Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, Intel LGA 1150 Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Processor AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.70GHz 4cores,cache : 4MB
1 x Dual Channel DDR3 RAM 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$847

Justin Rogers59 said:Sorry for crashing the party here, but I wanted to ask Robert Rodriguez2 how to clone macOS from one Western Digital drive to another. My current drive is basically on life support.

http://www.maximumpc.com/how_clone_h...ve_or_ssd_2014

swiftfalcon89 said:What's the best used GPU I can grab for $333 given this setup:

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
CPU: Intel Core i7 RAM
RAM: Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600 MHz
PSU: Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+

Why waste money on used gear for a few bucks? For $33, you can get an R7 265 that handles 1080p just fine. It's brand new and actually comes with a warranty.

Rachel Jones8 said:What about something like this, staying within that budget?
Say, this one — DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
The shop said they'd throw in the installation for free since I'm buying their parts... (maybe that only applies during the warranty period... but I'd love to take them up on it)

So... if I want dual-channel, just one extra stick is enough?
I assume SSD prices will drop soon, but quick question... if I get one, is it a hassle to move Windows over to it?

Yeah, two sticks are all you need for dual-channel. Try to get the same frequency; if you buy the fast one, it’ll just throttle down to match the slower stick anyway.

And no, moving Windows to an SSD isn't an issue. Just use cloning software—takes a few minutes tops.🙂

Rachel Jones8 said:Well, it finally happened—reinstalled everything and now I'm running 64-bit Windows, so I have a question.
My board is an Asrock FM2A88M EXTREME4 link
The memory is Kingston RAM 4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz HX link

Can I just add another one like this to make it 2x4GB, or does it have to be a perfect match?

Ideally you want an identical match. It'll probably work with something else as long as the frequency matches—stay at 1600MHz—and keep the latencies the same so you don't run into compatibility headaches.

David Wood2 said:If it had been anything else, I totally would've pulled the trigger. But man, I'm so impatient... I just couldn't wait around to order it. 😁
It looks like they cut corners somewhere to keep the price this low, but honestly? Since everything's running smooth, I'm pretty stoked.

man...
was waiting one single day really your issue?

standard shipping usually takes a day anyway...

if they can ship a fully built and tested PC rig in one business day, I don't see why they couldn't do the same for a single part.

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz Processor, 16MB, 125W, AM3+ FD8320FRHK
1 x 8GB DDR3 Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 500W Hyper Power Supply, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard ATX
1 x Sapphire R7 265 2GB GDDR5 Dual-X, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, compatible with 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2+/AM3

$1563
It’s a decent rig for work or gaming. You can even handle newer titles at 1080p maxed out.
If you don't absolutely need an SSD, this setup works.

www.newegg.com

Ronald Bishop58 said:Thanks man!!

Just pulled the trigger and ordered it today. Honestly, when I saw that other 24'' one, I thought I'd messed up. 🙂

No worries 🙂

Ronald Bishop58 said:Which one of these two monitors should I go with?
CLICK

CLICK

Both come with a 3-year warranty!!

Go with the second one. It’s an IPS panel, so you get better colors and wider viewing angles.

Scott Myers2 said:I've got a problem and I'm losing my mind worrying about it!

My kid has been struggling with immunity for six years now.
She’s seven now, but back when she was seven months old, she caught Salmonella—we have no clue how. We all tested the whole family, but nobody turned up positive.
Ever since that Salmonella hit, everything has gone downhill.
She’s ended up in the hospital twice because of strep throat, and she’s swallowed enough antibiotics to fill a pharmacy. She gets a nasty, pus-filled tonsillitis every single month. Plain old Silapen works for her.
We’ve been stuck in this loop of trying to get her tonsils out for two full years, but she can't even stay healthy for three weeks straight long enough to get tests done and schedule the surgery.
She’s starting to act up again right now, and tomorrow the doctor will probably just prescribe more Silapen to settle things down.
It starts with sniffing, then an aphthous ulcer pops up in her mouth, and then—because her immune system is trashed—her throat flares up.

Just to be clear, we’ve done about 20 throat and nasal swabs so far, and NOT ONCE did they find bacteria! EVERYTHING always comes back sterile!!! So, it's "just" a viral infection according to the swabs...

Has anyone else dealt with this??? HELP ME PEOPLE!

