Posts by Amy Fox

wearymason4 said:for instance, this one features two LAN ports you can use for your PC or smart TV, plus Wi-Fi, and then you just plug your ethernet cable from the router straight into the blue WAN port:
https://www.amazon.com/xiaomi-router-dual-band-wifi/dp/B0XXXXXXXX

This is perfect, thanks so much!

So, here’s the situation. I have my router set up on the ground floor of my house. I actually ran an Ethernet cable all the way up to the second floor to connect my desktop, and honestly, that connection is rock solid. However, since the room is pretty far from the main router, the Wi-Fi signal I'm getting on my laptop and phone upstairs is pretty weak, and I really need to beef it up.
What am I looking at here? What are my actual options? Is there a specific device—what would you even call it—that I could plug this existing Ethernet cable into so it broadcasts a wireless signal in that room? Alternatively, could I potentially turn my desktop into a mobile hotspot? If that were the case, would I just need a better antenna for the PC, or is there more to it than that? Or maybe there's a third option out there that’s both budget-friendly and actually provides decent signal quality?

Henry Sanchez said:Here’s another one, probably about 6 years old:
Gigabyte Technology Co. EP35-DS3 x.x
Intel Core 2 duo E7300 clocked at 2.67 GHz
4 GB DDR2 memory, Max frequency: 400 MHz; Max bandwidth: PC2-6400
ATI Radeon HD 4650
SAMSUNGHD502IJ Hard drive, 465.76 GB SATA II
ST380815AS Hard drive, 74.53 GB SATA II

I guess maybe someone could give me a rough estimate on what this is worth, please?

thanks

Timothy Kim60 said:1 x Intel Core i5-4440 soc 1150 CPU
1 x MSI H81M-P33,1150,D3,S3,U3,DVI,VGA,mATX
1 x KINGSTON DDR3 (8GB,1600MHz(PC3-12800) CL11
1 x MSI GeForce CUDA gtx 750OC 2GB DDR5 128BIT DVI/HDMI/DSub BOX
1 x SSD Samsung 120GB 850 EVO Basic
1 x HDD SEAGATE Barracuda (3.5",1TB,64MB,SATA III)
1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+, active, 12 cm
1 x NaviaTec MATX PC Case, NO PSU

Alright, I’m planning on picking up these parts tomorrow. I’ve done my homework, and everything seems pretty solid to me. The total cost feels reasonable enough, too.
I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else thinks there's anything worth adding or swapping out here.
To be honest, it feels a little strange that the motherboard is such a low-budget item compared to the rest of the build.
Would it actually make a significant difference if I spent $33 more on a different model (which one would you suggest?), or is it all basically the same thing and not really worth the extra cash?

Kimberly Gomez34, thanks again!

I really appreciate the help, honestly, I'm glad I checked in with this 🙂
The only thing is, I noticed my HDD only comes with a 24-month warranty. It isn't even 36 months. I guess I'm not sure if I should be worried about that and just pick up a different one, or if I should just deal with those 24 months

Here’s another one I dug up, probably about 6 years old now:

Dell Technologies EP35-DS3 x.x
Intel Core i7 clocked at 2.67 GHz
4 GB DDR2 memory (Max frequency: 400 MHz; Max bandwidth: PC2-6400)
ATI Radeon HD 4650
SAMSUNGHD502IJ Hard Drive, 465.76 GB SATA II
ST380815AS Hard Drive, 74.53 GB SATA II

Also, does anyone know the best place to sell this? I'm based in New York City. Maybe eBay or Craigslist?

thanks

Just looking for a decent setup—nothing crazy special, just a new machine that’ll hopefully last me at least five years.
Since I work in frontend development, I need something that can handle my workflow... basically, I need to be able to run Adobe programs smoothly (like having Photoshop and Fireworks open simultaneously), keep 4 or 5 browser windows active, an IDE, and so on... I'm also constantly pulling up Google Earth and Google Maps...
I play games every now and then, but high-end settings aren't really my priority.
I'm leaning toward 16GB of RAM—mostly just so I don't have to worry about it for years to come. Right now I'm stuck with only 4GB, which is honestly pretty frustrating, so I figured I'd skip 8GB entirely and go straight to 16.
To be honest, I don't know much about motherboards...
Also, I always have two Full HD monitors hooked up, if that matters for the graphics card choice.

Look, I'm definitely not a hardware expert... I've just been poking around a bit to see what's out there and pulled together some components. If you wouldn't mind helping me out, I'd really appreciate it. 🙂

One thing I do know is that I want an SSD paired with a 1TB HDD, and of course, I want to feel like I actually have a solid computer that will stay relevant for five years.

Thanks for the help.
Best,

Hey,

I would appreciate some constructive feedback on the components I've selected for this build:

$252 - ASUS H97M-E motherboard
$195 - Intel Core i3-4150 (3.50GHz, 512KB, 3MB, 54W, 1150) Box, Intel HD Graphics 4400
$354 - 16GB (2x 8GB) Kingston DDR3 1600MHz memory, KVR16N11K2/16
$212 - ASUS GT730 graphics card
$227 - 120.0 GB Intel Series 530 SSD, SSDSC2BW120A401, SATA3, 2.5'', MLC-Chip, max up to 540/480 MB/s
$210 - 1TB Western Digital Black, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 7,200 rpm, 1003FZEX
$102 - Linkworld 727-21C2222-450W Micro Case with 450W PSU

Totaling $5 $10 in cash

- I'm not really a gamer, so the graphics card isn't particularly critical to me.
- I plan to purchase all the components from a single retailer so they can handle the assembly for me immediately. Given what I've seen at other shops, these prices seem reasonable enough.
- Regarding the drives, I specifically chose these models because they come with a 60-month warranty, which is quite important to me.

Does anyone have any advice on alternative choices—specifically regarding the motherboard, processor, or graphics card?

Thanks!

I was wondering if anyone could give me a recommendation for a general practitioner.
I just moved over to the Treasure Island area here in Chicago, so my main priority is finding someone nearby.

Thanks so much

Where might I be able to pick up a small metal plate... maybe something around 10x5 or 10x10, featuring two symmetrical holes?
So... I suppose I need them to secure something in place. My plan is to sandwich an object between the plates on either side, then tighten everything down using a bolt and a nut through those pre-drilled holes.

Thanks!