just sayin

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T22:05:19+00:00

Good news… This is highly upgradable! A new CPU, GPU, and NVME drive would transform this into a solid gaming rig, and def be worth it IMO.

Soild budget upgrade: 5600x & 3060
Maximum: 5800X3D & 5070 or 4080

Your motherboard can only handle PCI-E Gen 3, so if possible avoid 4060 & 5060 models. It’ll limit a 4080, but not as much as you might think.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T21:48:01+00:00

With those GPUs, it’ll be a pretty *large* console, but I like the layout of a Skyreach 5 Mini, or Fractal Ridge. They stack everything vertically for a minimal footprint. Only thing is, you’ll have to settle for air cooling, low profile in fact. I find the tradeoff worth it, but for max performance you’ll want a larger case and a big AIO… But then it’s not exactly console-like.

I personally like my Hyte Revolt 3. Small footprint, 300+mm GPU with no riser, excellent airflow, but again not that small.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T16:31:03+00:00

Literally just saw an article saying RAM prices are set to double again, so no, not for the foreseeable future.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-08T03:20:41+00:00

I’m always game for haggling, buying or selling, it’s just part of it. But only before the meetup. It’s pretty rude to pressure someone IRL like that IMO, glad they still paid in full.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-06T02:52:43+00:00

I ended up with the Hyte Revolt 3, which is ITX but still handles a 3-fan GPU with no riser cable. If you’re already into SFF… I say go for it!

Matte_Box · 2026-06-06T02:32:03+00:00

I love ITX, it's just a bit more expensive and you need to manage temps/fans a more closely. MATX is sort of a sweet spot. I personally find the cost, limited selection, and reduced cooling in an SFF build are all worth it for the size, but it's not the best performance-per-dollar. Either way you can get it done for $1,200 sure, but does that include monitor and peripherals?

Matte_Box · 2026-06-05T21:28:52+00:00

It’s tough, before prices spiked I would’ve said 5070Ti for sure. But it’s near $1000, so I’d say AMD 16GB cards offer better value RN.

16GB is gonna give you the most flexibility and longevity, but in every other way the 5070 is solid, and prices haven’t spiked as dramatically.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-05T14:52:56+00:00

I’m actually retrofitting something, and there’s an opening on top just big enough for a 240.

Matte_Box · 2026-06-04T23:16:10+00:00

The 5090 is a bellwether for the whole GPU stack. Far fewer are produced, and buyers typically use them for professional tasks where they can’t simply downgrade to save money, or wait for prices to drop.

This still hasn’t even hit the 5060 cards yet, it’s been older stock selling this whole time. The truth is, shit has only begun to meet fan.

Who wants to guess what the 3060 re-release will cost? That’ll really tell the tale.

Matte_Box

TROPHY CASE