THE Personal Computer Thread 2023

By Smokey Go To PostI think this is it.

Also, I keep thinking these cases are more than they really are. Looks like the Enthoo Pro 2 is only $139.

Think it's more of not wanting to tear down the existing rig knowing the beast of cables that lies within lol. But it must be done. At some point. I really like the versatility of that case.

e: it's a chunky boi

I think I watched Jayz2c take a look at the last iteration of the case, very similar internally to the new one. I was thinking to myself at the time that if I had the space and legitimate need for a large case, that’d be a top contender along with the O11 XL.

Both just really interesting from a layout perspective for custom cooling and both, and I stress this is very difficult for me especially to say, very good looking ATX towers.

This might be my next PC purchase before the big case switchover: https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/savant-elite2-triple-pedal/

I assume it shows up in your PC as another keyboard. It is programmable so can set any pedal to any keyboard or mouse input and even create macros. The outer pedals can be repositioned (I assume just rotated) and every pedal can have its resistance tweaked.

Smokey and others who stream, you may want to consider the single pedal version of this for your streaming as it will allow you to have a push-to-talk button that doesn't takeaway from your existing keyboard or mouse bindings.

They also make a waterproof version, but it is $100 more, so, nah, no thanks. lol

By Kibner Go To PostThis might be my next PC purchase before the big case switchover: https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/savant-elite2-triple-pedal/

Push to talk seems like a decent use case, what else did you have in mind for the pedal? In the past I've typically only used them for transcription work.

By Dark PhaZe Go To PostPush to talk seems like a decent use case, what else did you have in mind for the pedal? In the past I've typically only used them for transcription work.

Meta key combinations for software development, mostly. Thinks like CTRL+SHIFT and the like. Probably one bound to just ALT since that is pretty hard to reach at times.

e: it's not going to be useful for anything that requires a twitch reaction because feet and pedals are slow at that

My first thought to that pedal would be fast spamming lean keys in an FPS. Q&E limit mobility, the pedal would free the fingers to focus on movement.

By Nonja Go To PostI got an Ender 3 on Monday zabo. Teach me sensei!

It's got to be the most popular 3D printer out there by now, everything you need is on YT. Check out CHEP's channel for specific Ender 3 guides, CURA settings and profiles, also Teaching Tech and Maker's Muse for even more E3 stuff and general 3D printing tutorials.

Once you'll get comfortable with the printer you'll want to start upgrading it, but I urge you to resist the temptation to go on a parts buying spree, at least initially, because most of the basic and cheap upgrades have little to no effect on print quality, which is great out of the box. Feel free to print whatever little tool trays, cable management clips & filament guides you'll find on Thingiverse though. That's useful, if (also) not necessary.

Feel free to DM me for anything, if you need help.

By Lupercal Go To PostI think I'd rather go filament than resin. I hear it's quite costly keeping up with resin.

It can be, yeah. It's also a somewhat messier and more involved process, since you have to clean the parts and cure them. The quality makes up for it, but it really depends on what you're printing. Resing printers are great for small and super detailed models, like figurines. For bigger and general purpose parts filament is the more practical choice. And you'd be amazed at the detail you can get with a standard 0.2mm nozzle printing at 0.1mm layer height. You can go even finer than that, but then it starts taking forever to get even the smallest things printed. Resin has the edge there.

By Kibner Go To PostThis might be my next PC purchase before the big case switchover: https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/savant-elite2-triple-pedal/

Kinesis fanboys smh. Got my cheapo triple USB pedal for like 20€ off Amazon and it's still going strong.

By HonestVapes Go To PostMy first thought to that pedal would be fast spamming lean keys in an FPS. Q&E limit mobility, the pedal would free the fingers to focus on movement.

That's what I got it for initially, hands-free leaning in PUBG. It was great. Once I switched to Apex I set up the left pedal for spam-crouching, right for push-to-talk. I only use it occasionally compared to PUBG, where it was a crucial part of the experience, but yeah, it's a nice thing to have.

By HonestVapes Go To PostMy first thought to that pedal would be fast spamming lean keys in an FPS. Q&E limit mobility, the pedal would free the fingers to focus on movement.

