Why Your PC Build Needs To Be “Balanced”

[@mr.electronx9036]

biggest bottleneck is your bank account

[@chris_hendri]

Totally agree 😂

[@Johnox_]

True😂

[@6perc3nt]

Very true

[@mahfudzk]

Facts

[@gameplaypamore2417]

ouch!

[@Zanderhawk11]

I work in IT and I had a coworker who was so scared of a bottleneck he downgraded his GPU after building a machine. It's important to note that having a bottle neck doesn't hurt performance besides the limits of the bottle neck component.

[@heatnup]

That is insane.

[@heatnup]

You literally can't avoid bottlenecks. They are a guarantee. One of your components will ALWAYS limit the other it is just a matter of minimizing the degree to which they are limiting each other.

[@frankwong9486]

Reality : the bottleneck was my wallet / bank 😂

[@JOKEMMM]

So weird that people also don't get the concept of GPU & CPU intensive games... You might be bottlenecked on different components depending on the games you play.... This guy could keep downgrading his pc until he is left with a console 😢

[@LokiCDK]

I've stopped discussing bottle necks online. So many times I've heard "Nah nah I can't bottleneck my CPU like that." 😅

[@chekote]

All tech advice can be summarized in two words: “It depends”

[@JohnSmith-wv5km]

This also works as legal advice

[@phenom354]

Life advice

[@djones6211]

That's an absolute statement EASILY proven false.

[@aghiff]

It depends on the content of your wallet

[@chekote]

@@djones6211 of course. This was just a silly internet post

[@theodentherenewed4785]

I'm inclined to spend more on CPUs, because better models can last longer and I'm fine when replacing GPU alone. CPUs are harder to replace, because you need to swap your motherboard with it, then perhaps your RAM and your CPU cooler too.

[@michaelhanson5773]

Only recently did you have to swap out a motherboard with a cpu when going to AM5 if running AMD. Intel usually requires it, but AMD didnt and still doesnt as long as staying with same socket.

[@TKInternational76]

​@@michaelhanson5773 TRUE, although that also depends on which motherboard you got. if you got an x670e back then, you're good. but can't put a 9950x on an a620 now can we.

[@lande.r1]

CPU bottlenecks are waaay worse than gpu bottlenecks IMO

[@thor.halsli]

True. Stutter is way worse than lag

[@moiseman]

And you'll have to change your motherboard and sometime the ram on top of it. Getting a good cpu is crucial

[@mlekozmaslem8647]

Yea and also you can turn graphics down a bit if gpu is problem

[@nestorfranco6471]

100% on my first pc build, I got a midrange cpu and gpu. About 5 years later, I upgraded to a good gpu and better drives. But after about 10 years, the cpu was struggling even with basic things like watching videos. I'm happy it lasted that long, but if I needed better performance from my cpu or RAM sooner it wouldn't be possible without getting a new motherboard

[@Fluskar]

For sure.

[@yuliushuwa7081]

Don't forget Monitor bottlenecking. Superfast GPU but 1080p 60Hz monitor is a real bottleneck too.

[@Jujaw]

Underrated comment. I'm shocked this wasn't part of the video!

[@1vaultdweller]

It occurred to me that I have a beast of a GPU yet my monitor doesnt have HDR. So its a visual bottleneck for me and I'm missing out

[@rickfist1]

Very valid I game 1080p because that all I got when it comes to monitors and they cap at 75hz so when ppl complain about getting a better part for fps or resolution I just be thinking most ppl don’t even care about anything but 1080p normal consumers don’t care that much

[@MrSkollll]

You still can load that GPU on 1080p monitor by doing super-sampling via AMD's VSR or Nvidia's DSR/DLDSR

[@aboveaveragebayleaf9216]

It still helps with input response to run higher frame rates

[@thestig8061]

“Team balance” - Linus Sebastian, Scrapyard Wars 2024

[@RadialSeeker113]

I believe an R5 7600 + 4090 is not even bad at 4k for DLAA/path traced titles. The 4090 is the bottleneck there anyway

[@GameslordXY]

​@@RadialSeeker113 You would almost certainly see the improvements with 7800X3D. Well using onscreen stats at least. But if you are happy with 7600, that's all that matters. At worst, the 7600 is competent placeholder for 7800X3D or better later down the line.

[@skak3000]

I always go for a powerful CPU, and just upgrade GPU and RAM over the years... Motherboard and CPU is the foundation. GPU, RAM, SSD is easy to swap. Reselling GPU is easy, but reselling CPU is not so easy...

