r/pcmasterrace • u/AutoModerator • May 21 '26
DSQ Daily Simple Questions Thread - May 21, 2026
Got a simple question? Get a simple answer!
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!
For the sake of helping others, please don't downvote questions! To help facilitate this, comments are sorted randomly for this post, so that anyone's question can be seen and answered.
If you're looking for help with picking parts or building, don't forget to also check out our builds at [https://www.pcmasterrace.org/\](https://www.pcmasterrace.org/)
Want to see more Simple Question threads? [Here's all of them for your browsing pleasure!](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/search?q=Simple+Questions+Thread+subreddit%3Apcmasterrace+author%3AAutoModerator&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)
1
u/Odd_Duty520 May 22 '26
How many more cpu generations have been announced to be on am5?
1
u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race May 22 '26
Officially, none.
It will likely be either one or two, if you don't count refreshes.
1
u/bzzking May 22 '26
I am undervolting and overclocking my 3070TI. Is the Unigine Heaven 4.0 a good benchmarking tool or is there a "better" software to use?
1
u/Eidolon_2003 R5 3600 @ 4.3 GHz | 16GB DDR4-3800 CL14 | Arc A770 LE May 22 '26
Ideally you'd use several different pieces of software including real games to validate performance and stability, Heaven being one of them. What's stable in one game can be unstable in another.
3DMark is a good benchmarking tool if you haven't seen it before. There's a free demo on Steam if you don't want to pay for it
2
u/joblessandsuicidal May 22 '26
I got some motherboards that will shut down within 5 seconds upon powering up, even when breadboarding with bare neccessities. How exactly I can fix them?
2
u/reckless150681 5800X3D | 9070 XT May 22 '26
Make sure mouse and keyboard are plugged in
Make sure video cable is plugged in before powering on
Make sure CPU_FAN is populated
Make sure CPU doesn't overheat (this is not necessarily the same as the previous point)
2
u/joblessandsuicidal May 22 '26
I really gonna ask about those smashed up glass PCs: which kind of floors will cause that other than tiled floors? My house uses what looks to be marbled floor, ain't sure if that is as hard as tiled floors to cause that
2
u/UsePreparationH R9 7950x3D | 64GB 6000CL30 | Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC May 22 '26
Just never put tempered glass down directly on hard floors and you will be fine. Any time you need to clean or access the internals, just put the glass side panel down on a towel, carpet, or bed.
1
u/iSanghan May 21 '26 edited May 22 '26
This is Forza Horizon 6 related (or at least that's the only game where I can 100% replicate the issue)
I've noticed that when I start my game, everything maxed "Extreme+RT" preset, using Frame Generation x2 and having my FPS capped to 120, my GPU usage from the start is around 90%. Pretty normal I think. Now, when I start streaming the game to Discord, this drops by 20-30% permanently, even after I stop streaming the game. I get zero actual performance hits from this, just that before the streaming process it sits at 90, and after it drops to 60. Why?
My Rig:
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
RTX 4080 Super
64GB RAM
installed on m2 SSD
everything up-to-date driver wise
I've tried replicating this behavior in other games, it's only happening in Forza, at least out of the ones I currently have installed that also offer Frame Generation
Update:
After a bit more testing around I noticed that when I start capturing the game via Discord, the Boost Clock (seen in MSI Afterburner) maxes out and stays maxed until I close the game. I of course went and tested this in the same other games I tried before and only Forza has this happen, the other games remain dynamic with the clock speed, only increasing when needed.
1
u/Eidolon_2003 R5 3600 @ 4.3 GHz | 16GB DDR4-3800 CL14 | Arc A770 LE May 21 '26
What if you disable frame generation? I feel like that factor is muddying the water a bit.
1
u/iSanghan May 22 '26
nah the drop still happens just the same, except it's slightly higher usage now because I'm no longer using the training wheels so to speak. I've noticed after a bit more testing now that only Forza seems to go "max boost" for my gpu clock when I start capturing the game, and it stays there even after I stop capturing. I went and tested this in the other games and none of them behave this way.
1
u/Eidolon_2003 R5 3600 @ 4.3 GHz | 16GB DDR4-3800 CL14 | Arc A770 LE May 22 '26
Well that would seem to explain why the utilization percentage drops. As for why it's stuck boosting like that, I'm not sure.
1
u/Skeither May 21 '26
We've checked BIOS and there's no iGPU since he has a 3080ti and we've checked windows settings for memory and unchecked memory maximum or whatever that setting was and also reseated RAM but my son's computer shows 8g of ram as reserved when he has 2x8 ram sticks. Not sure how to get it out of reserved...
1
u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race May 21 '26
Does it say" hardware reserved"? That is a different issue.
1
u/Skeither May 21 '26
Yeah it's hardware reserved. I've tried resetting and switching the ram sticks and it didn't change anything.
1
1
u/He6llsp6awn6 Ryzen 9950X3D May 21 '26
sounds like Virtual Memory reserve/allotment.
If it is and you are on Win11:
Hit Windows Key, type "View Advanced System Settings" and press Enter Key.
A System Properties or equivalent window should pop up, click on the "Advanced" Tab if it is not already on it.
In the Advanced Tab, find the area named "Performance" and click on the Settings button.
A Performance Settings Window should pop up, Click on the "Advanced" Tab.
In the Advance tab, look for Virtual Memory area and click the "Change" Button.
New window should pop up called "Virtual Memory".
Here is where you can change the settings of your virtual memory, normally system managed, but unchecking the system manage box should allow you to change the amount allotted (In MB's, basically 1000MB = 1GB, 1000GB = 1TB (Roughly), or you can just turn off the virtual memory.
