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When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly. |
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On February 08 2013 07:13 VforValdes wrote:Hey guys I'm looking at buying a secondhand computer. My budget is $700 but I would prefer more down in the $500 range. I am expecting to upgrade this computer or upgrade to a completely new computer within a year. I would like your advice on two things: first, what should I look out for when buying things second hand? What are the pitfalls associated with this and what kind of reduction in price should I expect? Secondly, I have a possible computer listed below that is a contender for my purchase, although it's a bit over budget. What are your thoughts on this machine and what would you price it as second hand? I will include the links to the items for easier referencing. processor: Intel core i5 3570k bx80637I53570K http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX39008memory: Corsair vengeance 8 GB @ 1600Mhz cmz8gx3m2x1600c8b http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1875204motherboard: MSI Z77A GD65 z77a-gd65 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX376461 x OCZ vertex 3 120 GB SSD vtx3-25sat3-120g http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX32627/ReviewsPSU: Corsair AX750 750 watt cmpsu-750ax http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX29513case: Graphite Series™ 600T Whitecc600twm-wht http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX32402The stuff below I wasn't given a model # for so I'm not sure what they should be valued at. 2xSeagate 320 GB HDDs cooling: corsair H100 closed loop water cooler **UPDATE**graphics: gigabyte Radeon 7850 2 GB wifi: 1 x dlink wifi card os: windows 7 (plus disk and product key) Any thoughts?
Do you know when that computer was built, and how aggressively it was overclocked? I would not be willing to pay as much for a 3570k that's been at 4.6 ghz for a year (although, conversely, knowing you're getting a good chip out of the box is worth something) as one that's been at 4.2 for a couple of months, because even if they did a great job with the settings on the water cooling I'm not expecting to get nearly as much life out of it. Also, check out the maintenance. Very dusty vents and fans are a bad sign, because it means that temps have been higher than they really should have been, and would definitely cause me to value it less. Other things have less impact because they're not bad in and of themselves, but suggest to me that the treatment of the machine hasn't been as good. Cable maintenance is a big one.
That system's worth a bit over $800 new, but unfortunately unless you get more information it's difficult to really put a real pricetag on it. I would just make sure that you check out the things above and then trust that the person you're buying from was responsible with it, particularly since they're not gonna be giving you a warranty and may have done OEM warranty-voiding things with the machine.
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On February 08 2013 07:13 VforValdes wrote:Hey guys I'm looking at buying a secondhand computer. My budget is $700 but I would prefer more down in the $500 range. I am expecting to upgrade this computer or upgrade to a completely new computer within a year. I would like your advice on two things: first, what should I look out for when buying things second hand? What are the pitfalls associated with this and what kind of reduction in price should I expect? Secondly, I have a possible computer listed below that is a contender for my purchase, although it's a bit over budget. What are your thoughts on this machine and what would you price it as second hand? I will include the links to the items for easier referencing. processor: Intel core i5 3570k bx80637I53570K http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX39008memory: Corsair vengeance 8 GB @ 1600Mhz cmz8gx3m2x1600c8b http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1875204motherboard: MSI Z77A GD65 z77a-gd65 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX376461 x OCZ vertex 3 120 GB SSD vtx3-25sat3-120g http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX32627/ReviewsPSU: Corsair AX750 750 watt cmpsu-750ax http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX29513case: Graphite Series™ 600T Whitecc600twm-wht http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX32402The stuff below I wasn't given a model # for so I'm not sure what they should be valued at. 2xSeagate 320 GB HDDs cooling: corsair H100 closed loop water cooler **UPDATE**graphics: gigabyte Radeon 7850 2 GB wifi: 1 x dlink wifi card os: windows 7 (plus disk and product key) Any thoughts?
Just wait for Haswell and build then. What do you plan and using the computer for anyway. If you have the money go for it. but buying a second hand computer and then upgrading is a waste (I think).
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I've been hearing some talk that 7970s seem to be voltage locked these days. Anyone know for sure?
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On February 08 2013 06:04 Shauni wrote:Show nested quote +On February 08 2013 02:06 Torenhire wrote:On February 07 2013 18:46 Rollin wrote:On February 07 2013 15:24 RiceAgainst wrote:
Thanks for the help with my upgrade! The 7850 and the new PSU work, and they're not so much louder than before. There were a lot of issues so my brother and I took about five hours getting everything together; sometimes the wrong connector was used, other times a different connector was preferred, and then when things finally started working, cable management actually got in the way. Overall, I'm satisfied and I'm glad I received all the help I did. Tomorrow will be the day of judgement though, because that's when I'll be "testing" the system. 5 hours? o___O Well he said he was having a lot of issues, and he actually used the words "cable management" and I'm very OCD about hiding cables...so 5 hours really isn't that unusual of a number when I look at it  I probably spent more on my build haha. 5 hours isn't that much, especially when you have things like cpu and gpu coolers to mount. Those fuckers take a few hours each sometimes.
Eh, all I had to do was replace the PSU and the GPU so I thought it would've taken about ~40 minutes max for the physical installation of it. Boy was I wrong. The PC was a prebuilt so a lot of the cables were hard to move around unless I took the whole case apart, and the side panel being on right side, plus having a top mounted PSU hindered me more than I would've liked. And the cable management wasn't really cable management, it was more of pushing the cables far away. Anyways, I'm able to run some games on max or near max settings at ~60 FPS so I'm surprised and happy.
Once again, but hopefully not the last time (next time, I plan on going full build), thanks guys!
