Help me regain my sanity (3AM and I cant sleep, I'm so stressed out over this.)

[Jack.EXE]

The rig in my sig is busted. Like, completely shrekt.

I have the option to get my hands on a pair of 6970s for $170, which is a great deal.

The problem is, I got very little in terms of budget, as I'm trying to save for other things, but I'm just so tired of having to game on my laptop, in odd places, ect.

So the goal is, cheap as possible without bottlenecks. If you guys can help me, I might just stop losing sleep.

8GB ram minumum.

No i3s, pentiums, athlons, or celerons please.

Doesnt have to be PCpartpicker, but please choose reputable sources.

I have a 750W power supply already.

I just want my sanity back, and the safety of knowing that there are options.

[TheKDub]

What is your absolute maximum budget?

[BurgerBum]

gonna wait for someone else to post a list and i'll get a set of ram with 1 different tone on the heatspreader and call ti original. :troll:

[Jack.EXE]

What is your absolute maximum budget?

In total, I have $750 (my entire savings. Parents wont let me get a job.) But I would prefer to spend as little as possible, as I have other things I am saving up for.

[Nergale]

Is the HDD/SSD/RAM still useable?

 

And I wouldn't get the 6970 CF, too much power for 2GB VRAM.

[IanDrexP]

Look at your local listings and craislist, probably a lot selling used for cheap... Plus you can personally test and inspect the hardware yourself. #FirstWorldProblems

[Jack.EXE]

Is the HDD/SSD/RAM still useable?

 

And I wouldn't get the 6970 CF, too much power for 2GB VRAM.

I'm rocking 900P, 2GB is plenty.

As for drives, probably, but I want to start with as few origonal parts as possible, as I have no idea what is causing the issues with my current rig.

[Clyne]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A (NFC Express Edition) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($71.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($43.00 @ Amazon) 

Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Other: 6970 Xfire ($170.00)

Total: $560.95

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-26 03:12 EDT-0400

Or

Using local ads with some online sites. 

CPU+Mobo+GPU combo: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5072395901.html You could probably sell the GPU and i3 for 100 and use that for a 3570K. 

3570K: http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i5-3570K-ivy-1155-socket-Processor-/111697801798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1a01b53246

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178654&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

1TB HDD: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5083705728.html

Case: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5070613387.html

 

[Jack.EXE]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A (NFC Express Edition) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($71.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($43.00 @ Amazon) 

Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Other: 6970 Xfire ($170.00)

Total: $560.95

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-26 03:12 EDT-0400

Or

Using local ads with some online sites. 

CPU+Mobo+GPU combo: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5072395901.html You could probably sell the GPU and i3 for 100 and use that for a 3570K. 

3570K: http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i5-3570K-ivy-1155-socket-Processor-/111697801798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1a01b53246

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178654&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

1TB HDD: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5083705728.html

Case: https://houston.craigslist.org/sop/5070613387.html

MUCH too expinsive.

I litterally have only $750 for EVERYTHING, including non computer stuff.

That's why I'm so stressed, I cant get a job, and all this crap happened at the same time. Getting a car, computer breaks, applying for colleges, I'm growing up too quickly and I hate it. I miss being 14.

[Nergale]

Well despite that, you probably won't always run 900p. And trust me when I tell you this, crossfire is a lot to tinker with, especially with new releases and all that kind of stuff.

 

In addition to that you'll have a much higher energy consumption with 2 cards, which probably doesn't bother you too much because you probably don't pay for it.

But you'll be the one to pay the beefier PSU.

 

Seeing these benchmarks on Anandtech: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1031?vs=1061

suggests that 2 6970 with linear scaling would still be just as fast as a single 7970, which you can get for ~150$. 

 

Benefits of that are:

- Less power consumption

- Possibility to get a smaller PSU

- No crossfire related issues

[SImoHayha]

The rig in my sig is busted. Like, completely shrekt.

I have the option to get my hands on a pair of 6970s for $170, which is a great deal.

The problem is, I got very little in terms of budget, as I'm trying to save for other things, but I'm just so tired of having to game on my laptop, in odd places, ect.

