Need some upgrade advice!

I'm looking to upgrade my PC.
Right now, I'm running an i5-2500K (never actually overclocked it—missed my chance there), 8 GB of RAM, an SSD, and a GTX 960...
I don't really game, and this card is loud as hell, so I want it gone.
When it comes to this upgrade, the graphics card is honestly the least of my concerns.

What would you recommend if I actually want to feel a speed boost?
I've mostly stuck with Intel up until now, but I wouldn't mind switching over to AMD. In fact, I'm open to it.

I need a solid Motherboard.
I definitely want an NVMe SSD, so the board needs an M.2 slot for that.
Is it possible to run two of those drives in RAID? Do boards like that even exist?

For the GPU, I want something quiet that isn't complete garbage performance-wise. I have one 27" 1440p monitor and one 24" monitor. It’d be great if it has two DisplayPorts. I'm not sure what price range we're talking about here. My current HDMI can't handle the 1440p resolution (it maxes out at 1080p), and I'll probably pick up a second 1440p monitor soon anyway.

I need a decent Power Supply with an 80+ certification. Quiet is the priority.

I want to swap the case too. Something quiet—I had a Fractal Design once, so I know what I like.
Does anyone make them with a USB Type-C port?
Ideally, I'd want USB 3.0 on the top rather than the front panel.

I'm looking for specific suggestions and advice.
I'm not a total amateur, but I don't follow this stuff closely enough, so any help saving me some time and headache would be appreciated.

I'm not looking at this as one big cohesive unit.
I'd rather dive into the specifics of individual components. What should I pick and why?

My budget is mid-range (for me, that means roughly $333 for the Motherboard to start). I don't mind going $100 or $200 $100 over (or under) if there's a damn good reason for it.
Thanks again.

What’s the goal here? Why the upgrade?
The 2500K is old, sure, but it isn't garbage. If you don't care about the GPU, I'm assuming this isn't for gaming.
If that's the case, a Core i5 is your best bet for multithreaded performance.
The absolute best value right now is the 1600X; for $0.35 you get a 6-core processor with multithreading.
https://www.amazon.com/amd-ryzen-processor...m_medium=click

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but with a decent aftermarket one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.newegg.com/p/arctic-cooler...m_medium=click

You don't strictly need to overclock it—the X model has decent stock clocks—but it's easy to bump it up to around 4GHz with just a few clicks.

You could go for the 2600, but it’s pricier. It comes with a stock cooler that's fine if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so 1600X plus a dedicated cooler will be the quieter setup.

This is a solid motherboard; I don't think you need anything more heavy-duty.
https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-tomahawk...m_medium=click
Regarding the two M.2 slots and RAID: I don't think you can run two NVMe drives in RAID, unless someone wants to correct me.
Besides, using NVMe RAID is pretty pointless if you're actually chasing speed.
If you're looking for redundancy while still wanting SSD speeds, just grab two 500GB SATA SSDs and put them in RAID.

BTW, B450 and X470 boards come with StoreMI software, where you can use an SSD (even a small 256GB SATA one) to speed up an HDD. It's similar to Intel Optane.

As for the graphics, if you just need to "output a picture," you could get by with something like a GT 1030.
If you want something with actual teeth, go for the RX 580.
This model is a good pick:
https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-rx580...m_medium=click
Great cooler, features a 0rpm mode, so the fan won't even spin most of the time. You can also easily undervolt or underclock it, or just drop the power limit if you want it even quieter.

The alternative is the GTX 1650, but it's noticeably weaker than the RX 580 for a similar price. It pulls less power, but if you aren't running it hot, that's not a dealbreaker, and cheaper models usually have crappy coolers anyway. A decent RX 580 is the better move. The GTX 1650 is just overpriced for what it offers.

Otherwise, if you aren't in a rush, you could wait for the Ryzen 3000 series to drop this summer. It'll be the first on the 7nm process, so we're expecting big jumps in core counts, performance, and efficiency.
If you buy a 1600X now, you'll be able to upgrade to at least the 3000 series down the road since they promised motherboard compatibility.

On the Intel side, you could look at an i3-9400F, which is relatively cheap. I think you could even push two monitors through HDMI + DVI using the integrated graphics.
You'd save a lot of cash by skipping the GPU, but honestly, the Coffee Lake platform is a dead end for upgrades since you're buying a chip without multithreading.

Amanda Kelly, you missed the two most critical pieces of information: what’s the total budget, and what exactly are you planning to use this PC for?

