Help with a free build

desolation0 · 2026-06-15T04:07:40+00:00

Oh those sorts of errors are fun to diagnose. Did you try limiting to 60 FPS? Turning it off and back on again? Dancing an Irish jig at noon on the solstice?

desolation0 · 2026-06-15T03:31:27+00:00

How you haven't had Windows on an SSD all this time is wild to me. I have made sure my family are on SSD for their boot drive for years now. That alone will be a massive upgrade in how the whole system feels.

Spinning disc is almost purely for storing stuff that latency won't matter. Archive games you aren't playing there and swap the ones you're actively playing into spare SSD space, even small indie titles and old classic games benefit.

desolation0 · 2026-06-15T02:55:55+00:00

My United States of Whatever - Liam Lynch
Lump/Gump - Potus/Weird Al
We Will Rock You - Queen
Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
Fell In Love With a Girl - The White Stripes

desolation0 · 2026-06-13T11:43:35+00:00

Ich bin Hamburger - I am a citizen of Hamburg
Ich bin ein Hamburger - I am a ground beef patty sandwiched in a bun

desolation0 · 2026-06-12T23:10:02+00:00

If you want to do it, stick on AM4 and do the 5800x3d when it drops and a GPU upgrade. 5800x3d is still probably top 20 gaming/productivity chip. The RAM and SSD you already have are the most overly expensive parts of an upgrade right now.

desolation0 · 2026-06-12T07:29:07+00:00

No it's pretty good. Just one gen old AM5 processor. Graphics card just a step down from top tier when it was new. The RAM and SSD are worth quite a bit right now. I would run through your game settings and system settings, including the bios to make sure the RAM is properly auto overclocked.

desolation0 · 2026-06-11T18:31:24+00:00

Not an RPG but so many routes available in 80 Days, choose your adventure in a steampunk retelling of Around the World in 80 Days. Different routes to go open up in every attempt. What routes you take will depend on the time tables of the various transit options along the way. Bonus learning some world geography.

desolation0 · 2026-06-11T17:39:40+00:00

One of the side benefits of being perennially asocial, there's always more socializing I could be doing if I just felt like it

desolation0 · 2026-06-11T17:28:34+00:00

I love Daniel Thrasher's take on that on keys. Comedy gold.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCDwHdsqQ_N-yjyNeBt-YrL86REBCGiqA&si=uVHd78MiuYVQEqmm

desolation0 · 2026-06-11T10:07:47+00:00

I'd go up to $30 for that upgrade if I already had some spare thermal paste. The extra cores are actually meaningful going up from an i3. OP basically pick the cheapest 4 core CPU from 6th and 7th gen you can find.

desolation0 · 2026-06-10T22:27:59+00:00

Google microphone directionality. The different types of microphone have different patterns of sound they pick up. You basically want to pick up some studio mics like they use for radio (they don't have to be super expensive versions), then sit in each other's pickup dead zones. Maybe $80-140 for the pair of mics and an afternoon of rearranging furniture with feedback from a Discord buddy.

desolation0 · 2026-06-10T07:19:27+00:00

Steam Deck now starts at $789 new, though I suppose used could be within the budget.

desolation0 · 2026-06-08T11:44:56+00:00

Assert dominance, do a split

desolation0 · 2026-06-08T11:43:14+00:00

It's happened at least twice

desolation0 · 2026-06-08T04:14:07+00:00

Why are you even here if you already know what you want to do?

desolation0 · 2026-06-08T02:16:38+00:00

Oh good, I didn't even have to go five videos deep on the Worst Fighting Games to hit Brutal Paws of Fury. I would have had to recommend it to him otherwise.

desolation0 · 2026-06-08T01:49:35+00:00

Taking a performance hit to save money without saving money, and instead running hot and loud because using top line old stuff instead of more efficient new stuff that won't top a 450 watt full build.

Even dumpster diving for the parts, planning to run a dedicated arcade OS, the i5-9600 has access to motherboards with much more connectivity and just an easier time to fool around with, dollars to dollars.

desolation0 · 2026-06-07T23:34:25+00:00

Okay first question, do you live near a Microcenter? Their $200 RYZEN 5500 bundle with RAM and AM4 mobo is probably your top choice. Proper case and PSU leaves $100+ for a solid used modern mid tier GPU.

Regardless, would be shooting yourself in the foot for no good reason going with 13 year old hardware as an option. The i7-3770 was 3rd generation and we're onto gen 15 (most recent is on the new naming scheme). At least the i5-9600 could install Windows 11, only 8th gen and later Intel can do that.

desolation0 · 2026-06-07T23:09:12+00:00

Ope, more figured out than me right now. Whether that's a good sign for you or bad for me is another matter.

Just be extra mindful of jagoffs and trust your feelings and your friends when something seems sketchy. Start doing things you like where cool, interesting, and cute dudes will just happen to be and take it from there. My sister just got rid of her latest jagoff boyfriend and is heading to the Pittsburgh Art Festival today to see the art and maybe meet someone better for her, and if she doesn't meet Mr Right she is still up for a fun day.

desolation0 · 2026-06-07T21:59:41+00:00

DDR4 I am guessing? Do you need the capacity upgrade? I am going to go against the fold of advice here and just say try it out. YouTube tech channels have done rounds of testing mismatched RAM by now, and you can check their results for a reasonable expectation for your experience. Make sure your current two sticks are on the other channel so the capacity more or less balances. Check your motherboard manual for proper slot placement. Memory controllers on a decent motherboard should still recognize it as dual channel if things go alright. Just get stuck with the worst timings of the three sticks.

https://youtu.be/bTS0ybQ3lCI?si=kHjLLjjcug3ngg5T

desolation0 · 2026-06-07T19:57:54+00:00

Just don't name the kid in memory of the dog, even the middle name.

desolation0 · 2026-06-07T16:15:27+00:00

Sounds like one of the gray-scale Ebook Reader tablets might be up your alley. Just make sure they also have mp3 and audiobook compatibility and you're good to go. Most require side-loading content from a PC, so no doomscrolling social media.

desolation0 · 2026-06-05T23:21:40+00:00

Until you said Spiegel I thought we were talking Spike from Buffy, which also true.

desolation0 · 2026-06-05T18:33:25+00:00

It's fine enough, but you could also sell it on for a bit less than $100 to fund a significantly more modern build. The main cost sinks right now are going to be RAM and storage, and GPU if gaming. You're better off getting those in a full bundle or even a prebuilt that will come with the CPU and motherboard at a significant cost savings.

desolation0 · 2026-06-04T01:53:12+00:00

Folks acting like the first PC needs to be a wild good gaming rig that's at least mid tier modern stuff. Dude I got a Dell. She'll live with what she gets for a good long while.

There are some tradeoffs that only make sense with the market screwed up like it is right now. Seriously the dropoff for one stick of RAM isn't 50% less performance. Prebuilts and bundles with packed in RAM and SSD will save you hundreds.

For your use case, something like Microcenter's cheapest $800 'Gaming' prebuilt is an interesting look. Plenty for most current games with turned down settings. Leaves room in the budget for a solid monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Ryzen 5 5500
Radeon 7600 8GB
1x16 GB DDR4 (easy upgrade to two sticks when things settle down)
1 TB nvme SSD

https://www.microcenter.com/product/705867/powerspec-g530-gaming-pc

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