Somebody stop me... (Gaming PC Build Thread)

[Blerpa]

So, my desktop PC crapped the bed (for once it was my fault, but I permanently fucked the Windows 10 OEM install in it and even with a pendrive it seems impossible to make it start to recover. Heck, as a convoluted mistake I managed to fuck the recovery partition in it. Note to self: 1) never again an Acer PC 2) never again a PC with stupid partitions in it).
So I'm thinking: buy a 120gb SSD, buy a cheap Windows 10 license (I've found a Retail Windows 10 Pro key at 17 euro in HRKGames sales), install Windows 10 in the new SSD and then try to salvage what is available on the 500gb mechanical HDD that came in the machine (split in two useless partitions) backup the salvaged parts, then format the mechanical HDD to a single partition and use it as normal.
Any fault in my reasoning?
(Pc is AMD A8-6500, 8GB DDR3, Thermaltake Berlin 630W, R9 270X OOC 4GB)

[Tom Servo]

Seems reasonable enough. The only thing to note is that I think by default Windows 10's store likes to install things to C: (and does so encrypted so apps like windirstat can't actually see them), and it's non-obvious how to change that. You also can't migrate apps to another drive, you can only set an install drive and then delete what you had and redownload. It should be under Settings -> System -> Storage. I only say that because I have Forza 7 on the PC and it takes up nearly 100gb at this point, which would almost completely fill your boot drive under default settings.

[Rare White Ape]

I believe that Windows is linked to your BIOS, so you may not even have to buy a new license. Just download an image and go for it.

[Tom Servo]

If that's true, I hope it's not too hard to link it to a different BIOS as I tend to upgrade motherboards every few years.

[Blerpa]

I ended up ordering a Kingston 240gb for the install, to be on the safe side.
RWA, yes, but I think I fucked up the part of the HDD in which Acer had put the Windows Recovery stuff. It's like... totalled.
I think I'll mount the SSD, see if the BIOS recognizes it, then install Windows by DVD or pendrive (but this last one failed me all the times I tried) and see if it works.
In case it reckons the virtual license in, I could be already sorted, otherwise I could spend 17 euro and get a Retail Windows 10 Pro and get away with the Acer OEM Home version.
I'm worried about why the PC does not actually recognize the pendrive with Windows 10 64bit created with Microsoft own Media Tools program.

I mean: I hope I don't have some problems in the mobo or something similar... no idea, bit perplexed about the whole matter.

[Blerpa]

So, the SSD arrived. Mounted, fiddled few times with BIOS, installed Windows (by a simple DVD imagine disk), it did work.
It also recognised my Windows 10 license in the PC, very nice.
I painfully used a recovery program (EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard) so I could save some of the stuff in the mechanical hard drive. Finished that I obliterated the partitions, wiped out the data and did a complete format of the HDD.
Now it works like a charm.

I wonder if I should upgrade the ram to 16gb: pc is sporting an AMD A8 6500, 8GB DDR3L, R9 270X 4GB OOC, 1 240gb SSD + 1 500gb HDD, Thermaltake Berlin 630W connected to an AOC 27" IPS Full HD display.
I do some gaming (Destiny 2, Doom, Skyrim Legendary, Grid Autosport, ecc.) and sometimes I use Photoshop and InDesign.

[Tom Servo]

RAM's pretty cheap, I can't see why you wouldn't.

[Rare White Ape]

New Nvidia hardware is looming. Workstation chips based on Turing architecture have been announced, and rumours are flying that the next GPU flagship, called the RTX 2080 (not GTX 1180) will be unveiled next Monday.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/d...eases-rtx-2080

[Yw-slayer]

RAM's pretty cheap, I can't see why you wouldn't.

Yeah man, going to 16 makes a huge difference.

[Blerpa]

I will hold off buying it because of two reasons: we may be laid off after the 30th of September contract expiration so I don't feel like spending money with this trouble over my head. Also a friend of mine, IT for the hospital where I still work, has told me to wait buying anything, he may have some 2gb and 4gb DDR3 sticks unused at home to just gift me. Getting to a total of 14gb of ram for free? I'm sold, who cares about dual channel? LOL