If you're looking for a workstation setup, why not stick with something tried and true? You could grab an H81 board like the ones on $100 along with some DDR3 memory... everything works perfectly there, and it's super affordable for programming tasks. It should be just fine...
What's the actual benefit of switching to DDR4 for your specific needs?
Your monitor died—specifically the power supply, likely the inverter... If you’re looking to fix it yourself, try searching eBay for the specific power board model number for your monitor. It should cost about $67... That is, if you're lucky enough that your monitor uses two separate boards: one for power and another for the actual display logic. This works for LCD monitors, but if you're dealing with an old CRT... that's a whole different story. It's still probably the power supply... but everything is integrated onto a single board. At that point, ordering parts from eBay probably isn't worth it; you're better off just taking it to a local repair shop somewhere...
I think you’re going to need a beefier processor. I'm not totally convinced the 840k can really push an R9 380 to its full potential here...
Maybe look into an 860k or an 870k instead...
Also, that Intertech power supply isn't going to cut it for a card like that. You definitely need something more reliable. Someone actually recommended a Seasonic 650W Silver for an R9 280...
So, you'll probably end up spending a few extra bucks on top of what you're already looking at.
swiftfalcon89 said:Why on earth would you need a 700W power supply for that setup? A high-quality 500W unit is plenty... something like a Fortron Hyper 500 with a 60-month warranty. If you really want more headroom for future upgrades, just grab the Fortron Raider 650w
A solid 500W unit costs more than those 700W ones anyway... and I assume these aren't total junk... but if something fails or I add another GPU later, God help me...🙂
That Fortron is almost $210 including shipping, I think? It has a 5-year warranty, which is great...
Solid CPU. Great if you want to overclock, but it doesn't have integrated graphics...
Same goes for this one
Good processor. Uses half the power of the ones mentioned above, and it actually has decent built-in graphics. You might even be able to sell your old GPU if it isn't vital for your software...
That would run you about $1200...$433
Add an SSD for $100 on top of that (plus your old hard drives, a case—there are new ones for $42, and a power supply)
The downside to this platform is there's no room for upgrades later, but it offers a lot right out of the gate. For $400, you basically have a rock-solid machine...
fadedeagle5 said:Maybe around $333 to start, then I’ll upgrade whatever else needs doing once I have more cash. For now, I just want to beef this thing up as much as possible...
Motherboard: Sapphire PC-AM2RX790
What you've got is pretty dated. If you're planning on sticking with it, just upgrade the RAM and the CPU (check what the board actually supports). Look for used parts, obviously, since you can't find anything new anymore...
That might land you somewhere around $333, maybe a bit more... Put your OS and main programs on the SSD; that’s the best way to get a massive speed boost out of that motherboard...
Your current CPU can be overclocked, but honestly, it might be worth swapping the power supply for something beefier too. Age catches up to everything...
Performance-wise, your processor is currently sitting below an Intel Celeron G1840, which is roughly $120. Here’s how they stack up
Nice setup. That quad-core processor and GPU combo is solid, and the power draw is low... My advice? Throw in another 4GB of RAM to get it running in dual channel. It’ll really let the whole system breathe... that would be an extra $58... if you don't mind installing it right away...
So if the graphics are built-in, it's basically the same thing?
I think the AMD A8-7600 is a 65W processor, so it shouldn't pull much power or run too hot... plus, you get the integrated graphics included, and the whole thing is priced like a bargain at 860k...
Look, that integrated graphics will work on an APU with the 1600MHz RAM he’s got right now. It won't be amazing compared to a dedicated card, but it'll run. He could always just sell his old RAM and pick up some faster sticks... there are plenty of ways to go about this.
If he really wants an upgrade, he could grab a pentium 4 and a GPU immediately so he can just play games and get things done... but for $100, he could get an 860k plus a card, which is a much more permanent solution.
The whole point of putting a better graphics card in a 7870 APU is that in two or three years, that integrated chip won't have enough power anymore, and then you'll be forced to upgrade to something stronger anyway...
If we're talking used cards, you can actually find an HD 4870 with 1GB DDR5 or a gtx 560 with DDR3 for $67 (which is insane). As long as you're sticking to DirectX 10, those cards are absolute beasts... they'll tear through everything. They do pull a bit more power, maybe 150-200W alone...
And honestly, my best advice? He doesn't need to drop 860k for $200. I'd recommend an i3 from $333 or even an i5 from $500 😵. With a budget of $1333 including a monitor, that's basically $1000 without
Look, folks, there’s no such thing as "long term" in this game... DDR lasted a while, then came DDR2, then 5G, now we've got DDR3, and DDR4 is already knocking at the door... Every single jump means brand new motherboards and new CPU sockets too... Just keep upgrading as you go.
If you grab an APU today, you're set for about 5 years... It'll handle Microsoft Office and multimedia just fine, and for gaming, all you'll need to do is swap out the graphics card... You can play everything out there right now, and in 2 or 3 years, you'll still be able to run some casual titles and whatever new stuff comes out... things that still run like a dream.🙂
It’s nice to dream about an Intel Core i5, but that thing is sitting around $150...$433For that kind of cash, you could get an Intel Core i3 and a decent graphics card instead... An i3 isn't perfect, but at least you aren't overspending...$333
I have a few PCs lying around, and honestly, most upgrades boil down to just two things: adding more RAM or grabbing a better graphics card. I’ve spent about $333 on new processors over the years, and every single one of those setups managed to pull at least 4-5 FPS...
So, I don't really buy into all that hype about massive system overhauls... Take an 860 or a 7870; those CPUs can handle at least 3 FPS, maybe even more if you're playing something lighter and less demanding. If they go with a DDR3 motherboard now, they'll just have to swap it out during the next upgrade anyway. Grab a different CPU and you're set. That's how you actually do it. You can always run Microsoft Office and multimedia fine with those processors... For gaming, having a decent GPU paired with an i3 or i5 is way better than just relying on integrated graphics... And if you pair some old RAM with an 860, you could even pick up a decent graphics card for the same price difference as moving to an i3—not to mention the jump to an i5.
If you start with an i3, the only real move is upgrading to an i5, and then you're done.
I haven't seen a GeForce GTX 260X used in any build... I have no idea why people even bring it up.
Why is the APU a dead end? Because the APU was specifically designed as a platform likely intended for the PS4 and other consoles, and that's the version being sold to PC users. It does its job well right now for a low price, but eventually, different rules and requirements will take over, which is why the platform is being phased out. The next APU will be cheaper, more powerful, and represent a huge leap forward—maybe even developed for the PS5 or whatever comes next. There's no point in dragging along old designs and compatibility issues when they'll just hold back new development and performance.
Instead of an Intel Core i3 from $333, I’d honestly rather go with an AMD A10. It’s got decent integrated graphics built right in, and it can handle everything else without breaking a sweat... or maybe grab an 860k and just pick up a used graphics card for around 400-$167... obviously, you’d want to pair it with 2x4GB of some fast DDR3 RAM and an FM2+ motherboard, then you could swap out the rest easily... or if you go the 860k route, you could just reuse your old 4GB 1600 DDR3 stick and eventually pick up another one just like it