Posts by Anthony Hayes82

Q

Drew Sanchez82 said:It’ll look great regardless.🍿 http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psa558c14a.jpg
I missed out on three front intake fans for the interior.

And what kind of lights are you planning to put inside?

I ordered a 60cm 4-pin Molex white LED strip along with the case. Later on, I might pick up an NZXT RGB kit so I can actually dim them or turn them off entirely.

That’s why I grabbed this one—if I could get it cheaper, why wouldn't I?
I think I nailed the matte black and red combo. 🙂

For testing purposes, I'm throwing my old build in there until I get the new parts. 🙂
I'll snap some photos tomorrow once everything is assembled.

EDIT: @Smartic, did you say ASUS? 😁
Sure, it doesn't matter if it's blue; it'll play nice with the red. As long as it's high quality and works well, I'm happy. 🙂

I'll just grab a different power supply since they don't carry be Quiet at Best Buy, so I'll probably have to order at least the CPU cooler online.
Not sure if I should go with the Corsair CX600 or if I can find a better brand for the same price.

Drew Sanchez82 said:Why is that NZXT case such an overpriced tin can?

It’s probably because you’re paying for the "brand" aesthetic—you know, the fancy metal, those two extra 120mm fans, the PSU shroud, and that signature NZXT LED lighting on the logo and the I/O. 🤷

Honestly, I don't care. I snagged mine for half price, so it was a win in my book. 😁

I did see some people complaining online about thermal issues during the summer because the front airflow seems restricted. But honestly, if that becomes an issue, just pop the front panel off when it gets hot and you've got unrestricted flow right there. It's not exactly rocket science. 🙂

What I actually like is how they replaced the traditional drive bays with a fan. It creates this nice, direct path where fresh air hits the CPU tower and then heads straight out the back. It keeps things moving smoothly without creating a bunch of weird turbulence inside the case.

Regarding the case, a buddy is dropping off an NZXT H440 for me in a couple of days for $167. Don't ask how—it's a trade secret... 😁

Look, my friend is pretty generous and offered to help me cover the cost of some parts, but since the shop doesn't take installments, I had to look into getting a loan through census.gov. The problem is, they don't carry specific stuff like Crucial 4 GB RAM or a Gigabyte GTX 970 UD3P.

There’s just no way to get any intake going. If I tried to slap a fan on the front, it would just end up sucking air from inside the case back into itself. I can't exactly start cutting into the plastic panel either, since that's where the power button, reset, and those USB 2.0 ports are all located. It feels like this case was designed with nothing but exhaust in mind, and the intake situation is just a total joke. 🤣

Honestly, my best bet might just be to rip the side panel off and let it run wide open. 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You can actually go ahead and get started—there’s plenty of room to mount things behind that first panel. 🍿

I was looking at the layout just now, and while there's definitely space on the chassis for an extra fan, I'm scratching my head over where it would actually pull air from. The front panel is completely solid—there aren't any vents or openings at all to let anything in.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Well, you might as well just grab two fans—one for intake and one for exhaust...

My case only has one single spot for a 120mm fan, and that’s right at the back for exhaust. But I was thinking, maybe I could swap that out for a 120mm fan with a dust filter to pull cool air into the system, while letting the power supply fan pull the heat out. My only real worry is whether my GPU is going to run too hot, since the side panel only has a small 15x5cm mesh vent. Honestly, though, I don't need to crank everything up to Ultra settings at 1080p right away. I can just dial back the graphics quality for a bit until I can pick up a better case.

I just took a look at my current case and snapped some photos. Honestly, the graphics card would actually fit if I could just move the hard drive all the way down to the floor of the chassis. I’ve got about 300mm of clearance, and according to the specs, the GPU is 266.65mm long. As for the cooler, it might fit, but it would be cutting it incredibly close. I have about 160mm of space, and the cooler stands at roughly 155mm. I don't want to take that risk. So, I'm going to pull the cooler and the case out of my budget for now and put that extra cash toward an SSD instead. It'll be easy enough to migrate everything over to a new case once I pick up a new one along with the cooler later on.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3...pshf5puree.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psfbyudm4u.jpg

Drew Sanchez82 said:Or just keep it simple and pick up a larger case.
My setup, for example, has great ventilation. The only real downside is the price tag, though I honestly think that’s more about the brand name than actual performance.

