Posts by wiredotter14

Ronald Bishop58 said:Jane, can you send me the link?

There’s one more thing to consider. I’m planning to use this monitor as a second screen for my laptop, which only has integrated graphics and a 1080p resolution.

So, I'm wondering—could a laptop actually handle running a monitor with a higher resolution?

Of course it can handle a higher resolution. You’re looking at at least 1440p at 60Hz through HDMI 1.4, practically guaranteed. Just let us know exactly which laptop you're running so we can actually verify it.

Ronald Bishop58 said:For instance, this one really caught my eye... I can't pull anything useful from that link. It’s just a broken URL to an empty page. If you want me to look at a specific product or deal, try sending a working link next time.

Going ultrawide is a different beast entirely. Honestly, 1080p still holds up fine because the monitor isn't as tall—it's wider instead. A standard 27" 1080p setup that isn't ultrawide? That would actually be a pretty bad experience.

You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. Decide if you actually want an ultrawide or not.
Regarding the 16:9 aspect ratio—this one looks decent enough to me. (Though, heads up: it’s from a shop based in Canada!)

I checked out that Samsung monitor deal on eDigital. It’s an Odyssey G7. Honestly, looking at the specs, it’s fine, but I’m not sure if the hype matches the reality. The refresh rate is decent, but you really have to weigh whether the curve is actually comfortable or just a gimmick for certain games. If you're looking for a high-end gaming experience, it’ll do the job, but don't expect it to change your life. Just another piece of hardware in a crowded market.

If you're planning on watching movies or whatever, then yeah, 31.5" is the sweet spot.
I'm looking at this AOC monitor. Specs seem decent on paper, but I've seen enough "great deals" turn into headaches to be skeptical. It’s an ultrawide, 21:9 aspect ratio. Good for multitasking, I guess, if you actually have the desk space for it. Price is okay, but you have to look at the panel type and the refresh rate. If it's just a standard 60Hz or low-end VA panel, don't get too excited. It’s fine for office work or some light media consumption, but if you’re trying to game seriously, you might find it lacking compared to something with G-Sync support. Just my two cents. Check the reviews before you drop the cash. Most of these mid-range brands promise the world and deliver a mediocre experience once you realize the color accuracy is trash.

If I had that kind of cash, I’d be looking at a 27" 1440p monitor instead.

Christian Hayes34 said:Hey,

My current rig:

Intel Core i5-7600K
16 GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super
500W Platinum PSU
Some ASUS motherboard around $267

I'm wondering if I could get something significantly better for a budget of $2000, compared to what I've got right now?

If you really want to push it—an Intel Core i5-12600K + RTX 3080 is about $2267, and once you sell off your old CPU and GPU, you're pretty close to $2000.

https://www.newegg.com/asus-rx6800xt-tuf...m_medium=click

https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=...5600&cod=&cdo=

The only issue is the power supply. What are you running?

An easier path would be jumping to an Intel Core i5-12600K with an RX 6700 or an RTX 3060. You probably wouldn't need to swap out the PSU for that.

Building a whole new system from scratch doesn't make sense on this budget.

Lawrence Phillips said:Edit.
The CPU is sitting at maybe 2% theoretical bottleneck with that card.
So, it's fine.

The real question is if the price is right...

I think the money is fine; you won't find anything close to this new for under two hundred bucks.

As for that bottleneck thing... it depends. In some games, the GPU is still the massive bottleneck, in others, it's the CPU, but overall the balance is okay.

Power supply should be fine. The Intel Core i5-11400 and the rest of the build pulls about 100W total, plus the GPU takes another 200W.

👍👍

I honestly think that G7 is the best performance laptop in its class.

Linus Tech Tips recommends the ASUS Prime B660M
They're actually pretty reliable sources if you know what you're doing

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=asus+prime+b660m

urbanbison15 said:Hey there!
I need some advice on picking up a laptop that can actually handle running software like CATIA, AutoCAD, and SolidWorks—you know, heavy lifting like drafting, rendering, and modeling. I need solid performance, budget is around $3,000.
I was looking at a Dell MacBook Pro Core i7.
Thanks in advance.

