Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz Processor, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
2 x 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston DDR3, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x WD 1TB Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mj
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider PSU, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, Double Dissipation Edition
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. Standard MB size
1 x Cooler Master Hyper T4

$1737
www.newegg.com

+ 10% on the graphics card, puts you right at 5800😁

Lawrence Scott72 said:Hey, I'm looking for a gaming rig around $1933 (paying by credit card). Can anyone suggest parts and a site where they can build the whole thing and ship it to me? I want to play stuff like Grand Theft Auto V, Flight Simulator, Minecraft... just general gaming. Thanks for the help!

What GPU? Where are you located?
Do you need peripherals (monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse)?
What's the budget?

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 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 500 w, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost
1 x Genius KM110X Combo, keyboard + mouse, USB

$1695
www.newegg.com
If you're leaning toward Intel...

2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
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 500 w, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
1 x Genius KM110X Combo, keyboard + mouse, USB
1 x AMD FX X8 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3

$1709

Go AMD if you want room for much better GPUs for gaming.👍

Jacob Chase2 said:Please forgive my intrusion with yet another new thread... I find myself in need of a new computer. My primary goal is gaming, though I am also considering dipping my toes into photo editing and perhaps some entry-level game development. I am currently torn between picking up an iMac 21.5 or one of these two options:
1. http://www.bestbuy.com/pro...de=INDOMINATOR
2.http://www.newegg.com/pc---ready-to-use-desktop-computer-retargeting

Furthermore, I would truly appreciate some guidance on what specific hardware details I should be scrutinizing during the purchasing process. I am also quite curious about the fundamental differences between using a Mac versus a Windows machine—specifically regarding software availability. For instance, are games like CS:GO free to play, or even compatible with a Mac? Lastly, if anyone could recommend a reliable mouse and keyboard suited for these activities, I would be immensely grateful.

You missed the biggest part: how are you paying, cash or card? And do you actually need a monitor?

analogstag7 said:Hmm, I also received this recommendation. Does it seem alright to you, I guess?

I think it's just a bottom-of-the-barrel motherboard and a garbage power supply.🙏

1 x LG 22MP47D-P IPS, 21.5", 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2, 5,000,000:1
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 DDR3 1600, CL11, Value
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x ZAL-Z3 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Toshiba 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Sapphire R9 380 NITRO, Dual-X OC Boost, 4GB GDDR5 256 bit
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G

$2367
www.newegg.com here it is with an AMD card, just to give you options, and it includes a monitor right in the budget.

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:One thing isn't clicking for me. At the end of the day, the GPU is the heart of any gaming rig, and here I'm seeing four different suggestions. I'd love to know why one over the other. Why specifically recommend this one or that one for my build? From where I'm sitting, if we're talking pure performance per dollar, the ranking should look more like this: (basically, what gets me the most bang for my buck in terms of raw power).

1. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
2. Nvidia GeForce GTX 970
3. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
4. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
5. Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti
6. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
7. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
8. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Based on that, I’d probably aim for something around the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 because there's plenty of stock at decent prices. So, let's hear it.

Yeah, the GPU is usually the heavy lifter for gaming. Those CPUs you listed can handle any of those cards just fine—an Intel Core i5 won't blink, though an Intel Core might struggle without some serious bottlenecking.

Given your budget, if you make a few compromises, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 is really the only Nvidia option that fits. On the AMD side, you're looking at either a Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti or stepping up to a pricier Nvidia GeForce GTX 960. Anything else is way too expensive for the boost you'd get. If you blow too much on the card, it'll eat up 60-75% of your total budget, which doesn't make sense for you.

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:I'll just give him my old setup, nothing fancy—an NZXT Lexa 🎉
with a standard 1TB Seagate 7200 RPM HDD, not an SSD.

Might as well put a build together then. 😍
Here you go:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x Fortron 500W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 2048MB (2GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, Value
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value

$1348
Newegg offers free shipping and assembly.

The Hub charges $27 for shipping.
Since you guys are in Chicago, picking it up should be easy enough.

Hub - Config

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:Hey everyone, I'm building a rig for a buddy with about $300 to work with.
I need the best possible entry-level gaming setup for that budget. We already have a case and an HDD. I need to squeeze the most out of the CPU, GPU, motherboard, RAM, and PSU. Basically, cut costs where we can to beef up the core components. Any ideas? Thanks.

