Posts by Timothy Johnson31

I need some serious help here, everyone...🙏

So, I finally pulled the trigger on a new CPU and motherboard based on your suggestions! My plan was to grab a beefy new power supply and more RAM once I picked up a graphics card later down the line. But here’s the catch: 😲no matter where I look, this specific motherboard is completely sold out everywhere, and I was really set on it...
I was planning to head over to Micro Center or Best Buy to pick up these parts:
- ASUS ROG Extreme motherboard, LGA 1151, Intel X58, supports 4 x DDR3 2100(OC) --- $243
- Corsair DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) 1600MHz 9-9-9-24 Vengeance Blue Heatspreader, CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9B ------ $79
- Phenom II X4 955 Processor (3.2GHz, 8MB, 125W) box----$262
Totaling about $583 dollars...

Does anyone have an alternative? Honestly, my dream would be to track down that exact motherboard if possible...

Hey, thanks so much, man! I really appreciate all the great advice you shared...👍

Hey 🙏
Could someone please give me a quick breakdown of how this processor cache actually works? I could really use an explanation...

Asrock 970 Extreme4 Motherboard, AM3, AMD 970 SB950 - 4 x DDR3 2100(OC)
$244
AMD Athlon ii X3 455 Processor (3.3GHz, 1.5MB, 95W) Retail Box
$175
Corsair 4GB Memory, 1x4GB module, DDR3, 1333MHz, 240 DIMM, Unbuffered
$68
XFX Core edition 80 450W Power Supply
$119
Sapphire HD 6850
$393

Does it make sense to build a rig like this now, with the plan to just toss in another 4GB of RAM and upgrade to a Bulldozer chip in a year or so? I'm hoping that little extra investment would keep me relevant for a while longer...

On another note, how much does that L3 cache actually matter on a processor? What kind of real-world speed or productivity difference are we talking about when comparing a chip with 2MB versus one with 8MB?
I mean, obviously 8MB sounds better than 2MB, but if there's a 30-40% price jump just to get an extra 6MB and a tiny 0.2 GHz bump, I could use a little explanation from the experts here!

What kind of motherboards or sockets should I actually look out for when shopping—like how you have to watch for AM3—and what’s the deal with the Intel side of things?
In my experience, it feels a bit like a losing game. If I drop a ton of cash on a high-end processor now and then sink even more money into a premium motherboard just so I can upgrade easily later, it often feels wasted. Usually, by the time I'm ready for that big jump, a new generation of chips and sockets has already hit the market, making my "future-proof" board obsolete anyway. $333

I've got this random power supply cable I pulled from a Chieftec case I picked up about four years ago—pretty sure it’s a 400W unit.
I paid roughly $100
for the whole enclosure.

So, a buddy of mine just told me he could hook me up with an i7 for about $900-$333 used. If I'm reading this right, that thing should be an absolute beast....
Basically, would that be like trying to race a Ferrari against a bulldozer?

Thanks so much! If you could, I'd love a link or even just a quick breakdown regarding those upcoming AMD processors—you know, stuff like pricing, performance gains, and all that good info
. From what I can gather, everyone is buzzing about them, so maybe it’s smarter to hold off for another month or so...?

Alright folks, I need some expert advice here....

I’m looking to breathe some new life into an old PC, so please weigh in!🙏>
Here’s the deal: I have a monitor that I absolutely love, a Samsung T220
running at a resolution of 1600X1050.
My hard drive is a 320GB SATA model—it's getting a bit old, so I’ll probably swap that out later. I could also repurpose my old mouse and keyboard to squeeze a little more value out of my current setup, but let's focus on the heavy hitters....
Basically, I need: - A CPU
- A motherboard
- RAM
- A graphics card
And maybe a case too, if necessary.
I’d love to find everything in one place to keep things simple and, most importantly, budget-friendly.
My budget is a modest $200 to $300. $0.00 My plan is to upgrade certain parts in a second phase—for example, starting with a single 2GB stick of RAM now, then adding more down the road.

I’ve heard some chatter about a new AMD processor dropping in early September. A lot of people are telling me that Intel is much better right now... blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, that’s why I’m posting here—to get some real guidance.

I don't want to fall into the trap of paying $30 extra for a chip that’s only 0.2 GHz faster, giving me a measly 2% boost in performance when the price tag jumps. $133 I want my money to actually count.

Just as a heads-up, I use my computer for everything: gaming, browsing, multimedia—basically your standard all-arounder. ☕

Right now, I'm running an Athona64 at 1.8GHz, 1.5GB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon X1300 with 256MB of VRAM.
The main reason I'm asking for help is to avoid paying 30% more for just a 5% improvement in gaming. I want to maximize this modest budget because I need this machine to last me at least the next three or four years.

So, I think I followed all the forum rules for starting a new thread.

Thanks in advance, everyone!

Cheers!

Dell UltraSharp Monitor, 5ms, DVI, HDMI
$1,499.00
I'm looking at a Samsung T220 priced at $1,800... is that actually worth paying more for $100 than this?

What’s the real deal when comparing the Lenovo ThinkPad T420 and the Samsung Monitor? I'm leaning heavily toward picking up the Lenovo ThinkPad T420, but am I totally off base here?
Thanks in advance!