Posts by Kimberly Gomez34

It’s definitely hitting some CPU bottlenecks; you’d certainly see a higher FPS if you had a more powerful processor. However, that would mean upgrading your entire setup—CPU, motherboard, and RAM all at once.

Look, you really need to check your core load and keep an eye on those CPU temperatures.

Look, not every scene carries the same load. I don't play this particular game myself, but I'd assume you start out solo on screen and eventually move into total chaos—so a drop in fps is perfectly expected under those conditions.

What does your CPU usage look like? If both are pinned at 100%, you're looking at a bottleneck. And what about temperatures? That CPU isn't exactly a powerhouse, and it’s been running for about 8 years now.

Since DVI and HDMI are the industry standards now, you get much better image quality. VGA is just analog, and some modern graphics cards actually struggle with it. I honestly don't see why anyone would spend $233 on a monitor that only offers a VGA connection and a TN panel, especially when for $260 you can grab a superior monitor with a VA panel and a DVI port...

That free Intel cooler is way too loud and frankly underwhelming for CPUs like those. Generally, the recommended coolers perform significantly better in terms of both cooling efficiency and noise levels than the budget options (anything under $33); you might even be able to squeeze out some decent overclocking

Who cares if you're hitting 60fps on Very high 1680 x1050 settings? Honestly, you might just have Vsync turned on, which would cap your frame rate. Otherwise, in games that lean more heavily on the CPU, you could definitely be looking at a bottleneck here.

It’s a solid build, though I do wonder how that 910e handles being downclocked when paired with mid-range GPUs during more demanding gaming sessions. You can think of the 760K as being roughly on par with a Phenom 955 BE in terms of gaming performance—plus, since the multiplier is unlocked, you have even more breathing room for overclocking... But honestly, that’s a moot point if you're shopping for Christmas; by then, those 910e units will likely be long gone... (those last few remaining pieces will probably be snapped up by enthusiasts still running older AM2+ or AM3 setups)

It really depends on which game you're playing, whether it’s single-player or multiplayer, and your specific graphics settings and resolution. Honestly, nobody can give you a 100% precise or universal answer to that question.

The combination of an AMD R9 280X and an NVIDIA GTX 770 is actually quite solid, from what I can see here: click. You shouldn't run into any major bottlenecks at stock settings (at least in that specific title), though if my motherboard and cooler could handle it, I’d definitely push for an overclock. If you've got the budget, though, I say go for the NVIDIA GTX 970 paired with a CPU overclock.

Who can even guarantee anything at this point?

By the way, prices are definitely going to stabilize soon. NVIDIA GTX 970

We’ll likely see them drop to around $250, maybe even lower once ATI releases their own GPU. Good grief, how much do you think an ATI card in that same class will cost? Maybe just $200? 😬

Do yourself a favor and throw at least a Spire Kepler (around $30) or an LC Cosmo 95 cooler into that rig
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Regarding the monitor—you could grab that Dell UltraSharp monitor with the VA panel and DVI output, or this one if they don't have it in stock at Best Buy (which is pretty likely). Honestly, looking at anything brand new below that isn't worth your time, and even these options are a great deal
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Thermaltake Contac 21 CPU Cooler, CLP0600 Contac 21, compatible with 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3 +, FM1, 1155, 1156, 4-pin, Aluminum Fins + Aluminum bas, 1000 ~ 2400 rpm, Weight 425 g, 19.3 ~ 30 dBA, Fan dimensions 92 x 92 x 25
Quantity: 1
Price: $56

Intel BX80646I74770, Core i7 4770 CPU (3.4 GHz up to 3.90 GHz, Haswell, 1MB 8MB, Socket 1150, 84W), Intel HD Graphics 4600, retail box
Quantity: 1
Price: $750

Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Motherboard, LGA 1150, B85 chipset, DDR3/1600, PCIe, VGA/D-Sub/DVI-D/HDMI, SATA II/SATA 3, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0, 8-channel audio, mATX
Quantity: 1
Price: $165

Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, CL11, 8GB
Quantity: 1
Price: $184

Total Price: $1155

As for the rest—you absolutely need an SSD if you don't have one already, like, say, a Samsung EVO
If you've already got one, just grab another 8GB stick of RAM.

