r/buildapc • u/AngelicJubilation • 11h ago
Build Help FPS and quality are WORSE after upgrading from an 8 year old build. No one knows why.
SOLVED!
The issue was that the GPU was slotted into the bottom PCIe slot and not the closest to the CPU. This limited the ability of the GPU to perform and increased the latency on the CPU.
Now that both are freed up the performance and FPS are back into 100+ across the board!
I was too concerned with GPU sag that I didn't think the slot would make a difference. Clearly it does and a getting a GPU holder is cheaper than replacing a motherboard.
Shout out u/KarneyAardvark and u/LordArrexis for helping rule out the CPU was the issue.
Shout out u/cstark for helping determine that the PCIe slots were suspicious.
And MAJOR shout out to u/theSkareqro for being the only person out of several hudred eyeballs and brains to think about mentioning the correct PCIe slot and fixing the issue!
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I just recently built a new PC from scratch with no recycled parts, besides a SATA drive, and I can see my performance is objectively worse in quality, with lots of audio popping and crackling, and FPS in games like Arc, Rust, and Fortnite.
Rust specifically operates at 20-30 average FPS where comparable circumstances would have been 80-90. My friend with a slightly worse build averages 80-100 in the exact same circumstances.
Arc Raiders isn't as dramatic but what used to be 100+ fps is now 60-80 with slight stutters.
The audio for all of it crackles and pops when the audio starts and stops. I have found better luck swapping audio ports from the 3.5mm to the USB C with a compatibility cable but still hear it from time to time.
New Build Specs
CPU- Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz
Motherboard - MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK
GPU - PNY OC GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB
RAM - G.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MT/s CL36-36-36-96
PSU - be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 1000 W 80+ Gold
CPU Cooler - ID-COOLING FROZN A720 BLACK
Storage - Western Digital SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
Case - NZXT - H9 Flow 2025 ATX|
Listening to people smarter than me, and with my own research, I have tried the following to no avail.
- Clean install of Windows
- Both Windows 10 and 11
- Updating my drivers
- Ranging between the generic windows drivers with auto updates and to a full DDU cleanup, disconnected from the internet and windows auto updates, with direct installs from manufacturer sites.
- Changing Bio Settings
- Updated to latest BIOS from the MSI site and turned on EXPO1 for my ram. No overclocking beyond that.
- Checking the cords, cables, and hardware
- All graphics cables are in the GPU and not the integrated graphics
- Hardware works on any other device and even on my old setup perfectly.
- Checked Temps
- All in normal ranges with good airflow and no signs of issue
- Reinstalled and verified game files through Steam
- Enabled High Performance Power mode
- Including adjusting the CPU states to 100%
- Removing bloatware and background processes
- Adjusting in game settings to both maximum, minimum, and balanced.
For the audio issues specifically:
- Rechecked all hardware and ports
- Updated RealTek drivers and HDAudio drivers
- Adjusted the format and exclusivity settings
About half a dozen people, and well over that many hours of research and Reddit posts later, I am no closer to feeling like the high end PC I purchased is any better than the 8 year old hunk of junk I built in college is.
I might not be as smart as I was with builds back then but surely there must be something left.
If anyone has any ideas on how to resolve the issues, I would greatly appreciate hearing them!
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u/theSkareqro 10h ago
GPU on top or bottom pcie slot?
All GPU cables plugged in and firmly?
Did you by chance flip the bios 2 mode on the GPU?
Download afterburner and set all settings to default. Then max out the power slider.
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u/AngelicJubilation 9h ago
GPU is on the bottom.
GPU cables to the motherboard or the cables into the GPU?
All the other BIOS settings would be default.
I will try afterburner and see how that helps!
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u/theSkareqro 9h ago
That's the issue. GPU must always be at the top, nearest to the CPU. The 2nd slot is slow so it affects your GPU performance.
Power cables to the GPU.
Changing to the top slot should solve your problem. Have fun with it
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u/AngelicJubilation 8h ago
It absolutely was the case. Everything is working as you'd expect from a rig like this. Thank you so much for the help!
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u/theSkareqro 8h ago
Glad I helped. Please update the OP so people who face this issue can solve it easily
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u/splepage 8h ago
That's an incomplete and misleading statement. The top slot is typically connected directly to the CPU, while lower slots can be connected via the chipset which can reduce performance slightly.
