My old PC was making me nauseous... Time to upgrade
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Get an unrestricted 30-day free trial of FreshBooks at freshbooks.com Use code LINUS and get 25% off GlassWire at lmg.gg For once I actually have a REASON to upgrade my PC... so let's get it done :D Buy Ryzen 3800X on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us Buy Nvidia RTX 2080Ti on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Our Affiliates, Referral Programs, and Sponsors: lmg.gg Get a Displate Metal Print at lmg.gg Get a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime at lmg.gg Linus Tech Tips merchandise at lttstore.com Our Test Benches on Amazon: amazon.com Our production gear: geni.us Twitter - twitter.com Facebook - @LinusTech Instagram - @linustech Twitch - twitch.tv Intro Screen Music Credit: Title: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro Screen Music Credit: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High youtube.com
The video opens with the host acknowledging that many upgrades around the tech channel have been excessive, replacing solid hardware with top-tier components simply because it’s possible. He explains that his goal this time is practical: to upgrade a home theater PC slash VR gaming rig that previously struggled with frame drops when streaming in VR. The initial focus is on identifying bottlenecks, mainly the CPU, which is an aging i5 4570 that cannot keep up when encoding and running a Twitch chat integration simultaneously. He notes that the NvEnc encoder reduces GPU load but the CPU still spikes during streaming, causing potential dizziness for viewers due to dropped frames. Rather than a full parts replacement, the plan is to reuse as much as possible and carefully upgrade key components to improve performance without breaking the compact, mini-ITX build ethos. The segment also teases the use of a water bottle gag for humor, signaling a lighthearted approach to hardware experimentation while maintaining practical goals for performance gains.
Topics · technology · hardware · pc-building · content-creation
Questions answered
- What was the main motivation behind upgrading the PC in this video?
- The upgrade aimed to eliminate frame drops and viewer dizziness during VR streaming by addressing CPU bottlenecks while keeping a compact mini ITX build and reusing as many existing components as possible.
- Which CPU and motherboard were chosen for the upgrade?
- A Ryzen 7 3800X CPU paired with an ASRock X570-based mini ITX motherboard (ROG Crosshair VIII Impact) was chosen to double core count and improve per-core performance.
- How does the creator handle cooling in the compact build?
- He uses a low-profile cooling solution and optimizes airflow by routing fan cables and leveraging the power supply's airflow, while noting long-term concerns about cooling in a small form factor.
- What is the planned future project mentioned in the video?
- The creator plans to move compute hardware into a server room and use fiber optics to bring connectivity back to the main setup for improved performance.