You could also look at something like

Drew Sanchez82 said:That case looks a bit tight to me. Maybe I'm wrong, though. What’s the actual GPU clearance in there?
For the Thermaltake case, the limit is about 280mm, and that new ASUS ROG GTX 970 is exactly 280mm long. It's going to be a hair-thin fit. 😁

I'm not entirely sure yet. I need to go home and measure my own case since it's a different model. I need to check the distance from the GPU slot to the HDD bracket. Honestly, I’d rather just grab a saw, cut those brackets out, and mount my SSD and HDD on the floor of the case or in the empty optical drive bays. Since I’m ditching the old CD/DVD drive—it uses outdated IDE and 4-pin Molex connectors anyway—I've got the space.

Also, an aftermarket cooler might not fit because the case is too narrow. Cable management is going to be a headache, and I'm worried about the ventilation. I'll definitely need at least one 120mm fan to exhaust the hot air, or I might try setting it up so cool air pulls in from the back while the power supply fan pushes everything out.

Timothy Kim60 said:I'm a bit worried that kind of GPU won't actually fit in a case like that. You should probably measure how much clearance you have for the card first.

I’ll definitely have to double-check those measurements. If it doesn't fit, I guess I'm looking at a new case. I want something quiet but with solid ventilation, which is why I was eyeing that new Fractal Design case.

EDIT: The card length is 266.65mm, but I also noticed the recommended minimum PSU is 750W, even though Accenture listed it at 600W. 🤔

crimsonstag84 said:It's not great. That processor is basically half as powerful as an Intel Core i7, and its integrated graphics won't do anything for you anyway.

2x Crucial 4 GB RAM
Gigabyte GTX 970 UD3P motherboard
Be Quiet! Pure Rock CPU cooler
Dell XPS Desktop power supply
AMD FX 8320E X8 16MB 3.5GHz
PowerColor R9 290 4GB GDDR5 OC

Total from: $1909 UziShop

Man, you're making this too easy. Looking at this build, everything is dialed in perfectly—it just needs an SSD. I’m thinking a SanDisk SSD 120GB would be a solid move. 😍
It’s easy for me to say, though. Down the road, when things start feeling slow, I'll probably swap out parts or add more gear. Do you think all this will actually fit in a case like this one? I'm worried the Noctua NH-D15 might be a bit too bulky; maybe the Be Quiet! Pure Rock is a safer bet?
http://www.rosewill.com/Mgnt/Uploads...874e2e0%5D.jpg

Timothy Kim60 said:Unfortunately, if you're dead set on getting a red motherboard for that AM3+ socket, I think you might have already overextended yourself. 😁

ASUS boards tend to lean blue, and those high-end models you're looking at are honestly overkill and way too pricey. Your other options are either paying extra for some AsRock (Mortal Kombat) stuff or settling for mediocre MSI boards—and they aren't even mid-range quality. In my experience, it’s usually a bad deal. When you look at what you could actually get from Gigabyte or ASUS for that kind of cash, it just doesn't add up.

To be honest, with an AM3+ socket, it really only makes sense to grab one of the few solid boards from ASUS or Gigabyte in the $550 to $900 range—$333 though even that feels steep. Anything else is either total overkill or just significantly worse quality for the same price tag.

Ah, I see. It sounds like sticking with Intel is the better move for what I need, but maybe I should just hold off on buying anything until I can save up a bit more. 😁

Man, when you know what you want, it's hard. I want it to run smoothly and, honestly, I want it to look good. But I don't want something that's just going to last two or three years; I want a build I can invest in over time and maintain without losing quality. I'm not a fan of blue or yellow builds—I'd much rather go with white or red. 😁

Timothy Kim60 said:MSI boards just aren't great on that socket—honestly, they're some of the worst. Especially if you're even thinking about overclocking.

So, how would an Intel Core i5-4570 paired with an ASUS CROSSBLADE RANGER hold up?

I’ve been crunching the numbers a bit, and honestly, I don't think I'll be able to pick up any new games through next year. Plus, things are looking a little shaky at work, so I'm not even sure if my current company will still be standing by then.
For now, I'm sticking to a strict budget $2000 while trying to grab enough components for a decent gaming setup that actually looks good.

