[SOLVED] Problem With My Custom Built

[TheLastKnightMare]

Issue With My PC (RAM / GPU)
Hello all,

I'm fairly new to modern custom built computers. I used to tear them apart and put them back together and all that when I was a kid. Kind of had a hiatus after Vista / Windows 8 Era (Was divulging into my model kits...and they're as much of an expensive hobby as PCs).

So recently I built a PC instead of buying a Next Gen Console (I'm usually a console player, just out of convenience, and not enough starting capital. I know PC is far superior and superb). I bought a Corsair Carbide 678C case, Ripsjaws 16GB DDR4 RAM (X2 / 8GB), Asus TUF B450M PLUS MOBO, AMD Ryzen 5 3.2GHZ Six Core CPU, OCZ 850W PSU, and an XFX HD 6870 GPU.

I run into an issue when playing games where my RAM skyrocket to 53%, FPS is 5-15, and sometimes textures won't load (Ground Branch) , even "lags" in single player games (Terminator Resistance). I'm not running or streaming anything. Just have Steam open, even closed it out and still does it. (if a game allows me to, I cap the FPS at 60, have it on low, etc. Even putting it on medium doesn't seem to push the RAM up,,it's the same issues across the board if that makes sense).

From looking at the threads here, and from what a friend told me...it's a matter of the GPU in terms of performance, but also optimization too (since the ASUS and Ryzen 5 I have are 2-3 years old, I actually looked and found my MOBO being made this year (apparently) of that helps). So I looked at the [___] Benchmark Dot Com recommended lowest GPU is a RX 560 or NVIDIA Equivalent. I don't get the whole DDR5, computing, and all that. So I'm wondering can I get anything as low as like an RX 460 (4GB DDR5)... Or does it have to be something around an RX 560 (or above)..?

I'm just curious. I want to know if it does sound like an optimization issue, and if I get a better GPU if it'll "fix" the current issues so I can play games (I gave issues even playing Xbox 360 Era Titles). If so, do I have to get an RX 560 (Or Better) or would it be "OK" to get something anywhere between an RX 460 4GB - RX 560 4GB (470, etc)..?

I'm sorry if it seems like a dumb question, or if I'm vague or not knowledgeable, but I'm trying to get back into PC Gaming after a hiatus (not to mention I'm not good at the whole "How It Works" aspect of PC Building) and Computers in general (and to get this thing working right).

So I appreciate any and all help

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

First off, you managed to buy a PSU that shouldn't have been bought. OCZ unit's are horrible units. Even worse when you consider they are at least a decade old at this point. No telling how they were taxed.

You should also mention the OS you're working with and the version(not edition) for said OS. I'd stick to the picking concurrent hardware. Older generation GPU's can and will be sued for cryptocurrency mining and in essence will mean a crippled GPU.

AMD have a number of Ryzen 5 CPU's in the world/market...which one do you have? On second thoughts, please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:

being as detailed as possible make and models.

Please look into getting a reliably build PSU when getting a GPU as well, to protect your investments. The PSU is considered to be the heart of the system, so if it has a heart attack, your entire system can and will croak with it.

 

[TheLastKnightMare]

Aside from the monitor, the parts are listed. (TBH I've seen similar post with less info and all summed to point to the GPU).

As for the PSU, while it may not be a top notch brand, it was certainly better than the 530W one I did have. And the reviews wee half and half. Most were disgruntled ppl ragging on the supplier. I've found reviews are hit and miss. Only one was about the actual performance being bad.

As for the monitor,
I use an ASUS VS228H and even tired my "PlayStation Monitor", (which is considered to be really good even today). And ran into the same issue.
As for resolution and settings, I've tried various (only one that seems to render better was 13 something X whatever, I don't have it memorized).
The parts are these:
Corsair Carbide 678C
Asus TUF B450M PLUS
Ryzen 5 3.2GHZ Six Core
Ripsjaws 16GB DDR4 RAM (X2 8GB)
XFX HD 6870
OCZ 850W
X2 Seagate 2TB HDD

And that's it unless there's a part I'm missing. (the PSU has worked absolutely fine, even better than what I've had, all ones before would seem to cut power if ram or GPU Ran too high).

