RATCHET (BUILD UPDATE 20XX - Post has moved to build logs, link inside)

[caffeine]

                                                 (THIS POST HAS MOVED TO BUILD LOGS, CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE)                                             

BACKSTORY

So here's the rub, I've got a dying i3 laptop. A real piece of crap that I've been nursing from death for months now. I'm sure the motherboard is going now and I need to find a replacement.
 
Luckily I live in a town with a Airforce Base and people are constantly selling their electronics when they move - Pawn Shop paradise. Anyways I've opted to digging through the garbage of ebay and craigslist rather than shell out several hundred that I don't have on a PC.
 
So here's my current needs/parameters
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quad Core or Better CPU (I do tons of video editing, and the i3 has been killing me)
 
Adequate CPU cooling
 
4GB+ of RAM (8GB preferred)
 
Decent Graphics Card (However I don't need a GTX 980 if I'm running a CPU from 2009)  
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My Current Build List - CODENAME: Ratchet - King of the Scrapheap

 

• CPU - AMD FX 6100 OC to 4.0GHz (Freebie! Kindly donated by GzeroD) - eBay    
• MOBO - (New!) Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 - ($47 Shipped from eBay) - 
• GPU - AMD R9 280x ($150-ish on eBay) - eBay
• RAM - DDR3 8GB (Yet to find a good deal, maybe 4GB dimm X2)
• Case - Bitfenix Neos Red/White ($34 On Sale ends 3/11/15) - NCIXUS
• CPU Cooler - be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 (39.99 shipped from Newegg)
• PSU - Thermaltake TR2 500W ($37 Clearance @ Radioshack RIP)

 

• DVD Drive - free (from previous repair)
• HDD - SATA3 2.5mm 320GB drive (free from previous repair)

The Motherboard Swap 

 

I had originally planned to use a MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard, but a cross between not being able to get a solid line from the seller on craigslist and some unsettling research about this board had me throw it out entirely . Come to find out through sites like TomsHardware.com the MSI board was a terrible overclocker and on more than a few occasions had ruined CPUs and other parts even with steady overclocks and straight-out rejected OC'd 8-core CPUs. Apparently that's why you see so many on the second hand market.

 

To replace my previous board I went to eBay to scavenge, and late last night I found an Asus M5A97 LE R2.0. Bought it. Comes with the standard factory warranty and an additional warranty from the store the seller bought from. (Fully transferable, no worries) The only thing that gets me is the board doesn't have heatsinks leaving me to possibly damage the board with my mild OC. Now I know for about $15 I can buy copper fins to help dissipate the heat and that in some benchmarks I've seen helps for about 10 degrees in some cases.

 

However, this is where the genius of buying an air cooler comes in. With the motherboards rather hot parts being situated toward the back of the board, and conveniently in the path of the airflow coming off my CPU and right in front of my rear case fan, this means I will always have a steady pull of air cooling the motherboard right where it needs it. Motherboard cooling, all thanks to fluid dynamics and decent engineering. 

 

So I will probably invest in some mosfet heatsinks in the future, but I want to see what the board can handle before I start chucking money for parts that I may not need. 

 

Conclusion

 

With my new parts this build costs an estimated total of $370 (USD) out of my $350~$450 budget. Now I haven't bought a GPU or RAM so this is the last part of the race where I can Min/Max as much as I can to turn that $370 into a $350 or even a $340. 

 

So this is where I wait and find the best deal and pounce. I've already created followed searches for the R9 280X and 7970 on eBay and check my craigslist once-a-day.  I'm planning on getting some kind of performance RAM most likely second hand. 

 

Special thanks to forums user GzeroD for donating his AMD FX 6100 toward this build! Although he says it was just gathering dust in the corner, it means a lot and I greatly appreciate it. This truly is a great group of people here at LinusTechTips. Let's all give him some good karma and keep the vibes flowing. Can you dig it?

 

Tell me what you guys think? Decent? Leave your thoughts in the comment section. 

 

 

 

This is what my locals have to offer at the time.
 

MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard $50.00
AMD Phenom II x6-1035t 2.6/3.1 Turbo Core 6 core Processor $100.00
 
 
And this guy has a fully built and tested PC
 
Processor: Intel i7-930 Quad Core @ 2.8Ghz Stock Intel Cooler
Motherboard: Asus Rampage III Extreme
Graphics Card: Asus GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB OC Edition
RAM: 8GB GDDR3 Gskill Rampage
HDD: 500GB Western Digital 7200RPM HDD

Disc Drive: Standard DVD-RW Disc Drive
Power Supply: 80 Plus Bronze Certified Corsair CX500 500W
Windows 8.1 Professional
 
 - $450

 
 
What do you think? Questions? Comments?

[Decon]

So here's the rub, I've got a dying i3 laptop. A real piece of crap that I've been nursing from death for months now. I'm sure the motherboard is going now and I need to find a replacement.

 

Luckily I live in a town with a Airforce Base and people are constantly selling their electronics when they move - Pawn Shop paradise. Anyways I've opted to digging through the garbage of ebay and craigslist rather than shell out several hundred that I don't have on a PC.

