You’re going to need a decent cooler if you want your PC to stay functional rather than melting under pressure.
The FX 6300 is basically just a $50 budget-friendly alternative to the FX 8300; it’s a bit of a shame to settle for the lesser chip, but if your wallet is feeling the squeeze, it’ll get the job done.
EDIT
Honestly, your best bet is to grab a GTX 960 instead of the R9 280 and stick with that Chieftec power supply.
It’s not even worth calling it a "750W" unit—it’s basically a glorified 400W brick 😬 before everything goes south. Those recommended wattage ratings are completely useless. You’re much better off looking for the actual amperage on the +12V rail, especially when it's clearly labeled on a high-quality power supply. That's the only metric that actually matters.
What do you mean a 750W minimum? The GPU pulls about 180W under full gaming load, and once you factor in the CPU, that’s basically the entire PC's power draw right there. Those "minimum requirements" listed on official manufacturer websites are useless—they just confuse people. I remember linking a guide for an R9 290 once where the "minimum" ranged from 500W all the way up to 750W depending on which vendor made it. It's ridiculous. 🤣
If you want less strain on the system, go with this. If you absolutely have to stay under $533, then this is your best bet. Spending $533 on a GTX 950 makes zero sense when you can get a GTX 960 for $17. The GPU just arrived a couple of days ago; most shops haven't even received their stock yet (and prices should drop slightly soon).
Lawrence Reed3 said:I wonder what could be causing my new computer to show a hard drive capacity of only 194 GB when it’s actually supposed to be a 1 TB drive? I'm using a Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD, and the OS is Windows 10 ME edition 64-bit—if that even makes sense! I guess I've just never run into something like this before.
Since this is a brand-new build, you likely partitioned the drive, setting aside 200GB for your C: drive (the OS), while the rest of the space remains unallocated or needs formatting.
If that's the case, just pull up Disk Management and format the second partition that isn't showing up in File Explorer. (I can't recall the exact menu path in Windows 10, but just type "disk management" into your search bar)
darkowl72 said:Yeah. I was honestly speechless too. I picked up a bunch of random stuff, paid with my card, and then planned to go back the next day to return something—some kid's pants or whatever, I can't even remember... All I know is it’s totally unacceptable. I tried to return it, but the woman just goes "no problem" while grabbing the cash. I almost asked her how that works when it was a credit card transaction, but I bit my tongue, took the money, and just moved on...
The next time, it was some junk from a Home Depot; I saw it was total garbage and took it back. "No problems"... Either you want the item back or you want the money!
Those folks over in Europe. You can bet it wouldn't be this easy at a local American corporate scavenger.
electricbadger9 said:They're on sale right now, so I might grab one myself:
That's the one, though $6.75 was more expensive
I actually have an old red 8GB one at home, but the way the USB ports are designed is just idiotic. Sometimes when you try to plug it in, it just slides right into the plastic housing instead of the port. 🤦
I picked up a SanDisk 64 GB Ultra from Best Buy about a month or two ago (roughly $10), USB 3.0, with a 5-year warranty...
darkowl72 said:Especially at Walmart—they’re actually amazing with returns. They'll even give you your money back on the spot without any hassle, even if you paid with a credit card on an installment plan!
What about the return policy?
I filed a claim for my mouse at Best Buy today, so we'll see how that goes (I don't expect much trouble). I previously had to return an 8GB flash drive to a local electronics shop 🤣
Basically, the retailer told me they'd fix everything just to avoid giving me a brand-new replacement, and that's exactly what happened—I got a repaired unit instead. It looked like they were soldering God knows what inside, but it worked like new for a few days, maybe a week at most, before it died completely. And wouldn't you know it, it happened right after the warranty expired 🤣
He’ll probably need a converter if he's stuck with just DVI, but since he hasn't specified his exact setup, I can't be certain. That said, I know a GTX 970 typically comes equipped with DVI.
That being said, using that card for a monitor like that is total overkill—it isn't even Full HD. A GPU like that really belongs in the 1440p sweet spot, or perhaps even 4K if you're playing less demanding titles or don't mind cranking down the settings.
If you dial in the voltages correctly, you can actually end up with lower temperatures and less power draw than the stock factory settings. However, if you push the turbo too hard, you'll see things climbing north of 1.4v quickly.
Regarding actual performance gains from overclocking—it’s hit or miss. It really depends entirely on the specific workload you're running.
In my experience, cranking that turbo will cause more hardware damage than any actual benefit you'll reap.
4GB is perfectly fine for most games, though if you're looking to tackle the latest titles that require a 64-bit OS, you'll definitely want to aim for more.
You could just swap out the GPU, but you’ll see the biggest jump in performance by adding an SSD and more RAM—you should definitely do a fresh install while you're at it.
As for AutoCAD, when you're working in 2D, your graphics card won't make much of a difference at all; performance stays pretty much flat regardless of what you're running.
(For example, an Intel integrated chip is basically the same as a low-end GT 610 $100, even though some high-end cards cost thousands of dollars), so in this case, it's all the same.
You might want to pick up an SSD as well, regardless of being stuck on SATA 2—it’ll make a world of difference, I promise. Take this one, for example. You can load your Windows installation and all your essential programs onto it .
If you aren't gaming, there is absolutely no reason to drop cash on a high-end graphics card like an $333. Just grab the most budget-friendly option available and call it a day.
I’d recommend doing it through the BIOS. Let’s be real here: if you're intimidated by the BIOS or just plain dislike navigating it, then overclocking isn't really your scene. Plus, you won't find all the necessary settings available through third-party software anyway.
Look up "coil whine." It’s most likely the power supply, though even high-end units can buzz—for instance, an unknown unit or any other model built on a Seasonic platform, much like your Corsair. It could also be the GPU. Regardless, it isn't dangerous; it's just annoying.
If the issue lies with the PSU, you could try a warranty claim, though whether they actually approve it is always a bit of a toss-up. Some people even try to fix it themselves by potting the coils in liquid plastic.
As for the graphics card, if that's the culprit, a warranty claim usually won't help—pretty much every new GTX 970 out there whines, yet they still fly off the shelves. A practical workaround is to cap your FPS through in-game settings or driver software to keep things from running wild.
Adam Moore3 said:CLICK 😂 Wow, this is just insane. 🙂
😲
This will serve as an excellent educational resource click. Whenever I see someone posting pre-built setups, I usually just drop a link to this thread rather than repeating myself constantly—everything is already laid out perfectly right here in the main topic.
Why not just settle this once and for all by grabbing something high-quality? You'll end up with a unit that works perfectly for your next build too, rather than wasting money buying parts twice. Your current setup is actually pretty solid—just toss in an SSD for the OS, and you’ll have plenty of breathing room to upgrade your GPU down the line since you've got a decent processor and a reliable power supply here.
The only reason not to is if you're on a super tight budget, in which case, at least grab
Go with something high-end; it'll handle your current load without breaking a sweat, though it might struggle if you decide to install a massive, power-hungry GPU later on.