Posts by Nancy Booth

fadedorca66 said:Got some cash on you? If so, just order it online—don't even bother checking out Links or Netcom.

Netcom is a decent shop, but their prices are a bit inflated. You can find an Intel Core i7-4770K for $67 cheaper elsewhere.

And honestly, calling someone a PC expert when they don't even know how to flash an OS onto a thumb drive? That’s just insulting to people who actually know their stuff.

Just grab the macOS ISO online and use this little utilityEtcher—it handles everything automatically and makes the drive bootable without any headache.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into that!! 👍

Timothy Kim60 said:--honestly, I don't think they did it quite right. You're probably just gonna use that burner once to install macOS and then heaven knows when else... maybe ever.

Let's try this approach:

Take that rig of yours with the Intel Core i7-4770K—pull out the motherboard and that Zalman cooler—and swap them both for these instead:
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=13493
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=11633

Then you can likely fit the R9 280 plus the burner 🙂
Everything should line up perfectly.

Obviously, those are the prices you'd see at Newegg if you're paying cash.

Wait, which build is this again??? (Sorry man, computer science isn't exactly my specialty) 🙂

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3, AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x Processor AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Power Supply Fortron 500W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Samsung CDZ-series DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Gigabyte R9 270X 2GB OC, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, GV-R927XOC-2GD, 28nm
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1665

www.newegg.com

Timothy Kim60 said:It's 4 cores, but you can't look at it the way you're looking at it—seriously. You can't just compare core counts and GHz between different architectures and different manufacturers. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Intel's cores are more efficient and just more modern.

An i5 paired with an R9 280 is going to crush an FX 8320 plus an R9 270/X when it comes to Electronic Arts titles.

Basically, the beefier the GPU, the better the games run—assuming the CPU can actually keep up and isn't a total bottleneck—which all those CPUs mentioned definitely aren't.

Hmm okay, thanks for clearing that up. My issue, though, is this whole $43 budget thing—unfortunately, I've got exactly $500 $0.00 to my name, not a penny more. Plus, I have no clue how to install Windows via a USB stick. Even my buddy who helps me out with my PC—and I'm talking about a guy who's basically a pro—doesn't know how to format a drive so it'll actually boot Windows from it. He claims he followed the tutorials to the letter, but the system just refuses to recognize the USB.😢

Timothy Kim60 said:It's solid... way better quality board than the other one...

So why not go with an i5? I'm guessing you aren't planning on overclocking anyway—just sticking to stock settings—so this setup actually ends up being cheaper and probably fits what you need much better...

EDIT

Oh, and if you have the cash on hand (especially if you're paying upfront), an R9 280 Windforce would fit just fine in there too.

1 x Intel Core i5-4440 Processor (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2xDDR3
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x WD 1TB Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3.5", 24mo
1 x Fortron 500W Hyper Power Supply, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GVR928WO3D-00-G, 28nm,
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. Standard MB size

$1652 + and if you want a total beast $40

Thanks!

How many cores does that processor have?

Hey, don't go killing my vibe here... 🤣

So, what's the verdict on this build?

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 Processor 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. Standard MB size
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Gigabyte R9 270X 2GB OC, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, GV-R927XOC-2GD, 28nm
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1665

www.newegg.com

I’ve finally pulled the trigger on Comcast—they actually dropped the price on me $67
Got an 8-core processor tucked in there at this price point, too. Here’s the breakdown:

CPU AMD FX8320 (AM3+) (8 core, 3.5/4.0GHz, 16MB, 125W,Socket AM3+), Box

16370 MB Asrock 970 PRO3 R2.0 (AM3+)

18837 VGA AMD Gigabyte GV-R927OC-2GD

5650 DVD-RW LG GH24NSB0

16423 HDD 1.0 TB WD Caviar Blue 10EZEX

16730 RAM Kingmax DDR3 8GB 1600MHz

6517 CPU cooler Zalman CNPS5X 163.50

17943 Kućište Cooler Master K350 gaming

8391 Napajanje ATX real Power RP600


The price (quote me on that), $1667 if you pay cash—you're getting 8 GB of RAM, a decent enough graphics card, that 8-core processor, a 600W power supply, and the case you guys liked.

crimsonstag84 said:1. Fair point, but honestly, for the price gap, the Extreme3 is actually worth it. It would be perfect if they just threw in a Gigabyte 970 A-DS3P motherboard.

2. Yeah, though they might just be trying to upsell you to the expensive version for no real reason.

3. Complete nonsense... plus they slapped some questionable power supply in there—they don't even list the specific model. 😁 Like a Zalman Z1 case paired with an XFX 450W or something.

4. True.

Btw, is their site just outdated or what? I can't find half these parts listed on their actual webpage.

So, in this other quote they actually included a PSU since I asked for one.
ATX real Power RP600


Not everything is on the webshop—they told me they don't keep every single component in stock when I asked why half their stuff was missing from the site...
I'll post the photos here since they aren't online; they sent them to me via email...

CPU:

GPU:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=4840#ov

COOLER:
http://www.zalman.com/eng/product/Pr...ad.php?Idx=450

I reached out to the folks over at Comcast in Cleveland, and here’s what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

The quote you requested is attached. These prices apply to credit card payments, though the quote also includes a discount if you pay cash ($1583). We’ll handle the assembly and testing of the PC at no extra charge.

