Posts by bluefalcon2

Is there actually any meaningful difference when you're looking at 4GB versus 6GB of RAM?

It's me again—rather than starting a whole new thread, I figured I'd just post here:
My budget has bumped up to $6,500— $2333 excluding peripherals. 👍

In terms of the case, I’m really hoping to fit an aftermarket cooler, the processor, and two 120mm fans

Here is my current proposal (though, honestly, it might be a bit off 🤣

1 x CoolerMaster Elite 430, black, window, (W)190 x (H)424 x (L)490
1 x HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 1Tb 7200rpm 32MB cache Serial ATA II
1 x DDR3 6GB (3x2GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, CMX6GX3M3A1600C9
1 x Processor Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, Socket 1155
1 x EVGA Z77 - Intel P67, ATX, 4xDDR3 2133MHz
1 x Dell DVD Drive, 22x DVD±R , 8x DL , 40x CD-R, PATA, white
1 x Sapphire HD 6950, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual Link DVI + HDMI
1 x Corsair 600W, GS Series, 600 Watt, ATX12V v2.3
1 x SCYTHE Mugen 2 Rev B, SCMG-2100, Socket 478/775/1156/1366
2 x Spire 120mm Fan, SP12025S1M3, sleeve bearing, 32 dBA, 120

$2333 (Ha, though I wouldn't want to have planned 😂)

Tyler Howard46 - John Doe is probably enjoying watching me stumble through my own ignorance, isn't he?

jaderanger8 - Thanks, I actually had no idea about that.

dustyskipper77 - Of course, lol

Here is another question—maybe a bit of a silly one—but I was wondering: do I actually need to go out and buy a dedicated network card and a sound card?

Edit: Also, regarding the magazine from South Dakota—if I send them an email, do they just put everything together and mail it directly to my house?

Could anyone point me toward a direct link for that cooler...?
I'm expecting to drop quite a bit—my current rig is already five years old, you see, which feels like an eternity in tech years...

Just take a look at what I was actually aiming for with my budget, guys, 😂😂
honestly, there’s just no way to compare it to your setups

http://www.newegg.com/p/desktop-gaming-pc-example-link

Rebbit - I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for these types of coolers

My folks have agreed to pick up the tab for my computer case, but the deal we struck is that I’m responsible for covering the cost of the monitor myself...
Right now, I’ve got $667 sitting there—so, should I go ahead and grab a monitor for $500 and maybe a fridge for $167,
or would it be wiser to put everything toward the monitor first and just keep saving from there?

James Fisher11 - You make a fair point there—in my opinion, yours is actually the best one currently available...

I was wondering, though—how far can this processor actually be overclocked? I stumbled upon some info
online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpoJ2-hVKB8

Well, here I am again with yet another build idea (fingers crossed this one works out)
swiftridge40 — I’d probably look into overclocking down the road, but only once I’ve actually saved up enough for a decent cooler.

# CPU Desktop Intel Core i5-2500 (3.3GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, Socket 1155)----$55 USD
# Asrock P55 Extreme4 - Intel Pentium, ATX ---------------------------- $38 USD
# Corsair 4GB, 2x2GB, 1600 MHz DDR3, XMS3-1333, DDR3 SDRAM------$14 USD
# VGA ATI XFX Core edition 80 2GB DDR5 800M, DVI x2, DisplayPort-----------$70 USD
# HDD Desktop SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.12 (3.5", 500GB, 16MB)------$11 USD
# Corsair CX Series, 500 Watt, ATX, ATX12V v2.3---------------------$15 USD

- I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on a case:
# Frontier Noble Super Server Tower, ATX, BlackRock (NOB20A)-----$16 USD
# GIGABYTE 1024 case, black, no PSU----------------------$16 USD
# ANTEC TWO HUNDRED case, MIDI, black, no PSU------------------$14 USD

Without the CPU cooler, we're looking at roughly $1833
- I'm also running into a bit of a headache with these coolers—every single one I see in the local shop says it's for socket 1156, but my motherboard specifically needs 1155. Does anyone know if this one would actually fit?
Would this cooler work?