[@2delad45]

reselling CPU not a problem at all(at least not in my county). CPU is hard to break because its just a smart rock. It doesn't have coolers that need replacement or cleaning after years of usage. CPU's tech ageing is slower that GPU's and CPU doesn't degenerate over time too. If it works, you can expect >95% performance over the new one. So you can just clean it from the thermopaste and sell it for 60-80% of the store price including shipping. Used GPUs maybe sells quicker but it would only cost 50-60% of the original price after only 1 gen tho

[@cvd1]

@@2delad45 you mean degrade

[@JohnneyleeRollins]

its for a balanced breakfast

[@distrusts]

call bs my 2 core duo with a 4090 works fine it only stutters every second of a frame.

[@leggysoft]

I had TWO argue to me that their 4090s will carry his 10/11thgen i9 and the 7800x3d is not required to unlock its full gaming potential lmao

[@seha2306]

​@@leggysoft if they play at 4K 120Hz, an i9 11th Gen might not hinder them too much if they max out details in most games. There are even RTX games and rendering workflows where the CPU is used so little that the GPU is all that counts.

[@Dr.RichardBanks]

Two seconds per frame 🔥

[@wilburfudd]

Hay hay hay, I was gonna try putting my 4070 in my 2008 desktop computer with a pci riser cable 🤣 not a joke but I did just order a core 2 duo processor which should limit the bottleneck but who am I kidding it’s running on pcie 2 or 3 so I’m not gonna get close to it’s getting in my current gaming rig. This is just my project pc, I want to see what’s the best performance I can get out it, sadly enough I am switching out every part BUT the motherboard so I’m capped at ddr3, pcie 2 or 3 but the ssd alone gave me the biggest performance boost.

[@kendokaaa]

I saw someone the other day swear their i7 2600K was more than enough for their 3080 Ti lmao they were adamant their bad performance was the game's fault

[@2Burgers_1Pizza]

It's also important to note that most reviewers test on high-end motherboards, rated for much more power hungry CPUs, and will lift turbo limits and the like in order to get the best score out of a chip. This also means that you can't pair a 300W CPU with a 65W mobo and expect the best performance it can do. Should have mentioned that as well.

[@LMacNeill]

I had an Intel Core i7 3770K for *nine* years, upgrading only my GPU every couple of years (and the usual RAM and HDD upgrades as I needed capacity). Finally, in 2021 I upgraded to an AMD Ryzen 5600X, which I still have today. I've already upgraded the GPU twice, though -- started with an RTX 3060, then traded for a 3070 Ti, then bought a 4070 Super. So I'm well on my way to repeating my previous "bottleneck" record. 😂

[@volki1145]

i still game on my i7 3770

[@Yerinjibbang]

i still got my spare 3770k in my 2nd build now using 5600 pc on my main too looks like it gonna stay for awhile more till i get the 7800x3d in maybe fewyears

[@haydn6462]

With a 4070 super, I would just sell your 5600x and get a 5700x3d, that would be a very balanced system and would barely cost anything

[@Illuminati_HD]

5:30 I could have sworn he was about to say "I could say something similiar about components like your mother...."

[@ManBearGote]

Too much SalemTech for you... 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@YosheMC]

​​@@ManBearGote the greatest technician thats ever lived

[@SinisterSlay1]

I wanted to shout at this video, but you actually nailed pretty much everything. No complaints. Good job LTT. I am very happy you mentioned very quickly that what you need depends on the games you play. This really is super important and often forgotten by those that might shout at you for combining a low end GPU with a high end CPU. I built my wife an i7 system with a 1650 in it and she loves it. Why? Because all her games were CPU bottlenecked. That's gone now and she gets a smooth 60fps in everything she plays now.

[@PlanetLinuxChannel]

A balanced build is important, with one exception. If you’re pretty sure you’ll want to upgrade your GPU to something more powerful in the near future, it can sometimes be beneficial to get a more powerful CPU than you actually need now, so that you’ll have the extra headroom when you do upgrade the graphics card. Assuming the CEU’s price is right.

[@xnamkcor]

Bottlenecking never lowers your system performance. It runs exactly as fast as the parts are able. Buying a worse GPU because your CPU is a "bottleneck" will not improve your performance. You just now have a worse GPU.

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

Incorrect. If you have a weaker CPU, you'll get lower frame rates when the GPU can handle more. There's plenty of other examples too.

[@woalk]

Bottlenecking means you paid more than you needed for something.

[@xnamkcor]

@@ARandomInternetUser08 If i got a worse GPU, would the system perform better?

