electrosoft

"New" system coming out for 2026......rerelease of 2021 hardware.... https://www.bestbuy.com/product/acer-aspire-xc-1715_czn-ub13-desktop-amd-ryzen-3-5000-series-2021-8gb-lpddr5-512gb-usb-keyboard-and-mouse-black/JJ8V8HY7FJ/sku/6679698 Regression at its most finest to compensate for the AI gear hoovering atm.... --------------------------------------------- It makes you wonder why a 2-dimm board would introduce extra length to the traces and chance for signal errors at high/tight settings unless the spacing is compatible for a potential 4 dimm version too? Yeah I'm right behind ya with a Newegg RMA. I already got my RMA to send back the Asrock B850i Phantom. Basically shares the same BIOS as the B850M-C and both are trash IMHO that are having the exact same problems that extend beyond the whole KingBank fiasco. Even with a fan with an open case raining down AC cooled air, if my temps in my room rise....which they most certainly will with a 5090 at work.....an on the edge OC on my memory will crash and burn sporadically especially gear 2 8000+ Another reason a CPU/MEM loop has me interested. I've thought about a window AC unit to offset the fact my computer room routinely gets much warmer than the rest of the house to keep it a rock steady ~70 in here vs the inevitable temp creep when I'm gaming and the 5090 is a portable heater. Seriously, just like the 4090 but moreso, in the winter months I shut the door and use it to really heat up my room when I get cold.

TM5 is primarily Memory and some CPU. Windows Memory Diagnostics. I just toss it on top of the pile with MemTest when I'm just hitting it different ways but less intense than Karhu. If I can make it past TN5 extreme I'm usually good but many times toss Absolut on it for that extra lock down for at least 90 minutes on either.

Here's a crazy odd problem for ya courtesy of Asrock.... So remember that Asrock board that refused to boot with the $237.50 combo with the 7500X3D from MC? On the last return day to MC, I decided to roll the dice and keep it and see if it or even potentially the 7500X3D was truly defective or some other issue. I considered it a sub $250 fun project plus I didn't want to have to burn another $15-20 in gas.... I had ordered the B850i Phantom ITX from Asrock (<== major clue) and it wouldn't boot either. Swapped three different CPUs (9800X3D, 8400f, 7500X3D) and four different kits of memory. Same no post issues. Odds of two faulty motherboards is slim to none. Common denominator was Asrock. Had that HP Omen 35L HP sent me a few months back on the shelf (8400f, 5060, 16GB Rage memory, 500w PSU....such power) so I decided to open it up to use as a test bed in this "why won't Asrock work?" fiasco and of course everything works in there. 9800X3D? Sure. 8400f? Yep. 7500X3D? You betcha. KingBank memory? Boots right up no problem right along with all my other sticks. Did some googlin' and..... Issue turned out to be my KingBank 2x24GB sticks which I found out are known to have timing issues with Asrock boards even at Jedec. But wait, there's more. Testing those sticks first every time would load in the problematic timings and basically somehow wreck all the subsequent sticks I would test to the point I couldn't even blind flash the bios update on the B850i. Everything had to be completely reset/reseat and you could not start with the KingBank sticks or the same vicious "doesn't matter what sticks you put in here now, I'm not working" cycle would start again....even a single stick wouldn't boot. If I start with a known, working stick of memory and boot but then power down and install the KingBank sticks it won't work but I can at least go back to another set of sticks and they will eventually boot. It is only when I install a new/different CPU and start first with the KingBank sticks that everything goes to poo. This is with both boards running the newest 4.43 bios from Asrock.... Here is one chap with the problem, others who knew about it and Asrock offering a beta bios to fix the issue at least for his Nova board: I'm still testing and retesting to lock it down but either way, I won't be using the KingBank sticks in the Asrock boards. I'm going to swap out my TG 2x24GB 8200 sticks in my main rig and put the KingBanks in there even if they are overall inferior. If I can really lock this down and have total confidence in the MC combo for my C26 portable build, I'll send back the B850i, but we'll see as testing continues.....

