Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

Austin Williams said:Fine, then lay out some suggestions. Give me an idea of what the total damage would be. 😁

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 Processor 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x XFX GTX 750 Ti, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm

$989
www.newegg.com

Austin Williams said:So it’d be better to grab a Core i7-4770K with those six cores instead of that quad-core thing? Would that actually let me run a GTX 750 Ti properly? What makes more sense here—just swapping the CPU and the GPU, or just gutting the whole rig and starting over?

Motherboard, CPU, and GPU.

Yeah, but I'm thinking that 750 Ti is gonna bottleneck that Athlon...

Timothy Perez3 said:Not sure where you were looking, but from what I saw, Robert Rodriguez2 offers a 2-year warranty while EVGA gives you 5...
Guess I'm sticking with that EVGA then...

Tron at Best Buy has a 5-year warranty 😁, same thing over at Micro Center.

Timothy Perez3 said:Is that power supply you listed actually better? I mean, my goal isn't really to run right on the edge of what the GPU needs...

It's better because the warranty lasts longer. Honestly, it's weaker than the EVGA unit, but it's still plenty for this build since you're peaking at 290W. You've got over 200W of breathing room.

Timothy Perez3 said:Lmao, I saw another thread where I was just asking about random parts, but here’s what my new build is actually looking like now

PSU: EVGA 550W, ATX
GPU: MSI Radeon r7 260x 2GB DDR5
CPU: Intel Core i5 ?
Motherboard: MSI Global 970A-G43
RAM: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 with Corsair Vengeance RAM
Case: Zalman Z1, midi, aTX

around: 3500-$1200
I'll just swap over the ODD/HDD from my old rig

you can do better than that:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Processor AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x MS Griffin case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x EVGA R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1190
better board, x6 CPU, way better GPU... only 4gb of RAM though... easiest thing to upgrade later... this way you get a stronger foundation right out of the gate...

George Alvarez3 said:I think it'll be fine for my needs. It seems like you mostly get the edge from Nvidia when you're grinding through massive files or heavy 3D rendering, and that's just not what I do.

With that card, you'll definitely see an advantage in rendering... but if we're talking gaming, you aren't hitting max settings on Tomb Raider at FHD, and honestly, you won't even with an r7 270.

If rendering isn't your full-time gig, go with the r7 270. It's a stronger card and better for actually playing games...

Like I said, it all comes down to the software you're running. Some programs rely on CUDA cores, while others lean on those AMD stream processors...

George Alvarez3 said:One more thing: aren't Nvidia cards a better match for Intel setups and generally better for graphic design than Radeon?

Sure, but it really comes down to which software you're running. In this price bracket, you're basically stuck with the 750Ti if you want Nvidia, and honestly, it gets crushed by the r7 270.

George Alvarez3 said:Hmm. I'd probably try $2333 first and then cut back. If we look at a $7,000 budget, could we bump it up to an i7?

Nah, you'd have to slash the GPU budget, and I mean significantly...
To hit an i7 build, you're looking at maybe $7,200-$7,300. Plus, an i7 runs pretty hot under load, so you'll need decent cooling, which adds another $150-$67 ... basically, there's no way to do this for under $7,500.

1 x Asrock B85M Pro3, S 1150, Supports 4th Gen Intel Core i7 / i5
1 x Intel Core i7-4790 (3.60GHz,1MB,8MB,84W,1150) Box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost
1 x Toshiba 1 TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x CoolerMaster Hyper TX3, LGA775/1156 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3
1 x Acer V236HL
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX

$2517
Anything less than this and you're cutting something important.

George Alvarez3 said:Hey there!

I need a little help. It's been a while since I really kept up with tech because I've been short on time, and now I need to put together a build. Some guidelines or recommendations would be great.

Basically, it's an "office PC" for me, but the reality is I'll be doing all sorts of work on it—text processing, graphic design (nothing 3D), and audio design. It needs to handle daily heavy usage over the long haul.

