Posts by Adam Moore3

Sam Martinez8 said:Samsung Odyssey G5
on a Kingston 128GB drive
an MSI board, I think it was a Z97 or something like that

If you're running a Z97 motherboard along with those other parts, then go with that option—it's definitely a much better deal than what was suggested. Just swap out that monitor for any other one with an IPS panel, like Amy Vaughn12 mentioned. That’s the only change you need to make.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:For that kind of cash, you can easily pull together an AM3+ build:

1 x AOC i2276VW, 21.5" IPS 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2, 50,000,000:1
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x EVGA 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x XFX R7-265A-CNF4, Radeon R7 265 925M Boost 2GB DDR5
1 x AMD FX-Series x4 4300 Processor 3.8GHz, 4MB/8MB, 95W, Socket AM3+
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x Genius KM110X Combo, keyboard + mouse, USB
1 x Genius speakers SP-HF150, 4W RMS, wood finish
$1588

Obviously, I just put together something roughly similar to his setup—same power level—just to see what a build like that would actually run me.

shadowstag82 said:http://www.craigslist.org/pcs-computers/listing/9837511
Can anyone give me an estimate on what this whole setup is worth?

N/A, but have you lost your mind? 😬 You could build something similar from scratch—brand new—for even less money. 🙂 We're talking maybe $300 total. You might be able to squeeze out a bit more for it, though I doubt it, and honestly, you might struggle to move it for even $300 over the next three months. Either way, $470 is a ridiculous price.

EDIT:

crimsonstag84 said:Barely $1000... I just did some quick digging and you can definitely put together something noticeably better than this completely new for $1567.

1 x ASUS Prime Motherboard, AMD A68H, 2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM
1 x AMD Athlon II x4 840 Processor 3.10GHz
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x XFX R7-265A-CNF4, AMD Radeon R7 265 925M Boost 2GB DDR5
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x EVGA 500W, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman T5 mini tower case. 170(W) x 427(H) x 348(D)mm.
1 x AOC i2276VW, 21.5" IPS 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2, 50,000,000:1

$1368

Keep in mind this uses the FM2+ socket, which means the GPU is newer and the monitor is better. Also, the motherboard has fewer features and the CPU isn't overclockable. But all in all, that's the deal. For $410, you could get a new 😬 + $67 peripherals.

Gary Barrett said:One incredibly stupid question: does anything actually matter besides frequency and DDR when you're buying RAM?

Yeah, price 😛 Frequency doesn't even matter in your case, just grab whatever is cheapest. 🙂

Charles Hill24 said:Hey everyone, I could really use some help picking out a graphics card for a small form factor case. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Specs are listed below.

√ Intel Core i5-2400 Processor
√ 3.10 GHz, 6M cache, 4 cores/4 threads
√ Intel HD Graphics 2000
√ Intel Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP)
√ Supports Intel vPro Technology

Thanks.

What's the budget? SOMETHING LIKE THIS would be a decent best buy. What kind of power supply are you running?

Yeah, adding that extra 4 GB of RAM will definitely give you a boost with those games. Honestly, you can't really go wrong here—it's not like you're breaking the bank, it'll help your current setup, and you can always reuse the RAM in your next build 🙂

Brian Thomas60 said:Just saw the replies. I went ahead and swapped out the CPU and RAM.
I'd definitely upgrade to an SSD next.

Is this looking better now?

Yeah, that's it 👍

Susan Chavez said:awesome, thanks everyone!

I think I'll just stick with that first option. I've been planning on buying a new rig for a while now, so an extra $100 $67 isn't really a dealbreaker for me.

By the way, in case anyone else needs the heads-up—I reached out to the admin and found out they'll even do a free installation of Microsoft Windows 10 Home if you buy all your components from them.

Well, obviously, if you buy the OS from them... 😛>

Susan Chavez said:thanks!

But how am I supposed to decide now?

The only thing I really get here is the price difference.

I see some components are different. Is it basically the "same" thing performance-wise, just a better deal for my wallet?

Sorry if these are stupid questions, but I don't know any better.

There are just a few minor differences. In the crimsonstag84 build, you get a Modular PC (which is way more practical) and a slightly better motherboard. That’s why it costs a bit more. If you don't mind being up an extra $15 or so, that option is definitely the better way to go.

Brian Thomas60 said:Thanks, crimsonstag84!

I have a few questions:
- Does Micro Center support this build? I’m planning on having them install everything so it's ready to go once I get it home.
- Is this AMD chip an APU? Wouldn't dual-channel RAM (2 x 4GB) be better for an APU?
- I'll probably need an optical drive too; maybe something like this: LG GH24NSD1 SATA Bulk Black 24x$32

They'll put it together for you for free, but just keep in mind there's a shipping fee$27.
It is an APU, but I think crimsonstag84 intentionally went with 1x8GB to leave room for a future upgrade. If you go dual-channel now, both slots will be full. Honestly, though, you're probably never going to jump to 16GB with these specs, so you could definitely grab dual-channel RAM to get that extra performance boost—that's true. But since this PC is meant for pretty light tasks anyway, it doesn't matter much. As for the optical drive, any cheap one will do.

