It's a TN panel. That doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, unless it's just some cheap budget monitor with a TN panel—which is exactly what we're looking at here.
crimsonstag84 said:The monitor should definitely pass for $67, though I'd say the GPU is probably $17 lower (you could still use $100 as a starting point), and the case is just barely $83.
I already found one for $67, which is what I used as my guide from click Quote
Laura Stewart61 said:Let me double-check that, forgot to add this part 👏 The motherboard is an MSI B75MA-E33.
Laura Stewart61 said:Hey everyone, could someone give me an estimate on what this setup is worth:
EVGA Series CX430 V2, 430 W $50 Intel Core i5-2320 $167 Corsair PC3-10667U CMX8GX3M2A1333C9, 1333 MHz, 2x4 Gb $100 Asus HD7750-1GD5 $100 Corsair Force Series 3, 90 Gb $60 Seagate Barracud Green ST1000DL002, 1000 Gb $60 Fractal design Core 3000 150-$67
I also have an Aoc 2216 monitor, though I'm not sure if it's even worth mentioning since it's pretty old, even if it still works fine.
Thanks 😁
Did you forget to list the motherboard? Honestly, I have no idea if you'd get anything for that monitor because it's seriously ancient—still just 1680x1050 resolution.$50
quietridge92 said:I have a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop, any idea what it might be worth? Also, does anyone know how to figure out how old the computer actually is? I can't seem to find a specific manufacturing date or release info by searching "Dell Inspiron 15 release date" on Google.
Thanks 🙂
You'll need to give us more details, specifically the exact specs. There are several different versions of the Dell Inspiron 15 out there—some come with an i5, some have an i3, and others run on a Pentium. Depending on what's inside, the price could vary quite a bit.
I already had the rest of my gear so that doesn't count... :P
Everything was bought used on eBay for about $2333, maybe $17...
Man, listen, you'll have a blast gaming on this, but honestly, you're pretty much at a dead end when it comes to future upgrades. Your Peripheral setup is actually quite solid which bumps up the price, though I'd still say anything over $500 is a bit much... but hey, it's not a total rip-off.🙂
Look, that Intel Core i3 4360 isn't actually a bad processor 🙂
That's why I'm saying the build is perfectly fine for decent gaming. That’s exactly why I was wondering what specifically pushed him to swap out the CPU. Even though the Nvidia GeForce GTX 950 is still holding its own, that card is going to be the bottleneck in most games long before the CPU becomes an issue. And when I say "issue," I don't mean it won't run anything—I just mean he'll be dropping settings from high to medium way sooner than he would with a different processor.
What exactly made you decide on an upgrade? Because just swapping in an i5 isn't going to give you much of a boost in gaming performance; your GPU is a bigger bottleneck than the processor right now.
crimsonstag84 said:Let's lay down some solid foundations for future upgrades... this setup definitely won't last 5 years if you're planning on playing heavy, demanding titles by then. But... swapping out the CPU, GPU, and RAM should be a breeze in about 3 years, which would extend its lifespan even further.
Corsair mid Tower case Black, EVGA video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 EVGA video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB/128bit, 1196MHz/7000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, DP, HDMI, DVI SSD AD 120GB SU700 SATA 3D Nand Seagate Barracuda Desktop (3.5", 1TB, 64MB, SATA III-600). WD10EZEX EVGA 500W Power Supply Samsung monitor LR60/S24F Genius KB-125, keyboard, black, USB Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse - EMEA - GRAY 2x Crucial DDR4 4GB 2400 MHz P/N: CT4G4DFS824A MSI Main Board Desktop B350 (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid) B350M_Bazooka Intel Core 3 1200
Total: $2003 - Centro(New York City)
Gameplay in 11 games:
Come on, grab a nicer mouse already, that Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse gives me the creeps 😬
I think this is the best way to go, though adding another 4 GB of RAM would be highly recommended. You could save a bit by going with an APU configuration and 2x4 GB of RAM, but that’s a much weaker option right now for just a few dollars less.
I'm honestly curious to see how the FX series will hold up against newer titles—hopefully, they'll be better optimized for multi-core setups moving forward. Keeping my fingers crossed for you, 🙂
wiredotter14 said:Look, Fortnite demands a lot from your GPU, but it’s actually really well-optimized for multi-core setups.
I wouldn't bother with a high-refresh monitor; your CPU might end up being the bottleneck there anyway. Personally, I'd go for a 1440p monitor instead.
Regarding overclocking, that cooler is decent enough, but don't expect miracles with those processors. I'd try hitting 4.0GHz first while dropping the voltage to see how stable things get.
This one is probably one of the best deals if you want a dual-fan setup.
Radeon prices have stabilized a bit lately, so an RX580 8GB is worth considering.
But hey, just check how each card performs specifically for the games you play.
Hmm, honestly, I'm not sure if the graphics are actually that heavy. For instance, I play it on my laptop relatively smoothly at 40+ FPS with an i5 4200M and 8750M, yet when I'm home on my desktop with a G3220 and r7 260 x, I get tons of FPS drops and stuttering even on the lowest settings. Though, it's totally possible that's just due to the RAM—I've only got 4 GB on the PC.