They made a few tweaks to the specs:

1. Swapped the motherboard to the Pro3 instead of the Extreme3. Performance-wise, they're basically twins—you just get an extra port on the Pro3. The main difference is the power delivery; the Extreme3 theoretically has a slightly beefier VRM, but honestly, unless you're planning to push some serious overclocking, you won't even notice.

2. Instead of the XFX R9 270, they suggested a Gigabyte model because its Windforce cooling is better and much quieter. Apparently, they had some complaints with the XFX version due to a known issue where people couldn't get the audio chip to install properly.

3. They went with a solid Cooler Master case paired with a stronger power supply. Since the AMD 6300 pulls a decent amount of juice, they don't recommend anything under 500W—actually, hitting at least 550W would be the smart move.

4. Tossed in a Zalman CPU cooler.
__________________________________________________ _____
__________________________________________________ _____

CPU AMD FX6300 AM3+AMD FX Series X6 6300 (3.5GHz, 6MB/8MB, 95W,Socket AM3+), Box

MB Asrock 970 PRO3 R2.0 (AM3+) 18837 VGA AMD Gigabyte GV-R927OC-2GD

VGA AMD Gigabyte GV-R927OC-2GD

DVD-RW LG GH24NSB0 22x sata 1 120.63 25.00

HDD 1.0 TB WD Caviar Blue 10EZEX

RAM Kingmax DDR3 8GB 1600MHz

CPU cooler Zalman CNPS5X 163.50

Kućište Cooler Master K350 gaming 500W


Total: $900 Best Buy
cash price $1583

So, what do you guys think??

Alright, so could you guys walk me through putting together this exact same build, but swap in an 8-core processor? I don't mind if it bumps up the price a little bit.

Do you think this motherboard would actually work with my current GPU? I'm thinking about jumping up to an 8-core processor—is the price jump really worth it?

Ryan Hayes82 said:Cooler LC POWER LC-CC-95
XFX PCI-E Graphics Card, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti, 2GB DDR5
460W Power Supply, LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6460GP3 V2.3,
LG GH24NSB0 DVD±RW
Intel Core i5-3570K Processor, 3.5GHz, 14MB cache, Quad-Core
PC-12800 Memory, 8 GB, KINGSTON, KVR16N11/8, DDR3 1600MHz
1000.0 GB SEAGATE ST1000DM003 Hard Drive
Cooler Master K350 Case
ASROCK 970 Extreme3 Motherboard

$1670

crimsonstag84 said:Intel Core i5-3570K Processor, 3.5GHz, 14MB cache, Quad-Core
Cooler LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/1150/AM2/AM3
ASROCK 970 Extreme3 Motherboard, AMD 970/SB950, DDR3, audio, SATA, G-LAN, RAID, PCI-E, SLI, USB 3.0, eSATA, ATX, socket AM3 / AM3+
XFX PCI-E Graphics Card, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti, 2GB DDR5, DualDVI, HDMI, DP
LG GH24NSB0 DVD±RW, 24x, SATA, Dual layer, black, bulk
1000.0 GB WESTERN DIGITAL Blue, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm, desktop
460W Power Supply, LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6460GP3 V2.3,
PC-12800 Memory, 8 GB, KINGSTON, KVR16N11/8, DDR3 1600MHz
ANTEC VSK-4000E Case, MIDI, black, no PSU

Total: $1674 Best Buy

Hey guys, is there any chance I could grab a smaller hard drive—maybe something like 500 GB—to save some cash? I was thinking I could put those savings toward a better, more expensive graphics card instead.

Larry Ortiz5 said:You’ve gotta go with x64 Windows—32-bit just won't recognize all 8 gigs of RAM...

Thanks! 👍

Thanks a ton, guys! 👍

How much of a big deal is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit systems? And which macOS version comes next? :laik:

fadedorca66 said:Man, you're early—I was still busy checking what we had in stock over in Cleveland 😁

You really have to check this stuff maybe 2 or 3 days before you actually pull the trigger. Who knows what else will drop by then? Half these parts might be out of stock or the prices could swing wildly by then.

Hey everyone,

So, the time has finally come to build a new rig. The only real change since I asked two months ago is my budget—it’s not 3500 anymore, it's actually 5 $0.00. So, if you could help me put together a build (preferably with a Linksys link since I'm based in Cleveland) for up to 5 $0.00... I don't need a monitor.

My main goal is to get the best processor possible—ideally an 8-core or whatever the newest thing is—and 8 gigs of RAM. I'm totally open to any suggestions or ideas you guys have...

Thanks! 🙂

Thanks!

gravče on Tapches 🙂

Could you guys give me an honest take on whether this thing still has any value? It's been sitting around for about 8 years now...

AMD Athlon 64 3500 AM2 Processor
2GB DDR RAM PC5300 667MHz
Gigabyte Motherboard AM2 PCIE ATX
NEC DVD-RW 18X ATAPI ID
Western Digital Hard Drive 160GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache
Mid Tower Case with 400W PSU and 12cm Fan

My bad, I didn't realize—I'll hit you up a few days before I pull the trigger in September, God willing...

Alright, I'll hit you up then! 🙂

crimsonstag84 said:

Everything feels pretty well balanced here—you could probably ditch the $43 if you decide against grabbing a dedicated GPU.

I'm planning to pull the trigger on this build in September... will these parts still be relevant then? That's only about two months away.

What even is 750k?

more than a Dell