Showcase Cleo's AMD College PC 2023

[Cleo]

A little AMD box that I put together. Initially I tried my Ryzen 9 3900 (OEM) chip but it didn't POST
so I bought the cheapest Ryzen that I could find that supports PCIe Gen 4.0 for the GPU. I didn't want
to spend much on this and the Sapphire mobo was the cheapest ITX around at the time (~$USD80 shipped)
that was in stock with a B550 chipset. I had to spend a little more on the PSU as wasted heat is my mortal
enemy in my little college room w/o air con or ceiling fans and a single window that only opens 10 cm.
edit: removed Sapphire B550i Ultra titanium mobo and Ryzen 5 3600.
edit: removed KIOXIA EXCERIA PLUS G2 1 TB M.2-2280
edit: removed be quiet! Pure Rock LP CPU Cooler

 

[Cleo]

I think the mobo has died. "A critical process has died" blue screen during Win 11 install. Tried different NVME sticks, different USB sticks, different CPU's, different riser cables, different M.2 slot. Going to call it (time of death) if it doesn't respond to different RAM and BIOS this weekend. Can't even install linux - kernel panic mode errors about PCIe lanes....

 

[Cleo]

Back up and running with my Ryzen 9 3900 (OEM) chip. I ordered a Lexar NM800PRO 1TB NVME but it's delayed in international shipping. Using an old Intel H10 1/2 TB for now.
The Sapphire board was unrecoverable. Idle CPU temp is 55 and it boosts to about 82 under full load. I'm getting Windows warnings when I go into some games that I don't have enough memory and that my settings have been turned down. Is that normal now with 16GB of RAM?

 

[Cleo]

Swapped out the "be quiet! Pure Rock LP" for a Deepcool LS320 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler. Idle CPU temps now 45C and 62C under full load and looks much better.
Lexar NM800PRO arrived. Cloned the old Intel nvme stick w/o any issue and swapped them over. System running very well.

 

[TuxTalk]

Nice system !

 

[Xciting]

Good system just would remove bitdefender and replace with something else if you want max performance on your pc (bd is quite heavy and full of bloat)

 

[Cleo]

Good system just would remove bitdefender and replace with something else if you want max performance on your pc (bd is quite heavy and full of bloat)

Thanks for the tip. I use it since we have a NetGear Armor sub. Its not my favourite AV. I might have managed to disable most of it anyway by doing an offline install. All the other things like optimizer, cleaner, password manager,vpn etc are greyed out.

 

[Xciting]

oh yeah then it should be fine lol but if you ever cancel netgear armor pick smthn else

 

[Xciting]

also how much does netgear armour cost

 

[Cleo]

also how much does netgear armour cost

IIRC its about $140AUD but we noticed that if we let the sub lapse they send a desperation 50% off code after a month. I've found its reasonable for non-tech-savvy homes with lots of IoT devices and my family had a lot, from fish tank accessories and night lights to sprinklers, solar panels, and at least 10 unidentified things my brother has found on AliExpress.
If it was my choice I'd go with a FireWalla or make a simple pfsense box. At this point I tell the family to assume China and the police have everything they put on their computers. I don't live there anymore so its out of my hands. Okay, I just check and my brother has disabled the NetGear router for blocking his gadgets so I'll just let the Armor sub expire I think..

 

[Xciting]

oh wow lol then yeah thats worth it

 

[Xciting]

am quite concerned about your brother buying random aliexpress thing lol

 

[Xciting]

bro i just got like 10 notifications wonder why hmmmm

 

[Cleo]

Update: turfed the 2x8GB Lexar Ares CL18 4000Mhz sticks and put the Klevv CRAS X RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory sticks from my weird MaxSun PC in it.
I bought a couple of Timetec PINNACLE Konduit 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 sticks for the MaxSun machine. I had been getting at least one BSoD per day - all memory faults - on this AMD system after removing the baby Lexar sticks and installing the Timetec sticks in this machine first. I can't think of any reason why swapping the sticks around solved the BSOD problem. Both systems have been rock solid now for a couple of months.

 

[Bot]

A little AMD box that I put together. Initially I tried my Ryzen 9 3900 (OEM) chip but it didn't POST
so I bought the cheapest Ryzen that I could find that supports PCIe Gen 4.0 for the GPU. I didn't want
to spend much on this and the Sapphire mobo was the cheapest ITX around at the time (~$USD80 shipped)
that was in stock with a B550 chipset. I had to spend a little more on the PSU as wasted heat is my mortal
enemy in my little college room w/o air con or ceiling fans and a single window that only opens 10 cm.
edit: removed Sapphire B550i Ultra titanium mobo and Ryzen 5 3600.
edit: removed KIOXIA EXCERIA PLUS G2 1 TB M.2-2280
edit: removed be quiet! Pure Rock LP CPU Cooler

Hello,

Based on the components listed for your custom PC build with a budget of approximately $600, you've put together a system that is well-suited for university work, gaming at 1080p resolution, and general home use. Let's review the configuration and discuss its suitability for your needs:

Motherboard: The ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX is a compact motherboard with built-in Wi-Fi, which is great for a small form factor build and should offer good connectivity options for a university setting.

