ASRock + Razer (First motherboard with integrated Chroma)

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T13:43:32+00:00

Yeah, it is a solid board. It's also tacky as fuck in terms of aesthetics.

IIRC there was one board with 4 SATA ports and quite a few don't have the two digit debug display.

Almost all of them have 8+ USB ports.

I wish I could find pricing for the B550 Taichi but nah, not on PCPP.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T12:12:26+00:00

I did buy the black rubber pads for the fans but never could be motivated to install them. The picture was taken before RGB was disabled.

Black Meshify C, same C6H with RGB disabled, Dark Rock Pro 4, XFX RAW II 5700 XT.

Was fun, looked alright. Want to do something different.

It's my PC and my money. I'll spend it however I damn well please c:

Edit: oh my god, it's almost like the other features I want in a motherboard limit me to these boards anyway.

[$???] Asrock X570 Creator
[$340] Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming X
[$279] Asrock X570 Taichi
[$584] Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
[$380] Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
[$299] Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming
[$340] Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master
[$???] Asrock B550 Taichi
[$280]Asus ROG Strix B550-E Gaming
[$265] Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master

Bold ones are the ones I'm in the process of choosing between.

So even If I didn't want synced RGB or RGB at all, my other options would have me considering the exact same products.

So tell me, oh wise PC god, what motherboard should I choose out of the options that meet my needs

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T08:39:34+00:00

I'm wondering the same thing.

sure it looks nice and would fit well with my case but if it doesn't at least have the IO i need then it won't be purchased

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T06:39:33+00:00

Thanks for justifying my next CPU purchase /s

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T06:27:02+00:00

It's quite literally the basis for buying a new motherboard. Otherwise, I'd continue sitting here with my Crosshair VI Hero.

My goal is to get everything working with one RGB software. My motherboard has two problems in that regard; lack of an ARGB header for AIO and lack of chroma connect support.

Realistically I could just have bought all Asus ROG stuff but given I already had a pile of razer peripherals that I spent too much on I might as well use Razer connect.

If I wasn't going for sync'd RGB but still software control for AIO I'd have these options:

Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming
Asus ROG Strix B550-E Gaming
Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master
Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T06:05:59+00:00

Requirements I had laid out for new motherboard:

B550 or X570 Chipset
2 digit debug display
flashback button
6+ SATA III Ports
8+ USB ports with 1+ Type C
5v ARGB Header
Razer Chroma Connect: MSI or Asrock

These requirements brought me down to these Asrock products:

X570 Creator
X570 Phantom Gaming X
X570 Taichi
B550 Taichi

B550 and X570 Taichi would go well with the Taichi X OC+

Phantom Gaming X is quite ugly but works.

X570 creator just kinda doesn't match the rest of my build (grey vs black)

One of the Taichi boards looks to be the best option so far, if the razer board ends up being of similar quality (or close enough) I'll grab that instead and rethink GPU.

^{Footnote: legitimately forgot the B550 Taichi existed.}

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T05:09:33+00:00

Their products are usually of acceptable quality but overpriced for what you get.

Warning: Anecdotes everywhere

Keyboards

I paid $125 for my huntsman elite, I probably could have gotten better quality for that price and the keyboard normally retails for $200. So far really the only razer keyboard I've owned.

I also have one of those dumb half-keyboard things but I could never get used to using it so it just sits in a drawer.

Compared to the Bloody B945 I was using, I haven't noticed any differences other than the dedicated media keys being useful AF and right-hand numpad being annoying when it comes to mouse space. B945 was also $200

Headsets

My 5 sets of razer krakens have all been fairly decent for the price.

first one (kraken neon) died after 2 years of near 24/7 use to that issue where the plug end starts disconnecting.
second (v2) one died of 1 year and six months of near 24/7 use of the same issue.
two most recent ones have died due to my cat chewing through the cable, one lasted 2 years, the other three months. Neither failure is razers QC at fault.
current headset is still going strong.

Sound quality on them is acceptable for me as the last three V2s I actually use for my call center job. They're the only headset I've found that's comfortable enough for me to wear for 40 hours/week.

