Did these upgrades make sense


  1. Posts : 2,165
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
       #1

    Did these upgrades make sense


    Since I might not be building a new PC for a year or two I decided to upgrade my existing computer. I plan to wait for AMD's Zen 4.

    The following shows the main components for my computer with the upgrades. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions for any other upgrades. For example, more and faster RAM.

    Did these upgrades make sense-1-upgrades.jpg
    Did these upgrades make sense-2-cpu-comparison.jpg
    Did these upgrades make sense-3-gpu-comparison.jpg
    Did these upgrades make sense-4-cards1.jpg
    Did these upgrades make sense-5-cards2.jpg

    I had a hard time with the new graphics card. The card has red lights next to the PCIe power connectors. In the beginning they were flashing indicating power problems. Sometimes I either couldn't get the graphics card to power on or output video. I finally got the cards power stable by plugging/unplugging the PCIe power cables several times over two days. I'm guessing there may have been some oxidation on the power cable pins.

    Before and after the second upgrades I ran several benchmarks. The following is a summary of the results.

    Did these upgrades make sense-6-benchmarks.jpg
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 22,923
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4170 (x64) [22H2]
       #2

    Looks good to me. I hope that XPG SSD holds up.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,605
    Windows 11 Pro X64
       #3

    Looking good MisterEd
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 2,165
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Dude said:
    Looking good MisterEd
    Thanks for the feedback.
    Ghot said:
    Looks good to me. I hope that XPG SSD holds up.
    Thanks for the feedback. Why do you say that about the XPG SSD? The reviews I read about it were all good before I bought it.

    My biggest concern now is the ASUS Prime X370-Pro motherboard. Like the Ryzen 7 1700X I preordered it before the Ryzen launch. Next spring I may replace it with a motherboard with an AMD B550 chipset.

    At least the computer is Windows 11 ready now. I will probably upgrade it to Windows 11 at some point. I am holding out until Microsoft fixes the performance hit for Ryzen processors that has been reported.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 22,923
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4170 (x64) [22H2]
       #5

    @MisterEd

    Nothing scary... XPG is just a newcomer comparatively.
    I'd imagine the motherboard will hold up.
    I've been using ASUS boards for 20 years, and I've never had one die, that wasn't my fault.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7,860
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       #6

    The CPU benchmark increase isn't great - can you afford a better CPU?
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 920
    Windows 10 Pro
       #7

    AMD CPUs benefit more from memory speed than Intel, 3600 RAM seems to be the sweet spot as it allows the infinity fabric to run at 1:1 (fabric runs at 1800, memory runs at 1800 x dual channel = 3600, at least with the more modern CPUs and motherboards).
    You would need to check that all components support the memory speed, so motherboard (BIOS support for RAM overclock), CPU, RAM and a decent power supply delivering as clean a supply as possible.
    I'm not that up to speed on AMD so you would need to check which Ryzen version offers the best options for your proposed upgrades.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,165
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Steve C said:
    The CPU benchmark increase isn't great - can you afford a better CPU?
    The CPU I got was a compromise. The following were the choices for my motherboard

    Ryzen 7: 8 cores, 16 threads
    3700X (3.6GHz, 65W) $330
    3800X (3.9GHz, 105W) $340
    3800XT (3.9GHz, 105W) $400

    Ryzen 9: 12 cores, 24 threads
    3900X (3.8GHz, 105W) $400
    3900XT (3.8GHz, 105W) $563
    3950X (3.5GHz, 105W) $750

    In any event, this is only to hold me over until I build a totally new computer with an AMD Zen 4 which may be released a year from now.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 2,165
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I just wanted to update this thread because I made an additional upgrade.

    I used the G.Skill configurator to search for compatible RAM.
    Motherboard: ASUS Prime X370-Pro
    Requirements: 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200

    I was surprised that for my motherboard the G.Skill configurator gave no matches. I then changed my requirements:
    Motherboard: ASUS Prime X470-Pro
    Requirements: 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200

    This time I had two matches

    F4-3200C16D-32GTZRX Trident Z RGB (For AMD) DDR4-3200 CL16-18-18-38 1.35V
    F4-3200C16D-32GFX Flare X DDR4-3200 CL16-18-18-38 1.35V

    I checked both Amazon and Newegg. The following was the lowest price at $99.99:

    G.SKILL Flare X Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-32GFX
    G.SKILL Flare X Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-32GFX - Newegg.com

    This particular set of RAM is on the compatible list for a Zen 2 motherboards but not the Zen 1 motherboard I have. However, It is working fine at its rated speed. It also had no problem when I tested it with Memtest86.

    I suspect that the G.Skill configurator when searching for RAM assumes:
    Zen 1 motherboard is used with a Zen 1 CPU
    Zen 2 motherboard is used with a Zen 2 CPU

    I am using a Zen 2 CPU on a Zen 1 motherboard. Maybe using a Zen 2 CPU made the difference.
      My Computers


 

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