Regarding running a RAID setup with two NVMe drives, it looks doable, though you'll definitely need to double-check the specific motherboard specs first.

https://www.eteknix.com/year-nvme-ra...l-world-setup/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads...2-ssd.2548246/

Honestly, it doesn't seem worth the hassle.

As for the CPU, the absolute best value we've seen lately is the Ryzen 7 1700 priced at $396

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Amanda Kelly, you missed the two most critical pieces of information: what’s the total budget, and what exactly are you planning to use this PC for?

Regarding running a RAID setup with two NVMe drives, it looks doable, though you'll definitely need to double-check the specific motherboard specs first.

https://www.eteknix.com/year-nvme-ra...l-world-setup/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads...2-ssd.2548246/

Honestly, it doesn't seem worth the hassle.

As for the CPU, the absolute best value we've seen lately is the Ryzen 7 1700 priced at $396

I picked mine up at Micro Center two weeks ago for a few bucks more.😬

There you go! If you had just waited a little longer, you could have saved some serious cash!!! 😬

What kind of motherboard and RAM are you looking at or currently running?

Can I get a quick gut check here? A friend of mine is asking about upgrading his RAM by adding another 2x4GB of DDR3 to his Asus A88xm-v setup running an A10-7800... right now, he’s rocking some Vengeance 1333 that hits 1600 via an XMP OC profile at 9-9-9-24, and I'm looking at this 2x4GB kit of Apacer DDR3 1600 CL11... I realize it might slightly throttle the performance of the Vengeance sticks, but the price is under $100 while the Vengeance is sitting at $128. Naturally, I'm hitting some pushback regarding the cost since this isn't exactly a high-end machine... would there be any actual issues running that Apacer alongside the Vengeance? The Apacer is listed as compatible on the motherboard's QVL.

wanderingbison9 said:Can I get a quick gut check here? A friend of mine is asking about upgrading his RAM by adding another 2x4GB of DDR3 to his Asus A88xm-v setup running an A10-7800... right now, he’s rocking some Vengeance 1333 that hits 1600 via an XMP OC profile at 9-9-9-24, and I'm looking at this 2x4GB kit of Apacer DDR3 1600 CL11... I realize it might slightly throttle the performance of the Vengeance sticks, but the price is under $100 while the Vengeance is sitting at $128. Naturally, I'm hitting some pushback regarding the cost since this isn't exactly a high-end machine... would there be any actual issues running that Apacer alongside the Vengeance? The Apacer is listed as compatible on the motherboard's QVL.

Shouldn't be any issues, it'll just run at CL11 latency.
Just order it online; worst case scenario, you return it within the 14-day window.

wiredotter14 said:Shouldn't be any issues, it'll just run at CL11 latency.
Just order it online; worst case scenario, you return it within the 14-day window.

Sounds like a solid plan... thanks for the help...👍

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Amanda Kelly, you missed the two most critical pieces of information: what’s the total budget, and what exactly are you planning to use this PC for?

Regarding running a RAID setup with two NVMe drives, it looks doable, though you'll definitely need to double-check the specific motherboard specs first.

https://www.eteknix.com/year-nvme-ra...l-world-setup/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads...2-ssd.2548246/

Honestly, it doesn't seem worth the hassle.

As for the CPU, the absolute best value we've seen lately is the Ryzen 7 1700 priced at $396

First things first—what are we actually using this thing for? That’s probably the most important part.
My multitasking setup is pretty basic—usually just 3 to 4 apps open at once, maybe stretching up to 10 if I'm feeling ambitious. Nothing heavy-duty. It’s mostly just a browser with 15 or 20 tabs eating up my RAM and some terminal windows for managing various VMs and servers, though most of that heavy lifting happens elsewhere, so my local CPU isn't breaking a sweat. My current Intel Core i5 rarely even hits 70% usage; the processor isn't exactly a bottleneck. Honestly, nothing is actually slowing down my workflow or driving me crazy. I guess I just want something new. Maybe I’m just addicted to the dopamine hit of shiny new hardware. That’s probably a good enough reason, right?

Second thing is, the budget is decent. Honestly, most of the limits are just in my own head. I’m not looking to blow money unnecessarily—even if it looks that way to some people—but when it really matters, I’m willing to pay up. I'll grab as many drives as I need. And the monitor. And the keyboard.

