ruggedraven10 said:Thanks, everyone, for the feedback and advice regarding the motherboard and processor purchase.
I’m fully aware that I could get much better performance with a more modern graphics card, but I already have this damn rig—this build is just meant to be mounted on the wall. Besides, that wasn't really what I was asking about.😁
Anyway, as David Sanders4 mentioned...
Regarding the power supply, Timothy Kim60 was looking for a specific model... a Chieftec GPS 550 ABA.
What’s the worst-case scenario if the PSU falls short on power? Is it a situation where I can just try my luck, and if it works, great, and if not, I just buy a new one? Or could something actually blow up... which would be a bigger problem than just needing a new PSU.
Oh, an edit: I actually managed to overclock an 8800 card for testing a couple of years ago on Battlefield 3; paired with an Intel Core i5-2500, it ran Battlefield 3 on medium settings at about 40 fps with AA turned off. I’m hoping a slight upgrade might bump that up by maybe 10-15 fps or allow me to throw in some high settings.
That card doesn't support DirectX 11 and it's pretty weak; you'd be better off selling it and picking up one of the suggested options. Once summer hits, those temperatures are going to soar past 90C, with idle temps sitting around 55-60.
Rachel Jones8 said:What exactly are you getting at here... that I didn't even need a new computer, or something else?
Not quite. The CPU is just too slow for what modern software requires these days. Honestly, pretty much everything else is outdated too, with the exception of the hard drive.
Since you don't have a warranty, it’s going to be a tough sell. Most people would probably rather just pick up a GTX 750 Ti that comes with a guarantee and better power efficiency. That said, someone looking to put together a CrossFire setup might still find some value in yours!
Regardless, this setup is actually quite solid for $267, though I noticed the RAM and HDD capacities aren't specified. Not that it really matters, since he’ll likely just head over to Best Buy 😁 to upgrade them anyway. Honestly, any other configuration wouldn't be nearly as cost-effective.
Ryan Hayes82 said:Come on, guys. At 212 cm, claiming a processor won't overclock is just nonsense. If that's the case, then the i3 is actually the superior choice since you won't need an extra cooler, making it even more budget-friendly.
It has nearly half the TDP, and for everyday tasks, it actually outperforms the one mentioned—it just has a slightly weaker integrated GPU. She likely won't even notice that specific difference, which means she could probably get away with an even lower-end Pentium or similar.
Personally, I’d skip spending money on a heavy-duty cooler and instead put that cash toward an SSHD. If we're strictly sticking with >, I'd definitely opt for the 65W APU.
Rachel Jones8 said:Thanks, really... my English isn't exactly my strongest suit, but these photos are quite interesting. 😁 Though, I suppose I just stumbled upon all this somewhat randomly... it is what it is, where it stands. But it seems the CPU—that actual processor—is hiding somewhere. 🤣
Underneath that massive heatsink lies a "beast" that runs quite hot, which explains why it needs such serious cooling. You'll see for yourself once you go in to replace the thermal paste. While you're at it, you might want to give the old computer a thorough cleaning too; looking at the pictures, it's definitely seen some dust. Since you're ordering all those parts anyway, grab a can of compressed air so you can give everything a nice, clean wipe-down.
You might want to take a closer look at this specific model. To be clear, I’m suggesting Thermaltake not because I think it outclasses Zalman—in fact, I still believe Zalman is the absolute best buy in the $167 price range... What's charming about Thermaltake is that almost everything snaps together with a satisfying click. It minimizes the need for a screwdriver, which might actually appeal to you given how much easier it makes things like cleaning; being able to pop out the optical drive, HDDs, or SSDs without a toolkit is a nice touch. I can't say for certain if this exact model follows suit, but with some of the higher-end Thermaltake cases, even the motherboards snap right in—no screws required. Of course, we're talking about high-quality plastic here, but there's always that slight risk of something snapping if you aren't careful, which means the parts aren't exactly infinitely reversible. That’s a bit of a trade-off. That said, the chassis itself is quite compact, making component installation a breeze, and it offers solid airflow along with decent cable management, which is pretty standard for most mid-range to high-end cases these days.
