Official Computer Help Thread
- Thread starter ArchfiendRai
- Start date
Between buying a pre-built system or making one on my own, from a pure money perspective, the latter sounds better. I ended up with the following config for my dream/current-ideal system,
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/CY2dWX
The final cost of that is approximately (CAD) $ 2221/-
For those specs, if I bought something from a retailer, I'd have to pay around 3k or more.
Those costs got me thinking - my primary (and only real reason) for an upgrade is to game. For computing needs, my current laptop/effective-desktop does a good job. A console would cost me about ... $350-400 for a base PS4 (slim, I think) or $500 for a PS4 pro. The games themselves cost about the same as what I'm willing to spend on STEAM, so, for me at least, I don't need a PC upgrade right now.
All I have is a 1080p monitor to connect the console to, so between the PS4 and Pro models, I figure, might as well save up the extra $100 to future-proof the device and go for the Pro.
-chronodekar
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/CY2dWX
The final cost of that is approximately (CAD) $ 2221/-
For those specs, if I bought something from a retailer, I'd have to pay around 3k or more.
Those costs got me thinking - my primary (and only real reason) for an upgrade is to game. For computing needs, my current laptop/effective-desktop does a good job. A console would cost me about ... $350-400 for a base PS4 (slim, I think) or $500 for a PS4 pro. The games themselves cost about the same as what I'm willing to spend on STEAM, so, for me at least, I don't need a PC upgrade right now.
All I have is a 1080p monitor to connect the console to, so between the PS4 and Pro models, I figure, might as well save up the extra $100 to future-proof the device and go for the Pro.
-chronodekar
So I found this on Ebay, and I'm not sure if the parts are any good value or not.
Not really the Ti is slightly better but not by much in the bench marks that I've seen.
You'll get people who rave over TI's but in this case it is what it is.
If you've got 4k then SLI and Nvidia bridge is the way to go.
https://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/441170,the-sli-question-is-multi-gpu-worth-it.aspx
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3087524/hardware/tested-the-payoff-in-buying-nvidias-40-sli-hb-bridge.html
You'll get people who rave over TI's but in this case it is what it is.
If you've got 4k then SLI and Nvidia bridge is the way to go.
https://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/441170,the-sli-question-is-multi-gpu-worth-it.aspx
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3087524/hardware/tested-the-payoff-in-buying-nvidias-40-sli-hb-bridge.html
Chances are if you're pushing your GPU hard enough to hear it, you're more than likely playing something that is loud enough you won't notice it. Especially with something on the level of a 1080.
A Ti card is better if you can afford it, because SLi is not always supported and doesn't always work. It also requires more effort to tweak. Dual GPU cards behave more like a single card.
Honestly, AMD looks to be the hardware to go with this cycle. According to what I've seen their new CPUs have a major leg up on Intel, and they've got a better and more open software interface for their GPUs.
They've been killing it with their benchmarks recently and overall seem to be the best hardware set at the moment.
A Ti card is better if you can afford it, because SLi is not always supported and doesn't always work. It also requires more effort to tweak. Dual GPU cards behave more like a single card.
Honestly, AMD looks to be the hardware to go with this cycle. According to what I've seen their new CPUs have a major leg up on Intel, and they've got a better and more open software interface for their GPUs.
They've been killing it with their benchmarks recently and overall seem to be the best hardware set at the moment.
Nope.
It's a huge rip off, and you could easily build something better for less money yourself.
On top of that, those pre-built things tend to cut corners wherever they can. They might have a great GPU, CPU, and some nice storage options, but will often have a sub par PSU, cheap RAM, inadequate cooling, and a Mobo that can barely handle what has been shoved onto it.
There are a few simple things to know when building a PC.
Plan around your Mobo, and get an ATX sized board. There are smaller Mini-atx boards that might seem like a good deal to someone new to building, but those are for making minimalist PCs and workstations. They are too small to build something that is primarily for gaming and even if you can manage it, heat will be an issue.
You don't need a $500 mobo with multiple PCIe slots if you're only using one GPU, even if it's a dual GPU card. Don't waste your money. Just make sure you've got slots for decent Ram, enough USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports to fit your needs, a PCIe, and the proper slot for the model of CPU you want to use. Bluetooth is also very nice to have for a gaming machine.
You'll need to get the kind of CPU slot that works with the brand and type of CPU you want to use. You'll also need to be aware of what type and frequency of Ram you'll need to buy. Make sure it has enough connections and features you want.