The budget is somewhere between $500 and $2000. Along with at least 8 GB of RAM, the two big things for me are a quality monitor (at least 24 inches) suitable for design work, and a decent processor—probably an i7. I wouldn't mind having an entry-level graphics card, though I care more about processing efficiency than running Tomb Raider at max settings in HD. But since I usually shop with gaming in mind, I'm not entirely sure what GPU I actually need.

Regarding other parts, I've had pretty bad luck with cheap motherboards (like those under $183) before—everything from terrible latency to quick failures—so I want to try something more solid this time. I don't need to go crazy on the tower, DVD drive, mouse, or keyboard. For the power supply, I wouldn't go below 600W, though I usually buy 700W+ just to be safe for gaming loads, but I have no clue if that's overkill for office work—which isn't much different from what I do in my free time. As for storage, should I hunt for a hybrid drive or stick with a good old magnetic one? I'm not sure if I even have the resources for two drives.

Anyway, any configuration suggestions would be appreciated.

There is no way you're squeezing an i7 and a GPU capable of those tasks into that budget. Forget about it...

An i5 paired with an r7 270 and a solid IPS monitor for color accuracy is basically the ceiling for what you can get on the Intel side.

1 x Asrock B85M Pro3, S 1150, Supports 4th Gen Intel Core i7 / i5
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Toshiba 1 TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x Acer V236HL, 23", IPS panel, Resolution: 1920x1080, Diagonal
1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$2010

Best Buy

If you decide to go the AMD route, try something like this:

1 x Acer V236HL 23" LED Monitor
1 x Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
1 x AMD CPU Desktop FX-Series X8 8300 (3.3GHz, 16MB, 95W, AM3+) box
2 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x XFX R9 270A 2GB DDR5
1 x Toshiba 1 TB HDD (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA III)
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU
1 x LC-CC-120 CPU Cooler, Intel/AMD, 120mm, PWM
Total: $2021
Micro Center

Austin Williams said:Hey everyone.
I'm looking for some advice on which parts to swap out for better performance.

Specs:
Dell UltraSharp Monitor (not changing this one)
PSU: Corsair CX430
MOBO: 870-c45 (socket- am3)
GPU: Amd radeon 6850 HD series GDDR5 1024 MB
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.00 Ghz quad core
RAM: Corsair 2X2GB

I'll be upgrading the RAM soon by adding another 4 GB.
For the GPU, I was thinking about getting an Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti. It should run fine without a massive bottleneck, plus it'll handle DirectX 12 when it drops.

My main concern is the processor. Is it worth jumping to an Intel Core i7-2600K (also quad core, 3.7 ghz
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AM...20Edition.html
or would it be smarter to just swap the motherboard and look for a new CPU entirely? Budget-wise, I just want to play games. I don't need everything on ultra settings. I just want decent settings with solid 60+ fps. I play at 1920x1080 and I'm not dropping resolution just to squeeze out a few extra frames...
Thanks in advance.😁

That x4 640 is going to bottleneck a 270x...
If I were you, I'd sell the GPU, CPU, and board, then just start fresh...
Grab a budget Gigabyte AMD combo, maybe an x6 6300 CPU and a Radeon R7 270... it's basically the same as a 270x, just slightly higher clock speeds.

Timothy Perez3 said:If it's plugged directly into the motherboard, why is it running at full blast all the time? Shouldn't the board be calling the shots?

If you've got it on a 4-pin header, that 4th pin is there specifically for speed control. You just gotta tweak the settings in the BIOS.

That fan controller thing usually comes included if you're buying Noctua fans, at least from what I've seen.

