(Part 3) Best internal solid state drives according to redditors

Congratulations! It looks like you just found a nice computer! It appears you're missing a hard drive/solid state drive, SATA cable, and operating system.

To begin, you'll want to get an unused hard drive or solid state drive. These can be found on Amazon, Newegg, or in Bestbuy (among other places). I'll supply links to a few examples below. After you've made you're selection, you'll need a SATA cable. This cable allows you to hook the drive up to your motherboard. The last step is to install Windows. All in all, it's a very simple process albeit a bit time consuming (primarily for the Windows installation).

This is a very simple explanation of an also relatively simple installation/resolution. If you'd like more detailed instructions, I'd be happy to help!

Hard Drive Example

Solid State Drive Example

SATA Cable

Operating System (Windows 10)

Ubuntu is also a FREE operating system that is compatible with your hardware. Most users are experienced with Windows, which is why I listed it. Personally, I prefer Windows over Ubuntu.

Go to Amazon and get one of the following:

• Western Digital 1TB Blue - $44
  
  
• Seagate 1TB BarraCuda - $44
  
  Or you can spend $15 more and get twice the storage:
  
  
• Western Digital 2TB Black - $110
  
• Seagate 2TB BarraCuda - $60
  
  These are all 7200 RPM drives and are from a reputable source.
  
  Edit: Changed 2TB WD to Black, which is 7200 RPM

EVGA DG-85 Full Tower case for $70.02

DEEPCOOL CAPTAIN120 EX aio for $50.13

ASUS Prime B350-Plus AM4 motherboard for $70.50

Asus z170-E motherboard for $70.63

Coolermaster V750 gold rated psu for $71.23

EVGA CLC 120 aio for $45.49

Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 aio for $56.25

Arctic Liquid Freezer 240 aio for $67.69

asrock h110 mini itx motherboard for $40

a freaking bamboo keyboard and mouse for $45.51

EVGA 750w bronze psu for 45.49

white nzxt hue+ for 42.49

fractal design core 500 for 42.19

cooler master masterbox 5 white case for 42.19

Samsung PM951 128GB M.2 drive for $56.85

PNY CS1311 240gb ssd for $66.67

EDIT: Just spend the last half hour going through these items only to find out the code doesn't work on most electronics

$130 - Sennheiser HD 599 SE Special Edition, Black

$130 - Sennheiser HD 4.50 Special Edition, Bluetooth Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation, Black

​

$541 - HKC 34'' (3440x1440p) 21:9 Ultrawide 100hz Curved Freesync VA Panel 8ms GTG Rebranded Viotek GN34C, I think it's a Samsung CF791 Panel

$870 - Samsung LC34J791WTNXZA 34" 3440x1440 100Hz QLED 21:9 VA Freesync Thunderbolt 3

$115 - ViewSonic VX2257-MHD 22 Inch 75Hz 2ms 1080p TN

$650 - Samsung 32" QLED 1440p 144Hz HDR 600 WQHD Curved Gaming Monitor Freesync 2 VA

$315 - LG 27GL650F-B 27" 144hz IPS HDR 10 Freesync

$165 - AOPEN 24HC1QR Pbidpx 23.6" 1080p 144hz 1800R Curved FreeSync 4ms VA

$320 - AOPEN 32HC1QUR Pbidpx 31.5" (2560x1440) 144Hz 1800R Curved VA 4ms Freesync Ships within 1-3 months

$260 - ViewSonic VX3276-2K-MHD 32 Inch 1440p IPS Frameless

​

$270 - AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

$765 - AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

​

$200 - Toshiba X300 8TB Hard Drive 7200 RPM 128MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5 Inch

$120 - Toshiba NAS N300 4TB NAS 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive- SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 128MB

$315 - Toshiba NAS N300 10TB NAS 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive- SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB

$80 - Seagate FireCuda 2TB SSHD 2.5 Inch SATA

$57/96/186 - XPG GAMMIX 256/512GB/1TB S11 Pro 3D NAND PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 SSD

$106 - Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD

$107 - Crucial BX500 960GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5-Inch Internal SSD

$242 - Crucial MX500 2TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch SSD

$104 - Toshiba Canvio Advance 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, White

