Gill01's Corner

I was just thinking back to that whole discussion about coffee when it was trending. Brian Campbell36 is the kind of guy 😁
I think quite a bit of it was overpriced because it was bought through that link

Sean Garcia3 said:If I am being completely honest with you, your entire build is fundamentally unoptimized. You have paired a high-end motherboard from $567 with a standard i5 processor that lacks even basic overclocking capabilities. Furthermore, you are running a 1000W Gold power supply—which is such extreme overkill that it borders on absurdity—likely at a price point nearly identical to the CPU itself. Then there is the matter of having only 16GB of RAM in what is supposed to be a gaming rig, coupled with two bottom-tier HD 7770 graphics cards which, quite frankly, represent the weakest link in this entire assembly. When you aggregate all these choices, the total cost reveals a configuration that would make anyone's head spin; had you actually built this according to proper logic, you could have had a much better machine, but instead, half of your budget is wasted on overpriced components that serve no meaningful purpose. 🤷

Come off with that, please. A "gaming configuration"? If you truly consider this setup capable of gaming, then 🙏

I am perfectly satisfied with these two 7770s; they perform adequately when working in tandem, and why on earth would I spend more $1167 on a graphics card?
As for the power supply, a friend of mine provided it to me; he opted for a different unit for his own needs.
Let’s be realistic: this processor handles all the recent hits for Next Game without any struggle, and I am certainly not foolish enough to drop massive amounts of $1000 on an Intel Core i7.

It appears that neither hardware nor software manufacturers are providing much support for this s.1155 socket anymore.

My final option is to order through an online retailer like Amazon; once I resolve the motherboard issue, I intend to pick up a 120GB SSD. Beyond that, I have no further requirements—I certainly don't need any high-end rigs costing upwards of $5000

Brian Campbell36 said:Come on, quit joking. What "gaming rig" are we even talking about if this is your idea of a gaming PC? 🙏

I'm actually pretty happy with these two 7770s; they run fine together, and honestly, why drop more $1167 on a GPU.
A buddy gave me the power supply since he picked out something else for himself.
As far as the CPU goes, it handles all those new big titles just fine—I'm not crazy enough to dump serious cash $1000 into a processor, especially an Intel Core i7.

It looks like there isn't any hardware or software left for this old s.1155 socket.

My last resort is grabbing stuff through an online retailer once I sort out the motherboard, then I'll grab a 120GB SSD. I don't need anything else; I'm not building some massive beast up to $5000

So, the whole point of a build is to play games, right?
You're overthinking this. I was the first one telling you from the jump not to swap out that processor. Fine, if your friend gave you a PSU, lucky you—if I had friends like that, 😁
I've been telling you since the start: instead of wasting money on a new CPU and motherboard, take that cash and put it toward a beefier dedicated graphics card, then sell these two. In my opinion, spending on a better GPU makes way more sense than upgrading the CPU.
I don't know why you're making this such a headache. Just order the board along with the SSD from Micro Center like we already recommended: and the SSD

Sean Garcia3 said:Isn't a PC build supposed to be about gaming performance?
Why are you making things difficult? I have been telling you from the very beginning not to swap out that processor. Fine, if a friend gave you a power supply, then I certainly wish I had friends like that. 😁
From our initial discussion, since you were considering moving to a new CPU and motherboard, my advice was to forgo that route entirely. Instead of wasting capital on a new processor, why not pivot those funds toward a more powerful dedicated graphics card and sell off your current two? In my estimation, investing in a superior GPU yields far better returns than chasing a new CPU.
I fail to see why there is such hesitation regarding the motherboard; simply order it alongside the SSD from Micro Center, just as we previously recommended. and the SSD

Fine, I will proceed with that, assuming they notify me by Monday if the MSI board is out of stock.
How long does shipping typically take? Since I am paying cash on delivery, will a courier deliver directly to my door, or am I expected to pick it up at the local post office?

Brian Campbell36 said:Fine, I'll take your word for it—assuming you don't tell me on Monday that the MSI board is out of stock.
How long does shipping actually take? I'm paying cash on delivery, so does the courier come straight to my house or am I stuck driving to the post office?

Honestly, skip that MSI board; it's garbage if you're trying to run Crossfire. Shipping is pretty quick though, usually shows up by the next day. Not 100% sure if they hit your doorstep or if you have to pick it up at the local FedEx, but I'm betting it's door-to-door.

Brian Campbell36 said:Fine, I'll take that deal, assuming they tell me Monday there's no MSI board left.
How long does shipping actually take? I'm paying cash on delivery—does a FedEx guy bring it to my door or am I trekking to the Post Office?

You can swap things out in your order regardless of what you already placed. As for shipping, it’s next-day delivery (unless you're out in some remote part of Alaska, then it takes longer). A courier brings it straight to your house.

