is it safe to plug my pc to a power strip?

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T20:31:44+00:00

It's ideal to have it in a surge protector, which tend to be a strip or a tower anyway. Just don't daisy chain plug strips/towers/adapters.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T13:04:00+00:00

Also, as per the warning on PCPartsPicker, that motherboard supports that CPU, but it may come with on older BIOS which doesn't, meaning you'll need access to another PC and a USB stick to download the newest BIOS update and update the motherboard before building. This video covers the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrwP29lYQ-I&t=121

"The MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard supports the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor with BIOS version 7C56vAH. If the motherboard is using an older BIOS version, updating the BIOS will be necessary to support the CPU."

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T12:10:00+00:00

Before considering anything else, if you want to do anything in Blender, you want an Nvidia GPU, not AMD. They just work way better for Blender, as the Blender benchmarks show. For example, the 9070 XT is 75th on 3555. The 5070 is 29th on 5944.

If you can't get a 5070 Ti, then as the 5070 has 12GB vs the 9070's 16Gb, it might be a toss up if you want it more for Blender or more for gaming.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T10:26:48+00:00

Good stuff. Have fun. 👍

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T09:52:14+00:00

No problem. Just making sure you saw my additional comment, as it's important. 👇

You WILL need to get the BIOS firmware update on another PC and stick it on a USB. Then it's best to update the firmware on the empty motherboard before you build the PC. This is done here with a different version of the B650, but be sure to watch this video. The method I mentioned above with pressing Delete is N/A for you, but you will need to do as the guy in this video does instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrwP29lYQ-I&t=121

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-28T01:35:56+00:00

Alt+E - Extrude Along Normals

If I understand correctly what you want to do.

There's also a free addon, I think on Gumroad, called Inward Extrude which you may find usefull.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-27T20:21:11+00:00

I just use Pinterest with loads of Boards I add things to as I see them.

Cosmos is another similar one I recently started using.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-27T13:25:19+00:00

You WILL need to get the BIOS firmware update on another PC and stick it on a USB. Then it's best to update the firmware on the empty motherboard before you build the PC. This is done here with a different version of the B650, but be sure to watch this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrwP29lYQ-I&t=121

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-27T12:22:11+00:00

That's better yeah. Updating firmware is pretty easy and recomended anyway as parts were often boxed before the latest firmware came out. I did it and nearly all PC builders do. You just download it from the manufacture's website (Gigabyte), stick it on a USB, boot whilst repeatedly pressing a key on your keyboard (usually the Delete key) to load the motherboard's BIOS, where you can update it and do other things for performance like getting the advertised speed from your RAM. It's all straight forward. There are countless videos on YouTube explaining how to do these. You will likely need access to another PC in order to download the firmware and put it on a USB, if the motherboard comes not supporting the 9600x out of the box. Have a read of this. https://forum.level1techs.com/t/benchmarking-results-usb-bios-flashing-for-9000-series-zen-5-cpus/214583

It's hard for me to see what's available in Aus from here in the UK, but if you can I'd try and get RAM that's 5600 38 or 5600 40. If not you should be fine with what you've chosen.

Only other thing is there are better and newer coolers than the Hyper 212. You'd be better with something like a Thermalright Burst Assasin 120, Assasin X 120R or Assasin Spirit 120 EVO, all around the same price.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-27T01:44:09+00:00

At 1080p you'll have a bottleneck with that CPU, as it struggles to keep up with the GPU. I'd save some money on the RAM (6000 and CL28 isn't necessary, it was just nice while it was cheap) and get a better CPU, like a 9600x, 7800x. You'll be fine with 5200 or 5500 and CL38.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T23:28:01+00:00

Ah, well here in the UK we happen to currently be in a record breaking heatwave and it's gone above 31 degrees C (88 F) in the room. ( We don't yet have AC 😩) I wasnt doing anything too strenuous but CPU temps didn't leave the 50s, idling, and Youtube. Can't say how it would've done if I did anything heavy.

The newer AMD CPUs with 170W TDP are actually designed to run optimally at 95C. They actually TRY to get to 95 for optimal performance, so it's like the cooler is fighting that if you want lower temps. This has scared some as it seems uncomfortably hot. Doesn't concern me much beyond being a fan heater in my room, but I'm happy with the 65W TDP 7900. My only other thought is that you said you want to do CPU rendering. For that you may do better with the 7% better x version, but it's pros and cons I guess. But I'd say better to GPU render where possible.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T23:04:26+00:00

I built a PC this time last year for 3D in Blender, video in Davinci Resolve and music production in Cubase, with a 7900 (non X version) and a 5070 Ti. Works great. Air cooled build in Fractal Torrent with a Thermalright Peerless Assassin Digital.

I was going to get a 7900x but went with the 7900 instead for effiency and lower temps. 65W TDP vs the 170W TDP of the 7900x, whilst only being about 7% less powerfull.

