Posts by Kimberly Gomez34

velvetfalcon522 said:Greetings. I previously opened a thread regarding issues with my laptop, and this is now the second time it's happened within a single year. My machine is an HP Pavilion dv7 running Windows 7. Yesterday, I checked "My Computer" and noticed that only the main C: drive was visible; the D: drive where I keep all my files had vanished. It seems to reappear momentarily after a restart, only to disappear again immediately.

Go to Start, type "Disk Management" into the search field, and hit enter. Once that opens, select "Create and format hard disk partitions." Check to see if the D: partition shows up there. If it does, right-click on it and select "Format."

The E3-1231 v3 is $117cheaper. Just grab a budget motherboard since these processors aren't overclockable anyway. That way, you can redirect those savings toward a nice 27" monitor or perhaps a higher-quality case. Looking at what's available on Newegg, say this, paired with a motherboard like this, you won't need CF/SLI and it'll be more than enough. Even though the CPU isn't meant for OC, getting the Corsair Hydro Series makes sense given the price. You get a 12cm fan and four copper heatpipes, which means peace of mind—that cooler could practically last forever.

As for the GPU, it will obviously fit in your case. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of high-end GPUs because the price-to-performance ratio is just terrible. Plus, the value drops off a cliff as soon as the next generation hits; in two or three years, what you paid for it will be worth basically nothing.

EDIT

Here is how I would handle the graphics card if I were in your shoes. This seems like the smartest play: pick up a GTX 970, maybe something like this. With an extra 50MHz on the core clock, this GPU delivers 1440p performance that actually beats the RX 580 in most scenarios. It's solid 1440p performance right out of the box without needing to overclock. Then, you just flip it for a profit in a year or so when Pascal and Arctic Islands arrive on 16nm (assuming they offer a massive boost in value compared to today), or even the generation after that. You'll be set for a while because I think they'll still hold their own at 1440p, and we might even see decent 4K cards by then. Bottom line: focus on getting a great monitor, maybe even following the suggestion Amy Vaughn12 posted.

crimsonstag84 said:Toshiba P300 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm

Wait, what?!

That’s an interesting link, and honestly, the price is practically nothing—it's just a shame there aren't any actual reviews out there.

wanderingbison9 said:I'm a bit worried the BIOS might just read the JEDEC specs with those CL11 timings, which would mean my whole RAM kit runs at CL11 instead of hitting that CL9 sweet spot...

There really isn't anything to worry about, even if it does default to CL11. Have you looked at this? It shows there's basically zero impact here.

That said, it’s highly likely the system will run exactly how you're planning to set it up.

Roger Booth2 said:I'm digging this, I really am.

So, looking at these builds—can I safely assume a Ryzen 7 is total overkill just for gaming, even when you're pushing higher resolutions? And while we're at it, is 16GB of RAM basically just extra baggage? Like, am I actually going to see a massive performance hit if I skip it, or is that just theoretical nonsense?

@Angela Flores4: honestly, I couldn't care less about a 120hz monitor. 😉

You don't need a Ryzen 7, and if you insisted on using one, you'd basically just be wasting money on parts that won't make a difference where it counts (in my opinion). Think of it like this: as resolution climbs, the heavy lifting shifts almost entirely to the GPU, making the gap between different CPUs increasingly negligible.

Here are a few examples to illustrate the point:

http://www.tweaktown.com/tweakipedia...-4k/index.html

720p vs 1200p in DA:I

1. Why bother overclocking your RAM? You should really look into getting an APU instead; you'll actually see some tangible performance gains
2. It probably works that way
3. What's your RAM's serial number? It might have specific profiles; have you checked the manufacturer's specs yet?

You can definitely run a GTX 980 with that power supply.
AA (MSAA) is usually the biggest performance killer out there, so I'd suggest not going overboard with it, especially when you're working with a GPU like the $1000
.

Speaking from experience—the 955 (stock) and the GTX 750 Ti have been more than enough for certain titles. That’s the sweet spot for him now (though he could also look at an Nvidia 650Ti Boost or a 750Ti). Naturally, performance is entirely dependent on the specific game you're running. For instance, when I was testing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I found that even with something stronger than an R9 280X, the GTX 1050 doesn't act as a bottleneck. In some older games, even an HD 7970 (like the R9 280X) isn't a struggle, so it all really comes down to relativity.

If you’re dead set on that specific GPU, just hang tight and keep an eye out. Back in the day, you could occasionally snag an R9 280x (HD7970) for $333, and you can almost always find an HD7950 (R9 280) if you look hard enough—though they aren't always sitting there waiting for you. I actually saw a 660Ti go for $300 on eBay just the other day...

I'd suggest lowballing the seller on that 270X; the asking price is totally unrealistic, especially since it comes with zero warranty. You also need to keep in mind that pairing a 270X with your CPU is going to cause some serious bottlenecking in certain games.

If you want something brand new for $333, you could pick up a 750Ti 2GB (which performs slightly below an HD7850)—check this link or this one if you're looking at shipping from overseas. Buying through those channels gives you a solid 3-year warranty, so you don't have to worry about getting ripped off by some shady seller.

$317 isn't a steal for a 270x, especially since there's no warranty left. $233 - $110 is about what you'd realistically pay for a 7870 (R9 270) here in the States. So, getting this from overseas with shipping included isn't actually that big of a deal. You just have to keep an eye on the local marketplaces and hunt for deals; they don't pop up every day.

What CPU and specifically which power supply are you running?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-cards-listing-example

The seller says testing is an option (where are you located?). You might even be able to lowball them and grab it for $50 less$33 if you're feeling bold.

