Question Changing motherboard, processor (from FX-8350 to Ryzen 5 3600) and Ram.

[newc1975]

From my current rig, I have an SSD drive with Win 10 on it and another hard drive with programs loaded on it. If I simply install the old drives on the new motherboard, will Windows load/function when I boot up the computer?

 

[Destroyer140]

From personal experience, MOBO and CPU upgrade is a serious enough config change to warrant a fresh OS install or you may be looking at potential driver issues, BSODs or even more likely it will flatout refuse to even boot.

What I'd personally do is back up the "Users" folder from you SSD together with anything else that you consider "irreplaceable" in a back up folder on your storage HDD, and give the SSD a proper fresh Win10 install once all the new hardware is installed, just to avoid potential headaches even if it boots and everything looks fine at a first glance.

 

[Darkbreeze]

My recommendation, to avoid a LOT of headaches, is to back up any important files, folders, browser favorites, settings, etc., and do a clean install of Windows because the AM3+ based chipset your current platform uses is completely different from what the newer Ryzen platform uses, and just as when changing from any dissimilar chipset to another, it is always recommended to do a clean install.

Certainly, it CAN be used as is, or you can try anyhow. The problem is, it rarely works well. There are almost always unresolvable problems when you change platforms on the same Windows installation and then try to let Windows auto configure the changes. Too many ways that existing settings in the registry and current driver configurations can and do go wrong during the reconfiguration.

I would clean install.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[newc1975]

Thanks for the replies! A Windows fresh install it is!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Cool man.

 

[newc1975]

So I'm going to purchase the Ryzen 5 360 (not X) - I understand if you don't OC you don't need the X - I understand it comes with a less effective cooler - looks like a savings of about $50
I'm staying with my RX-480 8 gig GPU
will purchase 16 meg ram - suggestions?
I'm leaning towards the MSI B-450 Tomahawk MB - comments welcome
Will use my current 1,000 Watt PS
Use my current mid-tower case and drives as mentioned above
use current optical drives (2)
Will use onboard sound - but may later by a sound card
Acer KG240 monitor w/Freesync

I am a casual 1st person gamer -my next new game will be Borderlands 3 and I use Studio One for music recording.

Comments - suggestions welcome

 

[Darkbreeze]

I don't see any issues with that plan really.

 

[Tigerhawk30]

I have the B-450 Tomahawk in my system; it was my first DIY build a couple of months ago. IMO, it's a solid MB, but the onboard sound chip could be better. If I'm taking you correctly and you're looking at serious music recordings, I'd get that sound card sooner rather than later for the sound quality alone.

Also, the RX 480 may be a bottleneck...not totally expecting it to be, but at least keep an eye on it, depending on the game of course. However, I did an upgrade from an FX 8350 to an R5 1600 and I did notice that the stutters that I used to have on World of Warships and Cold Waters went completely away when the 1600 was running the show while transferring my RX 580 8GB (Red Devil Golden Sample). So like I said, not totally expecting it as the 480 should still run you pretty well. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

Also...the BIOS that comes with the Tomahawk (or at least on mine) is dated 3/6/19 (MSI BIOS version 7C02v17 ), and seems like it could be pre-Ryzen 3000 (see further down for a little more on this). Depending on where you get it from, see if you can get store assistance in upgrading the BIOS (or at least get their opinion on the description (upcoming) and having it tested/in place before installing the 3600, else the board may not be compatible on a BIOS level (BIOS description on their site says, "Support new upcoming AMD CPU", which to me says it might be compatible...but not entirely sure regardless). Be advised that there are still voltage spike issues going on with the 3000 series, and I haven't seen much (if anything) addressed through the YouTube reviewers regarding that issue...only that the boost clock fix seems to be running decently; though AMD is pushing out a new BIOS to vendors, those vendors still seem to be in the process of integrating it with their own BIOS/chipsets. Even AMD hasn't published the new version just yet. MSI has an updated beta version right now but even they recommend to not install that BIOS version unless absolutely necessary. Just this past weekend, I pulled the trigger on the 2700x knowing full well it's a little short of the 3600...but to me, that voltage spike issue triggers my paranoia as it can spike up to around 1.5 volts at idle, and the max anyone recommends is 1.45 volts. AMD claims that those spikes are so minimal that it won't damage the motherboards...but with the 2000 series not having these issues with BIOS', I personally took no chances. (Besides...that cooler is PRETTY...lol).

