Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

Sean Ruiz33 said:That’s exactly what I did—pulled the GPU and gave it a deep clean. It's running now. My rig is about three years old... now I'm wondering if it's worth swapping out the thermal paste. Is that actually worth the effort? And where else does it go besides the CPU?

You'll usually find thermal paste right on the CPU and the GPU. If you took the whole heatsink off the card, you probably already saw the chip. Honestly, just swap the paste on the GPU too while you're at it.

Mark Lopez53 said:The board is an ASUS P7P55D-LE ... from what I've heard, a ton of people have run into issues with this specific series ... honestly, I'm thinking about switching over to AMD, so my question is what should I grab from them? Something stronger than the Core i5-750 that actually works right (obviously looking for an AMD chip that can handle overclocking), and does DirectX 12 really improve performance for AMD chips with 6 or more cores, or is that just marketing hype? (Supposedly it lets you use all the cores, unlike before when they capped at maybe 4 or something?) ... because finding used or even new LGA 1156 boards is impossible everywhere right now .. it sucks.

LGA 1156 boards were pricey even back when they were current. You won't find new ones in any major US retailers, and even overseas, you aren't finding anything reasonable for under $150-$200.

Since you're planning to overclock, here's what I'd suggest on the AMD side:

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
$520
Newegg
+
a decent cooler if you don't have one already.

DirectX 12 reduces CPU overhead regardless of whether you're running Intel or AMD. Just go online and look up which APIs you're actually using.
http://www.howtogeek.com/221115/what...-it-important/

Paul Perez87 said:Thanks for the tip. I’ll probably pull the trigger on that. As for the SSD, I'll grab it toward the end of next month; I can wait until then.

That build Smartic put together is basically a steal if you're looking to game at 1080p or even 1440p. You won't regret it.

Zachary Bishop11 said:Is there any chance this next GPU won't work with that motherboard?

Nah.

darkowl72 said:I think they’re looking for a budget-friendly fix (check the original post), but powerline adapters are anything but cheap...

Exactly. A cable is always the cheapest way. I did it at my place near Best Buy—drilled right through the door frame just to run a line along the baseboard...👍

Gary Collins said:CPU AMD X6 FX-6300 3.50GHz Socket AM3+ P/N: 0400279
VGA MSI R7 360 2GD5 OC DVI-I HDMI DisplayPort P/N: msi-r7-360-2gd5toc
Memory 4GB DDR3 1600MHz Kingston for PC P/N: KVR16N11S8/4
Optical drive LG DVD-RW DL black bulk P/N: GH24NSB0
Case Cooler Master Silencio black without PSU P/N: ZAL-ZM-T2 PLUS
Motherboard MSI 970A-G46FX Socket AM3+ P/N: 970A-G46
HDD 500GB Seagate BarraCuda

The whole thing would be $1200

What do you think, is this any good? 😁

That board won't fit in that case. The case is micro ATX and the board is full ATX.
Plus, you didn't list a power supply.
Exactly. For that kind of money, you can find much better deals out there:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz Processor, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower Motherboard: ATX, mATX
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
$1222

Better GPU, way better motherboard, and you absolutely need an aftermarket cooler for that CPU—which is included here—but it's missing the PSU.

Adam Moore3 said:This makes zero sense... an i5 4690K + gtx 750Ti compared to an i5 4460 + GTX 950 + SSD. 🙂

If he doesn't want to see it, fine by me...

1 x ASUS Z97-P, 1150, Intel ® Z97, DDR3, DDR3, 4 slots
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K Processor (3.50GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 88 W, 1150) Box
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard MB size
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x FORTRON 400W PSU, HEXA plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
$1854

Lawrence Scott72 said:I wasn't asking for advice. I just wanted to know if you can build me a rig for an $800 budget featuring an i5 4690k, a gtx 750 ti, and 8gb of ram$1833-

Lawrence Scott72 said:Look, I wasn't asking for advice. I just wanted to know if you could build me a rig for $1833 featuring an Intel Core i5-4690K, a gtx 750 ti, and 8GB of RAM

And what's the point of that CPU?
Stick it on a board where you can't even overclock it. It's useless.

Just take the 4460 like they told you. You're only looking at a 300MHz difference, $200 and it'll save you some cash.

Lawrence Scott72 said:I need an i5 4690k and a gtx 750ti

Half your budget is wasted on the CPU. It's a bad move...
That game runs on a potato. -.-
Just grab cheaper parts...

1 x ASUS B85M-G, s1150
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x XFX Core Pro edition 80 450W PSU
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G
1 x ASUS GTX950-M-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, GTX 950, PCIe 3.0, 2GB GDDR5
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
$1861

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x MS VOYAGER midi tower case without PSU
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2xDDR3
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
$1351
www.newegg.com

I'd rather go with an amd build. It’s just smoother to put together.

