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Anyone have advice for cases? on Newegg I see some that are like $50-$90 and then others that are well over $100- what does the extra cost get you? Just more room for extra graphics cards and stuff, or will the ventilation be markedly better? I've been using a stock dell case with a single fan and crappy ventilation in it for about the past 4 years, the fan is starting to die now so I figure the already overdue replacement is probably pretty urgent now. Will any kind of components fit into just about any case fine? I mean the slots for screws on the motherboard, PSU etc, are they standardized, so I won't find my motherboard needed a different kind of case right?
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# ¿ Nov 24, 2016 17:20 |
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# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 17:46 |
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Ah, well poo poo. My system's getting on for 5 years old now, I figured I could prolong the inevitable for a bit longer but maybe I should just start getting ready to build a new one in that case. Thanks peeps. e: big crush on Chad OMG posted:Swapping the motherboard and PSU is the easiest route, and if your PSU is old, the smarter move. Oh, so I can swap the motherboard and PSU but keep the same processor? I have an i7 that's still holding up alright so saving a few hundred there would be great. Koramei fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Nov 24, 2016 |
# ¿ Nov 24, 2016 17:38 |
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Col.Kiwi posted:I would not be too eager to move the Dell stuff into a new case, the other guys are right. Sometimes their motherboards have non-standard power connectors, and very often their power supply cables, SATA cables etc are exactly the right length for the case. I've seen SATA cables that are like 3 inches long inside a Dell because the way the case was designed that is enough. Then yeah the motherboard mounting is not guaranteed to be standard, in my experience it often is but no guarantee. Ah thanks a lot for the reply (and to everyone else as well), I'll take a photo and look at measurements tomorrow during the day but for now here's the CPU courtesy of speccy: The temperatures are like that cause it's cold as hell in this room right now, during summer they regularly got up to ~80 degrees under load and idle at 50+. Heat concerns are the main reason I was wanting to change the case, and if I can't resolve that I'm kinda hesitant about adding a more powerful PSU and graphics card (which I imagine will be hotter?). The case isn't tiny but it's not huge either, and from what I can tell there's no way of adding more than the single fan to it. Could a better fan make a big difference, even if it's only 1 fan? rest of the specs too in case it's helpful: thanks for the help! If I can play up to date games well again without having to get a whole new computer that'd be wonderful.
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# ¿ Nov 25, 2016 02:24 |
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I posted about replacing my stock dell case a while back but got sidetracked, but now I'm keen to give it another go. A lot of people said the mounting points on the dell motherboards could be a problem, but I googled for some other people with my model (XPS 8500) trying this and it seems like... I'll probably be okay? But I wanted to get a second opinion before I put down $100 on a new case. Picture + motherboard from the user manual: Which overlayed on top of the Fractal Design Arc Midi seems like it fits these points? (the case size seems like overkill, but I'd like to keep using it for when I replace the motherboard and cpu a few years down the line) I tried to measure inside my computer but had trouble, but the top two screws seem like they're ~12cm apart, which seems accurate to the picture (if the case is 515mm deep). The screw layouts in the case seem specific enough that I should be safe, right? I won't find it's just a couple of millimeters off? Assuming it fits though, I have another concern too- the Fractal Design case comes with 3 case fans, but it looks like the dell motherboard is entirely filled up, without slots for any new ones. Is there an adapter I can get, or will the fans all feed into one cable or something anyway? If it comes down to it I'd still take the 1 working fan with better airflow over what I have now, but it'd be nice to get all 3 working. Finally, it was mentioned that the stock dell PSU cables might not be long enough, and mine's around 4 years old now anyway so I think it wouldn't hurt to replace it- this Corsair one mentioned a few posts back seems like a really good deal, $70 after rebate. Anyone know if I'll find I have compatibility issues with the dell poo poo, or should it work fine?