It's supposedly relatively stiff (probably to prevent accidental presses) according to Amazon reviews so it may not be good for that purpose or any other where you may need to rapidly press a pedal. Nothing reaction based, really. There may be better pedals for that kind of thing out there but I honestly haven't looked.

But then, if you ever played the drums on some of those music games, you may have an idea as to why they may be difficult to use in twitchy games.

@Zabo I knew someone here had a pedal set up for similar reason but I couldn’t remember who.

Amazed to find out Zabo hasn't made his own pedals tbh

Sometimes I'm tempted to break something I have just so I could model and 3D print it. It might be a sickness.

Also, yes, I looked into different types of switches and various arduino projects, but it's just not worth it when you can get such a pedal for 20 iuros.

By inky Go To PostAmazed to find out Zabo hasn't made his own pedals tbh

He has plans I'm sure

By HonestVapes Go To PostI think I watched Jayz2c take a look at the last iteration of the case, very similar internally to the new one. I was thinking to myself at the time that if I had the space and legitimate need for a large case, that’d be a top contender along with the O11 XL.

Both just really interesting from a layout perspective for custom cooling and both, and I stress this is very difficult for me especially to say, very good looking ATX towers.

So I have your blessing fellow pc bro

That Asus Zephyrus laptop is going down in the top 3 worst tech purchases I’ve ever made.
The latest issue to crop up is a bug causing the R7 3750H to drop down to 400mhz periodically.

Not even due to thermal throttling either, it just boots the clockspeed down from 3.7ish to 400mhz across all cores for about a minute and then it goes back to normal for X amount of time, then it does it again.


Tried using Ryzen controller to limit some of the power/temp settings but shit still happens. It seems to be/have been an issue with multiple Ryzen mobile CPUs from the 2000 and 3000 series, not sure if the latest 4000 series has similar issues too but I think I’ve been well and truly soured by AMD CPUs at this point.

gaming laptops are a scam innit

By Auto Simeone Go To Postgaming laptops are a scam innit

Yes, but it’s what my girlfriend wanted, just shite that I’m the tech support for it.



In other news, redid the tubing on my loop last night since I had to take the GPU out. I’ve had higher than expected temps since switching to the Q37, higher than I did in the NCase despite the much thicker top radiator, with or without the side panel on. I’ve repasted and checked for gunk in the block, it wasn’t spotless but it didn’t look like anything inside it would be impeding flow to extent of the 10c~ temp increase.

Flipped around the fans too since negative pressure seemingly works better in this case from what I’ve read so I’m gonna roll with that for a while. Butchered the plastic casing on the 5v header so I could plug it into the motherboard too. All in all a pretty productive 5 hours of work.
Just running mayhems’ cleaning fluid through it for peace of mind now which is why it’s so foamed up in the res.



Changed it to the CPU and GPU running in parallel, which has some cons to it, but the main benefit for me was that it’d clean up the tube runs and allow me to run the pump straight into the GPU and CPU block. The Phanteks blocks I have seem prone to getting little air bubbles stuck in them forever unless the pump is feeding them directly from the left side despite them not having a set in/out port on them.
I think I’ll replace them in the future, may even go for hard tubing next time I redo my loop since I’ve worked with ZMT three times now and I just don’t feel it’s well suited to short tubing runs.


Here’s the before pics.

Anybody owns one of those NZXT cable management pucks? Just want to know the material will not fall apart in like 3 months or something.

Think I’ve peaked

sexy

Vapes that's sexy af

By HonestVapes Go To PostThink I’ve peaked

@zabo

What am I looking at m8

By FootbalIFan Go To Post@zabo

What am I looking at m8

lol

Before and after:





Fixed my GPU temp issue, retubed the loop (again), flipped all the fans around and cut the casing on the 5v header so I could plug the reservoir into the motherboard.
Happy with how it all looks, even happier that my GPU temps are actually in check now. Still don’t know what exactly caused it to run so hot after switching from the NCase though, but now it’s running only 9-10c warmer than the fluid, prior it was running 20c+ over the fluid temp, without undervolting and maxed out pump speed it would climb pretty quickly to 60c then creep up to 70c, which yeno, is hot as fuck for water.

