The Evolution of my AMD A10-7850K PC: Six Months of Upgrades and Tweaks
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Building and Upgrading My PC
- Choosing the Components: AMD's A10-7850K APU, DDR3 RAM, and 1TB Hard Drive
- The Power Supply Issue and Trade-off with My Son
- Adding a Samsung 840 Pro SSD as the Boot Drive
- Utilizing Additional Storage Drives
- Upgrading the Graphics Card to an AMD R9270X
- Adjusting the BIOS Configuration for Onboard Graphics and Memory Clock Speed
- Using the Stock Air Cooler and CPU Fan Tweaking
- Improving Noise Levels with PWM Fans
- Running Exclusively on the SSD and Disabling Additional Hard Drives
- Conclusion: Enjoying the Performance and Tweaks
🖥️ Building and Upgrading My PC
Over six months ago, I embarked on the journey of building my own PC. I carefully selected the components to ensure optimal performance and have since made several upgrades and tweaks to enhance the overall experience. In this article, I will share the details of my PC-building adventure and discuss the changes I've made along the way.
🖥️ Choosing the Components: AMD's A10-7850K APU, DDR3 RAM, and 1TB Hard Drive
When building my PC, I opted for AMD's A10-7850K Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) as the central component. Alongside this, I installed 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a spacious 1TB hard drive. These choices provided me with a solid foundation for performance and storage capabilities.
⚡ The Power Supply Issue and Trade-off with My Son
However, I encountered a minor hiccup when it came to the power supply. Luckily, I was able to resolve this by swapping power supplies with my son, Chris. The one I originally ordered worked flawlessly with his computer, while his power supply worked perfectly in mine. This simple trade-off quickly resolved the issue, allowing me to continue with the assembly process.
💾 Adding a Samsung 840 Pro SSD as the Boot Drive
Before installing the operating system, I made the decision to invest in a Samsung 840 Pro SSD. I chose the 256GB version of this reliable SSD and utilized it as my boot drive. The 1TB hard drive that came with the AMD bundle served as an additional storage drive. This configuration provided me with faster boot times and improved overall system responsiveness.
📂 Utilizing Additional Storage Drives
In the following months, I incorporated some of the mechanical drives from my previous PC into the system. This allowed me to take advantage of the ample storage space, reaching a total capacity of approximately 10 terabytes. However, I soon realized the need for file maintenance. I carefully organized and transferred files, eliminating duplicates and consolidating everything onto the larger, more efficient drives.
🎮 Upgrading the Graphics Card to an AMD R9270X
To enhance my gaming experience, I decided to install an AMD R9270X 4GB video card manufactured by Gigabyte. This upgrade allowed me to play a variety of games, including popular titles like Titanfall and Battlefield 4. I even revisited older games like Oblivion and Skyrim to witness the improved performance on my new system. Eventually, I passed on this video card to my oldest son, Chris, who used it in his own PC. He, in turn, upgraded his younger brother Ryan's PC by running two identical AMD 777 graphics cards in Crossfire.
🚀 Adjusting the BIOS Configuration for Onboard Graphics and Memory Clock Speed
To further optimize my system's performance, I made a couple of changes to the default BIOS configuration. Firstly, I forced the onboard graphics on the motherboard, allowing me to allocate more video RAM. By increasing the video RAM from the default 1GB to 2GB, I ensured smoother graphics rendering, even in demanding games. Additionally, I switched from the default memory clock speed profile to the XMP profile number two. This adjustment boosted the maximum stock clocks and reduced latency, resulting in a more efficient memory usage.
🌬️ Using the Stock Air Cooler and CPU Fan Tweaking
Despite considering alternative cooling solutions, such as a water cooling system, I ultimately stuck with the stock air cooler that came with the APU. Surprisingly, it performed admirably, running quietly and efficiently. I further improved the cooling performance by utilizing Gigabyte's EasyTune 6 program to adjust CPU fan speeds. With these modifications, the system temperature remained stable, and the noise levels were kept to a minimum.
🌪️ Improving Noise Levels with PWM Fans
To achieve even better noise reduction, I added a third case fan to my setup. With the help of pulse-Wave modulation (PWM), I adjusted the rotational speed of the fans based on temperature. This allowed them to run at low speeds when the system wasn't under heavy load, resulting in a peaceful computing experience. The ambient noise produced by the fans became almost unnoticeable, contributing to a more serene workspace.
💽 Running Exclusively on the SSD and Disabling Additional Hard Drives
After completing all necessary file management and transfers, I made the decision to deactivate the remaining physical hard drives and run exclusively on the SSD. This decision was primarily driven by the desire to improve performance. Certain programs, like Firefox, were utilizing the next available hard drive for caching, leading to occasional performance hitches. By disabling the unused drives, I ensured that all caching and program operations were directed to the primary C drive, thus eliminating any performance bottlenecks.
👍 Conclusion: Enjoying the Performance and Tweaks
In conclusion, the months following the assembly of my PC have been filled with enjoyment and satisfaction. The careful selection of components, upgrades, and tweaks have resulted in a remarkable computing experience. From the enhanced gaming capabilities to the improvements in noise levels and overall system responsiveness, I have truly embraced the benefits of building and customizing my own PC.
Highlights:
- Building a PC with AMD's A10-7850K APU and DDR3 RAM
- Trading power supplies with my son to resolve issues
- Adding a Samsung 840 Pro SSD as the primary boot drive
- Utilizing additional storage drives for increased capacity
- Upgrading the graphics card to an AMD R9270X
- Adjusting BIOS configuration for improved onboard graphics and memory speed
- Maximizing cooling performance with the stock air cooler and fan tweaking
- Optimizing noise levels with PWM fans and adding the third case fan
- Running exclusively on the SSD and disabling idle hard drives
- Enjoying the overall performance and tweaks of the system
FAQs:
Q: Why did you choose AMD's A10-7850K APU for your PC build?
A: I chose the A10-7850K APU for its excellent performance and integrated graphics capabilities.
Q: How did you resolve the power supply issue?
A: I traded power supplies with my son, Chris, as his power supply worked with my PC and vice versa.
Q: What improvements did you Notice after adding the Samsung 840 Pro SSD?
A: The SSD significantly improved boot times and overall system responsiveness.
Q: Why did you choose to run exclusively on the SSD?
A: Running exclusively on the SSD eliminated performance bottlenecks caused by caching on multiple hard drives.
Q: Did the fan tweaks and additions noticeably reduce noise levels?
A: Yes, the adjustments and additions of PWM fans greatly reduced ambient noise, resulting in a quieter computing experience.