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# ¿ Jan 8, 2017 20:44 |
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Eletriarnation posted:e: A bit of searching confirms that it's a microATX board but according to one anecdote has a nonstandard front panel header layout, so be prepared for the possibility that you may have to move some wires around in the connectors coming from your case. First off, thanks for the post, that's good to know it's just microATX. Do you know what changing these wires around would involve (or how would I check)? Would it need soldering or something or would it be a fairly straight forward thing to change? Thanks for the help, but I'd definitely rather not keep using the stock dell case. The temperatures get much higher than I'm comfortable with, and as you're saying, it's a pain in the rear end to upgrade parts that will actually fit. My AMD 7870 was something of a squeeze, and looking at cards today it's on the smaller end of the spectrum even for midrange. You're right that I definitely don't need all the drive bays, but size isn't really a concern either and the case was very highly rated. I guess I should search around for cases a bit more though, I'm not totally set on that one.
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# ¿ Jan 8, 2017 23:47 |
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I don't know poo poo about building computers, but as an artist, depending on how serious he is: 8gb of RAM is cutting it kinda close, and I would strongly recommend prioritizing some of the budget for a second monitor, it's night and day to have a dedicated space for references.
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# ¿ Jan 26, 2017 18:20 |
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AmyL posted:He knows how to use the programs but he draws by hand first, then scans them on the computer to edit so he might be VASTLY underestimating what he needs. I'm going to tell him to pick up that second monitor, 32GB of RAM, and the other stuff. Ha he won't need that much RAM, 16 should be plenty.
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# ¿ Jan 26, 2017 19:46 |
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Other people might have different opinions but if he's just playing Overwatch (I don't play it but it's pretty scaleable right?) a 1060 or even 1050 should be more than enough. Then put the extra money into a bigger SSD; file loading and saving and so on is extremely tedious when you're dealing with hundreds of big files from illustration programs, so to have stuff you're working on on one saves a lot of time. Likewise probably not good to totally skimp out on the monitor, color definition is very important for art.
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# ¿ Jan 26, 2017 19:59 |
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AmyL posted:Probably the 1060 then since the 1050 is supposed to be better for prebuilts, right? I agree with you on the SSD, better to get over with now. for art you can make do with integrated graphics. I don't know what his priorities are but personally, I'd rather put the $100 difference between 1050 and 1060 towards a better monitor or in the fund for a better graphics tablet down the line. Or even an upgrade to an i7. If he's doing a bunch of gaming on the side then sure, but if it's literally just stuff like Overwatch then I don't think the graphics card should be much of a priority.
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# ¿ Jan 26, 2017 20:05 |
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He doesn't have one at all? That should really be the number one priority for this new build then. I know they're hard to use when you're starting out on them but digital art programs aren't really much good without them. Tablets can run very expensive but you don't have to get a $600 one to start out with- this one is what I'd recommend to someone on a budget. And I'd really recommend a tablet over the 16gb RAM, second monitor, even having an SSD period. If your friend is at all serious about digital art you really can't get by without one.
Koramei fucked around with this message at 20:49 on Jan 26, 2017 |
# ¿ Jan 26, 2017 20:35 |
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If he's set his mind on spending that much money (like everybody else has been saying, spending $2000 now, and then $2000 a few years down the line and so on for the next decade or two will get you way more enjoyment I'd think) I don't really see the problem with going all out on the monitors. My question is why skimp on the peripherals that much? Not that they're cheap, but spending half as much on your sound setup as an individual side monitor is crazy to me in this situation. I use $12 earbuds for everything but if I could afford a full fledged surround sound setup and so never have to wear headphones again, I sure as hell would go all out on that. It's something that won't be obsolete in a few years too unlike pretty much everything else in that list.
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# ¿ Feb 3, 2017 06:16 |
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There's nothing wrong with this PSU right? I've been intermittently checking for good deals on them for the past few months so that I can replace my old one, and this seems like the best deal in a while? Have I just not been observant or is it alright?
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# ¿ Jul 31, 2017 17:54 |
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Would this thing be any good as a web browsing machine for my mom? Or is it just gonna be total junk for that price
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# ¿ Nov 24, 2017 05:54 |
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if you get a higher wattage PSU than you need, will it always eat up a bunch of extra power, or will it only take what it needs? I saw there's a sale on EVGA ones: https://www.evga.com/BF2017/ but the ones with the wattage more in range with what I think I'd actually need all look like the cheap kind everyone says to avoid?
