Look, don't try to lecture me again using a burner account—you clearly haven't spent any real time working with these cases or SSDs, otherwise you'd be saying something different. The Arcadio Black Midi Tower has a much flimsier build, way less room to breathe, worse airflow, and just feels lower quality overall—plus, it doesn't even come with a fan out of the box. Throwing two extra fans on top isn't going to save it, unless you're planning on using an upward-facing cooler like a Raijintek. Even then, you might only shave off 2-3 degrees, and that's only if you go for those high-end efficient fans starting at around $23 and up—which honestly makes no sense when you could just buy a better cooler from the jump.
Honestly, Intel is miles ahead of Patriot when it comes to SSDs, and having a longer warranty is just the icing on the cake—even without it, the performance gap would still make the Samsung evo 840. the obvious choice. As for the stock cooler, it gets the job done and won't be noisy; temps should peak around 60c, and the fan will hit maybe 3000 rpm (it doesn't really start getting loud until you push past 3400).
If you're planning on overclocking later on, honestly just go with AMD—an SSD isn't even going to cut it at the start, so you're better off grabbing something beefier with more space down the road, like a Samsung evo 850 250 GB.
FX 8320 RAIJINTEK THEMIS GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P CRUCIAL 8GB 1600 MHZ SEAGATE 3,5 1TB SATA 3 GIGABYTE R9 270 2GB DDR5 WF FORTRON RAIDER 550W 80+ SILVER ZALMAN Z3 MIDI ATX USB 3.0, 3X120 MM
Honestly, it’d be way smarter to just throw in a Zalman Z1 instead—scrap the LC since the stock cooler should be plenty, and then you could grab a better SSD like the Intel 520. Just my two cents.
Chipoteka’s selection is pretty weak when it comes to PC parts.
Just take it easy for now—maybe just grab some extra RAM later on and swap out the GPU whenever you feel like it.
FX 6300 N/A ASUS M5A78L M LX3 CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ SEAGATE 3.5 1TB SATA 3 BARR. XFX R7 250X 1GB DDR5 FORTRON HEXA 400W 80+ ACTIVE NAVIATEC MATX
~ $1067.
Honestly, only go the laptop route if you actually need to carry it around all the time. For that kind of money, it'll be tough to find anything decent, whereas a desktop is way more powerful and definitely the better long-term move.
The real question is when and where—has he already unboxed the cooler? It’s super easy to miss that 7-day return or exchange window, so if he’s still within that timeframe, we could probably just suggest something else in the same performance class that isn't quite so tall. 😉
If you're mostly looking to play older games, I’d honestly say go with the Intel setup and grab a dedicated graphics card—you'll get much better CPU/GPU performance overall. Most of those older titles don't even know what to do with extra cores anyway, so a dual-core chip is plenty, and having a dedicated AMD Radeon R7 260 is going to be way more powerful than that integrated R7, which is basically just sitting at the level of an R7 240. Plus, you're gonna take a massive performance hit using single-channel RAM... APUs really crave dual-channel to work properly, and you'd probably want to bump it up to 8GB too, which is just more money out of your pocket.
So, if I’m following you right—you did a totally fresh install of Windows when you swapped out those new parts—then you should be golden. No biggie there. But, if you actually kept the old Windows setup from your previous build? Yeah... you're gonna have to wipe everything and start over from scratch.
Man, looks like the drivers didn't quite land right on your end. I'd say just wipe everything clean with this and grab the latest drivers for your 64-bit Windows—then just do a fresh install from scratch.
AS ROCK Q1900M KINGSTON 4GB 1600 MHZ DDR3L TOSHIBA 3.5" 500 GB SATA 3 SAMSUNG DVD-RW SATA NAVIATEC MATX + PSU PHILIPS 20" 900p + SPEAKERS GENIUS USB KEYBOARD + MOUSE
= $777 including shipping and setup.
This thing runs on an integrated quad-core processor (Intel j1900)—super low power draw at just 10W—which is plenty of juice for basic tasks over the long haul. Plus, you get integrated Intel HD graphics (basically a slightly downclocked version of the HD 4000 from Ivy Bridge) built right in. It’s got VGA, DVI, and HDMI ports on the motherboard; since we're using the monitor, we'll stick to DVI—it actually gives you a much cleaner picture than VGA anyway. Just a heads up, the HDMI only handles audio.
It’s going to be dead silent, too—honestly, zero noise issues because the power draw is so low and the passive cooling is solid. If you really wanted to, you could always bump up the RAM, throw in a dedicated GPU, or swap in a fast SSD later on... but honestly, there's no real need for that since what you're doing isn't demanding at all. If you need me to clear anything else up, just ask 😉
Honestly, just grab this and you’ll be set for years if you’re sticking to 1080p—later on, you can always just snag an i7, a beefier GPU, maybe some extra RAM, and you won't even need to touch the rest of the build.
It's small, uses basically zero power, has passive cooling, and you get an SSD with a better warranty. Honestly—I'm guessing you aren't planning on upgrading this thing anytime soon—so I don't see any point in dropping cash on a pricey standalone power supply, especially considering what this build actually does and how little power it even pulls.
So, what kind of budget are we actually looking at here?
Honestly, there’s no point in trying to penny-pinch—you can only really save up through those specialized accounts anyway, and even then, you'll probably end up blowing past your current target number sooner than you think.
