Posts by fadedorca66

I’d probably just stick with the Fortron, since it actually comes with a power cord 🤣

It’s not even that complicated, honestly. Just a few clicks and you're basically done. Hard to mess this up, I guess.

Most apps—unless they're portable—dump a ton of data into the registry. If your macOS ever crashes and you have to wipe everything, about 90% of those programs won't even work properly; the system won't recognize them as installed, and it just becomes a total mess. I guess it’s best to just put all your software on an SSD C, maybe skipping the massive ones if they're going to eat up half your drive.

You can totally leave your photos, docs, videos, and the downloads folder on a Western Digital... here's how to set that up:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...ther-drive.htm

So, once you install macOS on the SSD, that'll be your C: drive, and you can use the Western Digital as D:. Just make some folders for whatever you want there and change the file locations.

As for games and other junk, you should probably install those on the Western Digital too. If your SSD C is the main drive, just deselect C during installation and pick D instead, and it'll go straight to the Western Digital.

So, what kind of budget are we looking at here?

If I were you, I’d probably lean toward the Intel side of things:

1 x ASUS H81M-K, 1150, Intel ® H81 express chipset, DDR3
1 x Intel Celeron G1840 (2.80GHz,512KB,2MB,54 W,1150) Box,

$221

The CPU is better, though the graphics are a bit weaker. But honestly, the graphics on that AMD build are pretty pathetic for actual gaming anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Plus, Intel usually gives you more decent upgrade paths down the road.

What's your actual usage like? If you aren't gaming or doing heavy graphics work, you might be fine just sticking with the integrated graphics on the motherboard. If you do want to play stuff, you can grab that card, but I wouldn't expect maxed-out settings or anything. Also, if you go for the R7 250, make sure you get the GDDR5 version (this one is)—there’s a cheaper DDR3 version out there that’s pretty slow.

Anyway, for about ~$33 more, you can actually get a slightly better 250x: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1124?vs=1126

Duh, obviously. A computer's basically just a paperweight without an OS; you'd just be staring at that error message all day. 😬

It’s kind of a waste to put XP on that new rig. I guess you should just grab Windows 7 (or maybe even 8 if you really want to) and throw it on a USB drive to install instead.

Of course you're getting that error—you haven't even got an OS installed yet. I guess you need to get Windows set up first before you can actually do anything with it. You got a Windows installation disc or something?

So, what’d you pick up and where from? Does it come with Windows installed? You can't just barge in here asking for help without giving any details—it's kind of like calling 911 to scream about a fire without telling them where the house is.

The graphics are built right into the CPU, not the motherboard. I didn't quite catch you there—are you actually pulling the trigger on this purchase now?

With a bit of luck and some digging, you could probably snag one on eBay if you just compare specs and eyeball the photos carefully.

You might be able to cut down that grinding noise by popping off the blade directly opposite the broken one. It should help balance the fan out so it runs smoother. But hey, if the temps stay fine and you're happy with it, maybe just leave it alone.

As for that NVIDIA GeForce GT series, it's worth grabbing. Try to haggle them down to about $65. Performance-wise, it's basically on par with your current NVIDIA GeForce GTX series.

Could you post a photo of that broken fan? Also, what's the exact model of the card? Might be able to snag one on eBay for cheap.

As for the new GPU—that link isn't working. 😬

The motherboard just has video outputs since the graphics are built into the CPU. If the specs say the processor uses an FM2 socket, then it should fit the board.

Are you buying this stuff new? Honestly, the combo of the CPU and motherboard isn't great; you might want to look for a better pairing.

Why on earth would he need an SSD for an HP build? 😬

IPS, Professional League of Legends, and VA panels are definitely more advanced and better than those basic TN panels. They offer slightly better color accuracy and much wider viewing angles.

You’ve probably noticed on standard LCD monitors (especially the older ones) that if you look at them from the side or from above or below, the colors just wash out, shift, and turn gray, making the whole image look washed out. With these newer matrices, that doesn't really happen, or at least the angle where it starts is way wider.

I guess I’m just totally out of the loop here 😬

We'll see when it actually shows up, I guess. The listing seems a little sketchy to me...

It really depends on the motherboard, luck, and whether those two sticks actually play nice together. I guess the only way to know for sure is to just try it.

Where are you even planning to find a 4GB DDR2 stick? They're pretty hard to come by and overpriced these days.

Since we have no clue what kind of old case we're dealing with, and Intel has pretty short cables, I guess it might be an issue.