Posts by Patrick Harris8

Hey there,
I’m looking for some guidance on putting together a PC build—just the tower itself, since I don't need any peripherals. My main goal is 3D modeling work, specifically using CATIA, SolidWorks, and AutoCAD.
Beyond the workstation stuff, I’ll be doing a bit of casual gaming on the side.
I play a little bit of everything, though I’m certainly not looking for a machine that needs to crank everything out on ultra settings.

In terms of architecture, my preference would be an Intel/Nvidia combo—though, if you think an AMD/Nvidia setup might actually offer better bang for my buck, I'm definitely open to suggestions.

I already have an SSD on hand, so we don't need to factor that into the budget. You could throw a 120 GB Kingston V300 in the list just to keep things complete, but it isn't strictly necessary.

The draft I've been playing around with so far looks something like $1500,

Here’s the breakdown of what I've put together:

Intel Core i5 4460 Socket 1150; $491
ASUS B85M-G, socket 1150; $160
Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce GTX 960, 2GB DDR5; $563
Corsair 8GB, DDR3, (2x4GB), 1600MHz CL9; $145
XFX 550 W power supply, 120mm/135mm fan; $153
Zalman Z1; $94
Total: $1607
I feel like this covers the basics, but I'd love some help refining it. 😁

I could really use some help here,
I'm putting together a PC build with a budget of roughly $500—give or take $45.
Here’s what I’m weighing up:
Which of these graphics cards should I go with? I'll list the lowest prices I found on Newegg for each specific model.
EVGA AMD Radeon R9 270 2 GB GDDR5- $424;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2 GB GDDR5 (the Gigabyte version isn't the cheapest option—Palit is actually the best deal right now $412)- $445;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 2 GB GDDR5- $323;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB GDDR5 (again, Gigabyte isn't the budget pick here—Gainward is the cheapest $383)- $415.

They're all hovering around similar price points, and I've been checking out the performance gaps on Geekbench.
Beyond just playing some lighter games—not looking for maxed-out settings, mind you—I also need this machine to handle CAD-CAM software. That’s a pretty big factor for me!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on which one to grab... and if you know of any other cards that might fit the bill, please don't hesitate to suggest them.
This budget covers the entire tower itself, so everything should fit within that $1167 range (just to be clear, I'm not including a monitor, mouse, or keyboard).

McLovin, thanks so much for the comment and the recommendation.

Thanks for all the feedback,
fadedorca66—that power supply comes bundled with the case, which explains why the total price is $83 so high.
If I tried to buy a separate power supply and a standalone case, I’d end up spending at least $117 for both items combined—whether I went with what I found or followed your suggestion plus a case for about $133... and honestly, that’s just pushing me way past my budget.
Does the specific case actually matter for a build like this? I was thinking maybe I could just score an old tower on Craigslist, or even try to squeeze some life out of this ancient case I've had sitting around since 2002. My main priority is just making sure the components aren't too noisy. And, of course, I'd love a case that doesn't act like a vacuum cleaner for dust—though I know, let's be real, there's always going to be some dust eventually...
So, those are the lingering questions on my mind.
P.S. Any chance you guys have other recommendations? Maybe something featuring Intel processors or anything else you'd suggest?
HP Smart
crimsonstag84, thanks for the configuration! I actually posted my reply at the exact same time, so I completely missed yours. 😁

I was wondering if you all could help me put together a build within the budget mentioned in the title, plus maybe an extra $33 at most—so let's say a hard limit of $467.

Since I'm based in Chicago, getting my hands on parts shouldn't be much of an issue.
I need this machine for work using a software called Synesis—it's an accounting program—and it seems to be quite demanding on the processor. I actually took a look at my current setup to see what hits the CPU hardest when everything is running. Aside from that, it'll mostly just be web browsing and Zoom, but keep in mind it’s going to be running for long stretches!

I've already been scouting out some components and landed on this specific configuration, but I'd love to get your take on it:

Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33, socket 1150, supports up to 1600MHz DDR3 ATX;
Processor: Intel Celeron G1840 2.80GHz 2MB Cache, 2 Cores;
Hard Drive: WD Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX, 500GB, SATA3, 7200rpm, 16MB cache, 3.5
RAM: Kingston RAM 4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz, CL11
Case & PSU: NZXT H81M-E33 Case, 400W 12cm NVT-601-400

I pulled these prices from Best Buy, though I know some individual shops might have better deals on certain parts.