Very nice! Chip looks to be a banger! When running on that edge, those little segues into instability from what was previously stable are frustrating. If I can't do at least 8000 I would stick with 6000 super tight (or as close as I could get to 2200/6600) but that's just me. 🙂 I keep a 140mm fan on my memory too but even with that at 8000+, temps are an issue in my AC cooled room hence contemplating a CPU/MEM loop. I know I would be paranoid about water dripping on my GPU and would most likely get a vertical riser kit so if water were to suddenly leak it would miss the GPU... Hey, at least the 12vfail is running nicely!

You're absolutely right CO can definitely trash your memory OC but we also had this to a lesser degree even back to 6th gen Intel I can recall experiencing having to adjust my memory OC to reflect core OC. Had to strike that synergy between memory and cores but back then I focused on clock OC then would shape my memory OC around it. Since the advent of AM5 and especially AL, I tune memory first and lock it down then lock down a D2D core OC shaped around that. As for curve optimizing, I tend to test static OCs first to try and get an idea of what can be done fixed then work with CO around that. I started doing that when testing 5800x chips and found static and CO all tended to lead to the same place but CO gives you better per core dynamic performance and you can have your cake (all core OC) and eat it too (even higher per core boosting).

Really depends on what level of stability you're seeking, but I usually start with a basic 90 min run of TM5 to kick off anything as that usually covers all my bases for basic D2D use. If I find memory errors or issues gaming pop up, almost like clockwork TM5 will flag errors. Just for first tier testing, I toss in WMD and even memtest and OCCT. If I can pass all four, for me personal needs that is usually good enough. I'm not going to subject my laptops to Karhu or similar but if you want to make things spicy you can give that a whirl.

You misspelled "God Mode".... 😂 Does 1.25 make it completely stable or is 6000 still problematic? Really looks like that 9955HX3D wants to settle in at 5800. Not the end of the world, but meh.....I know the 7945HX3D had no problems with 6000 in a similar dual die setup. It was a straight full assembly swap and not a panel only swap? Makes it much easier for warranty claims in the future to swap back easily but that is a strange bug too. I like the eventual @Mr. Fox drift to a new primary platform. Whenever you have two chips of the same ilk, that is the dominant platform. 270k has finally supplanted AM5, so it now rules the HenHouse. 🙂 Eventually AM6 and/or Nova will slowly move in and either AM6 will replace thje Epyc and/or Nova will replace the lesser 270k..... Yeah, I thank the stars daily for pulling the trigger when I did on various items especially memory. The upper tier stuff is disappearing completely or becoming bonkers expensive. I see you're well enough to lift those abominations into the box for a photo shoot @Papusan 🤣

Whoa, didn't see that coming, congrats @Reciever! Not sure you'll be able to handle all that power man!! That's a huge step up! Keeping it in the family is always a plus 💜 -------------------------------------------------------- Having delidded dozens of CPUs over the years, this is always the first thing that smacks you in the face the instant insane cooler running..... ------------------------------------------------------- Makes total sense with the price hikes and 5090s trickling in.....at least from Asus's perspective. Prices are in flux real time. There's no realistic backstock to fall back on.....thanks Nvidia! We know what's incoming..... Asus and Gigabyte raising prices by 20% in Chinese channels Gigabyte raising prices by up to 40% in Japan GPU Prices up by 30% in South Korea Prices are also on the rise 5080 on down. Microcenter has officially raised prices and something like the GB WF SFF 5080 I picked up open box for $983 less than three weeks ago is now officially "$1599.99" with some old stock marked as on sale atm or clear out, but this is a portend of things to come. 60% over MSRP......crazy. Cheapest 5070ti is $989 and those prices haven't been adjusted up yet but basically (may be worse but at least): 5080 $1599 new low price incoming 5070ti $1199 new low price incoming 5070 $699 new low price incoming 9070xt's are supposed to get a price hike soon but the problem is nobody is buying and they really should at a certain point with some of these prices. I seriously think AMD is the only reason Nvidia is somewhat not blowing up 5070 and 5070ti prices even more like they are doing with the 5080 and especially the 5090. --- With the contraction of the overall PC market, the logic here for MB makers is.....charge more because those who were going to buy will buy anyhow? Maybe Intel with Nova Lake, but AMD users will just keep their AM5 boards and upgrade their CPUs if they feel the need..... https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-gigabyte-and-msi-reportedly-plan-motherboard-price-increases-for-q3-2026 Don't forget memory is officially booked through 2027..... Good times!!

