If you're building this specifically for gaming, I’d suggest going with 4 GB of RAM for now. That way, you can tuck an AMD Radeon R9 270 into those extra $100 slots later on—it's a much beefier card—and just upgrade the RAM once you've saved up some more $100. You'll end up with a significantly more powerful gaming rig overall.
I'm not actually convinced it's any stronger. It's just Intel Core i5 Integrated Graphics running on Dual Channel DDR3. It’s definitely nothing to write home about; I'd say they're pretty much on par.
crimsonstag84 said:The GPU is barely $33, and the case is at least 70-$27, plus we don't even know which model it is.
I honestly don't know who would buy that card. Personally, about a year ago, I could BARELY sell my 9600 GT for $43. It sat on Craigslist for two months listed at $150, and after I refreshed the ad, some guy messaged me asking if he could get it for $130 🤣 I told him to get lost. And a 9400? That's just an old DDR2 card...
Where on earth are those numbers coming from? GPU 50, CPU 150, HDD 50, RAM 200, PSU 100, Motherboard 150. That’s $700 at most. I definitely missed something when I ran my initial math 😬
None of them are any good. Pre-built bundles are just a death sentence. I don't even know why there isn't a sticky post for this already. 🙂
1 x ASUS GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866 1 x AMD FX-6300 Processor 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK 2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11 1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB 1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm 1 x FORTRON 500W Power Supply, Hexe plus 500 , 12cm fan 1 x XFX AMD Radeon R7 265 925M Boost 2GB DDR5 Display 1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
$1445 CNN
You can go with 4 GB of RAM for now, then swap in a beefier graphics card later, and eventually add another 4 GB stick. You won't be able to run certain games on just 4 GB, but you'll have a much stronger GPU, so it's up to you to decide what your priority is.
Good grief, I honestly can't decide who's worse: Elon Musk, for being such a relentless copycat every single time, or Max, for constantly dragging himself back here just to provoke these kinds of reactions with useless, illiterate posts... If this is just a guess, and you actually agree with it, why bother "answering" an unasked question over and over again just to stir the pot? 🙂
What exactly do you mean by an aftermarket cooler? Is there anything else I should add to what you wrote? I'm a bit lost here. 😁
Also, regarding the RAM, do you think I should add another 4GB like you mentioned above? Would I actually need that more if I wanted to play some games?
An aftermarket cooler is just extra CPU cooling that you buy separately. You'll want one here because AMD—the manufacturer of the processor in this build—provides pretty mediocre stock coolers (the ones included in the box) that tend to be loud and aren't quite enough to keep a processor cool when it starts heating up during use, just like any other chip. That's why grabbing an aftermarket cooler like THIS ONE is a good move. It’ll be way quieter than the stock unit and will keep your temps within a normal range without breaking the bank. If your budget is strictly $800, then you can stick with the stock cooler for a while and pick one up later once you have the cash. But if you can stretch yourself by another $28, just order it now along with the rest of the build so you don't have to worry about it 🙂 . As for the RAM, you can add that extra 4GB, or you can skip it; it's entirely up to you. The integrated graphics will perform significantly better if you use two sticks of RAM instead of just one, mainly due to memory bandwidth, but I won't bore you with the technical details. Generally, having two sticks is preferred, especially since many modern games now require at least 8GB of RAM as a baseline. However, you probably won't be stressing this setup with those anyway, given you're running an AMD. Long story short: if you plan on gaming even a little bit seriously, grab that extra 4GB stick. It's easy to install yourself—just click it into the slot and you're done. If you're just playing older titles, watching movies, and stuff like that, this current config will be more than enough. 😉
1 x ASRock FM2A78M-HD+, Socket FM2+ 95W / FM2 100W processors 1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, Kingston Fury, HX318C10F 1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050 1 x Power Supply Fortron 400W, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan 1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX 1 x AMD Kaveri A8-Series X4 7600 (3.8GHz,4MB,65W,FM2+) box
$803amd.com
You've got a quad-core processor here with integrated graphics that'll handle older titles without any trouble—might even manage some newer stuff. Adding dual-channel RAM would be a huge help, but I get that it's out of the budget right now. If you ever decide you want to get serious about gaming, just plug in a dedicated graphics card and you're good to go. 🙂 You might also want to grab an aftermarket cooler eventually since the stock one is pretty rough; that’ll run you another $15 or so. It's not strictly mandatory, but it is HIGHLY recommended, so try to pick one up as soon as you can.