Intel Core i5, Haswell, 3100 MHz, LGA 1150 Gigabyte Motherboard, LGA 1150 KINGSTON 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3, 1600 MHz HyperX, DIMM Seagate Hard Drive 500 GB, Seagate Hard Drive, 3.5", 7200 rpm, SATA III PALIT Nvidia GeForce GTX, 1GB DDR5 CORSAIR VS450, 450 W MS Alienware Case GIGABYTE GK-KM6150 Keyboard + Mouse, USB Dell Monitor 22", IPS LED GENIUS SW-2.1 355 Computer Speakers, 2.1, 3.5 mm Total price: $1859 (available in up to 6 interest-free installments via American Express if you have an account with Bank of America)
Could you provide some more specific guidelines? If you're looking at a 21.5" LCD, you'll likely end up spending an extra $333 + $167 on peripherals (mouse, keyboard, and speakers). I'd suggest picking something mid-range; at this price point, actual build quality isn't really the deciding factor—it's mostly about how the setup looks visually. ...
cosmicbadger25 said:I've been doing some digging online comparing the gtx 760 and the r9 270 x. Some people suggest grabbing the gtx 760 because of its raw speed, while others argue that going with the Radeon might be the smarter play since Mantle could eventually roll out and provide a 40% performance boost, potentially leaving NVIDIA in the dust.
Well, if Mantle actually becomes a thing, we’ll probably see another hardware generation shift before then. Personally, I'd only opt for the gtx760 if I specifically wanted to use hardware physX, which shows up in about ten major titles like Metro or Batman. Performance-wise, the gtx760 is a bit stronger than the r9 270 x, but nothing groundbreaking; both will likely perform similarly in Crysis 3. To put it in perspective, the r9 270 x performs more like a GTX 660—they're in the same ballpark price-wise. The GTX 660Ti just isn't worth it right now. In the short term, you can't really go wrong with either choice (and by short term, I mean an 18-month window). For anything longer than that, I suspect whatever you pick in that $500 range, roughly $100+/- , will hold its own against the test of time. So... my advice? Try to get through this period as cheaply as possible. Maybe look for a used GTX 660 or an HD7870/7850 if you can find them for around 1000/$267
When it comes to raw power, there isn't much of a difference to worry about. You might see some variations based on cable length, the angle of the connector, or perhaps using an IEC lock, but honestly, none of that really matters...
cosmicbadger25 said:I was just watching the video, and the performance looks nearly identical to the gtx 760. Plus, it's significantly cheaper. That's interesting.
Don't take those presentations as gospel. They almost always showcase a hand-picked unit designed to push the FPS numbers higher than what you'll actually see on average hardware.
cosmicbadger25 said:You've got a point there. Looking at some of the tech sites I've been browsing, they suggest the jump from a GTX 760 to a GTX 770 isn't really worth the extra cash, given you're only looking at maybe a 10 fps difference.
By that same logic, you could argue the gap between a GTX 660 and a GTX 760 is similarly slim—roughly 10 fps—yet the price difference remains significant. Besides, you can usually find a used GTX card for half the price. Honestly, even an SLI setup with GTX 660s would get the job done, and you wouldn't even need more than a 550W power supply to handle it.
Look, if you grab a GTX 760 now, you can probably flip it in two years and recoup about 50-60% of what you paid. If you take that difference—the extra cash you would have spent on a GTX 770 right now—and just tuck it away, you'll be in a great spot later. When the time comes to sell your old card, you can bundle that savings with the sale price. At that point, you likely won't even need to dig into your pocket to upgrade to a GTX 770; you could probably snag a used one that's only been out for six months to a year for next to nothing. Or better yet, you could jump straight to an 8-series or 9-series card, which will likely pull 20-30% less power and run 10-15 degrees cooler while delivering similar or even better performance...