Timothy Kim60 said:RAM only matters for certain games, then it's the CPU, then finally the GPU. Your graphics card is still your strongest link. You can go with what crimsonstag84 suggested, and then one sunny day just grab a better GPU when you've saved up enough cash.

Actually, upgrading isn't even that bad once you look at the numbers. Right now, motherboards are cheap; you can find an A68 chipset for $40—and it's not even bottom-of-the-barrel, it has USB 3 and SATA 3 as standard features—plus it comes with a 3-year warranty for example. An Athlon-X4-860K goes for about $167, and when you consider the whole platform $267, nobody is paying nearly that much just for a processor. The only real hassle is having to sell your old motherboard, but they aren't expensive even when brand new, so you won't take a massive hit. It’s a worthwhile platform if you look at it that way. You push it as far as it goes, then sell it.

Look, if someone wants more power for gaming—and let's be honest, they usually do—what are their options? They have to move to AM3+ because they won't be able to pair a decent GPU with that processor otherwise. So, we're talking a Gigabyte 970 plus at least an Intel Core i5-3570, which isn't even a great value compared to an Intel Core i7-3770 right now. Basically, like crimsonstag84 mentioned, it'll be around $550. And that's just for the CPU and motherboard. Once they upgrade that, they still won't see any actual improvement in games without also investing in a GPU. That means another minimum of $567 for something like an R9 280/380 or a GTX 960, because anything less than that is practically a waste of money. At that point, we've already blown past $1000.

Now, the AM4 platform is honestly great for the average gamer who doesn't plan on major upgrades or expecting high-end settings. The problem pops up when someone actually wants that extra performance (and let's be real, any semi-serious gamer will eventually want that 😬), but lacks the funds. If they want to upgrade, they basically have to replace the core components of the build. That's why I always push for AM3+ from the start, even if it means settling for a slightly weaker graphics card for now. Because if a guy drops $533 on an Intel Core i7-3770, he won't see any real gains in gaming and will end up wondering why the hell he wasted all that money! But realistically, there isn't much smarter way to spend that cash anyway 🙂

crimsonstag84 said:AMD A8 X4 7650K Processor
Crucial BX100 250GB SSD, Micron 16nm MLC, SATA 2.5” 7mm
Zalman mini tower case black, ZAL-A1
Super Flower FX 350W - 80 Plus Bronze power supply
GIGABYTE Main Board Desktop AMD A68(A68HM-DS2)
LC Power CPU Cooler LC-CC-95 - 90mm
KINGSTON 8GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL10 DIMM HyperX FURY Red Series, HX318C10FR/8

Total cost: $963 Center

Sure, you could go cheaper, but this build will last, and there's enough room in the budget🙂

Really clean build, even managed to fit that 250GB SSD in there perfectly.👍

Gary Barrett said:Hey everyone, I'm looking for some upgrade ideas to get this rig up to a decent $500 level. I mostly use this PC for gaming.

Asrock AM4
Intel Core i3-4130
Crucial DDR3 4GB 1333MHz, JM1333KLH-4G, bulk
NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti with EVGA Power Supply
Corsair CX Series 80+ Bronze, 430 Watt, ATX, EPS12V, PS/2, US version WD Blue HDD desktop
US version WD Blue HDD desktop (3.5", 1TB)

I'm thinking about getting a new CPU and upgrading the RAM.

Hmm, tricky spot. That's the classic issue with this specific platform. You can't really slap a beefier graphics card in there because the processor will just bottleneck it, and if you try to upgrade the CPU, you're basically forced to swap out the motherboard too since upgrading within this current setup doesn't make much sense. Even if you did switch platforms and processors, you wouldn't see a huge jump in gaming performance anyway, because what you have right now is already maxing out that GPU and is plenty good enough for decent gaming. 😬

electricharbor30 said:I've personally owned a Core i3 530 and a Core i7 760, and now I'm running a G1610... honestly, I don't see much of a difference when I'm gaming. Most of these newer chips either stutter like crazy or they can only push frames if you crank everything down to the absolute minimum settings. If someone actually needs decent graphics, they should just buy a real GPU. Spending an extra $1,000 or $500 more on a CPU just to get slightly better integrated graphics is totally insane... especially when you're only saving a tiny bit of cash. If this guy manages to squeeze out even 5 extra FPS for that little extra money by choosing the Pentium, you can cut me anywhere you want... but he's only got $667 to work with, so clearly he's trying to be careful with his budget...