By FootbalIFan Go To Post@zabo

What am I looking at m8

Madness.

So just became part of the OLED gang and connected the LG to my PC. Since I know a couple of you already have one I wanted to know if anyone uses it for video file playback:
I have a bunch of players installed and they all output something but I have no idea which player is closest to the reference HDR material.
Tested the internal W10 media player, MPC-HC + MPC-HC with madVR, Pot-Player and VLC.
Ran a couple of tests switching between the tv's Disney+ app and my files running on the pc but none really matched.
Anybody got a clue or good guide what to use?

Update on the GPU fan issue: Seems it's caused by the CPU overheating (gets to 80-90C just on idle) so I'm buying some new thermal paste and making sure everything is A-OK. Thinking the small case size may be interfering with good air flow. Apart from that I'm thinking the super high room temperature I'm in is not helping either.

By DerZuhälter Go To PostSo just became part of the OLED gang and connected the LG to my PC. Since I know a couple of you already have one I wanted to know if anyone uses it for video file playback:
I have a bunch of players installed and they all output something but I have no idea which player is closest to the reference HDR material.
Tested the internal W10 media player, MPC-HC + MPC-HC with madVR, Pot-Player and VLC.
Ran a couple of tests switching between the tv's Disney+ app and my files running on the pc but none really matched.
Anybody got a clue or good guide what to use?

I don't know about any specific players, but you may want to start with this guide first, regardless: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4040255/windows-10-stream-hdr-video

Making sure Windows is correctly setup is the first step to making sure your media players are correctly setup. It also has some troubleshooting stuff at the bottom, too. Like, I didn't know that if you don't play the video full screen, there is a chance the HDR may not actually be activated.

By Xpike Go To PostUpdate on the GPU fan issue: Seems it's caused by the CPU overheating (gets to 80-90C just on idle) so I'm buying some new thermal paste and making sure everything is A-OK. Thinking the small case size may be interfering with good air flow. Apart from that I'm thinking the super high room temperature I'm in is not helping either.

Missed out on the initial post. What was the issue again and what case do you have?
CPU heatsink and GPU model would be nice to know too

Think my next step is custom cooling the Acer X27 because it's now the loudest part of my overall set up. These are the dinky little 3000RPM screamers they use for cooling the G sync module.



I'm thinking I could probably mount a decent low profile heatsink in place of the red one, hook up a 5v Noctua fan and control the exact RPM in the monitor's debug menu. Alternatively, I could throw a water block on it and a small radiator but I feel that would be too cumbersome.

By Kibner Go To PostI don't know about any specific players, but you may want to start with this guide first, regardless: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4040255/windows-10-stream-hdr-video

Making sure Windows is correctly setup is the first step to making sure your media players are correctly setup. It also has some troubleshooting stuff at the bottom, too. Like, I didn't know that if you don't play the video full screen, there is a chance the HDR may not actually be activated.

Tried that. Well it does "kinda" work. Unfortunately if you switch it on, your desktop goes into "always HDR ON" mode. Which isn't the best idea if you fear burn-in to operate. Furthermore: I don't need the display to be blasting as bright as possible when I'm just browsing around or watch SDR content.

So that option is off the table.

Iono if anyone here remembers me from GAF, but I used to be pretty balls deep into the custom loop world, doing hardline copper builds before it was cool :)

I use a laptop for work, and my gaming time is more and more limited because of kid and other hobbies, so I went full in on the portable world.

Currently using an Eluktronics Max 17 w/ 10875h i7 + 2070 Super Max. It's loud at full tilt, but i dont even really notice it when using my headphones. Quiet otherwise. It's a beast performer though.

Running a 3440x1440p + 2560+1440p at work, but I recently also just got this for home. Dell S3220DGF. Pretty much only games I play are Rocket League, EUIV, and Mount and Blade II. Love it so far, been great for games and work. I like the VA panel a lot more than IPS.

By zfzmikey Go To PostIono if anyone here remembers me from GAF, but I used to be pretty balls deep into the custom loop world, doing hardline copper builds before it was cool :)

I use a laptop for work, and my gaming time is more and more limited because of kid and other hobbies, so I went full in on the portable world.