The New Guy I can't even begin to process this. It’s just... wow.
If you’re looking to run RAID on two NVMe drives, it looks like it's doable—just make sure you actually check your motherboard specs first. Don't skip that part.
Doesn't seem worth the hassle.

I'm currently running two SATA SSDs in RAID 0, and it got me thinking—just how much of a massive speed boost would I actually see if I threw two NVMe drives into a strip?
Alright, fine. That’s one less thing to worry about—though I say "potential" problem because my current stripping setup hasn't given me a single headache yet.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Amanda Kelly, you missed the two most critical pieces of information: what’s the total budget, and what exactly are you planning to use this PC for?

Regarding running a RAID setup with two NVMe drives, it looks doable, though you'll definitely need to double-check the specific motherboard specs first.

https://www.eteknix.com/year-nvme-ra...l-world-setup/
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads...2-ssd.2548246/

Honestly, it doesn't seem worth the hassle.

As for the CPU, the absolute best value we've seen lately is the Ryzen 7 1700 priced at $396

wiredotter14 Asks:
If you're looking to get any real work done with multithreading, you might as well just go with the Intel Core i5. It’s the only move that actually makes sense for the money.
Honestly, the absolute best move right now is grabbing that 1600X. It's easily worth it. $0.35 You end up with an Intel Core i5 that actually handles multithreading.

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but paired with a decent one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.amazon.com/cooler-arctic...m_medium=click

You don't even strictly need to overclock. The X model has fine stock clocks, but bumping it up to about 4GHz is pretty easy with a few clicks.

You could jump up to the 2600, but that's pricier. It comes with a cooler that works if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so the 1600X plus a separate cooler would be the quieter bet.
...

Alright, point taken. I was just looking into the differences between the standard and the X version. 🤔 Good grief, a 30 W difference.
So why would anyone bother with the X model?
Where exactly is that extra 30 W of TDP being dumped?

wiredotter14 said:What’s the goal here? Why the upgrade?
The 2500K is old, sure, but it isn't garbage. If you don't care about the GPU, I'm assuming this isn't for gaming.
If that's the case, a Core i5 is your best bet for multithreaded performance.
The absolute best value right now is the 1600X; for $0.35 you get a 6-core processor with multithreading.
https://www.amazon.com/amd-ryzen-processor...m_medium=click

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but with a decent aftermarket one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.newegg.com/p/arctic-cooler...m_medium=click

You don't strictly need to overclock it—the X model has decent stock clocks—but it's easy to bump it up to around 4GHz with just a few clicks.

You could go for the 2600, but it’s pricier. It comes with a stock cooler that's fine if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so 1600X plus a dedicated cooler will be the quieter setup.

This is a solid motherboard; I don't think you need anything more heavy-duty.
https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-tomahawk...m_medium=click
Regarding the two M.2 slots and RAID: I don't think you can run two NVMe drives in RAID, unless someone wants to correct me.
Besides, using NVMe RAID is pretty pointless if you're actually chasing speed.
If you're looking for redundancy while still wanting SSD speeds, just grab two 500GB SATA SSDs and put them in RAID.

BTW, B450 and X470 boards come with StoreMI software, where you can use an SSD (even a small 256GB SATA one) to speed up an HDD. It's similar to Intel Optane.

As for the graphics, if you just need to "output a picture," you could get by with something like a GT 1030.
If you want something with actual teeth, go for the RX 580.
This model is a good pick:
https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-rx580...m_medium=click
Great cooler, features a 0rpm mode, so the fan won't even spin most of the time. You can also easily undervolt or underclock it, or just drop the power limit if you want it even quieter.

The alternative is the GTX 1650, but it's noticeably weaker than the RX 580 for a similar price. It pulls less power, but if you aren't running it hot, that's not a dealbreaker, and cheaper models usually have crappy coolers anyway. A decent RX 580 is the better move. The GTX 1650 is just overpriced for what it offers.

Otherwise, if you aren't in a rush, you could wait for the Ryzen 3000 series to drop this summer. It'll be the first on the 7nm process, so we're expecting big jumps in core counts, performance, and efficiency.
If you buy a 1600X now, you'll be able to upgrade to at least the 3000 series down the road since they promised motherboard compatibility.

On the Intel side, you could look at an i3-9400F, which is relatively cheap. I think you could even push two monitors through HDMI + DVI using the integrated graphics.
You'd save a lot of cash by skipping the GPU, but honestly, the Coffee Lake platform is a dead end for upgrades since you're buying a chip without multithreading.

