Build Advice Better hardware choices, including the PSU ?

[whatthefish]

Hello guys have any of you tested this PSU?

XPG Core Reactor II VE, 80+ Gold, 850W

If it so how does it perform?

This will be paired with:
Motherboard: MSI Tomahawk B650 ( or what do you guys recommend)?
CPU: Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU: MSI RTX 3070 X Trio ( please don't flame me for this i know i got scammed please at least let me live)
RAM: Lexar DDR5 32GB
2 x NVMe SSD
1 x SATA SSD or 1 x HDD ( really depends on the price because I will stock all my videos and photos on it )
CPU Cooler: Deepcool LE360 V2 Black AIO
Case: AQIRYS Antlia ARGB Black

If you could give me advice would be amazing, maybe saving some money or so on, to mention that in late future i will upgrade my gpu to a better one but rn I'm happy with what i got since i upgraded from a gtx 1650 thanks

Best regards,

whatthefish

 

[Why_Me]

That's a good psu with decent reviews ^^

 

[Aeacus]

XPG Core Reactor II VE, 80+ Gold, 850W

If it so how does it perform?

Good quality PSU. Though, despite it's good build quality, it only comes with 7 year warranty. I'd expect 10 year warranty, but i guess Adata has their reasons as of why to offer only 7 year warranty.

Reputable review: https://hwbusters.com/psus/xpg-core-reactor-ii-ve-850w-psu-review/
2nd review: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/power-supplies/xpg-core-reactor-ii-ve-850w-psu-review
3rd one too for good measure: https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1...i-ve-850w-80-plus-gold-atx-3-0-psu/index.html

Rtx 3070 msi x trio ( please don't flame me for this i know i got scammed please at least let me live)

How is this a scam? MSI Gaming X Trio is one of the better options from MSI and actually my preferred GPU to go for.
Review: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/msi-geforce-rtx-3070-gaming-x-trio/

Gaming Z would be a bit better, while SUPRIM would be best offered by MSI.

Unless you bought used, ex-mining GPU? 🤔

 

[popatim]

Not sure if you saw this 7800x3d motherbd combo yet.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails?ItemList=Combo.4814731

 

[whatthefish]

Good quality PSU. Though, despite it's good build quality, it only comes with 7 year warranty. I'd expect 10 year warranty, but i guess Adata has their reasons as of why to offer only 7 year warranty.

Reputable review: https://hwbusters.com/psus/xpg-core-reactor-ii-ve-850w-psu-review/
2nd review: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/power-supplies/xpg-core-reactor-ii-ve-850w-psu-review
3rd one too for good measure: https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1...i-ve-850w-80-plus-gold-atx-3-0-psu/index.html


How is this a scam? MSI Gaming X Trio is one of the better options from MSI and actually my preferred GPU to go for.
Review: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/msi-geforce-rtx-3070-gaming-x-trio/

Gaming Z would be a bit better, while SUPRIM would be best offered by MSI.

Unless you bought used, ex-mining GPU? 🤔

Is not used unfortunately It doesn't come with a box nor warranty and paid 250$ which is 1050 RON I'm not sure if that 250$ but yeah

Not sure if you saw this 7800x3d motherbd combo yet.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails?ItemList=Combo.4814731

I live in romania and I don't think newegg delivers to romania

 

[Aeacus]

Is not used unfortunately It doesn't come with a box nor warranty

Are you saying you bought used PSU? With no warranty?

 

[whatthefish]

Are you saying you bought used PSU? With no warranty?

Wrong reply haha sorry.
Used GPU

 

[Aeacus]

Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.
Hence why NEVER cheap out on PSU! Also, never buy used PSU either!

That being said, with used PSU, no matter how good it is, there is no telling what kind of abuse it has seen in the past and if it even outputs voltages within spec. Nor is there any warranty for PSU.
Another question is, why is this PSU sold as used one in the first place? XPG Core Reactor II VE came out in 2024 and is of good quality. That is, unless the seller knows for a fact that PSU has some fault with it. Which now, you happily took as your own.

Used PSUs, regardless their build quality, are considered crap quality PSUs due to their unknown history and 0 warranty.
So, look for a brand new PSU instead. Unless you want to risk your whole build dying, including your new fancy RTX 3070.


For proper PSU for gaming rig, Tier A is proper. Like: Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
PSU tier list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JWkc/edit?pli=1&gid=1973454078#gid=1973454078

Tier A- will do too, while Tier A+ is preferred.
(My 3x PCs are solely powered by Tier A PSUs. Namely, i have Seasonic PRIME 650 Titanium (Tier A+), Seasonic PRIME Ultra 650 Titanium (Tier A+) and Seasonic Focus PX-550 (Tier A). Full specs with pics in my sig.)

 

[whatthefish]

Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.
Hence why NEVER cheap out on PSU! Also, never buy used PSU either!

