Posts by Robert Rodriguez2

Sam Rodriguez55 said:Ended up with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 by mistake... grabbing this slightly better one instead, price difference is peanuts.

Check if the dimensions actually fit in your case first.

Timothy Fisher79 said:Hahahahha, I was the one who suggested the ASUS M5A97 R2 first, then you guys jumped on me saying an ASRock 970 Extreme 3 was the bare minimum. So, who's laughing now?

That ASRock is the floor, sure, but the Asus beats it easily.

Sam Rodriguez55 said:We finally hit $3167 the truth, but what’s the point of a gaming rig if I can't crank current games to max settings? My goal is to drop this under $120.
I don't need a terabyte of storage; 500 GB is plenty. For the GPU, let's stick to the GTX 750 Ti range. Or maybe a GTX 980, I honestly have no clue—you guys tell me. Just make sure 🙂 the cooling is solid. Every PC I own overheats, probably because my room has zero airflow and the computer is shoved right against the desk. I know nothing about motherboards, CPUs, power supplies, or cases. I won't be overclocking the CPU, so there's no need to pay extra for high-end chips.

Thanks, everyone, but I'm lost. There are way too many builds out there. Anyway, Smartićev's setup doesn't include a monitor or an SSD, so it ends up costing about $130, just like the others. Ugh...

1 x LG 22EA63V-P LED IPS, 21.5", 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz Processor, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x 8GB DDR3 (2x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX Genesis, KHX1600
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x SILVERSTONE Strider 500W, Essential ST50F-ES AC 90-240V, 47/63Hz
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. ATX Standard
1 x XFX R9-280X-TDFD, DD Radeon R9 280X 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, 2011, 1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g, 13-32dB

$2684

Sam Rodriguez55 said:Fine, why go with GeForce over an r9 now? I don't really want the headache of building a rig myself, but I can always find someone to do it. If the price at Uzì is significantly lower, then maybe I'll just build it my way.

What does everyone else think about this setup?

Thanks for the help, guys. 🙂

Just hit up a local shop like Best Buy or Micro Center that offers free assembly and actually has everything in stock right now.

Price aside, Uzì doesn't keep everything on the shelf. From what I gather, they pull parts from overseas, so if you aren't in a rush, go for it...
With a budget like yours, you could put together something that absolutely shreds games.

A minute ago you were looking for the cheapest possible build to last two years, and you got it. Now you're jumping up to $900? What happened there?

Anyway, here’s my pick for that $900 range.
1 x LG 23EA63V-P, 23", 16:9, 1920x1080, IPS panel, 250 cd/m2
1 x Gigabyte 990XA-UD3, AM3+, AMD 990X SB950, 4x DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x WD 1TB HDD, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, 2011, 1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g, 13-32dB
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX Genesis, KHX1600
1 x OCZ 550W Fatal1ty Series Power Supply
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x XFX R9-280X-TDFD, DD Radeon R9 280X 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1 x design Core 3000 Black New 3.0, Midi tower, ATX, 5.25"
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm

$2898

No point spending more than this 🙂 unless you decide to throw money at an r9 290.

1 x LG 23EA63V-P, 23", 16:9, 1920x1080, IPS panel, 250 cd/m2
1 x WD 1TB HDD, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, 2011, 1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g, 13-32dB
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX Genesis, KHX1600
1 x OCZ 550W Fatal1ty Series Power Supply
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x XFX R9-280X-TDFD, DD Radeon R9 280X 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1 x design Core 3000 Black New 3.0, Midi tower, ATX, 5.25"
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz, Haswell
1 x MSI Z87-G43 GAMING, Socket : 1150, Intel ® Z87, 4xDDR3 1333/1600/

$3154

You basically just insulted the boss and the whole precinct 3.1 miles at once... if I were you, I’d just go with that first AMD build 🧐
. . You picked everything right... you aren't cheapening any single part, which is the 👍 key
. Maybe just swap in an XFX 450W instead of the Corsair or even what 😬 suggested from Silverstone.

Gerald Campbell65 said:That looks like an overkill power supply. The build is fine, but that PSU is the issue. Is there anything smaller or cheaper?

I've got a mouse, keyboard, webcam, headset, and an 18-inch LCD. 🤣

This is what I found on Best Buy. In my town, there are three shops: one is overpriced, the second is a scam, and the third is okay, but I don't really trust them. For example, a C2D 2.93, 4GB of RAM, and an R6670 1GB DDR5 would cost me 280 miles. The case is garbage, and I don't know much about power supplies, but I think it's some cheap junk.