I see you have knowledge of PSU, but do you have any insight into this? Is it an optimization issue? And would anything from RX 460 to RX 560 work, or not? (that's literally all I can afford now. And since I'm not having and power issues unlike before, I need to focus on (what o think is the issue) the GPU,, or else this thing is a 30+ pound paperweight) getting the GPU.

Thanks

 

[geofelt]

I think your cpu is a R5-1600. It runs 12 threads and is a reasonable processor.
Not what I would have used, but OK.

The weak point in your setup is the 6870 graphics card.
It is barely better than integrated graphics.
It has only 1gb of vram which may not let some games run at all, and will severely limit performance for any modern game with good graphics.
Do not worry about any mention of DDR5 or DDR6 for that matter. It is referring to the ram used in the graphics card and has no relevance elsewhere.
The RX560 comes in 2gb and 4gb variants.
A slightly better alternative would be a GTX1050ti or GTX1650.
RX570/ RX580/590 would be a bit stronger, but if you are buying used, beware. Those cards were popular for mining. They are also hot and power hungry cards.

There is no benefit from using an amd card on a amd motherboard vs. using a nvidia card.
Here is a chart with graphics card rankings:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

Nothing wrong with high ram utilization. Windows keeps unused code in ram in anticipation of fast reuse. Check task manager hard fault page rate. Anything more than zero indicates a shortage of ram.
Is that two sticks of 8gb from the same single kit, or is it two individual sticks.
You need a matched kit for proper operation.
What is the speed of the ram?
ryzen is tightly tied to ram for performance and does better with faster ram.
For you, that is water under the bridge if your ram is lacking.
Run CPU-Z to check if your ram is running at advertised speeds and is in dual channel mode.

Lastly, if you can, replace your C drive with a ssd.
It will make your pc quicker and game textures will load faster.
A ssd is some 40x faster than a HDD for random i/o, and that is what windows does most.
It will be some 5x faster sequentially.

Buy a samsung 980 m.2 pcie ssd. about $125.
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-1tb-980/p/N82E16820147804?quicklink=true
Yes, a samsung ssd will cost a bit more, but I suggest it for a couple of reasons.

1. It will be the best performing and most reliable of such devices. cheaper units use slower underlying nand chips.
2. It will be trivial to convert using the free samsung ssd migration aid.

You install the 980, install the samsung pcie driver, and run the app.
It may take two hours for a 1tb drive.
It will copy all of your C drive to the ssd.
When done, disconnect the old C drive and boot.
You can download the app and instructions here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

www.samsung.com

 

[TheLastKnightMare]

Thanks for your reply bud. Probably the main helpful. IDK why last person said my OCZ is a decade old when the manufacture date is only a few years old. Not to mention I could only find one rating that attested to the claim of them being horrible (most were disgruntled ppl ragging on the supplier for packaging or not getting a cable. Only other one was a guy had it for supposedly a year,,and it blew up, sounding like a .45). While I know it's not NEVGA (?) or Corsair quality, (even they have bad products. Everything is up in the air. It's either good or not. No matter the brand) it isn't bad...and better than alot of others (especially ones discount promoted on eBay, or Newegg). I've found that reviews are only a tool, and they're easily used to complain, bomb, etc. Or just used for ppl to (BLANK) about their customer service and support. They can also be used to artificially inflate positive feedback. Always take it with a friend of salt.