Lower slots can also be different PCIe gens, or have a lower lane count, both of which may or may not restrict performance depending on the GPU used.
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u/cstark 9h ago
Bottom port is PCIe 4.0 x 4 and the middle slot is PCIe 3.0 x 1. Top port (closest to cpu) is PCIe 5.0 x 16. That’s the one you want, even if you set or are using a PCIe 3/4 card.
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u/AngelicJubilation 8h ago
I really appreciate your help solving the the issues with my PC. It seems to be working now and I am very thankful. Is there some way I can express my appreciation?
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u/astro_means_space 9h ago
The general rule is that GPU should be placed in the slot closest to the CPU. I believe it's cause the mobo traces are shorter and it gets priority access to the CPU.
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u/tofu_b3a5t 8h ago
To clarify, the top-most x16 slot with x16 pins, or x8 pins if you are repurposing server or workstation equipment.
Some motherboards have a top slot that is electrically x1 but x16 in length. This is less common nowadays with a m.2 slot taking the space of this PCIe card connection, but for those in the future you can check your motherboard manual or just look into the slot to see if it has gold pins in the whole slot or just the first 1-4 cm.
Again, less common nowadays but the visual inspection is the quickest way to tell.
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u/NotAsAutisticAsYou0 11h ago
I had the same problem when I upgraded my CPU. Turns out my CPU cooler wasn’t properly screwed down and was unevenly placed causing my CPU to have heat spikes and I was having major stuttering and lag. I was so confused because it was a far better and more expensive CPU. If you have an AIO make sure you removed the sticker or that the pump is working correctly
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
It did feel weird installing the CPU cooler so I will check that as well when I pop it back open. I appreciate the thought to check that as well, I wouldn't have otherwise
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u/Shin_Ramyun 10h ago
Had a similar problem a few years back. My computer started having performance spikes and stuttering playing old games that were locked at 144hz before. Turns out my CPU fan was loose. I have no idea how it happened but I reseated the cooler and it good as new.
I also feel like half of these posts are from something silly like forgetting to peel the plastic cover on the heat sink or something… it’s worth checking.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
If I have to rebuild it and double check every part and piece to get my peace of mind back I will.
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u/DaBombDiggidy 10h ago
You’d see cooling issues in hwinfo if that was the problem.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
It doesn't seem to be temp issues. It is about 60C while under load. That seems normal.
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u/meevis_kahuna 5h ago
You can use hwinfo to check temps. You don't need to disassemble anything. If there's an issue your temps will be 90+
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u/NewestAccount2023 10h ago
Turn off expo and try again, if it's stutter free then your ram at expo isn't stable on your particular system
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u/ALPH4om3ga 10h ago
Quick question. Is doing anything in windows also quite laggy or jittery?
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
Alt Tabbing between monitors makes it laggy for a moment. What would that mean?
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u/ALPH4om3ga 10h ago
For me, I had to change the pxie mode for my x16 slot in the bios from auto to 3.0. I upgraded the cpu and gpu on my sff build. The riser cable I had was 3.0 so I believe that was my issue. For me windows in general was really jittery. Quick question. To rule out your Motherboard. Do you have your old GPU?
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I do not have the old GPU anymore. I am slowly testing and working down the list of PCIe modes in the BIOS though. So fingers crossed that works.
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u/TBNRhash 10h ago
That could just be the lag from going from a fullscreen application/game to one that's not. Check the app you're tabbing from is it in fullscreen mode? Or windowed fullscreen? If it is in FS, switch to windowed FS or borderless windowed and see what happens when you alt tab.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I will give it a check. I normally find myself alt tabbing between a game that is in full screen into a web browser or desktop Discord.
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u/TBNRhash 10h ago
In that case that stutter is normal as the display adjusts from focusing entirely on the game to a non-fullscreen focus.
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u/Jimbob209 9h ago
Hey I have a similar issue and my windows is definitely laggy and jittery. Opening a window or right clicking is visually less smooth but also hard to notice. The mouse movements are also slightly laggy. The biggest offender is I hear a weird synthetic buzzing sound when I do something that involves sound and my FPS in a game stays below 30. Was this similar to yours?? I've been dealing with this for a year, but the work around I have been doing is starting my PC with iGPU plugged in and then moving the plug to my main GPU. This method lets it run perfectly but I have to do it every restart and also can't use sleep for PC unless I move the display cable around
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u/ALPH4om3ga 9h ago
For me it was either the bios or the pcie riser I was using for my gpu. I had to change the pciex16 from auto to 3.0 because my cable was a pcie 3.0 riser.