So the goal is, cheap as possible without bottlenecks. If you guys can help me, I might just stop losing sleep.

8GB ram minumum.

No i3s, pentiums, athlons, or celerons please.

Doesnt have to be PCpartpicker, but please choose reputable sources.

I have a 750W power supply already.

I just want my sanity back, and the safety of knowing that there are options.

Here you are the cheapest I got

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($166.95 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($64.89 @ OutletPC)

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.49 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($44.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB PCS+ Video Card  ($169.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Total: $491.31

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-26 03:24 EDT-0400

[Wiplive]

I don't know man, MAYBE STOP PLAYING GAMES IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB? go do something, jeez.

[Clyne]

MUCH too expinsive.

I litterally have only $750 for EVERYTHING, including non computer stuff.

That's why I'm so stressed, I cant get a job, and all this crap happened at the same time. Getting a car, computer breaks, applying for colleges, I'm growing up too quickly and I hate it. I miss being 14.

750.........

It might be okay if you went with a C2Q with some SLI board. Q6600-9550s go for 40 at ebay. A LGA 775 SLI board is around 60 at ebay...Probably around 100.......... Most Xfire 775 boards are usually expensive. 

DDR2 8GB ram would be dirt cheap(20-40) and a HDD of classifieds for 30-45. You could always go for Dual 560 Ti's which would cost around 150....

Case for 50 dollars would be fine. 

Can't think of any more cheaper ways to get a good build.

[Nergale]

Sooo I'd suggest you get a memtest of your Ram going, and test it out, if its alright you can still use that. HDD / SSD might still be working, try to test that aswell.

 

Use your old case, clean it with canned air or whatever you got on your hands.

 

Don't get an optical drive, waste of money these days.

 

GPU: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-R7970-TF-3GD5-OC-BE-HD-7970-3GB-Twin-Frozr-OC-Boost-Edition-384-bit-/161744987329?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a8c0a4c1

7970 Ebay.com - 150$

CPU: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460

Same i5 that has been suggested before. 166,99$

MB: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-h81me

H81 Motherboard that still allows to overclock K series Processors - 53$

PSU: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cougar-power-supply-cougara500

Cougar PSU 500W - 50$

 

That's 419,99$ if you can use the old parts.

 

If not you need to buy this additionally: (Stolen from Ramamataz)

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($44.99 @ Amazon)

 

That's 509,47.

 

And if none of the options float your boat, then go and hunt craigslist yourself, it doesn't get cheaper if you know what to look for.

[Nergale]

Whoops, scrap the PSU. Missed that in the initial post.

[THFourteen]

Heh my parents wouldn't let me get a job when I was at school either, I was supposed to be studying they said. Computers weren't quite as expensive at the time I think and didn't need upgrading every other year with new gfx cards (this was before graphics cards) like people do now.

Anyway, if money is tight then I suggest you need to make the most of your existing parts, so order the new motherboard and CPU but then test your existing RAM and HDD in the new system before spending more money.

You will have to spend that bit of extra time on it if you are short of cash.

Having said that I never throw anything out without making sure its broken. You never know when you might want a second cheap PC for steam streaming or Netflix or whatever.

[Jack.EXE]

I don't know man, MAYBE STOP PLAYING GAMES IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB? go do something, jeez.

I'm perfectly willing to work, nut my parents say "school is my job"...

My unpaid, stressful, job...

[MageTank]

The rig in my sig is busted. Like, completely shrekt.

I have the option to get my hands on a pair of 6970s for $170, which is a great deal.

The problem is, I got very little in terms of budget, as I'm trying to save for other things, but I'm just so tired of having to game on my laptop, in odd places, ect.

So the goal is, cheap as possible without bottlenecks. If you guys can help me, I might just stop losing sleep.

8GB ram minumum.

No i3s, pentiums, athlons, or celerons please.

Doesnt have to be PCpartpicker, but please choose reputable sources.

I have a 750W power supply already.

