Posts by mellowtiger83

With the GTX 750, you can push the core clock past 1300MHz and get the memory up to roughly 5000-5200. That’s about where you'll hit the ceiling.

Maria Brown76 said:What kind of overclock did you manage on that GTX 750?
The GTX 750Ti is obviously superior to both, but then again, it carries a higher price tag of $67. My budget for a GPU is capped at $300 🙂
. My processor is already overclocked to 3.5GHz.

I used to own a 750Ti; I can't recall the exact specs, but I know it was quite significant.🙂 I've cycled through plenty of cards over the years. Since you're working with a tight budget, grab an R7 260X—maybe an OC version—or keep an eye on eBay for a GTX 750Ti; you might find one at a decent price that still includes a warranty and a software bundle. For that amount of money, if you know how to haggle, you could even snag a 270X🙂, or perhaps a 7850 or 7870. Your power supply should handle any of those; Cooler Master is a reliable brand.

I personally have a Gigabyte 7790 OC version for $193. It's essentially just an R7 260X under a different label.

Your power supply should handle both cards without much trouble. Personally, I’d go with the GTX 750; it runs significantly cooler, which allows for better overclocking—I've actually tested this myself. Specifically, if you can grab the MSI version, the GTX 750 Ti would be an even sharper choice.

Bump that processor up to 3.4GHz. That ought to be plenty to keep pace with either card.

Leave it open if you don't have anyone poking at the internals—kids, for instance, much like my own—and if the visual aspect doesn't bother you too much.🙂 Or, if you're working with a poorly designed case that lacks adequate ventilation, then opening it up becomes an absolute necessity.

It would be more prudent to opt for 4GB of RAM and allocate the remaining budget toward a superior processor or perhaps a better graphics card. In my estimation, 4GB remains perfectly sufficient for most tasks at present; should a deficit ever arise, one simply installs an additional module and the matter is resolved.

Alternatively, one could maintain the current CPU and GPU configuration but swap out the HDD for an SSD, provided there isn't a pressing need for massive storage capacity—which I am certain is not the case here. One can always just plug in an external USB drive down the road if necessary.

I suspect those four pins didn't quite seat properly for you. When they finally drop into place, you should hear a distinct click. Before you even attempt the installation, rotate those dials at the top to the left. Once that's done, align all four gently over the holes and press them down one by one until they click. After everything is seated, just rotate the dials back to the right.

Open up the case and confirm whether the fan is actually spinning. If it isn't, check if the fan cable is properly seated into the motherboard. Assuming everything there is fine, then the heatsink likely isn't making proper contact with the processor. Give it a little nudge by hand; it needs to be perfectly, firmly secured.

If everything looks correct, just pull the heatsink off and swap out the thermal paste. Clean off whatever old residue is left using a cloth—do this for both the processor and the heatsink—then apply a very thin layer of new paste over the entire surface of the CPU. Reassemble everything, plug the cooler back into the motherboard pin, and it should be fine.

I attempted to score an NVIDIA GTX 760 through a trade, but it didn't quite pan out, haha.

Problem solved. I tried messing with the BIOS and even swapped it into a different rig, but nothing worked. Finally took it back to Best Buy and they approved a replacement. They’re actually pretty familiar with this specific issue. Since I picked it up used, I'm just glad the warranty actually held up.

According to the guys at Best Buy, the card was throwing out insufficient voltage levels, which triggered some kind of safe mode or whatever. Typical.

The new Sapphire card is running like an absolute beast.🙂

There’s actually a switch right by the CrossFire connector on the card. According to the official site, it toggles between BIOS and Legacy mode. I haven't touched it—it's set to Legacy mode by default—but I suppose it's possible that could be a factor here.

Benjamin King2? I feel like calling you in 🙂. Perhaps you have some insight into what I'm dealing with. I've been scouring international forums, and apparently, this entire R9 lineup is plagued by these kinds of issues regardless of which manufacturer you go with. It seems like Gaibward is the only one immune to it.

So, here is the situation. I pull out the old card, make sure to scrub all the old drivers first, then pop in the new Radeon card and boot up into macOS.

Next, I install the latest drivers and reboot. Right after the macOS logo appears, I get hit with a black screen. I try restarting, going into Safe Mode, wiping the drivers, and trying different versions—same result. Just a black screen. Tried a few different driver sets, nothing works. Hmm.

The GPU seems fine in Safe Mode or when running without drivers in macOS. I have already updated to the latest BIOS, and the power supply isn't the issue; I am using an EVGA 430W. The indicator lights on the card are glowing green.

I attempted to disable the AMD startup via msconfig, but no luck. I also tried switching between HDMI, DVI, and VGA, but the outcome is always the same. The system boots perfectly fine, but once that OS logo hits, the screen goes black.