AMD FX 8320E
MSI 970 GAMING
MSI GTX 960 GAMING 2GB GDDR5
2XCRUICAL 4GB DDR3
CORSAIR RM650 FULL MODULAR
120GB SAMSUNG 850 EVO SSD

I'll probably pick up the case, some red cables, an AIO, and the LED lighting down the road whenever I have a little extra cash to spare.

David Sanders4 said:I don't want to clutter things up with a whole new thread, but I wanted to get your take on side fans. Should they be pulling air into the case or exhausting it out? I haven't spent a ton of time digging through forums, but it seems like both ways are common. Looking at official sites like Corsair, they usually suggest intake for the front, bottom, and side, then exhaust for the rear and top...

If you’ve got a dust filter installed, set it as an intake. If you aren't using one, just have it as an exhaust. 😁

Drew Sanchez82 said:Mhm, you'd probably pair that AIO with an i7 🍿
with i7 white LED or maybe some neon lights?

My rig is pretty polished, but I rarely actually stop to look at it.😁

There’s a "case modding" thread over in the hardware section where you can find all sorts of DIY builds.

LEDs, sure, but definitely not neon. 😁

Yeah, the plan is to pair it with an i7 once I pick one up. 😁
Mainly for the overclocking potential, but also because my apartment gets pretty brutal in the summer—room temps can easily climb north of 86°F. 🙂

I'll take a look... 🍿

EDIT: I checked out the thread, but honestly, it wasn't really my style. I'm more about that clean aesthetic rather than those cluttered, messy mods. 😁

Something more like this, just a black and white theme with the fans and cables: http://core0.staticworld.net/images/...55127-orig.jpg

Drew Sanchez82 said:Look, there are definitely some cheaper ways to go about this. Star Trek Look, you don't need to blow your entire paycheck on high-end components just to get things looking right. If you want to improve the vibe and the effects inside your case, there are plenty of ways to do it without breaking the bank. It's all about how you style it. 😁

I’m really not looking for that whole Star Wars vibe with multi-colored LEDs popping out of every single corner. Personally, I’m aiming for a clean, black-and-white aesthetic. I want a motherboard with a sleek, matte black PCB—not that cheap, brownish tint you see on most budget boards.
If I were going to pick up a Define S, that would basically be the dream setup. Everything would stay sleek and black—I'd probably just swap out the RAM cables and the fans—but then I’d add some white LED strips to give it just enough light to see everything without being too much. 😁

A Corsair 110 is definitely on my wish list. I might not jump into overclocking right away, but that’s the dream piece of gear I'm eyeing for later. 😁

If I were in your shoes, I’d definitely spend some more time modding it just for me. There’s nothing like building something that you can actually sit back, look at on your desk, and just really appreciate the work you put into it. 🙂

Timothy Kim60 said:Upgrading to Broadwell is kind of a pipe dream. People talk about two specific chips, the i7-5775C and the i5-5675C, which some argue could actually be "weaker" than current K-series chips because of the lower clock speeds—even though they have a better manufacturing process and stronger integrated graphics. They’re only "weaker" in quotes because the clock speed difference doesn't really matter in real-life apps or games; it mostly shows up in synthetic benchmarks. So, honestly, I'm just as torn between upgrading to an i7 4790k or the i7-5775C.

Hit me up when you're actually ready to buy, because a lot of this stuff isn't worth the money, from water cooling to those V300 SSDs that are noticeably slower than the competition.

In the future, moving to an i7 Haswell might actually make more sense since older processors will be cheaper by then. But I'd only do that if I start getting into heavy video processing or something similar. Right now, having all those cores—both physical and virtual—isn't really necessary for gaming, especially since an i5 does a great job for a much lower price. As for the SSD, I think I'll save some cash there. I was thinking about grabbing a Samsung EVO 120 instead of the Kingston 240GB, since they're about the same price. At this stage, storage capacity is way more important to me than raw SSD speed.

