In that price range, you're looking at this: It's an absolute steal. You're getting a brand new, powerful card that your current CPU won't even be able to keep up with... Your power supply is decent enough, so it should handle this GPU without any issues...
The other headache here is that motherboard. It uses an s939 socket, which makes finding anything newer or faster basically impossible—they stopped making them ages ago, and even used ones are incredibly hard to find and overpriced. Once your processor starts lagging behind (which is going to happen the second you plug in a new card), you'll be stuck having to overhaul your entire rig just to get more speed... So, buying a new GPU right now should either mean grabbing something seriously high-end (like the one I mentioned) that can actually transition to a future build, or just picking up some cheap used card for around 100-$67 just to limp along until you can afford a whole new computer...
Of course there’s plenty of marketing BS involved... they basically forced us from 4:3 monitors to 16:10 and then to 16:9... always for some shady reason... and the main goal was just so they could cut more panels out of the raw material 😁 thieves
Look, if precision actually matters to you, I’d still try to use two legacy outputs... but you have to hunt through the absolute jungle of what's on the market to find a monitor that even has them... you might have to play around with the search filters a bit to pull something useful 😁 — though I’ll add the disclaimer that it's about as "precise" as the people responsible for filling those databases 😁
Look, Dell isn't some holy grail. It’s unrealistically overpriced, and honestly, there are much more expensive options out there anyway. 😁
But you didn't specify a budget, so I'll side with stormywolf39 here—that HP is one of the better picks if you want solid quality (it's got an S-IPS panel) without paying a ridiculous premium. Then you've got the Dell with its PVA panel: http://www.nabava.net/monitori__90/d...lcd-24__275681
If you're looking at the cheaper end of things, it's worth shelling out a little extra for something high-end that actually looks good (like it escaped from a Bang & Olufsen showroom): http://www.nabava.net/monitori__90/a...led-24__684311
Look, if you actually know which card you need, and you're certain about the performance you're getting, plus you've checked that your PSU can handle the load and your CPU won't bottleneck the thing, then there's nothing to worry about. XFX has been cranking out GPUs for a long time now—they definitely know what they're doing.
Everyone jumps straight to customs, as if you’re all crossing the border seven times a day carrying motherboards, GPUs, and CPUs... 😁how cute...
At the start of the year, they passed a law increasing the personal import limit from $100 to $333... so, personal, just to clarify for those who only read what they want to hear. And that's without any customs duties. There are catches, though—like, you can't just bring in a thousand bucks worth of booze without paying anything (unless you drink it all on the way, right?)... and so on...
But when we're talking about shipments, there's no customs duty up to $53 (have you seen that devil 😁) and if anyone doesn't believe me, go check the customs code...
Actually, I wasn't even talking about customs, since that's a minor part of it... there isn't really a duty on IT equipment, or if there is, it's only about 5%. The real issue lies elsewhere...
For the skeptics, I suggest studying the customs laws again: nowhere does it say that sales tax isn't charged. Sales tax isn't waived because the government is feeling generous. It's likely ignored because they'd have to hire three times as many agents just to collect such tiny amounts...
But if a customs agent decides (and they have every right to) to charge you sales tax, it won't be 22% based solely on the value you claim for the goods 😂. It'll be the item value + visible shipping costs + other fees, and *then* they tack on the 22%... You better have an invoice ready, because if they start guessing the value of your gear and shipping, you might as well just send the package back immediately... 😁
Bottom line: realize that until now, the government has let you enjoy the little luxury of importing things without getting totally fleeced, but how long will that last? They need to fill the budget, and the deficit is huge...