Just pay the driver at the door and you're done. 🙂

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Regardless of what you have already placed in your cart, you can still modify the order; as for shipping, it should arrive the very next day (unless you happen to be out on some remote island, in which case it might take a bit longer), and a courier will deliver it directly to your door.

You simply pay the courier upon arrival and that settles the matter. 🙂

I went ahead and updated my shipping preferences, paused the processing at Micro Center, and decided to follow your advice by opting for the EVGA instead. 😁

My primary concern is ensuring I won't run into any technical headaches; I have always relied on ASUS motherboards in the past, so I can only hope that this new board doesn't start emitting white smoke once I have everything wired up and powered on.

The shipment is scheduled to arrive via FedEx this Tuesday, and I am planning to pick up a Samsung SSD to complete the build.

Brian Campbell36 said:I switched up my order. I canceled the one at the computer shop and went with your suggestion for the EVGA 😁
.
Just hoping this thing doesn't give me grief. I've always stuck with ASUS boards, so I'm praying I don't see any white smoke once everything is plugged in.

It’s arriving via FedEx on Tuesday. For the SSD, I was thinking about grabbing a Samsung
.

lol you'll be fine with the board
If I were you, I'd grab an Intel SSD. $17 It costs more, sure, but you get a 5-year warranty instead of Samsung's 3.

Setting warranties aside, I guess you could argue that Samsung just makes a better drive than Intel does.

If you're looking to boost performance, maybe grab a new 850 EVO click - hopefully they'll expand their stock at other retailers soon too.

Ryan Hayes82 said:Setting warranties aside, Samsung makes a better drive than Intel.

I never said it wasn't. Sure, Samsung is fast, but for a regular user? It’s not like you’ll actually feel the difference.

And there's still the warranty issue. Five years is five years. That's basically double what Samsung offers.🙂

Robert Rodriguez2 said:I didn't say it wasn't; a Samsung drive is undeniably fast, but for the average user, does that really matter? In my estimation, the difference isn't even palpable.

And then there is the matter of the warranty. Five years is five years, after all—that is nearly double what Samsung offers, wouldn't you agree?🙂

I am leaning toward Samsung, because when I am stuck waiting two months for a warranty claim to be resolved and my hardware fails, I can simply swap in a new SSD and get back to business without delay.🍿

Looking at these boards, it seems the EVGA Z77 Extreme 6 is a step above the EVGA Extreme 4.

However, it appears to be out of stock. From what I have gathered in various reviews, the EVGA Extreme 4 is actually quite excellent for overclocking and similar pursuits—reaching RAM speeds of 2800+—whereas people seem to run into significant issues with that MSI Z77 G43 I almost purchased.

Regardless, I will be selling this 7770 soon to upgrade to a more powerful single card, though I certainly refuse to drop any serious $1167 on a GPU like a GTX 970 or its equivalents.

Brian Campbell36 said:I'm leaning toward Samsung, mostly because of the warranty. If I have to wait two months for them to fix an issue, I'll just pop in a new SSD and call it a day. 🍿

Looking at this EVGA Z77 Extreme 6, it seems a bit better than the EVGA Extreme 4.

That said, it’s hard to find. From what I've read in reviews, the EVGA Extreme 4 is actually great for overclocking and stuff—RAM can hit 2800+. On the other hand, people seem to run into plenty of issues with that MSI Z77 G43 I almost bought.

Anyway, I'm going to sell this 7770 soon and upgrade to a more powerful single card, though I won't be dropping any serious $1167 on a GPU like a GTX 970 or anything similar.

the GTX 970 is about $833

Samsung also offers a 5-year warranty on their 850 series

I am currently diving deeper into the technical specifics regarding this EVGA Z77 Extreme 4 motherboard.

Users are reporting significant issues, which is the last thing I need right now;

"I ran Windows 7 x64 without any trouble, but once I installed Service Pack 1, neither the BIOS nor the motherboard would recognize my hard drive.
I tried reseating all the cables, and while they were recognized again, the system refused to boot, throwing a REGISTRY_CORRUPT error instead."

"EVGA boards seem to suffer from USB instability, sluggish performance, and occasional spontaneous reboots where the screen just stays black... I'm not entirely sure what the root cause is yet."

"The Z77 Extreme 4 features inferior power regulation compared to its competitors; despite claims, it functions more like a 4+1 phase setup rather than 8+2, and uses an analog rather than a digital regulation system. Furthermore, it relies on D-PAK Mosfet components which are outdated and prone to higher temperatures than modern alternatives."