I'm really not trying to steer you away from your choice...just some things that you may need to know in advance.

Good luck, and have fun on the new build!

 

[newc1975]

I am expecting the 480 to be the bottleneck - however I'm expecting the performance of the new system to be noticeably better than my current rig. I looked into RX 590 Fat Boy but from what I've read - I didn't think the expected performance increase is worth the cost. I just don't want to invest the money into the next level of GPU at this time - like a RX Vega or GTX 1070Ti.

Thanks for the additional info on the MB!

Interestingly - I saw a 7 -2700X advertised for less than the 5-3600. From what I read though the 3600 performed better under most circumstances.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Tigerhawk30]

Quite welcome! I can certainly understand not wanting to go higher on the GPUs right now...I considered Vega but the 56 of some models have a lower clock than my RX 580...that astounds me. A 590 may be a 3/4 step up for you...not great but not horrible either. If you do get a newer card, I'd advise staying away from XFX...a lot of reviews (of AMD cards, anyway) tell of thermal issues. Same for the MSI Armor Mk I series. The 5700s still have driver issues as well, so I wouldn't go that route just yet either...at least until those bugs are ironed out, same as the 3000 series CPU BIOS'.

Indeed, the 3600 runs faster than the 2700x...but at least according to UserBenchmark, only by about 8%. (Of course, they're taking crap for their "readjustments" to lower results with the 3000 series, so take that as you will). It all depends on your usage intentions, so the 3600 is probably the better choice for you there. I want to get into streaming some and I have a backlog of Assassin's Creed games and from what I've heard/read, both the games and streaming will make better use of 8 cores if you have them...so yes, it's a touch slower but I'm also doing the future proof thing...it was a balanced decision for me.

AMD disappointed me with the coolers in the 3000 series...they removed the copper cold plates off of the Stealth and Spire. It makes them a little less effective from what I've read but as long as you're not overclocking you should still be fine.

Have a good one!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Userbenchmark is lame. It's not even as reliably representative as CPUbenchmark, but at least CPU benchmark is somewhat representative, much like Anandtech bench. Based on that, there's a lot more than an 8% difference there. In reality, it is almost exactly an 18% increase in overall performance and a 29% increase in single core performance. Real world results could be slightly more or less than those numbers based on various factors such as memory capacity and speed, motherboard model (Yes, contrary to popular belief, the motherboard itself often has a say in various performance metrics) and any user customized configurations in the BIOS as well as the cleanliness of the operating system.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/AMD-Ryzen-7-2700X-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-3600/3238vs3481

 

[howtobeironic]

Note that if you get a B350 or X370 chipset based mobo you definitely need to have a BIOS update to get it running or it won't even boot. B450 and X470 doesn't seem to have that. Your store will do that for free, but in the case that they don't, AMD will lend you a Gen 1 processor for update for free if you send your proof of purchase. For the RAM, I use Kingston HyperX Predator 16 GB (2x8, avoid single sticks if possible) 3200 mhz. Sleek, fast, cheap. (AMD processors will get a boost when the RAM installed has a better clock speed than 2900.)

 

[newc1975]

I did purchase an MSI Tomahawk B450 motherboard. I spoke to the people at Micro Center where I purchased it. They told me this motherboard is AMD Ryzen 3000 ready and should not need a BIOS update. It says on the box "AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop READY".

 

[Darkbreeze]

Then it should be fine.