Never heard of that.
Honestly, sounds ten times—maybe a hundred times—better than those useless hybrid drives. It's practically halfway to a pro-grade storage setup.
Though, I don't really see the point in speeding up data drives that already hit 120-130 MB/s.
Still, I might give it a shot (probably will).

wiredotter14 said:What’s the goal here? Why the upgrade?
The 2500K is old, sure, but it isn't garbage. If you don't care about the GPU, I'm assuming this isn't for gaming.
If that's the case, a Core i5 is your best bet for multithreaded performance.
The absolute best value right now is the 1600X; for $0.35 you get a 6-core processor with multithreading.
https://www.amazon.com/amd-ryzen-processor...m_medium=click

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but with a decent aftermarket one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.newegg.com/p/arctic-cooler...m_medium=click

You don't strictly need to overclock it—the X model has decent stock clocks—but it's easy to bump it up to around 4GHz with just a few clicks.

You could go for the 2600, but it’s pricier. It comes with a stock cooler that's fine if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so 1600X plus a dedicated cooler will be the quieter setup.

This is a solid motherboard; I don't think you need anything more heavy-duty.
https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-tomahawk...m_medium=click
Regarding the two M.2 slots and RAID: I don't think you can run two NVMe drives in RAID, unless someone wants to correct me.
Besides, using NVMe RAID is pretty pointless if you're actually chasing speed.
If you're looking for redundancy while still wanting SSD speeds, just grab two 500GB SATA SSDs and put them in RAID.

BTW, B450 and X470 boards come with StoreMI software, where you can use an SSD (even a small 256GB SATA one) to speed up an HDD. It's similar to Intel Optane.

As for the graphics, if you just need to "output a picture," you could get by with something like a GT 1030.
If you want something with actual teeth, go for the RX 580.
This model is a good pick:
https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-rx580...m_medium=click
Great cooler, features a 0rpm mode, so the fan won't even spin most of the time. You can also easily undervolt or underclock it, or just drop the power limit if you want it even quieter.

The alternative is the GTX 1650, but it's noticeably weaker than the RX 580 for a similar price. It pulls less power, but if you aren't running it hot, that's not a dealbreaker, and cheaper models usually have crappy coolers anyway. A decent RX 580 is the better move. The GTX 1650 is just overpriced for what it offers.

Otherwise, if you aren't in a rush, you could wait for the Ryzen 3000 series to drop this summer. It'll be the first on the 7nm process, so we're expecting big jumps in core counts, performance, and efficiency.
If you buy a 1600X now, you'll be able to upgrade to at least the 3000 series down the road since they promised motherboard compatibility.

On the Intel side, you could look at an i3-9400F, which is relatively cheap. I think you could even push two monitors through HDMI + DVI using the integrated graphics.
You'd save a lot of cash by skipping the GPU, but honestly, the Coffee Lake platform is a dead end for upgrades since you're buying a chip without multithreading.

I'll think about the GPU. My priority is specific outputs and silence; some level of raw power is secondary.

wiredotter14 said:What’s the goal here? Why the upgrade?
The 2500K is old, sure, but it isn't garbage. If you don't care about the GPU, I'm assuming this isn't for gaming.
If that's the case, a Core i5 is your best bet for multithreaded performance.
The absolute best value right now is the 1600X; for $0.35 you get a 6-core processor with multithreading.
https://www.amazon.com/amd-ryzen-processor...m_medium=click

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but with a decent aftermarket one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.newegg.com/p/arctic-cooler...m_medium=click

You don't strictly need to overclock it—the X model has decent stock clocks—but it's easy to bump it up to around 4GHz with just a few clicks.

You could go for the 2600, but it’s pricier. It comes with a stock cooler that's fine if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so 1600X plus a dedicated cooler will be the quieter setup.

This is a solid motherboard; I don't think you need anything more heavy-duty.
https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-tomahawk...m_medium=click
Regarding the two M.2 slots and RAID: I don't think you can run two NVMe drives in RAID, unless someone wants to correct me.
Besides, using NVMe RAID is pretty pointless if you're actually chasing speed.
If you're looking for redundancy while still wanting SSD speeds, just grab two 500GB SATA SSDs and put them in RAID.

BTW, B450 and X470 boards come with StoreMI software, where you can use an SSD (even a small 256GB SATA one) to speed up an HDD. It's similar to Intel Optane.

