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Michael Jackson10 said:Just gotta let you guys know, because:
I’m just not okay with this kind of blunt, one-sided shutdown in a conversation. Is that really how we're doing things now?
Both George W. Bush and his secretary had every right to present their defense.
Look, this is a public forum, isn't it? It's an open conversation where only specific people actually have the power to ban me. At the end of the day, "your little corner" is really just a public discussion.
So what's the point of even talking if you're going to be like this? I'm really not feeling your vibe right now.
So, you're getting defensive? Why's that? You think you did something wrong? I didn't say anything out of line, just that you were being rude. No need to get all worked up... it's just my opinion, nothing more.
So what? It's a public thread... write as much as you want. Why would anyone even ban you? 🤷
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| Look, my post was just a generalization—basically just messing around, much like this entire thread you ended up in. If you think I'm wrong, just look at the fact that we're already four pages deep debating some low-end build. Go ahead, scroll through other similar threads and see if you can find any similarities. You won't. The only difference is between someone with the patience of a century-old turtle and people who just want quick, blunt answers. |
Here we go again... what's the big deal? Did I force anyone to give me advice or help? If nobody wanted to chime in... well, fine. I'll just head down to Best Buy and buy something pre-built. $833 Hey there.
Yeah, other people are just way less high-maintenance and nitpicky. Some find it easier to pick what they want—maybe because they actually have a clue what they’re looking for? Anyway, I guess I did end up dragging this out over five pages... and didn't you mention before that this is basically a public forum? It's a public conversation, after all.
People jumped in to help, answered my questions, and really schooled me... just because they wanted to. It’s not that they aren't decent, they're actually just genuinely good people.
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| Look, nobody’s asking you for an engineering degree here—you’ve already admitted you're not an expert. Everyone's being super patient, too. Honestly, they're over-explaining things just because if you actually knew your stuff or were serious about it, you wouldn't be asking these kinds of questions on a forum like this anyway, right? |
😕
Look, if I actually knew the answer, would I even be asking? Obviously not. But I don't.
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| You’re arguing with every single thing I say. Seriously? You're comparing a basic heatpipe or liquid cooling to a water heater or a boiler (post #67)? And you're just staring at pictures and price tags—I mean, looking at those shots, what else are you even seeing if not the actual build quality? |
I wasn't really trying to compare them; I just let Jason Harris5 take the lead so he could break down the system clearly. I was just adding my two cents since it’s pretty much the same thing anyway... right?
I can see the price in the pictures. 😉
Or do you really think I can just become an expert overnight and suddenly know which of two processors—or anything else with a $50 difference—is actually better?
Besides checking out the photos, I spent some time scrolling through other forums too, just seeing what everyone else thinks and catching up on the chatter...
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| Of course I went back to the very beginning of the thread. You were totally torn between grabbing that $850 all-in-one or just putting that cash toward building your own rig, right? $333So, where exactly are we now? 🤷 , 2.500-$1.00Consistency matters more than looks, right? |
Man, you're a handful.
Where did I even say I wanted to invest? $333?
Since this is the first post in the thread, let's get things rolling.
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Rachel Jones8 said:A buddy's offering me a new one. Samsung? The Samsung ATIV One 5 DP500A2D.
Since that's a bit too much love for me, I was wondering—can I actually take my old case, which I'm pretty sure has nothing useful left in it, and upgrade it to something better? What’s up for the CCA? $667 Just the tower itself—no keyboard, mouse, monitor, or disc drives included.
So, what kind of build are we looking at for this one? $667 Plus some stuff for the hands.(Since I honestly have no clue how to put this together myself.)
Just basic stuff—office work, some light browsing, music, video... nothing crazy.
Is that even doable for that kind of cash?
I don't get why everyone's making such a big deal out of this. Honestly, I just found a middle ground that works for me. I never really planned on dropping serious cash on anything, but since the deal was better than what you'd find at Best Buy, I had to wonder if it was worth the splurge. Even though my bank account is looking a little thin right now. Turns out, it wasn't. People left some pretty solid, logical comments, so I decided against blowing too much money—especially if it meant getting into debt or taking out a loan.
Od
$2,000 plus whatever else you can grab. Who's actually gonna build this for me? I had such big plans for my setup, thinking I’d get way more out of it than this...
Keep the cases and the DVDs. Yeah, they work... I ended up hitting the $2,500–$3,000 mark because I have to grab a case and a DVD drive too. Plus, they told me $2,000 was cutting it too close, but at $2,500, things should run way smoother.
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Michael Jackson10 said:Let's go:
Case:
Ever since we moved on from the Zalman Z9, Robert Rodriguez2 was actually the first one to step up and bring the Zalman ZM-T2 into the mix.
A lot has been going on here lately, but here’s a little challenge for you: when you finally get that PC, open it up and actually look inside. Check out the motherboard, the power supply, the drive, maybe an optical drive... and then notice all that massive empty space. Ever wonder why?
