DirectX Diagnostic is pretty useless—it can't seem to recognize anything released in the last couple of years, so honestly, just ignore what it says. I've got 4 GB of total Memory on my graphics card. 😁
Check this out—there's a whole list of lower-tier options and plenty of user feedback on even more freeware if you want to branch out and try something else: http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...g-software.htm
Bradley Diaz59 said:I've lost 8GB to virtual memory and another 5GB just to system restore
Just dial both back—especially the system restore settings. Set that to 1%. Honestly, if you're rocking more than 4GB of RAM, there's really no reason to be eating up more than 2GB of virtual memory.
Ashley Smith21, find someone to fix this for you or just go buy some legitimate Windows licenses—we don't allow discussions about pirated software over here.
velvetjackal3 said:I mean, are we really aiming for $1,200 here? Also, I'm looking at response times—everyone claims you need 2ms if you actually want to play games, but most of the monitors being recommended in this price range seem to sit at 5ms. And don't even get me started on LED stuff; it feels totally illogical that people complain about it when half the ads on TV are basically just giant commercials for smart tech anyway.
If I were in your shoes, I'd point you toward this one:
The whole ASUS ROG series is top-tier—honestly, they hit that sweet spot where they're way more affordable than those high-end Samsung or LG models. And that 2ms response time? It’s the real deal, not some marketing gimmick; the screen is lightning fast and won't give you any grief during gaming. Plus, this is a newer model—older versions didn't even bother with an HDMI port. If you try to save a few bucks, you'll probably just end up with some cheap HP or AOC junk.
How much are we talking? Look, LED isn't actually bad for your eyes—that’s mostly just a myth. As for the tech side of things, the only real difference between HDMI and DVI is that HDMI carries an audio signal along with the video; the actual video quality is identical for both.
I haven't come across an IPS monitor with a built-in TV tuner, and honestly, an IPS HDTV is going to absolutely wreck your wallet—plus, they don't really make them in the small screen size you're looking for.
You can grab it at Best Buy for about $1,699—they’re running the same price whether you're paying cash or using a card, though you should probably double-check their specific payment terms for whatever card you've got in your wallet:
I mean, it shouldn't be normal—it’s probably just some cheap, sloppy manufacturing. I get that with a TN panel you're going to see color shifts depending on how you tilt your head, but what you're describing feels like a bit much—especially since the angle in that photo isn't even that extreme. I actually have a monitor with an LED strip running all the way around the bezel, and honestly, I catch a slight yellowish tint if I practically press my nose against the screen and try to look at it from the side.
Zachary Johnson38 said:Wait, you mean with the one I already listed? :/ Look, you know I don't really get into the weeds with this stuff.
Yeah, no way it would work with yours—it’s just not gonna happen. There are a few different builds laid out above, so just pick one of those; if you go with the setups fadedorca66 and person put together, you can just grab whatever monitor you want and you’re basically golden. $1000Or just take Ryan Hayes82's suggestion... I'm pretty sure you can reuse your old mouse and keyboard with the new rig? And probably the speakers too, right?
If you're hunting for the absolute cheapest 27" option that won't completely suck for movies or gaming, this would be my pick:
Honestly, AOC is total junk—pure crap. Now, General Electric makes decent monitors with good colors and contrast, but their response time is painfully slow, making them a terrible choice if you actually plan on gaming.
Regarding the 24" stuff, that Dell you linked is basically just a budget knockoff of the U2410 model—which, by the way, is fantastic but runs you about $1167—so as cheap as this one is, it’s just as bad. There's a Samsung T24 out there that comes with a built-in TV tuner (do you even need that?), which explains the higher price tag, but otherwise, you could grab this model instead:
There are way more models in the 23" range, so you might find a much better deal there—assuming a smaller screen isn't a dealbreaker for you.
You can't actually play Spor with that setup—if you're relying on integrated graphics, you really need at least a dual-core processor to make it playable.
Zachary Johnson38 said:I finally have some cash to treat myself to something better, but I can still limp along with my current setup if things get slow! Any recommendations for a GPU under $150, provided it’s brand new?
Total waste of money... they haven't been manufacturing new ones for ages, so you'll just be buying some "new" card that's been sitting in a warehouse gathering dust for years for $133, when honestly, it's probably worth maybe 100-$50. Plus, once you upgrade your PC, you'll just toss it in the trash because it won't even run anything anymore.
Give it a shot—you honestly won't find anything comparable for under $100. $67The Sound Blaster card is way higher quality than the Entertainment version, even if it is basically old junk at this point.