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

@@xnamkcor if you're not running GPU-dependent games, it really won't matter much, if at all. That's not adding on to my point though.

[@xnamkcor]

@@ARandomInternetUser08 And then your point isn't a response to my post.

[@Aeturnalis]

3:49 skip ad

[@wildgoosespeeder]

That's why I went with the Gigabyte UD board line. Very basic, but had the Z390 chipset that my 8700K could do overclocking if I wanted to push it. $100 vs. $300+, loaded with features I would never use, like wi-fi and Bluetooth. Only need one NVMe. Rest of storage can suffice with SATA drives.

[@metalg091]

Does anyone else hear a background noise? Like a low rumble...

[@Vithigar]

Yes. Sounds like a ground loop.

[@ragepoweredgamer]

@@Vithigar As someone with a horrible ground loop problem, this sounds more like a background fan/fridge/AC unit to me.

[@gamer_X322]

It not annoying for me

[@kraftypk7283]

It's the matrix

[@dquixote0980]

I've heard it a couple of videos now. It's particularly noticeable because it's not there during the ad-break. I wonder if it's that particular studio.

[@indignasmr7379]

I was fine with ivy bridge for a decade because by the time it was the bottle neck, I'd started using a 4K TV as a monitor and it wasn't the bottleneck anymore. And loading times were limited by the WD Black they were reading from. The games that *I play* are perfectly fine on a hard drive, and I eventually started running most games off a USB hard drive.

[@navdeepsingh3508]

Advice from experience PLEASE DONT CHEAP OUT ON CPU , I went i3 7th gen with 1050ti. Sure 1050ti struggles in games but fucking hell i3 7th gen is more pain these days. Even for running my lectures+ study programme. From my experience get a decent cpu first, upgrading gpu is much easier so you can do that anytime

[@GameslordXY]

i3 7th gen suffered with 1050Ti? Even if that was the case, was it so massive that you Would you notice it without onscreen stats? Because As soon as they get their PCs or the existing PC users that hear/read about that most if not all of them that watch YT tech channels or go to PC tech forums , will immediately download MSI afterburner or something and turn on the onscreen stats instead of playing it for themselfs and draw their own conclusions .

[@GameslordXY]

A lot depends on your use the game,the resolution,the settings and even the engine .

[@govindsharma7738]

I bought a ryzen 5 3600 and its been peachy over 4 gpu upgrades. Currently at a radeon 6750xt. Cyberpunk and god of war display perfectly

[@GameslordXY]

​@@govindsharma7738 👍

[@navdeepsingh3508]

@@GameslordXY THAT is my point. Gaming is not the only thing u do on pc. Yeah 1050ti sux whatever...but I need my cpu more often now. Just do simple work / study stuff.

[@amingholizad]

I think at 1:13 Linus means "hundreds of frames per second" not "hundreds of frame rates per second"

[@YosheMC]

framerate accelleration lol

[@amingholizad]

@@YosheMCand you mean frame acceleration. frame rate acceleration becomes frame jerk (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerk_(physics)) lol

[@YosheMC]

@@amingholizad ah yep

[@danialonderstal3564]

Another thing worth noting, if your pushing Raytracing visuals, it will cost more processing power than just running a rastorized scene. So you would want a decent cpu if your going all in for a gpu

[@Carittech]

I get the analogy, speaking to virtualized environments from time to time would be nice … running VM’s etc

[@HedgehogY2K]

Which is exactly why I chose the FC8 Alpha case, I know it can cool the A12 9800 well enough for overclocking. Though realistically it'll probably just be memory optimization which I hypothesize is where the most performance comes from on Bristol Ridge.

[@mbsfaridi]

1:48 You need faster CPU too for Ray/Path tracing.

[@sethmeaseles3301]

I see so many people online suggest that people buy an $800-$1k gpu and a $600 cpu but then buy a $30 cooler and maybe $30 worth of case fans if they don't get a case that comes with them. It's crazy to me to get such high end parts but then dont take care into making sure you can cool them effectively. Sure you can get top tier performance but you can't take advantage of it if it thermal throttles for 80% of its life. Never neglect your cooling folks.

[@HedgehogY2K]

4:54 buuuut-in the event that you do buy super RAM, you can take advantage of it's excess speeds the CPU can't support by shortening the timings, which is a much more compatible way of potentially improving performance without risking buswidth limitations of the CPU, like AMD Bristol Ridge to Ryzen 2000, those were kinda limited in RAM speeds.