Currently using an Eluktronics Max 17 w/ 10875h i7 + 2070 Super Max. It's loud at full tilt, but i dont even really notice it when using my headphones. Quiet otherwise. It's a beast performer though.


Running a 3440x1440p + 2560+1440p at work, but I recently also just got this for home. Dell S3220DGF. Pretty much only games I play are Rocket League, EUIV, and Mount and Blade II. Love it so far, been great for games and work. I like the VA panel a lot more than IPS.

I wasn't active on GAF back in the day. You got any pics of your old custom loops tho?

Vapes barely said hi and already asking for nudes smh

I stick with what works.

TheAngryVapes

Ask and ye shall receive. Lots of builds, but these are the ones with custom loops.

First loop on a 2500K in a Fractal Arc Mini


3820 w/ GTX 690 in a BitFenix Shinobi XL


Same but went with 3x670s, and all the stuff upgraded to EKs new new:


First go at hard line build. All copper lines with push fittings. 3820 w/ Rampage IV Gene, 7970 Matrix. Bricked the board and proc during an extreme OC session. Case was CaseLabs SM5


Attempt #2 at copper hard line, this time with a Gigabyte Sniper M5, delidded 4770k, and 780 Ti Kingpin, which was an *epic* card.


I bricked that board because the custom braided cables I had done were done improperly. I swore off two things after this. One, was motherboards without a BIOS USB flash utility. The other was hard line in my own daily builds, because holy fuck the maintenance and complete pain in the ass when things weren't working right.

So I went to ASUS and EK ZMT. This loop operated for three years without maintenance. When I finally took it apart to reuse the mobo/proc/ram in a CaseLabs Bullet for a portable mini build, there was almost zero gunk in any of the blocks or tubes. I didn't even give a shit that the cables were ugly, because it was so damn quiet and reliable. Those Noiseblocker fans were truly next level back then.


Build I did for a buddy in a Little Devil PC-V7 w/ 2x780s


This is another friend's build, I did most of the hard line stuff as well as picking out all the parts/case. The blocks were chosen on their ability to be powdercoated, because everything that could be powdercoated, was. Mostly gold with red, to resemble Radiance from Dota. 3930k, 7970. You can see the twinkling of the gold in the first pic here. Second pic is to show all the parts that were powdercoated. The rest show off the finished product, which was assembled with a custom LED system working off a hidden Raspberry Pi to make it look like the whole thing is twinkling.


I wish I could find the video of the thing on. It had the Nebula Martins stuff, so even the reservoir was all glittery. Not my cup of tea aesthetically, but it was really fucking impressive to see live.

I remember you buddy ;_;

Now I stand before you a simple pleb using a laptop. It's a pretty fkn great laptop tho.

Can we keep him?

Few more pics cause now I'm feelin all nostalgic. My favorite board ever was the Z77X-UP7. It was so overengineered and was able to push the 3770K i had a solid 200mhz higher than anything it could do on other boards. Also allowed me to test frame variance/frame times in 100-200mhz increments with a push of a button between benchmarks.


And probably one of the cleanest builds I did with the beastly Matrix 7970, truly one of the GOATs. This system was the most quiet one I had up until that isolated D5 with undervolted noiseblockers. Even then, at idle, it was more quiet. Just not at full tilt.



Lots of pretty pictures of the case labs SM5 in my build log: https://www.overclock.net/forum/61-water-cooling/1369774-build-log-zfz-professional-caselabs-sm5.html

That thing went through so many iterations. I can remember the feeling of the second bricked board, and it was defeat. Just bought my first house at that same time, so the log fell into neglect.

This last page is bringing nothing but shame on my pc builds. I need to git gud. Or pay Vapes.

are any of these even used to play games

mods can we get a comment on all this pornography?

wew

lol thanks all

and

By Xpike Go To Postare any of these even used to play games

This is why my current setup is a gaming laptop. Once a house, kid, and fun cars entered the scene, time and extra money is all gone. And that laptop is a 100% tax deduction for the business since it's a work PC.