 

[newc1975]

OK - did my rebuild. Ryzen 5 3600 CPU. 16 gig ram. Bought an RX 5700 GPU, Tomahawk B450 MOBO. Did a clean install of win 10 64bit - all windows updates installed. Pretty smooth all and all. My keyboard is working erratically - sometimes misses letters or repeats letters. Have a Logitech G110 gaming keyboard. Downloaded and installed software from Logitech - although device manager says the driver is a 2006 Microsoft driver. Ran the troubleshooter - no issues found. Uninstalled the device - reinstalled - no fix. Device manager has 3 HID keyboard devices. In "devices and printers" - says I have a Gaming Keyboard G110. Says it's working fine. Still has a 2006 Microsoft Driver. Funny the keyboard didn't miss a neat on this post. Just opened Open Office - missed lots of typed letters. Had this problem several years ago on another build but can't remember the fix. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Darkbreeze]

You might try this, and then RE-install the correct drivers.

Sorry that the images haven't been fixed yet, this is one of the tutorials that I haven't managed to fix the images in yet since Photobucket decided to cancel the free Tinypic image hosting and break the internet again like they did before with the Photobucket free image hosting.

How To - How to stop Windows 10 from automatically updating device drivers

The transition to Windows 10 has been in some cases a breath of fresh air, and in others, more like a whiff of landfill. One of the areas that has NOT been well accepted is the decision to enforce updates whether you want them or not. While I happen to disagree with this policy, many think it's...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[newc1975]

I am running Win 10 ver 1903. When I opened control panel - system - advanced system settings - hardware - device installation settings - my only option was: Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices? yes or no Yes is checked. I tried checking no - rebooting and reinstalling the Logitech software. Keyboard operation is still a problem - still says keyboard driver is 2006 microsoft.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Logitech says that they do not have any Windows 10 drivers for the G110 keyboard. It is a legacy product so it only has generic support. I'd suggest that you might want to get a newer keyboard that has actual driver support intended for Windows 10.

Driver for G110?

My G110 has been working great for years on my Dell Studio 8100 desktop. Now I have just "upgraded" to Windows 10 Creators Fall (ver 1709), and the G110 features were not operating. The Logitech ...

support.logi.com

 

[newc1975]

Thanks - hate ditching a perfectly good keyboard - but I understand

 

[Darkbreeze]

I agree.

 

[newc1975]

Update - switched out the G110 with a budget USB keyboard and the budget keyboard works fine. Ordered a new gaming keyboard - thanks for all the help!

 

[Darkbreeze]

For sure. It does suck, but unfortunately this is a hardware manufacturer problem, rather than a Microsoft problem, so not a lot you can complain about or do when the hardware is pretty old. These manufacturers aren't going to support devices indefinitely because it requires a significant investment in developer resources to do so. Glad it was actually a simple fix though, even if the fix was replacing it.

 

[newc1975]

My upgraded rig is freezing -randomly - then always unfreezing- - without any apparent harm to what I am doing. Happens more frequently and for a longer time (always less than 1 min) when playing games but can happen using word processing or on the web.

This is a fresh Win 10 home install
Ran RAM testing in windows - all good
Ran testing on storage drives - no failures on simple testing (Seagate utilities)
Tried disconnecting the older hard drives - still happens - the Firecuda is brand new
All drivers are the latest I can find
Bios installed in the latest

Running out of ideas - what else might I try to stop the freezing??

Here's my upgraded rig:
CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (new)
MOBO - MSI Tomahawk B450 - latest BIOS 1.C0 (new)
GPU RX 5700 8 GIG (new)
RAM - 2X8 Ballistix 3200 DDR4 (new)
PS - Xion XON 1000P 14HE
Storage:
SSD PNY CS1111 240 GIG (Win 10 home)
HDD Seagate Firecuda 2TB (new)
HDD Seagate Barracuda 1 TB
HDD Easystore 1TB (USB backup)
Monitor - ACER KG240 freesync
Sound - Realtek onboard
Speakers - Creative Inspire T3-100 2.1
Optical drives - 2
Mouse and Keyboard - Redragon Model S101-3 gaming

 

[Darkbreeze]

What is your Windows 10 build version?

 

[newc1975]

What is your Windows 10 build version?

Win 10 Home ver 1903
Windows updated weekly.