So you're looking at that second build from $1983 plus the sales tax? That's a massive chunk of change; they’ll really clean you out. It's actually pretty similar to what $1767 put together for
As far as the parts go, it's solid. You don't need extra RAM for gaming these days. The i5 + R9 280 combo is great; your only real issue is the markup at the retail store—you're going to get overcharged big time.
Exactly. They know exactly what those GPUs were worth back then, and they refuse to let them go for anything less than that—which is basically just an invitation for someone to walk into a trap.
What kind of prices are those—are they pre-tax? There is no way an i5 3350p is $325 when even through wholesale it is the cheapest option click, and an R9 280 via $500 costs even more... Including tax, that is way above $1667
On another note—you actually ended up with a newer version of the same processor. Right now, the 4460 is actually cheaper than the 3350p anyway. Plus, you got a pricier, superior ATX motherboard (it has a newer socket, so you can upgrade to Broadwell later), a better ATX case, and the ASUS version of the graphics card, which comes with a year's extra warranty. As for gaming performance (and overall performance), it stays exactly the same.
Why swap out the motherboard? What’s wrong with the old one? By the way, those B75 boards usually run about $350$133, but that gaming B75 you had was probably closer to $100 per unit 🤣
black 🤷
If your CPU has that "K" designation, you really ought to grab a Z77 motherboard—most of them come in black:
You’re the best judge of whether you actually need a new GPU—what kind of games are we talking about here? Are you currently happy with how your current card handles your library?
Are those cards available on a 12-month installment plan?
It all boils down to what he actually plans on playing. If he’s just looking to kick things off with some lighter titles—something like Skyrim—while he saves up for a beefier GPU, then that graphics card is perfectly usable. However, if his goal is to tackle the most demanding modern AAA titles, like the latest Assassin's Creed, there is zero chance he'll even be able to boot them up. In that scenario, he'd be better off selling the entire rig, adding some extra cash to the pile, and just building something brand new. I'm only mentioning this because I don't want him to end up disappointed; I just don't know what his expectations are.
You honestly can't go wrong with any of them. Just to add to what’s already been said, the Windforce model runs a tiny bit cooler, while the XFX Dual-Design is slightly quieter. But I want to emphasize that we're talking about a very marginal difference here—nothing substantial.
By the way, take a look at the power consumption using an identical configuration—this one features a different OC model with an Intel Core i5 3570K.
Check out this deep dive over at Legit Reviews regarding the Sapphire Dual-X. It’s a solid breakdown if you're looking to get into the weeds on performance and cooling. Check out this deep dive over at Bit-Tech regarding the XFX graphics card lineup. It’s a solid breakdown if you're looking to get into the weeds on performance and build quality.
William Richardson12 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if you could give me some insight on: the SAPPHIRE AMD RADEON R9 280 x VAPOR-X cards and the Vapor-X series in general.
I'm planning on picking up a workstation soon, so I'd really like to grab a high-end card. It'll be used for graphics testing and game development. Thanks in advance!
In the meantime, you should probably consider whether that specific card is even worth the investment first.
The most budget-friendly Vapor-X option is available through $700, whereas you can find other 280X models from $517 (like Club3D) or the Dual-X version from $633. While the Vapor cooling might be superior, the real question is whether that extra performance justifies the price jump...
Keep in mind that $800 already offers something more powerful—the R9 290.
Keep in mind that FPS is heavily dependent on your CPU. Since Intel tends to perform better in this specific game, you might find your frame rates aren't quite hitting the same levels as someone running an i3.
Since he mentioned picking up a new case and power supply, he probably doesn't have a standard tower right now. That 200W unit is likely an SFX power supply.
Go with either the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 or the Fortron Hyper 500W
If you’re a total power consumption freak, grab a GTX 750 Ti—maybe an MSI Gaming model (around $110-$400) Otherwise, don't go overboard given you're running an Intel Core i3 or an Intel equivalent; there’s really no point in going higher than $110-$400 or maybe $433
And yeah, when you aren't actually gaming, your power draw stays pretty low during idle
Zachary Miller14 said:a little upgrade... So, here is my current setup: an Intel Core i3 GPU: AMD Radeon HD 5450 Motherboard: ASUS M4N68T RAM: 1x4GB DDR3 1333 PSU: Stronger SPSN-060P
I want to freshen this thing up a bit and I'm looking for recommendations. My motherboard seems to have some decent headroom and the power supply is solid enough... so what should I look at for a GPU, and what about the processor? I'm also thinking about swapping out the RAM for something like 4x2GB DDR3. Alright, let's hear it...
Grab an NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 and maybe pick up another 4GB of RAM .
Ryan Reyes54 said:Thanks for the advice, crimsonstag84. @fadedorca66, do you agree with him or do you think it's worth trying the 4870?
crimsonstag84 found some excellent GPUs—but personally, I wouldn't dream of pairing them with that junk power supply... and I definitely wouldn't touch the 4870. You mentioned you have $500$200 to work with—you could easily find a decent power supply for the rest, though obviously used
Just being realistic (if you actually care about multiplayer gaming)—that CPU is also a bit of a weak link
I'm hunting for a used HD5670 or 6670 with DDR5—around $100 would be a fair price. Honestly, I'd jump at anything for $83. I realize it’ll probably act as a bottleneck, but I just don't see any better options out there right now.
There are a few more reviews out there (mostly from German sites) for the 560W version, though the links are broken. However, they do have coverage for the lower-end 460W model and the beefier 650W one.
LC6650GP3 LC6650GP3
PC Mag review for the 460W—the link is dead, but they actually raved about it (they were genuinely surprised).
But honestly, forget all that; let's look at what we have here in the States and how things work in the real world.
The lc6460Gp3 "weaker" version — running an Intel Core i7 940 overclocked to 3.8GHz at 1.425V paired with dual HD4870x2 cards.🙏 - I think this specific model actually earned a "Best Buy" tag due to some technicality; under the updated specs, it's rated at 350W on the +12V rail. click
Keep in mind that the 460W is just a standard 80+ White unit, whereas the 560W isn't just more powerful, it's also more efficient (it's 80+ Bronze). lc6560gp3 (the older "weaker" version)
🙂
The early production runs show less amperage on the +12V rail, whereas the newer ones are much stronger. You can see the difference here: for the 560W version, it was 282W compared to the current 470W rating.😁 Official 80+
You probably assume that because it's LC Power, it's total junk. But look, every company has entry-level, mid-range, and high-end tiers (and this brand is still growing). The GP3 series isn't garbage; it’s actually a pretty serious power supply. In my opinion, it's nothing inferior to those Corsair gaming series units (the newer OEM ones from CWT). Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it holds its own during real-world torture tests.
Anyway, we're splitting hairs here since the guy is clearly already running an NVIDIA GTX 770.
