Posts by melloweagle28

It strikes me as pretty bizarre, honestly, because Windows is fundamentally built to be a gaming platform.

Is it actually normal for a gaming laptop to ship with free DOS instead of an OS?

Thanks. I know this thread isn't technically the right place for this, but whatever. If they want to delete it or move it, fine.
I’m going to pull the trigger on that ASUS; it has a solid review over at RTINGS. Honestly, for the price, I haven't found anything better.

No, the computer is for my brother. I know my way around hardware well enough to build it for him. He's the one who will be using it. It needs to be an all-rounder—gaming, multimedia, some Excel work, browsing, the usual stuff.
We went with a 5600G in a brand new ATX case, everything is fresh components.

If I had realized there was a 35W Ryzen available and actually done my homework, I might have gone with a mini ITX build instead, since this case feels like overkill now. And there's no guarantee the GPU will even fit; it's a total toss-up. But it doesn't matter, I'll just try to sell the case and the PSU.

wanderingbison9 said:Why bother with 120 Hz for movies shot at 24 fps? Is it just for that 5:5 pull down effect? Honestly, plenty of monitors can handle 48 Hz if you just set up a custom resolution in the settings.

You're asking way too many questions here, 🙂
Look, I can definitely tell on my phone that everything looks smoother when it's running at 120Hz (wherever that's actually supported).
And I know from watching sports on my TV that there is a massive difference during those fast-paced action sequences.
So, I'm assuming the same logic applies here, right?

By the way, I'm currently using an ASUS G27QC

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wanderingbison9 said:Alright, what did you actually end up deciding on—are you going with an mATX build or sticking with your old case?

If you aren't some hardcore competitive gamer, 75Hz is honestly plenty. Just look for something with a 1440p resolution...

New mATX.

Got it, thanks. I'll check out what's available.

Zachary Nguyen2 said:Just tell them to go with 1440p; they won't even notice the difference if they've never experienced 1440p before.

Are you actually playing competitive online games? Because if so, do you really need that 144Hz refresh rate?

Nah, it’s not for me—it’s for my brother.
He mostly plays LoL and Civ6. He’s using a laptop right now, and while he might upgrade his desktop setup later, he definitely isn't into high-stakes online FPS games. It's more MOBA stuff and things like that.
144Hz isn't a requirement. Maybe 120Hz would be enough, especially if he plans on streaming or watching movies?

crimsonstag84 said:

Yeah. I could probably cram that into my mini ITX build. Honestly, I didn't even realize they offered a 35W version. Or maybe it just fell off a truck somewhere. Whatever.

@ostali:
Thanks! I'll grab it at that price then; it's not like I'm breaking the bank $33 here or anywhere else, especially since I managed to snag some Black Friday deals on most of the other components.

I still need a monitor, though. Is there any decent alternative to the Dell S2721HGF? Pixel density and sharpness aren't my main priority—I just want something a bit larger. My only hesitation is whether to go with a 1440P screen and just run everything at 1080P. Some people swear it looks terrible, while others say they can't tell the difference.

Where can I find a Ryzen 5600 g?
Right now, I've just been checking out Nabava and Google Shopping (assuming I don't end up ordering from overseas), but I've realized they don't seem to list everything. By any chance, I noticed on Best Buy that it's actually cheaper than what those two price aggregators are showing, yet Best Buy isn't even listed on them.

Are there any other solid retailers out there that offer decent prices but aren't featured on the major comparison sites?

Fine. I guess that means my current case and PSU combo, which only puts out about 240W, won't cut it if I want to throw a GPU into the mix.
Or maybe?

Right now, I'm running an i5-4570T (35W TDP) paired with a 660 (140W TDP).
But if I actually try to install a decent graphics card, most of them pull anywhere from 130W to 200W—and honestly, the Ryzen is going to draw even more power than this setup.

Thanks

I have some solid guidelines to work with.

Now I just need to hash things out on my own (well, with bzraz) before I come back with any more specific questions.

Yeah, looking at the link now, I can see I totally botched it with the motherboard choice. Even though I know there were some mini-ITX options out there for around $267, like one from Gigabyte.

Alright, looks like I'm probably pivoting to mATX then.

By the way, does RAM actually need cooling? Since when was that a thing?

Yeah, that was a typo. I meant mini-ITX.
Honestly, why on earth one format is called ITX and the other is ATX? I haven't the slightest clue. 🙂

I’ve got a pretty decent old mATX case lying around, a Fractal Design Node 804.
It comes with a 300W 80+ power supply. Since my old rig had a dedicated GPU and this one won't, it should be plenty.
I’ve already settled on a Ryzen 5 5600G, two sticks of RAM, an SSD, and MAYBE an extra HDD.
I have zero intention of overclocking the CPU.

Any recommendations for a motherboard and RAM?

I need a board where the 5600G works right out of the box without needing a BIOS update. From what I can tell, that would be B550 or A520. I also definitely need WiFi.
I’m looking at something like MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi. Two RAM slots are enough for me. Is there anything better out there?

For RAM, I'm eyeing the Corsair Vengeance RGB.

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From what I can see on various online retailers, PC components aren't really going on sale lately. Maybe it's due to shortages, maybe not—I honestly have no clue.

I'm buying a 5600G, an mATX motherboard, and some RAM. Should I pull the trigger now or wait for a deal? Not that I expect to save a massive amount of money...