[@CozMyN]

the static noise in the background is surely balanced

[@jasonh4534]

9 times out of 10, I am GPU limited. At 4k with a 4090 and an 12700K Occasionally a game isn't optimized well, and the CPU is the limiting factor. Typically if the NPC count is high in an area, and the game engine isn't optimized to handle that well. For single player games, a midrange enthusiast class CPU is going to serve you just fine usually. You want enough CPU power to run smoothly, but you don't need to necessarily get the best available. The 12600K with 4080 super in my other build for my lady, runs well too. Im not.lookikg to push hundreds of frames, i just want to reliably hit 60fps, or close to it, with little to no dips and noticeable stutter. So far its gone well.

[@justacollegestudent5147]

Well the higher the resolution and the higher the graphics settings the more your gpu gets pressured over cpu. See gpu benchmarks at 1440p and 4k mostly while cpu tends to focus on 1080p. Also while average frame rates may not change I bet a 7800x3d would give you higher 1% low frame rates and stable frame times. If you decide dlss quality 4k (which looks better than native 4k and you’re leaving performance on the table for no reason) it would definitely help. Or you can increase settings maybe enable rt if you’re fine with performance as is. If you’re sensitive to dlss artifacts enable Dlaa. It’s just using dlss as anti aliasing but the best anti aliasing around and still running natively. It’s peak image quality.

[@jasonh4534]

@justacollegestudent5147 I am very sensitive to screen tearing. So I keep vsync on. I target 60fps, which is the max refresh for my screen at 4k. I don't need more performance for FPS. So I tend to run at the highest graphics settings and RT. Often I am actually a bit below 100% on the GPU, and stutters are not an issue. I can only recall one game where I dropped below that, and that was a game well known to not handle high NPC concentration, and performance would drop in one area. I have gave consideration to a CPU upgrade, but haven't had the need yet. Part of the problem, is that upgrading my CPU would increase the TDP significantly, requiring a new cooling solution as well. I don't really have the room for a 360 AIO, and i am using one of the better performing air coolers right now. Unless I switched over to AMD, which would require a new MB and RAM.

[@Pholiage]

I recently bought a 4080 Super going from a 1660 Super. My cpu is a 14600kf and yes I was bottlenecking the cpu. But another issue that I didn't expect by unleashing the full potential was the increased heat produced by the cpu. The AIO I am using a Capellix 240 by Corsair and it didn't have any issues keeping things cool in both the case and in the room. But now when it's can do 100% usage I had to turn up my fans just to keep the temps in check. I know it's "fine" to run temps a 70c+ when gaming. But I tend to find ambient comfort is just as important. And it blasting out tons of heat now makes me open the window every now and then. And the gpu is just breezing at 50 when going full. Well done MSI Expert

[@MaheerKibria]

Finally a tech KZbinr saying that you need to match your specs to your use case.

[@mashningshen5284]

I have a mid range PC with a Ryzen 5 3500 and a 1660 super, for over 5 years now, and I play games occasionally but lately I realized my CPU was holding my GPU back even though it was not a high end GPU. Upgraded to 5 5600X last week and it has made a massive difference in the GPU-CPU performance.

[@Alias_Anybody]

People usually buy PCs instead of consoles because they want to use it for other stuff than gaming, and that "other stuff" usually needs more CPU than GPU power. So don't cheap out too much. Browser and video editing are often actually bottlenecked by the RAM first and foremost. If you buy affordable drives which don't support the latest standards anyway and don't hook super special peripherals to your PC, you can usually save a lot of money on the motherboard.

[@TheLifeOfaBichon]

June I got a entire new case and everything new inside the case. I got an MSI MPG x670e carbon wi-fi mainboard. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 core CPU with 32 threads. Corsair All In One Liquid cooling for my CPU. (CPU runs 41c idle). 96GB (24GBx4) Corsair DDR5 Vengeance RGB RAM 7,200MHz at quad channel configuration. MSI GeForce 4080 RTX 16GB Super Slim video card. Corsair RM 1,000watt modular PSU. Corsair 7000D Full Tower Air flow case, Two m.2 nvme Corsair 2TB PCI 5.0 drives (one has my Windows 11 Pro OS on it, other has my PC games on it). Two m.2 nvme Corsair 2TB PCI 4.0 drives. (total drive space 8TB). That's just inside my case. My internet is hardwired at 40Mbps up/1Gbps down. I can't slow this PC down at all. It is just so fast.