As for the graphics, if you just need to "output a picture," you could get by with something like a GT 1030.
If you want something with actual teeth, go for the RX 580.
This model is a good pick:
https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-rx580...m_medium=click
Great cooler, features a 0rpm mode, so the fan won't even spin most of the time. You can also easily undervolt or underclock it, or just drop the power limit if you want it even quieter.

The alternative is the GTX 1650, but it's noticeably weaker than the RX 580 for a similar price. It pulls less power, but if you aren't running it hot, that's not a dealbreaker, and cheaper models usually have crappy coolers anyway. A decent RX 580 is the better move. The GTX 1650 is just overpriced for what it offers.

Otherwise, if you aren't in a rush, you could wait for the Ryzen 3000 series to drop this summer. It'll be the first on the 7nm process, so we're expecting big jumps in core counts, performance, and efficiency.
If you buy a 1600X now, you'll be able to upgrade to at least the 3000 series down the road since they promised motherboard compatibility.

On the Intel side, you could look at an i3-9400F, which is relatively cheap. I think you could even push two monitors through HDMI + DVI using the integrated graphics.
You'd save a lot of cash by skipping the GPU, but honestly, the Coffee Lake platform is a dead end for upgrades since you're buying a chip without multithreading.

I'm in no hurry, so I could probably wait.
What are the actual expectations or rumors so far?

Amanda Kelly said:First things first—what are we actually using this thing for? That’s probably the most important part.
My multitasking setup is pretty basic—usually just 3 to 4 apps open at once, maybe stretching up to 10 if I'm feeling ambitious. Nothing heavy-duty. It’s mostly just a browser with 15 or 20 tabs eating up my RAM and some terminal windows for managing various VMs and servers, though most of that heavy lifting happens elsewhere, so my local CPU isn't breaking a sweat. My current Intel Core i5 rarely even hits 70% usage; the processor isn't exactly a bottleneck. Honestly, nothing is actually slowing down my workflow or driving me crazy. I guess I just want something new. Maybe I’m just addicted to the dopamine hit of shiny new hardware. That’s probably a good enough reason, right?

Second thing is, the budget is decent. Honestly, most of the limits are just in my own head. I’m not looking to blow money unnecessarily—even if it looks that way to some people—but when it really matters, I’m willing to pay up. I'll grab as many drives as I need. And the monitor. And the keyboard.

The New Guy I can't even begin to process this. It’s just... wow.
If you’re looking to run RAID on two NVMe drives, it looks like it's doable—just make sure you actually check your motherboard specs first. Don't skip that part.
Doesn't seem worth the hassle.

I'm currently running two SATA SSDs in RAID 0, and it got me thinking—just how much of a massive speed boost would I actually see if I threw two NVMe drives into a strip?
Alright, fine. That’s one less thing to worry about—though I say "potential" problem because my current stripping setup hasn't given me a single headache yet.

wiredotter14 Asks:
If you're looking to get any real work done with multithreading, you might as well just go with the Intel Core i5. It’s the only move that actually makes sense for the money.
Honestly, the absolute best move right now is grabbing that 1600X. It's easily worth it. $0.35 You end up with an Intel Core i5 that actually handles multithreading.

It's cheap and doesn't come with a cooler, but paired with a decent one, it'll stay cool and quiet.
https://www.amazon.com/cooler-arctic...m_medium=click

You don't even strictly need to overclock. The X model has fine stock clocks, but bumping it up to about 4GHz is pretty easy with a few clicks.

You could jump up to the 2600, but that's pricier. It comes with a cooler that works if you aren't overclocking, but an aftermarket one is quieter, so the 1600X plus a separate cooler would be the quieter bet.
...

Alright, point taken. I was just looking into the differences between the standard and the X version. 🤔 Good grief, a 30 W difference.
So why would anyone bother with the X model?
Where exactly is that extra 30 W of TDP being dumped?

Never heard of that.
Honestly, sounds ten times—maybe a hundred times—better than those useless hybrid drives. It's practically halfway to a pro-grade storage setup.
Though, I don't really see the point in speeding up data drives that already hit 120-130 MB/s.
Still, I might give it a shot (probably will).

I'll think about the GPU. My priority is specific outputs and silence; some level of raw power is secondary.

I'm in no hurry, so I could probably wait.
What are the actual expectations or rumors so far?

TDP is a number people throw around pretty loosely.
The X model simply has better clock speeds—basically, it boosts higher.
In principle, there's no reason not to go with the X, unless you're worried about them being slightly pricier.
With the 1600 and 1600X, it's a weird situation where the X can actually end up being a tiny bit cheaper than the non-X. The reason is the X comes without a cooler, but if you grab a cooler for around $67, which is better anyway than what you'd get with the non-X, you end up with better clocks plus a quieter setup.

