PC Upgrade Ideas

Hey guys.
I'm looking to grab a CPU, GPU, RAM, motherboard, and a PSU for under $1333.

Here’s what I was thinking about picking up:
-Intel Core i7 8300 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, LGA 1156
-DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, Corsair Vengeance
-ASUS Prime, LGA 1156, Intel 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
-Sapphire R9 280 3GB OC Dual-X, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm
-Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan

Wanted to see what you all think about this build... if you've got better ideas, I'm all ears.
Also, can someone explain what those CL9, CL10, CL11 numbers mean on RAM? Like, which one is actually better...

Looks alright, just maybe throw in a cooler if you can—honestly, even an LC-CC-95 priced at $33 or maybe an NVIDIA Kepler would probably do a much better job than the stock setup and run way quieter.

fadedorca66 said:It’s fine, but just toss in a decent cooler if you can—even an LC-CC-95 priced at $33 or maybe an NVIDIA Kepler would run way better than stock and stay quieter.

or something beefier if you're planning on overclocking😳

Steven Cooper85 said:Hey everyone.
Could someone explain what those RAM timings like CL9, CL10, or CL11 actually mean? Which one is better?

(CAS) latency doesn't really matter in the real world; don't stress over it and just grab the cheaper option. speed tests and latency

Go with the EVGA version for the GPU, or maybe an ASUS Prime if you have the space in your case (ASUS usually offers a longer warranty too). You definitely need a decent CPU cooler, and I’d strongly suggest a 550W power supply—something reliable like an EVGA unit—especially if you plan on overclocking either the CPU or the GPU.

That’s just pure speculation at this point. It depends on a dozen different variables, so you can't just claim one thing is objectively better than another. Just look at the price tag 😬 Expensive doesn't always mean better 😬