Do not cheap out on your power supply or cooling. You don't necessarily need to go water cooled either. Most gaming systems, particularly ones running a single card with a decent CPU will remain at perfectly reasonable temperatures with just a heat sink and air cooling.
Also, to reply to the question of whether buying a PS4 Pro will be more economical.
No. It won't. There's really no situation where buying a console over a PC is going to be more economical. A decent PC will also more than likely last longer. There will be yet another generation of consoles within a few years, and games for a new console won't work on the old hardware.
With a PC, all you'll likely have to do is lower the settings a little for quite a while into the future. I invested in a high end GPU back in 2012, more than five years ago, and I can still run 99% of PC games at max settings at 1080p.
Even when I do need to dial things back, I can usually get away with knocking a shadows option down to high or medium and still keep everything else at the highest settings.
A PC might be a bigger initial investment, but overall a PC is cheaper for gaming than any console.
Unless you absolutely must have every game you own on launch day, in which case it depends on the game whether it's slightly cheaper or costs roughly the same, games are pretty much universally cheaper on PC. They also go on sale more frequently [especially if you factor in the indie scene], you don't pay for an online service, you can replace parts rather than having to replace the entire unit if something breaks, backwards compatibility is built in [I'm still using the same copy of Doom I bought in the 90s as just one example], Mods of course, and emulation if you're into that.
It's also worth pointing out that neither the PS4 Pro or the Xbox 1 X actually does true 4k. They both use checkerboard rendering to achieve the resolution. A PC with the right hardware can do true 4k.
That's better than 1080p, but it's still upscaling and not the real thing. It sacrifices detail and motion clarity, as well as being more prone to artifacts.
It's also worth pointing out that the hardware improvements will likely help load times over the older model consoles. That's about all you're really going to have over the older models as games still have to be compatible with the older versions of the console. So the old hardware will still be holding the software back despite the new specs on the new versions.
Unless you're really into the handful of exclusives that consoles have and absolutely have to play them, there's really no good reason to get a console over a decent PC.
Even the size argument doesn't pan out, as you can easily build a console killer PC with roughly the same footprint as a console, and the audio/video connections will be the same. You're using HDMI out either way, especially if you're hooking it up to a 4k screen.
You can even use any kind of wireless gamepad for PC if you prefer to play that way. I have an Xbox 1 controller, an Xbox 360 controller, a PS4 controller, and a Steam controller that I use fairly frequently depending on what kind of game I'm playing.
PC is the most versatile platform out there and you can build to fit your budget and needs.
It's a huge rip off, and you could easily build something better for less money yourself.
On top of that, those pre-built things tend to cut corners wherever they can. They might have a great GPU, CPU, and some nice storage options, but will often have a sub par PSU, cheap RAM, inadequate cooling, and a Mobo that can barely handle what has been shoved onto it.
There are a few simple things to know when building a PC.
Plan around your Mobo, and get an ATX sized board. There are smaller Mini-atx boards that might seem like a good deal to someone new to building, but those are for making minimalist PCs and workstations. They are too small to build something that is primarily for gaming and even if you can manage it, heat will be an issue.
You don't need a $500 mobo with multiple PCIe slots if you're only using one GPU, even if it's a dual GPU card. Don't waste your money. Just make sure you've got slots for decent Ram, enough USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports to fit your needs, a PCIe, and the proper slot for the model of CPU you want to use. Bluetooth is also very nice to have for a gaming machine.
You'll need to get the kind of CPU slot that works with the brand and type of CPU you want to use. You'll also need to be aware of what type and frequency of Ram you'll need to buy. Make sure it has enough connections and features you want.
Do not cheap out on your power supply or cooling. You don't necessarily need to go water cooled either. Most gaming systems, particularly ones running a single card with a decent CPU will remain at perfectly reasonable temperatures with just a heat sink and air cooling.
Also, to reply to the question of whether buying a PS4 Pro will be more economical.
No. It won't. There's really no situation where buying a console over a PC is going to be more economical. A decent PC will also more than likely last longer. There will be yet another generation of consoles within a few years, and games for a new console won't work on the old hardware.
With a PC, all you'll likely have to do is lower the settings a little for quite a while into the future. I invested in a high end GPU back in 2012, more than five years ago, and I can still run 99% of PC games at max settings at 1080p.