CPU: The Ryzen 9 3900 (OEM) is a powerful processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, offering excellent multitasking capabilities that can handle demanding applications and workloads, suitable for both university tasks and gaming.

GPU: The Vastarmor RX 6650 XT is a capable mid-range graphics card that should perform well at 1080p resolution, providing good frame rates in most modern games on high settings.

RAM: 32 GB of Klevv CRAS X RGB DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory is more than enough for gaming and will be beneficial for memory-intensive tasks or heavy multitasking, which might be common in a university context.

Storage: The Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB NVMe SSD with PCIe 4.0 support offers fast storage speeds and ample space for software, documents, games, and media.

PSU: The Silverstone SX750-PT 750 W 80+ Platinum SFX is a high-quality power supply unit that provides more than enough power for your components and is efficient, which can help with electricity bills over time.

Case: The Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P Mini ITX case is a popular choice for small form factor builds, providing good airflow and the flexibility to use high-end components.

Accessories: The Deepcool LS320 liquid CPU cooler should provide excellent cooling for the Ryzen 9 3900, maintaining performance even under load.

Additional Considerations:

• Monitor: You will need a monitor to use this PC. For 1080p gaming, consider a monitor with a refresh rate of at least 75Hz, though 144Hz is ideal for a smoother experience. Look for one with an IPS panel for better color accuracy and viewing angles, which can be beneficial for both work and gaming.
• Keyboard and Mouse: These are essential peripherals. For university work, any comfortable, reliable keyboard and mouse should suffice. For gaming, you might want to look at gaming-specific products for better responsiveness and durability.
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro is a good choice, offering extra features over the Home edition that might be beneficial for advanced users or specific university requirements.
• Budget: The budget of $600 seems quite tight for the components listed, as the CPU and GPU alone could consume a significant portion of this budget, not to mention the other high-quality components. Ensure to check current prices and look for deals or consider adjusting your budget if necessary.

This build should serve you well for both your university and gaming needs. It's a powerful system that can handle a wide range of tasks and should last several years before needing any significant upgrades.

 

[Cleo]

Hello,

Based on the components listed for your custom PC build with a budget of approximately $600, you've put together a system that is well-suited for university work, gaming at 1080p resolution, and general home use. Let's review the configuration and discuss its suitability for your needs:

Motherboard: The ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX is a compact motherboard with built-in Wi-Fi, which is great for a small form factor build and should offer good connectivity options for a university setting.

CPU: The Ryzen 9 3900 (OEM) is a powerful processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, offering excellent multitasking capabilities that can handle demanding applications and workloads, suitable for both university tasks and gaming.

GPU: The Vastarmor RX 6650 XT is a capable mid-range graphics card that should perform well at 1080p resolution, providing good frame rates in most modern games on high settings.

RAM: 32 GB of Klevv CRAS X RGB DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory is more than enough for gaming and will be beneficial for memory-intensive tasks or heavy multitasking, which might be common in a university context.

Storage: The Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB NVMe SSD with PCIe 4.0 support offers fast storage speeds and ample space for software, documents, games, and media.

PSU: The Silverstone SX750-PT 750 W 80+ Platinum SFX is a high-quality power supply unit that provides more than enough power for your components and is efficient, which can help with electricity bills over time.

Case: The Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P Mini ITX case is a popular choice for small form factor builds, providing good airflow and the flexibility to use high-end components.

Accessories: The Deepcool LS320 liquid CPU cooler should provide excellent cooling for the Ryzen 9 3900, maintaining performance even under load.

Additional Considerations:

• Monitor: You will need a monitor to use this PC. For 1080p gaming, consider a monitor with a refresh rate of at least 75Hz, though 144Hz is ideal for a smoother experience. Look for one with an IPS panel for better color accuracy and viewing angles, which can be beneficial for both work and gaming.
• Keyboard and Mouse: These are essential peripherals. For university work, any comfortable, reliable keyboard and mouse should suffice. For gaming, you might want to look at gaming-specific products for better responsiveness and durability.
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro is a good choice, offering extra features over the Home edition that might be beneficial for advanced users or specific university requirements.
• Budget: The budget of $600 seems quite tight for the components listed, as the CPU and GPU alone could consume a significant portion of this budget, not to mention the other high-quality components. Ensure to check current prices and look for deals or consider adjusting your budget if necessary.

This build should serve you well for both your university and gaming needs. It's a powerful system that can handle a wide range of tasks and should last several years before needing any significant upgrades.

The system has been running beautifully, thanks.