Not trying to be a pedant here, but I might have misspoken earlier. It’s not like I’m insisting on 3200MHz RAM or anything, just wondering about the math. According to the specs for the Intel Core i7 6700K, the max supported RAM speed is capped at 2400MHz. So, if I grab a motherboard that handles up to 3200MHz and pair it with 3200MHz sticks, are they actually going to run at 3200 or am I stuck at 2400? Because if they just sit there at 2400MHz, I’m leaning toward an ASUS board. I really want to see everything through the case window, you know? But it’s about $30 more expensive. Another thought was the ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero.
I'm looking at upgrading my rig and I'm stuck between two motherboards because of the RAM situation. There's the ASUS ROG, which can handle up to 3200MHz, or the Asus Sabertooth Z170, but that one tops out at 2400MHz. I'm planning on running an i7 6700k. If I go with the ASUS ROG and grab some 3200MHz sticks, would they actually hit 3200MHz? Since the processor itself only supports up to 2400MHz, I'm wondering if it'll even matter.
I've got one more question for you. Would I actually see any kind of performance boost if I hooked up two NVIDIA GTX 970 cards together? And does it matter if they aren't a perfect match—like, can I mix an ASUS card with an MSI card or something along those lines...
I'm definitely picking it up. It doesn't even have to stay in my rig permanently, but I want a backup ready to go. I just got a new monitor and I've been noticing some weird visual glitches while gaming. Plus, I keep hearing this clicking sound from the GPU whenever the load drops after a session. My screen stuttered a few times yesterday too—can't say for sure if the graphics card is the culprit, but I'm leaning that way. I need something better to run some tests, and I don't exactly have a buddy I can borrow a card from. This feels like a solid chance to save about $110 . I'm buying it privately, but it's brand new in the box with a receipt. Honestly, dropping $300-$500 on a card right now just isn't in the budget. I've got this nagging feeling my GTX 680 is about to kick the bucket, so might as well get something for it while it's still breathing. Thanks for the help 👍😊😊😊
Alright, now for a stupid question. I’ve had my GTX 680 for about two years now, picked it up used. And this new one I'm definitely grabbing because it's sitting at $150 while the retail price is closer to $260, though there isn't really much of a difference anyway.
Maybe I didn't explain myself very well. I'm not talking about the price tag—I don't live in the States, so I'm not paying $150 for it or whatever—but I am talking about actual performance. Sure, I'll admit it's maybe 8% faster, plus it’s a newer card, but the real question is how much longer a GTX 680 can even stay relevant before it just dies on us.
Hey there. Could use a little advice. I’m not exactly a hardcore gamer—just play things here and there—but lately, I've been picking up the controller a bit more often. I built my own rig a while back, and now it feels like the right time to swap out the GPU. My current card is getting a little old, but honestly, it still does the job for what I need. So, the big question is: am I actually gaining anything by swapping an EVGA GTX 680 for an ASUS GTX 960 Strix OC?
Intel Core i5 4570 @ 3.2GHz 700W PSU I'm currently running an EVGA GTX 680 and playing Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on it, but I picked up a GTX 570 today. Just wondering if swapping them out is actually worth the effort.
So, I'm weighing two options here: that GeForce GTX 570 TGT Ultra Charged dual fan with 2.5GB, or just going straight for the EVGA GTX 680 2GB. Which way should I lean?
Look, if you didn't catch my drift, I never said the Nvidia wasn't working. I'm saying it's just sitting there doing nothing. It’s not being utilized by the laptop at all. I've already gone through the whole routine—installed both the Intel and the Nvidia drivers, then did it all over again just to be sure. If you check Device Manager, both show up as installed, but the system is stubbornly sticking to the Intel chip instead of switching over to the Nvidia. Honestly, the only thing that makes sense here is what fadedorca66 pointed out: the laptop is supposed to run on Intel for basic stuff and only kick in the Nvidia when things actually get heavy.
I tried disabling the Intel HD Graphics, but then I’m forced to restart the whole laptop because everything just goes black. It doesn't make any sense. It should just automatically hand things off to the Nvidia chip, but once I do that, the manager shows absolutely no graphics card at all. I tried installing the Nvidia drivers, but it keeps demanding Intel HD Graphics drivers first. It seems pretty logical that when you're actually running something demanding, the Nvidia should just kick in and take over.
Can someone help me figure out where I'm messing this up? I've got an Acer Aspire 5750G running original Windows 7 Home Premium. Specs are an Intel Core i5-2450, 6GB of 1333MHz RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce 630M. That's where things go sideways. I installed the drivers for the graphics card, but then it kept prompting me to install the Intel HD Graphics too. Even though everything seems installed, I'm starting to think the Nvidia isn't actually kicking in, or maybe I just botched the setup somewhere.😵
Larry Ortiz5 said:Haha, man, ice? Seriously? What are you gonna buy for a hundred bucks then, a damn ice cream cone? 🙏
There was a time when you could snag a decent rig for twenty bucks. Used to be like that even at those roadside flea markets out in rural Ohio. You find some interesting stuff if you're lucky. If someone decides to head over to Germany, Friday through Sunday is when the big market in Passaic really hits its stride.
Can anyone weigh in on two different cards here? I'm looking at a Zotac Nvidia GTX 560 Ti versus an EVGA Nvidia GTX 680. Which one would play nicer with my current setup? It’s an MSI Z87-G43 Military Class 4 motherboard running an Intel Core i5 4570. 🤔
Larry Ortiz5 said:Just take a photo and upload it. Then we can actually tell if it's an OEM part or just some off-brand junk from another manufacturer...
Larry Ortiz5 said:The GTX 1060 has GDDR5 memory while that one uses GDDR3. If you don't mind me asking, how much cash are we talking about for those two cards?
I actually have both sitting here. The GTX 1060 is currently in my rig, but I'm still on the fence about the GTX 980. Not even sure if it'll boot up. Even if it does, I'd have to move half my components around just to make room in the case, and honestly, since it isn't even a color build, I can't be bothered. Also, I haven't figured out if the 1060 is a standard retail card or some OEM version from a pre-built, and whether there's any actual hardware difference between them or if they're basically identical.
It’s not even about gaming specifically right now. I mean, sure, I play games, but I’m not exactly obsessed with running everything on ultra settings. To be honest, as long as things don't stutter, I'm good. But let's face it—new titles drop every single year, and naturally, eventually, you're going to hit some lag. In my current setup, I'm pretty sure the GPU is the weakest link. I've been putting this rig together using a mix of new and used parts, mostly because the goal is just to build something solid enough that I won't have to worry about upgrading for at least another two or three years.