Even when I do need to dial things back, I can usually get away with knocking a shadows option down to high or medium and still keep everything else at the highest settings.
A PC might be a bigger initial investment, but overall a PC is cheaper for gaming than any console.
Unless you absolutely must have every game you own on launch day, in which case it depends on the game whether it's slightly cheaper or costs roughly the same, games are pretty much universally cheaper on PC. They also go on sale more frequently [especially if you factor in the indie scene], you don't pay for an online service, you can replace parts rather than having to replace the entire unit if something breaks, backwards compatibility is built in [I'm still using the same copy of Doom I bought in the 90s as just one example], Mods of course, and emulation if you're into that.
It's also worth pointing out that neither the PS4 Pro or the Xbox 1 X actually does true 4k. They both use checkerboard rendering to achieve the resolution. A PC with the right hardware can do true 4k.
That's better than 1080p, but it's still upscaling and not the real thing. It sacrifices detail and motion clarity, as well as being more prone to artifacts.
It's also worth pointing out that the hardware improvements will likely help load times over the older model consoles. That's about all you're really going to have over the older models as games still have to be compatible with the older versions of the console. So the old hardware will still be holding the software back despite the new specs on the new versions.
Unless you're really into the handful of exclusives that consoles have and absolutely have to play them, there's really no good reason to get a console over a decent PC.
Even the size argument doesn't pan out, as you can easily build a console killer PC with roughly the same footprint as a console, and the audio/video connections will be the same. You're using HDMI out either way, especially if you're hooking it up to a 4k screen.
You can even use any kind of wireless gamepad for PC if you prefer to play that way. I have an Xbox 1 controller, an Xbox 360 controller, a PS4 controller, and a Steam controller that I use fairly frequently depending on what kind of game I'm playing.
PC is the most versatile platform out there and you can build to fit your budget and needs.
Had a weird problem just now.
I went to boot up my computer, it quickly gave me a blue screen before it hit even the Windows logo, and all I recalled about it was that the top was telling me that it shutting down to prevent further damage.
I boot again, it gives me the option to start windows normally or system repair. I pick System repair, but SR finds nothing, does nothing and tells me that if I've recently added hardware, I should remove it and try again. I hadn't, although the closest thing I can think of is that I went to bed when my router went out and it was back to normal when I rebooted, so maybe it was inferring that? Either case, SR shuts down my computer.
I boot again, this time, just fine. Only thing new is a screen that pops up between the first boot screen and the checklist for all the stuff that's normally on here that I didn't recognize and didn't manage to get a picture of. But windows is just fine, apparently.
I'm worried that this might be something malware or virus related, but my google fu is weak....
And as I typed that, I realized I should be doing an anti-rootkit scan.
I went to boot up my computer, it quickly gave me a blue screen before it hit even the Windows logo, and all I recalled about it was that the top was telling me that it shutting down to prevent further damage.
I boot again, it gives me the option to start windows normally or system repair. I pick System repair, but SR finds nothing, does nothing and tells me that if I've recently added hardware, I should remove it and try again. I hadn't, although the closest thing I can think of is that I went to bed when my router went out and it was back to normal when I rebooted, so maybe it was inferring that? Either case, SR shuts down my computer.
I boot again, this time, just fine. Only thing new is a screen that pops up between the first boot screen and the checklist for all the stuff that's normally on here that I didn't recognize and didn't manage to get a picture of. But windows is just fine, apparently.
I'm worried that this might be something malware or virus related, but my google fu is weak....
And as I typed that, I realized I should be doing an anti-rootkit scan.
Do a rootkit scan with malwarebytes anti-rootkit. Either enable rootkit scanning in the main program or use this:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/antirootkit/
Also do a virus scan on your entire C: drive.
If it finds nothing:
Do you normally shut your computer off, or was shutting it off this time an abnormality? Some hardware will become weak, but not fail because the power running through it keeps it warm and the metal parts expanded. When it cools, the parts shrink minutely and lose contact, causing it to fail. Then when powered up, they heat up again and re-expand, making it miraculously work again. If You suspect this, then power it down and open the unit, observing anti-static safety, and make sure all the cards and memory dimms are seated firmly. Any of them might have loosened from heat or vibration.
The hardest board I ever had to troubleshoot/fix was a supercomputer graphics board that would only fail for 15 seconds when first powered up each day. I could only run one test on it once a day, then would have to let it cool for a day because it was a sandwich of two circuit boards so I couldn't use freezing spray. It took me two weeks to find the one small circuit path of the board that caused it.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/antirootkit/
Also do a virus scan on your entire C: drive.