If you're just looking for a standard PC and aren't some hardcore enthusiast who spends all day tinkering with parts, a Micro-tower is the sweet spot. Why bother with mesh panels, side windows, and five different fans? It’s all just extra stuff you don't need.
There aren't 5 fans, just 3. Honestly, that window is totally unnecessary—I’d much rather skip it entirely. And just to be clear, I didn't pick it, nor did I go for the mesh paneling.
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| One thing nobody seems to be mentioning: cases with mesh fronts are way louder than the solid ones.Cheap cases are just junk—thin metal and flimsy builds that start rattling like crazy the second they hit a certain resonance. Honestly, cooling isn't even the main issue with these modern setups; they don't run nearly as hot or loud as those old rigs used to. If you actually want both silence and decent airflow, you’ve gotta go with a high-quality closed chassis, but man, that’ll set you back at least $50 or $60. |
Why not? Why didn't you? All that stuff you wrote ended up being totally useless.
I mean... I wonder, why go with the mesh design?
Front teeth?Wait, this T3 model has vents on the side and top too. Why is everyone so obsessed with the front panel? Mine doesn't even have side vents, and it works just fine. Isn't that what matters most?
So now you're suggesting a build in the $2,500 range?$1000 Should I really drop over $600 on a case? 😕
Yeah, I actually really dig that setup of yours, especially if it came in black. It looks sleek and contained—gives off a solid, high-quality vibe. Don't you think?
I really love that it has doors... (that’s what I was hunting for, though I only found one option with tiny little top doors, and nobody really gave me their take on it). But honestly? Aside from the price, having the doors on the left side running the full height just doesn't work for me. With where my case is sitting right now, there's no way I could even open them.
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CPU:
The whole Intel vs. AMD debate is basically like searching for the Holy Grail—everyone’s got their own side. Honestly, an Intel chip with 2 physical cores and HT can easily hold its own against those AMD 4 core setups that aren't even truly "equal" cores to begin with. On the flip side, AMD gives you great integrated graphics, which is a win, but you end up dealing with more heat. It's a bit of a catch-22, isn't it?
If cooling and silence are dealbreakers for you, then why even bother with an AMD 5600 k that pulls up to 100W?
Why not go with the A8 6500? It's only slightly slower, but you get better graphics and it's just 65W. Seems like a fair trade, right?
crimsonstag84 basically has the best setup here: a Kaveri 7600 running at 45W...
I honestly feel like a lot of the heat and noise issues could be solved just by picking a smarter CPU from the jump. Why waste extra cash trying to cool down a hot chip when you could just save that money instead? |
I honestly don't get the point of what you're even writing here. Is this just to show off how much you know? Why not actually build something so everyone else can weigh in?
How should I know why someone would pick a 5600 over a 6500? Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what we're even talking about.
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Motherboard:
Everything keeps circling back to that unlucky AsRock board. Personally, I’m not a huge fan, but hey, it gets the job done. It's cheap, you can't really beat that price point, right?
Damn, it's an mATX standard, so I'm sticking with my current case. You really don't need anything bigger than a Micro-tower when there's nothing else to pack inside, right? |
Alright, we're done here. No need to keep going. Done.
Nah, would having extra empty space actually mess with how a computer runs?
If nothing else, this one’s a beast at about 15 lbs, while the micro is only like 6.5. 😁 At least that's what it says on their official spec sheets... but I still need something to keep the desk steady under my monitor and keyboard. 🙂
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Memory:
Going with a single 4GB 1600 stick—just enough to get by for now.
Nobody seems to be bringing this up, even though there’s a general consensus regarding AMD; those APUs work fine with one stick, but you don't actually see the real performance until you hit dual-channel mode, like a 2x2 GB setup. The problem? This board only has two slots, so you're basically locking yourself in for the future. There's always a catch, right? |
You clearly know your stuff, so it's a shame you didn't jump into the conversation earlier. Honestly, I have no clue what you're talking about. If I did, someone would've suggested something along those lines by now. Or maybe you could've.
Power Supply:
Budget constraints are holding you back from going crazy with super quiet, high-end units, so anything recommended here is more than good enough.
Great. At least one thing is sorted out.
Hard Drive:
Personally, I'd love to see at least an SSHD in a new build, if not a full SSD+HDD combo. Based on how you usually do things, a 500 GB SSHD would probably do the trick, but since we're looking at laptop options, a 1 TB drive is out of reach. So, a standard 1 TB drive it is, with a strong recommendation to grab a system SSD later on and just use the HDD for storage. That's where you really feel the speed boost these days. You could also play around with Power Management settings to make the old-school drive spin down more often to keep things quiet.
I’d love to see all sorts of upgrades too (not just for PCs), but only if I actually understand what they do and why they matter. As it stands... I'm not sure. If it costs $200 and I don't see the point... and I can always buy it later... then I guess it's fine.
I'm not really the type to mess with Power Management settings. Maybe I'll figure that out one of these days...
To be continued... check it out below 😁