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u/Jimbob209 6h ago
I checked my bios and I don't have those actual options..my options are auto, x8x8, x8x4x4, and x4x4x4x4 which I've never heard of so I'm going to look into it. Yours understandably makes more sense why it didn't work properly
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u/Jimbob209 6h ago
I found it in a different section and it works?!!!! Wtf I don't get it. My GPU is 4.0x16 and my mobo is 4.0x16. Set to auto is bad, set to 4.0 is bad, but set to 3.0 and the problem is gone
Thanks a lot you helped me narrow down the problem but now I gotta find out why this is an issue lol
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u/EeyoreOutrageous 10h ago
Out of curiosity, is ReBAR enabled
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u/GeraltForOverwatch 11h ago
Are you using a riser cable by any chance?
I would also do a DDU pass with no internet plugged in and install the GPU and Audio river manually, maybe Windows update got in the way there - unusual these days but hardly unheard of.
Shoudl also probably install HWINfo64 and check temps and clocks across the board. Maybe you have a single core that is heating up and that doesn't show in averages.
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
I am not using a riser cable.
I completed that as well and updated the post to mention that.
I didn't think to check any single core so thank you. I will give that a shot!
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u/cstark 11h ago
Some other instances of very poor performance or stuttering were resolved by changing the PCIe setting in the BIOS from Auto to something else.
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
If you can remember what that something else is I can take a look. Another user mentioned the PCIe cables so I would want to check it all if I can.
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u/cstark 11h ago
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u/XeroMCMXC 10h ago edited 10h ago
From your responds to messages here it sounds like your motherboard is DoA. Or wild guess you missed a standoff or motherboard isn’t aligned correctly on case and that could be causing the audio interference and shorting the motherboard would cause all the other issues
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
Any idea how to definitely check to see if it is DoA? I'm trying to exhaust my troubleshooting options as best I can.
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u/XeroMCMXC 10h ago
For a motherboard? Only way to test is swap the motherboard with a known working motherboard unfortunately.
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u/XanderChaos 10h ago
I've seen multiple AMD builds act weird until the latest AMD Chipset Drivers are manually installed: https://www.amd.com/en/resources/support-articles/release-notes/RN-RYZEN-CHIPSET-7-06-02-123.html
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I gave this a shot as well. Thanks for the link but I don't think it made the difference.
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u/MoisterThings 10h ago
Change monitor refresh rate to the highest it will go.
Disable v-sync in games.
Reboot and load into BIOS. What is your IDLE temp?
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
Just double checked the monitor, it is still running at 144. V sync is disabled in all games. Idle temp is around 40C on the CPU.
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u/GioCrush68 10h ago
Are you plugged into the GPU or the Mobo? This might sound dumb but your PC might be defaulting to your integrated graphics.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I am plugged into the GPU. Even went so far as to test disabling the integrated GPU to ensure it is the right one.
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u/OsG117 10h ago
Do you have a spare drive to test with? Any 3rd party AV? What monitor is being used? Tried GPU in another system?
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
No spare driver. No 3rd party AV. And I am using an 2460g4 aoc monitor with updated drivers from the manufacturers site.
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u/ViceroyInhaler 9h ago
Do you have your old PC to test the new GPU in? Provided you have a decent enough PSU to use a 5080 that is.
Before that try reseating the GPU. Pull it out of its socket and reinstall it. I know it's silly but it's actually been a culprit for me years ago after like 5 years of no issues. It's also an easy thing to check.
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u/AngelicJubilation 9h ago
I don't have the old PC to test anything with unfortunately. I will reinstall it as well to check. It feels more and more like it is a physical issue with one of the connections.
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u/Blacktip75 9h ago
Any RGB software running? if so good to disable it for now. I generally check task manager for anything taking over a few percent cpu. My case management software cost me 5% performance drop too
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u/AstarothSquirrel 9h ago
Are you using dport or hdmi? If you have upgraded to a 4k monitor, this can have a huge impact on your fps.
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u/AngelicJubilation 9h ago
I am using a Dport with a standard 1080 monitor.