 

So here's my current needs/parameters

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quad Core or Better CPU (I do tons of video editing, and the i3 has been killing me)

 

Adequate CPU cooling

 

4GB+ of RAM (8GB preferred)

 

Last-gen Graphics Card (I don't need a GTX 980 if I'm running a CPU from 2009)  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I already have a Case and a 500W PSU ($36). Here's my case - Bitfenix Neos Red/White ($34)

 

 

So I'm setup for getting the rest of my parts and this is what my locals have to offer at the time.

 

MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard $50.00

AMD Phenom II x6-1035t 2.6/3.1 Turbo Core 6 core Processor $100.00

 

 

And this guy has a fully built and tested PC

 

Processor: Intel i7-930 Quad Core @ 2.8Ghz Stock Intel Cooler

Motherboard: Asus Rampage III Extreme

Graphics Card: Asus GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB OC Edition

RAM: 8GB GDDR3 Gskill Rampage 

HDD: 500GB Western Digital 7200RPM HDD

Disc Drive: Standard DVD-RW Disc Drive

Power Supply: 80 Plus Bronze Certified Corsair CX500 500W

Windows 8.1 Professional

 

 - $450

 

 

So what do you guys think? Jump on the deals or should I wait? I'm more tempted to go with the first-gen i7 build, but it's a little out of my price range. Especially since I already have a PSU and Case.

 

Other than these two, what build would you recommend? Thanks for your time.

i7

 

maybe resell case, GPU and PSU and get a better GPU?

[GzeroD]

If you end up going with the amd build  I have an fx 6100 That is getting replaced with a 8350 I was given. Once I make sure the new chip works I could just send you the 6100. should give you a lot more wiggle room in that budget.

[caffeine]

i7

 

maybe resell case, GPU and PSU and get a better GPU?

 

Case is a Cooler Master-something-err-other. Looks decent, but needs to be cleaned badly PIC - 

 

 

I would keep the PSU though, better quality than mine.

[GzeroD]

Also that i7 build probably either needs 2gb removed or 4gb added depending on current configuration 1366 was triple channel memory era. and that can't be done with 8 GB.

 

What is the budget your looking at? 

[caffeine]

If you end up going with the amd build  I have an fx 6100 That is getting replaced with a 8350 I was given. Once I make sure the new chip works I could just send you the 6100. should give you a lot more wiggle room in that budget.

 

Dude that would be awesome!  I would have to do some reading on how to use that CPU the best, but that would be awesome!    

 

I have nothing against AMD at all, but to be honest I wish ATI got better support and optimization. That's one of the reasons I'm shying away from a R9 in my build. Have they gotten better with this lately?

[GzeroD]

Dude that would be awesome!  I would have to do some reading on how to use that CPU the best, but that would be awesome!    

 

I have nothing against AMD at all, but to be honest I wish ATI got better support and optimization. That's one of the reasons I'm shying away from a R9 in my build. Have they gotten better with this lately?

The only reason I can think of to shy away from a used R9 Gpu's is that some of them have been used to bitcoin mine. otherwise they are quite dependable if a little thirsty.

[caffeine]

Also that i7 build probably either needs 2gb removed or 4gb added depending on current configuration 1366 was triple channel memory era. and that can't be done with 8 GB.

 

What is the budget your looking at? 

 

I've got a $350 - $450USD floating budget. Buying parts piecemeal allows me to get better deals, but can add up to be more in the long run given the parts I'm picking at the time.

 

So the two main things I'm using this build for is video editing and gaming. Not PC-Master-Race-Level gaming, but high and steady framerates on medium or high settings.

[caffeine]

The only reason I can think of to shy away from a used R9 Gpu's is that some of them have been used to bitcoin mine. otherwise they are quite dependable if a little thirsty.

 

I totally forgot about people doing that. Must be a huge aftermarket for burned out ones.

[GzeroD]

I totally forgot about people doing that. Must be a huge aftermarket for burned out ones.

There where a lot of them that had to get RMA ed for vrm and other repairs. generally refurbished parts are fine, Generally Its the ones that people did not bother to send back that cause the issues

[GzeroD]

I've got a $350 - $450USD floating budget. Buying parts piecemeal allows me to get better deals, but can add up to be more in the long run given the parts I'm picking at the time.

 

So the two main things I'm using this build for is video editing and gaming. Not PC-Master-Race-Level gaming, but high and steady framerates on medium or high settings.

Ok so

Case:Have

PSU (500W): Have

MB: (MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard): $50.00

CPU: FX 6100: Freebie

RAM:

Storage:

GPU:

 

 

Do you need/want a optical drive?

Do you need a monitor and mouse/keyboard?

because if you don't you can get quite a nice little gpu with the 200-300 remaining in that budget after 8Gb of ram and a 1 or 2 TB HDD (I would buy the HDD new.)

[Fgtfv567]

I actually really like that 450 dollar i7 rig! Sure it's an old i7 but still! I'd recommend getting a new GPU fosho tho, possibly a new hard drive and case if it looks terrible

[caffeine]

Ok so

Case:Have

PSU (500W): Have

MB: (MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard): $50.00

CPU: FX 6100: Freebie

RAM:

Storage:

GPU:

 

 

Do you need/want a optical drive?