[@S3KHAR]

Few things to consider while buying products to balance your PC. - You can search "your budget - pc" to get a basic overview of what is possible. - Consider buying from reputable brands and avoid buying stuff because they seem good enough or are dirt cheap. - If you're buying pre-owned products, always test before you buy and compare prices with other sellers. - Be cautious of "trust me, bro it works", they usually don't.

[@dakotamcmillan]

Threadripper + 4090 = gaming & productivity bliss gotcha!

[@skorpysk]

a weak cpu is way worse, than a weak gpu

[@JGComments]

Yup, especially because people tend to spend way more on the gpu - it’s a shame to waste that performance due to not spending $50 more on a cpu

[@mrbobgamingmemes9558]

True, stuttering and fps drop is far more frustrating to deall than consistent lower fps,

[@squirtle88]

@@JGComments True I bet there are a lot of new PC builders who only hear the hype about a 4090 for example, get that amazing card, then pair it with a super weak cpu and wonder why their performance is terrible.

[@GameslordXY]

​@@squirtle88 What do you consider strongest super weak CPU?

[@arbeitfanclub]

yeah i can say that with experience, amd fx 8350 and a gtx 1080, on ff14 i go from 60 to 2 fps.

[@Rouxenator]

APU

[@AtlassGaming]

Always fun when a Celeron bottlenecks its own iGPU

[@AikelJoseph]

5700G user here, Whats crazy about APUs in a gaming perspective/context is that they're a pretty overkill CPU relative to their integrated graphics it's being paired with. Unless you're mostly doing emulation

[@Rouxenator]

@@AtlassGaming only because over the past 2 decades game developers and GPU makers formed a cartel.

[@Rouxenator]

@@AikelJoseph depends what you do, I play Xonotic on my 5700G at 1800p with no issues.

[@AikelJoseph]

​@@Rouxenator agreed. even though I only had few minutes of play time on Xonotic, I would still say the same. props to the devs of that game!

[@TopRacer2002]

The biggest problem i found in balancing my computer is in actually finding hardware at a price and quality i wanted and could afford. However, as Linus said see lots of reviews and tests of the gpu and cpu you want and you'll be able to get close to it. My bottleneck in my pc at the moment is my motherboard as i have a B450 with a Ryzen 7 1800 and an RX6600. Once i upgrade the motherboard to a B550 and cpu to a 3600X (and the RAM if i can to 3200mhz) all components will be running at full speed.

[@yackemup]

My best advice to balance the build....buy the absolute best cpu and absolute best gpu then people can't say it's unbalanced because you literally have the best you can get

[@HeyHaunt]

Linus always use CS in his videos. Absolute one of us.

[@MrIbaad]

Just as I was looking for ways to fix my cpu bottleneck, a 5900x bottlenecks a 3080 Ti in a lot of games on 1440p these days

[@Hennerbo]

Sell the 5900X, get a 5700X3D

[@SuperGGnoRE]

7800X3D will remove any and all CPU bottlenecks.

[@RadialSeeker113]

5700x3d is where its at. A 5900x might as well be a 5600x coz their perf is so close.

[@mr.peanutbutterbear9232]

Just a quick question, is my 12600k and 3090Ti balanced?

[@gasracing5000]

​@mr.peanutbutterbear9232 yes, good balance

[@VaulTec]

In general it better to have a stronger CPU since having the overhead gives you options. Like having a lot of background programs discord, browser with unlimited amounts of tabs/KZbin playing, wallpaper engine, whatever

[@walterwhite415]

I´m playing shooters, single player games, racing games, sandbox games with loads of mods and also I´m using my PC for CAD, Adobe Creative Cloud and sometimes even video editing. So depending on what I do, all components will be at their limits at some point.

[@coldReactive]

For an MMO, or Star Citizen, you need both CPU and GPU really good. CPUs take care of Physics simulations / shadows on entities like players and enemies. However, for the CPU, you need something like the AMD x3D processors. Star citizen also takes 24+ GB of RAM on its own (Yes, on its own. (Yes, the process itself.)) after an hour because it uses asset streaming.

[@pyromethious]

Always start a build with "what are you going to be doing?". Look at what software you'll be running, etc and then checkout their preferred specs. Throw in some over spec'ing for "room to grow" and you'll have a good place to be at.

[@Tidwillshare]

1:14 this bad boy can pump out so many framerates per second

[@maxa1969]

For example, in games, the most important thing is that the CPU is not a bottleneck, because it has more to do than just running the game. The graphics card, on the other hand, can usually focus completely on running the game and can use all its resources for it without problems.

[@ClearLampOil]

1:13 hearing this string of words physically hurt me.