The Cooler Master setup isn't anything special, but then again, it is a more powerful card (Tahiti LE).

It’s a significant step up from the standard cooler $30 (take the LC-CC-95, for instance). Sure, you can run it with the stock setup, but you won't get the same results—it ends up being loud and runs hot

League of Legends isn't even CPU bound; playing it is almost like playing Tetris.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rk,3484-8.html

An old Athlon Dual can pull at least 90fps minimum.

Sure, an Arc 100 can work. Just keep in mind that more and more games these days really lean on SSD speeds. It isn't just about shaving a few seconds off your loading screens anymore; you actually see fewer FPS drops, and some people even claim it stabilizes your minimum FPS in titles like MMORPGs.

In my view, an Arc 100 240GB is a solid buy if you can snag it at the MSRP—basically, anything under $100 is a win.$247 Otherwise, it’s just too close in price to a Samsung 850 250GB, which actually comes with a 5-year warranty.

390X? In my opinion, no. It’s just not worth it given the inferior cooling solution. You're looking at the exact same scenario as the 290 versus the 290X click. By simply bumping up the core clock by an extra 50MHz to compensate for the stream processor difference, you'll find the standard 290s were actually better overclockers than the 290X anyway click

When it comes to the Sapphire R9 390 Nitro, it’s a high-quality build with solid specs and excellent 1440p performance—definitely a superior choice over the competing gtx 980. From that perspective, it’s actually a smarter buy than the 390X model if you aren't pushing past 1440p resolution, because the performance drop is negligible while the overclocking headroom remains high enough.

If you overclocked a standard 390 to match 390X levels, it would outperform the gtx 980 in a massive amount of games (at least at 1440p) link

And if you've checked the DX12 benchmarks, the 390X (essentially just an overclocked 390) routinely beats out the gtx 980.

What are you all talking about regarding the Strix?

This?

In terms of temperatures The Asus R9 390 Strix runs notably hotter than some competing R9 390s, in the mid-80s rather than the low-70s we observed with Sapphire's Nitro model. Primarily this is duo to a conscious design decision by Asus to minimise fan speeds at the expense of higher temperatures. Throughout testing, the fan speed stayed at 40 percent duty which translates into just 1,400 RPM - a virtually inaudible level of noise given the size of the fans. During low loading, the fans on the Asus R9 390 Strix stay switched off until a temperature threshold of 60 degrees Celsius is passed.

The Strix DC3 cooling with the R9 390 is an understated performer. Prospective buyers may be unimpressed by the temperatures, but it's important to consider the trade-off that is made in favour of a dual-slot solution and quiet operation, many users would happily sacrifice lower temperatures for less noise output and Asus Has clearly invested in this idea.

I'm not entirely convinced the Nitro is superior; MSI features active VRM cooling (if I recall, Nitro uses passive), plus a backplate and a 3-year warranty...

Regarding the Arc—it's likely sourced from two different suppliers.

Won't a 240/250GB SSD fit? Personally, I'd even trade a pricey Skylake build just to make that happen.

From what I've observed in head-to-head comparisons, there seems to be a general consensus that the R9 390 is actually the superior pick (and this was even true before we saw the DX12 benchmarks from Ashes and Fable)





PCE nitro review:

Regarding the Sapphire R9 390 nitro, it’s a high-quality build with solid specs and great 1440p performance. It definitely beats out the competing GTX 970. In that sense, it's a smarter buy than even the 390X model if you aren't pushing past 1440p, since you don't lose much performance but gain significant overclocking headroom.

If I had to point out any downsides, I'd say the GTX 970 has two major red flags (almost guaranteed coil whine and VRAM issues), whereas the R9 390's main drawback is just power consumption.
When it comes to noise and thermals, the logical assumption would be that the GTX 970 performs significantly better, but looking at the reviews, the gap isn't actually that large. Of course, it all depends on the specific cooler and vendor. Take the Nitro temperatures, for example: click (absolutely fantastic temps). The thing is, the 300 series features coolers that are a full class above the 200 series (think Sapphire Tri-X or MSI Gaming models...)

It might also be more future-proof thanks to that 8GB of RAM and the initial DX12 benchmarks. One guy using an R9 390 claims Lords of the Fallen eats up 5.5GB at 1080p, while here it hits 6GB!!! That VRAM is a massive advantage.

Also, check out these DX12 results: click

Let's say Ashes isn't exactly a mainstream title, but even in Fable running on Unreal Engine 4 (without async computing)—an engine that usually favors Nvidia—the 290X and 390 actually pull ahead of the 970 in terms of both FPS and frame times click

The Radeon R9 390 seems to be the one card that is in its own league being faster than the GeForce GTX 970 while selling at the same price point.

So, I think this is the "top-tier model for a top-tier price" deal:

That's a beast of a cooler (see the first link in the post). Kudos to the Nitro team, but I'd still make sure to get a 3-year warranty.

There’s no point in overextending yourself; it's the exact same situation.

It’s not significantly faster, but having a newer socket is definitely a major plus compared to the 1150—especially if you look at how quickly the 1156 and 1155 sockets vanished from the market (just in case his motherboard dies down the road). It’s just a little more expensive right now.

Regarding graphics cards, I'd go with either the R9 390 Strix or the MSI Gaming model. That Gigabyte card has a decent price too, but the coolers on those first two are much more robust.

It’s likely due to some factory overclocking on certain vendor models, assuming it isn't just a glitch. For the most part, though, power consumption stays pretty much in line with the GTX 960, just like the review mentioned.