That’s why I’m asking here for suggestions. 😉

Look, since your monitor isn't even Full HD, I'd suggest just going with something all new. New means you actually get a warranty, and this setup I put together will run games perfectly fine on your current screen, plus it's easy to upgrade later.🙂

a) http://www.zaslike.com/viewer.php?fi...u8nuo5ryxh.jpg

The pricier version—it has 2x2GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM because, in this setup, dual channel gives a nice little boost to the integrated graphics (which is plenty for what we talked about).

b) http://www.zaslike.com/viewer.php?fi...6rbiyr6pfg.jpg
A slightly cheaper option, since it uses 1x4GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM instead; everything else is the same.

Both builds can be upgraded with a decent GPU down the road if you want to play better games.🙂

Also, if you have a buddy over in Canada, just have them order it and you can bring it back across the border like it's your own PC. You shouldn't have any issues as long as you don't carry it in the original retail packaging; if you just carry the case with the parts inside, nobody's going to care.🙂

In my opinion, this is a better deal than that used stuff where you have no clue if there's a warranty or when it's going to die.

Both options fit within your 342 miles budget. 🙂

vividtiger3 said:I went through the trouble of comparing everything. For the PSU, motherboard, cooler, and case, the price gap between McLovinov's build and Flatronov's build is tiny. It barely moves the needle, so I’m just going for higher quality parts—not worth stressing over. Besides, I dig the look of the Z5 more than the Z3 anyway, so I was already thinking about making that swap. The main price drivers are the beefier GPU and the bigger monitor. I'm leaning toward that 24" LG; from what I read online, that IPV tech looks superior. Better picture, better viewing angles... BenQ has a 27", but it lacks IPV. I'd skip Asus.
The big question mark is the GPU. Sure, I'll grab an R9 280 x, but I'm debating if it's worth paying $0.90 extra for the Asus R9280X-DC2T, since it's $67 more expensive than the XFX or Sapphire options. And honestly, the XFX R9-290A-ENFC is only $117 more.
I checked prices at Micro Center and Best Buy; they're basically identical, except Best Buy doesn't carry that Enermax power supply. The biggest discrepancy is that Asus motherboard—at Best Buy it's $202, but at Micro Center, it's actually $67 more!

The one at Best Buy is basic, but the one at Micro Center is the high-end version—better specs, better features, etc.
As for graphics, just grab whatever you feel like... you've got the suggestions... now it's just down to you deciding which one 🙂

I'd pass on the R9 290 and 290x for now. I haven't seen any with decent aftermarket coolers yet; the stock ones are loud as hell. You can find links to YouTube videos in some PDFs showing just how noisy they are.

Sam Rodriguez55 said:I went through that entire "builds for $2667" thread by Ziva, and he actually posted a decent setup he bought there. You're listing an r9 270x and a 270 here, but they're recommending a 280 or even a 290 over there. Can someone explain the price-to-performance ratio for those three models?

You asked for the cheapest gaming rig that lasts two years, and that's exactly what you got.
The stuff in that other thread could last much longer, but it costs way more than this build I put together for you.

There's not much to overthink here. An r9 270 is basically AMD's "entry-level" for anyone trying to play anything serious—you could find even cheaper cards that still work, but let's stick to this path. A 280x is a step up, but it hits the wallet harder, though obviously, you get better performance. If you want the 290 or 290x, you're looking at high-end gear that'll give you the best experience possible, but yeah, that comes with a massive price tag.

Sam Rodriguez55 said:Thanks for the tip. Can you list out the GPU, PSU, hard drive, etc.? I'm totally out of the loop on this stuff.

I edited your post. Take a look.

graniteharbor85 said:gogoklepci

Look, man, stop talking nonsense. I'm reporting this to the mods immediately because this isn't the first time you've pulled this kind of crap with me. You're out here peddling stuff that doesn't even exist and acting like you're some genius, pretending I'm trying to upsell him at some overpriced Best Buy.

Robert Rodriguez2

Always the expert, aren't you? There's basically no difference between a GTX 980 and an R9 280 x, and let's be real—where is the overclocking potential of that card compared to what the GTX 980 can actually do? If we're going to obsess over the price gap and those famous $167 differences, then let me ask you something: why didn't you suggest the R9 270 x? It’s significantly cheaper and performs almost identically to the GTX 980.

And earlier, you were telling him if he doesn't go for extreme overclocking with his CPU, he could save money on a cheaper cooler and motherboard? Why didn't you just recommend the ASUS M5A97 R2 and the ZALMAN CPS10X Optima? They're plenty for a mid-range 4.2GHz overclock, and it would have saved him more cash.