$120 - WD Elements 6TB USB 3.0 External HDD Color Black WDBWLG0060HBK-NESN

$95 - Samsung 860 EVO 500GB 2.5" SATA III SSD

​

$81 - Ballistix Sport LT 16GB Kit (2x8GB) DDR4 3000 MT/s (PC4-24000) CL15 SR Gray

$137 - Ballistix Elite 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR4 3600 MT/s (PC4-28800) CL16 SR Ships within 1-2 months

$73 - Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4x4GB) DDR4 3000 CL16 Black Non-prime, ships within 1-3 months

​

Other Components

$110 - DEEPCOOL Castle 240 RGB Liquid CPU Cooler Non-prime

$170 - Corsair H115i 280mm RGB Platinum AIO Liquid CPU Cooler

$35 - Deepcool RF120 3-Pack 120mm RGB PWM Fans with Fan Hub and Extension Non-prime

$805 - ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2080 Twin Fan 8GB

$198 - Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO ATX Motherboard

$120 - Corsair RM750x 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU CP-9020179-NA

$170 - Corsair HX850i High Performance 80+ Platinum Fully Modular ATX PSU

$60 - Corsair Fan Controller Commander Pro CL-9011110-WW

​

$33 - Logitech G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse

$40 - Logitech G403 Prodigy Wired Gaming Mouse

$50 - Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse

$50 - Razer DeathAdder Elite: True 16,000 5G Optical Sensor

$64 - SteelSeries Rival 600 Gaming Mouse, 12,000 CPI TrueMove3+ Dual Optical Sensor

$55 - Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse, Graphite Ships within 1-2 months

$22 - NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch

$25 - HyperX Double Shot Black & White Pudding PBT Keycaps - 104 Mechanical Keycap Set for Cherry MX

$30 - Corsair mm350 Anti-Fray Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad Extended XL

$10.50 - SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface - Medium Cloth

$23 - SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface - Medium Hard

$135 - Razer Huntsman: Opto-Mechanical Switch

$55 - Logitech C920 Webcam HD Pro (960-000764)

​

$10.91 - AmazonBasics AAA High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries (8-Pack) Pre-charged 850mAh

$12.48 - AmazonBasics AAA Rechargeable Batteries (12-Pack) 800mAh

$18.89 - AmazonBasics AA High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries (8-Pack) Pre-charged 2400mAh

$1.49 - Oreos and other snacks :)

110% price match at staples works with this, making it $98.91 before tax.

Staples Link

Amazon Link

Staples Price Match (Scroll down for chat or call)

I have a 960 evo in my computer right now, very nice but not as much difference in real experience vs what we saw from HDD to SSD. Moved from 850 evo to 960 evo, it's super fast but not too many things I do take advantage of the extra speed.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/dp/B01M20VBU7

SSDs are super cheap these days. And M.2 SSDS (PCIE) are like 4-8x faster than SSD :O 500gb for $150 USD? While normal SSD is 70 ish.

Edit: M.2 - https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/dp/B01M20VBU7/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1550751896&sr=1-5&keywords=m.2&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A14027459011

Regular SSD - https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-Internal-MZ-76E500B-AM/dp/B0781Z7Y3S/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1550751937&sr=1-3&keywords=ssd&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A14027459011

Here's a link to the RAM you'd need, and here's links to a 250/500/1000/2000 GB SSD. Just make sure to get an SSD large enough for your storage needs. As for tools, you'll need a small Phillips screwdriver, and a T6 Torx driver. Here are the instructions to replace the hard drive, and you can replace the RAM while the back cover is off by following these instructions. Total cost will range from $120 to $320 for the parts depending on how large of an SSD you need, assuming you already have the tools. While it's open, I'd suggest getting a can of compressed air and dusting out the inside of the machine while you're in there. It'll help with cooling.

1 TB SATA SSD have been at 150ish for some time now. Patience and buy if it’s under 130

Edit: Evidence WD 1 TB Reg Price in Amazon for a few weeks now $149

Same Crucial on Amazon 159$ regular price

This will be cheaper and twice as fast (depending on your USB3 ports) in a smaller package:

https://www.newegg.ca/p/0VN-0003-001D4

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC

1. Late 2011 is easily supported by: http://dosdude1.com/catalina/
   
2. SSD: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8A29E6/
   
3. RAM: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SNM1LHS/

Depending on province, the SU800 for $130 no tax on Amazon might be cheaper.