I have an X1 Yoga from work. It’s a great machine, and the Carbon is the premium version. They're good laptops overall, but they aren't exactly a bang-for-your-buck deal when it comes to raw power. They're pure business machines—no dedicated GPU.

If you want serious performance in a small frame, everyone looks at the Razer Blade 14:

Just not sure how Intel graphics hold up in those apps, and I'm not seeing any Nvidia models paired with this current processor generation. This one has the previous gen, which still isn't bad though.

The 6800/6900HS chips are way better for multithreaded tasks than a Core i7.

Maybe grab a power supply with enough headroom if you're thinking about an upgrade down the road. Otherwise, for that CPU and the GTX 1660 Ti, the Be Quiet! unit is fine enough.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=550w&cod=&cdo=

You're almost at the price of a GTX 1660 Ti, which actually performs better.

yeah

What the guy above posted for $50 more is actually the better deal. With the forum discount, you land right at $1,000 flat.

Believe me... I’ve got one myself. Picked it up from Newegg for $70. Total steal.
Now they're over $333 in the US.

Basically, I'm torn between this or the Fractal Design Meshify C TG—both with an iPhone listed under $300.

Way more expensive than they were last year, even with the iPhone included, but everything else seems worse (either pricier or just shoddier brands).

Anyone got a better suggestion?

Frank Evans5 said:Which is the best/most cost-effective card, the RTX 3070?
I see options from ASUS, EVGA, and MSI ranging from $450 up to $1833.
What would you recommend and why?
Thanks in advance

Adam Moore3 said:Just grab the cheapest model you find; the differences are mostly negligible:
- performance gaps are maybe 0 to 5%, depending on how much a specific model is overclocked. Those cards sitting at the top end of that 5% range are usually way more expensive and totally not worth it
- cooling solutions - there can be differences between models, but generally in this tier, you won't see single-fan setups, so any of them will be fine

Example: https://www.newegg.com/evga-speedster-qick-...dr6-p491508920. It has triple-fan cooling so it's great in that regard, though it isn't factory overclocked. You might not even be able to OC it since it's basically just an overclocked version of the 6700XT anyway.

Always aim for the strongest GPU your budget allows. If you have $1833, go for the RTX 3080 instead; it's more powerful than the RTX 3070 and has more VRAM (16GB vs 12GB).

https://www.bestbuy.com/xfx-rx6800-speeds...m_medium=click

https://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards...ddr6-192454691

The 3070Ti is also worth considering, but I wouldn't pick it over the RTX 3080 because of the measly 8GB of VRAM.

The RTX 3070 isn't a bad card, but it sits closer to $1333

If you're sticking with the LGA 1200 platform, go for the Core i5-12400. The performance jump is legit. If there's any extra cash, don't skimp on the motherboard—get one with decent VRM heatsinks.

Check out Accenture too.

1 * Intel Core Desktop CPU i5-12400 6C/12T (3.5/4.4GHz Boost, 20MB, 65W, LGA 1200) Box
SKU: 100-100000927BOX
1 * GIGABYTE Main Board Desktop Intel B460M GAMING
SKU: B460M_GAMING
1 * G.Skill 3000MHz AEGIS C16 DDR4 16GB (2x8)
SKU: F4-3000C16D-16GISB
Total: $366.76 $921
Discounted Total: $330.08 $829

Just wait until after New Year's to swap out the GPU.

Hey everyone.

My brother's case just died—specifically the RGB controller. It’s one of those Future cases (probably some generic white-label brand from overseas).

The fans are hardwired, so now they're just strobing through a light show he can't turn off via the button, and half the front panel buttons are acting up too. He might try to RMA it, but he needs a replacement that actually works.

All he cares about is finding something whiteish with decent airflow. I can always throw in extra fans if needed. Just looking for something solid that doesn't look cheap.

Budget is around $100, but if there's something killer, I can stretch it. Any major US retailer is fine.

Bonus points if it has RGB, specifically something compatible with the motherboard (Razer Chroma on an ASUS ROG Strix B450—not ARGB). But honestly, it doesn't even need lights.

I personally have a Corsair RM550x, so something in that vein would be nice, but prices have jumped way up lately ($130).

P.S. Open to used gear too.