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Procesor AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x Zalman Z1 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 Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G
1 x Napajanje Fortron 500W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3

$1993

Just listing the AMD version too.
www.newegg.com

Patrick Harris8 said:I need some help,
building a PC for about $500 (give or take).
Here’s the deal:
Which of these GPUs should I pick? I'll list the lowest price for each brand from Newegg next to them.
EVGA AMD Radeon R9 270 2 GB GDDR5- $424;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2 GB GDDR5 (Gigabyte isn't the cheapest, Palit is the best deal $412)- $445;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 2 GB GDDR5- $323;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB GDDR5 (again, Gigabyte isn't the cheapest, Gainward is the budget option $383)- $415.

They’re all priced similarly, and I checked the performance gaps on Geekbench.
Aside from playing light games—doesn't need to be on high settings—I'll also use it for CAD-CAM software. That's a big factor!!!
Let me know which one to grab, and if you have any other card suggestions, throw them out there.
The build includes the core components, so everything should fit within my $1167 budget (not including a monitor, mouse, or keyboard).

then you might as well buy everything from one shop; you get free shipping and assembly if you spend over $667...
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6100 Processor 3.3GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+
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, EVGA 400 W1, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX Case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 Cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x ASUS GTX750TI-PH-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, GTX750Ti,2GB D5

$1273

Alexander Moore67 said:This heavy steel beast weighs in at over 30 pounds.

fine, buy it yourself and enjoy the silence.
the rest of us will just recommend the FD or the Enthoo and be done with it.🙏

Alexander Moore67 said:I’d grab this at that price point.

And once again, you end up with a worse case than the R4, R5, or Enthoo Pro...

Jonathan Mendoza17 said:Fine, if there aren't any other suggestions, I'm going with the Coolink Corator. Checked the reviews and it looks like a beast for the price.
It’s out of stock right now, but should be back in by early next week.
My only worry is that 155 mm height—I need to double-check my case specs. Not sure if it'll actually fit. Anyone have a clue?

If the noise bothers you, just swap in a Noctua fan on top and you've got a monster cooler.😁

swiftmoose20 said:Might be a bit off-topic, but if anyone's interested

http://edigital.com/ssd-drive/samsung..._evo_ssd_sata3

Nobody orders from that shop anyway. 😁
Total nightmare. Gear arrives dead on arrival, and getting a refund takes forever. Pretty sure they don't even have an American storefront anymore.

graniteharbor85 said:It’s a no-brainer—go with the Fractal Design Define series by Noctua. You get that 5-year warranty, which isn't everything but helps, and it's basically just a slightly louder version of an NH D14.

+1. That was my first thought when I saw it.

If you hate the fan, just swap it out later. 😁

wanderingpanther68 said:Hey

I'm thinking about finally grabbing a new PC in a few weeks because my current one is ancient.
It’ll mostly be for browsing, music, YouTube, watching HD movies and shows, maybe some light gaming.
I don't need any peripherals 😉 , just using my Dell E2214H monitor.

I was leaning toward an AMD build since they're cheaper. I've been running an Athlon dual core 4600, 2.41 GHz for ages, and before that, a single core Sempron, and
never had issues with AMD.
I could go Intel, but I'd have to cut corners on other parts if I wanted a decent processor.

If you guys could put a list together for Best Buy, that's the shop near me. I've always bought everything there—they're a bit pricier, but I don't mind.

Also, regarding the CPU cooler, if I go AMD, recommend a solid third-party cooler 👍 because that stock cooler
isn't going to cut it.

Once summer hits, my room gets sweltering. Right now, I'm using a Phenom stock cooler on this Athlon, and by July or August, it starts spinning like crazy.
Otherwise, during the rest of the year, it's fine.

And I want a high-quality, reliable power supply.

Almost forgot, I'll need a case too, since my current one is pretty
old and warped lol. Doesn't need to be anything fancy; I care more about what's inside.😁

I'll build it myself. No big deal, I built this one and a few others already.

Thanks for the help.😉

If you're buying in a few weeks, wait until then. Prices change daily.
Better to just buy online from a major retailer; most of them offer free shipping over $667 anyway.