As far as overclocking goes, those two processors are pretty much identical; both can hit around 3.9 GHz without much trouble.

You also have the 1700 model below it $400, which is a total breeze for an 8-core/16-thread processor.
https://www.newegg.com/special-offers...m_medium=click

Expectations for the next generation are high; likely 12-16 cores on the flagship (still on the same AM4 platform).
While the 6-8 core models will probably consist of a single CCX (right now they're all made of 2 CCXs; having one CCX for the same core count is better due to latency.)
7nm process—lower power draw, higher clocks, and likely better IPC too.

But if you need a CPU for multitasking, you won't be making a mistake picking up a 1600X or 1700 right now. Current prices are a steal for that many cores, and I doubt the next generation will launch cheaper for the same multi-threaded performance.

Regarding the GPU, I'm telling you... you could even pick up a passive GT 1030 for dual monitors (though I doubt it handles 2x 1440p; shouldn't be any issues if you aren't trying to play games or anything.
You mentioned your HDMI isn't pushing 1440p—not sure why, it should work.

The thing is, cheap Nvidia cards are overpriced right now. You could get by in total silence with something like a GTX 1060 4 GB Nitro (around $467).
It has xHDMI 2 x Displayport, 1x DVI

Otherwise, you could always find a used card with a warranty for under $333 for a model like that.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:There you go! If you had just waited a little longer, you could have saved some serious cash!!! 😬

What kind of motherboard and RAM are you looking at or currently running?

Running a B450 Tomahawk with an 8GB HyperX Fury 2666 stick—plan on grabbing another identical one next month. Now I'm stuck wondering which cooler will actually fit inside a Zalman Z3 case.

@Robert Rodriguez2

https://www.amazon.com/arctic-liquid-freezer

Hurry up 😛 You can even split it into 6 interest-free monthly payments 😬

@Amanda Kelly

George pretty much covered everything already 😉

crimsonstag84 said:@Robert Rodriguez2

https://www.amazon.com/arctic-liquid-freezer

Hurry up 😛 You can even split it into 6 interest-free monthly payments 😬

@Amanda Kelly

George pretty much covered everything already 😉

Forget installments. If you've got it, you've got it. I was actually thinking about grabbing the dual fan version instead.

https://www.amazon.com/arctic-dual-fan-cooler

Honestly, the version with better airflow for $55 is a total no-brainer.

crimsonstag84 said:Honestly, the version with better airflow for $55 is a total no-brainer.

You think that's enough to keep an Intel Core 3000 series cool? If I undervolt it slightly and lock all cores at 3.5GHz, it should be fine. I don't need to push it to the limit anyway.

The only other thing is grabbing another 8GB of RAM next month, then saving up for a GPU... honestly, I'm thinking about picking up a GTX 1060 6GB from Newegg for maybe $200—you can even find some with a warranty.

It hits 3.7GHz using the stock cooler.

crimsonstag84 said:It hits 3.7GHz using the stock cooler.

Fine then. I guess I'll just swing by Best Buy tomorrow to grab a better cooler. 👍

With a Cooler Master Hyper 212, you can actually customize the fan curve so it stays in a passive mode—meaning the fan won't even kick on until the CPU hits a certain threshold, say 40°C or 50°C if you set the baseline at 40%. If he decides to go through with an undervolt, wouldn't he be able to spend most of his time just browsing the web, typing up documents, or watching YouTube in total silence? For what it's worth, I personally run my Intel Core 1600x overclocked to 4GHz using that same cooler, and it holds steady at around 70°C during an IBT test.

wanderingbison9 said:With a Cooler Master Hyper 212, you can actually customize the fan curve so it stays in a passive mode—meaning the fan won't even kick on until the CPU hits a certain threshold, say 40°C or 50°C if you set the baseline at 40%. If he decides to go through with an undervolt, wouldn't he be able to spend most of his time just browsing the web, typing up documents, or watching YouTube in total silence? For what it's worth, I personally run my Intel Core 1600x overclocked to 4GHz using that same cooler, and it holds steady at around 70°C during an IBT test.

Which software do you use to set that up?

wiredotter14 said:Which software do you use to set that up?

It's done right in the BIOS... just using a standard Microsoft's Q-Fan profile.