What kind of case and HDD are we talking about? If the case is junk...
and is the drive SATA?

I wouldn't touch an i5. Between the CPU and the GPU, you're already halfway through your budget. If the chip is $150 and the card is $170, you'll be cutting corners on everything else.
1 x ASUS B85M-G, s1150
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury
1 x HyperX Fury 1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933 m 1 x
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm ventilator
1 x HDD WD 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj

$1810
It fits, sure, but you lose the SSD that way.
And honestly, that fx 8300 holds its own just fine against the i5.

Nathan Thomas2 said:Can those previous 2-3 builds actually handle games like The Witcher 3 or Far Cry 4 on decent settings?

Thanks

Yeah, they can...

A fresh install won't kill it 🥱

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 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933 m 1 x
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider Power Supply, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G

$1873
www.adm.com

No way an R9 290 fits in this budget. Even if you ditch the SSD, it's not happening.

Sell that old GPU... you can grab a whole new rig for $4,500 here:

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 Corsair DDR3 1600 4GB (1x4GB), CL11, Value
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x SCYTHE Katana 4 SCKTN-4000, socket 754/940/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3+/FM1
1 x PowerColor R9 270, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1497

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 TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x PowerColor R9 270, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost
1 x Kingston Fury DDR3 8GB (1x8GB), 1866MHz, CL10
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3
1 x MS PHOENIX case without power supply, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX

$1514
with 8gb RAM

www.newegg.com

silverwalker18 said:I can always just pop in another stick of RAM later..
I'm not planning on overclocking anything. As long as the GPU isn't bottlenecking the rest, I'm good. Honestly, I haven't even touched a video game in years, so I don't really need much anyway.
I've always preferred Intel, so the first option looks better to me.

@Amy Vaughn12, I don't actually need a bigger hard drive. But hey, I won't say no to a longer warranty. 😁

Thanks. I'll probably be buying this in a few weeks, but I want to know what to look for.
Just out of curiosity, does it make sense to grab a beefier processor, like an i7, if I have an extra $150 in the budget?

No point, especially if you aren't using that PC to make money.

silverwalker18 said:It’s just for home use, nothing serious or work-related.
First off, I'm assuming an Intel/Nvidia combo, and maybe a Best Buy special?

Honestly, pick whichever one you want. You don't even need 16GB of RAM; 8GB will get the job done just fine.

You can't overclock Intel, but you can with AMD... the GPU is the same regardless, and the rest of the build is basically identical.
The performance is pretty much neck and neck.

What exactly are you planning to use this PC for?

1 x ASUS B85M-G, s1150
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Kingston SSD 240GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3
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 EVGA 500 W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX960 IX OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI,HDMI

$2040
Newegg

1 x Kingston SSD 240GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3
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 EVGA 500 W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
2 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
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
1 x Cooler Master Hyper T4
1 x Gigabyte GTX960 IX OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI,HDMI

$2099

Anthony Lopez5 said:Wait, didn't you put me on ignore? 🤔

I did, but I took it off. I'm pretty much the most active guy on this forum, and since you're looking for help, just ignore my posts if they bug you.

Check out this review for the combo pack that darkowl72 sent you

Ryan Thomas60 said:What about these: 1. ATI Sapphire HD 6850 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $167
2. ATI HD 6870 1GB DDR5 - $167
3. Vapor X Radeon HD 4870 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $133

Your CPU is going to bottleneck all of those, plus you're gonna need a much beefier power supply.

lonepuma67 said:What do you guys think about this build my buddy put together:http://www.newegg.com/p/ms-knight-case-power-supply

http://www.newegg.com/p/thermaltake-smart-630w

http://www.newegg.com/p/bitfenix-12025g-rp-fan

http://www.newegg.com/p/wd-blue-hard-drive-wd10jpvx

http://www.newegg.com/p/xfx-amd-radeon-r7-265-oc-2gd5

http://www.newegg.com/p/intel-pentium-g2020

http://www.newegg.com/p/gigabyte-main-board-desktop-amd-a68m-ds2

http://www.newegg.com/p/kingston-ddr3-h...18c10fw-4

Worse than the one recommended above.