Posts by Michelle Brooks

I picked up an Intel 80GB SSD about six months ago—specifically an Intel model. Man, what a difference... absolute game changer!
Used to be I’d boot up the PC and have enough time to grab a coffee before anything happened—maybe 2 or 3 minutes tops—but now? Windows kicks in within 7 or 8 seconds. 🙂

Alright, I'm going to grab the CPU first.
As for the GPU—I'll figure that out later. Honestly, I won't even be able to pick one up for another couple of weeks anyway...

Thanks everyone for the input!

So, I'm looking at a used Intel Core i5 4460 (or maybe something similar/better if you guys have suggestions?)
plus grabbing a new graphics card on a payment plan. (Maybe a Nvidia GTX 1050? Not sure why—I just always seem to prefer Nvidia...)

The case is just some old relic—honestly, I can't even remember the brand anymore, just some random midi tower.
The fact that the motherboard is an ITX is just how it turned out—it wasn't because of the case itself...
As for gaming, I really only play PoE and Civ. So, there's zero need for a beastly graphics card.

I'm out here in San Diego.
I've been eyeing some used i5 processors—pretty sure that’s the move for me.
I bought a used graphics card once before—it was an older model and a total steal—but it died on me after just three months... hopefully, my luck holds up better this time! 🙂
Anyway, what kind of GPU would actually be worth picking up for under $267 (used)?

Hey there!

I could really use some advice here!

Here’s what I’m running right now:

CPU: Intel Pentium g3258
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX
GPU: Geforce GTX 650
PSU: FSP Blue Storm II 500w
RAM: 2x 4GB Crucial 1600MHz

I’ve managed to scrape together about $467—not quite sure where to start the upgrade process.
My initial thought was to grab an Intel Core i5 4460 to get things moving, then slowly swap out the GPU, maybe the motherboard if needed, and eventually the PSU...
Or is there a smarter way to go about this?
If I were to stretch my budget a bit more (maybe up to $667 if I put the graphics card on a credit card plan), any ideas for a better combo?

Anyway, thanks everyone for the help!

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone!

Just gonna do a little more Googling...

Hey there!

I could really use some advice on picking up a new CPU and motherboard.

Here’s what I’m running right now:

CPU: Intel Pentium dual E2200
Motherboard: Asus P5L-MX
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 650
PSU: 500w power supply
RAM: Crucial Ballistix RAM

Since I've got about $220 to work with—roughly—I was thinking about grabbing this combo:

CPU: AMD Athlon ii x4 750
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
RAM: 1x 4 GB Crucial 1600MHz (planning to grab another 4GB stick next month)

Total price $499.

The only thing I'm stuck on is the board—should I go with the one above or the ASRock FM2A78 PRO4 +?

Which one do you think is the better bet?

Also, any idea if I can get anything for my old CPU, motherboard, and RAM?

Thanks for the help!