Posts by wiredotter14

AMD 56 is under $300 at some retailers over in Germany ☕

stormyviper2 said:So it really is just commercial bullshit—selling hype instead of actual performance. What a waste. :/

If you don't know how to actually tweak your settings, I guess it might feel like more than just a gimmick.

crimsonstag84 said:Yeah, and his new GPU is just gonna get bottlenecked by that Ryzen 5 1600 all over again. 🤣

We're just spinning our wheels here. We won't know what's actually worth buying until the 3000 series finally hits the shelves.

Windows 10 has night mode built-in. You can tweak it if you want...

swiftfalcon89 said:They aren't high-end, but they're basically the bottom tier you'll find at Best Buy. For instance, a GTX 1660Ti is a decent jump in performance, draws way less power, and you can grab one with dual fans and a 3-year warranty starting around $220-$0.77, or an RTX 2060 with dual fans and 3 years of warra $0.97.

I also chatted with someone who knows their stuff in the industry, and they mentioned there's a real chance GPU prices start climbing again this summer. That’s why I’m saying if you’ve got the itch to upgrade, just pull the trigger now.

That's all speculation. This crypto crash might happen, might not. Even if it does, it probably won't be as massive as last time or last nearly as long. Besides, nobody's in a rush; waiting out a three-month market swing isn't the end of the world.

Intel is dropping a new mainstream series soon, which could actually push prices down.

The Corsair shortage is over anyway.

neonheron9 said:So the takeaway is just wait for the new Ryzen to drop on July 7th, and then change the motherboard (B450), the CPU (either a Ryzen 5 2600 or 3600... depending on what's cheap), and grab some RAM (16 GB)

A GPU isn't even my priority right now. Like I said, the one I have works fine for what I need for now. Maybe down the road, but not yet.

Yeah, exactly that. Something like 2x8GB at 3000MHz.
I haven't played tons of those world or city builders, but I've spent enough time in things like Hearts of Iron (map-based strategy) where you've got thousands of individual units and battles happening all at once. The game slows to a crawl there—you need serious RAM and CPU horsepower.
Even if the CPU isn't exactly max-an, a better processor speeds up the gameplay. It comes down to raw power and dealing with bad optimization when things get complicated. In your case, if the CPU is hitting 100%, it's mostly about pure brute force.

swiftfalcon89 said:My advice? If you're itching to spend, grab a stronger GPU now while prices are what they are. But you really need a new platform, and the Ryzen 3xxx and 7 series are right around the corner. If it's not an emergency, I'd definitely wait. Otherwise, you could pick up a new Ryzen 1600/2600 + B350/450 and 2x8GB DDR4 3000MHz for relatively cheap.

GPU prices aren't exactly glowing right now anyway, at least not for anything significantly better than what they've got currently.
An RX570 or a GTX1660Ti are decent buys, but they aren't a massive leap from what's already in the rig, and anything better than that is basically just old gen performance for a premium price.
No rush on the graphics card. Can easily wait until Navi drops, or Nvidia moves to 7nm (probably next year), etc.

neonheron9 said:Would my current power supply be strong enough for those new CPUs, motherboards, and GPUs?

Yeah. For instance, a new Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores, 12 threads) is going to pull about the same as your i5 6400 (65W)
Motherboards are the same deal—whether there's a 20W or 30W difference between boards doesn't really matter here.
Same goes for the GPU.
The RX480 is actually one of the bigger power hogs (pulling around 150W, maybe up to 200W). Newer Nvidia cards pull somewhere in that same range despite having much better performance, and with how technology is moving, whatever new card you buy probably won't exceed 200W anyway.