Can an immunologist help here? Will getting the tonsils out actually work? A pediatrician at the hospital once told me, "Once you take those tonsils out, are you going to want to pull her lungs out too?" But he didn't know the whole story, and that was two years ago...
For those of you who had your tonsils removed and it actually helped—did you ever actually test positive for strep (bacterial tonsillitis) on a swab?!
Do you see the issue? Viral infections are resulting in pus-filled tonsillitis! Will surgery help? Or will it make things worse because there won't be any tonsils left to prevent lung inflammation?

Any experiences? Thanks for the help....

Identical situation with me when I was a kid.
Except I reached a point where nothing worked... not even crystal penicillin.
I ended up developing resistance and allergies to basically every form of penicillin.

Tonsillectomy was the only thing that saved me.

First time since the surgery, exactly 20 years later, I'm actually dealing with a sore throat.

William Smith10 said:I have no clue what kind of power supply I'm running.😁 Feel free to drop some recommendations.😉

Pop the case open and take a look at it. Just write down what you see.
If you've got a solid power supply, don't waste your money.

graniteharbor85 said:Robert Rodriguez2

You just don't get that the stock cooler isn't going to cut it for an APU like that.🙂

silversurfer30

The absolute max you'd get for this setup would look like this:

X4 600E
ASUS M5A78L-M LX3
PATRIOT 4GB 1600 MHZ
MSI R7 260 1GB DDR5 OC
TOSHIBA 3.5" 500 GB SATA 3
EVGA 500W
EVGA MIDI ATX

= $740 including shipping and assembly.

It's a budget power supply, sure, but this build pulls almost nothing. Given the tight budget, there isn't a better move. I've run these types of rigs with a 250, 260, 260X, or a GTX 750 Ti, and they hold steady at 100 watts without breaking a sweat. It'll be fine.

I know it isn't, but I didn't want to blow past my budget.

silversurfer30 said:I could also use some build advice for under $667. I don't have any crazy requirements since the budget is what it is. Just looking for the best bang for my buck at that price point. If they can assemble it and ship it, great—if not, no big deal. I wouldn't mind bumping it up by $100-$200 if it actually makes a massive difference in performance. Thanks in advance.

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Processor AMD Trinity A8-Series x4 5600 3.60GHz 4cores, FM2
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Case MS HERCULES Midi tower, ATX, mATX
1 x Power Supply Fortron 300 W, active PFC, 12 cm fan, bulk !
1 x DVD burner LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R

$688
Best Buy

William Smith10 said:Thanks🙂 I'll have to sweat a bit more to afford it😁 Just gotta make sure it fits in this rig. Once that's sorted, I'll be back looking for a GPU.

Looks clean. Just hope you didn't grab some junk power supply.🙂

William Smith10 said:I won't start a new thread and just ask here. I use my PC for browsing, watching movies, and playing Madden NFL 14. Madden NFL 14 runs perfectly fine, but the Madden NFL 15 demo stutters even on the lowest resolution and settings. Can I upgrade this rig? A new build isn't in the budget right now.

MY RIG:
Operating System
Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i3-2100 27 °C
Regor 45nm Technology
RAM
4,00GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-12-12-30)
Motherboard
ASRock M3A770DE (CPUSocket) 30 °C
Graphics
LG TV (1920x1080@23Hz)
1024MB Nvidia GeForce GT 430 (Sapphire/PCPartner) 54 °C
Storage
465GB Seagate BarraCuda (SATA) 29 °C
Optical Drives
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H10N ATA Device
ELBY CLONEDRIVE SCSI CdRom Device
Audio
Madden NFL 15

Madden NFL 15...
Recommended Specifications:

OS: Windows V/7/8/8.1 -64-bit
CPU: Intel i5-2550K @ 3.4Ghz
RAM: 8GB
Hard Drive Space Required: 15.0 GB
Supported Video Cards: ATI Radeon HD 6870, NVIDIA GTX 460
DirectX: 11.0

Minimum Required Specifications:

OS: Windows V/7/8/8.1 -64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i5-750 @ 2.4Ghz
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive Space Required: 15.0 GB
Minimum Supported Video Cards: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460, Nvidia GTX 650
DirectX: 11.0

Is there anything I can upgrade, maybe one part at a time, or am I looking at a whole new PC? Any advice helps. Just want to know where I stand.😁

Start with the motherboard and CPU, then grab a GPU.