If it finds nothing:
Do you normally shut your computer off, or was shutting it off this time an abnormality? Some hardware will become weak, but not fail because the power running through it keeps it warm and the metal parts expanded. When it cools, the parts shrink minutely and lose contact, causing it to fail. Then when powered up, they heat up again and re-expand, making it miraculously work again. If You suspect this, then power it down and open the unit, observing anti-static safety, and make sure all the cards and memory dimms are seated firmly. Any of them might have loosened from heat or vibration.
The hardest board I ever had to troubleshoot/fix was a supercomputer graphics board that would only fail for 15 seconds when first powered up each day. I could only run one test on it once a day, then would have to let it cool for a day because it was a sandwich of two circuit boards so I couldn't use freezing spray. It took me two weeks to find the one small circuit path of the board that caused it.
Yeah, Malwarebytes found a number of things (63, to be exact). My brother has been using my computer to play a few online games because his has weird issues with said games (personally, I think it's the 50+ tabs he tends to keep open for reading because he's a bibliophile), and all of the things Malwarebytes found were on his account. That said, from the looks of it, this was crap that was likely in fucking popup ads, so he's hardly to blame.
I'm more blaming the adblockers I have, because I've seen these names before.
I'm more blaming the adblockers I have, because I've seen these names before.
I recommend running Rougekiller as well. The free version is fine. It will find stuff that Malwarebytes misses sometimes. It will also kill shit that Malwarebytes has difficulty getting rid of.
ADWcleaner is also worth running. It's a Malwarebytes thing as well, but focuses on adware rather than viruses.
Also CCleaner is a must. Run it on occasion to clean up stuff just using your browser builds up, and also to clean up .dll files in your registry.
I run all four of these anytime I scan my PC for issues. Roughly once every month or so if no issues pop up.
If that doesn't work, try running a chkdsk scan using your command prompt. You'll only really need to use the /f and /r modifiers.
If you're still having issues after all this, you might want to do a boot-time scan with your antivirus.
These last two are basic troubleshooting tips that it's a good idea to know how to do if you own a PC at all. Neither is difficult, just time consuming.
Even if you're not having problems, it's a good idea to run a boot-time scan once every few months or so.
ADWcleaner is also worth running. It's a Malwarebytes thing as well, but focuses on adware rather than viruses.
Also CCleaner is a must. Run it on occasion to clean up stuff just using your browser builds up, and also to clean up .dll files in your registry.
I run all four of these anytime I scan my PC for issues. Roughly once every month or so if no issues pop up.
If that doesn't work, try running a chkdsk scan using your command prompt. You'll only really need to use the /f and /r modifiers.
If you're still having issues after all this, you might want to do a boot-time scan with your antivirus.
These last two are basic troubleshooting tips that it's a good idea to know how to do if you own a PC at all. Neither is difficult, just time consuming.
Even if you're not having problems, it's a good idea to run a boot-time scan once every few months or so.
I am unable to confirm that unit will support M.2 SSD expansion. the storage that's in there is eMMC, which is basically a SSD drive embedded on a single chip on the system board. If you got this info directly from the manual, then I'd suggest a 128GB as they're fairly cheap now. If your music collection is smaller, then you can obviously get a smaller (cheaper) one. My music collection spans about 60GB but it's 192 or 256Kbps sampled so it takes up a lot of space.
This unit DOES support MicroSD cards. I would probably go with a 128GB if you can find a fast one (Class 10 or UHS 1+) on sale, but am unable to verify the maximum it can support in this regard.
This unit DOES support MicroSD cards. I would probably go with a 128GB if you can find a fast one (Class 10 or UHS 1+) on sale, but am unable to verify the maximum it can support in this regard.
On a lark... I looked at a breakdown on line of someone tearing a IdeaPad 100S down screw by screw... I saw no room in it for a SSD drive or hard drive, nor any other indication it could conceivably take one..for sure stock it is too light and thin to actually have one.
Like Threadweaver said, it supports MicroSD, but that is not the same. I found one post on-line claiming Lenovo support says the maximum capacity of the MicroSD slot is only 64gb, but take that with a grain of salt...
The battery being so ingrained into it that you need to remove the whole bottom of the computer and about 15 screws just to get at it.