That case is absolute garbage—Microsoft is way ahead of it. You can pretty much forget about running an FX 83 xx in there unless you swap out the case or the cooler. Honestly, even the Kepler barely keeps an FX 6300 from overheating in that chassis, let alone an FX 8320.
Also, why are you spreading bad info? The FM2+ socket is definitely upgradeable.
With that CPU, you’re definitely going to need an aftermarket cooler—the stock one just won't cut it since it's way too loud. Also, I'm a bit unsure about which specific HDD and power supply you're looking at. For an Apple setup, you really need fast dual-channel RAM (around 1866 - 2400 MHz) because that makes a huge difference for integrated graphics performance. Plus, that Low end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset doesn't play nice with K-series processors; you'd be much better off going with an A68, 78, or 88.
Honestly, just swap the whole thing out for this configuration. It’s a massive upgrade and includes a dedicated GPU:
X4 860K LC CC 95 MSI A68HM-P33 FM2+ CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3 MSI R7 260 1GB DDR5 OC SAMSUNG DVD-RW SATA FORTRON HEXA+ 400W 80+ ACTIVE ZALMAN T1 PLUS USB 3.0 MATX
= $1017 - Micro Center (includes assembly and shipping)
- If you don't actually need an optical drive—since you can just install macOS via a USB stick anyway—grab the 1Tb hdd instead.
The Fortron Hyper is pretty much in the same league as the CX v2 series—it gets the job done and should be plenty for an FX & R9 280 setup. Besides, when you eventually swap out the GPU, you'll likely move toward something more efficient since power draw drops every year—just look at Nvidia Kepler. That said, if the price gap is tiny, honestly, why not just grab the slightly beefier Raider? It’s a solid move.
XFX can handle the FX 83xx & R9 290, sure, but I wouldn't recommend it for a long-term build like that because it can pull north of 560W under full load. Obviously, you won't hit that while actually gaming—you're looking at maybe 400-450W—but even that feels pushing it. The fan is going to be screaming at high RPMs (I've seen units totally die because they weren't meant for that kind of stress), plus it’s loud and the unit itself is going to run way too hot.
Regarding the Phoenix flat NHF—look, I've put together tons of builds in that case and, honestly, I don't think there's a better chassis out there right now until you get to $50. It's one of the few MSI cases with rounded edges so you won't slice your hands open, and while people complain about the side panels bending on expensive cases, that's nothing new. It's not as bad as you're making it out to be, either—there are Cooler Master cases around the $300 mark—$133that have it way worse. The only real gripe with this case is that the HDD bay isn't super sturdy, so depending on which drive you use, you might deal with some annoying vibrations. But yeah, I agree, there's really no point in overthinking it with these types of builds when you can just go with a budget Zalman 😉
If someone really wants an SSD, they should just toss in another $67 and build a decent, honest rig instead of trying to cram everything in without a plan:
AMD FX-Series X8 8320 Cooler Master CC 95 Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P Crucial 8GB 1600 MHz Intel Core i5 2.5 120 GB SSD SATA 3 Toshiba DT01ACA100 3.5 1TB SATA 3 MSI R9 280 3GB TF IV GAMING OC Fortron Hyper 550W 80+ Silver Zalman Z1 MIDI USB 3.0 ATX
- Also, why not just pick the MSI model with the better warranty? - If the total is getting too high, you can easily swap in a 1TB SSHD. They're the sweet spot for gaming builds since they give you a noticeable boost over a standard hard drive. That brings the price down to $1757.
He can't pay by card at ADM since they don't support online payments—plus, that price is strictly for cash. The guy mentioned he isn't from Chicago or even anywhere near there.
Carl Nelson5
Your best bet is grabbing it at Links, and if they don't have something you need, I can actually get it delivered from Chicago for free if you ask nicely:
Intel Core i7 LC CC 95 Gigabyte B350 G-SKILL 4GB 1600 MHZ SEAGATE BARR. 500 GB SATA 3
= $955
If that’s a bit too steep, just settle for the Intel Core i5 = $812.
It doesn't make sense to go with an ASRock board—the voltage regulation is pretty rough (especially the overvolting on those 125W models like the FX 83xx) and it lacks heatsinks. On top of that, you're gonna need an aftermarket cooler because the stock one is way too loud and won't properly cool down an Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7.
If you were paying with an American Express (6 monthly installments) or Diners Club (12 installments), you could actually get a better deal and just order it online from Chicago:
Intel Core i7 LC CC 95 Gigabyte B350 CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3
Honestly, there isn't a massive difference when it comes to gaming between the Intel Core i5 and the Intel Core i7—it's just that the Intel Core i7 is the smarter play since it's a much more powerful chip overall. It gives you enough breathing room to actually pair it with a decent GPU, whereas the Intel Core i5 will really hold you back. And man, just forget about the Intel Core i5; it's basically just a rebranded Intel Core i5 with some slightly bumped-up clock speeds.
He wasn't talking about the graphics card, he was talking about the Gigabyte B350. Carl Nelson5, what card are you using and how many installments are you paying it off in? Also, let us know what your max budget is.
How can you say someone shouldn't buy an extra cooler when you recommended a CPU that doesn't even come with a stock one? I mean, sure, it’s easy enough to grab one later, but it’s just more hassle than it needs to be.
Also—look, the x4 7600 is plenty powerful enough to handle a decent GPU upgrade down the road. Just take a closer look at what kind of games this guy is actually aiming for—the APU is basically built for this exact scenario. The x4 7600 is the absolute sweet spot here, so there's really no need for a discrete graphics card, especially depending on what resolution he's running at.