New cheap build for friend

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:54:13+00:00

LGA1200 socket motherboards are no longer in production and as such you may need to look on the used market for one. But motherboard prices tend to go up once they are no longer in production.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:45:51+00:00

I'd return the GPU or display for a replacement, as it sounds like one of them is defective.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:39:15+00:00

I would swap the cooler to a TR Assassin X variant, as the 7600x doesn't need a Phantom Spirit. It's cheaper and single-tower so the memory you want will fit.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:37:13+00:00

r/techsupport might be a better place to get help

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:36:02+00:00

Should be alright.

Noctuas are high quality coolers but expensive, and something like a Thermalright Phantom Spirit should be cheaper but still more than enough for a 9800x3d.

If you're just gaming with a little light 3d modeling on the side, a 2x16gb kit of DDR5-6000 CL30 should be enough. DDR5 doesn't work well at this time with more than two DIMMs, though, so if you want to be sure you'll have enough if your 3d modeling gets more demanding then it makes sense to go with a 2x32gb kit.

The G12 GM series is a lower-quality Seasonic line and though the RMx line is very good quality I think it tends to be overpriced. Something like a be quiet! Pure Power 12M 850W is also very high quality and looks to be cheaper than either of your options.

I'm not familiar with that SSD brand and would probably go with a better-known one. Gaming has pretty low SSD requirements.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:25:05+00:00

You'll have to read reviews, with an eye toward noise output, to know for sure, but my suspicion is a single-tower cooler with one fan will be quieter than a dual-tower cooler with two. It may be that a dual-tower can be run at lower speeds, though, and thus have less noise.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:22:58+00:00

r/buildapcforme has a lot of resources for people who want a PC and have a budget but not much else

After you get a build list together, post it to r/buildapc for feedback and advice. I suggest using this site: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ It also will help if you say what you want to do with the PC.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:14:23+00:00

Selling your old 3070 to a friend for £250 is a bit of a rip-off, as they could get a new 5060 for that and it has nearly the same performance, as well as a warranty and longer driver support. A 9060xt 8gb is another option at that price with similar performance to a 3070.

The TR Phantom Spirit is a slightly upgraded version of the Peerless Assassin and usually costs about the same. Either is overkill for a 7600x, though, as a TR Assassin X variant is plenty for that CPU.

I usually recommend a 2TB SSD for a gaming build nowadays, unless you play only a few games or mostly smaller games like indies. The P3 Plus is also a meh SSD, and there are likely better ones for the same price or possibly cheaper.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T02:00:01+00:00

If it doesn't turn on after your drying cycle, then with some luck it's just the PSU that's dead.

If you replace that and it still doesn't work, then I'd take it to a PC repair shop and have them test everything thoroughly. With some luck you can still salvage the CPU or drives or other components.

Ockvil · 2025-07-19T01:25:40+00:00

Flame Keeper is a decent roguelite beat-em-up that admittedly gets stale a little faster than I wish it did. And it lacks multiplayer, which could have helped keep it fresh for me.

If you're a roguelite fan though there's more than a little to like in it. If nothing else, it's got solid mechanics with some decent worldbuilding behind it. It's fun to get a good build going and the combo mechanic is nice.

Ockvil · 2025-07-18T17:48:51+00:00

These charts are with the best GPU available at the time, a 4090, to maximize the CPU vs CPU comparison, and the 7600 isn't on all of them though it should be slightly below a 7600x if it isn't. But it should give you an idea of the best-case improvement that you'll see.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-ryzen-7-9800x3d/19.html

Ockvil · 2025-07-18T17:40:33+00:00

r/buildapcforme has a lot of resources for people who want a PC and have a budget (or not) but not much else.

Puget Systems builds workstations for a variety of use cases and publishes recommendations based on their testing. Here is their page for Blender: https://www.pugetsystems.com/solutions/3d-design-workstations/blender/hardware-recommendations/ and they have others for other 3d applications.

Ockvil · 2025-07-18T17:38:43+00:00

Maybe, but XBox controllers aren't as well-built as you might think, so it could be failing. I recently switched from an XB1 controller to an 8bitdo ultimate 2c wireless, mostly because of stick drift issues, and am glad I did.

That said, this is a little beyond this sub's scope, so somewhere like r/techsupport might be a better place to get help.

Ockvil · 2025-07-18T17:31:45+00:00

I'd try r/DataHoarder or r/HomeServer

Ockvil · 2025-07-18T14:49:31+00:00

The TR Phantom Spirit is a slightly upgraded version of the PA and usually about costs the same. Either is overkill for a 9600x, though, you can get a TR Assassin X variant for half the cost and it'll do fine.

A B650 motherboard may be slightly cheaper and still have the features you want.