That is how the newer notebooks and netbooks have managed to get so thin... they sacrifice remvable battery and standard SSD/HD drive swapout capability.
The above 'features' would make this a bad choice for some...
I likely would never get such a limited unit as that for myself, but a lot of people could get by fine with such a unit and are willing to sacrifice those abilities for portability.
For myself, while I've set up Lenovo units for others if they desire (the last client to desire such regretted it as they learned to hate the quirks), I've been using for myself and recommending to others higher end Toshiba Tecra and Portege units for a long time for power users and business users, not so much entry level...
My own current pick for a good new notebook were I buying for myself would be something like a Toshiba Tecra A50, with 15.6" screen, a HD/SSD drive, supermulti drive, removable battery, and a accu-point equipped keyboard (I'd prefer the keyboard be a non-lit one though, the few I've used are gimmicky and not practical).
My own current pick for a good new netbook were I buying for myself would be something like a Toshiba Portege A30C, with 13.3" screen, a HD/SSD drive, supermulti drive, removable battery, and a accu-point equipped keyboard. This is a bit bigger than a normal netbook but you sacrifice practically no functionality.
Like Threadweaver said, it supports MicroSD, but that is not the same. I found one post on-line claiming Lenovo support says the maximum capacity of the MicroSD slot is only 64gb, but take that with a grain of salt...
The battery being so ingrained into it that you need to remove the whole bottom of the computer and about 15 screws just to get at it.
That is how the newer notebooks and netbooks have managed to get so thin... they sacrifice remvable battery and standard SSD/HD drive swapout capability.
The above 'features' would make this a bad choice for some...
I likely would never get such a limited unit as that for myself, but a lot of people could get by fine with such a unit and are willing to sacrifice those abilities for portability.
For myself, while I've set up Lenovo units for others if they desire (the last client to desire such regretted it as they learned to hate the quirks), I've been using for myself and recommending to others higher end Toshiba Tecra and Portege units for a long time for power users and business users, not so much entry level...
My own current pick for a good new notebook were I buying for myself would be something like a Toshiba Tecra A50, with 15.6" screen, a HD/SSD drive, supermulti drive, removable battery, and a accu-point equipped keyboard (I'd prefer the keyboard be a non-lit one though, the few I've used are gimmicky and not practical).
My own current pick for a good new netbook were I buying for myself would be something like a Toshiba Portege A30C, with 13.3" screen, a HD/SSD drive, supermulti drive, removable battery, and a accu-point equipped keyboard. This is a bit bigger than a normal netbook but you sacrifice practically no functionality.
My computer has developed a rather obnoxious problem of turning off unexpectedly. It only seems to happen when I have Youtube (via Firefox), and WoW all running at the same time. I used to be able to use Discord, Youtube and WoW at the same time, but about a week or so ago, that stopped being the case.
I can still play youtube and Wow for a short time together, but then I need to shut one or the other off before the hiccup that shuts off my computer, which is bugging me something fierce as I like to listen to random vids during lulls in conversation with my friends on Discord.
Now, I can restart my computer immediately after the abrupt shutdown happens, but it gives no indication of what happened. In fact, it seems to ignore the fact that it abruptly shuts off. Not even a "Hey, an error occurred, did you want to restart in safe mode" sort of message.
As such, I think it might be the graphics card or the power supply, but I think it might be more of the graphics card simply because of the types of programs I'm using. But I'm curious: anyone know if I should even bother replacing the graphics card? I've had this computer for a while and I'm thinking that it might be time to finally step into a newer computer, even if it means dealing with Windows 10 (which people have gone back and forth on whether or not it is cancer or not).
Thoughts?
I can still play youtube and Wow for a short time together, but then I need to shut one or the other off before the hiccup that shuts off my computer, which is bugging me something fierce as I like to listen to random vids during lulls in conversation with my friends on Discord.
Now, I can restart my computer immediately after the abrupt shutdown happens, but it gives no indication of what happened. In fact, it seems to ignore the fact that it abruptly shuts off. Not even a "Hey, an error occurred, did you want to restart in safe mode" sort of message.
As such, I think it might be the graphics card or the power supply, but I think it might be more of the graphics card simply because of the types of programs I'm using. But I'm curious: anyone know if I should even bother replacing the graphics card? I've had this computer for a while and I'm thinking that it might be time to finally step into a newer computer, even if it means dealing with Windows 10 (which people have gone back and forth on whether or not it is cancer or not).