By zfzmikeySo I went to ASUS and EK ZMT. This loop operated for three years without maintenance. When I finally took it apart to reuse the mobo/proc/ram in a CaseLabs Bullet for a portable mini build, there was almost zero gunk in any of the blocks or tubes. I didn't even give a shit that the cables were ugly, because it was so damn quiet and reliable. Those Noiseblocker fans were truly next level back then.

This is why I switched to ZMT from regular clear soft tubing. I want the best of both worlds in the sense that I want the cooling and low noise that watercooling provides, but also as little of the maintenance that usually goes along with it.
Though I've not been into it for long, first loop was last year. I redid that loop earlier this year with ZMT, then I moved to a different case and put a loop together in that, then redid all the tubing for it just last weekend.

Did you have a preference for any particular pump? Seems you used both DDC and D5s in your old builds.

Sounds like bitcoin is hot again.

lol

By HonestVapes Go To PostThis is why I switched to ZMT from regular clear soft tubing. I want the best of both worlds in the sense that I want the cooling and low noise that watercooling provides, but also as little of the maintenance that usually goes along with it.
Though I've not been into it for long, first loop was last year. I redid that loop earlier this year with ZMT, then I moved to a different case and put a loop together in that, then redid all the tubing for it just last weekend.

Did you have a preference for any particular pump? Seems you used both DDC and D5s in your old builds.

Decoupled (aka mounted on a sponge) D5 vario for sure. I don't actually remember why we went with the DDC in my friend's build. I think it was pressure/flow related because he had the mobo waterblock and just a ton of volume from the res and tubing, but I'm not totally certain. It might be that he just already had one and liked it.

Another friend of mine who was very into complete silence and zero maintenance, to the point that he actually had an external 3x3 radiator so he could run fans at super low RPM. He swore by the aquastream xt (eheim), but he was also integrated into the aquacomputer ecosystem. When you isolate the pumps, and make sure they're enclosed, then supposedly they're almost silent.

Before I ran out of time to do these projects, my next one was actually a full Aquero/Aquacomputer suite. Their rads are stupid overpriced, but the rest of their stuff is just top notch. Or, at least it was 5 years ago.

ZMT is definitely the bee's knees though. Piece of advice when installing it: have a heat gun, and warm it up prior to doing runs and putting on fittings. It makes all the difference in the world. I also used a bit of silicone lubricant on the outer area where it makes contact with the compression collar for tightening, which makes that way easier since it's a bit grabby.

By zfzmikey Go To PostDecoupled (aka mounted on a sponge) D5 vario for sure. I don't actually remember why we went with the DDC in my friend's build. I think it was pressure/flow related because he had the mobo waterblock and just a ton of volume from the res and tubing, but I'm not totally certain. It might be that he just already had one and liked it.

Another friend of mine who was very into complete silence and zero maintenance, to the point that he actually had an external 3x3 radiator so he could run fans at super low RPM. He swore by the aquastream xt (eheim), but he was also integrated into the aquacomputer ecosystem. When you isolate the pumps, and make sure they're enclosed, then supposedly they're almost silent.

Before I ran out of time to do these projects, my next one was actually a full Aquero/Aquacomputer suite. Their rads are stupid overpriced, but the rest of their stuff is just top notch. Or, at least it was 5 years ago.

ZMT is definitely the bee's knees though. Piece of advice when installing it: have a heat gun, and warm it up prior to doing runs and putting on fittings. It makes all the difference in the world. I also used a bit of silicone lubricant on the outer area where it makes contact with the compression collar for tightening, which makes that way easier since it's a bit grabby.

Funnily enough, apart from the general stiffness of the tubing, I've found it fits on compression fittings easier than clear tubing did. So much easier that I had to double check my fittings and tubing were both 16/10.

As for Aqua Computer. I'm using their Quadro fan controller now since it was the easiest way for me to set fan speeds to the water temp. I have my gripes with the usability of the software compared to Argus Monitor, but it's definitely good quality on the whole. I believe their blocks are decent too, but I'm not too familiar with their other products.

By zfzmikey Go To Postlol thanks all

and
This is why my current setup is a gaming laptop. Once a house, kid, and fun cars entered the scene, time and extra money is all gone. And that laptop is a 100% tax deduction for the business since it's a work PC.

Those builds look familiar, I remember you. Good to see you on Slaent.