Background
I built a computer in July of 2021 so I can play more modern games and run more virtual machines. Little did I know, what should have been a relatively straightforward project would lead me down a rabbit hole of learning about misleading advertising, tech industry manipulation, market economics, budgeting, and psychology. It started out with a plan to replace a previous desktop computer that I had built back in 2012. By the end, the new computer is using so much overpriced parts that I developed a serious buyer’s regret.
In summary, what should have been a quick upgrade using mostly old parts from another computer ended up dragging on over almost three months and the end product is over twice my initial budget estimates. The process generated a lot of waste along the way. I brought a lot of parts, only to find I either do not need them, or they do not perform the way I had expected from their spec sheets. Along the way, I learned more about myself and the tech industry than what I thought possible, or even wanted to know, before this whole project got started.
The 2021 Tech Crunch
Supply Constraints
In terms of timing, 2021 was probably the worst time to build a DIY PC. The COVID pandemic combined with an unprecedented increase in the value of cryptocurrency caused prices for electronics to skyrocket. By June 2021, COVID has already greatly disrupted the global supply chain. It forced the semiconductor factories of East Asia to halt production due to the pandemic. Soon after, global logistics grounded to a halt as international borders closed. Retailers’ inventories dwindled as supply chains collapsed. All in all, the prices for everything soared as the the global supply chain came under increased pressure.
Remote Work and Cryptocurrency
On the demand side, COVID had caused a significant and sudden increase in demand for all sorts of computing equipment. Part of the reason for this increase came workers and students being forced to work at home full this. This drove demand for computer chips and networking equipment as people updated their home office setups. Needless to say, for many households, the sudden necessity of having a computer for everyone in their homes created a surge in demand for more the said computers and networking equipement.
However, the larger cause of rising computer costs was the cryptocurrency boom (and bust) of 2021. In the wake of the financial collapse of March 2020, governments have poured liquidity in the form of various stimulus packages into the global economy to keep it afloat. It resulted in massive inflation as too much liquidity chased too few worthwhile financial investments.
More important for computer enthusiasts, This financial stimulus also pushed up the prices of cryptocurrencies. Higher prices incentivized crypto mining by both individual miners and commercial operations. As I have previously touched on, cryptocurrency mining is very computer resource intensive. It is worth touching on that 2021 was not the first time cryptocurrency mining has caused shortages of computing equipment. This exact scenario had already happened in 2017. The explosion of cryptocurrency profitability resulted in a “bidding war” between cryptocurrency miners, PC enthusiasts, and downstream manufacturers (such as automakers), driving up the prices of silicon further.
The overall effect of both supply and demand constraints pushed prices for computers to almost ludicrous levels. In such environments, scalpers proliferated to bring the demand and supply curves back into “balance”. For instance, the market price of products such as graphics processors could reach up to three times the price on the label. Choosing to build a computer in the middle of such events was foolish at best. Yet, I had to scratch that itch. This is where the first part of the regret came in.
The Upgrade
Prior to building the new computer, I was running off of a computer that I had built back in 2012. I also have a ROG Strix laptop, a model GL503VD that I purchased in 2018, for running more intensive applications. The old desktop computer had an AMD A10-5800K accelerated processing unit and eight gigabytes of DDR3 RAM.
The logic I had back in 2012 was to use entry-level budget components because I could not justify an overpowered computer. Despite being the first time I had built a computer, even this 2012 computer was a Frankenstein-Esque affair. Many of its components, namely the DVD drive and two of the HDD drives, were salvaged from even older HP Pavilion Athlon II computers from the 2007 and 2009. For those interested, the specs for this old computer are below:
Why I upgraded
By 2021, both of my computers were beginning to show their ages. My old AMD desktop would randomly freeze and crash after I installed an Apache web server as a test environment for the production website you are reading now. But the computer was obsolete for gaming long before 2021. As for the ROG laptop, it is also showing its age in 2021 but for a different reason. The laptop would noticeably slow to a crawl when I run virtual machines to emulate Linux computers. Furthermore, the laptop’s Nvidia’s GTX 1050 graphics chip cannot run more graphics-intensive games at above medium-level settings. In the mean time, I had seen what my friends’ computers could do, and itched for a better computer.
Another reason why I upgraded at this time was my employer notifying me the imminent end of their work from home policy. I was informed my employer was expecting their employees to be physically back in the office starting September 2021. Back to working on site would mean more time lost to commute and less leisure time. For this reason, I thought it was better late than never and take advantage of the last few months of Work From Home before life becomes hectic again.
