GPUs & CPUs & Enthusiast hardware: Questions, Discussion and fanboy slap-fights - Nvidia & AMD & Intel - Separe but Equal. Intel rides in the back of the bus.

Why must prices for gpus be so shit in this day and age? I keep putting off plans to build anything because I keep balking at the price of everything. Maybe it's just the inflation catching up to me despite getting paid more.

Because inflation hits attractive investment markets first. The USG is printing a trillion dollars every 100 days, and a lot of that money is flooding into AI & semiconductors. Foundries can't keep up with demand (and there aren't enough developers who know AI) and that makes prices go up. Expect this to get worse, not better, because we're only going to print faster next year. Except next year, you'll be saying this about meat.
 
Need a second cpu for a second build so I pulled the gun on upgrading a 2 year old 5600x to a 5700x3D. I know it's a ~15-20% fps gain in modern games and probably twice that in old games, ie. can finally fucking run WoW at stable +120 fps.

Question is: Can I literally just swap the cpus? No reboot, no flashing, no nothing? Now, it says the other tower's mobo needs to be updated to work with my 'old' cpu, how do I do this? Plug it all in, then immediately open into bios and flash? Does that work? Does the "non-working" CPU work enough that I can get far enough to flash update it?
 
Simplest solution is to download latest image for the specific motherboard, unpack contents into top directory of a FAT32 formatted pendrive, reboot to UEFI and select flashing from menu, it's usually in Utilities tab.
On support site you can also confirm list of CPUs which are supported by your currently installed version, so you don't needlessly flash, because newer is not always better.

It should be plug and play honestly.

If you are forced to use unsupported CPU, then check if your MB supports "USB Flashback button", that way you can flash without CPU being installed by pressing dedicated button on the motherboard.

You sound like a Windows user, so just a tip. You can access BIOS from recovery options in system settings, in case you have Secure Boot enabled.
 
Need a second cpu for a second build so I pulled the gun on upgrading a 2 year old 5600x to a 5700x3D. I know it's a ~15-20% fps gain in modern games and probably twice that in old games, ie. can finally fucking run WoW at stable +120 fps.

Question is: Can I literally just swap the cpus? No reboot, no flashing, no nothing? Now, it says the other tower's mobo needs to be updated to work with my 'old' cpu, how do I do this? Plug it all in, then immediately open into bios and flash? Does that work? Does the "non-working" CPU work enough that I can get far enough to flash update it?
You can’t update the BIOS before you do the swap?
 
You can’t update the BIOS before you do the swap?
I can update my main computer before swapping, sure. Was just wondering if I then didn't have to do anything in addition to just swapping them. I'm used to formating whenever I swap CPUs.

Simplest solution is to download latest image for the specific motherboard, unpack contents into top directory of a FAT32 formatted pendrive, reboot to UEFI and select flashing from menu, it's usually in Utilities tab.
On support site you can also confirm list of CPUs which are supported by your currently installed version, so you don't needlessly flash, because newer is not always better.

It should be plug and play honestly.

If you are forced to use unsupported CPU, then check if your MB supports "USB Flashback button", that way you can flash without CPU being installed by pressing dedicated button on the motherboard.

You sound like a Windows user, so just a tip. You can access BIOS from recovery options in system settings, in case you have Secure Boot enabled.
Surely it's not that complicated to flash a bios with an incompatible cpu? Isn't it just sort of "can't function optimally without an update", and not "a literal brick"? It's an entirely new build and I'm not gonna... i don't even know how I'd swap into my current tower, flash, and then pull it out again. I read somewhere that sometimes the mobo instructions state you can flash it after installing OS and sometimes before doing so. Must be a common issue.
 
I can update my main computer before swapping, sure. Was just wondering if I then didn't have to do anything in addition to just swapping them. I'm used to formating whenever I swap CPUs.


Surely it's not that complicated to flash a bios with an incompatible cpu? Isn't it just sort of "can't function optimally without an update", and not "a literal brick"? It's an entirely new build and I'm not gonna... i don't even know how I'd swap into my current tower, flash, and then pull it out again. I read somewhere that sometimes the mobo instructions state you can flash it after installing OS and sometimes before doing so. Must be a common issue.
There’s no reason to reinstall the OS and formatting is certainly not necessary.
 
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I can update my main computer before swapping, sure. Was just wondering if I then didn't have to do anything in addition to just swapping them. I'm used to formating whenever I swap CPUs.