Thoughts?
Random shutdowns probably aren't a GPU issue. That would normally result in a crash, not a shut down.
Your power supply is probably dying. I'd look into that first, it will be cheaper to replace.
It's probably your PSU overheating. I'm 90% sure this is probably your problem. Your symptoms line up with that, particularly the restart not giving you an error. Check and make sure the fan is blowing air out of it when the PC is powered on. If it's not, it's definitely your PSU.
If it's not the PSU, and it still may be even if the fan is working, something is definitely overheating and causing this.
You could try opening up your PC and cleaning it. Get some cans of compressed air and give it a good dusting. Buy a pack of 3-4 as one will probably not be enough, especially if your PC is particularly clogged.
Make sure the vents are clear, the fans are cleaned off [wipe the blades down with a paper towel or dry cloth to get the dust off them], and get the dust out of your heat sink over the CPU as well.
Most casual users don't know that you need to open up your PC and clean it out every few months or so. If you have pets, particularly pets that shed a lot, you should do it even more often.
Do not use a vacuum cleaner. This can cause a static discharge that can hurt you and/or damage your PC components.
Download Open Hardware Monitor and keep an eye on your hardware temps, paying particular attention to your PSU, CPU, and GPU temps. Try to recreate your shutdown issue and keep the HWmonitor on top. Putting the game in Windowed mode will make that easier if you need to run it to recreate the issue.
If it is your PSU, you need to replace it ASAP. A bad PSU can damage other components when it gives up on you. I recommend not using your PC at all until you can get it replaced if that does turn out to be the problem.
A new PC would also solve the issue of course.
If you do replace your PC and end up with Windows 10, you'll want Spybot Anti-beacon which turns off the various monitoring crap in Windows 10 for you. It also works with Windows 7 and 8.
If you really want to avoid the headaches of Windows and without giving up gaming, you could always do what I do and set up a dual boot with Linux. I only ever use Windows for gaming, and do everything else in Linux.
There are lots of tutorials for how to do this online. It's not hard.
I recommend Linux Mint or Unbuntu. They are the easily the best Distros for beginners who are new to the OS.
Another good reason to dual boot is because Linux with Wine will run those old 16 and 32 bit games Windows 10 won't like a champ.
Your power supply is probably dying. I'd look into that first, it will be cheaper to replace.
It's probably your PSU overheating. I'm 90% sure this is probably your problem. Your symptoms line up with that, particularly the restart not giving you an error. Check and make sure the fan is blowing air out of it when the PC is powered on. If it's not, it's definitely your PSU.
If it's not the PSU, and it still may be even if the fan is working, something is definitely overheating and causing this.
You could try opening up your PC and cleaning it. Get some cans of compressed air and give it a good dusting. Buy a pack of 3-4 as one will probably not be enough, especially if your PC is particularly clogged.
Make sure the vents are clear, the fans are cleaned off [wipe the blades down with a paper towel or dry cloth to get the dust off them], and get the dust out of your heat sink over the CPU as well.
Most casual users don't know that you need to open up your PC and clean it out every few months or so. If you have pets, particularly pets that shed a lot, you should do it even more often.
Do not use a vacuum cleaner. This can cause a static discharge that can hurt you and/or damage your PC components.
Download Open Hardware Monitor and keep an eye on your hardware temps, paying particular attention to your PSU, CPU, and GPU temps. Try to recreate your shutdown issue and keep the HWmonitor on top. Putting the game in Windowed mode will make that easier if you need to run it to recreate the issue.
If it is your PSU, you need to replace it ASAP. A bad PSU can damage other components when it gives up on you. I recommend not using your PC at all until you can get it replaced if that does turn out to be the problem.
A new PC would also solve the issue of course.
If you do replace your PC and end up with Windows 10, you'll want Spybot Anti-beacon which turns off the various monitoring crap in Windows 10 for you. It also works with Windows 7 and 8.
If you really want to avoid the headaches of Windows and without giving up gaming, you could always do what I do and set up a dual boot with Linux. I only ever use Windows for gaming, and do everything else in Linux.
There are lots of tutorials for how to do this online. It's not hard.
I recommend Linux Mint or Unbuntu. They are the easily the best Distros for beginners who are new to the OS.
Another good reason to dual boot is because Linux with Wine will run those old 16 and 32 bit games Windows 10 won't like a champ.