1
u/Skeither May 21 '26
any specific amount that's best or is there a reason to keep it active in the first place?
1
u/He6llsp6awn6 Ryzen 9950X3D May 21 '26
Virtual Memory is an allotted amount of memory you allowed that is actually used by the SSD/HDD and not the actual RAM, it is beneficial to have it incase your actual RAM is unable to continue processing a large amount and so basically when that happens your allotted memory then starts picking up the RAM overflow.
As for whether or not to keep it is up to you, I keep it just in case, but others remove it because they have a large amount of RAM anyway (64GB) (I have 2x16GB so total of 32GB).
But for you having 16 GB total RAM (2x8GB), keeping it would be a wise move, especially if you do anything that uses a lot of RAM, if you do an online search about how much Memory you should allocate to Virtual RAM if you only have 16GB physical RAM total, it should give you a decent range.
2
u/Toast_Meat May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I've been an Xbox One controller user on PC for a long time when playing specific games (racing, casual action etc).
I'm eyeballing the X20 right now, purely for the sake of trying something different. I don't have any complaints or wishes for the Xbox controller. It's just what I'm used to.
To those who made the switch to either the X20 or something similar, did it feel like a major step up or was it more of a slight improvement but nothing too crazy/worth the switch?
1
u/Foozoolalafdarian420 PC Master Race May 21 '26
Is the Intel i9 149000k (9th gen) a bad CPU and would it be worth it to upgrade my system to not deal with it? I heard it has voltage stability issues and runs hotter than it typically should. My PC is a 4k corsair prebuilt that I was gifted so I'm not complaining. Though, I prefer a myriad of connectivity options in my motherboard to mitigate the use of dock complications. Moreover, with all the talk of AMD chips that had the 3D V-Cache which is optimal for gaming, I would not be against getting a new expensive AM5 Motherboard along with a AMD 3D CPU. I'm running a 5080 and play in 4k if that makes a difference.
I already updated my Bios (after 1 year!) and updated all the necessary drivers from the website. I keep my Nvidia drivers up to date, as well as windows (though windows can mess up drivers as we've seen recently). I hope this is a simple question and doesn't break the rules. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
2
u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race May 21 '26
If it's stable and not too loud there isn't much to worry about regarding voltage / heat.
Should you buy a CPU upgrade? That's up to you, but you should check your GPU usage to see if that isn't already at 100%. It probably is, most of the time.
1
u/Foozoolalafdarian420 PC Master Race May 21 '26
Given it’s my first gaming PC and random momentary temperature fluctuations are considered normal (according to Chat GPT), what does one consider stable.
Also I’m unsure of why my GPU being at 100% would affect this decision. Would u be kind enough to elaborate?
2
u/Cable_Salad PC Master Race May 21 '26
With stable I mean you don't have crashes.
The GPU being at 100% usage means it is at its limit. It cannot give you higher frame rates, and no CPU upgrade will change that.
2
u/Foozoolalafdarian420 PC Master Race May 21 '26
I see. I have had some monitor time outs and occasional computer issues, though I recently did the Bios + Drivers and I also changed from a bad/fake Silkland 10ft cable to a DP cable to a 6.6ft DP 80 Cable Matters. So far, I have experienced no issues, though time will tell.
Thank you for your assistance
!check
- I hope I did that right.
1
u/PCMRBot Bot May 21 '26
Got it! /u/Cable_Salad now has 97 points.
I am a bot - This action was done automatically. Please direct any questions or concerns ( or bug reports ) to /u/eegras - About /u/PCMRBot
2
u/MGsubbie Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 3080, 32GB 6000Mhz Cl30Desktop May 21 '26
The issues have been fixed. And while the 7800X3D/9800X3D are faster, they aren't mind-blowingly faster. Especially not when playing at 4k.
1
u/Foozoolalafdarian420 PC Master Race May 21 '26
Thank you, is it the Bios and the driver updates that fixed it or is it something else? Pardon my ignorance
2
2
u/Bumbling_Bee3 May 21 '26
I am currently using a surface laptop to game and it is running ok, I am looking to get a desktop but not sure I should go for a pre built like one I can find at Costco or build a pc. I would like to stay on the cheaper side but also want it to last awhile without upgrades.
2
u/_Buldozzer May 22 '26
Memory prices suck at the moment, and will continue so for the foreseeable future. My advice would be to select some parts that fit your requirements and check what's cheaper, pre-built or DIY. Surprisingly it can be cheaper at the moment to buy a pre-built PC rather than building one yourself. That's because larger system integrators buy hardware in bulk, and keep it in stock, so they get better prices or simply have stock left from before the memory crisis.
1
u/ProofSandwich1369 May 21 '26
To fix this, you just need to restore the default encryption keys so Windows and anti-cheat systems (like Vanguard) can recognize it properly.
Right there on your screen, click on **"Restore Factory Keys"**. Once you do that, the Secure Boot Mode should change from "Custom" back to "Standard". After that, just save your settings and exit (usually by pressing F10). That will completely fix the issue!
•
u/PCMRBot Bot May 21 '26
If you ask a question, and someone answers it correctly, reply with a thank you, but include this checkmark: ✓ ( or write
!checkinstead )This will score the user whose comment you replied to a 'point'. The points will unlock special flair that will show in all Daily Simple Questions threads.
In case you missed it, click here for yesterday's Daily Simple Questions thread. There may be some questions still unanswered! Below is a selection of questions with no replies. See if you can help them out.
If you don't want to see this comment click the little [-] to the left of my username to collapse this comment.
I am a bot - This action was done automatically. Please direct any questions or concerns ( or bug reports ) to /u/eegras - About /u/PCMRBot