Kajper's Info Corner

Do you shop at Micro Center? I’ve swung by their store a few times now, and every single time I end up dealing with the same guy—this semi-grayed dude who just doesn't seem to have any energy. Honestly, you need serious patience to deal with him; he barely says a word, so you practically have to pull information out of him tooth and nail. If you happen to run into him, you might want to brace yourself for a bit of a struggle 😍

Larry Ortiz5 said:Do you shop at AMD? I stopped by their store a few times and every single time I ran into this one guy who seemed totally checked out. Like, halfway asleep. You need serious patience to deal with him; he barely even talks, so you have to practically pull words out of his mouth. If you happen to run into him, just be ready to sweat it out. 😍

Do I really have to go there?
I mean, I just sent them what I wanted, they agreed, and then they ship it. Isn't that how it works? 😕

Besides, they can't be any worse than those folks downtown... I could tell you stories about how much they made my shopping trip a nightmare.

It’ll work out—don't sweat it too much. I mean, how would you even pay? Are you planning to settle up when the package arrives at your door, or are you actually going to walk into a Best Buy and try to pay for a computer in person?

Larry Ortiz5 said:It’ll work out, don't sweat it. I mean, how else would you pay? You gonna hand over cash when the delivery guy shows up, or walk into Best Buy to pay for a laptop in person?

Dunno... haven't really thought that far ahead yet. I was just planning on doing it all online.

Rachel Jones8 said:I was just looking at the AMD site. Since that's such huge info, I figured it would all be listed right there.

I didn't realize. I thought if it just said FM, then that's it—if it said Intel Core i3, then that's what you go with.
There's no way to know... if they tell you to check the socket type, and there's only one option anyway.
Ugh... now what? Should I just ignore the difference of $33 or email them again for a new quote? I'm already annoying myself... imagine how you guys feel.
If I stick with the more expensive one... will it actually run cooler or quieter than the one you suggested? If those extra $33 make even a tiny difference in noise or heat, maybe I'll just leave it as is...
I'm basically asking myself here... but if anyone else has the energy... 😉

Zac mentioned something about dual-channel memory.
In your first suggestion, you proposed
2 x DDR3 2048MB ( 2GB ) Kingston Technology, 1600MHz, Value
Does that have anything to do with it? If that was the better move, why did you change it later?

Can you see the dust? 😂 You should've looked before I vacuumed. 😁
It was just some dust.
Am I changing the thermal paste? 😕 Where, when, why, how...
I know I'll regret it—this thing has been running in the dust for nearly 10 years without fresh paste or any cleaning spray...
Anyway, why would I even bother doing that on an old PC if I'm buying a new one?
(but thanks for the tip... obviously I'll look into what to do with the paste when the time comes...)

Look, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 is a better cooler. It has more surface area, and the metal heatsink is bigger than the Zalman one. But at stock speeds, it won't matter to you—maybe a degree or two. Better save that $33 in your pocket. 🙂

I went with 2x2GB because the APU (that 5600K) actually benefits from dual-channel mode. The downside is you're stuck for future upgrades; you'd have to sell the old RAM to add more. A single 1x4GB stick is plenty for now, and if you want to upgrade later, you'll at least have the option since the board only has 2 slots. 🙂

Rachel Jones8 said:I don't know... I haven't gotten to that part yet. I was thinking about doing it online.

Use online banking—you can make a one-time payment without any hassle. You'll still get two packages delivered to your door. One box has the built PC, the other is just the component packaging. Plus, if you spend over $2,000, shipping is free, so don't sweat that.

Or just do COD. The mailman drops off the computer at your house, you hand him the cash, and you're done.😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Look, the Cooler Master 212 is actually the better cooler here. It’s got more surface area, and that metal heatsink is bigger than the Zalman one. But honestly, if you're just running stock speeds, does it even matter? You might see a degree or two difference at most... better just keep those extra $33 in your 🙂 pocket instead.

What about the noise level though?

I went with 2x2 GB because an APU (that 5600K) really benefits from dual-channel memory. The downside is your upgrade path is pretty tight—you'd have to sell the old RAM to add more later. A single 4GB stick should be plenty for now, and since the motherboard only has two slots, it at least gives you the option to upgrade later without having to ditch what you already bought. If you go with 1x4, you've got that flexibility without the hassle of selling stuff first, especially since there are only 2 slots on the board 🙂.

Now this is a language I speak. And I'm assuming you were trying to make the second version even better than the first (not worse).
My current PC is about 10 years old. I bought it pre-built... it was one of the top picks in a Google selection of maybe 30 or 50 computers. They promised it would be great for upgrading... but after nine years, I haven't touched it once. At this point, I just need something that doesn't freeze up, keeps video playback smooth, and lets me open a basic document or a webpage without waiting half an hour. (Though my internet speed is trash too, so that's part of it... hopefully that gets faster eventually).
If this suggested build is better than what I could get for $1000 (since I need to budget about $133 for a case and a card reader which aren't included in the pre-built deals), and if what you've proposed—regardless of which cooler I pick, maybe the pricier one just because I don't feel like hunting for a third quote—actually does what I need it to do, then I'm happy.
Thanks again. 🙂

Rachel Jones8 said:What about noise levels?