Just buy it from Amazon and save the taxes and shipping ...

​

don't forget to add the 30$ coupon to get it at the same price

https://www.amazon.ca/ADATA-Ultimate-Su800-Internal-ASU800SS-1TT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=su800&qid=1559141238&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Really getting shorted on the CPU, RAM, and HDD. Those are all cheap. I think the seller is just hoping people see a 6GB 1060 in a pre-built for around $1K, and not look at the other components. I mean, a $45 hard drive?

It's been that price on Amazon since September 21. The M.2 version is actually cheaper at $199.99.

> Nope, you are right on point. It's just like razor companies giving away free handles so you buy their razors where the real markup lies.

...except their cameras aren't exactly free, or cheap. The model is closer to "enterprise" hardware, where a 480 GB SSD costs $$355 when a comparable consumer one costs $65.

Did you try any of these items? I'm not able to apply it to any computer part I try, including the AsRock H110 you linked.

Really wanted to grab a Kraken X31, but I'll just wait for now.

EDIT: Just tried every item on that list and get the following error: "The promotional code you entered cannot be applied to your purchase." I haven't used the promo on any item yet, because every computer part I've tried gives me that error :(

> EVGA DG-85 Full Tower case for $70.02
>
> DEEPCOOL CAPTAIN120 EX aio for $50.13
>
> EVGA CLC 120 aio for $45.49
>
> Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 aio for $56.25
>
> Arctic Liquid Freezer 240 aio for $67.69
>
> asrock h110 mini itx motherboard for $40
>
> a freaking bamboo keyboard and mouse for $45.51
>
> EVGA 750w bronze psu for 45.49
>
> white nzxt hue+ for 42.49
>
> fractal design core 500 for 42.19
>
> cooler master masterbox 5 white case for 42.19
>
> Samsung PM951 128GB M.2 drive for $56.85
>
> PNY CS1311 240gb ssd for $66.67

It's $199.99 on Amazon right now, too: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W19MO/

NVMe is MUCH faster than Sata SSD. Is that what you're asking?

M.2 is the connection but there are two types of drives that use this port.

One is SATA ssd (6gbs) which is the same speed as a typical 2.5 sata ssd.

But the NVMe (32gbs) is many times faster than that. (It uses PCI bandwidth instead of sata which is part of the reason its so fast.)

Its noticeably faster if you're doing content creation like editing and such. And while it is slightly noticeable in game load times and day-to-day PC use, most people don't feel the extra $$ is worth the upgrade to NVMe. (I am not one of those people lol. I like speeeeeed)

Crucial doesn't make any Crucial branded nVME SSD's themselves.

The MX500 is one of the top performing SATA SSD's on the market; so you need not worry about performance.

I can't tell if this is a mail-in rebate from OutletPC though (it looks probable). You may be better off just going to Amazon if you have Prime.

Here's the price trend for this drive over the past several months. It's been dropping rapidly, so it may pay off to wait a little longer if you don't need this right away.

that drive has a bit of history. without getting too far into it, basically what happened was they came out with the drive and it was a great drive at a great price, so it got really popular. then after that kingston changed the parts without changing the model numbers or coming out with a version 2 or anything, so they basically waited for their drive to get popular and then switched out the internals for cheaper parts that run worse hoping no one would notice.

the internet noticed, and kingston lost a lot of customers.

honestly its still not a bad drive, but now it writes a lot worse, so you might as well go even cheaper and get like a sandisk or siliconpower one that runs about the same.

all this being said, this only applies to the v300 and an irrelevant pny ssd, as far as i know the other kingston ssd's like the hyperX are still great ssd's

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0764WCXCV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HOe2Cb550KZJF


Or:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8A2A0E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xPe2CbWE7XPAX

Either will work fine, but the MX500 is more highly regarded, so It's about $10 more.

