Oh, okay... thanks everyone for the quick replies 🙏
What should I actually look out for with power supplies? Does any random one work? Is the brand actually a big deal, or should I just grab the cheapest 500+W unit I can find? Basically, how many watts am I even looking at?
Is this GTX 750 really much of an upgrade, or should I just hold off and save up for both a new PSU and maybe something better for roughly the same price? And what kind of realistic frame rates could I expect if I go with that second option?
I noticed there’s a dedicated thread for power supplies—since I'm asking about both, I wasn't sure if this was too off-topic 🤔
Hey, I'm a total computer novice here. I'm more of a "plug and play" type of weekend gamer—not really one of those people who does their own maintenance, builds, or part swaps 😁 At least, I haven't tried it before...
Current specs: ASUS GA-B75M-D3H,1155,iB75,D3,S3,U3,DVI,HDMI
INTEL CPU Desktop Core i5-3350P (3.10GHz,6MB,S1155) Box
Spire CoolBox 500 Case, 420W 12cm fan
2 x Transcend JetRAM 4GB DDR3 1600 DIMM 9-9-9
LITE ON DVDRW 24x SATA, black, bulk
PowerColor Radeon HD 6570, 1GB DDR3, HDMI, DVI-D, VGA
I've mostly played MMORPGs and MOBAs, and those ran okay on medium settings... but lately, the performance lag is getting hard to ignore. I decided to branch out a bit and installed The Witcher 2, and—well—it was a nightmare. I know it's a demanding game, but I could barely talk my GPU into running it at even the lowest settings with decent FPS.
Can I find a significantly better graphics card for under $600-$233? I’d be willing to go up to $1,000, but only if it actually makes sense. Is an upgrade even worth it given the rest of the build? I'd prefer to look at stores I can find in Indianapolis, like Best Buy or Micro Center.
Also—should I try to install it myself despite being clueless, or should I just let someone else handle it? Can I get it installed at the store where I buy it, and how much would they charge?
Anything you say helps. I'm not lazy—I'll do my own research too, and I don't expect everything to be handed to me on a silver platter 😁 But if anyone knows their stuff and doesn't mind helping out, I'd really appreciate it. 🙂
The Toyota Camry 2012 will be unlocked shortly—the mechanics just need a bit more time to cool down. If you want, I’ll give you a heads-up personally once it's ready so you can come grab it right away.
Alright, I'll stop messing around with you guys... I decided to go ahead and grab Emil's for 1500. I guess it makes sense, considering I'm not exactly demanding—my absolute limit is just playing Star Trek Online.
The photos show the specs for the one with the monitor: ATI Radeon 4350, Dual Core Intel 5400, MSI G31TM-P21 motherboard, 2 gigs of RAM... I know nothing here is particularly impressive, but maybe it's okay for a casual user? I'm guessing it might handle modern games at medium settings? (Looking at Far Cry, GTA IV, Star Trek Online) It would be great if a monitor comes with it for such a small amount of cash 🙂
If this isn't enough, maybe it's better to just hit up "Emil"—that rig seems way more powerful. LINK
EDIT: Regarding that other option with the GT 630... is the extra cost actually worth it? I’d ideally want a PC that lasts me 3 or 4 years without headaches (even as a "casual user"). In a year or two, I could probably swap out the GPU—I assume there will be plenty of decent used cards out there for maybe $75 (compared to this)—but then I'll need solid "foundations" for an upgrade. I mean, 8 gigs of RAM, a quad-core processor, a 1TB drive (I'm a big torrent user 🙂)... so that computer still looks tempting. Does it make sense given everything else?
Nah, honestly, I’d rather just grit my teeth and suck it up with this old eMachine for another year or two—give up gaming entirely, keep it clean, and call it a day. It’s basically a bottom-tier rig, but I’ve already got enough hobbies and responsibilities as it is; I don't really see the point in dumping a ton of cash into a PC right now. 😢
What about these two options: Link1 - A cheaper bundle that includes a monitor, though it looks like the specs are pretty outdated?
Link2 - A bit more expensive; I’m debating if spending $67 is actually worth it.
Maybe $1,700 or $1,800 max. I wouldn't go any higher than that—it feels unnecessary, and honestly, spending more right now seems pretty irrational.