As for the Ryzen 5, you're right. It is Ryzen 5-1600. The only reason I picked it was BC it was part of a Bundle, already mounded on with the fan and all that, since I am not comfortable enough yet to do thermal paste, and mounting. I know there's specific manufacturer "apps" that can tell you specific details, but (supposedly) there's a OS built-in way to view it, but I for the life of me cannot figure that out. I was always more of the "Take Apart, Put Back Together" kinda guy, not the "Programming" side. Trust me, if I had to pick one, I'd pick one where I could actually use my HDMI ports (without) using a VGA, D-Port, etc or some special cable.

Whenever I "normally" use or run the PC, the RAM goes as far as 34% of 16GB DDR4 (8GB X2). Heck, even the temp inside is only like 60°F (nit that it really pertains here). It's only when playing a game (even 360 Era ones, even tried Original Aliens VS Predator, and didn't seem to affect FPS, but it is an old game... So... But didn't remember the RAM usage during it) that it runs to 54%. Although, this seems odd, but when I was an idiot, I had (the MOBO has 4 slots), the RAM cards in wrong, and it seem to run better overall then than before.

How I Had It Placed :
[X] [X] [][]
Correct Placement :
[][X][][X]

Don't know why, but it did seem to run the PC better. Just not the games.

I thought it was the GPU, after what I've deducted and what a friend said. So, you're saying the DDR4, DDR5 doesn't really matter in order to optimize my build? I'm not familiar with NVIDIA,, rarely and barely know AMD. It's just what I know. Except I've seen NVIDIA to be typically more expensive than AMD. So if DDR4 and all thay isn't an issue, what do you personally think I can "get away with"? Like whats the "lowest" one I could go with. Do I want one with at least 2, 3, or 4 GB? (I know more is better, but what will get this running).

If you have recommendations, I'd appreciate it.


Thank you so much for your help. Have a good one!

 

[geofelt]

To run in faster dual channel mode, you need to install ram in each of your two channels.
Your motherboard should tell you which is which.
Your diagram tells me you got it right.
Ryzen needs fast ram for performance and dual channel mode is faster.

Nobody now runs DDR5 on the motherboard. ( it is coming with new gen)
The DDR5 or DDR6 that you see is only used by the graphics card and has no connection to the motherboard ram.

It is normal for task manager to show some 50% ram usage.
Windows always wants to have some free ram available for new code.
It will keep stuff in ram in anticipation of eventual instant reuse.
If you look at task manager memory section, look for the hard fault page rate.
It should be 0. A higher number would indicate a shortage of ram.

On game performance,
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.
Try this simple test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

 

[TheLastKnightMare]

I've tried the bit with games. I've tried different games, different resolutions, different performances (High, low, etc). While some games seemed like it didn't matter if I had Ultra or Low, most would have increased FPS when on Low. Tweaking Resolution may have too. It did help rendering. Though when the RAM was running up, it would skip as if I was in a laggy game in Multiplayer.

Like is said, when I had it in the wrong slots performance (not in games) seemed to run better. Makes no sense.

However, the RAM thing never happens when I'm (NOT) playing a game. Normal running it's at 34%. When running a game it Jacks to at least 56%. Was told by many that the RAM (16GB / X2 8GB) is compensating for the GPU (1GB DDR5?). Although the CPU isn't the greatest (AMD Ryzen 5-1600 (3.2GHZ Six Core)...) is still decent. But the main issue from what I was told, and by gathering what others have said, the semi new Motherboard and whatnot are basically too new for the GPU. Which makes alotta sense since my Sony VAIO SVS13 system (Intel i7 @ 2.3 GHZ, 12GB RAM) ran better....even though it was worse specification wise.

So, I assume it needs a better more reliable GPU. I'm just trying to figure out what would be "ok". What one would be best and most optimized. I know I could probably shove an AMD RX 580, 6900, or whatever (or whatever the NVIDIA Equivalents are).

However, I don't have alot of money At the moment. So I need to find a cheap placement holder. So, I wonder would an RX 460 / NVIDIA Equivalent be ok, or do I need something better (the recommended GPU Min on Benchmark Dot Com says RX 560 - 580 MIN)?

I'm hoping someone could let me know.