There are a couple of things about this build that have me second-guessing myself:
Does it even make sense to go with 1600MHz RAM if my processor only supports up to 1333MHz? (My apologies if that's more of a motherboard limitation than a CPU one...)
Also, this power supply that comes with the case doesn't carry any official rating—like 80+ Bronze or anything similar—so I'm a bit worried about whether it's reliable enough.

Hopefully, I've explained everything clearly enough.
I'm also open to picking up some used parts on eBay or Craigslist if that makes sense...
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can toss my way.

Could I get an estimate on this ancient machine?

Motherboard: ASUS P45 Motherboard, Dual Channel DDR3;
Graphics card: integrated on the motherboard.;
Processor: Intel Celeron 2.4 GHz;
Hard Drive: 80 GB Seagate, 7200 RPM ST380011A;
RAM: 768 MB Kingmax Dual Channel DDR3 plus some other stick I can't quite identify; speaking of RAM, I actually have another computer from that same era with a 2 GB Dual Channel DDR3 stick—so if you think it helps, I could probably toss that extra module in there.
Power Supply: Dell Precision;
Optical Drives: one DVD burner, a second DVD-only reader, and even a floppy drive.
Cooling: Cooler Master fans—one for the CPU and another 80mm fan, if I remember correctly, just to keep the airflow moving a bit faster.
The case? Honestly, I’m not sure who manufactured it, but it’s a large unit with four HDD bays, four optical drive slots, and two for floppies.

It’s running Windows XP Professional and hasn't given me any trouble at all. For the last three or four years, it hasn't even really been used—before that, it was mostly just for surfing the web and playing those old-school Windows games, you know, things like Mahjong or Solitaire...
Along with the PC, I'm also selling a 17-inch Belinea monitor, Model no: 10 17 10.

As for that other computer I mentioned, I can't give you the exact specs right this second since I'm looking to sell that one too.

Anyway, I hope this is detailed enough for you all to give me some kind of ballpark figure. 😁
Thanks in advance! 😁

So, here’s my situation—I’m a newcomer to the world of nickel allergies. I wasn't entirely sure if this thread was still active, but I figured I’d reach out to those of you who are walking the same path to share a few details and, hopefully, get some advice on how to protect myself. Right now, it’s hitting my hands—specifically, both of my thumbs are dealing with contact dermatitis. From what I’ve gathered reading through previous posts, it starts with these tiny little blisters, and then the skin begins to warp, eventually leading to open sores in those spots. It’s quite a process. My doctor recommended using a plain, neutral base cream, so that’s what I’ve been applying to my hands. I also try to wear cotton gloves from time to time—mostly when I know I’ll be handling metal that might have nickel in it. Since my issue is specifically contact dermatitis, I haven't gone overboard with dietary restrictions just yet—partly because, honestly, if I followed every single rule, I wouldn't know what was left to eat! But I am curious: should I be looking into changing my diet at all? I’ve done a bit of digging into food sources, but everywhere I look, the lists are just endless "don'ts." If I cut everything out, what am I actually supposed to eat? If anyone has any practical suggestions on nutrition or ways to manage this, I would truly appreciate the help... 😢

Hey everyone, I’ve run into a bit of a situation here and I’m feeling a little frantic... To get straight to the point, I set up a login password for my Windows system, but when I went to restart and actually test if I remembered it correctly, it just kept telling me the password was wrong. I have no idea what happened—did I misspell something? Did it just not save? Does anyone have any experience dealing with this kind of lockout? It's a Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate machine. I would really appreciate some help if anyone has a solution, this is pretty urgent for me... Note to self: never, ever set a Windows password again.

Jonathan Morris40 said:Which web browser are you using?

I'm currently running Firefox—is there some specific reason why that would matter?

Help needed—could someone please explain why my playback keeps stuttering? It happens whenever I’m listening to music or watching videos on YouTube; as soon as I scale up the resolution, things start lagging. No matter what quality setting I pick, the video just freezes for a second every three seconds or so. It’s incredibly frustrating... Since I'm running Windows 7, I figured this was the right place to ask. Any advice at all? Thanks so much...