Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

briskeagle11 said:First off, props to you guys: you did a great 🙂

A while back, I picked up a build put together by one of the pros on this thread for someone else (I think it was graniteharbor85) around $667, and I'm not here to complain. Honestly, I'm stoked with it and want more 🙂

Basically, I need the cheapest setup possible that hits these points:
- A dedicated GPU with 2 outputs (need this because the PC will run some pretty heavy software and I need to hook up 2 monitors), like something like this* http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=graphics+card

*Just a heads up, I'm no expert. I know that card is pricey, so any cheaper alternative with similar performance works, as long as it has 2 outputs and a 3D accelerator)

- Running Windows 7, 32 or 64 bit (doesn't matter)
That's pretty much it 🙂

From reading through this PDF, it seems like building my own rig is the best bang for my buck. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Hopefully that's clear enough. If anyone's feeling generous and can help out, I'd really appreciate it.

Budget is roughly 2000 bucks, so I'm posting here instead of starting a new thread—if my GPU requirements blow past that budget, just tell me I'm dreaming, though feel free to throw out an offer anyway 😁

Thanks in advance

What kind of "heavy" software are we talking about? If it's something specific, it'll be hard to get anything concrete done with $667, and if you drop a high-end card in there, the GPU alone eats up more than a third of your budget.

Thomas Wells5 said:I'm betting it's the DDR5 version because of those dual fans. The single fan model is usually the DDR3 one.

You can't tell just by looking at a photo. Unless you get the actual specs from the seller, you're guessing. Zero points.

1 x ASUS ROG Maximus, s1150, ATX, Intel ® Z97 express 2
2 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Intel 120GB SSD 520, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:550/520MB/s
1 x Gigabyte GTX970 WF3 OC 4GB GDDR5, GV-N970WF3OC, 256 bit,
1 x FORTRON 750W Raider Power Supply, RA750, 12cm fan
1 x COOLERMASTER Hyper 412S, socket 1366 / 1156 / 1155 / 775 / FM1
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x AOC G2460PQU, LCD LED 24", 16:9, 1920 x 1080 144 Hz
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K Processor (3.50GHz,1MB,6MB,88 W,1150) Box

$3632
craigslist

If you want an i7, that’ll cost you another $200 more.

Plus, these monitors are overpriced as hell.

rustymarlin20 said:I need some feedback on this build.
http://www.newegg.com/ssd-drive...s37a120g/64636 ssd $149
http://www.newegg.com/hdd-drive...m-10ezex/61153 hdd $148
http://www.newegg.com/pc-case...l-wo-psu/69003 case $47
http://www.newegg.com/motherboard...5a97-r20/61754 mb $221
http://www.newegg.com/cpu-processor...-am3-box/64129 cpu $368
http://www.newegg.com/gpu-card...i-2x-dvi/83159 gpu $505
http://www.newegg.com/ram-memory...c10fbk28/84137 ram $212
http://www.newegg.com/power-supply...020097eu/85003 psu $139
$1789

With that CPU, you absolutely have to grab an aftermarket cooler. The stock one won't cut it. Your GPU and CPU are basically little space heaters, and if you actually want them to last, you need a case with decent airflow. That cheap tin box you picked isn't going to do the job, and neither will any other budget junk.

Looks like your budget is around $550. You aren't going to squeeze in a decent AMD cooler and a proper case with that amount.

Here’s how I’d do it:

1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+ FD8320FRHK
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, double Dissipation edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x Fortron Hyper 700 w Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, SATA III, 7200 rpm, Desktop SSHD with 8GB SSD
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3, AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x Zalman CNPS 5X Performa, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1785
You get a solid motherboard and a cooler capable of overclocking, plus a case with actual airflow. The main change is swapping the standalone SSD for a hybrid drive. You get the massive capacity of an HDD but with that small built-in SSD for caching programs and games you play often. It speeds up loading times without sacrificing storage.