Vatafak, is that you talking? Who in their right mind would pay $500 more? You guys built two rigs at the exact same price point, but his build gives him a significantly faster processor in both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks, better graphics, and higher overall speed—plus he gets an SSD. If he runs out of space on the SSD, he can just use an HDD and call it a day; it's the same total cost. You're talking nonsense.

crimsonstag84 said:So, I was looking at this ASROCK H81M-DG4. It’s an mATX board using the Intel H81 chipset with a socket 1150, running on DDR3 RAM. It’s got the usual basics—USB 3.0, SATA, PCI-E, plus D-SUB and DVI outputs—and comes with G-LAN and standard audio. Just a pretty standard setup, I guess.
It’s an Intel Pentium G3250 box, a dual Core chip running at 3.2GHz with a 3MB cache and integrated graphics. I guess it's a standard LGA 1150 setup.
It’s an ANTEC VSK-3000B, mATX, black, and doesn't come with a PSU.
It’s a 120.0 GB Kingston HyperX Fury SSD (SHFS37A/120G), running on SATA3 via a 2.5'' interface. It uses MLC chips and hits speeds up to 500/500 MB/s, I guess.
It looks like we're looking at some 4GB of DDR3 RAM from the G.SKILL Value Series, specifically the F3-1600C11S-4GNS model running at 1600MHz. I guess that's pretty standard stuff.
It’s a 400W unit, the Office Series LC500-12 from LC POWER. It runs on ATX v2.31, features a 120mm fan, and includes PFC. I guess that's about it.It’s got an 80+ Bronze rating.

Total: $638 Here are the links.

I guess these Pentiums have decent integrated graphics that are basically a trimmed-down version of what you'd find in an i3, making them a bit punchier than the ones in the Celeron. Plus, there's a 120GB SSD included. 🙂

Definitely go with this one. No need to jump to an APU if they're just playing AoE ii / III from '97 or '99; it's not like they need more power than Intel's integrated graphics can provide. But hey, I'm an old school gamer myself—I grew up on AoE ii / III 😬

amberangler15 said:I’m leaning towards overclocking because this next generation of games is looking increasingly demanding. Honestly, while the CPU isn't always the most critical component, I'm thinking about overclocking both the processor and the GPU just to be safe... $22333 It’s not that much to save up, honestly. I’m planning on putting this build together around 2016, so I figure that configuration should still be pretty solid by then... $2000 Is it really going to drop prices just by swapping out the RAM and the GPU for the stuff he sent me?

I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at, but if I’m reading you right, you're planning on picking up a new rig next year? If that's the case, there's really no point in hunting for advice right now. By then, the next generation of components will be out and prices will have shifted completely, so building a parts list today just doesn't make sense.

crimsoncanyon8 said:Alright, I'm sticking with my first choice then—MSI. I actually found one for $98 at Best Buy.

The only thing bugging me now is something else I read. Apparently, the G1820 CPU only supports memory up to 1333MHz. Does that mean I can't use 1600MHz RAM?

You can, it doesn't matter. You aren't the first person to ask that, and honestly, I have no idea where people get those rumors from. Feel free to grab whatever RAM you want. Basically, just go for the cheapest option; it makes no difference if you aren't pairing it with an APU, and you aren't.

amberangler15 said:Also, what do you think? Can this setup handle newer games at 1080p on High settings at 60 fps??
thanks a ton

No worries 🙂 With the build you put together, you could run most things just fine, though you might need to dial back a few settings for the really demanding titles. With this, you can pretty much max out almost everything🙂

amberangler15 said:I was planning to put together a gaming PC for under $2000 and I've been browsing sites for the cheapest parts possible. I've built the rig but haven't been able to test it yet, so I'm wondering if this setup is actually any good. I know the GPU is cheaper than the CPU, but prices shifted, so I used that extra cash to grab a better motherboard:

PSU: AEROCOOL KCAS 500W - $139
Motherboard: ASROCK H97 Pro4 - $208
GPU: GIGABYTE GV-N960G1 GAMING-4GD GTX960 4GB GDDR5 PCIE- $595
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz 1150 BOX - $604
RAM: HyperX Fury 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL10 KIT HX316C10FK2/8 - $127
HDD: WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm 64MB SATA3 WD10EZEX - $135
Case: NZXT Source 340 black-blue - $174

????

Oof, nothing here is working for me.🙂

1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2 xDDR3
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX970 WF3 OC 4GB GDDR5, GV-N970WF3OC, 256 bit,
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Fortron 500W PSU, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan

$2122 reddit.com

I went over $60, but the card I picked is way more powerful than the one you listed, so your gaming experience would be much smoother. If that's too pricey, you could swap in THIS card instead, which would save you some $1733money. Honestly though, I'd suggest spending that extra $30 or so because it's definitely worth it. 😉

crimsonstag84 said:ASUS Prime motherboard, AMD970/SB950, DDR3, audio, G-LAN, S-ATA, RAID, PCI-E, SLI, USB 3.0, ATX, socket AM3 / AM3+
LC POWER LC-CC-95 cooler, socket 775/1155/1156/1150/AM2/AM3
Intel Core i7 processor, socket AM3+, 3.3GHz, 16MB cache, Octa-core
ANTEC VSK-4000B case, MIDI, black, no PSU
450W power supply, Dell OptiPlex series, ATX v2.31, 120mm fan, PFC
PC-14900 memory, 8 GB, Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1866MHz

Total: $894 Newegg

Looking for a case? If it fits an ATX board, just stick with what you have and put that extra money toward a better power supply instead.

I'd rather go with 4 GB of RAM right now and let them grab a decent power supply with the price difference. At the end of the day, regardless of any 80+ rating or wattage, that's just a basic Microsoft Office grade unit.