That being said, with used PSU, no matter how good it is, there is no telling what kind of abuse it has seen in the past and if it even outputs voltages within spec. Nor is there any warranty for PSU.
Another question is, why is this PSU sold as used one in the first place? XPG Core Reactor II VE came out in 2024 and is of good quality. That is, unless the seller knows for a fact that PSU has some fault with it. Which now, you happily took as your own.

Used PSUs, regardless their build quality, are considered crap quality PSUs due to their unknown history and 0 warranty.
So, look for a brand new PSU instead. Unless you want to risk your whole build dying, including your new fancy RTX 3070.


For proper PSU for gaming rig, Tier A is proper. Like: Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
PSU tier list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JWkc/edit?pli=1&gid=1973454078#gid=1973454078

Tier A- will do too, while Tier A+ is preferred.
(My 3x PCs are solely powered by Tier A PSUs. Namely, i have Seasonic PRIME 650 Titanium (Tier A+), Seasonic PRIME Ultra 650 Titanium (Tier A+) and Seasonic Focus PX-550 (Tier A). Full specs with pics in my sig.)

The psu is new, the GPU is used

The psu is new, the GPU is used

Even if I'm a noobie I know that ain't right

Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.
Hence why NEVER cheap out on PSU! Also, never buy used PSU either!

That being said, with used PSU, no matter how good it is, there is no telling what kind of abuse it has seen in the past and if it even outputs voltages within spec. Nor is there any warranty for PSU.
Another question is, why is this PSU sold as used one in the first place? XPG Core Reactor II VE came out in 2024 and is of good quality. That is, unless the seller knows for a fact that PSU has some fault with it. Which now, you happily took as your own.

Used PSUs, regardless their build quality, are considered crap quality PSUs due to their unknown history and 0 warranty.
So, look for a brand new PSU instead. Unless you want to risk your whole build dying, including your new fancy RTX 3070.


For proper PSU for gaming rig, Tier A is proper. Like: Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
PSU tier list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JWkc/edit?pli=1&gid=1973454078#gid=1973454078

Tier A- will do too, while Tier A+ is preferred.
(My 3x PCs are solely powered by Tier A PSUs. Namely, i have Seasonic PRIME 650 Titanium (Tier A+), Seasonic PRIME Ultra 650 Titanium (Tier A+) and Seasonic Focus PX-550 (Tier A). Full specs with pics in my sig.)

Also my psu is ranked as A/A+ tier I can't really remember

 

[CyberFlash]

Also my psu is ranked as A/A+ tier I can't really remember

That implies that it's one of the best out there and you should be good with it for a while as long as you take good care of it. Don't beat yourself too much about the GPU problem since it's still a decent card and you should enjoy 1080p gaming with it with minimal issues. Good pc overall!

 

[Aeacus]

The psu is new, the GPU is used

Even if I'm a noobie I know that ain't right

There is nothing wrong in buying used GPU. GPUs are expensive nowadays and 2nd hand GPUs, at cheaper price, are appealing.

I, personally, would not buy used PC components, especially GPU. And used PSU isn't even a consideration.

In this video here, at 11:42, Steve explains if buying used GPUs are good idea or not:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Yp6pQRdns#t=11m42s

 

[whatthefish]

There is nothing wrong in buying used GPU. GPUs are expensive nowadays and 2nd hand GPUs, at cheaper price, are appealing.

I, personally, would not buy used PC components, especially GPU. And used PSU isn't even a consideration.

In this video here, at 11:42, Steve explains if buying used GPUs are good idea or not:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Yp6pQRdns#t=11m42s

The gpu itself is good I just paid to much for what I got yes i did get a 3070 msi gaming x trio but i got no box and no warranty for it, so i paid 250$ only for the card itself not even the anti saggig bracket, I'm mad that i paid that much only for the card

 

[COLGeek]

So, what unanswered questions do you have now?

 

[whatthefish]

So, what unanswered questions do you have now?

I'm still confused on the mobo part idk with what should I go there are so many choices makes me overwhelmed should I go for b650 should i go for b850 I still want something that won't rip my wallet that bad
ATX because i got a big 4$$ gpu and also i like It better on looks
Color can be mix of grey black white BUT NOT FULLY WHITE
What I need is at least 2 nvme slots but 3 would me SWEET.
Usb ports since I got a lot of usb
And supports aio

And to look decent from what I have in my mind rn are those
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk/GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX/Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2/ I would love to get something cheap and good from asrock but I'm afraid to not my CPU burned i saw some pretty bad stuff and can't afford for me to happen.

Also what should i look for when buying a mobo besides the needs of the user, like why do i need this mobo for let's say a 7800x3d and a different one for a 7700x like what needs does the cpu also needs, is there any guide from where I can learn that?

So, what unanswered questions do you have now?

Also sorry for bad English, it is not my first language, and when I have to get into details I'm lost in the sauce 🥲

 

[Aeacus]

idk with what should I go there are so many choices makes me overwhelmed

True.

To narrow down things, best to settle with chipset first and then look MoBos within that chipset.