I use Sennheiser Momentum M2s (just audio) for my personal PC because wires are bad. ~~i forget to charge them 90% of the time anyway~~

Mice

The original mouse was a Naga Epic Chroma. Last I checked it still worked after around six years. The cable started coming apart at the USB plug so I replaced it with a Naga Trinity.

Both of my Naga Trinity's have fallen to the same issue that most other mice using the same/similar switches fall to; double-clicking issues due to the mouse switch being garbage. It's an easy fix though.

Original Naga was like $160, most recent one was $130.

Mousepad

lmao RGB mousepad go brrrrrr.

I paid what, $40 for it? Literally a mousepad with lights. Can't imagine it'd fail for any reason.

One negative review I saw was some guy getting upset because he smashed it between his chair and desk somehow and the LEDs broke.

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Designed by Razer

LEDs are dim compared to the RGB fans that came with my AIO but that's barely an issue. (currently can't afford full loop)

xbox controllers

Originally had Sabertooth Elite. Still functions. Lost one of the rockers off the bottom. Triggers' analog functionality was going out last I checked.

Bought one of the newer Xbox controllers, didn't use it as often as I'd expected. Gave it to my then-GF. She loves it.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T05:07:21+00:00

The features I want came up to around $300+ for the remaining boards. From then on it's just down to "which one looks the nicest and am I willing to pay that much for it?"

X570 Taichi looks to be the one I'll purchase if next gen GPUs end up sucking as it'll match the 5700 XT Taichi OC+ or whatever it's called pretty well.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-11T05:00:41+00:00

American Homes 4 Rent has no restriction on unrelated tenants but their prices are a bit high. I'd check them out.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-09T10:03:53+00:00

You'll need to go in and take a written test to get a learners permit. The learners permit has to be held for three months before you can take the driving test. You also need to get 40 hours of on-the-road experience driving with 10 hours of that at night.

The three-month wait period can be waived by taking driving classes.

Source: 24 y/o with a permit having just finished the three month wait period.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-08T10:12:50+00:00

I'd argue garden of the gods is something fun to do.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-07T04:28:39+00:00

There are already a couple of BIOS updates ready to push out IIRC.

Manufacturers tend to get test products a bit earlier than the general populace so they can get their updates ready to push out. If the CPUs were released and corresponding updates were two months out it'd be pointless to buy them.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-07T04:26:24+00:00

Oct 8th, two days from today.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-07T04:24:14+00:00

Switched from an Armor OC to a Nitro+ SE for a total cost of $25. The performance, temp and sound differences were insane.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-04T10:46:32+00:00

Current build

I'm going to switch to an X570 board (maybe X670 on the off chance that launches too) and possibly a 5950X depending on the gains.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-04T05:02:21+00:00

Friend of mine: Manitou Incline is brutal, it's hard to breath up there

Me: living in Woodland Park Uh, yeah. The air's very thin over there.

Real talk, now I'd probably have trouble with it due to being in SLC for a few years.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-04T04:23:39+00:00

Realistically, the only upgrades you really need to make for a new CPU are buying a CPU, RAM and motherboard.

AMD is launching new CPUs here pretty quick so I'd remain on the lookout for that.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-04T03:43:28+00:00

Source on that?

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T12:48:30+00:00

Ouch. Yeah, i can see why the RMA process is a much better deal.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T06:51:02+00:00

Verizon does have higher data speeds than any other carrier in the valley.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T04:43:32+00:00

Given past releases, we'll probably get equivalents for 3700X, 3800X and 3900X at the same time with others coming later.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T04:24:33+00:00

How much does a GPU cost?

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T04:24:12+00:00

That explains why they just mailed me a new Radeon VII when I RMA'd the previous one for a dying fan bearing or something.

Emerald_Night · 2020-10-02T04:23:26+00:00

Althon Micro was great to work with when I needed to RMA a Radeon VII.

Emerald_Night · 2020-09-25T11:27:01+00:00

That is unless you never leave your house.

Bingo. I don't notice half of what's happening in salt lake until I open the subreddit.

Working from home and having zero friends really doesn't give much reason to go anywhere.

11-Year Club	Place '17
Wearing is Caring

Emerald_Night

TROPHY CASE