"I bought this board brand new from a local retailer. It worked fine for about six months using the stock cooler. However, the moment I swapped it out for a Cooler Master Grand Kamma Cross, everything went south.
The system became completely unusable. I tested the cooler, took it back for a warranty claim, dealt with endless headaches, scoured forums for advice, and searched through Google, but found nothing helpful. I suspected the cooler was at fault, but in the end, this piece of junk motherboard was the culprit.
There were no visible contact issues under the board or anything like that. The team over at Cooler Master even sent me a Cooler Master Universal Retention kit at their own expense, but it didn't fix a thing.
Once I finally pulled off the cooler and the CPU, I saw the real issue: there is a missing pin in the socket."

It is particularly shocking to me that a missing pin in the socket was the underlying issue. 🙂

I really should have just gone with that reliable ASUS P8Z77-V LK instead of ending up with a dead socket. 🍿

I can already see that this situation is going to be an absolute disaster.

Brian Campbell36 said:So I'm doing a deep dive into this EVGA Z77 Extreme 4

People are having some serious issues with this thing, just what I needed;

"I booted up Windows 7 x64 just fine, but after installing Service Pack 1, neither the BIOS nor the motherboard would recognize the HDD.
I tried unplugging and replugging all the cables, and while it recognized it again, it wouldn't boot and kept throwing a REGISTRY_CORRUPT error."

"EVGA boards have USB issues, stuttering, random reboots, and sometimes they just refuse to post... I don't even know exactly what the common thread is anymore."

"The Z77 Extreme 4 has worse power delivery than the competition—it's actually more like 4+1 instead of 8+2, and uses analog regulation rather than digital. It also uses older D-PAK Mosfet components that run hotter compared to the newer stuff."

"Bought this board brand new at a local shop. Ran it for about 6 months on the stock cooler with zero issues. Decided to swap in a Cooler Master Grand Kamma Cross, and suddenly everything went south.
Just constant BS; I couldn't get anything done on the PC. I tested the cooler, took it back for a warranty claim, dealt with a bunch of headaches, searched forums, asked Google, but nothing helped. I suspected the cooler, but it turns out this junk board was the culprit all along.
No contact underneath the board or anything like that. The folks over at Cooler Master even sent me a Cooler Master Universal Retention kit at their own expense, but it didn't fix a thing.
Took off the cooler and the CPU, and what do I see? A bent pin in the socket."

That last part really caught me off guard—finding a missing pin in the socket. 🙂

I should've just gone with that budget-friendly ASUS P8Z77-V LK instead of dealing with a dead socket now. 🍿

I can already see where this is going... total fireworks.

You won't find a single component online that doesn't have someone complaining about it, but that doesn't mean they're all garbage. You keep bringing up how those ASUS boards have gold-plated PCBs, but you've used one of their high-end models before—the kind you least expect issues from given the price tag—and even yours crapped out on you. $567
Every batch has its share of duds, so don't sweat it too much; there's plenty of good stuff written about these boards too. Just a bit of advice: "Don't judge a book by its cover"—wait, wrong saying—basically, don't knock something until you've actually used it. Form an opinion after you've had hands-on experience instead of jumping to conclusions.

Sean Garcia3 said:If you look online, you will find someone complaining about every single component ever made, but does that mean every single unit is flawed? Not necessarily. You keep bringing up those ASUS boards and their gold-plated traces, yet you seem to have had issues with one of their own boards from $567—an item where one would least expect failure given the premium price point. And yet, there you go, facing another malfunction.
Naturally, every industry has its share of bad actors, so don't let that get to you; there is plenty of positive feedback regarding those boards out there if you look. I will leave you with a bit of wisdom: "Don't judge a book by its cover." You should wait until you have actually used a board before passing judgment; why conclude anything prematurely?

I understand your point, but while a component from $1667 might occasionally cause a user grief, discovering a missing pin in the socket is unequivocally a manufacturing defect, not user error.

I have waited forty days just for the opportunity to finally build this PC, and now it appears I am already hunting for my next motherboard.

Furthermore, we are dealing with hardware here, not some abstract digital concept.

A motherboard from $333 simply shouldn't be constructed from such fragile materials that they snap like sugar glass.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/...board_review/6
Check out the review over at PCMag. They tend to be a bit more objective with their testing.

Alexander Moore67 said:http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/...board_review/6
Check out some US tech outlets instead; if you read the full reviews there, you'll find they tend to be much more objective.

I follow your logic, but I fail to see how manufacturers can simply decide a socket lacks pins and then attempt to sell motherboards with a built-in handicap? Why would they price them at $33 instead of closer to $333, especially when just two years ago, the cost was roughly $433 🤔
?
Is it not precisely because of these inconsistencies that ASUS released various versions like the Extreme series—the Extreme 3, 4, 6, and so on?

Man, I seriously can't wait for that GPU to arrive so you can finally see everything's working fine and stop being such a nitpicker.