Either way, your PC build will likely pull around 300-350W, unless you go overboard and try to slap in some top-end GPU from $2667.

stormyviper2 said:Look, my point is more about the fact that this CPU is built for much beefier GPUs. That Ryzen is way faster than an i5, so you really should pair it with a better graphics card. It’s like owning a top-tier Bugatti but running it on a motor from a junker old car. I mean, it works, but... it’s just off. A Ryzen 6 C 12 T and an RX 480 aren't even in the same league. If you're happy with it, fine, leave it as is. But that CPU can handle way more power. My brother uses a first-gen Ryzen 6 C 12 T with a GTX 980, and his GPU is actually about 10% stronger. Plus, the newer 3rd gen Ryzen will definitely be at least 15% faster. So... whatever works for you.

1.
Your comparison is way too simplistic; it all depends on the context.
If they're playing on a 1080p 60Hz monitor, the RX 480 is perfectly fine for max settings in most games, maybe slightly below max in some.

2. It depends on the game. Titles involving heavy building, massive interaction, and constant calculations need a strong CPU. Graphics in Skylines isn't nearly as demanding as a modern first-person shooter.

3.
If you sell the whole PC, you'll get less money for the parts you don't actually need to ditch, and then you'd basically have to buy them all over again anyway (like the PSU and stuff), especially since a stronger GPU isn't even necessary right now.

4.
A Ryzen 5 3600 isn't overkill for that card in certain games, and honestly, it’s good to be future-proof so you can upgrade the GPU down the road without any headaches if you ever feel the need.

5.
Definitely wait for the new Ryzen release and let prices settle a bit—maybe this summer—then see what makes sense. A Ryzen 5 3600 is a solid choice, but we might see some very cheap options from the 2000 series, like a Ryzen 5 2600 for $333, which would be a great deal.

6. If you're picking up a new Ryzen, stick to B450 or X470 boards—they'll support the new CPUs, whereas those new X570 boards are going to be overpriced, and the extra features they bring won't even matter to the average user.

swiftfalcon89 said:barely $167 for a Corsair CX series, and only 450W at that? Big NO NO. 😁

If you're already going to skimp $167 and want modularity, then go with this instead.

That (relatively) new CX series is fine—it has a 5-year warranty.

What you linked has 5 years, but the older ones didn't.

Personally, I’d just grab the Hex 85+ for $133 and call it a day.

crimsonstag84 said:Ugh, $167 is definitely overkill for that PSU. If I were you, I'd grab something like this:

https://www.micron.com/power-supply...m_medium=click

It’s not actually that much cheaper. That Corsair unit is $464 at Micron and comes with a 5-year warranty.
If you're really trying to cut corners, I'd look at Hex instead—they also offer 5 years. Besides, with power supplies that don't have many cables anyway, modularity doesn't even provide that much of a benefit.

If you aren't rocking at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, just stop chasing those high resolutions and refresh rates.

Honestly, just grab a decent 27" 1440p 75Hz IPS + Eye Care monitor, preferably with FreeSync.

wearymason4 said:Yeah, it's the same company, but I have the 1st Edition while the one in your link is the 2nd Edition. Both have a power output of 500W.
I'm religious about cleaning my PC heatsinks, fans, and even the PSU, but I never used to pay attention to exhaust temps. With this unit, though, they're constantly high, even at idle. Everything's been running fine for a long time, so I guess I just got complacent. 🤔
When I get the chance to grab something better, I'll swap it out—just to be safe and finally ditch these Molex-to-6pin and Molex-to-SATA adapters I'm using for the GPU and drives.

Man, that's just an "office" grade power supply. The actual 12V rail output is probably way lower than advertised.

If you can stretch your budget a bit, go modular. You can pull the cables you don't need (though you'll still end up needing most of them).

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=corsair+cx450m

Quality-wise, it’s right in the same ballpark as the previous one.

wearymason4 said:I5 2400 (TDP 95W)
8GB DDR3
Radeon 5770 Vapor (max 118W)
Asus P8B75-M
2HDD, 1SDD, 1CD/DVD
The power supply is some "SL-500" with a gray sticker. It's been running for months, but the exhaust air from the PSU is hot, unlike the case exhaust which stays cool.

Should I worry about this before summer hits?