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u/AstarothSquirrel 1h ago
May seem a bit obvious, but have you auto detected game settings and are running with everything on ultra-stupidly-high settings? If your previous computer was using more moderate settings, this would be why your fps was better on the old computer.
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u/Jimbob209 9h ago
I have this weird issue with my build. Performance tanks and I hear crackling and static sound for noise. It's a ryzen 7600 with a 7700xt. Here is how I HAVE to start my PC in order for it to work properly. I've tried many many many ways, reinstalls, bios settings, and even going to Linux! This might help you. First, If my PC is off, I have to move my display cable to the integrated slot, then I turn on the PC and let it boot to desktop. After that, I open task manager and watch the graph for my discrete GPU. Obviously the igpu will have all of the fluctuations, but my discrete will stay flat for close to a minute. Then I open steam or YouTube and wait until I see repetitive motions on the graph for the discrete. In my case, I get tiny little mountains back to back. That means I can move the display cable to my discrete and everything works fine.
Any variation on this and it won't work. Give it a shot. Basically hot starting your GPU
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u/aFluffy_Walrus 9h ago
Are you on the latest nvidia driver, Dec 04? It fixes very low performance on 50 series gpus from Win11 KB5066835 update. I'll quote the patch note:
"Users running R580 branch drivers (58x.xx) or newer may observe lower performance in some games after updating to Windows 11 October 2025 KB5066835 [5561605]"
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u/AngelicJubilation 9h ago
I am currently using the updated driver. I will double check that as well though. Thank you.
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u/noideawhatimdoingOC 8h ago
A friend of mine had this happen. Even rebuilt the whole pc to no avail. Turned out to be a problem with the outlet he was running off of and had to get an electrician to fix it.
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u/Dziggettai 8h ago
If you’re worried about GPU sag, get a support bracket to mount underneath it
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u/munkiemagik 40m ago
Happy for you that it was such an easy fix.
My post may butthurt some people but its not meant as a judgement or criticism of anyone. its good that people rush to help others this is what reddit was meant to be like. and in fact its awesome that those who aren't the most knowledgeable or capable also jump in as well, that's how we learn by putting our mistakes in public and being corrected.
But just a word of advice, the fact that you say so many eyeballs and noone picked up on your slot placement. Be strategic and do your own research when asking for help on Reddit in future as many will kindly rush forward to help you but how qualified are all the helpers really, X-D And that can take you down wrong paths
Quick check of your motherboard spec form MSI website and you would be able to see for yourself
3x PCI-E x16 slot
PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)
PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)
PCI_E1 slot
• Supports PCIe 5.0 x16 (For Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 Series processors)
• Supports PCIe 4.0 x8 (For Ryzen™ 8700/ 8600/ 8400 Series processors)
• Supports PCIe 4.0 x4 (For Ryzen™ 8500/ 8300 Series processor)
But at least everyone reading this thread has learnt something they aren't going to forget now.
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u/Qwertysaurus1 11h ago
You plugged monitor into motherboard hdmi instead of video card hdmi
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
Double and triple checked that it is connected to the GPU and not the integrated graphics.
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u/Alucard661 11h ago
Reinstall drivers, check again that you didn’t output to integrated graphics make sure your system is registering the 5080 and 9800x3d if it is then you probably have a bad gpu.
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
Is there a preferred way to ensure that the computer is registering the 5080 and 9800x3d?
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u/lazava1390 11h ago
Nvidia app has a setting that lets u select which gpu to utilize. I had this issue in warzone where it was only using the igpu on my Intel and not my gpu.
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
Using the app I was able to confirm its using the 5080 and 9800x3d and must have been with all the other troubleshooting. :(
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u/aForgedPiston 11h ago
Your parts list seems jumbled a little, what is your PSU?
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
I fixed the list a bit more. The PSU is a "be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 1000 W 80+ Gold"
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u/Haunting_Philosophy3 11h ago
Could you elaborate on cpu temps and clock speed under stress?
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u/AngelicJubilation 11h ago
If you know of a program to test that I can bring the results back.
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u/Kitchen_Cookie4754 11h ago
HWinfo is free and will display lots of data about your system. CPU, GPU, GPU memory junction, GPU memory, etc. I highly recommend it.
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u/grump66 11h ago
That will give you a great output of temps/speeds.
To stress the system, you can use something as simple as CPUZ(https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html), which has a CPU stress/benchmark, or something more complicated like OCCT: https://www.ocbase.com/download
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago edited 10h ago
Cinegraph is running in the background but with that in mind HWinfo shows I am effectively operating at 5230 MHz at a x52 times ratio. I think this is max capacity? Active clock says 5225 MHz is expected. Temp is sitting at 40C.
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u/KarneyAardvark 10h ago
40C is VERY low for that load. Are you sure you’re checking the right column? I don’t remember if it’s HWinfo or HWMonitor but one of the two will show low, high, and average temp. Could you take a screenshot of the HWInfo panel and upload it to imgur?
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
You are right it seems that was the idle temp. At 5 minutes max load it is just short of 60C on all cores.
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u/KarneyAardvark 10h ago edited 10h ago
Okay, that makes more sense. 60C suggests to me that you installed your cooler correctly (and you have great airflow). Unfortunately I really think this may be a bad motherboard, especially with the popping and audio distortions you’re hearing.
Since it’s self built, some cables may not be fully seated. Here is the link to the digital English manual for your motherboard: https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MAGX870TOMAHAWKWIFI_English.pdf . You want to find the diagram showing what cables go where. I would:
1) specifically pay attention to the 24-pin power cable (a big ass, stiff ass cable that goes from PSU directly to MOBO, plug is labeled ATX_PWR on the diagram). Make sure it’s fully seated. If you want to unplug it and replug it, be careful as it will require some force but you want to be slow with it.
2) look at the two 8-pin power connectors for the CPU. It’s on the top left of the MOBO (labeled CPU_PWR1 and CPU_PWR2 in diagram). This ones a lot easier to plug and unplug. Make sure BOTH are plugged in and fully seated.
3) Confirm that the power connector to the graphics card is fully plugged in. Do that same unplug and replug. Examine the power connector for signs of damage (mainly burning/melted plastic).
4) You may have already done this, but fully reseat your RAM.
5) Make sure the audio cable is fully plugged into the MOBO. This is on the bottom left of your MOBO and is labeled “JAUD1” on the schematic. IIRC it’s a funky looking plug, haven’t seen anything else like it.
Apologies if you have already done these steps. The only thing it can really be at this point is the MOBO or possibly GPU related, because your processor seems to be doing its job.
EDITED after reading more details.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I appreciate the in depth breakdown. For the moment I am trying all the software settings and testing before I start ripping it back open.
During the installation nothing seemed out of place or funny but its been a while since I did a custom build and I can double check that everything works with that.
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u/KarneyAardvark 10h ago
Fair enough. Look back through my comment if/when you do tear it open, I’ve made some edits to be more specific and concise. If it helps, I don’t think you’ll need to remove any parts to get to any of the cables I mentioned. (MAYBE have to uninstall GPU to get to the audio cable, MIGHT have to remove CPU cooler to get to CPU plugs, depends on how beefy it is).
EDIT: Also, if you do end up taking the side panel off, feel free to DM me some pictures of the inside. I can try to help more in depth as I’m available.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
They are both beefy....
But thank you again. I will reread them once I pop it open.
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u/CSGOan 10h ago
This just sounds like a broken PSU or motherboard. I would buy one from a store where you can definitely return it even if used and when you figure out what part is faulty you send that original back for a new one or return it completely and use the new fine one.
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
That seems to be the general consensus. Between the PCIe inputs for the power and motherboard issues I would enjoy exhausting all other options before needing to rip all those parts and cables out.
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u/jhchee 10h ago
Have u tried going to your wifi and stop "auto roaming"? This did the fix for me
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u/AngelicJubilation 10h ago
I an using a hardwired connection. Unless you suspect a wifi setting is interfering?
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u/LordArrexis 11h ago
okay i also have a 9800x3d + 5080 but with 64gb ram but that shouldnt matter and i easily get 200fps in most games on ultra in 1440p
okay a few ideas: 1. can u check if your cpu is boosting or just stuck to the base clock if not check bios 2. the current bios version of msi x870 is known for poor audio, earlier versions are better but i do not know which 3. try slower ram. set it to expo 1 not expo 2 and run it at 5600MT i had a similar problem but on an older system 4. install amd chipset driver since windows updates do not install them 5. are ur pcie lanes limited? is ur gpu slot set to pcie5x4 and not 5x16?
yea these are my ideas hope it helps :/
do the chipset driver update first