Posts by Adam Moore3

A bit more than that. 5800-$2000.

Bryan Jackson12 said:Aha, okay. I didn't realize it was such a piece of junk, so I guess I'll pick up a new power supply too. Regarding the Memory, I checked and I have two 2 GB sticks (DDR3 - 1333 MHz, which is weird because according to CPU-Z it shows 664 MHz, strange). Now, I'm not sure if memory with a higher clock than 1333 would work? Because from what I've read, the motherboard only supports up to 1333. I was planning on just getting two 4GB sticks at 1333 MHz. Is that alright?

Nah, anything faster than 1333 MHz will work fine, don't sweat it. And since you're buying anyway, just grab one 8 GB stick. Otherwise, when you want to upgrade next time, you'll end up tossing both old sticks just to swap in a single one. If you had gone with 1x4 GB earlier, you'd have a free slot right now and could just pop another stick in, and that's that. 🙂

Bryan Jackson12 said:What's the deal with the power supply? Is it just struggling because of a weaker GPU, or is the unit actually trash?

And I'm still a bit confused about the Memory—would it be smarter to ditch the old sticks and just grab 2x4 GB? That was my plan.

That power supply is bottom-of-the-barrel junk. Putting components worth over $667 into a unit that costs $33 is honestly pretty reckless 😉 You don't need to throw out your old Memory. If you've already got one 4 GB stick, just pop in another one and you're set. But if you're running 2x2 GB, you'll have to swap them out for a single 1x8 GB stick since both slots are taken.

They basically tossed all the Corsair units into one bucket. Is the Corsair RM series actually "acceptable"? And are Fortron Raiders considered "bad"? There's more to the list, but those are the obvious ones.

Not a chance. That’s strictly for budget builds—don't let that 600W rating fool you.🙂

coastaldrifter6 said:I didn't want to start a whole new thread since this sub is half-empty, so I'll just post it here.

Alright, I'm looking for a CPU, motherboard, SSD, and RAM combo for under $3,500. This is primarily for development work. I'd prefer to buy from Best Buy, but I'm open to other retailers if the price is right.

Here is what I've put together:

Intel Core i5 4460 box, LGA 1150, 3.2GHz, 6MB cache, integrated GPU, quad Core
$557
Samsung 250 GB 850 evo Series Basic, MZ-75E250B, SATA 3, 2.5", 540/520 MB/s Samsung 250 GB 850 evo Series Basic, MZ-75E250B, SATA 3, 2.5", 540/520 MB/s
$253
PC-12800 Memory, 8 GB, MUSHKIN RadioActive FrostByte, 992069Y, DDR3 1600MHz PC-12800 Memory, 8 GB, MUSHKIN RadioActive FrostByte, 992069Y, DDR3 1600MHz X 2
$227
ASRock H81M-HDS Motherboard, LGA 1150, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, PCI-E, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1150 ASRock H81M-HDS Motherboard, LGA 1150, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, PCI-E, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1150
$120

TOTAL $1247

Here's the exact same setup on Newegg with a better motherboard for $100 less.

ASRock H81M-HDS Motherboard, LGA 1150
Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz), LGA 1150
Samsung 250 GB 850 evo Series Basic, 250 GB Capacity
DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10

Total: $3,$141 Newegg

CLICK CLICK? 🤔

goldenpanther said:Hey guys,

I've decided to set aside some cash for a new GPU, roughly around $333. Is that actually enough money to make a difference, or am I wasting my time? Also, should I be looking at a new power supply too?

AMD A8-5600K
LC-CC-95 cooler
ASRock FM2A75M-DGS
2x4 GB RAM Kingston Hyper x 1600 MHz
Radeon R7 250 1GB DDR5
Chieftec GPS 450 AA

Not really. Honestly, the best you can probably grab for that budget is an R7 360, maybe a 750Ti. Both outperform the R7 250, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bother upgrading unless you could get at least an R7 265. They're just too close in performance classes. You'd be better off hunting for something used with a warranty, or saving up another hundred bucks for something like an R9 270 or similar.🙂

No, strictly speaking in terms of numbers, it’s actually quite decent. It puts out a solid amount of power on the 12V rail. The only real question is how old it is and whether you can actually trust it to hold up.

