In my opinion, you should jump on that group buy for the $125 Z77 Deluxe over at LinkedIn; even if you don't specifically need that chipset, it's worth it.
Plus, with a 3-year warranty included, any model you pick up there is a solid deal.
It's much better to just buy everything from one retailer. Get the standard motherboard version rather than the one with "LE" in the name. Also, skip that specific cooler—it isn't even in stock there anyway—and go with the NVIDIA Kepler instead (unless you're planning some heavy overclocking), or grab something pricier if you're shopping in New York City:
Ronald Myers81 said:Man, this is incredibly confusing! It’s like buying a Kinder Surprise—the packaging looks identical and the chocolate is the same, but you never know which toy you're going to get inside...
Look, there isn't really a massive difference in overclocking potential between a "lower tier" and a "higher tier" sample of the exact same card. What exactly did this Bug do to kill the other one? I bet any difference is so negligible that you wouldn't even notice it while gaming; only a precise benchmark would ever show it.
If there actually is a significant gap, it could just be due to poor testing on their end or some system anomaly—like an FPS drop that skewed the results. It’s all relative.
Ronald Myers81 said:Check out this monthly Bug if you can! Even the GPU and memory clock speeds on the GTX 750 Ti (the reference model, too) were pushed higher than what they could achieve on the GTX 750 Ti (again, reference model).
EDIT: Let me correct myself According to the Bug, the EVGA GTX 750 Ti hit 1150MHz on the core and 6000MHz on the memory, whereas the EVGA GTX 750 Ti hit 1200MHz on the core and 5800MHz on the memory!
And looking at the graph comparing all the overclocked cards, the overclocked GTX 750 Ti actually performs better than the 750 Ti, plus it ran cooler. Of course, at stock settings, the 750 Ti still takes the win, but only by a tiny margin (just a few FPS)!
Here is the video as proof! 🙂
Like I mentioned, they are essentially the same cards, and how much overclocking you get really depends on the specific unit you have in hand. Regarding the link you posted—Linus Sebastian included a comparison table there for the overclocked GTX 750 Ti gaming card versus the reference 750 Ti click
They’re essentially the same cards. Both are just rebranded versions of the 7870. Think of it this way: the 270 is an underclocked 270X, while the 270X is just an overclocked 270 (which is effectively a 7870). Most of the initial reviews for the 270X featured the reference cooler. For instance, if you look at brands like MSI, the main difference might be power delivery—the 270X often uses 2x6-pin connectors, whereas the 270 typically relies on a single 6-pin. Though, I wouldn't say that's a universal rule everywhere.
Robert Rodriguez2 said:Sell the monitors separately; you can always pick those up locally. Just pack the PC in plenty of styrofoam inside a sturdy box and ship it that way.
It’s true—you’re far more likely to end up with a shattered monitor than a damaged case. Honestly, even without any extra padding, the chassis would probably survive a moderate bump without a scratch. As for whether the shipping costs actually make sense given the prices, I haven't a clue.
The i7 is generally the superior CPU, though there are specific scenarios where the FX series pulls up close or even matches it. For instance, according to AnandTech, when running at stock settings (comparing the 8350 to the 3770K), the FX holds its own or is even slightly better in certain tasks.
Windows 8 - x264 HD 5.0.1 - 2nd Pass Windows 8 - POV-Ray 3.7RC6 - Multi Threaded x264 HD Encode Test - 2nd pass - x264 0.59.819 x264 HD Benchmark - 2nd pass - v3.03 7-zip Benchmark
By the way, the 4770K managed to edge out the FX just a tiny bit in those first two tests.
When you consider that something like the 8320 is more than half the price (and can actually be overclocked past the 8350's clock speed), it's an incredible bang-for-your-buck option. Ultimately, it all comes down to how well your software can actually utilize those 8 cores.
Honestly, the requirements for wow are just ridiculous (though you definitely need a decent rig to hit those max settings), especially since the game is practically ancient and everyone has blown way past their initial budget 😬 If you're looking to stay under $400, just throw in a 260X and you can still play on Ultra. You might want to turn down or disable multisampling to get a massive FPS boost, and make sure to kill Vsync so it doesn't cap your frame rate
The updated versions will be released a little later down the road.
If you're just gaming, it honestly doesn't matter much (and won't for a while) since performance relies mostly on your GPU, but if you're doing video editing, the i7 is definitely the better way to go.
Just pick whichever one catches your eye. I listed a few more options above that fit within that $60 budget.
BTW, if you're planning on running Tri-X, those cards are over 12 inches long. They won't fit in some of the cases I mentioned earlier because of how the drive cages are positioned.
I’ve read a few people complaining that those Dual-X coolers are too loud. Honestly, they might just be being picky, but I used to always opt for MSI Gaming cards—even something like an r9 270 (the non-X version). It actually makes sense when you look at the specs: MSI Gaming uses 95mm fans, whereas the Sapphire Dual-X uses 74mm ones. Plus, the Sapphire card is physically smaller click. One guy even went as far as claiming that even the Vapor-X models are noisy .
If you’re dead set on having a side window, you can find higher-quality builds like the SILVERSTONE Redline RL01B-W or the Zalman Z5 plus. Additionally, if your GPU stays under 29cm, you should definitely look into the Zalman Z9 U3, Z9 plus, or the Z12 plus...
If you aren't planning on moving your GPU over to a new build, just grab the cheapest option available, like an ATI Radeon HD 5450 DDR3 (assuming you're buying new). The PC will still basically be a paperweight, but at least GTA san Andreas and The Sims 2 will actually run.
Tyler Castillo14 said:I'd go with either the Corsair CX 600 or that Fotron unit since the XFX is almost $233 the same price. Personally, I'd just grab it at Best Buy because it's right down the street from me.
It definitely will, but honestly, for that kind of money—or even less—you could grab an XFX Pro Series Core edition 80 550 w instead. Just make sure you check out retailers that offer a solid 5-year warranty here in the States, like you might find with a Fortron Raider sa 550 w (which also carries that 5-year guarantee)
You’re going to need a brand-new motherboard to support those newer CPUs. It all comes down to the socket type—essentially finding the right slot. You're currently running an old 775 setup, whereas the modern Intel standards have moved on to 1155 and 1150.