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# ¿ Nov 24, 2017 18:53 |
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Well, half asking myself, this PSU is decent right? It's the one I'm thinking of getting https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=220-G2-0650-Y1 if it is, it's 100w higher than the one you're thinking of and $20 less Arivia posted:It’s actually best to get a power supply with more power capacity than you need; they’re most efficient when not maxed out. It will only draw the power needed for your computer and will not waste extra energy. Oh sweet, thanks.
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# ¿ Nov 24, 2017 20:11 |
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pradmer posted:Since people are talking about power supplies B&H has a deal for a EVGA G2 650W for $70 - $20 rebate, so $50 total with free shipping. It's a better deal than the current one that EVGA is offering directly if you can stand going through the rebate process. Huh, I can't order from them until tomorrow because they're observing the Sabbath? I mean fair enough but that's new to me on an online store. It looks like I can't reserve one either, although hopefully this isn't the kinda thing that's likely to sell out.
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# ¿ Nov 25, 2017 03:42 |
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Huh, I had no idea about that with B+H. Ended up just buying it directly from EVGA, thanks for the heads up.BIG HEADLINE posted:Also, you have until 12/31 to transfer old Win7/8/8.1 licenses for free to Windows 10 using the accessibility loophole. Wait, how do you do this? Do you have to have it installed on a system? I have a copy of 7 I'm not using now that I'd definitely like to not waste, especially since I heard new Intel processors require 10 for full functionality right? e: ah I googled it, here's an article if anyone else is curious. How much do you need to change exactly for your current win10 license to void? Is it only when you change the processor/motherboard? Koramei fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Nov 25, 2017 |
# ¿ Nov 25, 2017 05:10 |
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BIG HEADLINE posted:*This* is what they mean when they say 'oversized': https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813144104 holy poo poo, those LEDs
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# ¿ Nov 26, 2017 02:15 |
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Is this PSU completely garbage? https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=100-B1-0500-KR I'm planning on giving my current PC to my mom after I upgrade but it's like 5 years old now so I think I should probably replace the PSU beforehand? It's not shown any signs of giving out but it's probably worth doing anyway right? The computer is an XPS 8500, I think this one actually has a higher wattage than what's in it by default, and I'm gonna take out my graphics card. Also I'm probably gonna have more questions about my own upgrade soon (I ended up buying half a computer during Black Friday sales, so I figure I might as well go the full way), but one thing that comes to mind now is RAM- any indication it's gonna go down in price in the not-too-distant future? Also, is there any problem with having just a single 8gb stick rather than two sticks together? I want 16gb eventually but I think I can make do for a while and I've heard the prices are kinda crazy right now.
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# ¿ Nov 27, 2017 19:53 |
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TheFluff posted:It's not bad electrically for a budget unit from what I've read, but it's got one of those sleeve bearing fans that'll probably due to start dying soon. If it's in a lightly loaded computer that doesn't really do high load scenarios for extended periods of time, you might not even notice that though. The other thing that might happen is that a capacitor might blow, but that's far less likely and it may or may not damage anything when it goes. Is the capacitor blowing less of an issue because of a lighter load? Would that apply to the current 5-year-old PSU in it too? She's pretty much just gonna be doing browsing on it. Also thanks for the heads up on the RAM, guess I'll have to bite the bullet on that.
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# ¿ Nov 27, 2017 21:03 |
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Oh poo poo yeah, I was pretty unclear, rereading what I wrote. I was thinking of replacing the current 5 year old PSU with the one I linked to. The computer does have an (old) i7 in it so I'm hoping that wouldn't die if the PSU went kaput, but I guess I'll just leave it as is. Less headache for me anyway, thanks!