# CPU Cooler CORSAIR Air Series A70 (Socket 775/Socket AM2/Socket 1366/Socket AM3/S cca $16 USD

Flo — I honestly thought you were just stashing your gear away in the RS fosna warehouse

Fosna — Someone finally gave me an answer to that question. Much appreciated

halek — I find myself leaning more toward the Intel configuration, if I'm being honest. Still, thanks anyway

Edit: a little off-topic: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qlLcZnbaij...pc-mods-07.jpg

Wodoo - I really dig this build, honestly, but if I recall correctly—and I think I mentioned this in a few posts back then—the folks over at Best Buy only handle the full PC assembly if you buy the entire configuration from them. You didn't mention a CD drive in your list, either. I actually just put together a custom rig through their site myself, and wouldn't you know it, they didn't even show me the sales tax until I reached the very final stage of the checkout process...

Thanks, I didn't realize they wouldn't work if you don't take the whole set...

Well, here I am again, tinkering with a new configuration 😛 (assuming I haven't forgotten anything this time)

Corsair 4GB, 2x2GB, 800 MHz DDR2
MSI P67A-G45 B3, LGA 1155, DDR3, SLI/CFX
Intel i5-2400 (3.1GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, LGA 1155, Cooling Fan)
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 GDDR5 1GB/256bit, 800MHz/1250MHz, PCI-E
WD3200AAJS 320GB 8MB 7200 SATA
XFX Core Edition 80 550W PSU - EasyRail technology
Sony Optiarc ODD DVD-RW 24x DVD-RAM, SATA, black, bulk
SilverStone AP121 Active Fan Sink
Frontier Noble Super Server Case

You’ve got a point there—it felt a bit off that a card with all those extra bells and whistles would clock in at "only" 5100... Just, please, let's try not to get into any heated arguments here that might derail the whole thread...

Edit: And just to be clear, I'm certainly not claiming to be some kind of expert PC builder myself. 😁

But realistically, do you think a setup like this could actually handle all the latest AAA titles?
Or would it be smarter to just hold out for another month or two?

My apologies, then...

Could someone please weigh in on whether this setup is any good? (Hertz)
Here's what I've put together:

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67-M, LGA 1155 - $333
CPU: Intel i5 2300, Sandy Bridge, 2.8 GHz - $467
GPU: ATI Radeon HD6850 - $467
Cooling: Cooling Freezer Extreme - $100
RAM: Kingston 3GB, 1333 MHz 2x - $200
PSU: Spire Jewel 550W - $167
Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5II

Does this whole thing with the three-year anniversary apply to me as well?
And besides, John already mentioned that the Happy Hour isn't going to happen...

Hey, John, take a breath for a second 😁.
The guy was honestly just trying to be helpful.

Though, I have to admit—it’s a total pain having to commute all the way to Washington, D.C. every single day.

Anyway, here is what I’ve put together, assuming this even makes sense—I built this one myself, after all ☕.

Mobo: Asus P8P67-M, socket 1155 - $333
CPU: Intel Core I5 2300, Sandy brid, 2.8 GHz - $467
GPU: ATI Radeon HD6850 - $467
Cooling: Cooling frezzer extreme - $100
RAM: Kingston 3gb, 1333 hz 2x - $200
PSU: Spire jewel 550W - $167
Case: Cooler master centurion 5II

And, if that Happy Hour deal actually holds up, everything would be about 10% cheaper,
which might allow for a slightly better build—if I’m not mistaken 🤣.

@Paul Wright7/">@@Paul Wright7 - Since I don't live in Washington, D.C., I won't be able to take advantage of that 10% discount—but even without it, we're looking at roughly $5,600, which actually lands right within my final budget, so no harm done xD. Honestly, the case looks fantastic; at least from a design standpoint, it’s exactly my style.

@Robert Rodriguez2/">@@Robert Rodriguez2 - I did mention in the title that I wouldn't be needing a CD drive, but I truly appreciate the offer nonetheless.

Thanks for the help.

But honestly, if the price isn't listed right there next to it, 🤷

I mean, I know the hierarchy goes from i3 to i5 to i7—and we've got Sandy Bridge now, even though that Bulldozer architecture is looming on the horizon🤣

As for graphics cards? My knowledge pretty much stops at how many megabytes they have. 🤷

Edit: After poking around for a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best stuff is always at the top of the list, haha.

Well, I think I can squeeze out about $1833.

I did a bit of digging into overclocking—just a little bit, mind you—and it seems perfectly reasonable to push things by maybe 300-$133
just to get the processor running a bit smoother.

Also, if anyone here happens to be an expert on monitors and could weigh in:

The Samsung FX2490HD led 24 "
The LG E2260V-PN led 22 "
The monitor HP 2310ti, touchscreen LCD 23 "

That last one actually features a touchscreen... but I wonder, would having that feature completely tank my
performance?