I just want my sanity back, and the safety of knowing that there are options.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jKzWf7

 

Just get a board and CPU, and test the rest of your components before wasting cash on things you do not need. It is highly unlikely that all 3 of your ram sticks have failed. Even if one failed, you have 8gb from the other two. Stock intel cooler is fine for a locked i5 since you wont be OCing at all. H85 board isnt the best feature-heavy board, but it will run the locked down i5 just fine. You wanted cheap, this is what cheap gets you. 

 

You have 2 different HDD's and an SSD, it is unlikely all 3 of those failed at the same time too, so reuse whatever works. Part of saving money means figuring out what is reusable. Once you determine what is broken, that is when you replace whats broken, and keep the rest.

[Jack.EXE]

My current plan: run a memtest to see if I can save the memory, and I'll be going with the 6970s, as most of the benchmarks show each is about equal to the 7870, and two of those can take on a titan. 2GB vRAM is plenty for me too, anyway.

I'm currently looking at going 1156, with a xeon x3450 and an EVGA P55 board.

Still looking at cases (the board is mATX)

[Nergale]

Don't get the 6970s, they are bad. Really. A Titan kills a 6990 (Which essentially is a 6970 CF) easily. The only things a 6990 wins is in noise level and power consumption.

 

You dont get GCN 1.0 with 6970s in CF, you dont get directx 12, which is going to be great for AMD, driver overhead and stuff. You're going to pay more for a dual GPU solution each month, and seeing that you're moving out soon(?) you might want to have that in mind aswell.

 

Here is your TITAN vs HD 6990:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1183?vs=1060

The 6990 can barely beat a 7970:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1183?vs=1031

 

As stated above you can get a HD 7970 cheaper, which costs less money in the long run, will cause less problems, and due to its newer architecture will recieve driver updates...  

[REX.exe]

I don't know man, MAYBE STOP PLAYING GAMES IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB? go do something, jeez.

Your overview says your 10 years old? If it's true please don't say shit like that to us. You're too young to have a job or even be on the internet really.

 

He says his parents won't let him get a job.

[NumLock21]

I'm perfectly willing to work, nut my parents say "school is my job"...

My unpaid, stressful, job...

Most parents will want their children to finish college first and then find a job as they think, having a college education will land them a job with better pay. In reality, this might be true for some, but IMO this is not how the real world works. After a person graduates from college they're faced with a massive amount of debt, in which it will take forever to pay off. Not all starting jobs gives high pay, most start at the very bottom of the ladder and then climb their way up. The thing with having a job while going through college, some will tend to lose focus on their education, which leads to academic probation and then you'll have 2 choices, quit job, focus on your education or dropping out of college and continue with the job that you have. Dropping out, only a lucky few becomes successful and yet similar to finish college first, this cannot be applied for everyone. Dropping out of college and having a job, a few years down the road, some will look back and regret on the decision they made and wished they had finish their education, but who knows how their life will end up. Will they be successful or pile themselves in a massive amount of debt? Tell your parents why you need a job, college isn't free so someone has to pay the bills, paying for yourself gives you the sense of being independent. Show them you can balance a job as well as your education, now if it's too much and you want to focus on your education, then just do that. For your system, try to find out what's wrong with it first before taking the plunge of buying new parts.  Now if money is tight and your parents don't want you to have a job, then tell them to pay for your computer.

[Wiplive]

I'm perfectly willing to work, nut my parents say "school is my job"...

My unpaid, stressful, job...

 

Tell parents to buy you computer because you need it for school too and that your laptop sucks. If not then tell them that you're going to work and buy it yourself. Just make it so they think it's very hard to study without a decent computer.

[Wiplive]

Your overview says your 10 years old? If it's true please don't say shit like that to us. You're too young to have a job or even be on the internet really.

 

He says his parents won't let him get a job.

 

so wat if i are 10. u tink u tough m8. im gonna rek u 1v1 ez pz lmn sqz. rip in peace. i mite be smrtr than u m8.

[REX.exe]

so wat if i are 10. u tink u tough m8. im gonna rek u 1v1 ez pz lmn sqz. rip in peace. i mite be smrtr than u m8.

Are you actually 10?