Something like this?

https://www.inter-tech.de/en/products/psu/atx/sl-500

Looks like some cheap unit.
The fact that it's blowing hot air—especially if it's a budget model with low efficiency that generates extra heat—isn't surprising.
Your setup isn't exactly high-end or brand new, so I wouldn't stress too much.
However, if you're planning on upgrading soon or keeping this rig for the long haul, investing in a decent power supply makes sense. It’ll last longer, give you peace of mind, and actually save you some money on electricity. (If this thing is 75% efficient and a better one is 85%, you're saving 10% on power, which adds up over a year).

So, my take? No immediate rush, but having a better PSU isn't a bad idea.

Either way, make sure it's clean—no dust buildup.
Blow it out with a hair dryer or a vacuum (after you've unplugged the PC and hit the power button once to drain the juice).
Or ideally, use compressed air, though that costs a bit more upfront.

For maybe $133, you can grab a much better unit.
Like
https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=hexa+85

Prices on the 2000 series are gonna tank once the new stuff drops. The 1000 series is probably mostly cleared out by now anyway.
If the new 3600 hits at $200, and we see it starting here at maybe $600, performance-wise—multi-threaded—it’ll be sitting right near the old 1700s. Prices have to drop.

That 1600 for $310 is still a killer deal.

Timothy Kim60 said:https://www.amazon.com/amd-processor...m_medium=click
https://www.bestbuy.com/special-offer...m_medium=click
https://www.pcmag.com/article/pro...m_medium=click
https://www.google.com/search?q=i5+9400f

Decent time to grab a CPU.

If the R5 3600 hits the $200 mark, it makes sense.
Still, nothing groundbreaking. How many years ago did we pay this much for a dual-core i3?

cosmicscout9 said:I'm thinking about having my nephew bring a laptop over from Germany, but only if there's actually a brand that will honor the warranty here in the States. Does anyone know a brand that works like that?

Most brands offer warranty coverage throughout the EU.
Sometimes they might ask you to ship it back to another country, but most have authorized service centers right here in the US.

I have an Apple laptop I bought in Germany—a German model. When I check the serial number on Apple's site, it says the warranty is registered in Poland, but when I go to their US site and plug the number into the warranty repair request, it accepts it without a hitch and gives me the form.
With Apple in the US, they'll just send a courier to pick up the device and drop it back off once it's fixed. Whether they service it locally or ship it elsewhere isn't really your problem.

https://rma.apple.com

Just grab a $6.75 cheap burner on Craigslist

Amanda Hughes5 said:Thanks, crimsonstag84! 🙂

I think I'll just hang tight for a bit to see if anyone else chimes in with some solid advice—then I'll pass the whole thing over to my buddy to see if he’s actually down for it...

Also, quick question regarding the GPU—since you mentioned it wasn't exactly the best bang for your buck... does it even matter if he just grabs that Intel Core i3 from the previous post? Or would this setup be a better fit for what he's looking for?

Just a heads-up, he won't be gaming on this rig all that much... maybe just a little bit every now and then.

It matters. The GTX 1650 is way stronger than the Radeon Vega 8 integrated into a 2200G.

For what he's looking for, that build with the GTX 1650 will be just right.
The Core i3-7100 is similar to the 2200G, a quad-core—basically like an old i5 from years ago.

The GTX 1650 isn't "great value" because you can get something significantly better for a bit more cash (like an RX 570) or grab something used. But if the budget is strictly tight, going with the GTX 1650 beats the 2200G every time. My younger brother plays Fortnite on a GTX 1050, which is much weaker than the GTX 1650. The GTX 1650 will handle medium settings at 1080p just fine, which is plenty for casual gaming.

If you bought it online, just return it. No explanation needed.

Around $800-$500, though it really depends on who you talk to and if they actually bother pointing out those motherboard issues.

You could probably score better specs for that price.

Motherboard + CPU + RAM $267
Hard drive $33
Power supply $33
Case and DVD drive $33
RX550 $83