DSQ
Daily Simple Questions Thread - August 06, 2026
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This thread is for all of the small and simple questions that you might have about computing that probably wouldn't work all too well as a standalone post. Software issues, build questions, game recommendations, post them here!
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Hi,
I need to replace a 10+ year old PC, and I'm eyeing a used PC at a local Paymore store.
These are the specs listed: CyberPower Custom PC Core i5-11400F 2.60GHz 8GB RAM 500GB SSD Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
Price is $350. I just want a PC that can easily handle Minecraft, Marvel Rivals, and general browsing. I don't care too much about playing on super high graphics settings.
But you can also just use DLSS to upscale from lower res abd use that on your 1440p monitor. Even with 720p (DLSS balanced) this might look better than 1080p native.
If you want to further optimize very new games, you can look up how to change the exact DLSS version for each game in the Nvidia app. But it will work out of the box regardless.
I haven't had an Nvidia card since they came out with the new app so this might be an outdated opinion, but I've always liked the Radeon software better tbh
Is it still recommended to build your own PC over pre-built, given the cost of parts? Also, if I need a new PC within the next few months, should I buy it right away to avoid rising costs, or should it be okay to wait a few months? Thanks!
I have a spare pc that’s collecting dust, so I thought of just popping it next to my tv and just using it as a Mame/Emulator “station” using my tv as the monitor.
My question is: what are some suggestions for usb controllers for couch play? I do have 2 ps5 controllers and I think they work with Win10, but haven’t done any research.
They do, but don't work natively with all games. You can use Steam input or DS4Windows to make them work though. DS4Windows is overall a very useful tool as it allows for macros, fine tuning of all gradual inputs, control over lighting, making gyro work in all games etc.
is pcie 3.0 good enough for a dedicated steam library nvme ssd? I've just built my first gaming PC a few days ago and my storage is already a problem because every other fucking game I want to play is 100+GB for some reason. My only ssd right now is the crucial p310 1TB which is a pcie 4.0 ssd. I'm considering buying one of those cheaper chinese SSDs just for my games. Just something that won't hurt me too much if it dies. tbh those cheaper SSDs aren't even that much cheaper than a Kingston NV3 or something but I've honestly spent enough on my PC already and I just want to play games.
Edit: nvm my motherboard only supports pcie 3.0 for the second nvme slot so it doesn't even matter lol. I'm still leaving this question up just in case anyone is in a similar situation though
Commenting so this doesn't show unanswered tomorrow.
But yes, PCIe 3 is generally fine, though obviously it's slower than a 4.0 drive. Something that's relatively common in situations like yours, use the secondary drive as a backup game library. Maybe keep games downloaded on there that you play every so often, but not every day. Then on a day that you're going to play that game, free up space and transfer it to the faster drive. Since it's already downloaded, just set it to move from one drive to another, go make yourself a sandwich, and then come back and play a few minutes later.
When copying some images from an old USB into another folder or notepad app on my desktop, the file explorer (Windows 11) freezes, says "not responding", then crashes file explorer so that I have to reopen it.
Is this happening because the USB is so old? I have noticed some jpg images are also corrupted (pixelated, discoloured, etc), so is it the USB?
How do I get files out (mostly unimportant stuff, not anything like legal documents, etc) if file explorer keeps crashing when I do so?
From the sounds of things, probably. There's no one-size-fits-all solution for something like this, but some general things to try:
Assuming the underlying issue is data corruption, that's going to affect specific files. Try copying a smaller amount of files, or even do it one at a time to narrow down which files are bad. Start with smaller files if you can. Bigger files take up more space, so they're more likely to be affected.
Try using another machine, preferably something running a different operating system if you happen to have a Mac or Chromebook around. Each OS is going to handle bad data differently, so maybe you'll get lucky. It could also be something with your machine, so it's possible a different Windows machine will do better.
The Intel might be the "safer" choice, but I'd be interested in giving the MediaTek chip a shot, more out of interest than anything. It's newer than that Intel, should be more power efficient, and from what I've seen online performance is competitive. 12GB of RAM is also nice instead of 8.
Is there any 3D visualisation source on the webs that I can use to see how a themed build would go? I was going to go full sleeper mode, but upon seeing the Fractal Meshify 3 had a white version of its case, which would be great for my south facing window, I want to see what an all out build would look like, not to the exact part, but enough, like a black motherboard, white RAM, white back fan maybe? and a video card with one or the other.
Desktop RAM and laptop RAM use the exact same DRAM chips, it's the way they're put together, form factor and way they connect to the system that's different. And as far as I know, the pricing of those has not been affected, just the DRAM chips. Desktops will always offer better performance at the same price, barring clearance sales for laptops and other discounts.
I need some advice, basically I want to upgrade because I'm late for only one year the budget right now is barely cover my old plan
Basically my old plan was
Ryzen 7 7800x3d
Asus PRIME B650EM
RX 9070 XT
KLEVV DDR 5 32gb
KLEVV 1tb nvme
Right now because budget constraint I cannot build with said specs, and with upcoming motherboard price increase and ram WILL keep increasing I do not know where to downgrade, I'm open for suggestions even switching to intel (altough I rarely hear good news from them last 20 years)
You can lower the CPU to a 7600X. It's slower, but not that much so, and you will still get a huge upgrade path. You can also get started with 1x16GB, you'll just have to limit the amount of background applications you can run.
