Jantsa

OK, I've been reading the Amazon reviews of the XFX TS 650w (Bronze) and many recent customers say that it came with a loud fan, that it shorted out and smoke came out of it even while it was properly connected and grounded, and many even say that it just stopped working after a month or a year; so I kinda don't want it anymore hahaha. If these claims weren't so many and so recent, I would have still taken my chance. Anyway, what do you guys think of the EVGA GS 550 Gold? Here's the link. Is that good enough for the 380 and i3-4170? Again, thanks for all your answers and sorry for being so picky hahaha.

But that is exactly my point; I don't know anything about PSUs hahaha. Is bronze okay for the 380 and i3-4170? Will it work if I upgrade my GPU in the future for another mid-range one? (I know it's impossible to predict the future, but energy efficiency get's better with each new generation so that is way I ask). Is 650w enough? So many questions hahaha. I'm considering the XFX TS 650w bronze, because is currently $69.99 on Amazon (just like $3 more than the 550w one). Anyway, thanks for your answer!

Hey guys, I have an Intel Core i3-4170 and so far my plan is to buy the R9 380 to go with it. I'm not gonna buy the GPU yet, in fact I still have to buy an HDD and RAM first, but my old PSU it's failing (the fan is very loud and I think it had something to do with my old HDD shorting out) and I want to use the PC while I save the money for the GPU. So... What do you think is a nice, not-so expensive PSU for the 380? I don't want to go with the cheapest one because I know that in the long run it'll be more expensive (yes, I do plan on upgrading in the future, probably a year and half or two from now, but I'll probably stay in the mid-to-high range) but I also don't want to spend $100+ on it. Thanks anyway and I hope you can help.

Thanks, Captain, I'll try everything you just said. The thing is, it was a pretty old HDD (like 6 years old or longer), so obviously there's no warranty. I will test it on a friend's PC this weekend, along with the PSU to see if both are working properly (the PSU is generic and also pretty old). I do have another question, if you don't mind answering it: Will my MOBO and CPU fail or deteriorate if I let them wait for a month or two inside the case without turning them on? They're both brand new (basic MSI 1150 MOBO and i3 4170) and they were supposed to be working since yesterday when I got them out of the box, but now that the HDD failed I'll rather wait and save for a good, brand new one; along with a new PSU (which I'll actually will need for the GPU) just in case. Anyway, thanks for your help!

If it's less than a $100 then it would be perfect, but I know how important PSUs are in the long run so I wouldn't mind investing a little bit as long as it's worth it.

Perfect! thank you guys for all of your answers (especially this one, it was very specific and helpful). I've decided for the 380, as it's apparently the best one in the $200 price range. Should I make a new thread to find opinions on a good PSU for it, or you think you can answer me that in here? Thanks anyway, really appreciate it.

Hey guys, I wanted to know what you think is the best graphics card for the Intel Core i3-4170 and a good PSU that fits it. If it costs $200 or less that'd be great, but I would be willing to increase my budget if you guys think it's worth it. I do plan on upgrading to an i5 or i7 in the future, but as I'm barely starting this build, that'll only happen in a year and a half or two, so take that in mind (maybe less or maybe more, depends on how demanding games get). I intend to use this rig as a gaming machine, but I'll settle for 900p or 720p with high graphics quality (my monitor is not 1080p anyways), and other than that I'll probably use it for some light video and photo editing. If it helps; my motherboard is an MSI h81m-e33. Hope you can help me and thanks in advance.

Hey guys, so I was assembling my new rig and the mobo wasn't starting and I didn't know why. Then I unplugged the HDD (an old WD 500GB I had laying around) and everything turned on. The problem is, I connected the HDD on another SATA port and then everything turned on but the HDD shorted out and a little bit of smoke came out of it. It kept turning on for a quite few minutes, but it was kind of in a loop (the spinning sound started over and over again) and the MOBO just didn't recognize it. After that, it just stopped spinning and I think is dead now. My question is, why in the hell did that happen? I just screw it to the case tray like it was before and plugged both SATA and power cables. I liked to know why you think it happened so it doesn't happen again when I buy a new hdd tomorrow. Thanks in advance!

So you're saying that Crucial is more reliable? Sorry, english is not my native language and I want to be sure I understand what you're saying. Also, dual-channel is really not that big of a deal, because I'm building a mid-to-high end machine, not the most powerful of them all. Thanks for your answer, anyway.

Hey guys, there's a great deal today on an 8gb, single Crucial Ballistix tactical card (Amazon, 38$) and I was wondering if this is a better option than the 2x4GB Kingston HyperX Fury cards I have on my wish list. They're all 1600MHz and the Kingstons are about 47$ so I was really considering this Crucial one. Anyway, here's my setup (currently in progress) and thanks in advance! Motherboard: msi h81m-e33 Processor: Intel Core i3 4170

You're right, let's focus on gaming, then. I guess I'll go with your recommendations, because they seem to be the most future-proof ones, right? I mean, does the mobo handle basic GPU oc well? What's the best GPU (around $150-200) for that CPU and how fluid will new games run (maximum 900p resolution because of my monitor)? Also, do you think that mobo works with an old Pentium D processor? My old mobo burned and if I can use my pentium CPU while I save for the new i3, then that'd be great! (it's not mandatory, though). Anyway, thanks for your answers, guys! really appreciate it! Edit: Forget about the limit on the GPU, I'd rather wait and buy a really good one.

Hey guys, I wanted to know what do you think is the best motherboard for an FX 8320 (Amazon US availability, please). And also, is there another CPU you would recommend for that price range? (140$). I want it for gaming but also for streaming and photo/video editing, and I've read that DX12 games are going to be more multi-core friendly, so I assumed that that was my best choice. My maximum budget for a mobo is about $100, but I'd be willing to save some more if you give a pretty good reason for it. I also plan on overclocking the CPU, just so you know. Anyway, I hope you can help me and thanks in advance!

Perfect, then I guess I'll go with the i3 then. Thanks for all your recommendations!

Hey guys, my old motherboard just stopped working so I decided to build a new PC. First I'm gonna buy the motherboard and the CPU and use it with my old HDD, RAM and GPU (Radeon HD 4550. Pretty old, right?) for a short while because I have to save some money before buying the new GPU, PSU, RAM, etc. My budget for both things is 180$ (maybe, just maybe I can extend it to 200$) and I've been reading that the best CPU choices at this price range are the FX 6300 and the i3 4170, but the whole hyper-threading, DirectX 12 multi-core boost for the near future and the fact that there are quite a few others i3 processors with the same price tag is exhaustively confusing for me, so I don't know what the heck should I actually buy. The main purpose is going to be gaming and the secondary ones will be some very light photo editing, some youtube-gaming streaming and maybe some video editing. The secondary purposes are not mandatory, but they would be appreciated (the video rendering doesn't have to be super fast, as long as it lets me use the software without major stuttering.) When it comes to overclocking and future upgrades, I don't like to do those unless they're absolutely necessary so the motherboard doesn't have to be that powerful/expensive. I would wait for the new Skylake i3's, but like I said, my MOBO stopped working and I've been borrowing my sister's Chromebook and you know how awkward that can be and how much Chrome OS sucks, so I really need a new PC ASAP (also, I live in Venezuela so the shipping from the international locker room takes about 20 days to a month, so waiting 'till september would mean waiting 'till october). If you could help me, I would greatly appreciate it and I want to thank you in advance. I know you hate this sentence but, sorry if my english is bad :lol: