Posts by Adam Moore3

That's a shame... 🕺

Do they offer shipping? I'm not entirely sure about the rates, but this looks like it's roughly $333 for a stock RX 480 once you factor in the rebate. CLICK

The Intel Core i3-6100 messed up all my calculations; honestly, there's just no point in going beyond $1333 😬

Awesome, that’s all I needed. Thanks, 👍

fadedorca66 said:You can grab some splitters on eBay that turn one fan header into two, so you could probably hook up two fans (assuming they're both PWM) to that single PWM connector.

As for the power supply, it's pretty mid-tier; it'll hold up for now, but who knows how long it'll actually last.😬

Btw, Kimberly Gomez34, can you drop a link to something like that just so I can see? I can't find the exact thing; I'm not sure what keywords to use. Is it "4 pin fan header splitter"?🤔

So, what’s the draw on a 1050Ti? It pulls about 65W, which pretty much any decent power supply can handle without breaking a sweat. But the FX 6300 is a whole different beast. It pulls more than double that on average, sitting somewhere around 140-150W. Then again, the FX 6300 is significantly more powerful.
In situations like this, the best move is just being honest with the buyer. A power supply isn't something you want to skimp on; if they decide to go the higher-end route with the FX 6300, they really ought to swap out the PSU too.
That doesn't mean the current setup is going to blow up immediately, but I still wouldn't gamble on it. Same goes for the motherboard.

I can't make the decision for him. I can lay out the pros and cons and show him his options, but at the end of the day, it's his money.
It’s a tricky build to upgrade. The platform is fine, but the motherboard is right on the edge of being usable, and that generic power supply is cutting it close. What should stay and what should go? Is it worth saving money or just doing it right? 🕺

Especially now that the G4560 is an option... it feels like a waste to drop $30 on a used FX 6300 when you can grab a brand new one for $17 more.

Got it installed. The cable was maybe half a centimeter too short, so I had to tear everything apart and pull the wire out from that little channel by the fan. Now it fits perfectly, just by a hair. 🍿

Honestly, man, I don't even know what to tell him. You've got a crappy motherboard and a garbage power supply; you shouldn't build anything on top of that. People just buy random junk because they don't realize the Gigabyte DS3P is basically the only decent value pick in this tier.
I told him he should aim for a used FX 6300 once Ryzen drops, paired with a GTX 1060.
That's assuming the power supply isn't total junk too. I'm guessing it'll hold up, but how long is anyone's guess. It theoretically has over 350W on the 12V rail. Theoretically. 🍿

And the 1050Ti is noticeably weaker than the 1060. I don't know, it's just a really awkward config for an upgrade...

fadedorca66 said:You can grab some splitters on eBay that turn one fan header into two, so you could probably hook up two fans (assuming they're both PWM) to that single PWM connector.

As for the power supply, it's pretty mid-tier; it'll hold up for now, but who knows how long it'll actually last.😬

Actually, they aren't both the same—one is an Arctic and the other is this Scythe Slipstream PWM. As for the PSU, that was part of the build featuring the MSI 970 A-G43. I suggested he wait for the Ryzen release so he could hunt for some deals on FX 6300 processors, then pair one of those with a GTX 1060. The motherboard isn't high-end, but he's not exactly a hardcore gamer, so I think a hexa-core should do the trick for him.

One more thing... looking at the DIAGRAM ( :zubo ) below, should I mount this fan intake on the inside—meaning on the left side of the DIAGRAM ( 😬 )—or directly behind the chassis plastic on the outside? I'm assuming the left side makes more sense, since I'm not sure there's enough room on the right because of the power button wiring. 🤔

Look, if this build were actually anything special, I’d be willing to invest more. We're talking an A6 3670 k and a GTX 1650. So 😁 Just grabbed OVO this miracle and I'm heading out to screw it together.

Btw, regarding OVO, you probably wouldn't want to pair it with something like an FX 6300 and a GTX 1060, right? It's got dual rails at 16A, but I have no clue about the actual component quality. It's a Spire unit, so I wouldn't say it's top-tier, but it doesn't look like some bottom-of-the-barrel budget series either.

Man, I'm looking at maybe $50$20 for those fans. Since this is a custom build, I wouldn't mind dropping $100+ on some decent cooling. It’s just an old FM1 setup I pulled together for him for $533, but honestly, you can still play some pretty solid games on it. I just need to sort out the fans because I'm not thrilled with the temps—specifically the temperature on the GTX 1650. I found THIS. They have 4-pin connectors so they work with PWM, which is great. I'm going to head back now, return the defective ones, and grab these instead.

Look, I get it, I really do. But there are just so many variables when it comes to motherboards that I’m not entirely sure about. I always prefer getting some advice first before I start jumping to conclusions. 😁 VRM and phase regulation are the two main things on my mind right now.