[@Mempler]

I prefer a stronger cpu than a gpu. Just because i'm a developer who does a lot of compiling. I'm fine with an average gpu as long as my cpu is strong. It all comes down to what your use case is

[@_Zaid]

This also depends on what kind of programming you do. Writing Go with Vim versus .NET with Visual Studio are very different workloads.

[@luzhang2982]

Rightto, get the rigt tool for the job and optimize to your usecase

[@NihongoWakannai]

Also you can always lower graphics settings if you have a GPU bottleneck

[@CutiePi]

5700X3D + 3070 for 1080p gaming. Will be running this until the PS8 pro lmao

[@n7x]

I’ve been thinking about getting rtx 3070 but people say the 8gb vram makes it bad, is that true?

[@JGComments]

I bought a 78003XD on sale, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it go above 35%, but I felt like it was such a good chip that it would last me into my next GPU upgrade.

[@therealyogibear2k225]

Since getting my Laptop, I have given up on getting another desktop. I had a prettry sweet Ryzen 7 desktop with a Noctua CPU Cooler and an RTX 3080 graphics card. But, when I had to leave it behind because of my illness (long story short I can't use stairs anymore and I used to live in a 3rd story flat!) I got myself a laptop, And, for the games I want to play on it (which are never any AAA titles,) it's perfect for me and I don't see any need for a desktop anymore. It's a lot cheaper to run too!

[@xhenriquefps]

6:14 yep I have a 5600X paired with a 4080 I'm more than happy with their performance together. Of the games i usually play, There hasn't been a game yet I couldn't play at 4k120, even if it requires frame gen or lowering graphics a bit. Besides forza motorsport because that game is optmized like aaaaaasssssssssssssssssss If i ever feel the need, the 5800X3D is also a great option For upgrade.

[@kuyache2]

For first timers or returnee PC builders in 2024 always start with your monitor resolution, refresh rate and purpose. For the majority of casual gamers 1080p/1440p 144hz with freesync is a good start. Then match it with the GPU that suits your need. For high detail graphics a decently new 8gb or 12gb GPU would suffice (4060ti 16gb and 7600XT 16gb are priced horrendously so just avoid them if they are not on bargain bins, but do get that 6800XT/7800XT if you see one on massive discount). Next is the CPU, any recent 6 core or 8 core will do the job nicely (DDR5 platform will also extend your PC life longer compared to DDR4) and sure wont bottleneck your entry/mid level GPU. Then get the PSU with adequate power for you GPU and CPU plus peripherals, a trusted brand 650-750watts 80 plus is fine if you are not planning to upgrade to monsters like the 4090. As for Memory, 16gb ram is a good start but going 32gb is cheap way to extend your PC's lifespan on the get go. On storage 1tb nvme is the common way go to and needing more is just a matter of buying more. Competitive gamers who needs a lot of frame rates already knows which to build, they mostly get the fastest CPU first alongside the fastest monitor then a decent gpu. Simulation gamers also build the same thing but with better GPU's and CPU with more cores. Graphics whores also knows what they need to buy, the best of the best top of the line they can afford!

[@kizi86]

I went overboard with my Team Red setup, 7900XTX Red Devil, 7950x, 64GB 6000MT/s RAM, 2x 2TB pcie gen4 nvme drives, cant complain 😅

[@White-nl8td]

Spend more on GPU or CPU depending on applications / games you will use your PC for. For gamers, except for e-sports titles, you will need a fully utilised GPU (95-100%). So choose a best GPU your budget can afford, then choose the CPU that matches it and buy a 1-tier /2-tier more performant CPU so that the GPU is the bottleneck for today, but can still match your future GPU upgrade. Note that, the few dollars you save by not spending on 1-tier-up CPU won't immediately make you afford a 1-tier-up GPU.

[@SuperGGnoRE]

In this same video about balancing your build there's an ad read for a maxed out PC with an end-of-life Intel socket.

[@craesh]

Important to know that most "upgrades" will only give you a small (a few percent) performance benefit. Like RAM speed, SSD speed or cooling. Yes, the effect is measurable, but barely noticeable. Only spend money on these if you haven't maxed out other things. E.g. instead of faster RAM, you may reach for the next CPU tier.

[@markusTegelane]

A fun one not mentioned here is USB bottlenecking, where a badly behaving USB device can slow down your computer and even make it unresponsive (basically deadlocking it) until it disconnects and displays the infamous "USB device not recognized" notification.