I can't find any specific specs on that power supply, but it looks at least 7 or 8 years old. Personally, I wouldn't trust something like an MSI Radeon R9 380 on a unit that aged. I'd rather just swap it out entirely and have some peace of mind.

First, you need to let us know what kind of budget we're working with. You can definitely put together a build specifically for FIFA 16 for $833, but obviously, FIFA 16 isn't much of a benchmark since it's pretty low-spec. As for where to buy parts, Links is overpriced and their selection is often lacking, so I personally prefer checking out some of the webshops based in New York City.

The link isn't showing up 🙂 This is just a textbook case of "upgrade fever." 😁 Honestly, if the author isn't chasing massive gains in gaming performance, swapping anything out is just crazy because there won't be any noticeable difference compared to how things were before the upgrade. No matter what they swap. 🙂

Jerry Watson2 said:Hey there,
I'm thinking about swapping out my motherboard and CPU in my current setup. I've been eyeing an Intel Core i5 Haswell build, specifically looking for a board that's got a front-panel USB 3.0 header and at least 4+2 USB ports on the back.

Here's what I'm running right now:

Intel Core i3 3220
Gigabyte GA-B75-D3H
2x4 GB HyperX Fury DDR3 1600
WD Caviar Blue 500 GB
MSI R9 270 x

What's the specific reason for the upgrade? I'm guessing the USB ports aren't the only thing driving this. If you're chasing better gaming performance, you won't see a massive jump just by swapping the CPU and mobo. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I'd just hunt down a used i5 and drop it into your existing motherboard. You aren't really getting anything groundbreaking from Haswell compared to what Ivy Bridge offers.

EDIT: My bad.

Yeah, they've found some beefier ones, though you can also find older 79XX models at those prices that are still noticeably more powerful than the 270X. Honestly, it just comes down to preference—some people value a warranty more than raw performance, so they’ll opt for the 270X. Others would rather grab a faster card even if it's out of warranty. It really depends on what’s currently sitting on eBay. He could list it for $1,000 on eBay and wait six months for a buyer, or he might move it in a few days if there isn't anything better out there right now. I gave him a realistic price to ensure a quick sale; how much extra he tries to squeeze out of it is his call. He could probably ask for more, provided he doesn't mind waiting... 🙂

Roughly:

CPU $500-$200
Motherboard ~$$83
GPU $800-$300

Jerry Watson2 said:Could I get an estimate on what this setup is worth?

Intel Core i3 3220 Gigabyte GA-B75D3H MSI R9 270 x 2
Gigabyte GA-B75D3H
MSI R9 270 x 2GB Gaming

Thanks.

What exactly does the warranty cover?

Eric Taylor42 said:Guys, I need help! I'm standing in a Best Buy right now trying to decide between a GTX 750 Ti 2GB and a GTX 960 OC 2GB. I'm no expert and I seriously don't have time to dig through old threads. The 960 seems better, but the clerk is claiming they're basically the same strength... Please help ASAP

What kind of store told you those two were even close in performance?

Timothy Brown61 said:Hey everyone,

I'm putting together a gaming rig and could use some help from you guys.
Specifically, I want to know what the best setup would be for under $1233
. I don't need a case, hard drive, or power supply for this build.
Just looking for a motherboard, RAM, CPU, and GPU within the $1233
range. Thanks in advance! 🙂

What kind of case, PSU, and HDD are you working with? Just want to make sure everything fits.

James Johnson5 said:The links show a used one... plus there's a used Gainward Nvidia GTX 950 for $383. It still has 12 months of warranty left.

..this model only has a single fan, so I'm worried about it buzzing or overheating.
What do you think?

That 270 model sounds pretty decent. The GTX isn't bad either, though they could have priced it a little lower. As for the fan, it shouldn't be an issue. At least based on most of the reviews I've seen.

The R9 390 can run on a Fortron Hyper 600W without any issues when paired with an i5 4460. You could even get away with a Fortron Hyper 500W, though there's really no reason to stress about it since the price difference is negligible. Most of what manufacturers list on their spec pages is just pure guesswork...