So Asus is sending me an Asus X870E Crosshair Dark Hero all shiny new to evaluate and add to my collection which is nice. I'm going to hold off on putting the 9850X3D delidded combo in the current MB in LM form and do it all up with the revamped edition. Glad I found out before I tore down my current system to install it. Still might pop it in but with just paste for now because that's quick and easy to collect some baseline data. Wonder if I can get sent one of their newer AIOs that interface directly to the MB connectors? 🤪 My original Crosshair Hero is solid but the LCD is flickering a little (common problem) so I could RMA it for a new one or at least a repaired one to then sell off with the 9800X3D. I could also just switch the wifey to AM5 and sell off the 14900KS SP109, much needed to be retired Asus Strix-A Z690 (loose USB ports in the rear) and B-die 2x16 G.Skill 4000 sticks. Does anyone in this thread still run a 13900k/14900k besides @Talon and I? -------------------------------------------------------- I saw that over there, congrats brother! Definitely looking forward to the lid and delid results! It's a top notch sample and best way, just like @Talon, to get the most out of it. I'm working on it, lol. I think I want my ram water cooled equally as much as the CPU at this point. Even with a fan, temps are an issue 8000+. I suspect they could even provide a little bit of help on the low end too. Still being able to game at 5.8 is damn nice and that is with just auto scaling and no fine tuning. Power and thermal reductions must be nice too. With credit flexibility, why not return it all and give a 270k a whirl to compare and contrast? Worse case, you return it and pick up another AM5. 270k would definitely be cheaper. At the very least, return the 9950X3D2 and try another one. Sorry the job situation hasn't resolved itself yet but at least you have a good side job that seems to be paying dividends atm. Man, that's a lot of cars lol. What do you do with them exactly?

Nice! How did 5.8 fare? 5.7 SP97 vs SP89 how much less heat and power draw assuming the Noctua could handle it on the SP89? I see Digital has dropped the price of that 270k down to $640 (or $655 PP FF shipped). Still not tempted atm as I am in the need of a major sell off of hardware to prepare for Nova with that lucious bllc (if it's anything like X3D, it is going to be a wrecking ball for Fallout 76 but we will see), but if there was ever a chance to snag a killer 270k for testing now would be it methinks.... Personally, I still think the problem with Nova Lake is even with superior SP ratings and silicon, we're just not seeing the insane clocks superior silicon provided with the likes of 13th and 14th gen. I'm only on an AIO, but 2x 265k and 270k all ended up at ~5.6ghz for me realistically. Even the poor first 265k SP77.... It gets close sometimes, but it still can't touch my SP109 14900ks in gaming. @Mr. Fox you delidded your 270k. Are you seeing appreciable gains in performance or does it hit a wall that isn't thermally and voltage related? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted though and the sooner it sells is the sooner the temptation is removed 🤣 Best scenario is one of us picks it up so I can at least ask questions and see results. ------------------------------------------ Smart play. These are but toys and fun things. Family always comes first. I still say you return the 9950X3D2 at the least and order another one or even step down to a 9850X3D unless you really want all those cores for gaming. You could get a 9850X3D + Strix open box for $753 vs the potential $1700+ you paid for the 9950X3D2 and Dark Hero if you're looking to shave a bit off the top and still retain gaming nirvana. No need to return the 5090 as it will keep gaining in value and you can sell it any time you want for what you paid for it and most likely more as time passes unless financial realities force a return and we've all been there.....