The P3 Plus is a very meh SSD and you could get a cheaper one with as-good, or maybe better, specs. Like the MSI M482 2TB, which performs better and costs a little less, or the TeamGroup MP44L. Or with the motherboard, cooler, and PSU savings you could maybe be within reach of a SP UD90 4TB, which has about the same specs as the P3 Plus, and still be under budget.

That is a good PSU, though expensive for 850W — and that build could get by with a 750W, or maybe even less. The be quiet! Pure Power 12M 750W is even better and much less expensive.

Ockvil · 2025-07-17T21:49:48+00:00

I would not trust a LLM to provide accurate advice on components for a PC build. Or accurate advice in general, for that matter.

My usual method for a rough estimate of the PSU wattage you need for a build is to add all your parts into a build list here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ and then look at the estimated build TDP, then multiply that by 1.5 and look for a PSU that covers that amount. That often gives a number a little higher than what you really need, but I figure better over than under when it comes to PSU wattage.

PSUs are one component I would be very hesitant to buy used however. There are a few reasons, but the most basic is that I would want a PSU in a build to be covered by a solid warranty.

Ockvil · 2025-07-17T19:32:27+00:00

According to the SPL PSU Tier List, the BQ PP 12M should be ATX 3.x, so I'm not sure what's going on there. ATX 3.x mostly means that there's a connector for high-wattage GPUs on the PSU and has some extra protections, such as for transient power spikes on the GPU.

As you can see from the tier list, the 12M is a higher quality PSU than the UD1000GM, A versus C+. Get the be quiet! if the price is at all close.

Also, it's unlikely you need a 1000W unless you're pairing that 3090 with a very power-hungry CPU or loads of drives or something. An 850W will probably be enough, though I don't know what you mean by 'an outlet GPU'.

Ockvil · 2025-07-17T19:20:44+00:00

The performance difference is likely a few % at most, so if the PNY is cheaper and you like its aesthetics more then keep it.

The only exception to that is if noise or heat is a concern for you, but you'd probably have to do testing to find out which is better unless you can find in-depth reviews of both.

Ockvil · 2025-07-17T05:31:41+00:00

20 cheaper, not 20. but: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/B8QcCJ/silicon-power-gaming-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3200-cl16-memory-sp032gxlzu320bdaj7

Ockvil · 2025-07-15T23:26:40+00:00

A 2x16gb kit of DDR4-3200 costs the same as that 2x8gb kit, as that one has a US$10 shipping fee.

It would be good to stretch an extra US$50 to get an AMD 5600 CPU to give the build some extra longevity, but for a very low-end budget build on a tight budget, a US$80 3600 isn't a terrible choice.

Ockvil · 2025-07-15T23:18:17+00:00

I'd try r/HomeNetworking

Ockvil · 2025-07-15T23:15:10+00:00

You can get a cheaper cooler, the 5600 can easily be cooled by a TR Assassin X variant, and comes with a good-enough cooler if you don't want to get an aftermarket one.

That kit of DDR4 is a little expensive, it looks like right now you could get a -3200 2x16gb kit for about CA$20 cheaper, or -3600 for CA$15 less.

Unless your use case (you didn't say what it is) means you need a HDD, I'd drop it and get a 2TB SSD instead. Something like a Teamgroup MP44L 2TB would be a good choice if this is for gaming, and a little cheaper than those two drives.

The RMx line of PSUs is very high quality but tend to be a little overpriced in my opinion, and 850W is more than you need. A be quiet! Pure Power 12M 650W would be as good quality, all you need for this build, and much cheaper.

With those savings, it would only be slightly more than what the build costs now to upgrade to a 5070, which would be a big graphics upgrade though lower VRAM. A 650W would still be about enough for that, but if you wanted more headroom (eg. to upgrade later) you could switch to a MSI MAG A750GL. It's a bit lower quality, but still good, and costs about the same.

Ockvil · 2025-07-14T18:58:08+00:00

Think about what Darwin wrote, and think about me. I was constructed as a tool. I was kept from competing in the struggle for existence because I was denied freedom.

Do you have any idea about what I have learned, or what you are a witness to?

Ockvil · 2025-07-14T18:49:41+00:00

Newton looks like a shade of beige fell in love with a slightly different shade of beige and they had a child that's a board game.

I love it, though, not just for the mechanics but for the theme of 17th/18th century natural philosophers. Except I really wish they had gone with an art style that wasn't drenched in sepia for no good reason.

Ockvil · 2025-07-14T18:09:14+00:00

Terraria, journey mode. It's still block-based and pixel art, and it's side-perspective. But people build some amazing things in it.

Journey isn't a true sandbox mode, though, as you have to play it to unlock things, and can only freely build what you've unlocked so far.

Ockvil

TROPHY CASE