I've been rocking the Medusa NX for a few years now. They're from $67 and honestly, the sound quality is on par with those AKG K 512 MKII headphones—phenomenal. The bass is actually even better. They just released the 7.1 Medus XE, which is supposedly the flagship of the Medusa line. Based on the reviews I've read, and considering how much I love my trusty old Medusa NX, I'm thinking this one will be a total winner too. Having 7.1 surround sound is a massive plus, obviously. 🍿 I was thinking about picking them up, but they connect via USB, and since I usually use my headset for music from my phone, that wouldn't really work for me. Does anyone have other headset recommendations for both gaming and music? It's important that they aren't huge—nothing bigger than the Medusa NX, for example—and if the mic is detachable, that would be ideal. :klap:
wearyfalcon28 said:I'm trying to figure out what a fair asking price would be for this 6-month-old PC (basically, what you guys would pay for it)
Intel I5 4440 gigabyte gtx 660 Z97 Gryphon motherboard HDD WD Blue (WD5000AAKX) Fractal Define R4 white case Corsair VS 550 PSU 8GB 1600 MHz
I’d say around $350-$1267. I just don't get WHY someone would pair a VS 550 in a build like this. It feels pretty unbalanced. You've got a high-end case from $233 paired with the absolute bottom-tier series from Corsair. 👎 If the motherboard were a Z97 version, this would look a lot better. 😉
No, no, and absolutely not. Windows 7 is NOT going to run on a machine like that. You might be able to squeeze some life out of the processor, but 1 GB of RAM is nowhere near enough. Your computer is way too old; you should just stick with Windows XP and nothing else. Don't even bother thinking about upgrading that PC—the whole thing is just too outdated.
No. You can't just judge different processor series based on their clock speed alone. There’s way more to it—architecture, cache size, IPC, and plenty of other factors.
Hey guys, that’s $1100's build. Why are you agreeing with $4,000? Honestly, the price is actually pretty solid. A setup like that with a budget motherboard and some cheap power supply would cost at least $1167. The big question is what kind of PSU they actually threw in there.
Terry Palmer49 said:So I guess the first option is the way to go, but would it actually make sense to buy a new motherboard down the road that allows for a dedicated graphics card?
No, no, you've got it wrong. It’s not about the motherboard when you're talking about graphics. You can slap just about any GPU onto a newer motherboard; the real question is whether your processor can actually keep up with it. With that first option, you get a quad-core CPU that can handle much more powerful cards than this dual-core setup ever could. Plus, the integrated graphics in that first solution are more than enough to run those older titles you mentioned—you might even squeeze in a few newer ones on lower settings. Once you've saved up enough cash, just grab a dedicated card like an R9 270, plug it into this rig, and you're good to go. You'll have a solid gaming machine. 🙂
1 x ASUS H81M-R, 1150, H81 express chipset, DDR3, 2 slots 1 x Intel Celeron G1840 (2.80GHz,512KB,2MB,54 W,1150) Box, 1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11 1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050 1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, HEXA plus 400, 12cm fan 1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX 1 x ASUS R7250X-1GD5, AMD Radeon, R7250, PCIe 3.0, 1024 MB, DDR5
$841 reddit.com
It really comes down to whether it's worth the money. We're looking at a quad-core processor versus a dual-core paired with a better dedicated graphics card. Personally, I think I'd still lean toward the first option.
coastaltiger2 said:yeah... I usually just carry Windows on a thumb drive... but still... I need a DVD drive.. what kind of computer is it even if it doesn't have a DVD drive???
🤣 I get you, but at the same time, this is hilarious. For the next month, keep a log of how many times you actually pop a disc into your PC and let us know. I'm genuinely curious. 😁