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# ¿ Nov 27, 2017 21:32 |
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BIG HEADLINE posted:The H-series are due in January. The 9th Gen chips will likely not be out until mid-to-late 2019 at the earliest. are the H-series a meaningful jump over the current ones? I have a 3770 (non-K) and with advice from the Intel thread I was planning on waiting a bit longer before I upgrade, but I still only have 8gb of RAM (800MHz at that) and stuff so I'm wondering if 2 years is pushing it. Alternatively, will the H-series/ some other development give us more reasonable CPU/RAM prices in the not too distant future by any chance?
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# ¿ Dec 13, 2017 03:42 |
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I've been mulling this over for a while, but reading a couple of posts that the next set of Intel processors is in development hell for now(?) and that RAM prices are finally coming down a bit, I think I want to upgrade. I'm coming from a Dell XPS 8500 (i7 3770, 8gb DDR3) and back in autumn I bought some components with the thought of moving the processor/motherboard etc into a new case without replacing them, but even though I've read it's possible to do, Dell still has some weird stuff that apparently makes it kinda complicated, so instead of that I think I'd like to give this PC to my mom and just start fresh. So for the old PC, I'll replace the hard drive, but I don't think I can get a replacement PSU (one of the reasons I wanted to change cases in the first place). It's 5 years old now, but she won't be doing anything intense on it; it probably won't be an issue right? Or if it is, would there be some warning? I don't want it to just die on her in 6 months or something. as for me: What country are you in? USA What are you using the system for? Web and Office? Gaming? Video or photo editing? Professional creative or scientific computing? Gaming, and professional illustration (and I wanna get into 3d modeling too). What's your budget? $700 or so for these new components? But if there's a good reason I could do significantly more. If you’re doing professional work, what software do you need to use? What’s your typical project size and complexity? If you use multiple pieces of software, what’s your workflow? The Adobe suite and a couple of other illustration programs, and I plan to start using Maya soon. Nothing gargantuan (although modeling might be, I'm not sure) but not light either; my current system strains a bit, but part of that might be because it's been getting old as I've been starting on more intense stuff. I would very much like to be able to have at least one of my programs up + a game + browser, which I currently can't do. If you're gaming, what is your monitor resolution? How fancy do you want your graphics, from “it runs” to “Ultra preset as fast as possible”? 1440p 60hz, but I want to look into getting a high refresh rate 1440p one too sometime down the line. Most of the games I play are CPU heavy (Paradox games, Total War) so I'd like that side of things to run as well as possible. For graphics, I'm completely fine with downgrading quality right to the bottom, but performance has to be silky smooth. I have an ancient graphics card I'm being obstinate about upgrading until Nvidia comes out with the 11xx series, and I plan to spend ~$400-450 at that point on something new. I guess when I do get something new, I'd like things to look pretty good for a year or two at least though, if that's possible. These are what I'm thinking of getting: CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($347.00 @ SuperBiiz) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($27.89 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: ASRock - Z370M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($126.98 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($164.99 @ Newegg) Total: $666.86 How different is different RAM? That brand alone seems to have several types that look (to me, an idiot) completely identical but have like $40 variance in prices. And going to 3200 in general, prices vary even more wildly. Also, how much faster is e.g. 3400 vs 3200? I don't need to squeeze out a few extra frames, but if it'd help with e.g. my programs running simultaneously? Also, the motherboard I chose is the tiny sized one; it was listed on the OP but I can't help but notice that nobody else picking i7's over the past few pages seems to be going with it; if there a downside to it? I would like to have the option of overclocking in the future, but I'm not planning on doing it for now (and I can buy a better CPU cooler when the time comes, if that one isn't enough). PCpartpicker says the CPU doesn't come with a stock cooler; does it or the cooler come with thermal paste, or do I have to buy that separately? These are what I bought back in autumn but am not using yet: Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C TG ATX Mid Tower Case Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive These are what I'm carrying over from my current PC: Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card Monitor: Dell - S2240L 21.5" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor Monitor: Dell - U2715H 27.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor Thanks!