The Plan
I had a plan to save money that in retrospect only increased the cost of the final machines. I had planned to re-use as many of the existing components from my old desktop as I could. This included reusing the computer case, the power supply unit, the three HDD storage drives, the remaining optical drive, the 120mm fan, and the AIO CPU cooler. I thought I only needed to replace the CPU, GPU, and RAM, as well as adding an M.2. SSD stick to keep up with the times. I estimated the total upgrarde cost to be around $1500 CAD.
I decided to buy the state-of-art enthusiast-grade computer components this time. This is because reflecting on my experience with my previous computer. I realized my old computer had quickly become unable to run some of the newer games. Furthermore, as my career in IT progressed, I need to run more and more virtual machines and server software on my computer. I believed a higher-end system would allow me to run more virtual machines and to throw more resources at servers so my new computer would not splutter and crash like my previous computer.
I planned to buy a high-end board and CPU up-front and slowly add in components over the coming years. The computer was planned to have a useful service life of around a decade. Furthermore, both the AMD AM4 socket and DDR4 RAM reaching are their end of life. Botho of these specifications are scheduled to be replaced by the AM5 socket and DDR5 socket respectively the next year. I thought buying the most powerful CPU of the current generation would allow me to avoid the pitfalls of being an early adopter of newer technologies, as newer tech will inevitably have many undetected flaws and bugs in their initial implementation and will only be identified and patched with time.
The logic behind getting the most powerful components was the reason why I decided to get the AMD Ryzen 9 5950x CPU. I went with the cheapest X570 chipset motherboard I could find, which was the MSI X570 Gaming Plus. I could not resist a 1TB Samsung M.2 solid-state drive to take advantage of the new PCIe 4 lanes. I chose to use a single 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, reasoning I can upgrade later. For the GPU, I got lucky when the retailer Canada Computers had a batch of Gigabyte RTX 3060 available at $600 CAD. I calculated the planned build would use less than the 500W, which was the maximum output from my Cooler Master PSU.
Unfortunately, the desire to save money and be economical with my resources soon got swept away by a series of mistakes. These mistakes resulted in me spending far more money than I had planned.
Mark 1: Frankenstein Computer
The original idea was a Frankenstein computer. This involved putting my newest components inside an old computer case. While being an ATX case the installation went fine, I quickly discovered that the old hardware simply would not work the way I thought it would.
Some of the troubles I had with this configuration involved:
- The Cooler Master PSU lacked the connectors for the more modern hardware.
- The PSU lacked the 8-pin GPU PCIe connector on the RTX 3060. Instead, the PSU had a 6-pin connector that no modern GPUs use.
- The PSU’s CPU 8-pin power connector was not long enough to reach the CPU power header on the top-left of the motherboard.
- The PSU also lacked another four 4-pin connector that is optional for the CPU on this MSI board.
- The PSU also could not deliver the amount of 12V electricity required by the system. This is addressed in the later PSU upgrade section.
- The Corsair H55 AIO was not capable of cooling the CPU to prevent thermal throttling. The CPU idled at around 50°C and running games quickly got the CPU above the thermal threshold of 90°C.
Ultra XBlaster Case vs. New Components
However, the most jarring experience was related to the old Ultra XBlaster V2 ATX case. After some research I discovered this case was outdated even by 2012 standards.
Cable Management
A major drawback of this case I discovered was the lack of cable management space. The case had no motherboard cutouts for cables or any space behind the motherboard tray like more modern PC enclosures. All the cables must run directly from the PSU to the corresponding connector within the main component space itself.
The ATX motherboard also ran uncomfortably close to both the “ceiling” and the drive bay. This had the double effect of both making cables from the PSU not long enough to reach the power connectors on the motherboard, necessitating extensions. It also made plugging and unplugging cables awkward and difficult. For example, once when a SATA connect seemingly came loose, I had to remove all the hard drives at the front as well as the graphics cards to check the connectors. This highlighted the problem of the Ultra XBlaster case as not a case suitable for switching components after everything has been installed.
Thermals
However, the biggest problem with this case was still the thermals. The case only had space for one 120mm intake fan and one 120mm exhaust fan. Additional 120mm fans could be installed on the side panel. However, there was no vent at the top of the case. The end result was the CPU was running at over 50 Celcius when idle. It became apparent that the 120mm AIO was not enough to cool the R9 5950x CPU.