Now we’re talking. I assume you tried to improve things in this version rather than making them worse.
My current rig is basically a relic at ten years old. I bought it pre-built... it was one of the top picks from the Microsoft selection of maybe 30 or 50 machines. They promised it would be easy to upgrade, but honestly, I haven't touched the internals once in nearly a decade. At this point, I just need something that doesn't sound like a jet engine, won't freeze during videos, and can actually open a basic webpage or document without taking forever. (Though my internet speed is trash too, which probably helps the lag... hopefully that gets better eventually.)
If what you're suggesting—regardless of which cooler I pick, though maybe the pricier one just because I don't feel like hunting for a third quote—actually handles what I need, then I'm happy.
Thanks again. 🙂

It'll handle the workload easily. As for noise, Zalman is quieter; Cooler Master hits about 36db, while Zalman stays around 32 according to the official specs 🙂.

Rachel Jones8 said:Would an i3 or i5 be any better? I mean, maybe, but nobody even suggested those builds—just Celerons and Pentiums.

An i3 wouldn't really give you much over this APU, and while an i5 would definitely be an upgrade, you probably don't even need that much power.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:It’ll definitely get the job done for what I need. Plus, if you're looking for silence, Zalman is way quieter—official specs say they hit around 32dB while Cooler Master sits closer to 36dB. Why settle for more noise? 🙂 )

Sent them an email to see if they've got that Zalmán in stock.

fadedorca66 said:You wouldn't get much of anything out of an i3 compared to this APU. Sure, an i5 would be a step up, but do you really even need that much power?

You said it all. Thanks.

🙂 Even Zalman isn't here. Hey, Robert Rodriguez2, you got your buddies lurking on this forum or what? Are they just waiting for me to cave and grab the expensive one if they tell me it's out of stock? 😁
It doesn't matter though... I already asked if there was anything cheaper available. If they come through, cool. If not, I'll just take whatever the most affordable option is.

Rachel Jones8 said:🙂 Even Zalman isn't an option. Robert Rodriguez2, you got buddies monitoring this board or something? They know if I'm just gonna grab the expensive one if they tell me the cheaper stuff is out? 😁
Doesn't matter... I asked if there was anything cheaper, just in case they had a deal. If not, I'll just take whatever expensive model I have to.

Then why even list it on the site if the store doesn't actually have it? 😠
And now you're stuck with Cooler Master. :P

... at the end of the day, it looks like we're finally gonna see that Intel i5 hit the shelves just like everyone expected... 🙂

Come on, guys. We're talking about 212mm coolers here—it’s complete nonsense to suggest a processor like this won't be able to handle overclocking.
If we're really going down that road, then I guess an i3 is probably your best bet, since you wouldn't even need an extra heatsink and it would end up being cheaper overall.

Ryan Hayes82 said:Come on, guys. At 212 cm, claiming a processor won't overclock is just nonsense.
If that's the case, then the i3 is actually the superior choice since you won't need an extra cooler, making it even more budget-friendly.

It has nearly half the TDP, and for everyday tasks, it actually outperforms the one mentioned—it just has a slightly weaker integrated GPU.
She likely won't even notice that specific difference, which means she could probably get away with an even lower-end Pentium or similar.

Personally, I’d skip spending money on a heavy-duty cooler and instead put that cash toward an SSHD. If we're strictly sticking with >, I'd definitely opt for the 65W APU.

Grabbed my popcorn, ready to watch this train wreck unfold 🤣

But yeah, I guess an APU is overkill here unless she’s planning on playing some heavy games. Since she isn't, a basic Pentium is plenty. And honestly, throwing money $67 at a beefy cooler? You guys might actually be crazy 😁

So, I'm with David Sanders4 on this one—a Pentium for $133. Those coolers are whisper-quiet anyway since the chip stays so cool, so she won't even hear it. An SSHD is also a solid move; she'll notice that speed boost way more than any AMD quad-core beast.

The whole setup will be so chill she won't even need extra fans. That little exhaust on the power supply should do the trick. I built a similar rig for some elderly neighbors over in suburban Chicago—mostly just web browsing and office stuff—and they love it. It’s fast and dead silent.

That’s all well and good, but she isn't planning on swapping out her rig in two years just because that Pentium starts struggling.
Worst case scenario, let her try it with the stock cooler from that 5600k APU. If it turns out to be too loud, adding a decent cooler later is easy enough.

What isn't going to be enough for? Web browsing and basic office work? I mean, come on. Back in 2007, those old Socket 775 chips were dirt cheap and performed about the same as these Pentium or Celeron models, yet they still handle surfing and Word just fine today. We aren't living in the nineties anymore where tech changes every five minutes; things move way slower now. What, is Office or Flash really going to require a quad-core processor in two years?

From what I’ve managed to read—and I haven't gotten through everything, there's a massive amount of text here—this computer isn't being used for anything particularly demanding. So, I guess a Pentium is more than enough for what's needed. Things probably won't change drastically enough in the next two years to force anyone to just toss it out

Something like this? 😛

Crucial DDR3 SDRAM (4GB, 1600MHz, single Rank, Unbuffered)
ASUS H81M-E motherboard (LGA1150, DDR3, SATA II, SATA III, PS/2, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, LAN, audio Line-In, Audi
Zalman mid tower case in black, ZAL-ZM-Z1
Intel Pentium G3220 processor
Chicony Active 350W ATX PSU, CHI-HPA-350W
Seagate BarraCuda 500GB 3.5''
LG DVDRW 24x GH24NS95 SATA black bulk
Kingston 120GB SSD, SSDNow V300 SATA 3 SV300S37A/120G

Total: $2,383.96 + $27 shipping from Best Buy