Alright, so maybe a used FX 8300 if one can be found, plus an undervolt and definitely an aftermarket cooler. An LC 95 or 120 would definitely fit here. I haven't asked him about his budget yet—he just mentioned he wants an upgrade. But man, I really hope the whole thing doesn't blow up if we drop an 8300 onto this board. 😬

Regarding fans—which version of the Slipstream should I grab? Are those 2000 RPM models too loud? Should I stick with the 1600 or 1200 RPM versions instead? I can't find anything concrete about them online. It actually bothers me a bit how thin they are. I'm assuming they're better since they cost more than the AC F12, but I don't know if that's necessarily true. 🤷 Or maybe there's a third option?

Alright, I’ll post this here instead of starting a new thread (sorry for the double post), but is the MSI 970 A-G43 actually any good? Could I pair an FX processor with it? After I finished upgrading my roommate's rig, his friend wants to build something too. He's currently running an Athlon X3 and a 6670 on this motherboard. I'm thinking about a GTX 1060 and some kind of FX chip—would that be doable on this board from a CPU standpoint? Also, does it have any heatsinks on the VRMov, and what's the phase regulation like?

fadedorca66 said:You can control fans in two ways: through voltage or via PWM. If you've got a 4-pin connector, it means it supports PWM control.

Now, some motherboards might allow voltage control on 3-pin connectors, while others can handle both PWM and voltage on the 4-pin ones. Looking at the manual for that A75M-HVS, it seems you can only adjust the speed for Chassis fan 1 in the BIOS. Even then, it'll probably only work if the fan is 4-pin/PWM capable since there isn't an option to toggle between PWM and voltage control. You could try, but I guess a 3-pin fan will likely just run at 100% all the time.

Ideally, you’d put one intake fan in the front and one exhaust fan in the back. Side fans usually do more harm than good—they mess with the airflow, and if the case is cheap, the whole side panel might vibrate and rattle. Just stick to two for now.

If you don't want them running at full blast, your best bet is to grab a fan controller or wire them to a Molex connector and try tapping into the 5V or 7V lines.

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthread.php?t=22347

So, the fans are 3-pin, which means there's zero chance of using PWM. That’s what I figured. Since the motherboard is an A75M HVS, we probably can't even control them via voltage on those 3-pin headers either, just like you said.
So, it looks like my only choice is to wire them into a Molex connector and start messing around with voltage levels—which is honestly more trouble than it's worth. Besides, the fans aren't even that loud. I really just wanted to tweak things so they wouldn't be stuck running at 100% constantly when there’s zero need for it, but it seems like that's just not happening...

I went with the front intake and rear exhaust, obviously, but I wasn't sure if adding side fans was even worth the effort. Since I'm running an MS Taurus chassis, those side slots probably won't do much anyway. Honestly, the build quality is such garbage that the metal almost buckled while I was tightening the vent screws... it's just that cheap. 😁

All things considered, I might be able to tweak the voltage for chassis fan 1 via the BIOS, though it probably won't do much. Honestly, the only real fix is just picking up a fan controller for around $20...$100Well, for the price of a single Zalman Z3, you might as well get nothing at all. 😬

One more thing—one of the fans showed up dead on arrival, so now I have to deal with a replacement. Since I already had to wait forever for these F12s to arrive here in Cleveland, the thought of doing this all over again is honestly exhausting... Given that, will this Scythe Slipstream actually do the job? It comes in versions ranging from 1200 to 2000 rpm—which one should I go with? I'm assuming the faster ones are going to be loud, so I'm really not sure...

Eric Alvarez said:My suggestion is to invest in some higher-quality fans; it solves the noise issue and prevents headaches down the road. Currently, my setup uses three: 2 x Thermal Grizzly and one MS fan that likely came bundled with the case. It’s nearly silent, just a very faint hum. Previously, I was running a SickleFlow, which was a disaster—it sounded like ten fans were spinning at once, though I'll admit the airflow was better, if you're into that sort of thing. These Thermal Grizzly fans cost about $20 each, so they were definitely worth it. Why do I recommend this approach? Because you won't have to constantly fiddle with settings, and even at max RPM, they are barely audible.
Some graphics cards can hit peak temperatures of 90 or 95°C, so in my opinion, everything is perfectly fine as long as it stays under 80°C. My MSI 970 shows 80°C on the display, but it can certainly go higher without causing any actual damage.

The fans are already bought. I'm fully aware that you can get better quality if you shell out more cash; I've always known that. But that's the whole point—it doesn't matter to me whether I spend $120 or $20, and obviously, I’d pick the more expensive option if I were buying for myself. However, I'm not the one spending the money; I'm just helping my roommate with an upgrade. He wants to spend as little as possible on an older build with a dead socket and mid-tier components.

