Posts by Roger Mitchell4

Timothy Kim60 said:I’d definitely go through the BIOS. Honestly, if you're nervous about diving into the BIOS or just hate messing with it, overclocking probably isn't your thing! You won't find all those settings through random software anyway.

I'm honestly a bit worried about breaking something! I know it shouldn't be that easy, but still... If I overclock it, will my FX-6300 just stay locked at one frequency, like 4GHz, and what am I actually gaining from that? Will the Cooler get louder? Also, the specs say the 8300 hits a turbo of 4.2 GHz—does that mean it jumps up to 4.2 during hardcore gaming?

Timothy Kim60 said:You won't get any massive overclocking out of that Cooler, so I'd suggest aiming for 4GHz at most with the lowest voltage you can manage.

Do a little reading first, then take a look!

http://www.overclock.net/t/1434322/a...i-bios-example
http://www.overclock.net/t/1318995/o...ra-owners-club
http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthread.php?t=248861
http://www.overclock.net/t/1348623/a...us-motherboard

Basically, you need to disable Turbo Boost, Cool and Quiet, APM (Application Power Management), C1E, and C6 in the BIOS, and turn on LLC if needed.

To hit 4GHz, you’ll need to set the CPU ratio to 20 (since 20 x 200 = 4000MHz). Even with a subpar chip, you should be able to hit 4GHz at 1.35V, though I'm not sure what kind of temps you'll see with that Cooler. With a great chip, you might even go well below 1.3V. You'll have to find out through testing!

Regarding temperatures and how to run a stress test—and why you need to—check it out here (it's more detailed there and in those links too, so I won't repeat myself). The principle is identical; he just undervolted his AMD FX-6300, whereas you'll be working with higher numbers since you're overclocking by raising the multiplier. Just aim for the lowest stable voltage for the clock speed you've set, based on your specific hardware (your particular CPU sample, motherboard, and Cooler).

Can all of this be done without entering the BIOS, maybe via CPU Overdrive in the AMD Control Center?

Timothy Kim60 said:What kind of cooler are you running?

LC cc 95

Hey everyone, could someone please explain how I go about overclocking an AMD FX-8300?
I'm running a Gigabyte GA970a-DS3P and a Fortron 500W Hyper power supply.

David Sanders4 said:Nice! How much did you end up paying???
Also, let me know how the Octane combo is holding up. What about the lighting, typing feel, and noise levels on the mouse?

$6,800.
It's an amazing deal for the price. I am absolutely loving the design! The lighting is great too—I find myself messing with it constantly. The keyboard isn't noisy at all, or maybe I'm just hard of hearing when I'm gaming! The mouse feels good in my hand, though it feels a tiny bit light to me.

Honestly, for $87 it's a fantastic combo.

David Sanders4 said:So, what did you end up grabbing?

FX 8300
-2x4GB Kingston HyperX 1866
-970A-DS3P
-AMD Radeon R9 280
-EVGA 500W Power Supply
-Western Digital WD Green WD10EARS
-Zalman Z3 Plus

Dell 22-inch Monitor
CM Storm Octane
Genius HF800A

Finally got my hands on this PC! Huge thanks to everyone for all the help.

Is it actually worth upgrading from an R9 280 3GB to an R9 380 4GB?
In most games, you're only looking at a tiny bump of about 2 to 5 FPS with the 380.
The price gap is $67.

Timothy Kim60 said:Did you guys realize that, excluding the pinned threads, this is actually the most read and most replied-to thread in the entire Desktop PC subforum? 😬

HAHAHAHAHA, and it only took 10 months! 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:the only real difference is the color scheme... and honestly, who cares about that? $33 meh, they are both just membrane keyboards, there's no actual difference...

I'm reading reviews saying the scroll wheel on this thing starts squeaking after two days, and that the left click either sticks or fails to register entirely.
It isn't $33 rather $8.25, right in the middle of the action $87 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Hey, you didn't even include speakers in your own build! Plus, Octane isn't really any better than the Devastator, so you're just wasting $33
.
Anyway, it's your money and your choice!

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz Processor, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition AMD Radeon R9 280 933M
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x EVGA 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3

$1709

Here is my rig

And here is the gear:
1 x ACER V236HLBd 23", IPS panel, Resolution: 1920x1080, Diagonal
1 x CoolerMaster Devastator keyboard + mouse combo, US layout, RED LED

$429

You have good speakers too, check out these ones $100, for example:
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?products_id=16721
Or maybe something like this
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?products_id=14173

I actually did include them, take a closer look!
Genius SW HF2.1 1205.

I heard Octane is much better, and it even comes in 7 different colors if I'm not mistaken 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:I honestly don't see the issue! If you have the total budget for the whole rig, you can make it work. Just grab a cheaper cooler if you need to!