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# ¿ Jun 16, 2018 00:08 |
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Llamadeus posted:If you already have an ATX case there's no real advantage to an ITX board. There are potential disadvantages though, like the higher cost, the lack of extra RAM slots (and being able to easily add more RAM is pretty desirable for Photoshop and heavier software), fewer M.2 slots, no free PCIe slots. Oh, I got kind of confused by the list and didn't realize the ITX boards are more expensive. How's this one, the ASRock Pro4? Looking back at posts I see a lot of people using the ASRock Extreme4, but is there a big difference to warrant the ~$40 price difference? Are cheaper motherboards notably more likely to fail or something? Thanks for the response by the way. I guess I might as well go for a more expensive cooler now if I'd end up buying it one day anyway.
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# ¿ Jun 16, 2018 05:11 |
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Any recommended power strips? It just occured to me that mine is 11 years old now so if I'm attaching like $1000+ of brand new computer stuff to it I should probably get a fresh one. Or is that not much of an issue? e: for US power outlets Koramei fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Jun 20, 2018 |
# ¿ Jun 20, 2018 02:16 |
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Do they have the Asrock Pro4 in the lower section just because it's sub 150W, or is there something else bad about it? It's the one I've been planning on getting but I've been humming and hawing over the past week about whether I wouldn't be better off paying $40 more for the Extreme4 instead. I wasn't planning on overclocking that much but on reflection I've also never had the ability to before, so I might change my mind quickly and I don't wanna be kicking myself for cheaping out.
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# ¿ Jun 23, 2018 02:52 |
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TheFluff posted:So, having explained a bunch of stuff you probably already knew I did not thanks a lot for the advice everyone!
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# ¿ Jun 24, 2018 02:10 |
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PC part picker isn't showing the 8700k at $300 in its history, how common is that deal? Also I thought they closed the loophole that lets you use win7 keys still last new year's, is that not the case? Or can I just try putting the code in and maybe get lucky?
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# ¿ Jun 29, 2018 02:33 |
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BIG HEADLINE posted:MS is being uncharacteristically generous when it comes to contacting them directly. If you offer them a valid key for Win7 and up, they'll generally reauthorize it for a Win10 installation without any fuss. Not sure if they'd do the same for WinXP seeing as it's been officially EOLed. Ah I just message their support or something? I guess I'll give it a try, it'd be nice to save money there since my build has gotten a lot more expensive in ways I hadn't planned. I don't have a Micro Center near me but I'll definitely keep a lookout for the 4th of July, thanks for the heads up. I guess other components will probably go on sale at the same time right?
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# ¿ Jun 29, 2018 03:49 |
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Will do, thanks a lot for the help.
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# ¿ Jun 29, 2018 04:04 |
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E:^ oh or.. well how much is the performance hit? BIG HEADLINE posted:Intel's being very tight-lipped about their octacores, but the rumor that they're going to have 9xxx branding makes me hopeful they'll have the fixes baked into the chips. And yes, there's a performance hit, but it's not crippling. Wait, so that stuff actually hasn’t been solved even for the brand new 8xxx stuff? It basically seemed to have disappeared from the conversation so I figured it was all behind us. I was just agonizing over whether to go for 3000 RAM now that the sales on 3200 seem to have ended but if there’s a tangible hit to the CPU from that maybe I should wait some more after all? (I’m in the same boat as that guy, 3770 and old RAM)
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# ¿ Jul 5, 2018 05:39 |
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Stickman posted:Windows: Free upgrades are still happening. Get the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and install Windows 10 over a valid Windows 7 install (fresh or not). You may have to call support to get your Windows 7 key working with Windows 10, but I haven't heard of anyone failing to upgrade yet. Will this work if I install Win7 at first on the newest generation of Intel CPUs? I know they're supposed to be incompatible with 7 but is it compatible "enough" that it can make it through the installation process before it gets upgraded to 10?