MONSTER SP98 270k for sale over on the OCN forums: https://www.overclock.net/threads/intel-core-ultra-270k-plus-sp98-p107-e95-mc64.1819986/?post_id=29603558#post-29603558 $755 shipped if one of you want to grab it and basically have prolly one of the best 270k's out there. Too rich for my blood and I'm content with the SP85 for a third of the price for my needs....but if someone wants an absolute beast mode of a chip, snag it fast! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have mastered the art of lost/delayed packages lately. My Noctua fans got lost in the mail from Amazon which were shipped by their own shipping services (they refunded it) . The reordered 120mm ones showed up but the AF9 top case fans for the C26 are running late AND now my conductonaut extreme has gone missing/delayed direct from so I'm sitting here with everything else ready to go (9850X3D, AM5 TG heatspreader, non conformal coating) and just need the darn LM to bring it home lol..... Also need it because I'll be delidding a couple of 13900k and 14900ks chips for a couple of guildies since I still have all my RocketCool delidding gear on the shelf. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That really would be the best approach for @tps3443 if he wants to stick with AMD. Tested, qualified components and a clearly better sample 9950X3D2 than the one he is rocking now especially at a killer price. I think you already tested CL26 6000 dual rank vs single rank before in gaming to see if there was any uplift like back in the day with dual rank DDR4 we found back on the forums with laptops? Still for someone running 6000 tight as possible, they could turn out to be the perfect set of sticks.

Definitely, the more I research, the more I am settled on EPDM. I need to locate that pump res combo you recommended I picked up for a good deal from PPC and res and fittings. I finally locked down on a new shelf to hold a large swath of my parts and boxes as the other room is full. Wife is giving me funny looks now..... 🤣 I like that you've tested each variant now with no X3D, 1xCCD X3D, 2xCCD X3D to see the progression (or regression) in regards to overclocking capability with X3D and peak stock clocks coming into play. I came to the same conclusion, outside of X3D beneficial games, that the 270k is actually one of my favorite CPUs on every level. Unfortunately for me, as always, Fallout 76 disproportionately loves X3D cache....scarily so even at 4k. I've tested and retested extensively the last 3 years and that massive chasm remains across the 14900k and 270k. Do you think the IMC on the 9950X3D2 you have is weaker than your other chips? Congratz on selling the HEDT rig over on OCN! Still a $1k+ difference now and I wouldn't rule out another price hike before we escape 2026. I've been testing my Windforce 5080 SFF back and forth against my 5090 in my main rig the last few days. I'm not unplugging the 5090 12vhpwr connector. I'm using the Corsair 1000w SFF instead externally to power the 5080 so swapping is quick and easy. 5090 is just a monster. WoW and even Fallout 76 keep the 5080 pegged at 99% outside of player heavy areas. Then again, there are many areas in WoW that keep the 5090 at 99% too even with a 175fps cap in place. As long as a GPU doesn't make that, deep seesaw screeching whine I can usually work with it. No GPU is truly silent under load and if I need to put my ear right next to it to hear it, to me that is effectively silent. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can touch that 3090FE whine I had. That was next level nauseating. Definitely keep the Astral. Still the most beautiful 5090 IMHO with that industrial slab look. I love the heatsink on that thang and prices are climbing and climbing. If I were you, I'd return the 9950X3D2 at a minimum to fish for a better sample or pick up a 9950X3D from Newegg which is on sale for $569.99 AND includes a free AIO or maybe see if @Mr. Fox wants to part with one of his samples OR return both the CPU and MB and see if @Talon wants to part with one of his 270k samples and go Intel. Of course going Intel you're going to want 8600+ capable G2 ram, cpu and MB at a minimum. If you want to stick with BB for their credit line, 270k is, oh, $600 cheaper than the 9950X3D2..... good deals on MBs and that helps compensate for memory costs. Damn, that's not good news if it can't even do 6000. MSI only guarantees 5600 on that model so you can't even send it in for a swap. Might have to just tune around 5800 or run a dirty OC that's "good enough" for gaming but still a major bummer. Silicon lottery strikes again.... Still a damn good deal though on the price and I'm not sure 5800 vs 6000 will even make any meaningful difference in gaming and you can maybe tighten up the timings even more. Do a dirty mem OC test 5800 vs 6000->6400 in games and go "meh....." Nice snag on the entire hood assembly so a small silver lining.... ------------------------------------------------------------ "Progress" = ~10% uplift.....

I think I might go with EPDM. Doing a lot of research and googling on clear soft tubing and it looks like a discoloration and problem long term nightmare. EPDM seems more cost effective with better longevity and never having to worry about not if but when the clear tubing clouds. Plus you get the Borg effect.... Nice! Now we'll get to see how it truly stacks up against your other two samples. The TG Die Mate Heater does really seem to be the way to go. No need to rock back and forth or use the oven method isolating that direct heat right to the heatsink/sTIM primarily.