They used to run into issues quite frequently about a year or two ago, though I've heard the newer series are much more reliable—but honestly, I wouldn't know for sure. A WD Blue or a Seagate around $133 will likely be your best bet for a 1T hdd
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Robert Rodriguez2 said:Have you seen the review by jays2cents?
My Nvidia GTX 970 just throttled down to a 1.5GHz core clock.
This card absolutely crushes it. 😲

Larry Ortiz5 said:Sure, but you're looking at a 90W drop in power consumption, plus they packed in some fresh tech. That said, I'm with you—it isn't exactly outperforming the GTX 780 Ti.

Without a doubt, these cards are phenomenal. But look, if you're comparing them against the current prices we're seeing here in the States, even an Nvidia GTX 970—which is basically the cheapest Strix model on the market right now—is a different story. $1083Giga. $1017How does this compare to that ASUS GTX 780 Ti mentioned above? $833... you know exactly what I'm getting at.

Linus overclocked every single one of those GPUs for the testing, which is why the results look even more skewed—Maxwell architecture handles overclocking incredibly well. My only gripe is that they didn't specify which cards were standard reference models and which were special editions. With high-end hardware like the GTX 780 Ti, there can be a massive performance gap between a basic model and a premium custom board.

EDIT

Regarding these new features—honestly, it’s all just theoretical right now. Developers actually have to build games that support them first. Take MSAA, for example; everyone was hyping that up, but in the end, it just resulted in a blurry mess and a massive hit to performance, which is why you barely see it used today. In my opinion, the absolute best feature is still resolution downsampling. You can already do that with your current Nvidia cards, and it works across basically any game you throw at it.

So, the price for a Nvidia GTX 970? It definitely won't stay above $300...
Honestly, that ASUS GTX 780 Ti is the real best-buy here. Those Nvidia GTX 970 cards aren't nearly as powerful as people made them out to be; the reviews are all over the place. If you look at Linus Tech Tips, he mentions the Nvidia GTX 970 Strix performs somewhere between a GTX 660 and a GTX 780 Ti depending on the game.

http://www.nabava.net/search.php?tp=0&q=gtx+970

I honestly suspect prices will plummet once the other retailers catch up and start clearing out their old stock.
Right now, that GTX 780 is still considered premium gear, and Asus was the first to drop the price.

Honestly, I wouldn't even look at an R9 285 at these prices. Dropping over $250 is just way too much. If you look at $33, they have the 280X with a genuine triple-fan Windforce design, which is a much better deal. But hey, all that talk is moot when you realize you can grab an Asus GTX 780 for just $250 🙏

It’s not a typo—prices have plummeted from $800 down to $300
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Go with the R7 265—if you pick up an MSI, Gigabyte, or Asus model, you can get 3 years of extended Warranty, whereas the others usually only offer two. If you aren't planning on sticking with this platform long-term, don't bother wasting money on the R9 270 max. In this specific price bracket, those GPUs offer the best bang for your buck, giving you a really solid jump in performance.

If you're strictly looking to play Watch Dogs, that CPU 270 x is going to be your main bottleneck, and honestly, even the R7 265 might struggle a bit unless you've got it overclocked. In other titles, you'd probably be fine. Look, even on high-end rigs, Watch Dogs was notorious for poor optimization—you'd see frame drops even on the most powerful setups—but hopefully, they've patched those issues out by now.

ironridge352 said:When do you think the new graphics cards will actually hit the shelves here in the States?

It could be as early as tomorrow—if Best Buy gets lucky—or maybe sometime next week. Major retailers like Best Buy or even specialized outlets often have the newest tech first, at least in terms of what they offer, even if everything isn't sitting in the warehouse just yet.

Those are just announcements; they haven't actually hit the shelves yet...

I can't imagine any manufacturer being willing to offer a 5-year warranty. I've been looking into options here in the US, and most just offer 2 years.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-358-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-362-_-Product

For the US
http://www.ncix.com/detail/zotac-gef...02266-1382.htm

Product Warranty

This product is warranted directly by the manufacturer for 1 year. Please contact the manufacturer for warranty service.
Zotac warranty center is located locally in the US. get 3 years of extended Warranty by registering your Zotac product!

It doesn't really matter anyway. We don't even have Zotac availability here, and even if we did, God knows how long the RMA process would take or what kind of headache it would be to actually get it sorted.