Regarding the cooler, I could go with an air cooler, but it would need to be a massive one with high TDP. That's a dealbreaker for me because a huge heatsink covers up the shoulder and the PWM capacitor heatsinks, meaning heat transfers directly onto them. Plus, it just looks ugly. If I ever wanted to swap out the shoulder component, I'd have to pull the whole cooler off. That's why an AIO is my top priority if I decide to overclock.

@analogtiger19/">@@analogtiger19, I hear you, but I'm willing to spend the extra cash. Even if the price-to-performance ratio isn't perfect, I think it's worth it. I'm not sure what specifically you look for in a motherboard, but mine is built with solid components, and the AI suite gives me everything I need, especially Fan Expert 3 and EPU.🙂

By the way, I was originally eyeing the Z97 Maximus IV Hero because of the aesthetics, but I ended up settling on this slightly cheaper version that looks pretty standard.😁

I still plan on getting a case with a window, though. My current setup is already sitting on my desk, so I want to be able to take a quick peek at the hardware while I'm gaming.😁

Since my job situation looks pretty solid, I’m leaning toward investing in a more serious, high-end build. I've been chewing on these complicated hardware bundles lately, and while they definitely have their perks, I find myself hesitating whenever an AMD processor comes up. Honestly, after a few bad experiences in the past—and now that I've grown quite fond of my Intel-based laptop—I think my heart is set on Intel.

To start things off, here’s how I’d budget for that list:

The Intel I5 4690k is a solid little chip. It’s been around the block, but honestly, it still holds its own if you aren't trying to run the most demanding modern titles at max settings. It’s like that old reliable pickup truck parked in your garage—it might not win any drag races against a brand-new Tesla, but it gets the job done when you need it to. If you're just looking to get some decent performance out of an older build, this processor is a pretty dependable workhorse.
I’ve been spending some quality time tinkering with the Asus Z97 Pro lately. It's one of those reliable workhorses that just feels solid when you're getting under the hood. If you're looking to squeeze a bit more performance out of your setup, this board is definitely worth a look.
I've got two 4GB sticks of HyperX Fury running at 1600MHz.
I've been running a 240GB Kingston SSD Now 300 lately. It’s a solid little drive.
If you're looking at the Corsair RM650, you're basically looking at a reliable workhorse. It’s one of those components that doesn't need to scream for attention because it just does its job quietly in the background. Think of it like a dependable mid-sized sedan—it might not win any drag races against a supercar, but it’ll get you to work every single morning without a hiccup. For most standard builds, it provides exactly the kind of stability you want so you aren't constantly worrying about power spikes or system crashes while you're mid-game.
If I were in their shoes, I’d start by throwing everything back into that old Mid tower first.

Down the road, I’ll probably look into picking up a better GPU, a larger case, and a Corsair 110i GT to help handle the overclocking on the i5.

I’m thinking about grabbing a cheaper, lower-end motherboard for now. My logic is that if a more powerful Broadwell chip hits the market down the road, I won't be stuck having to upgrade my board just to support it. This specific one works perfectly fine with the Intel I5 4690k Asus Z97 Pro 2, and honestly, the built-in auto-overclocking is a huge selling point for me. I don't exactly have days to spend hunched over my desk trying to hunt down a stable overclock manually.

Timothy Kim60 said:For that kind of cash, you could grab a 2GB model like this insteadhttp://www.bestbuy.com/example-link. Honestly, it feels overpriced—not really worth the hit. Back before the dollar spiked, you could sometimes find a GTX 750 with 1GB for even less than$267, while prices for an R9 270 (which is a much stronger GPU) stayed pretty much the same
.
If you've got $350 total, take one of those two pre-built setups and just swap in a decent, budget-friendly power supply. You'll need at least something likethis or better
. http://www.newegg.com/search?q=lc6460gp3

Or, if you decide to buy everything separately from a place like Micro Center
:
http://www.newegg.com/search?q=cx430
https://www.amazon.com/power-supply-hyper-500.html

That way, with that $350 budget, you'll actually have some wiggle room left over to upgrade the graphics card. If you want to stick to something with good value, check out these options:
https://www.amazon.com/amd-ati-gpu-dual-x-oc.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/product_info.php?products_id=14245

Even if you go with the pricier versions of everything mentioned above, you’re still staying under that $350 mark.

So yeah, I'd say that's a pretty solid configuration for me. 🙂