1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, double Dissipation edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x Fortron Hyper 550w Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD, 8GB SSD
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H, Socket : 1150, Intel B85

$1784
Or if you aren't planning on overclocking, just stick with the Intel route.🙂

Thomas Campbell12 said:My motherboard died, so I need a replacement. Since I'm buying a new board, I might as well grab a new CPU and some RAM too.
When I turn the computer on, there's zero sign of life from the motherboard. The power supply kicks in, the case fans spin, the HDD and optical drive spin up... but nothing happens on the monitor, even though it's powered on. No BIOS, no nothing.
The rig is about 5 or 6 years old. I haven't really kept up with hardware since then, so I'm pretty lost regarding sockets, Intel vs. AMD, and all that.
The old board is an MSI K9N Neo V2, running what I think is an Athlon 2000, with 2 GB of RAM. I’d like at least 4 GB now, because 2 GB isn't even enough for Ubuntu. It would be nice if the new motherboard had USB 3.0.
Also looking for a decent processor—ideally quiet and affordable, obviously.
A few months ago, back in September, my power supply gave out, so I picked up a new XFX TS 550 w at a local shop and grabbed a Zalman Z3 case to go with it. It's important that the new motherboard fits with the current power supply and case.
The graphics card is an older Radeon HD 4730, and since I'm on a budget, I'd like the new board to be compatible with it.
The HDD and optical drive are connected via SATA cables.
I mostly use this PC for web browsing, multimedia, and writing... I rarely play games, and only older ones.
Looking for suggestions for a solid, reliable motherboard, CPU, and RAM combo that works with my XFX TS 550 w and Radeon 4730. Doesn't need to be high-end; I don't have the need or the cash for that. Is $333 enough to cover the motherboard, CPU, and RAM?

1 x Asrock H61M-VG4 Bulk, Intel Socket 1150
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Intel Pentium G3220, 3.00GHz, 512KB, 3MB, Haswell

$341
That's pretty much it for you...

graniteharbor85 said:How can you suggest not buying an extra cooler when you're recommending a CPU that doesn't even come with a stock one? Sure, you can grab one easily, but it's just more hassle for nothing.

Second point: the x4 7600 is plenty powerful enough to handle a decent GPU upgrade later on. Take a closer look at what kind of games this guy actually plays—APUs are built specifically for this. The x4 7600 is the absolute sweet spot here, making a discrete graphics card unnecessary, especially depending on what resolution he's running.

+1

Dennis Carter3 said:It wouldn't be a bad move to grab an i5 now. You'll have a solid foundation for a decent graphics card later, so you can play games long-term without constant upgrades while sticking to integrated graphics for now.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i5-processor-listing
Pair it with this motherboard http://www.newegg.com/motherboard-link and I’d just wait until I saved up enough for a dedicated GPU.

What kind of nonsense are you spewing? That's ridiculous.

He already has the board, so he just needs an APU and calls it a day.
Why waste more money than necessary?

And buying from Best Buy? They're nothing but headaches... what a joke.

silversurfer30 said:About a month ago, you guys suggested this build to me. I didn't pull the trigger then, but I'm definitely buying this week. Checking back in to see if there's a better deal out there now. My needs haven't changed much, though I want to toss in a basic mouse and keyboard combo (nothing cheap that'll break in a month) while keeping the whole package under $833. Not a penny over. Looking for a shop with free shipping and assembly included.
Also, forgot to mention: if the GPU can have a slight edge, go for it. It’s not a hardcore gaming rig—the price shows that—but I'd like to be able to run a few games. 🤔 If there's a better setup for this budget, let me know. Thanks. 🙂

1 x Genius KM110X Combo, keyboard + mouse, USB
1 x Zalman ZM-T1 plus micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x Zalman 400-LX PSU, 400W, ATX12V V2.31, Active PFC 299 HDD Seagate 500
1 x Spire Kepler Rev Radeon TM R7 Series cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050 500 GB 3.5, 7200rpm, Serial ATA III, 32MB
1 x Kingston DDR3 HyperX Fury, 4GB (1x4GB), 1866MHz, CL10, HX318C10F
1 x Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-DS2 AMD A8-Series x4 7600 motherboard, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset
1 x AMD A8-Series x4 7600 processor (3.8GHz, 4MB, 65W, FM2+) box

$860
Best Buy

INTEL
1 x Intel 1 x Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H, Socket : 1150, Intel ® B85
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm ventilator
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 WF3 OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GV-R928WF3OC-3GD

$1789

AMD
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm ventilator
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 WF3 OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GV-R928WF3OC-3GD
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD X8 FX-8320 Spira Kepler Rev, 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$1829

www.newegg.com

Free shipping and assembly on orders over $667.

wearyraven41 said:Hey guys,

A buddy of mine wants to pick up a PC for $0.67.
I skimmed through the thread, cut costs on a few parts, and ended up with this list:

Asrock H61M-VG4 Bulk, Intel 1155 Socket H61 chipset, Bulk 305
Intel Pentium G2030 3.1, 3MB, 65W, Socket 1155, box 429
DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value 309
Fortron 400W, Hexa plus 400 w Toshiba DT01ACA050 500 GB 3.5, 12cm fan, Active PFC 299
Seagate 500 HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, Barracuda 7200.12 386
Zalman ZM-T2 plus micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm 178
LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R 129

admin: $678

Is this alright? Any major weak links here?