If you live close to a microcenter, you can also save some money by getting a bundle deal.
The CPU and graphics card should definitely be replaced, but if you want to save on the DDR5, you could keep using the DDR4 you've got already and upgrade to an i5-14600K or 5800X3D 10th anniversary edition.
the thing is I'm (kinda) ready for latest, it just Those things right now at around USD 1300, I'm looking for around USD 1000-1100, not to mention I need cooler, harddrive, psu and case.
I agree with what the other guy just said, especially if you live near a microcenter. They have some great bundle deals like with the 7500X3D or 7600X3D. Makes that a similar price as what a 5800X3D and board would cost now, which is a no brainer.
I guess it depends on where you draw the line between midrange and high end, but a 5800X3D would outperform a 7600X (especially with a single stick of RAM), but if you consider the upgrade path the 7600X would get you in on the ground floor of AM5. That's if you care about upgrade path at all. If you keep this machine as long as you kept your 6700K then it kind of becomes moot. By that point you'd be upgrading from an old chip to a newer but still old chip.
Yeah that's what I was talking about with the upgrade path thing. The question is whether that actually matters to you or not. Like I said, if you plan to keep this as long as you kept your 6700K, it won't really matter one way or the other. On the other hand if you do want to upgrade your CPU in a few years or so, then the AM5 upgrade path might be attractive
Hi, I’m a complete noob at building PC’s and I’m wondering what logic is applied to picking what parts for what build. For example: I want a PC that can run (well) DBD, Hogwarts Legacy, SCP Secret Laboratory, TF2, Plague Inc, PVZ, and various others. I don’t want to run AAA games. What logic should be applied to picking out parts so I can play all those games?
Dead by Daylight and Hogwarts Legacy are AAA games.
It really depends on your expectations and your budget for these. 1080p / 60 FPS should be possible with any 5060 prebuilt that has a decently modern CPU.
If you can and want to build one yourself, that's often cheaper. If you have stores in your area with good deals on prebuilts, it's worth to at least take a look.
If you're willing to learn how to build it yourself, that's what I always recommend. Not only do you often save money, you also get to pick all the components and so decide exactly how to allocate your money. You also already know how to upgrade your PC by replacing parts (something that will save you lots of money in the long-term by not having to get a whole new PC, a new CPU and GPU can basically give you a whole new PC worth of performance without having to replace anything else.) Plus, you have the confidence to go into BIOS to change some settings and take it apart to try to diagnose hardware issues should they arise.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ is a great start but not 100% reliable (primarily size.) You can then post the list here to have us go over it.
There's also the build list here. Show them the builds!
You can definitely save money on motherboard, you don't need a high-end one at all; as well as the case, there are several more affordable ones that are excellent.
Since I'm from the US it's a bit hard for me to judge what the prices of things should be for you, but I'll just give some general advice.
For the video card, I would suggest taking a look at the 9070 XT if you haven't already. The 5070 Ti is a great card, but if the price difference is anything like it is in the US where the 5070 Ti costs around $300 more, I'd pick the 9070 XT for sure. The 5070 Ti is worth more than the 9070 XT, but not that much more.
The other thing I'd change is the power supply. You should get an ATX 3.1 compliant unit. The older 2021 version of the RM-x series is not, but the 2024 version is.
You also picked a higher end, expensive SSD. It might be worth saving some money on that if you want to.
This the PSU I ordered from Amazon, I think it’s what you referring to right?
For the GPU, as a console player I never tried ray tracing or path tracing so I want to get full ultra settings experience, I was considering the RX 9070XT I read that it’s great but RT and PT are not as good as RTX. And it’s 250$ price difference.
For the SSD I already over spent, might as well go all in for the best parts. I don’t want to change anything in the next 3 years tbh.
But I’m still hesitant for the cooling, is Peerless assassin enough? I was considering Arctic liquid freezer iii 360. But someone told air cooling is more than enough.
Yeah that's the power supply I was talking about. It's not quite the same model that you listed on your pcpp list there, but blame Corsair for reusing names like that.
I can understand wanting to spend the extra money for the superior RT support if it's worth that much to you. It's not like a cheaper SSD would have to be replaced in the next three years though. This would be like the difference between getting a nice one and a very nice one, not cheap crap. You can obviously get the 990 Pro if you want though, nothing wrong with that.
About the cooling, this should be totally fine. You don't need to have liquid cooling by any means, and the peerless assassin is a good model.
Well, I don’t think 2 tb would be enough for me in the long run,3TB would be ideal. Could you suggest me some nice SSD brands that can work with my setup for future upgrade? I almost ordered Kingston but someone told it’s NV3 and it’s not that great of a brand.
3 TB drives don't really exist, it's only 2 or 4. I was going to suggest something like the WD Black SN7100 or the Corsair MP600 Pro XT. Both of those are around 1600SR instead of 2000, at least from what pcpartpicker shows
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