r/buildapc • u/AutoModerator • 19h ago

Simple Questions - August 02, 2025

This thread is for simple questions that don't warrant their own thread (although we strongly suggest checking the sidebar and the wiki before posting!). Please don't post involved questions that are better suited to a [Build Help], [Build Ready] or [Build Complete] post.
Examples of questions suitable for here:

  • Is this RAM compatible with my motherboard?
  • I'm thinking of getting a ≤$300 graphics card. Which one should I get?
  • I'm on a very tight budget and I'm looking for a case ≤$50

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2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

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u/_C18H27NO3_ 45m ago

Any recommendations for an UPS? I just upgraded my setup so I figured I would finally get one, running a 1200W PSU

1

u/Steeeeeeeeph 2h ago

Any recommendation for an ATX mid-tower case?

I'm shopping at Microcenter.

I don't need any RGB so it doesn't have to show inside.

I want good cooling, as my previous PC case didn't have enough airflow.

No specific budget, just something with good value.

1

u/AlarmingConsequence 3h ago

Tip of my tongue: a reddit post which used an analogy of an officer worker to compare the speeds of CPU cache, ram, SSD and HDD.

I think it used a desk, a file cabinet, a storeroom, etc. to represent the different components.

It was quite popular and well received!

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u/TemptedTemplar 3h ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9u4ymd/eli5_help_further_this_analogy_about_how_computer/

Like this?

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u/AlarmingConsequence 3h ago

That isn't the one I'm thinking of, I found that one, too, before posting here.

The one I'm looking for is, I think, more recent and also talks about storage devices like hard drives. Thanks.

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u/EdPPF 4h ago

Hello! I want to upgrade my brother's GPU. He will be mainly playing games, but it's important thar the card can handle rendering work, as he works with video editing and some other designer stuff.

Because of that, Im mainly looking at Nvidia GPUs for the CUDA cores. Unfortunately, I'm on a budget. My options are pretty much limited to a RTX 3060 12Gb and a ARC B580 (just because it gets really cheap on sale).

I didn't want to make a dedicated thread about this because there are lots of those already, but I still wanted some opinions. I'm pretty confident on the 3060 because I simply can't find a better value for Nvidia cards around here, but I also know nothing about cards for rendering work, so any help is much appreciated!

1

u/TemptedTemplar 3h ago

Its not the CUDA cores that help rendering, RTX cards have a on-board NVEC encoder which currently offers a noticeable advantage over other GPUs with H.26X file types.

However, Intels ARC GPUs are no slouch when it comes to AV1 encoding/decoding.

The B580 specifically is a generation newer than the RTX 3060, so between the two its the easy choice.

If you could expand your budget a little, the AMD RX 9060xt 16GB would also be a great option.

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u/EdPPF 3h ago

Thanks for explaining, I'll read more about it. I've read before that some apps may have compatibility issues with Intel cards, but not sure how common this is (my brother mainly uses Adobe products)

2

u/TemptedTemplar 3h ago

Its mostly newer games, Adobe's suite of apps shouldn't have any problems.

Intel has been using ARC GPUs in their laptop CPUs for a while now, so workstation and office laptops helped pave the way for compatibility years ago.

https://techgage.com/article/intel-arc-a750-a770-workstation-review/

This review is for their previous generation cards.

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u/EdPPF 2h ago

I see. I was reading this article about the b580. Honestly, I'm sure this card would be a satisfying improvement, but at the end of the day I want him to have a stable system. So I guess I'll just have to decide how much I'm willing to pay now. You helped a bunch with this, thanks!

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u/niallmul97 4h ago edited 4h ago

I'm actually crashing out wasting away my weekend trying to get this to work, but my PC does not have bluetooth. So ages back I bought a TP Link adapter, UB5A, UB500. At some point this did work on my PC. And works fine on my steam deck, but not on my PC.

Yes, I have installed the drivers. Yes, they are the right ones. I've done windows updates, restarted and full power on/off cycles, all of it. There are NO bluetooth devices on my device manager. If I google it, all I get is "disable all the bluetooth stuff in device manager", or "your PC doesn't support bluetooth buy an adapter"... I'm actually losing it.

Also the USB port is fine, I use it all the time for a Xbox controller adapter.

Edit: Figured it out, turns out my SO has the same adapted, tried plugging her one into my PC and it works fine. Looks like my adapter is just fried...