Since you're going with AM5 socket CPU, here is all compatible chipsets listed + their differences,
link: https://www.amd.com/en/products/processors/chipsets/am5.html#specs

In a nutshell, you have selection between B650/E, X670/E, B850, X870/E.
I advise against looking A620/A and B840 since those are cheap, bottom end chipsets, with limited features. But good for office builds with weak CPU.

Also what should i look for when buying a mobo besides the needs of the user, like why do i need this mobo for let's say a 7800x3d and a different one for a 7700x like what needs does the cpu also needs, is there any guide from where I can learn that?

Not an in-depth guide per se, but one critical aspect to look for are VRM phases. Namely how many main VRM phases there are. VRM configuration matters little.

E.g 12+2+1 is common, middle of the pack VRM configuration. Meaning 12 VRM phases for CPU power delivery, 2 VRM phases for GPU and 1 VRM phase for the rest of the components.

Do note that cheaper MoBos skimp on VRM phases and can have 4, 6 or 8 main phases. (E.g 8+1 conf.) While fine for Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 CPU, but not enough for Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 CPUs.

Here's good Q&A about what VRM is, and why it is important,
link: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/vrm/

For example:

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk/GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX/Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2

MSI B650 Tomahawk - 14+2+1 VRM configuration.
Gigabyte B640 Aorus Elite AX - 14+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 60A.
Gigabyte B640 Aorus Elite AX V2 - 12+2+2 VRM configuration, rated 60A.

All three have either 12 or 14 main VRM phases and do fine with Ryzen 5 CPU. Should suffice for Ryzen 7 CPU too, if you don't OC the chip.

I would love to get something cheap and good

There is no such thing as cheap and good. If you want cheap and good, you have to buy two MoBos: the cheap one and the good one.

is there any guide from where I can learn that?

Once you've settled with the chipset, there are chipset specific guides that you can read, to see which MoBos are good and which aren't.

E.g B650, link: https://www.techspot.com/bestof/amd-b650-motherboards/
X870/E, link: https://www.techspot.com/review/2907-amd-x870-motherboards/

Soon (next month), i too am going with new AM5 CPU-MoBo-RAM combo. The CPU i'm going with is R7 9800X3D and i'm going to pair it with MoBo that has 20+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 110A. Since after all, high-end CPU is best paired with high-end MoBo.
Sure, i could go with 24+2+1 VRM configuration, rated 110A MoBo as well, but that would be extra $100 bucks over what i chose. In my opinion, 100 bucks for extra 4 VRM phases, is too much for me. Not to mention different, less appealing looking MoBo.

I just paid to much for what I got yes i did get a 3070 msi gaming x trio but i got no box and no warranty for it, so i paid 250$ only for the card itself not even the anti saggig bracket, I'm mad that i paid that much only for the card

Given that brand new MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio goes for $700,
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-Tri-Frozr-Architecture-Graphics/dp/B08KWN2LZG

You paying mere $250 is actually very cheap price. For used price, i'd expect $350.

 

[COLGeek]

I'm still confused on the mobo part idk with what should I go there are so many choices makes me overwhelmed should I go for b650 should i go for b850 I still want something that won't rip my wallet that bad
ATX because i got a big 4$$ gpu and also i like It better on looks
Color can be mix of grey black white BUT NOT FULLY WHITE
What I need is at least 2 nvme slots but 3 would me SWEET.
Usb ports since I got a lot of usb
And supports aio

And to look decent from what I have in my mind rn are those
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk/GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX/Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2/ I would love to get something cheap and good from asrock but I'm afraid to not my CPU burned i saw some pretty bad stuff and can't afford for me to happen.

Also what should i look for when buying a mobo besides the needs of the user, like why do i need this mobo for let's say a 7800x3d and a different one for a 7700x like what needs does the cpu also needs, is there any guide from where I can learn that?

Also sorry for bad English, it is not my first language, and when I have to get into details I'm lost in the sauce 🥲

What does something like this cost from the sites you use in Romania?

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B850-AORUS-ELITE-WIFI7-ICE-rev-1x

 

[Aeacus]

What does something like this cost from the sites you use in Romania?

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B850-AORUS-ELITE-WIFI7-ICE-rev-1x

The example you asked for, is poor choice since OP specifically said that they do not want fully white MoBo, which the ICE version is.

As for local stores, i guess you've forgotten that we have this handy topic in the forums (also a sticky),
link: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...h-links-to-part-stores.1336384/#post-10042063

From that topic, some stores have been now closed. But others are still working like;
store: https://www.cel.ro/
store: https://www.emag.ro/
store: https://www.shop4pc.ro/
store: https://shop.pc-coolers.ro/en-gb/catalog/componente

Open up the store, plop MoBo in and take a looksee.

 

[COLGeek]

No, I haven't forgotten, bit I don't know the sites the member frequents.

Calling that mobo all white is a stretch, particularly when you start installing other components.

How about we let the OP respond?