Anyway, even though it looks kind of cartoony and "unserious," it isn't that easy to run, and you shouldn't underestimate it, ESPECIALLY on Ultra settings.
silentcobra3 said:I’ve got this nagging feeling that my PC is stuttering like crazy, even though I did a fresh install of Windows just two months ago and haven't cluttered the drive with any junk.
To give you guys an idea, I’ll take a simple game like Fortnite—it’s just not hitting that smooth 60fps at max settings, which feels wrong because, honestly, it really should be running buttery smooth at 60fps.
So, what do you think—should I dive into overclocking my CPU and GPU?
I'm also eye-balling a GTX 1060 6GB paired with a 144Hz monitor; do you think that combo would actually hold up?
EDIT: Regarding what wiredotter14 mentioned: Basically, it seems like overclocking the FX8320 and picking up a GTX1060 along with a decent monitor (I'm leaning towards that 144Hz one I mentioned earlier) might be the way to go.
Fortnite can be tricky; it’s not as easy to run as you'd think, especially on max settings, despite that cartoonish look. Honestly, though, I'm not entirely sure how its multi-core support is or how well it utilizes all those cores.
I agree with wiredotter14. I think your best bet is to OC that FX as much as possible and grab something like an RX580 or a GTX1060. Swapping out the whole platform would cost you a lot of money for relatively little gain. You wouldn't really see a massive jump until after you've dropped in a new graphics card.
As for the monitor, go for it, though I'm not sure if a 144Hz screen is worth the investment since I doubt you'll be hitting over 100 FPS in most newer titles anyway.
What exactly is the issue? That setup is still pretty decent; I’d bet the FX still has some life left in it—maybe even more than before, since games seem to be leaning harder into multi-core and thread support lately.
I think pairing an FX with something like a GTX 1060 can handle practically anything you throw at it, provided you're willing to make a few compromises on certain titles. If you're cool with that, just upgrade the GPU and call it a day.
If you aren't willing to settle for those kinds of compromises, then you'll have to switch platforms while keeping your case, PSU, HDD, and SSD. Just keep in mind that $350 isn't going to cover all of that.
Something like a Ryzen 5 1600 + 8GB DDR4 + a B350 motherboard plus a stronger graphics card would be the ideal upgrade right now. The CPU, motherboard, and RAM combo would run you about $1000, so there's no room in the budget for a GPU yet. You could just stick with the R9 280 for now; it's still a perfectly fine card.
CLICK If you skip the motherboard and just aim for about $1,200 plus a GPU, you'll be in great shape. You can always grab whatever graphics card fits your budget later and still have a solid machine...
John Brown3 said:I agree, but the other folks on Craigslist are even greedier. The asking price is $550, so there's definitely room to negotiate. Honestly, I'd even let her go for less if I knew she was going to a good, decent family—someone who'll actually love and take care of her the way I do. 😍
Alright fine, I gave you a realistic estimate. If you can get it for what you're asking—hey, more power to you. 🙂
shadowwolf15 said:You guys are all right—I'm already scouting out which i7 to grab. My current setup has an i7 2600 3.4 and I'm ready to $333. But now you've got me second-guessing things with this i7 3770k talk... will that even fit my motherboard? Honestly, spending $200 isn't really a $100 dealbreaker if I know the chip is solid and hasn't been absolutely trashed by overclocking. One of your suggestions included liquid cooling, which implies that thing was running at some seriously high clock speeds. I get that it's a gamble, but I'd love to drop that i7 into my rig specifically because everything else in it is top-tier. I love PCs—I've built every single one of them myself using parts picked from magazines and forums—but lately, life's just been too busy and I've lost my footing. I thought it was time for an upgrade once Coffee Lake CPU arrived, but I didn't realize how expensive it had become; maybe I'm wrong and my components were actually more affordable back then? Also, this platform is six years old now. This is my third SSD—first it was a Vortex 80GB, then an OCZ 125, and now it's a Samsung 850 Pro series. Windows took off the second I swapped out the HDD. I usually swap GPUs every three years, so I wouldn't bother changing this one yet since I only need $1000 a tiny boost for a better upgrade.
The 3xxx series, specifically Ivy Bridge, works on that board, so look into that series since it's newer. It’s not a massive leap, but hey, newer is always better. Those two links I sent you are the cheapest 3770 K and non-K options you can find on eBay right now. If you're planning on overclocking, aim for that 3770K, but make sure you haggle them down on the price.
John Brown3 said:Alright, I'll put it up on eBay for $183, so we'll see how the price goes. Thanks for the help!
That's way too much money. You'd have to find someone who knows absolutely nothing about hardware to fall for that. But hey, give 🙂 a shot if you want.
Yeah, you've got a point there. Looking back at what those i7 chips used to cost when they first dropped, this looks like an absolute steal. But then again, once you factor in the arrival of Ryzen and just how much time has passed since then... yeah, even this feels like overkill. Honestly, thinking about snagging an i7 for under a hundred bucks sounds almost too good to be true; I highly doubt anyone's actually going to part with one for that little.
Robert Rodriguez2 said:I included the GPU because Ryzen doesn't have integrated graphics, so everyone needs a dedicated card. Plus, if the budget allows for a card that can actually handle some gaming, why wouldn't you 😁
Personally, I think a GTX 1030 paired with a larger or faster SSD might serve his specific needs better. It really depends on what kind of photo editing he's doing.