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# ¿ Jul 8, 2018 00:37 |
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CornHolio posted:I have a computer that's a few years old that I bought from a friend. The videocard, a Radeon HD 6850, is going out - the fan bearings are failing, I believe. I need to replace it. The most gaming this computer will likely see is the Sims 4. What's a good videocard that won't break the bank and offer me adequate performance? The one that was in there was probably overkill but I don't want a really piece of poo poo videocard either, but not a $300 top-tier gaming card. Paul MaudDib posted:GTX 1060 6GB is probably your ticket, keep an eye on r/BuildAPCSales and you can probably pick one up for $200. EVGA had some b-stock cards for $200 last week. A 1060 is overkill, surely? If it's actually gonna be limited to playing Sims 4. I can nearly max out Sims 4 on 1440p with my Radeon 7870 and apparently the 1050ti is roughly equivalent to that (probably a little bit better) and has been seen at $120. It is way worse than the 1060 though and I've been getting the impression that <$200 6gb 1060s might be getting a lot more common over the coming months so if you want something that'll last you for a while longer (not that Sims 5 is coming out for years yet) it might be worth spending a bit more on that. Koramei fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Jul 8, 2018 |
# ¿ Jul 8, 2018 20:32 |
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Look on the buildapcsales subreddit from time to time and something will come up: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/search?q=flair%3AGPU+1050ti&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all It seems like $120 might be literally the best deal that particular card has ever gone on though so I mighta been mistaken about that. Honestly if you felt like your current card was overkill though, a non-ti 1050 can definitely be had for even less than that and will run the Sims 4 fine, just probably not maxed out. Alternatively, you could look at changing the fans on your current card; just because they're failing doesn't mean the card is dead. I did that to my 7870 about 2 years back for $25 or so and it wasn't especially complicated, although so many years after the card has come out maybe it'll be harder to get replacement fans for a reasonable price. Koramei fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Jul 9, 2018 |
# ¿ Jul 9, 2018 00:40 |
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I was gonna get the G.Skill Trident Z RAM but it looks like I took too long and it's sold out. Is the G.Skill Sniper X actually any different beyond aesthetics? I don't love how it looks but I don't plan to be spending much time looking at it.
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# ¿ Jul 9, 2018 16:46 |
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huh so, from the OP, this:peak debt posted:
looks like it isn't available anymore. Is there a good alternative?
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# ¿ Jul 12, 2018 23:11 |
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Finished my build! It took me 6 hours but (so far anyway) seems to have gone almost completely hitchless, thanks to advice from this thread, so thanks a ton everyone! To add another voice to the pile since I was concerned about this beforehand, activating Windows 10 with my old 7 key went by with no resistance whatsoever, I just skipped the step in the actual install and activated it afterward. only thing I'm so far slightly concerned about is the RAM: Is it okay that it's reading as "unknown"? I haven't actually rebooted yet so I'm hoping it's just a Speccy issue; it's not showing the full model of my CPU like it used to either. (also I know it's not the full speed yet, I'll do that later but I'm really tired of tinkering right now) Also, it's not something I really factored into my decisions at all, but holy gently caress this thing is silent. Coming off of one with a dying hard drive to a PC where the only spinning parts are fans, the thing barely even sounds like it's on. Also the LEDs look cooler than I was expecting although I steered clear of really gaudy ones. e: oh wait, I lied, another thing. There weren't enough ports on the motherboard for all my case fans so I left a couple unplugged for now. Will a fan splitter cable like this be totally fine, or is there a reason to go with one of the fancier fan controllers or something? Splitters'll still let the motherboard control everything right? Koramei fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Jul 15, 2018 |
# ¿ Jul 15, 2018 02:39 |
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On the opposite end, I got the Noctua NH-D15 but have decided I can't really be hosed with actually overclocking at the moment, so that might have been dumb in retrospect. Although I have been enjoying the poo poo out of temperatures barely leaving the 30s even on a heavy load after my old one that was getting into high 70s just from having Twitch open. At least since it's mostly just a hunk of aluminum, it'll last just fine between builds right? And I suppose I'll probably overclock eventually.
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# ¿ Jul 21, 2018 08:20 |
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Jesus, that packaging
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# ¿ Oct 8, 2018 18:48 |
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# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 17:46 |
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mm I don't know, are you sure it'll be enough?
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# ¿ Oct 21, 2018 04:20 |