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Have you guys heard anything about Micro Centers?
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On February 08 2013 22:01 Cattlecruiser wrote:
Have you guys heard anything about Micro Centers?
They're great for purchasing CPU and motherboard bundles. Typically rather lukewarm for everything else from what I've seen.
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On February 08 2013 22:01 Cattlecruiser wrote:
Have you guys heard anything about Micro Centers?
You can get $100+ off high-end CPUs, but it's in-store only; it's basically a marketing tactic to get you to come. They have a pretty good selection of things and are generally pretty close to the price of online stores, but you'll have to pay sales tax. Sometimes you can save on video cards or other parts during a sale. They won't have as many options as an online retailer by virtue of being brick and mortar, so look at their site before you go.
I usually only go when I need a new CPU and generally I'll pick up some other miscellaneous things I need (99% alcohol for removing thermal compound, compressed air, etc.).
They're a reputable place.
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"You have to pay sales' tax". Does that mean you don't have to pay sales' tax on stuff bought online?
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On February 09 2013 10:40 Gumbi wrote:
"You have to pay sales' tax". Does that mean you don't have to pay sales' tax on stuff bought online?
Depends on the state. In most US states you're supposed to report purchases yourself & pay the sales tax at the same time as the yearly income tax return. But almost no one does that, and it's never, ever prosecuted if you don't. Some states have effectively forced many of the online retailers to charge sales tax at the point of purchase, same as they do in Europe or in a brick & mortar store here.
And of course there's a few states that don't have any sales tax at all (Oregon).
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On February 09 2013 10:44 MisterFred wrote:Show nested quote +On February 09 2013 10:40 Gumbi wrote:
"You have to pay sales' tax". Does that mean you don't have to pay sales' tax on stuff bought online? Depends on the state. In most US states you're supposed to report purchases yourself & pay the sales tax at the same time as the yearly income tax return. But almost no one does that, and it's never, ever prosecuted if you don't. Some states have effectively forced many of the online retailers to charge sales tax at the point of purchase, same as they do in Europe or in a brick & mortar store here. And of course there's a few states that don't have any sales tax at all (Oregon).
Wow ^^ And there I was thinking when I was in the States that 6.5% sales' tax was low enough, now I learn that one doesn't ened up paying that at all when buying online - vs 23% VAT on almost everything here.
'Murica.
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On February 09 2013 10:40 Gumbi wrote:
"You have to pay sales' tax". Does that mean you don't have to pay sales' tax on stuff bought online?
If there's a physical location (e.g. warehouse) in your state, you pay sales tax online. Pretty sure there are a few other criteria.
You're supposed to pay use tax on this type of online purchasing during your tax returns, but it doesn't really happen :p
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The Dell U3011 is a pretty good monitor, right?
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On February 11 2013 06:13 Craton wrote:
The Dell U3011 is a pretty good monitor, right?
Yeah sure, but...- Wide gamut, so "normal" material may be very oversaturated without proper calibration
- Highish input lag, greater than a frame
- Some other modern monitors have better contrast (some IPS and TN by a little bit, *VA by a lot)
- Good but not great pixel response times means some but not bad motion blurring, worse than some good TNs easily
- Only 60 Hz
- Minimum brightness at normal contrast is still pretty bright and probably too much for a darker room for most people
Can't just fork out cash and get something good at everything.
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What 30" 2560x1600 would you recommend, then? I suppose I could be persuaded to go with a 27", but I prefer 16:10 to 16 : 9.
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I think all the 30" 2560x1600 are IPS, might be all wide gamut too. Under the big brands at least, I'd expect mostly similar input lag, response times, contrast, etc. Or worse lag. I don't even think Samsung makes a 30" PLS. U3011 is matte, and the other options are as well, even the old CCFL-backlit Apple Cinema Display? Or maybe not for the couple of "Korean" options?
Maybe somebody else knows something.
At 27" 2560x1440, there are more choices.
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The glossy imports for 30" are the Yamasaki Sparta & Crossover 30Q5 Pro. (At least I'm pretty sure both are glossy). The Sparta is covered by glass, the Crossover is not. There's another Crossover model too, but it accepts more than just a single dual-link DVI input, so I'm assuming it will probably have the same input lag problems as the 2560x1440 imports with more than one input.
Also, for the big brands I think the HP zr30w is supposed to have less input lag than the dell, because of a lack of on screen display. But the Dell may have had some other advantages. It's been awhile since I read Womwomwom on the difference between the two. I think the recommendation was Dell for most people, the HP zr30w if your main purpose was to game on it.
Also, I think all the 30" monitors are still CCFL-backlit. Not sure any are LED.
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I'm building a computer for a friend who has a $1200 budget and wants the computer to be decently futureproof. He isn't a hardcore gamer but does play games and so would like a comp that allows him to play any modern game that comes out in decent settings. This is what I came up with after some quick searching on Newegg, please critique the build! Let me know if everything will be compatible, fits inside the case or any optimizations you would suggest. In particular I'm inexperienced when it comes to PSUs, cases, motherboards and monitors and I think I could have gotten away with cheaper stuff there. No overclocking.
- Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
- GIGABYTE GV-N660OC-2GD GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
- G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
- Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
- MSI Z77A-G41 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
- CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
- ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ Speakers 300 cd/m2 20000 :1 (ASCR)
- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Upgraded USB 3.0
This totals to $1105. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
+ Show Spoiler [Newegg links] +
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