Edit: Top link is MX500

Need to format the title correctly with price and retailer

Also

$199.99 at Amazon NO TAX

For like $10 more you can get a really good NVME and 20gb more space. Of course only works if the motherboard has an nvme spot.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-2280SS-Internal/dp/B077SQ8J1V/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1NRJX0INHGQTE&keywords=nvme%2Bcrucial%2Bp1&qid=1568095493&s=electronics&sprefix=nvme%2Bcrucial%2Celectronics%2C208&sr=1-2&th=1

Edit: I linked the wrong drive. I meant to link the Crucial P1 but it's more than $10 more.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crucial+p1+500gb&qid=1568096822&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Suggestion:

pc-kombo recommendation

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-5820K | EUR 411,90 @ Caseking
Motherboard | Asrock X99 EXTREME4 | EUR 220,89 @ Amazon.de
Memory | Crucial BLS2C8G4D240FSA (16 GB) | EUR 90,49 @ Amazon.de
SSD | Samsung MZ-75E500B (512 GB) | EUR 155,99 @ Amazon.de
Video Card | Radeon R9 Fury X | EUR 639,90 @ Caseking
Case | Fractal Core 2500 | EUR 57,83 @ Amazon.de
Power Supply | XFX P1-650G (650 W) | EUR 87,65 @ Amazon.de
CPU Cooler | Arctic Freezer 13 | EUR 23,49 @ Amazon.de
| Total | €1688.14
| Generated by pc-kombo 05.01.2016 |

You could go to a X99 build with a 5820K. For what you want to do with it that sounds better, though of course the i7-6700K is an adequate cpu as well. I can't add more ram in the tool I use, I suggest starting with 32GB – but do not really know how much you will need.

Remarks and answers:

1. pcpartpicker has a mode for germany (at the top right). You can buy in the shops it uses, and it is important to base your build on german prices since they are different over here
   

• The case I have in there is my suggestion, a cheaper version of the R4. The R4 you picked is a good case, there is also the R5 as its improved successor. If you like it, it will sure work for you.
  
• The Fury X is a similar suggestion, powerful and will save a bit – though it is possible you are bound to Nvidia for the game development?
  
• http://www.prad.de/ has some display tests. I suggest you look for a 1440p 27" display with an IPS panel, something like the Dell U2715H. Strive for freesync if you will play maybe more than it sounded.

Is this where I point out the 1 TB ADATA SU800 is $142 on Amazon?

Just under 4 hours left Deal is dead

NOTE this is the M.2 version, not 2.5"

2.5” 1TB for $80

SMI SM2258 controller, DRAM Cache, 3D NAND, Micron TLC, 560/520 read/write Great budget ssd

Cherry build. You are going to like it.

I'd wait for the tomahawk MAX. Its that same board but has better support for Ryzen 3 supposedly. I just built a computer for my brother with a 3600 on the og tomahawk and it works fine but alot of people on here had alot of problems with that board.

Here's an article on it.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/msi-max-motherboards-ryzen-3000-compatibility

You can get M.2 version of that hard drive for the same price. Not a huge difference but 2 less wires you have to deal with is nice.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-2280SS-Internal/dp/B0784SY515/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=m.2&qid=1566154335&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://camelcamelcamel.com/

Its awesome for amazon! JUst put in a link to the item and it'll give you its price history.

Ex: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/product/B01M20VBU7?context=search

Price, its nearly twice as expensive

Samsung 850 Pro SSD $170

Samsung 950 EVO NVME PCIE $320

Both the mx200 and 850 evo are great drives and you won't reach the end life of a newer SSD until around 2000TB of writes. So drive failure isn't really an issue with a modern SSD. Personally I have a 500gb mx200 dedicated for steam games and a 128gb mx100 as my boot drive.

If you want something cheaper than either of these that still has good read and write speeds, the ADATA SP550 is a usually recommended drive.

You can get 500GB SSD now for only a little more than a 40GB SSD in 2010.

SSDs will get bigger and the prices will get lower as the technology and it's manufacturing is improved. It's the same thing that happened with hard drives.

yeah. without a doubt.

even if you went full FLAC, you're looking at max 500gb for the whole 1000 cds.

for $60 your whole collection can be on a single NVME drive

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/

Question here... For a ryzen 3700x build, should I buy this SSD?

Or this SSD;
XPG GAMMIX 1TB S11 Pro 3D NAND PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 SSD (AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZNTZYB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xZglDbHSFB4EY

Or this SSD:
Inland Premium 1TB SSD 3D NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RCM6DXK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Y2glDbA7664TX

Thanks!

Would you still consider this new sabrent better than the S11 Pro

I did that with my wifes 2011 MBP too.

​

The 2015 I picked up I got a good deal on I think but it only has a 128GB ssd in it, which is super small and I take a lot of photos with my iphone and Nikon d3200, so I need more space than this.