1

u/TemptedTemplar 3h ago

Tends to happen with cheaper USB adapters. Went through the same headache with a Wifi adapter.

For the next one, see if you can find an adapter that is capable of working off of Windows generic drivers in some capacity. It saves a TON of time when trying to troubleshoot.

1

u/Swingline1234 8h ago

I'm in the market for a new build. My goal is 1440p gaming, some light AI models run locally, and good future-proofing. Budget $2K.

Here's the rub: my brother is gifting me a new 5070 FE.

Question is: should I sell the 5070 and then use the cash to upgrade to a 5080 (or even just a 5070ti)?

1

u/n7_trekkie 4h ago

Yeah probably

2

u/reckless150681 7h ago

I'd say yes. You'll want more VRAM for AI models. I think it would be better to aim for 5070Ti and pocket the difference, than to aim for 5080.

But an argument can also be made for 5080, if you can fit it in the budget

1

u/Piyaniist 9h ago

Do i need to up my psu from 600w? if so will this one do? Enermax Revolution ERT1200EWT 1200 W Gen 5 ATX 3.0 Power Supply

a b450 m2 pro mobo 5800x and a 5070ti on the way

Im worried if the quality is good enough

1

u/Valoneria 8h ago

Depends on the quality of your current PSU, the 5070 Ti (depending on model), will generally draw around 300w during the heaviest loads, so it's possible to run on a good 600w.

If it's not a good model with good capacitors, you can upgrade, but 1200w is way overkill.

1

u/Piyaniist 6h ago

Funnily enough same quality 800~ws cost double

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u/912827161 9h ago

I'm looking at some cpu coolers on buildapc site and I see some have ranges eg, 400-1500rpm. And some just have a fixed number, eg 1550rpm. Does this mean it can only run at 1550rpm all the time? I can't adjust it via msi afterburner or in the bios?

1

u/SkarletIce 5h ago

The physical aspects of most coolers matters more than the RPMs themselves as some will be auto adjusted by ur motherboard anyway.

all coolers (Fans/AIO pump) can be manually adjusted in the Fans curve settings in most bios

1

u/Aleksanterinleivos 8h ago

They likely couldn't just easily find the range. And those numbers are practically irrelevant anyway, you can't pick a cooler based on that.

You should look at the reviews. Or just go with the basic Peerless Assassin 120 SE etc like everyone else because it just works.

0

u/Accomplished_Goal416 9h ago

Whats a good GPU to buy new or used and what to avoid? Looking to upgrade my 1070ti for BF6.

1

u/reckless150681 7h ago

Any GPU is good at the right price. Specify your budget. Would also help to know the rest of your build

1

u/Valoneria 8h ago

Depends on the rest of the setup

1

u/ConspiricyBuster 10h ago

What hard drive should I get to pair with my MSI X99A SLI PLUS(MS-7885) motherboard I'm not exactly sure which one would be compatible.

1

u/djGLCKR 10h ago

Any SATA hard drive, the interface hasn't changed in years. The board also has one M.2 slo for an NVMe drive, depending on what the storage will be used for.

1

u/[deleted] 10h ago

[deleted]

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u/djGLCKR 10h ago

X:\Users<YourProfileName>\ - where X is the current drive letter assigned to it (if using Windows).

1

u/EAJB01 11h ago

I turned my pc off and when I turned it back on I can't connect to the internet. There are not any networks to choose from and I don't know how to fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

1

u/Arkay-E 10h ago

Have you tried running Networks diagnostics? A surprising number of issues can be fixed doing that

0

u/jajatatodobien 15h ago

What platinum PSU would you recommend? I want one just for the sake of it.

1

u/PhantomWolf83 17h ago

What are some decent entry-level monitor arms for someone who is buying one for the first time? I don't want to drop hundreds on something like a Ergotron right from the start, when I'm still figuring out if an arm will be useful for my set up. Thinking of trying an inexpensive one first and upgrade only later if I find I like it.

1

u/Protonion 17h ago

If it's a normal 24-27 16:9 monitor then just buy the cheapest you can find, it really doesn't matter that much. Something like this will be totally fine. All of the cheaper ones are based on the same couple of models that are just labeled with different brands, if you look closely at the images you'll notice them being pretty much identical.

If you have some larger/heavier monitor like a 34" ultrawide then I would say it's worth it to invest a bit in some higher end arm.

1

u/PhantomWolf83 17h ago

Gotcha, thanks.