dustyskipper77 said:Patriot Signature 600W
Patriot Signature, 1333Mhz, 8GB (1x8GB)
SanDisk Ultra Plus 128GB SSD, 2.5”
Seagate BarraCuda 500GB 3.5''
Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler
AMD Radeon R9 280A, 3GB,280A-TDFD
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AMD CPU desktop
AMD FX-Series X8 8320

$1697 Newegg

or even cheaper

Patriot Signature 600W
Patriot Signature, 1333Mhz, 8GB (1x8GB)
SanDisk Ultra Plus 128GB SSD, 2.5”
Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5''
Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler
AMD Radeon R9 280A, 3GB,280A-TDFD
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AMD FX-6300

$1588

+ $27 shipping for both builds🎉

vividwolf41 said:What do you guys think about this build:

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6350 Processor 3.9GHz,14MB,125W,AM3+, FD6350FRHK
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GVR928WO3D-00-G, 28nm,
1 x WD 1TB Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, Vengeance Heatsink
1 x Corsair 450W CS450M Modular PSU, 450 Watt, ATX
1 x Arctic-Cooling Freezer 13, Socket 775/1156/1366/754/939/AM2/AM3

$1749 adm

Mostly for gaming and some light Catia v5 work—nothing crazy complex. I don't really care about overclocking.

I don't need a DVD drive and I'm getting my case elsewhere, so it's not listed here.
It would be great if I could swap some parts to save a little cash. 🙂
Thanks

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, 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 Patriot Signature 600W PSU, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GVR928WO3D-00-G, 28nm,
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x CoolerMaster Hyper TX3, LGA775/1156 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3

$1673
There you go. $67 Fewer parts, better machine. 🙂

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AMD FX-6300 Processor 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x AMD Radeon R9 280 1000M 3GB DDR5 2xDisplayPort, XFX R9-280A-TDBD
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Samsung 840 EVO, 120 GB SSD, 2.5"
1 x EVGA 500W PSU, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm

$1695
Or go with the SSD.

www.microcenter.com

Benjamin Jackson8 said:I think I'll go with:
Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX
XFX AMD Radeon R9 3gb
DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz or HyperX but also 2x4gb (if one dies, at least I have the other 😁)
HDD Western Digital Blue 1TB, and maybe a 64GB SSD to boot macOS from
EVGA Core edition 80+ 650W
plus some motherboard and an ultra quiet cooler xD
I have a DVD ROM so I don't need that. What do you guys think? Is it worth getting that processor since it's about $167 cheaper than the Intel one?

1 x Processor Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,LGA1150, FD8320FRHK
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Power Supply Fortron 600W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x CoolerMaster Hyper TX3, LGA775/1156 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1886
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDBD, DD Radeon R9 280 1000M 3GB DDR5 2xDisplayPort

$1690
Here's the deal for $1667, you get an 8-core chip and a solid card for gaming. You'll be set for a long time 🙂

1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Power Supply Fortron 600W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDBD, DD Radeon R9 280 1000M 3GB DDR5 2xDisplayPort
1 x AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,AM4) Box
1 x Asrock B85M Pro3, S 1150, Supports 4th Gen AMD Ryzen i7 / i5

$1696

Or Intel 🙂. You won't even need an extra cooler here, the one included with the CPU is plenty 🙂

Benjamin Jackson8 said:for gaming 😁 yeah, hopefully I won't have to deal with returns. I looked at Micro Center, but it looks way more expensive than Best Buy, which is a big difference. Do they give any discounts for paying cash?

nah, they have one set price for cash...

I wouldn't build anything through Best Buy for one simple reason: my own experience. They kept me waiting nearly a month for delivery, then sent me stuff that had already been opened and was broken... plus a two-month headache just to get a refund...

I'll put together a list from Micro Center

1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial DDR3, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Thermaltake Contac 21, 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, 1155, 1156
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD Radeon R9 270, R9-270X-CDBC, Black Edition, Dual Dissipation Edition
1 x EVGA 500W, HyperX, PPA5005003, 12cm fan

$1499
CPU is basically in the same league as a non-K i5🙂, really solid GPU, 8 gigs of RAM, everything you need for decent gaming (no fluff)

if you want all the bells and whistles, try this:

1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial DDR3, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x EVGA 500W, HyperX, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x AMD Radeon R9 270, R9-270A-CDFC, Dual Dissipation Edition 925M Boost
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Thermaltake Contac 21, 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, 1155, 1156

$1482