If you actually knew your hardware and understood which builds work, you'd end up being cheaper in the long run. The thing is, everything I'm suggesting isn't found in one single store, but the selection is better. People around here always get salty whenever I make a suggestion they can't top.

With a few clicks, he gets a 5-year warranty that actually works directly through XFX instead of some local shop in the US where it's useless. That means if something breaks after the initial 2 years, he won't be wasting time and shipping money back and forth.

Frost

Take a closer look at their website; you'll see it's not there. Just so you know, IPS isn't the only panel type that delivers great image quality, and it's definitely not the only factor in getting a perfect picture—you have to consider other variables too.

I suggested the BenQ because of the large panel size, which is ideal for a gaming/multimedia PC. It has a solid VA panel that sits right between TN and IPS in terms of quality, plus it has a sturdy, adjustable stand and a fast refresh rate, which is crucial for FPS games.

LG has been on the market longer, making it a safe bet. There isn't much to say about it; it's just the obvious choice for this kind of build given the budget and everything it offers for a 24" screen at that price point.

ASUS is the worst of the bunch regarding picture quality—not that there's a massive difference—but they do offer a 4-year warranty.

The build is quiet because the Sapphire and XFX models I picked are among the quietest 280X cards out there (under full load, obviously; everything is quiet at idle). I also bumped up the warranties, which are all valid in the US, and upgraded the component quality across the board: motherboard, cooler, GPU, PSU, case, and monitor.

I gave you my recommendation and explained it based on my own experience. If you want to listen, do it; you'll end up with a great setup and avoid mistakes. If not, fine—go follow whatever suggestions you find at other retailers. I don't care where you buy it. My goal is to suggest the best possible configuration. If I happen to prefer a specific shop because they treat you like royalty and fix any issues immediately, then honestly, forgive me for pointing you in that direction.

First off, I never said there was NO difference between those cards, I just said the difference doesn't justify the $167 price gap
And if we're going down that road, not everyone buys a GPU specifically to overclock it, so arguing about it is pointless.
Look, I threw in a motherboard and a cooler that'll definitely handle his gaming needs just fine. They aren't high-end luxury parts, sure, but they get the job done. Compared to the rig you put together, there's a $333 difference. There’s zero reason to blow past the budget someone actually set; you can build a machine that crushes every game and runs smooth as silk even if you stay right on target or slightly under.
And who are you to question my expertise? You don't have the standing, and frankly, you don't have the chops to be doing it anyway...
At the end of the day, it's the customer's call. We gave him our best suggestions so he can make his own decision.
Between your build and mine, the only thing he'd actually feel is the GPU, nothing else...
EDIT: When you build your own PC, go ahead and spend a million bucks if you want...
But while I'm building rigs for other people, I'm going to try to save them some cash whenever possible. Between your setup and mine, you can definitely shave some money off without losing any performance (aside from the GPU).

Sam Rodriguez55 said:I can drop up to 10 $0.00 but looking at this forum, people build gaming rigs for $1000. I'm not planning on keeping this setup for more than 2 years. I don't expect it to cost 10,000, but I didn't specify a budget.

then just go with what crimsonstag84 put together for you🙂

motherboard:1 x ASUS Motherboard, AM3, AM3+, Intel 990 x SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
processor:1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
ram:1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingmax, 1333MHz, non-ECC, CL9.0
hard drive:1 x Seagate ST250 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
power supply:1 x SILVERSTONE Strider 500W, Essential ST50F-ES AC 90-264V, 47/63Hz
case:1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
optical drive:1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
graphics card:1 x GeForce GTX 750 2GB OC, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, GV-R927XOC-2GD, 28nm
cpu cooler:1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1651
unless you're some massive tech nerd, this 🙂 could be cheaper. Grab a GeForce GTX 750 without the OC and a cheaper case🙂

motherboard:1 x ASUS Motherboard, AM3, AM3+, Intel 990 x SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
processor:1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
ram:1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingmax, 1333MHz, non-ECC, CL9.0
hard drive:1 x Seagate ST250 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
power supply:1 x SILVERSTONE Strider 500W, Essential ST50F-ES AC 90-264V, 47/63Hz
optical drive:1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
cpu cooler:1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3
graphics card:1 x MSI GeForce GTX 750 GAMING 2GB GDDR5 256bit + Call of Duty: Battlefield 4, 28nm
case:1 x Spire Maverick 6009, ATX/micro ATX case

$1559

Sam Rodriguez55 said:I'm building a new rig mostly for gaming—heavy stuff like ARMA III, the latest GTA, you name it. I don't have a set budget, but I want something that won't struggle for at least the next 2 years. No useless parts, no overheating issues, just smooth gameplay. Brands don't matter to me; I just need it to hit those marks.