The i3-10105F is still an absolute steal for the price, and it'll handle FIFA just fine enough.
Of course, you’re going to need a motherboard and some RAM to go with it.

But hey, you could always look for used parts. I'm sure you'll find plenty of deals on Craigslist where people are offloading entire CPU, motherboard, and RAM bundles.

Set the resolution to 1080p
4K screens generally drain more juice because of the higher resolution, plus they block more light, so you end up needing much higher brightness just to get the same effect.

Generally speaking, 4K on a laptop isn't the sweet spot, especially on 15" screens or smaller. Very few laptops actually have the optimized hardware and beefy enough batteries to pull it off properly.

And let's be honest, the 2-in-1 isn't exactly a battery life champion anyway.

Also, how old is this laptop? Used or brand new? If it's used, well, whatever—batteries aren't what they used to be once they've been through some use...

On my Surface Pro with similar specs (same generation Intel processor, similar battery, but a 1080p screen), I was getting maybe 6-8 hours at first with very light use, sometimes pushing to 10. Now? It's down to about half of that.

The 7600X would make a solid foundation for a serious upgrade down the road. It sits somewhere in the ballpark of a 5800X or a 12600K, depending on what you're actually doing... though it’s tough to draw a straight line between them since the jump from the 5000 series to the 7000 series is a different beast entirely, much like how Intel scales based on use cases.

The only real headaches right now are availability, pricing, and just waiting for those B650 boards to actually hit the shelves. So far, AMD motherboards seem overpriced—it feels like the same old trick Intel pulls where they dump all the high-end, expensive boards on us first.

Dana Morgan19 said:So what would be a cheaper motherboard option? And thanks, I didn't realize the new generation was dropping in just a few days.😁

B660 motherboards support those CPUs. You seriously don't need a Z-series board. Better to grab an Intel Core i7-12700 (8+4 cores instead of 6+0) on a B660 than to pick an i5 and try to overclock it on some overpriced motherboard.

In my opinion, the best bang-for-your-buck for productivity right now is Intel 12th Gen, specifically a mid-range setup using DDR4.
DDR5 is still pretty pricey. Plus, the next AMD generation isn't going to support DDR4.

Intel announced the 13th Gen today. It'll likely support DDR4 too, which could make it a solid move compared to the 12th Gen, but they're only launching the K-series first—non-K models won't show up until 2023.

Depends if you can wait a month or two for it to hit the shelves. I wouldn't count on AMD for productivity at this budget; even though the 7600X and 7800X are decent chips, Intel has more cores in the mid-range now thanks to those efficiency cores. AMD only really wins on productivity in the high-end segments (and you'll need DDR5 for that).

If you can hold out for a couple of months, wait for Intel 13th Gen to drop and see what makes sense then.
For productivity, I think the Intel Core i7-12700 is great, provided the price drops a bit below $1000.

Also, I don't know how much you rely on GPU or iGPU hardware acceleration. Intel processors (non-F models) have QuickSync, which might actually help you out.

On the other hand, maybe it's worth grabbing a cheap card like that Nvidia Quadro; you might get some use out of its hardware acceleration.

https://www.bestbuy.com/example-link

Pairing it with something like an i5 12400F or an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 (around $1300-$467 for both, which is a good deal, or go for the 5800X if you have more cash) should give you a solid performance-to-price ratio.

Maybe someone who knows their stuff better can weigh in.

P.S. Just noticed there's a 2x16GB DDR5 kit (though it's only 4800MHz) for $400, which isn't half bad.

I honestly doubt it's a pagefile size issue. It's more likely that the Hard Disk Drive is just dragging everything down because accessing the pagefile from there is painfully slow. Plus, let's face it, the whole system feels sluggish when you're running off an old Hard Disk Drive anyway.

In any scenario, 2x4GB beats 1x8GB hands down.

A Solid State Drive will give you a much bigger speed boost than RAM anyway, so that’s what I’d upgrade first.

Honestly, 16GB of RAM paired with a Hard Disk Drive is still going to feel slow. An 8GB setup plus a Solid State Drive is the better move—even if your PC ends up needing more than 8GB, you won't feel the lag nearly as much as you do right now.