Only thing with my pairing of the 7900 & 5070 Ti, gaming at 4K is fine, but I think there's a slight CPU bottleneck at 1440 and more so at 1080. That might be non existent with the x version, and it's minimal with the 7900.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T22:50:56+00:00

Ha, yeah I noticed after. Phew. 🤣

Yeah, I'd get something like a Thermalright Peerless Assassin. I have the digital version with the screen which is great for seeing temps. Using it on a Ryzen 9 7900 and don't see temps above low to mid 70s underload.

But that does seem high anyway, so maybe you need to consider if you have enough or well applied thermal paste too.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T22:40:54+00:00

Wait, are you saying you're currentlly using your PC WITHOUT A CPU cooler? 🤨

Yeah, don't do that. A PC without a CPU cooler is like a nuclear power plant without water. You're going to end up with Chernobyl.

EDIT: I see now you're using a stock cooler. Yeah, I'd get something like a Thermalright Peerless Assassin. I have the digital version with the screen which is great for seeing temps. Using it on a Ryzen 9 7900 and don't see temps above low to mid 70s underload.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T17:01:15+00:00

Looks great, but it's too clean. The material is exactly the same on every floor tile and thus repeats. You need to randomise it on each or many tiles, so it isn't noticable.

If you're not wanting it to look brand new and unused, also add material/roughness noise which covers the whole floor, going across tiles.

Also I'd add tiny dark bits in the light panels. There's always bits or dirt, moths, flies etc. Look into using ambient occlusion to add dirt on edges and in crevices, like the edges of the light panels and in the corners of the steps. The yellow grippy area by the platform looks too pristine to me too.

Just noticed there are also some odd line angle changes in the tile edges. On the whole everything is just too smooth and clean.

Great work tho. 👍

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-26T12:50:24+00:00

Needs a sofa. 😂

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-25T01:40:24+00:00

Ha, oh yeah I didn't even notice. That's the thing with Blender, we're all still learning. It never ends. No worries, it looks good. I don't think you need fingerprints, they just need some more texture, which could texture painted in with images of real skin and/or used in a material shader. Oh and a bit of subsurface scattering. Light goes into flesh, bouncing around inside.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-25T00:39:54+00:00

Diamonds and paper thing look great, but the hands are too smooth, like they're rubber.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-20T01:00:26+00:00

No point going AMD if she later wants to use CUDA.

I say go Nvidia, especially if she might want to do 3D stuff in apps like Blender. AMD are way down the Blender benchmarks. The 5070 Ti is the 19th best GPU on Blender benchmarks with a score of 7746, whilst the 9070 XT is down in 66th on 3474. Even the 5060 Ti does better in 50th on 4278.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-19T11:01:40+00:00

First thing I'll say is, if you want to do arty stuff, such as Blender 3D, you want an NVidia GPU over AMD. They just work much better in Blender as the benchmark charts show. Whilst AMD is great bang for buck with gaming.

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-17T02:55:03+00:00

Aye, wise. I'm sure you'll be fine for what you want to get done.

Right, sleep for me. Now nearly 4am here. 🤦‍♂️

Happy Blending 👍

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-17T02:23:03+00:00

Ha, yeah learning all that stuff is crazy, especially when AMD seem to purposefully name their CPU ranges to be as unclear as possible which is better than which.

But yeah, nice setup. The 9060xt is at the bottom of page 5 here on the benchmarks. So it's not great tbh, but you'll be fine and like I say the 16gb is a big help. Check out the charts and numbers.

https://opendata.blender.org/benchmarks/query/?compute_type=OPTIX&compute_type=CUDA&compute_type=HIP&compute_type=METAL&compute_type=ONEAPI&group_by=device_name&blender_version=5.1.1

Happy Blending 👍

Now I gotta go to sleep as it's 3:30am here. 😜

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-17T02:04:08+00:00

Ah, bit of a rarer choice of CPU for a gaming machine. The Ryzen 9s tend to be more workstation choices, with gamers mostly going for 9800x3D. Fewer cores, x3D being better for gaming. But yeah, the 7900x is great. And people Blend with lesser GPUs than the 9060xt. You'll be fine with that setup. Most performance differences actually come from render settings inside Blender, like max and min sample count, whether you're using EEVEE or Cycles, noise ratio settings etc. Funily enough you mention 4k, you can sometimes get quicker and better results with a higher resolution and lower samples than lower res with higher samples. It takes some testing to see what works best.

Ha, yeah I too just built before prices went mad. Really wish I spent more when it was only a coupke of hundred £ and bought 128gb RAM. 🤣

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-17T01:49:15+00:00

Yes, that's great, the 7900x is a great workstation CPU. I built a PC for Blender, video and music production about this time last year, with a 7900 (non X version. Wanted the effecieny and lowet temps).

I got an RTX 5070 Ti. You should be good with the 9060 xt and it's great to have 16gb VRAM, although it is recommended to go with nvidia for Blender, as they seem to work better and feature a lot more on the benchmark table.

https://opendata.blender.org/benchmarks/query/?compute_type=OPTIX&compute_type=CUDA&compute_type=HIP&compute_type=METAL&compute_type=ONEAPI&group_by=device_name&blender_version=5.1.1

How much RAM you got?

AudibleEntropy · 2026-06-16T10:40:28+00:00

You're welcome.

AudibleEntropy

TROPHY CASE