You’ll probably find plenty of people interested in just the motherboard without the rest of the build. A fair price might be somewhere around $133 (since the socket was discontinued way too early), but you might even be able to squeeze out
Some of you guys might have already spotted this, but it’ll probably come as a surprise to most—the single fan xfx 470 (which is usually their cheapest custom model) actually doesn't look like total crap! Historically, XFX has had a bit of a reputation for making crappy single fan GPUs (like those core editions). Of course, the stock settings aren't exactly roses, but once you start tweaking things, it performs surprisingly well.
On stock settings, the behavior is a bit weird, but with a little tweaking, it works great. I tested it in The Witcher, which is basically like running Furmark. Without bumping up the power limit, it sits at ~800MHz and hits the power ceiling. It has a 0RPM mode, but it acts strangely at stock; it lets the temp climb to 70+°C before the fan goes crazy at 70% speed. Then it drops to 60-62°C, but the fan stays stuck at 60-65%. With a -96 voltage offset and +50% power limit, it holds a boost above 1200MHz, staying at the rated 1226MHz about 99% of the time. Using a custom fan curve, it runs at 68-70°C with 45-50% fan speed (around 1600-1700RPM). It’s not silent, but it’s acceptable to me.
In GTA 5, which isn't quite as demanding as W3, it runs at 62°-65° with about 40% fan speed. You can barely hear it over the 1200RPM case fans. Compared to my old setup, the noise level is pretty much the same. I'm totally satisfied, especially since I have a fresh 3-year warranty on this one, whereas my old card only had about 9 months left on its original 2-year warranty.
# My old one was an xfx R9 280, and I got this one through a warranty replacement.
I have a hunch this thread starter is looking for a gaming rig. They’re probably actually planning to use it for some retail POS system or something at work rather.
It’s tough to pinpoint the exact processor being used in someone else's setup, though they both seem to be facing the same issue. It might be the first one, but I'd suggest digging a little deeper to get more specific details.
- You won't actually notice any difference in RAM speed - The gap between 8GB and 12GB of RAM isn't something you'll feel (yet) while gaming either - If that still bothers you, just bump your frequency from 1333MHz up to 1600MHz
You won't have any issues with the power supply; even at full load, you're looking at less than 300W. For context, a buddy of mine is running an i5 6400 paired with an XFX 480 gtr on that exact same unit without breaking a sweat.
I'm just a bit unclear on whether shipping is included or if there's an extra charge $6.75. I actually tossed my old speakers in the trash today after a failed attempt at fixing them, so I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on this order...
Go with the FX 8300, hands down. When you opt for a processor over integrated graphics, you’re essentially buying peace of mind; hardware failures are incredibly rare. You can flip your current setup for maybe $167, which means the actual cost to upgrade is only a few hundred . Sure, there are plenty of scenarios where you won't notice a massive leap in performance, but looking at the big picture, it's a smart investment
Benchmarks are all well and good, but you shouldn't actually notice a tangible difference during your day-to-day routine—things like booting up, shutting down, launching apps, or even game loading screens.
Samsung 960 Pro vs SATA SSD - game loading times tested
So, just yesterday and again around lunchtime, there was a 750GB MX300 sitting at $135 on Amazon US (though shipping would have bumped it up to about $145 delivered here). Meanwhile, the exact same drive was listed for $140 on Amazon Germany. Basically, they were slightly cheaper than the 525GB version we have available locally. I totally missed out on that window—I guess I was too busy looking for a bargain that wasn't there—but then I stumbled upon this deal on Amazon Spain tonight and pulled the trigger (totaled $113). Or, at least, I hope I actually ordered 😁 . Apple definitely knows how to handle Black Friday deals
It shouldn't be necessary. That stock CPU cooler is more than enough, especially since the case already has dedicated intake and exhaust ports.
The build looks solid, but if you're looking to tweak things, here are some potential modifications:
- Swap in a more budget-friendly motherboard (like an ASUS H110M), then put that extra cash toward a 240GB SSD. There's also $33 a cheaper 480GB option available from XFX RS - Ditch the smaller SSD entirely and just go for a 480GB or 8GB drive instead.
If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely prioritize a larger SSD.
The CPU in an entry-level laptop from $767 is more than three times faster in Cinebench R15 multi-core tests (62.5 vs. 208) and significantly ahead in single-core performance (34 vs. 82). Nuff said...