Graham Dillon

Hey, thanks! I'll still do my research but http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=1486&CategoryID=1&DetailName=Feature&MenuID=172&LanID=0 here is the manual for the motherboard. It mentions some codec that it uses.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/ecs-motherboard-b85h3m310 I got it on sale. It's now $50 but this is the one I just bought and am currently using. The one in my old desktop is something so old I can't even remember the build or what CPU is had in it.

This was the card I was looking at. I think I'll buy one down the road. What's your experiences so far?

I just built my machine yesterday! I was hard pressed on a sound car but my budget wouldn't allow it along with many other things. My main concern was audio quality. My last computer was built in 2003 and the motherboard was from 2003 and had 2003 quality to it. Basically you could hear crackle and pops from the motherboards electrical activities and it would make your ears ring and become tired. My worries that this would be a problem again grew when I bought a $40 motherboard from ECS. Surprisingly it isn't half bad; no crackle and pops like I'm listening to my cereal. However it still can't power my cheap but very great Audio Technica ATH-M30. So what I did was hooked my computer to a cheap reciever; a Yamaha RX-V590 that was given to me from my brother for $50. I used a cable that had two audio plugs (those white and red plugs for L and R) that run to a 3.5mm jack. I connected the two audio plugs to the receiver and the 3.5mm to the back of the computer into the motherboard audio jack. The audio runs from the computer to the receiver which I plug my headphone into it since there is a built-in amp. My question is what could I gain from an audio card?

I just built my computer yesterday! I was hard pressed on getting an aftermarket CPU cooler for my i3-4130. The reason is because after 10 years of using my old desktop, I've grown afraid of the Intel stock coolers. The one on my old desktop on power up sounded like a jet taking off and once it was fully spun up, it was like sitting on a plane next to the engine; it was fucking loud. I think it was always loud since it was a cooler from 2003 but after a few years, the barrings must have been messed up and contributed to the sound. However, due to my budget, I just thought I would put up with the stock cooler until I got a job over the summer. Once I powered the thing up, I immediately shut it off thinking the fan wasn't on. It really was that quiet! That being said it still is audible but is not nearly what I though it would be considering my last experience with these things. Not only is it quieter than I thought, but I think the fact that it's an i3 and a lower consumption Haswell, the temperatures seem really low. It idles at 100*F and games put it at ~115-120*F. Compared to my old desktop which ran at 125*F+ always, this is really low for me. Anyways, what are your thoughts on the Intel coolers? How did they work with your CPU?

This is why I like games which you can roam around and have many things to do. Mafia I, I probably logged over 50 days on that game over the years. Runescape was over 200 days but I stopped only because it changed so much after 2010.

I said unless I stick a 770 in there; that means really cards below a 770 would be fine. A 750 Ti would be great but I don't know if a 760 is pushing it.

The worst thing about this build though is the desk and chair. You will now how bad it is until you sit at the desk. Any movement makes it wobble like crazy. I think it's from Ikea. I also connected a receiver to the computer to drive headphones and attached a DVD/CD player to the receiver so it's like I'm an "Audiophile", lol. If you look closely, I also have two external hard drives.

I wish they did. But even if they did, it would cost a lot which is why I went with the cheapest i3. I honestly think it's really good though. The HD 4400 outperforms my Dells laptop's i5 HD 3000 by miles. Also, the temperatures are so low compared to the laptop and the 2003 Intel CPU that I thought the sensors were not functioning correctly. I do plan on upgrading to a GPU though and an i3, though everyone thinks you should get an i7K, it does just fine. Unless you do editing and multi tasking and super hard core gaming, you shouldn't really have an i7K.

Exactly! I rarely see them faced up but since I'm putting it on carpet AND I only have 1 exhaust fan, I put it facing up.

Couldn't find the ancient ATI card. I'm sure it's been tossed along with every other computer part in the house; my Mom likes throwing away unused things.

Unless I stick a GTX 770 or greater, a 430W PSU is plenty.

I feel like every time I look for a graphics card, they are coming out with a new series. What the hell?

I didn't get a full tower; it's a mid. Also, why wouldn't I get a K series? It's expensive and they only have i5 and i7s unlockable ones which are over $200. Everything I got was because it was dirt cheap and/or on sale.

I'm going into my basement to look to see if that ATI All-In-Wonder card is still there. It sucks terribly but just for giggles.