[@Icon1306]

Balance left economics on 2021

[@Gaetano.94]

Using a 7600x with my RTX 4080 in 4K only since it plays amazing and is not bottlenecked like it would be in 1440p/1080p. I play on a LG C1 120hz OLED, I love this 48 inch TV as a monitor so much.

[@AusSkiller]

To use reviews to balance your system, look for reviewers who benchmark with the games you play (or at least similar) and then try to get a CPU with similar FPS number to the GPU FPS number at the resolutions/settings that you would use.

[@vladislavkaras491]

Great video, thanks!

[@Scotty24198424]

They mentioned in this video where having a weak gpu and a strong cpu can cause a bottleneck but none of the situations they mentioned in this video were bottlenecks for this setup and I can't think of a situation for gaming at least where you could even cause a bottleneck with this setup.

[@RickDeckardCain]

Your point about not needing giant cases is why I wish mATX formats were more popular. Most people don't need 7 expansion slots. But mATX is seen by both manufacturers and enthusiasts as the budget offerings in a positive feedback loop

[@Wynn_Silver]

I feel like the desire for "balance" is mostly just about budget. Having one OP component just means that component won't use it's full potential, it doesn't make the rest of the system slower. Buy what suits your fancy and fits your wallet.

[@NotJustme-dh4bn]

You do need a big case, so you can build a quiet computer. Loudest part in my build is large capacity hard drive.

[@stevengrundy4296]

There is some kind of low frequency hum on this video. It's really irritating

[@kraio-sfu]

Turn down your volume. Your hearing will thank you.

[@theskyblockman]

I felt personally attacked when he put a 7800X3D and a 1650

[@dferr18]

Awesome content!

[@NepuniLokhoInst]

This was helpful!

[@eekbah]

This the second techquickie video with an annoying hum in the background. With how simple it would be to remove in post how is it making it to published videos?

[@5Revive]

the mobo Z790 UD AC has an insane amount of expansion slots for almost nothing money wise

[@fooboomoo]

I find the builds on pc parts picler a great inspiration

[@derekdjay]

I went through heavy overthinking trying to come up with an Intel 13400F build to assemble myself, a system that was to be good for 5 maybe 10 years, while owning a newly-bought 1650 GPU from the PC I was replacing. Not knowing how much enough a 1650 would be for the near future, scared of compatibility issues or breaking things while assembling or static electricity damage, I ended up buying a prebuilt with Intel 12400F, a 4060 and a SSD that's not even on PCIe4. And I was left with the 1650 that I can't use and I can't sell. The first that needs to be balanced is me.

[@djones6211]

Oooof that thumbnail is exactly my situation... I'd need a new mother board too and I'm so far from affording that right now.

[@itsdeonlol]

Thannks Linus!

[@bhupendragurram3026]

W advice Ztt

[@AlexanderSteinerRacing]

Linus on Techquickie. Rare, like the black LTT intro

[@Majima487]

i bought a 7900xt when i still had a 1700x, when i changed the cpu to the 5800x3d, yup there definately was a boost :D, all that was in a 4 month period and my gpu had failed so i knew i was going to change the cpu soon.

[@arafat464]

I feel like this video was made to rub it into Luke's face that he lost Scrapyard Wars.

[@K-o-R]

The downside of "balancing" cpu and gpu is you'd then have to upgrade both, whereas as long as you have something with room for an upgrade you can max one out and just accept that it's not meeting its full potential but you only need to upgrade the other at a later date.

[@Windguy5691]

I don’t know now since it’s all in runouts or unavailable. But the cheapest PC long term but with a bonus of handling everything probably up to 10 years is a 7800x3D with 4080 Super. Only one upgrade of GPU and if needed CPU in 10 years (around 4 or 5 year mark). That’s it. If buying weaker system or more expensive system, they’ll cost you more over 10 years. I hate the fact nobody really does a 10 year performance/price quality of upgrading based on current and estimated future tech.

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

I just upgraded (today, right now actually while watching this), from an i5-8400 to a i5-12400f, GTX 1660 Ti to a RTX 3060. The CPU/Mobo cost me $320AUD, the GPU is $4450AUD. Running 1440p at 60.

[@crit-c4637]

I disagree on 1 point. It's often better to buy a better component than you need if you plan to upgrade the other components later. I bought a psu that was more than what I needed, but I knew that I would be upgrafing my cpu and gpu later, so rather than buy just what I needed now and then have to buy a new psu later, it was way more cost effective to just buy the better psu first.

[@crit-c4637]

About the only thing I don't do this with is RAM cause I can easily buy a whole new set for about $100.