One more thing: you'll fare much better at major hubs like Chicago, LA, or NYC, where people handle mountains of packages every day and don't have time to nitpick—they often let things slide that they technically shouldn't. But if you're in some small-town outpost where the customs office is just a few bored employees sitting around drinking coffee waiting for someone to show up, you're in trouble... take it from 😬
Yeah, sure, even if they hit you with shipping fees, or if customs just grabs the sales tax instead of full duties... you're looking at more than $200 easy. Plus, you’ll be sitting around waiting a month for it to show up. And there's always that gamble where you have no clue what's actually going to arrive in the box 😁
As for the power supply, you don't *have* to buy a new one... maybe it'll be fine. Maybe it won't. You won't know until you plug in the GPU and flip the switch. If it works great? Awesome. But if it pops and takes something else down with it—like your new GPU, the CPU, or the motherboard—then that "I didn't feel like spending the money" attitude is going to cost you big time
Ideally, you’d hunt down some used gear—maybe an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Series card, an AMD Radeon HD 4830, or even an HD 4850. But if you're set on buying something brand new, don't just stick to that HD 5670 Smart suggested. Take a look at the HD 5750 too; I saw an XFX model over at Micro Center for a pretty decent price. $67 Honestly, I think it’s totally worth it. You could probably toss that part into a brand-new build, or just pair it with a newer processor in your current setup. Either way, you're looking at a solid move.
Get a new power supply, seriously. Especially if you're pairing it with a used GPU since those things tend to be total power hogs. You could go with that Smart one darkowl72 mentioned, or honestly, you’d be better off grabbing a 500W Strider. Check out this listing on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/example-link-here
Either look into overclocking that CPU or just swap it out entirely. Honestly, you can get decent results overclocking it with even a basic aftermarket cooler, and the jump in gaming performance is actually pretty massive. Alternatively, if you happen to stumble upon an Intel Xeon on eBay—they pop up for cheap all the time—that’d be a total game changer. It would feel like you just bought a whole new rig.
Look, go scout out some local shops in your neck of the woods that carry third-party ink. Find out which ones are actually cheap, ask around if they cause any headaches for people, and see how long the stuff actually lasts... once you find an ink that hits the sweet spot for price, volume, and print quality—and you're actually confident in it—then you're set.
Then you'll know exactly what kind of printer to pick up. If you aren't obsessed with photo-quality prints, just grab a 4-color model, and obviously, make sure it has individual ink tanks...
As far as the printers go, it's all more or less the same crap...
If you want to save some cash, you could just grab one of those beat-up old Dell monitors or maybe a decent used Compaq if you can find one lying around:
I honestly have no clue who actually knows how to fix an Epson around here anymore... what a mess.
MechaTech handles Canon and they’ve got some solid techs on staff... maybe give them a shout?
Or you could try checking with that print supply shop over on Main Street, right next to the old diner and across from the university campus... it's basically a print shop and toner hub, but I know for a fact they carry those specialized cleaning fluids.
Those aren't hertz... DPI stands for dots per inch...
It’s basically mouse resolution or sensitivity. At lower DPI, you have less sensitivity because the sensor is taking fewer readings per inch traveled, and vice versa. I'm not sure if you can tweak the DPI beyond the factory presets, but some smart engineer probably picked these specific values because they're actually useful for real-world use...
James Morris4 hit the nail on the head—it all boils down to whether the customs agent is having a good day or not...
Anyway, here’s the deal, just so you know:
- If the gear isn't coming from within the UN, you're technically looking at a 10% duty on the value, though they often let IT equipment slide without charging it. - Sales tax is definitely happening 😁 and it’s not just on the item price; it's the price of the goods plus shipping costs combined.😁 - There’s no markup if you’re importing it personally. You only deal with margins or broker fees if the customs agent decides to give you a hard time about what you're importing and sends you straight to a shipping agent... 😁
Nobody actually said to avoid Speedlink. dustyskipper77 was just pointing out which mice you definitely won't regret buying. Besides, you don't pick gear based on flashy aesthetics or the manufacturer's spec sheet. It takes certain brands decades of experience to actually earn their reputation and the trust of the gaming community...
In the US, Speedlink hasn't really made a dent in the high-end gaming mouse market yet. That doesn't mean they're bad, though. Just Google it—find an independent review, local or overseas, and see what people are actually saying...
Keep in mind, Speedlink is actually a highly respected manufacturer when it comes to networking gear (modems, routers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, powerline adapters...).