I decided I will need a new CPU cooler. After watching videos on air versus liquid cooling on Youtube, primarily Gamers Nexus, I decided to make the switch over to an air cooler tower for its simplicity and smallerr failure probability. However, reading the technical specification on the Ultra XBlaster case, I realized an air cooler tower would likely block the top side air intake. And this would cause a lack of air in the case, due to the insufficient frontal intake fan. Combined with the cable management disaster with this outdated case, I decided to buy a more “modern” case that I hoped would address these two main issues.
Mark 2: Thermaltake Hotbox
The initial replacement case that I went was was the Thermaltake V100. My decision to go with the Thermaltake v100 ATX case was, in hindsight, a pretty bad one. I was determined to have a “serious” case that will not have any of the RGB lighting effects, which are common to almost all DIY computer cases today. Shunning RGB meant avoiding the the tempered glass side panels, with an all-solid steel enclosure was the only game in town.
I also wanted 5.25″ bays so I could put an internal DVD drive and an additional HDD I salvaged from the previous pre-built computers that my family had brought. Many modern enclosures no longer have 5.25″ drive bays as optical drives are relegated to the trash can of history. Today, in the rare cases where an optical reader is needed, it is more common to get a USB connected drive instead.
Finally, I wanted it cheap. At the time I had not delved into the art of case design that Gamer’s Nexus videos eventually taught me. I did not put too much stock on expensive cases. At the time, I had mistakenly believed a computer case merely housed the components, and anything more was a gimmick. As a result, I did not put too much stock into various quality-of-life improvements in case design over the past decade that caused me some grief down the line.
When I entered these conditions into the various search box of computer parts retailers in Canada, the Thermaltake V100 seemed to check all the right boxes and was the cheapest with the highest review to boot. For this reason, I decided to go with this case.
Trouble started almost immediately. One of the most glaring harbinger of future woes that should have been apparent from the V100’s promotional images is the lack of front intake. The front panel is almost entirely closed off, with only tiny holes for air. However, I pressed on with buying this case with, it later turned out, unwarranted trust in the promotional materials for “outstanding ventilation”. I reasoned that surely Thermaltake’s engineers could not be incompetent enough to call a case without front intake “ventilated”. I thought that in the worst-case scenario, I could simply take off the front panel and put a dust filter in front of the fans like seemingly most cases can do. Unfortunately for me, I overestimated the reliability of the promotional materials.
This case had turned out to be just as bad as the Ultra XBlaster. Even though I had switched out the old Corsair H55 AIO with the Arctic 34 eSports Duo tower cooler (claimed to be able to cool up to 210W CPU workload), the CPU continued to reach above 90°C when under load.
I quickly discovered the reason for this was because of fan placement options in the already closed-off case. Since I used both of the 5.25″ drive bays for the legacy internal DVD drive and housing for an additional HDD, only two 120mm fans could be installed at the front. When using such a configuration, half of the bottom-most fan would be blowing air into the PSU shroud, not contributing much in terms of cooling the main computing components that acutally generate heat. This meant out of two intake fans, one of them was blowing air into an isolated chamber that did not require cooling at all.
To make it worse, the closed-off front panel meant fans placed on the higher frontal fan mounts could not pump much air into the case. There was only one major air inlet at the front, and that was at the bottom of the panel. The lower fan was pumping air from this only major inlet at the bottom into the isolated PSU and hard drive area, while starving the highere-up fan that was supposed to cool the main component chamber of any significant air intake.
The design of the front I/O panel also meant I could not take off the front panel to cool the case like I originally wanted to if the air flow proved to be insufficient. This was because the front I/O of the Thermaltake V100 was glued onto the front panel rather than in an independent “brick” attached to the case chassis. This meant the closed-off front panel is not removable. Taking off the front panel required unplugging the front I/O, which includes critical functions such as the power button, from the motherboard. Therefore, the front panel must stay on for this case.
My overall experience with this case had been negative. Admittedly, I should have paid more attention to the promotional materials and read the reviews before buying this case. The high-end AMD CPU was prone to overheating when placed in this enclosure due to the lack of airflow. This was not beneficial to the CPU’s longevity. Therefore, I decided to go for another case, this time with a mesh front to improve ventilation.