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, amd 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x amd FX-Series X8 8300 Processor 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
$1353

Adam Moore3 said:^ Absolutely. If an i5 can handle it without any compromises, then just go for the i5 👍

there isn't any
Hexa isn't some cheap power supply you'd throw into a budget rig built for pennies.
Kimberly Gomez34 put together a balanced build where nothing was compromised.

1 x ASUS H81M-K, 1150, Intel ® H81 express chipset, DDR3
1 x Procesor Intel Celeron G1840 (2.80GHz,512KB,2MB,54 W,1150) Box,
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x MS PHOENIX kućište bez napajanja, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Napajanje FORTRON 400W, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm ventilator
1 x DVD upisivač LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
www.newegg.com
$623

Douglas Price said:Look, I've been thinking about picking up a new PC for my mom. She just does the basics—browsing, paying bills online, maybe some Skype calls, the occasional Microsoft Office task. Nothing heavy.
Can I pull this off with $2,000? Or is buying a build like this even worth the money?

Thomas Taylor92 said:Thanks for the info, guys. So I just take this list to them and they build the whole rig for me?

Exactly. Like I said above, $667 places like Micro Center or Best Buy will handle the assembly and shipping for free.

1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, SATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x Hexa Plus 400W power supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x AMD Athlon II x4 860K 3.70GHz 4 cores, cache: 4MB
1 x ASUS A88XM-E, FM2+, AMD A88X (Bolton D4), DDR3, 2 slots
$1195
www.newegg.com

It’s plenty for AutoCAD 2D and 3D work. Plus, you get a decent GPU for gaming.😁

1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, SATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Hexa Plus 400W power supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x AMD FX-Series X4 4300 3.8GHz, 4MB/8MB, 95W, Socket AM3+
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x ASUS GTX750-PHOC-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, PCIe 3.0, 2048 MB, DDR5
$1198
Or go this way. You have an open upgrade path for things like an 8-core processor if needed later. The GPU is slightly weaker than the first option, but still a solid pick.🙂

1 x ASUS B85M-G, s1150
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x ASUS GTX950-M-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, GTX 950, PCIe 3.0, 2GB GDDR5
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard ATX
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
2 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Samsung 120GB 650 SSD, bulk
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x AOC I2369VM, IPS monitor 23" Wide, WLED, 1920 x 1080@60 Hz
$2360
www.newegg.com

Adam Moore3 said:N/A, but have you lost your mind? 😬 You can build something similar from scratch for way less money. 🙂 Around $3,000 total. Maybe you could flip it for more, though I doubt it, and honestly, it might sit there for three months even at $3,000. Either way, $4,700 is a joke.

EDIT:

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 power supply, 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 is still FM2+, but the GPU is newer and the monitor is better. Sure, the motherboard has fewer features and the CPU isn't overclockable. But that's basically it. For $4,100, you could get a new 😬 + $67 peripherals combo.

For that kind of cash, an AM3+ setup is a no-brainer:

1 x AOC i2276VW, 21.5" IPS 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2, 50.000.000:1
1 x ASUS 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, AMD 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

Sam Martinez8 said:Is it even worth looking at this thing...

Intel Core I5 quad Core 3.2,
Radeon R9 280 x 3GB DDR5
8GB DDR3
Thermaltake Modular 630W
1TB Western Digital
LG led 24"
Budget is $600, just not sure if there's anything better out there.

What motherboard, RAM? Case? Which LED monitor?

ASUS Motherboard (SFM2+, DDR3, DVI/VGA, USB 3.0/USB 2.0, SATA III, RAID, LAN)
Intel Core i3.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti. It’s got the 2GB GDDR5 setup, runs at 1059MHz/5400MHz, and uses a PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot. Simple enough.
Patriot Signature Series DDR3 1600MHz, 4GB.
Black Zalman mini tower, EVGA Power Supply.
EVGA Power Supply - 80 Plus Bronze
The LC Power LC-CC-95 cooler? It’s basically like trying to cool down a desert with a handheld fan. Just not enough juice for the job.
Total: $2,696.05
If you don't need an HDD, just go to Best Buy. 😁

Susan Chavez said:And yeah, one more thing—hopefully the last one!

What kind of setup should I look at if I want to add an SSD?

Will that blow the budget? Can I swap something out from that first build to balance it—like dropping that 1TB drive down to 500GB just to keep the price roughly the same?

An SSD will run you about 80 bucks if you aren't picking the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel cheap stuff.