I can't even guess the price because I have no clue what things cost these days. Should I expect to drop $1000, $1667 or $5000 for a gamer setup that lasts 2 years? I'll need a monitor too.

Thanks, cheers

Building a PC without a ballpark budget is pointless. You could end up with anything from a potato to an extreme build you probably couldn't afford anyway...
Give me a rough budget and a max limit you're willing to stretch to. Once I have that, I can put together the best possible setup within those bounds.

Alexander Moore67 said:Look, one guy works for Newegg and the other for Micro Center. You can get all this cheaper at Best Buy, and an R9 280X is $733 at Best Buy.
http://www.bestbuy.com/product-details/example-link
plus a GTX 1060 struggles way too much.

lol, first off, I don't work for either of those places. I actually recommend Newegg because a) I’ve dropped over $3,000 there, my own money and clients'. Never had a single issue with them.
If you actually read the posts, you'd see they're based in Seattle and I'm in Chicago—no way am I working there.

b) check if the card is even in stock before you start spamming links, because in your case, it isn't.

c) a 280X is maybe 15% better in SOME games... so don't be a bullshitter claiming it's WAY better when it's not.

vividtiger3 said:How can Micro Center not have Vaporic? Out of these monitors, only one is an IPS, so how are they better?
We just bumped the price from $850 to $950—an 11% jump. Did we actually get 11% more quality out of this build?

If you aren't chasing extreme overclocking, you don't need a high-end motherboard or a massive cooler. Honestly, even the GTX 760 originally in this rig will run everything fine.
In my book, paying extra $333 for marginal performance gains
isn't worth it. 1 x Gigabyte 990 XA-UD3, AM3+, AMD 990X SB950, 4x DDR3
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x MSI GTX 760 Gaming 2GB GDDR5, N760 TF 2GD5/OC, Dual-link DVI
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1 x XFX Core Edition 80+ 550W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Zalman Z3 PLUS mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x LG 23EA63V-P, 23", 16:9, 1920x1080, IPS panel, 250 cd/m2

$2682
Nothing worse than what McLovin put together for you.
a) The board has 8+2 phase regulation, which is plenty for overclocking, and the cooler handles the CPU heat just fine.
b) That power supply is basically a rebranded Seasonic with a 2-year warranty; you register it on the XFX site and get 5 years easily.

The GPU isn't far behind an R9 280X, but $167 the performance gap definitely doesn't justify the cost.

That’s my take. If you really want a 280X, grab this from Micro Center instead:
http://www.microcenter.com/product_info.php?c...52b296f2c6926c

But like I said, those performance gains don't justify $167 the extra cash.

You stay within budget and don't have to shell out $333 extra money.

EDIT

A build with identical performance to the Micro Center one is going to cost $50 more down the road.

Alexander Moore67 said:Actually, it’s more like $83.

🙄

Alexander Moore67 said:Grab the R9 280x. It costs a bit more, but the graphics are way better.

and it costs $167 more...🙄

Ryan Wilson7 said:Thanks, man. One more thing... I've always wondered, if I grab a mid-tower case, regardless of the brand, how do I know which power supply fits? I know it needs to be an ATX size, but are massive 1200W units the same physical size as a standard 600-700W one? Just curious, not planning on buying anything yet.

Basically, both ATX and Micro-ATX cases take standard ATX power supplies, and they're almost all the exact same dimensions.

As for wattage, you just pick based on what parts you're running or plan to run.

Zachary Young4 said:intel core i7-3770k - $844.57

gainward geforce gtx 660 golden sample gddr5 2gb - $1318.40

transcend ddr3 8gb 1600mhz memory - $517.64

chicony active 600W psu hpc600w-box - $393.42

msi 760gm-p23 motherboard - $341.32

total: $1138

If anyone can give me some feedback on this build, I'd appreciate it. The price is fine if it stays under $3,500.

Hard drive?
Case?
Power supply?
That motherboard is total junk... the only decent parts here are the CPU and GPU. You won't fit 8GB of RAM, that card, and the processor into $3,500 without the rest of the rig being complete garbage.

granitemoose16 said:so this AMD build paired with a 21-inch AOC monitor

It's fine, but just know you'll probably need an aftermarket cooler down the road.

crimsonstag84 said:It's 2014. Why bother building now if you're just going to buy everything fresh in March or whenever? 😉

+1 🙂