Surely it's not that complicated to flash a bios with an incompatible cpu? Isn't it just sort of "can't function optimally without an update", and not "a literal brick"? It's an entirely new build and I'm not gonna... i don't even know how I'd swap into my current tower, flash, and then pull it out again. I read somewhere that sometimes the mobo instructions state you can flash it after installing OS and sometimes before doing so. Must be a common issue.
It’s a literal brick. Motherboard won’t know what registries do what without the model identification information contained in the update.
You could probably get it updated for free if you bring it back to the store with the update on a flash drive and your friendliest smile, they’ll probably have some older processors behind the counter for just that reason. But honestly just update the BIOS on both motherboards with your 5600X before you install the 5700X3D in whichever board is getting that. It’s less hassle.
Need a second cpu for a second build so I pulled the gun on upgrading a 2 year old 5600x to a 5700x3D. I know it's a ~15-20% fps gain in modern games and probably twice that in old games, ie. can finally fucking run WoW at stable +120 fps.
That’s not how that works. Game performance is almost entirely limited by graphics card, unless your CPU is already entirely capped out by these games, the upgrade won’t make it faster. X3D additionally is most useful for strategy games like Stellaris or Civilisation, it won’t perform miracles in WoW. It’s not an unreasonable upgrade if you’re building a new computer anyway, just be aware that it probably won’t run the games any faster than your old processor.
 
I know it's a ~15-20% fps gain in modern games and probably twice that in old games, ie. can finally fucking run WoW at stable +120 fps.

If WoW is only running at 60 fps for you, a same-generation CPU isn't going to 2x your frame rate. You have a potato GPU that needs upgrading.

A handy way to figure out if you're CPU bound is to search "5600X gaming benchmark." If you're running below the frame rates listed, you're not CPU bound. What we here is the 5600X can drive Rainbow Six: Siege at over 400-500 fps, while newer games seem to hold at 100-200 fps. So yeah, in an older game, if you're not even getting 75 fps, it's not your CPU.
 
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If WoW is only running at 60 fps for you, a same-generation CPU isn't going to 2x your frame rate. You have a potato GPU that needs upgrading.

A handy way to figure out if you're CPU bound is to search "5600X gaming benchmark." If you're running below the frame rates listed, you're not CPU bound. What we here is the 5600X can drive Rainbow Six: Siege at over 400-500 fps, while newer games seem to hold at 100-200 fps. So yeah, in an older game, if you're not even getting 75 fps, it's not your CPU.
It's may not double the framerate, but lows will improve. There are games where X3D is great for smoothness.
Rainbow Six Siege is not hard on CPU, as evident from 500 fps.
 
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Fractal Design 804 node came in and damn is it nice. It's fan controller is SATA powered (y tho) and only has three 3-pin fan connections (srsly y tho) and I can't fit the 140s I just bought on the front...

Instead snagged the fan "controller" from my NZXT case it's replacing that uses a molex connector and oh look, now I have multiple fans and save a SATA power plug.
 
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I have arrived at the conclusion that GPUs are the biggest pieces of shit ever invented! Every single time I have a hardware issue its the GPU. EVERY GOD FORSAKEN TIME! Very Jewish!
I am going all in on the noble APU, I cant fucking take it anymore.
Just wait until you hear about printers.
Fractal is overrated imo
They’re fine. Good to build in, the Node is a great NAS case, and the North genuinely pretty.
 
I'm using a Fractal Define Compact with the side panel and top of the case removed with a big shop fan clipped to it blowing on the motherboard. I'm also using the vertical GPU bracket accessory, which is the reason I bought the case to begin with. For my very particular autistic tastes, it's the perfect case.
 
I'm using a Fractal Define Compact with the side panel and top of the case removed with a big shop fan clipped to it blowing on the motherboard. I'm also using the vertical GPU bracket accessory, which is the reason I bought the case to begin with. For my very particular autistic tastes, it's the perfect case.
What made you go for a vertical GPU setup?
 
What made you go for a vertical GPU setup?
I have no desire to fuck around with extraneous expansion cards anymore. My gaming/shitposting rig is purpose built to gofast with as few peripherals as possible. GPU sag is also a real problem I want to avoid. I had hoped that I could use the system as a pseudo-test-bench and swap out GPUs, but the bracket for the case is actually kind of a finicky piece of shit that works well enough when it's installed, but a pain in the ass to mess with.
 
Fractal is overrated imo
I think you jinxed me. I just fucked up my front panel I/O headphone jack on my Pop Air from sitting on my headphone cord and almost toppling over my entire PC. Killed the jack's right audio channel and I'm pretty sure the headphones too, sound is much worse than before, like it fucked up the connection inside.

Time to warranty the headphones and see if I can bend the contact back or get a new PCB with the I/O attached from Fractal.
 
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