I don't know what you're trying to get at with that. Not sure what that means—maybe just nonsense? Anyway, moving on. ruggedeagle40 says: Go with the second one—the motherboard on that first one is incredibly unreliable.
Anyone got some advice? Are these machines actually worth the asking price? If not, what's a fair offer? I just need something for light gaming—just to decompress from work. Most of my time will be spent in Word, browsing forums, or streaming movies.
Link 1
Link 2 - I had to ask them for screenshots of the specs since the description was pretty vague. 🤷
Right now I’m stuck with a super weak laptop (emachines e442) that can't handle games at all, and even running Word alongside five or six browser tabs is a total struggle. 😬 So, yeah, this would be a massive upgrade for me. 🙂 I'll probably just keep the old laptop for basic typing tasks. 🙂
How long is this back-and-forth going to last? I’m new to being a moderator—I wasn't clear or firm enough in how I handled things, and I let a few people drag me in different directions (including you, I guess). It’s also possible I wasn't consistent. If I messed up, my bad. If I didn't, then at least I learned something. For me, this is done.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I’m bowing out of this debate. I appreciate you—even if we don't see eye to eye on certain things (which is my prerogative)—but I did walk away with some new perspectives.
Now, I’ll leave the thread in the hands of the admins. 🙂
Look, I’ll be the first to admit it—I tried playing both sides to keep everyone happy, and I ended up losing my own footing in the process. It won't happen again.
If I came off as arrogant, it was probably just because I was being brief and didn't have the time to write out long-winded explanations. I'll leave you to decide how you want to read that. One thing is certain, though—I wasn't trying to insult anyone.
Did I learn something from this? Yeah, I did. A lot, actually. I’m going to handle things differently moving forward—though, honestly, I don't know who's going to like that approach and who isn't. 🤷
For me, it boils down to this: I’ve been tackling an issue that’s been sitting unresolved for a while, doing the best I can. Some people are just wired to hunt for flaws, while others will try to find the silver lining—honestly, I don't really care anymore.
It was a mistake to sit there patiently answering every single Democratic Party supporter—and a mistake to think I could actually please everyone. That’s obviously impossible. I’ve been flooded with messages, each one coming from someone with their own specific take, every single perspective different from the last, yet everyone is just as certain they’re right 🤷
I knew being a moderator would get under my skin, but I didn't expect it to hit this hard...
Look, I already told you—I’m moderating as best as I can and with good intentions. If something isn't right, the admins are there to review and make a call, which is why I sent you over to the oversight committee.
As for everything else, just wait for an admin to get back to you. 🙂
You got the yellow card because you ignored the warning. Everything is out in the open for the admins who monitor these threads. I made it clear right away—no more back-and-forth with that specific user and no citing their posts. Anyone else who kept going wasn't breaking those rules.
Anyway, thanks for taking my advice and stopping the messages to the Democratic Party. You have your thread; the admins will step in, review the situation, and make a final call.
I'm stepping out of this one—let the admins decide. This whole thread is already giving me a headache.
EDIT: Just so there’s no confusion: I said continuing the old argument is banned. That doesn't mean the user can't participate in the thread if they change their tone, obviously.
Look at how it sits relative to the frame and the fork. Don't rely on the brakes to judge anything—they're unreliable—though if they're squealing, that's a sign something needs fixing.
Otherwise, just loosen the wheel and center it in the fork before tightening everything back down. It doesn't need to be surgical precision. If you can't get it right, just head to a local bike shop and have the mechanics dial it in for you...
Where exactly is she riding that she needs brakes like that? 🤔>
If she’s hitting serious off-road trails, she probably needs a whole new bike—but if not, a decent set of well-tuned V-brakes (maybe with some fresh pads) should do the trick. If they really are trash, instead of dropping a ton of cash—which she'll probably just waste on city streets or a few miles of woods—just grab a solid V-brake setup like this Alivia and call it a day.
Then again, I might be wrong if she actually rides hard. 🤷
I get exactly what you're saying. Like I said before—you remind me of myself. Arrogant, cocky, probably way too well-read, and pretty self-absorbed. You're basically the textbook definition of an intellectual hitting his twenties. Good luck with that... though it's just a phase you'll eventually grow out of. Not saying there's anything wrong with it, per se, but it's still just a phase.