Mark 3: Current Iteration
The case that I settled on to replace the Thermaltake V100 was the Cougar MX331. Like the Thermaltake V100, it is a budget case that hovers around the $50 CAD range. Compared to the V100, it has the advantage of a mesh front panel. However, this case comes with several drawbacks. The first drawback is that the fans for the MX331 case are mounted on an older style grill rather than on rails. Grills reduces airflow, compared to rail mounting that has no obstruction behind the fans. Secondly, the case can only mount 120mm fans, and only two at the front rather than three as is the case with the V100. Although this lack of fan options is not as concerning as in the Thermaltake V100, because both fans blow into the main chamber with no wasted air being pumped into the PSU shroud. Thirdly, the Cougar MX331 case only has one 5.25″ bay. This means I had to choose between reusing my extra HDD or DVD drive.
Nevertheless, I was sold on the case for several reasons. First, it is one of the few cases available that retains a side-mounted fan option and not looking too “gamer” with glass and RGB lighting everywhere. More importantly, after watching some (unscientific) tests using this case, the results showed the MX331 performed almost as well as the much more expensive Fractal Design Meshify C enclosure. The Fractal Design Meshify C is considered one of the “golden standard” cases that all other airflow-oriented cases are measured against. For these reasons, I bought this case, and the results do not disappoint.
The average temperature for the CPU and other major components dropped by around 5°C after re-casing the components. I chose to sacrifice the DVD drive for more storage capacity. The only major drawback of this setup was the Arctic eSports 34 Duo tower cooler was a bit too tall, so much so it blocked the side panel fan mount. This prompted me to switch to another AIO cooling solution, the Arctic Liquid Freezer 240. There was some difficulty in mounting the AIO radiator in a tube-down configuration, as the front fan screw holes only line up when the radiator is in a tube-up configuration. Fortunately or unfortunately, the flimsy steel quality of the case allowed me to get the screw holes lined up by pressing the radiator down on the PSU shroud. This might damage the tubes long-term.
PSU Upgrade
I also replaced the PSU unit in the upgrading process. This was because I discovered the old Cooler Master eXtreme Power PSU could only output 360W of electricity at 12V split between two rails. The rest of the 140W of the power output came in 3.3V and 5V rails. The lower voltage electricity would have powered peripheral devices and hard drives in older computers.
Cooler Master designed the PSU this way because the main computing components back in the day were not expected to consume all 500W of electricity at 12V. However, these lower voltage output rails and the dual 12V rail design are increasingly redundant in newer computers. This is because these older peripherals are depreciated and their newer replacements re designed to take 12V. This trend is what allowed Intel to recently publish its 12V only power supply standard. This is also why more recent PSUs, such as the Corsair RM750x, are designed so they can output their entire 750W rated power supply in a single 12V rail with 3.3V and 5V rails being more added on power for powering up the peripherals when necessary.
The outdated split rail PSU system of the Cooler Master eXtreme PSU meant the unit was almost always struggling to supply the power the new higher-end system needs. To compensate for the lack of 12V power, the PSU would send over more current on the 3.3V and 5V rails to meet the system’s demands. As a result, usage statistics would always show the current being pumped into the components was always at the upper limit of what the computer motherboard can tolerate. Therefore, I decided to replace this aging PSU with a more modern one, which solved the always over-current problem.
Final Computer Configuration
Summary of the Build Experience
Building my own computer was a fun but frustrating experience. It was fun to put together a machine with your own hands. It was not fun if the machine then doesn’t work, and I must then systematically troubleshoot the thing. Some of these pitfalls were major, such as the BIOS needed to be updated for it to work with the newest generation AMD CPUs. It took me a long time to realize that the default BIOS on the motherboard did not support the AMD Zen 3 CPUs until it is manually updated via a USB key. Others were minor but no less frustrating, such as loose SATA cables or RAM modules not slotting correctly. Modern motherboards with LED displays that show which component is causing the computer to fail to boot are certainly the best developments in recent years.
The money side also cost far more than I expected. What I estimated would be a $1500 CAD computer ended up costing more than $3000 CAD by the end of the process. This was mainly due to miscalculation and short-sighted planning on my part. Components that I purchased for use in one of the cases could not be carried over to the other case. Components that I planned to reuse also turned out to be incompatible with newer hardware. Psychological forces, such as the desire to always get the latest and the greatest RIGHT NOW, also played a significant factor in overspending. I will delve deeper into these lessons learned in part 2 of this blog series.