So, thanks for the suggestion, but I was already aware of that. In this specific case, the cheaper solution is the way to go. 🙂

My cousin finally decided to upgrade his rig (with a little nudge from me 😁). He was dealing with some old FM1 setup ( 🙂 🙂 ) featuring a GTX 1650, a fresh power supply, and an A6 3670 k.
He didn't have a single fan installed, so we picked up two Arctic AF120s at Lynx (though I just realized one of them is defective—the blades are tilted and wobbling in the mount, scraping against the edge 🙂). I'll be using Searcher to look into a replacement, but moving on.
Here's the dilemma: my motherboard has two fan headers. One is 3-pin and the other is 4-pin. Now, I know that 4th pin is usually for speed control, right?
So, does that mean the 3-pin one will always run at max RPM? Is that a safe assumption?
Also, since these fans actually have 3-pin connectors, does that mean the one plugged into the 4-pin header will also just run at full blast regardless of how hot the PC gets? Or will the speed regulate itself based on temperature?
Furthermore, do you think he should grab one more fan to mount on the side panel and plug into a Molex connector? That would definitely keep it running at 100% all the time, wouldn't it?
Side question: after playing Witcher for a few hours, the GTX 1650 tends to climb close to 80°C, which feels about 5-6 degrees too high to me. Am I wrong? I'm HOPING these fans fix it, because when we opened the side panel, it usually stayed under 71°C.

Timothy Kim60 said:The driver gap has closed up a bit since those re-tests, but even so, the GTX 1050 still beats the GTX 1050 in average performance. In my opinion, the GTX 1050 isn't quite worth it either; you’re better off stretching your wallet to get the GTX 1050 Ti. It's faster, comes with 4GB of VRAM, and feels like a much more complete product. Dealing with just 2GB on the GTX 1050 or the GTX 1050 4GB makes things tricky—most games won't show a massive difference on these lower-end chips until they start getting pushed hard (for example, a 4GB card crushes a 2GB card in Doom and stuff like that). If money is tight, the 2GB GTX 1050 4GB is at least the cheapest option listed, whereas the GTX 1050 sits right near the price of the 4GB version and isn't much cheaper than the 1050 Ti anyway.

For instance, my roommate actually picked up a 2GB GTX 1050 because his budget was super tight, and he runs The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 alongside an AMD processor without any issues.
He usually plays on a mix of High and Ultra settings with no problems. Sure, if you pick something that eats up a ton of VRAM, your FPS might tank, but you can fix that by just dropping textures from Ultra to High and so on.
So, I think the GTX 1050 might actually be the smarter move. Even if the performance gap narrowed, there's still at least a 10-15% difference in most games. And that's for only about $15 more.
I am just not sure about the Phenom, though... would it bottleneck something like a GTX 1050 Ti?
Looking at The Witcher 3, the CPU keeps the GPU at 100% while it stays around 60-70%. That’s with an overclock to 3.2 GHz from 2.7 GHz. I think a Phenom would handle a GTX 1050 Ti just fine, though I don't really want to drop another $25-$30 $100 if the usage is just going to sit at 90%.

Hm, I didn't realize you could do that with the NVIDIA Control Panel, I'll definitely give that a shot.

But now I'm facing a whole new dilemma. A buddy of mine is looking to pick up a GPU soon too. He's running a Core i3-6100 and an EVGA unit with a 450W PSU. I was thinking about suggesting the GTX 1050 Ti, but I'm worried it'll be way too much of a bottleneck. Right now, you can find a GTX 1050 for $333, which is about $15 more than the 460, and considering all this



... I'm REALLY starting to think I messed up by getting the 460. This benchmark is from five months ago, so who knows if any major driver updates have changed things since then. I honestly don't know what to do 🤷

wiredotter14 said:I’ve got that ASUS card and it's great—super quiet, too.

You can find it here for a bit less:

The only downside is that it doesn't have an extra power connector, so it's kind of capped at 75W, even though it needs more to hit its full potential.

Models like the Dual Fan or the EVGA FTW versions actually include that extra power connector, which helps them maintain much more stable clock speeds.
Also, I think there might be a BIOS version out there for the Dual Fan (and the FTW) that unlocks the card's full capacity since some parts are locked by default from the factory.

http://overclocking.guide/amd-radeon...am-processors/

Look, my roommate actually picked up that exact card you have, and I was honestly surprised it didn't even have a single 6-pin connector. Is there actually a noticeable performance gap between these cards with the connector and this one?
And maybe that's why there isn't a custom BIOS for this specific model; if they tried unlocking all the ROPs and other components, it probably wouldn't stay stable without the extra power. I feel like I might've messed up a little by suggesting this model to him. 🤷

Wasn't there some story going around about those EVGA FTW Series cards being absolute garbage for some reason? I can't remember if I actually read that somewhere or if I'm just imagining things...

I’ve got a G3220 in my rig at home. Witcher 3 runs just fine paired with a 260X. 🙂

That Pentium... absolute little beast.