It's fine.👍

swiftfalcon89 said:Hey guys, can an EVGA 500 W handle this build:

AMD FX X6 6300 + Liquid Cooling
GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P
AMD Radeon R9 280X
2x HDDs
1x8GB DDR3 RAM 1600 MHz
Probably some case fans and maybe another 8GB of RAM down the road...

Yeah, it works. You're looking at maybe 400W max for the whole rig, so you've got about 100W to spare.

GPU pulls 250, CPU is 95W, then everything else is roughly 50-60W.~~

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Procesor AMD Kaveri Athlon II x4 860 3.70GHz 4cores,cache : 4MB
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 ,hladnjak, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x Napajanje Zalman 500-GS_II PSU, 500W, ATX12V V2.31, active PFC

$842
better GPU 😬
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Procesor AMD Kaveri A10-Series X4 7850K (3.7GHz,4MB,95W,FM2+)box
1 x Napajanje Zalman 500-GS_II PSU, 500W, ATX12V V2.31, active PFC
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 ,hladnjak, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10

$869 I might go this route instead. You get decent integrated graphics—way better than what you're running now—and you can always slap in something beefier later, like an R7 265 or a 270. 🙂

Adam Moore3 said:That's an old platform; you'd definitely be better off buying something new. What kind of budget are we looking at for a new build?

Sell that junk. You'll have enough for a decent new rig. For $3,500, you can grab a really solid machine.

graniteharbor85 said:Renato031

AMD & Nvidia:

FX 6300
LC CC 97
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
KINGSTON 2+4 GB 1600 MHZ (6GB)
GEFORCE GTX 760 2GB DDR5
TOSHIBA 3.5" 1TB SATA 3
FORTRON HYPER 500W 80+
ZALMAN Z1 MIDI ATX USB 3.0

= $1512 including shipping and taxes.

Looks clean 👍

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA100, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard MB size
1 x Acer V236HLBd 23", IPS panel, 1920x1080 resolution
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 Processor, 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, compatible with 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1999

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 500W Hyper Power PSU, 12cm fan
1 x Samsung DVD Writer, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX standard
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 fan
1 x EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm

$1531

1 x ASUS ROG Maximus, LGA 1150
1 x Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Samsung 870 EVO 120GB SSD, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:550/520MB/s
1 x WD Caviar Blue 1TB HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mj
1 x FORTRON Raider 550W PSU, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x Pioneer BD-RE DVD Burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x Zalman R1 Mid Tower Case. 192(W) x 465(H) x 450(D)mm.
1 x COOLERMASTER Hyper 412S, socket 1366 / 1156 / 1155 / 775 / FM1
1 x Gigabyte GTX970 WF3 OC 4GB GDDR5, GV-N970WF3OC, 256 bit,
1 x AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Processor (4.00GHz, 1MB, 8MB, 88W, AM4) Box

$3077

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Ditch the burner—you don't really need it

1 x Intel SSD 120GB, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:550/520MB/s
1 x AMD Athlon II x4 860 3.70GHz 4cores,cache : 4MB
1 x GIGABYTE GA-F2A88XM-DS2, mATX, AMD A88X, DDR3, audio, G-LAN, SATA
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Sapphire R7 260x 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x Fortron 500W, Hyper-Threading, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x NVIDIA Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x MS GRIFFIN case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX

$1089 adm

The SSD and power supply come with a 5-year warranty

You could go slightly cheaper on the PSU, motherboard, and SSD (for example, grab a Patriot Blaze 120GB at a local Best Buy)
In my opinion, a 64GB SSD isn't worth the investment

Just toss in another 4GB of RAM later on and you're good to go

Sign me up for this.🙂

Brandon Lopez6 said:thanks 🙂

1 x AOC I2369VM, IPS monitor 23" Wide, WLED, 1920 x 1080@60 Hz
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK Processor
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan Power Supply
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
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 Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$2186
the amd version 🙂

1 x AOC I2369VM, IPS monitor 23" Wide, WLED, 1920 x 1080@60 Hz
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan Power Supply
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
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 Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box Processor
1 x Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H, Socket : 1150, Intel ® B85 6.435,19 KN Intel

$2145

intel

Adam Moore3 said:Sure, you could probably cram a better GPU in there. 👍

And then what? They want to play stuff that needs an Intel Quad-Core, like Middle-earth or the latest Far Cry...
they won't even launch.

With an Intel Quad-Core, you might scrape by on low settings.