[@NihongoWakannai]

​@@crit-c4637 a PSU is probably the best investment since they last so long and the technology isn't exactly progressing very fast. Other components get cheaper so quickly you're better off just waiting and upgrading when you need it.

[@zerozeroone4424]

I recently upgraded my GPU to a 4060 from a 1660 and while it's nice to have ray tracing, DLSS and frame generation, i notice that my i5 9400f is now HEAVILY holding back my system now. I constantly have bad frame times and stutter. Sometimes even freezing for seconds at a time in certain games. I really should get a new MB and CPU

[@DanielOliveiraViolao]

Interesting. Thanks!

[@MrMoto655]

You can do really well with an older high end CPU. I had an i7-3770K pretty much since it was new and just replaced it about 2 years ago. With a modern GPU, it performed perfectly fine. The biggest issue for me at the time was the lack of AVX2 which caused some games not to work. Of course that doesn’t mean buy a decade old, top of the line CPU but you can get by just fine with an 8th or 9th gen i7 and get it for cheap. Thank Intel for dragging their feet on pushing their products to the edge.

[@yeahitsjake1623]

TLDR.... Google your use case... Nothing of substance in this video. 1:53 (read reviews and figure it out), 4:48 (read reviews and figure it out), 6:07 (too much to consider, google it and figure it out). Not trying to be a d*ck here and I've built a dozen computers. I didn't need this video but tuned in to see how it can help others. I genuinely don't see how this helped anybody. I'm well aware that you can't spec every use case, both platforms of CPU, GPU Etc, But damn... This feels like a tiktok saying "Buy good stuff, not bad stuff.... and.. look up what is good and bad... goodluck."

[@Cobra_Coded]

thank you linus

[@gormauslander]

This is why people say things like "just get me the best available"

[@gruntaxeman3740]

It is not just CPU/GPU balancing. No matter how much money to spend, it is also important to balance watts. And why? Few year old computers are easily just piece of junk if they make noise, heat and make higher electricity bill without giving benefits on long term use. So better way to balancing is to think following things: A) What applications I need to run now (hardware requirements should be at least recommended specs) B) What applications I expect to run in near future (find out what is the hardware target of applications that is made in near future) C) Optimize watts to minimum and also amount of components, MTBF, support length, OS compatibility time. When you mention games, if there is couple of known games that need to work, just take specs from those. But generic gaming machine we know what is the target. It is current gaming console gen equivalent hardware and little more and little more room because there are other load in machine too and games are not so optimized specific CPU/GPU.

[@Ryzza5]

If only reviews still used balanced and popular component pairs like they used to.

[@RadialSeeker113]

I believe an R5 7600 + 4090 is not even bad at 4k for DLAA/path traced titles. The 4090 is the bottleneck there anyway. Also gives you the best cheap upgrade path for end game AM5(11800x3d or whatever)

[@samson7294]

Yeah. 6 fast zen 4 cores are great for a 4090 if you're shooting for 4k/120hz I bought a 7900x3d (i do encoding/editing) with my 4090 and when I'm gaming, half of the 12 cores are parked and the 6 cores barely break a sweat in games. Space Marine 2 which is pretty heavy on the CPU was barely pushing my CPU usage over 30%

[@samyplayz]

5:31 i thought he was about to say a mom joke

[@jordan-mn6yy]

Bottlenecks exist even on a balanced system. The meaning is that what is the component holding you back, by definition there will always be something that holds back the system at any given situation. The solution isnt to just throw money at it but to know how to make it work optimally to your needs and preferences. So for a game you expect no stutter and screen tearing. Figure out how to solve that then work within the limitations of your specific bottlenecks.

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

While having a slightly unbalanced build that is biased toward the CPU might be sub-optimal in the short-term, the long-term reason for doing it anyway is that I expect to get more mileage out of the CPU than the GPU. Unlike the '90s, if you get a solid CPU now, it could easily be a decade before it starts to feel like it's not quite able to keep up. You can skip several generations of CPUs if the one you have is still capable of more performance that you need, whereas GPUs are still advancing at a pace where what's upper-mid-tier could end up seeming kind of underwhelming within a couple generations. If I splurge a bit on the CPU at the cost of the (initial) GPU, it's because I'm anticipating I'll be upgrading the GPU within a couple years anyway, and would rather have my invest in a CPU with lots of head-room to accommodate those later GPUs.

[@Newtonius_Richthoten]

For the PSU portion, you forgot to mention how to find the recommended PSU you need for your system, which is just searching up the recommended power supply for the GPU you're buying. I see those questions quite frequently on toms hardware.