The motherboard is an ECS Z77 and the CPU is an Intel Core i5-2400. Honestly, I am at a loss. I even went into the BIOS and set the PCI-E settings to default, but it changed nothing.

Does anyone have a solution? Both 6-pin connectors are plugged in securely.

I noticed there are plenty of people asking about the R9 series on some US forums.

Here is a quick breakdown for an appraisal, please. It’s half new, half used🙂.

Zalman z1 mid Tower Seasonic 430 w 80
Seasonic 430w 80+ bronze.
Esc z77h2-a3 Intel I5 2400 3.1
Intel i5 2400 3.1ghz
4gb kingstone HyperX 1600 MHz
HyperX 1600 MHz Saphire R9 270 x toxic
Samsung SSD evo basic 120gb

I wouldn't let it go for anything less than $3,800 right now, given what I can ask for it.

Benjamin King2 said:That PSU should handle an NVIDIA GTX 580 in SLI without breaking a sweat, so power isn't really a concern; there's plenty of headroom for a 280. With decent cooling, you could likely push it to 3.5 GHz quite easily—even higher if it's a D0 stepping model. I have to ask, though, why buy this? For that kind of cash, you could probably find a used i5-2500K setup instead.

An offer was made. I need to weigh my options. I will attempt to negotiate a lower price. Appreciate the input.

LP Records,

I have an offer on the table for this specific CPU paired with an ASUS Sabertoth motherboard and 12GB of triple-channel RAM for $567.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts regarding this processor—specifically its performance compared to modern CPUs, its overclocking potential, and any particular technical details one should watch out for.

I plan to pair it with an AMD Radeon R9 280; I wonder how that combination will behave, assuming the CPU provides sufficient headroom.

The reviews available online are quite dated and frankly aren't very relevant anymore, given they mostly date back to 2009 or 2010.

Jesse Williams13 said:To whom it may concern,

Since I’ve had this PC for about six years now, it isn't running my games quite the way I’d prefer. My main game is World of Tanks, so I am looking for some advice on what to swap out—ideally the cheapest route possible—to refresh this rig.
I considered swapping the motherboard and the CPU, but I am uncertain how much of an impact that would actually make. I would appreciate any suggestions on what to change to get the most bang for my buck.
The specs are:
Intel e8400 3.0
Gigabyte EP45-DS3
Ati hd 4870 512mb
2x2gb RAM Kingmax

Thanks in advance.

Don't change anything. You still have a decent setup. Maybe pick up an SSD if you must. That processor of yours is easy enough to overclock to the moon, and frankly, a dual-core is still holding its own for now.
Once you overclock that chip, it’ll run faster than a modern Pentium.🙂

If you really want a new GPU, look for a GTX 650 or an R7 770.
You can probably find them cheap on eBay, though I suspect an SSD would be your best upgrade; it'll serve you well even when you eventually build a new machine.

Keith Wright2 said:The reason is simple: that processor is powerful enough to handle pretty much any graphics card you'd want to throw at it—aside from those absolute monsters like an R9 295x2 or a Titan Black, which, let's be honest, none of us could actually afford anyway. It runs much cooler than the AMD FX-8320, too. You won't even need to waste money on an expensive cooler, saving you some extra cash $83. Plus, it works with much cheaper motherboards, allowing you to save at least $83 compared to what you'd spend on an FX-8320, money that can go straight toward a better GPU. Personally, I’d take the Intel Core i5-3350P paired with an NVIDIA GTX 770 over an AMD FX-8320 and an R9 270x/280 any day. You’re going to have to replace the CPU eventually anyway, and this one will stay relevant for the next four years. Why not put that budget into a stronger graphics card now?
Besides, if you're dealing with local shops here in Washington, D.C., they'll assemble everything for you for free and offer free home delivery with cash on delivery. If you're nearby, you can even just walk into the store yourself. You really don't want to be ordering from some random overseas vendor thinking you're getting a deal, only to realize you've inherited a nightmare with the warranty. If a component fails, you'll have to ship everything back across the ocean and deal with endless procedures that could take forever.

I agree. Plus, it draws less power than the AMD chips.

Larry Ortiz5 makes a valid point.

With 1066MHz memory, you could probably overclock the thing to the moon. Besides, you’ve got plenty of memory on hand; you aren't going to notice much of a difference sticking with 8GB of RAM.

I’m not entirely certain on this, though I assume those non-gaming versions operate differently. From what I gather, you would need a PCIe 16x riser adapter to make it work. Perhaps someone here has more expertise on the matter.

It’s useless for gaming. If I recall correctly, you'd actually need to pick up a PCI-E 8x to 16x adapter. Those PCI-E x series cards are built exclusively for professional workstations, not for gaming setups. Perhaps someone here knows more than I do.

One card, without question