Best Buy has officially raised prices on the two 5090s they have in stock. MSI 5090 Gaming is $4399.99 and the Astral black is $4829.99. Looks like that open box Astral 5090 you picked up @tps3443 is paying dividends! 🤑 Never imagined we would reach a point where even a mid to lower tier card like a 5090 gaming trio would be ~$4700 after tax at retail pricing..... Imagine ponying up $5149.97 after tax for an Astral now..... ----------- Full Nvidia stack price increases basically, but yeah....third increase this year.... https://www.techpowerup.com/351234/nvidia-rtx-50-series-gpus-could-see-another-20-30-price-hike-in-2026 I don't think we're going to make it out of 2026 without at least one more price increase at this rate and it is looking more and more like 2028 is the year of the 6000 series IMHO.... ---------- December 2025 article predicted $5k 5090s..... they weren't wrong.....they may have actually been a bit too conservative...we're just a month past the halfway point of this year with three price increases https://www.techpowerup.com/344578/leaks-predict-usd-5000-rtx-5090-gpus-in-2026-thanks-to-ai-industry-demand "If the publication's insider sources are correct, the NVIDIA RTX 5090, which launched at $1,999, will reach as high as $5,000 before the end of the year." ------------- If used 5090s start going for $5k by the holiday season......I don't know if I can turn down that $3k profit but I would fight it really hard! 🤣

Yeah that initial VSOC out the door to get it stable baseline was the initial red flag to me but even locking it down at 6000 makes it viable for D2D use but is a kick in the pills. I would be curious to see why it was an open box return and wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason. We can't be the only tech enthusiasts who immediately enable the enhanced BIOS and go to town on it. 🙂 Funny thing is I never even considered them but I've used them in the past to get various hard to find CPUs and motherboards. Did the upgrade to LM from PTM yield meaningful results or was the cooling system a limitation? I could see LM at least helping with idle ramp ups and low load fan noise though. I am like you and prefer my laptops at QHD so hopefully a display swap is a possibility. That is really odd with the quality level tamped down to a 1 it still has an odd bit of lag even frame locked to ~119fps in GFE/NVCPL? Yeah I should really complete the puzzle as they say. What would be the best source for clear tubing? I would probably want clear coolant too to be honest. Scary, right? Here's a funny story fresh off the phone as to why you DON'T wait.... I just finished talking to a gaming buddy in Philly who I was helping spec out a system and he was complaining about the price of the Asus ProArt 5090 because he wants one due to the USB-C support and compact size for a moveable VRRig and I told him Microcenter had a few in stock for $3999.99. He counters with, "yeah, but it was launched at $3099.99" and????? I told him literally YESTERDAY he should grab the single one they had in stock because prices are going to go up ASAP "Nope, I'll wait." Well he just messaged me pissed off because MC JUST raised their prices on several 5090s and obviously ALL of Asus cards. Astral is now $4829.99 for black, $4929.99 for BTF and white and 5090 ProArt jumped from $3999.99 yesterday to $4499.99 today..... I literally tried to warn him less than 24hrs ago prices were going to get real loopy again. Now he's lowered his expectations and is looking at the 5080 ProArt and comes back ranting because it went from $1699.99 YESTERDAY to $1899.99 TODAY...... I told him suck it up or quite honestly get a Gigabyte or PNY Compact 5080 for $1199/$1299 RIGHT NOW and just run his rig externally powered with an injection cable because eventually all prices are going to jump.....I've known him for years and I know he's going to freeze up because he can't stomach the now prices and when they jump again kick himself again.... I mean, I am the "hardware guru" amongst my many gaming and personal friends and family and I've lost count how many times I've said, "buy now or buy in X years....." and they don't listen then lose their marbles because of the pricing....even back during both cryptobooms and now the AI boom. This is clearly translating into memory and now SSDs.... The sad thing is this is a litmus test for AIBs to get an idea of what the market can sustain and while I do think prices will fall eventually when this AI thing hits a wall either through collapse or saturation for many reasons, prices will only adjust down to the point inventory flows again to expected levels. If you need it NOW, buy it NOW. If you see a great deal, SNAG IT NOW. This goes for CPUs, GPUs, SSDs, Memory.