If you're looking at the used market, the strongest option you could grab for $233 would definitely be an HD7850 2GB, or maybe even an HD7870 if you hunt around enough. That said, those cards are total overkill for your CPU, and honestly, they're too much for your power supply to handle—it’s just too big of a risk. Your sweet spot would actually be finding a used GTX 750 or 750Ti, but you won't find those for $133 like you're hoping.
Looking at brand-new options, considering your PSU and CPU constraints, the R7 250 sp512 is your best bet. If we're talking about the absolute limit for $233, then this is technically the most powerful card available right now based on web pricing, though even that is a bit of a stretch given your power supply issues.
At that point, you’re out of options. You could actually afford three different models from the Genius Wood series since they’re all priced so similarly. If you want my recommendation, here is the absolute best click
If we're looking at a 2.1 setup, say something like the Logitech Z313, or if we go the 2.0 route, then I’d suggest aiming for something higher-end from that Genius "wood-finish" series—I can't quite recall the specific model names right now, but you get my drift.
16GB of RAM is massive overkill here; at this budget level, you’re just butchering the rest of the build to afford it. For those specific games, there isn't any real difference between 4GB and 16GB of RAM. If they really want to be safe for newer titles, maybe bump it to 8GB, but that's about it. A 1TB HDD is barely more expensive than a 500GB one, so going with the smaller drive makes zero sense. Storage capacity doesn't impact the price of an HDD nearly as much as people think.
I didn't get these from those specific stores, but here is a suggestion I saw yesterday downtown click. You can expect a WLAN adapter to run you around $10 depending on the shop.
Those shops won't have that i3 in stock, especially not at that price point. However, if you absolutely have to use them because of how they handle payments, just grab a weaker GPU—something like a GTX 950—and whatever the cheapest i3 they carry is. Just make sure you double-check the processor socket, specifically whether it's a 1150 or 1151 slot on the motherboard, and verify if it requires DDR3 or DDR4.
Either he completely missed it or just didn't recognize it. He might have mistaken it for something else because they typically use a headset icon instead
I’m not quite sure which one takes the lead here, but this CM features a US layout, which would be a bit of a drawback for me personally. There isn't any mention regarding the gamer, so I'm assuming it's an American version. Regardless of which path you choose, it's definitely worth the investment.
Exactly, you nailed it. It’s just that symbol sitting under the notch that looks a bit off I can't find a single review online or even an unboxing video on YouTube; I actually stumbled upon this image by chance while browsing through some random international tech site on Google
analogtiger19 said:If modularity isn't a requirement, you might as well just throw a hundred bucks down the drain.$50 Cheaper to go with... super Flower SF-550P14XE Either. ANTEC TP-550C. 🕺
Personally, I'd just grab the G2. That 7-year warranty makes it a no-brainer. 😬
Word is their customer service is top-tier. You register on their website, and if the power supply dies, they’ll actually show up at your doorstep to pick it up and drop off a replacement. Honestly, even if they offered a 10-year warranty, it would still be worth it for that kind of service.
It’s honestly such a drag that you can't find decent reviews for most new power supplies anymore. Instead of straightforward info, you're forced to scavenge through the dark corners of the internet, squinting at some random Asian tech blog through Google Translate and just playing a guessing game.
Take that Fortron Hyper m 700 w, for instance. To be honest, the power supply itself isn't anything groundbreaking—it's more like a solid mid-tier option—but it comes with a 5-year warranty and offers plenty of juice for what you're paying (around $163). When it comes to truly high-end, premium units, I don't think there's a clear "best buy" out there right now. You really have to shell out if you want the best.
If we're talking strict requirements—Gold efficiency, fully modular, top-tier capacitors, elite build quality, a long warranty (5+ years), and at least 550W—then I'd say this is the cheapest option that happens to be out of stock at the moment. A close runner-up would be the Fractal Design Edison.