Do you need a monitor and mouse/keyboard?

because if you don't you can get quite a nice little gpu with the 200-300 remaining in that budget after 8Gb of ram and a 1 or 2 TB HDD (I would buy the HDD new.)

 

I could use a monitor and all that jazz, but I'm eyeballing some mechanical keyboards. So what I'm thinking about doing is using my TV as a monitor getting a wireless keyboard/ mouse and calling it a day on accessories. Then later upgrading to all the fixings.

 

Gonna need an optical drive at first. Have a lot of apps that wont let you download the software, have to use the CD and a key. I have one, maybe it'll work. 

 

As far as GPUs go... I love Nvidia, but I don't know if their features like shadowplay and stuff justify it. The only thing I can think of is CUDA. That really helps with a lot of rendering applications. But doing an all AMD build is appealing as well.  

 

Research forthcoming.

[caffeine]

Update 1.1 Full specs. Tell me what you think.

[GzeroD]

looks like your gonna need a hard drive still.

And a cpu heatsink. I don't have one too send.

[caffeine]

looks like your gonna need a hard drive still.

And a cpu heatsink. I don't have one too send.

 

I have a few HDDs laying around I can use. The perks of being a family nerd, I get all the crap to fix but I keep all your old stuff you don't want.

 

I'm probably going to grab a Corsair Hydro H55. They're on sale right now for $40 @NCIXUS. Looks like AMD runs hot, plus with my slight OC I'm gonna need a better than stock solution. The performance delta may not be much better than an air cooler, but I like silence, plus I'm running a mid tower and the radiator may be better for overall closed case temps.

 

Also have a Win 8 product key back when you could upgrade for cheap.

[GzeroD]

I have it on an old H50 and its worked fine at 4.2 but that was pushing the cpu to the limits of that AIO if it was running something cpu intense for any prolonged period of time. the chip is stable up too 4.5 but I never had the cooling to keep it there at a temp I liked.

[caffeine]

I have it on an old H50 and its worked fine at 4.2 but that was pushing the cpu to the limits of that AIO if it was running something cpu intense for any prolonged period of time. the chip is stable up too 4.5 but I never had the cooling to keep it there at a temp I liked.

 

I know that 50~60 degrees Celsius is pushing it right? What was yours running at?

[GzeroD]

I know that 50~60 degrees Celsius is pushing it right? What was yours running at?

at 4.2 58-61C depending on ambient temp if I was stress testing an overclock for longer than 5 or 6 min it would hit around there and level off. Casual use was much lower in the 40's

[caffeine]

at 4.2 58-61C depending on ambient temp if I was stress testing an overclock for longer than 5 or 6 min it would hit around there and level off. Casual use was much lower in the 40's

That sounds fine for my use. I don't think the more powerful parts at a similar clock produce much more heat. Would you recommend a better setup? 

 

Also I found an H60 for the same price. Referb though. 

[GzeroD]

unless your looking for the clean aesthetic A quality air cooler will probably do just as well or better than one of the low end AIO's at the same or a slightly lower price. 

Then again the airflow in that neo is less than great (but better than poor) and that might hamper an air cooler.

 

At the same price I would go with the refurb as long as it comes with at least a 1 year limited warranty.

[caffeine]

unless your looking for the clean aesthetic A quality air cooler will probably do just as well or better than one of the low end AIO's at the same or a slightly lower price. 

Then again the airflow in that neo is less than great (but better than poor) and that might hamper an air cooler.

 

At the same price I would go with the refurb as long as it comes with at least a 1 year limited warranty.

 

Okay looked at some tests and there's literally only a degree of difference between the two (H55 & H60) under high load. Plus the refurb only has a 3-month warranty.

 

So nope. 

 

I wouldn't mind a meaty air cooler, but three things preclude me in choosing one. Size, and sound, and airflow.  My case is rather small IMO and I'm still waiting for it to arrive. So if I were to shop for coolers I don't even have a physical thing to reference to see if it would fit with the case closed. But even if I could get a good flow going, I've still got a GPU putting off heat.

 

With a rad I might lose some air pull of the system, but it helps with looks and with keeping the thing an overall cooler temp. In honesty all I've worked with is stock coolers in crappy bigbox PCs so I've gotten what could possibly be just a bad impression of what air coolers are capable of.

 

So here's what I'm thinking now - cost to performance. Can I get a better cooler for $40?

[GzeroD]

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=90538&vpn=BK013&manufacture=be%20quiet%21&promoid=1423

 

Be quiet Shadow Rock 2 specs say it is 160mm tall and the neos non windowed says that is the max cooler size. (windowed version has less room.)

 

Edit: I found a review where the the shadow rock slim was used in a neos and it is 1mm taller. Your should be set with the Shadow rock 2 which should at least hold its own if not perform better than a thin 120mm AIO.

[caffeine]

Update 1.2 is live. Check out what's changed!

[caffeine]

The Thread has moved!  Come here to see updates as this post will no longer be updated - http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/326603-my-scrap-based-build-ratchet-build-update-12-parts-swap-etc/