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EDIT
If it turns out 300W is actually too low, or if I decide I want to leave some headroom for a GPU later on, I might just jump over to mini-ITX.
In that case, it's the same question: any recommendations for a mini-ITX motherboard with WiFi? And I'd need a new case too...

Olivia Davis8 said:The merchant is getting hit with a 2-3% fee just for using their Square terminal. And get this—the American Express transaction was pushing close to 10%...

Even with cash, everything has to go through a private security firm now. They’re charging $100 plus fees for overnight vault storage, then there's the cost for making change, depositing it at Chase, and all these other little extra bites...

But here's what really gets me: how is it possible that despite all this, they keep bumping up my overdraft limit without me even asking? Like, they phase out one thing, then quietly slide in this unrequested credit line... just so they can eventually shove a loan down my throat at a 5-7% interest rate.

Sure, I'll be the one to blame if I actually end up using that overdraft, but at the end of the day, the bank wins either way. And honestly, it'll be a real treat when they decide to make me sit through a whole formal notarization process for the loan agreement...

It’s not even a hurdle; you can grab $120 through the app in three clicks $0.00 without needing any legal formalities. It’s practically tailor-made for gamblers who need quick cash before they hit the jackpot at the casino.

Stop making things up. I walk into Walmart and buy some deli meat. The price stays exactly the same whether I swipe my card through FedEx or pay with cash—where on earth are you getting this idea that there’s a price difference?
Online, the price for a one-time payment is identical to cash on delivery. I have yet to see a single instance where paying via COD was actually cheaper. If that ever happens, I’ll be sure to take advantage of it.

And it isn't true that paying by card is slower either. Stop inventing nonsense, people. The only way it takes longer is if someone stands there counting every single cent, checking their change, and tucking it away in their wallet... by then, I’d already be back in my car.

As for all this tracking talk... please. These companies already have so much data on us that whether or not I bought a dildo is absolutely nobody's business.

Michelle Bennett5 said:Installment plans are a total scam. You never truly know how much debt you're actually drowning in or what you actually have left to spend.

If you ask me, the smartest move is just hitting the ATM, grabbing Cash, and paying the full amount upfront. If a vendor is running a real business, they might even give you a discount for paying in full. That’s where the actual savings happen.

You really have to force yourself into a position where you actually have the funds available. Paying high interest rates is a massive waste compared to just building up a decent pile of cash.

All this stuff—installments, loans, overdrafts, interest—it’s just a way to bleed you dry.
Every system loves having a working class to exploit—a helpless mass with nothing to their name, capable of nothing but working themselves to death for the people who own the means of production.

I absolutely disagree. I am the complete opposite. I avoid any merchant that doesn't take credit cards whenever possible. To me, using Cash is nothing more than a necessary evil, and supposedly a fantastic carrier for germs, cocaine, and urine.🙂

I despise installment plans, and while I haven't needed them yet, it's unrealistic to assume I'll always be in a position to avoid them. When money runs short, an installment plan is effectively an interest-free loan.

Jack Cook7 said:If I remember right, the teller offered me a "basic" debit card versus some pricier one that allowed installments. She didn't even mention the overdraft part in that context. Since I didn't need the fancy stuff, I spent about two minutes arguing with her—just kept insisting I wanted the simplest card possible. I think I had to repeat myself like five times before she finally got it.

Honestly, they’re just selling you a pig in a poke. They bundle everything together, even though installment plans shouldn't have anything to do with being granted an overdraft, especially a silent one. And this little troublemaker Vujcic has been tolerating it for years—actually, she's probably encouraging it with her decisions.

I actually think that's what caused that ATM glitch one Sunday. On the first transaction that got declined, it listed "Installment Payment" for $0.00 and showed my remaining balance as $0.00....

Of course, if you go down to the branch, they've got these massive A4 booklets, like 3 inches thick, labeled "Fee Schedule," where everything is neatly laid out for you.

Best move? Don't deal with them at all. They charge me just to "hold" my own money and then screw me over just to pad their own pockets. Thanks to this "Wild West" country where everything falls apart except the banks.

I honestly don't know how other banks handle things.

But I figured I’d just get it sorted now so it's ready when I actually need it. That happened twice. We're talking about Chase here. So, I brought in my employer verification or whatever document was required to activate installment payments on the Visa card linked to my existing checking account. The tellers told me they'd approve an overdraft for me. I told them no, I don't want an overdraft. Then they claim that if I don't take the overdraft, I can't have the installment plan either.

The sole reason I haven't set up an installment plan yet is because my bank flat-out REFUSED to let me do it without opening up a line of credit first. Basically, if you want to pay in installments, they force you to have an overdraft protection enabled.
Then you check your balance on the mobile app and it shows you have "available" $5000 funds, when in reality, you're actually sitting at zero.

Even in the private sector, climbing the corporate ladder or landing those high-level management roles isn't necessarily tied to actual competence. I’ve seen plenty of instances where people get promoted simply because they’re less capable than their peers—management pushes them up the hierarchy just to clear them out of the way. Then, once they’ve gained a little "leadership experience" from being mediocre bosses, they leverage that title to land even better jobs elsewhere. If you happen to be good at meditation, you can probably slide even further up, especially in companies that don't bother tracking actual KPIs or performance metrics.
And sometimes, luck is all it takes. You could be out working a field in rural Nebraska, and if some big-shot venture capitalist breaks down on the highway and you happen to be the one who helps them out, suddenly your career trajectory changes overnight.
It’s a wild world out there.

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