A 504W rating on the +12V rail might technically cut it, but I suspect that once you push the system hard, the actual build quality of the power supply will start to show its flaws—and let’s be honest, these units aren't exactly top-tier. I've seen plenty of people on various forums running an Radeon HD 7950 just fine on an EVGA 550W Core Edition (which puts out 528W on the +12V rail), even when paired with a 125W FX processor; it might have been a bit louder under load, sure. Various 550W Gold-rated units are slightly more robust, offering around 540-550W on the +12V rail, and they're frequently a step up in quality compared to Bronze-rated PSUs, though that isn't a universal rule. For instance, moving up to reliable 600W Bronze models—like those from Fortron—and anything above that would be a smart choice for an Radeon HD 7950.
That isn't really a reason to upgrade; you're basically just looking at a sidegrade. If any Intel Core i5 3rd Gen struggles to keep up with a task, an Intel Core i5 4th Gen won't be able to handle it either.
There is absolutely no way that unit can handle an R9 290/390. According to the official Corsair website:
VS Series PSUs are the entry-level line of 240 Volt power supplies with high-end features. VS Series PSUs are a great choice if you’re building a home or office system with lower power demands, but you still demand the compatibility and reliability that Corsair is known for.
Think of it as a slightly higher-quality budget option compared to something like an EVGA or similar brand—perfect for a standard office PC or maybe a light budget gaming build.
Alexander Moore67 I can't believe this. Seriously? I'm looking at a PC build around... $2667 I wouldn't be caught dead putting a Corsair VS series PSU in my build.
N/A Steady rails. Look at that ripple—or rather, the total lack of it. You honestly won't find many power supplies this clean. What a steal! $100? That’s absolute madness—pure insanity, I’m telling you! Solid aesthetics. Full sleeves on a budget? Now we're talking! Japanese caps FTW!
The bad. Loose screws? That's a disaster waiting to happen. The Mediocre:
The sleeving doesn't even reach the top. What if that plastic fan deflector just pops off? Total disaster waiting to happen. That "leaning transistor of doom" thing? Honestly, it’s not even that big of a deal. Wattage label is hidden. Link? Where? Give me the link!
If you’re looking for a solid PSU under $50, the VS Series PSUs are hands down the best move you can make. No contest. It's an incredible unit—clean design, a quiet 120mm fan, and plenty of ports. Honestly, we went looking for flaws just to be thorough, but we couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. Best buy, period.[Link]
Pretty solid PSU for this category.
You linked the VX series instead of the VS, but let's be real—the VX is at least a tier above today's CX line, let alone the VS series. Trying to run an R9 390 on a 550W VS unit is just asking for trouble. If you're looking at the deals from Micro Center, you should grab at least a Hyper 600W.
I’d honestly just drop an AMD Radeon R9 390 in there instead of the GTX 970. At this point, the performance gap between them is just too wide to ignore.
Those GPUs aren't actually that long; they'll fit into any standard case, provided you double-check the dimensions first. If you're looking to upgrade, at least consider some budget-friendly options like the Zalman Z3 or similar models (around $100), or if you want to spend a bit more, look into brands like Fractal R4, Define, or TT F31. You really ought to swap out that power supply (those office-grade units are risky), especially if you're planning on picking up an R9 380. I'd recommend something like a Fortron Hyper 600W with a 5-year warranty, which should run under $167. Otherwise, you can grab a Gigabyte R9 380 for about $1800+; sure, it runs a little louder than the SAPPHIRE AMD RADEON R9 380 x nitro, but it comes with an extra year of warranty and is honestly a great deal.
The first option wins on pure value—it’s all about that price-to-performance ratio. The second one is the smarter play if you care about efficiency, since its performance-per-watt is much higher. You really ought to check out some professional reviews and gaming benchmarks to compare the actual graphs. Also, let me know your exact specs: which power supply model are you running, what case are you using, and which CPU do you have?
Back then, if I recall correctly, the GTX 650 held a slight edge over the HD7750. However, the R7 might actually be the smarter play these days, especially considering how much NVIDIA has been struggling with their Kepler architecture lately, combined with the improvements in newer AMD drivers and DirectX 12 support. Though, honestly, even that last point is debatable since cards in this performance bracket usually struggle to meet the minimum requirements for DirectX 12 titles anyway.