That budget also needs to cover $300 speakers plus a CM Storm Octane plus$33 (you guys listed the Devastator instead).

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x Dell Monitor 23", IPS panel, resolution : 1920x1080, Diagonal size
1 x CoolerMaster Devastator keyboard + mouse, US layout, RED LED
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x EVGA Graphics Card, Double Dissipation Edition GeForce GTX Series 933M
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Power Supply FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 Processor 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, 2011, 1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g, 13-32dB

$2222
www.newegg.com
They also got the FX 8300, and it's cheaper than at Best Buy! I included a beefier cooler just in case you decide to overclock later so you won't have to swap it out.

Great build! But I can only go so high on the case price.$1700 And $1500 for the peripherals..
We could settle on something closer to $1700, maybe starting at $95 since I wasn't planning on overclocking anyway.

Timothy Kim60 said:It's not even those single-threaded games (StarCraft II, World of Tanks, Total War...) that are the issue; any CPU will absolutely crush them because they aren't demanding at all. Honestly, if that's your only concern, you don't even need a PC like this.

I didn't say I was *only* going to play those! I'll be tackling the heavy hitters too; I was just making a point. 😁

Timothy Kim60 said:I told you before regarding Best Buy that it'll be tough to find everything you need in one go because they're always out of stock on certain parts. You'll either have to pay a premium elsewhere or grab bits from different shops and build it yourself!

What kind of games are we talking about?

You can make it work, but it might cost a bit more—you'd probably have to compromise on the GPU or pick up a Micro ATX Zalman case to stay on budget.

Maybe an Intel Core i5 4460 with an H81m-hds or B85m-dgs (available at Micro Center) or a B85m-hds... Or if you don't care about having a USB 3.0 header on the case, go with an MSI H81M-P33. Just make sure to get a motherboard with a 3-year warranty since prices are basically the same anyway.

I’d definitely grab the I5 just to make sure I have room for future GPU upgrades, even if I don't plan on overclocking.
The games are Call of Duty 2, NFS Underground 2, and CS:GO...
If I have to cut costs on the GPU, I'll just stick with the FX.
Is there a massive difference in FPS between those two CPUs? I haven't heard much about the FX, and I've heard they can lag.

Timothy Kim60 said:two of these elements

$17 on this drive link - the Seagate is better, but this one offers a longer warranty; honestly, I wouldn't touch the rest (CPU, motherboard, cooler). They don't even stock those motherboards... I'm not sure if you'll even be able to find everything in stock there.

Word is that the Toshiba is significantly slower.
Does any shop in a major US city actually carry these parts? I tried building a rig at Best Buy, but they didn't have the 8300. At Futur, things are more expensive with weaker specs $100.
Would it be possible to squeeze in an Intel Core i5 4460 instead? I'll be playing a lot of single-threaded games, and from what I read, the FX series really didn't hold up well..

Timothy Kim60 said:Where are you picking this up? Just checking out the deal.

It’s a solid build! Personally, I’d swap in a Zalman Z3 instead—it’s barely more expensive and much better equipped. I might also go for cheaper RAM if looks aren't everything, and maybe an XFX 550W.

I'm looking at Best Buy because they seemed to have the best prices. They don't have the XFX Radeon R9 280 in stock right now, but they said one should arrive by the end of the week.
I’d love to get the Zalman R1 since it looks stunning, but it blows my budget! The Z3 is a great alternative.
To be honest, I grabbed the HyperX just because it looked cool, but I'd definitely prioritize a cheaper RAM over a fancy case.
Any ideas where else I can save some cash to squeeze in that 550W and the Z3?

I'm looking to pick up a PC and would love some feedback on this build (let me know if anything needs changing)!

-HyperX Fury Black Series 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 CL10 DIMM
-XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB DDR5, XFX Radeon R9 280
-EVGA 500W 80 Plus
-Zalman ZM-Z1 mid tower case black, USB 3.0
-AMD FX-Series X8 8300 CPU (3.3GHz, 16MB, 95W, AM3+) box
-Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard, AM3, A970, D3, S3, USB 3.0
-LC Power CPU Cooler LC-CC-95
-Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM 1TB Hard Drive
Genius HF2.1 1205 wood
Acer V236HL 23" LED Monitor
Cooler Master Octane keyboard + mouse combo, gaming, US layout

Total:$2.25

Please feel free to suggest any necessary tweaks!

So, I'm going with the Acer.
I'll get back to you regarding the case in about seven days.😉

graniteharbor85 said:Why stress about the lack of HDMI? Honestly, the only real perk HDMI has over DVI is audio support; everything else is basically identical. If you absolutely need HDMI, just grab this Dell instead.

Well, if you experts say so!
Can I actually find anything better than this monitor for $367, or is the v236hlbd a total steal?