​

I saw a guide that suggested a samsung 960 evo m.2 NVME drive with an adapter.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2017-ST-NGFF2013-C/dp/B01CWWAENG/ref=pd_ybh_a_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RSQYBBQ008Y2QG3XMKNN

​

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/dp/B01M20VBU7/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RSQYBBQ008Y2QG3XMKNN

​

so for $160 I could get 512GB of space which compared to OWC is super cheap and worth the attempt I think

​

This is every expensive for a 120GB drive anyways.

Alternatives:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013J7PP96/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019H3B3P6/

My streaming PC (Dell Optiplex 740 SFF) has an older Samsung PM871 256GB NVMe boot drive. Considering the Team Group drive for video capture, storage, edit space.

Other contenders in 1TB: ADATA SU800 $92, Silicon Power 3D NAND A55 $90, Best Buy refurb Samsung 860 $91

Also on Amazon for $.01 less if you prefer purchasing from a different avenue. HERE

Was just about to comment that. Not worth it considering you can get a 1TB and new WD drive for only ~45.

EDIT: Looks like the Seagate Barracuda is also around that price range.

500GB 960 EVO for $84 is decent I think? Link.

Just so you know, Amazon sell them for £179.47.

PS4/PS4 Pro - External SSD is vastly superior to the default HDD. Using an internal SSD can be faster or slower than using it externally. Basically, your probably best off keeping your internal HDD for games you play less often and slapping Destiny plus a few other titles on an external SSD as there's not a ton of speed to be gained by going internal.

Xbox One - Similar to the PS4, you will gain an immense amount of speed by using an external SSD instead of the internal HDD. I don't think you can normally install an SSD internally with Xbox.

By the way, if you're thinking, "but damn external SSDs have stupid markup on them" then you are absolutely correct, have a cookie. Now buy your regular cheap internal SSD and slap it in one of these. Can't tell you how it functions with Xbox but works perfectly with my Pro. Also note that depending on the SSD you may have to pop it into a computer (or plug it in with the enclosure) and initialize the drive/format it for the PS4 to properly recognize it but this step isn't always necessary it seems.

52.99 is too much? This 250GB Corsair MX500 would do fine. WD Blue 250GB for $53

Not to shame you, just flash prices have gone down to crazy low levels in the last year or two if you haven't kept up.

I'm going to copy and paste an old comment of mine:

Just a heads up, a 240GB ssd works as well! I bought a Sandisk SSD Plus drive from Amazon for $65 (USD. This was February of 2016.)

Playing Destiny, the boot up time to load into the tower time went from

~3mins from internal drive to

~2:18 on portable HDD (5400 RPM) to

~1:36 on the SSD.

Some/most games won't be that drastic of a difference, but I've been quite happy putting the games I play the most on the SSD. The formatted capacity of the 240gb SSD is 223.5gb

I used the following (found my US linked items and located them in the UK store):

This SSD drive

This UASP supported SSD enclosure

If you have any questions, let me know and I'll be happy to help. I use that 240 GB ssd in conjunction with a 2TB external, so that I get a best of both speed and storage capacity.

the GAMMIX S11 is 159.99 on Amazon and the shipping is Free...

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07KZNTZYB

What reason are you wanting to set up RAID? If it's for protecting against potential data loss fine, but even then I'd still highly recommend an SSD for your OS/programs. You can get a pretty decent one for cheap and it'll be the single biggest upgrade you could do.

Also for a virtual machine and programming IDEs I disagree that you need an i7.

Lastly I believe a western digital blue 1tb has a better track record than the Seagate, for only a few dollars more.

Amazon and TigerDirect both have this price, as well. Perhaps there has been a price drop altogether.

Hi, I believe you're in the wrong subreddit for this. While not a datahoarder myself (except for that happy NAS I own in RAID 1, hehe), I'll do my best to explain.

​

A normal mechanical hard drive is just that, a spinning platter (or more than one platter). Speeds will be slow compared to an SSD, but they work much better when reading large sets of data. Hard drives come in two common speeds (there are more, but you'll encounter these two likely): 5400rpm and 7200rpm. If getting a normal hard drive, always always get the 7200rpm or faster one. 5400rpm hard drives are extremely slow for today's standards and are better off used for archival rather than daily use.

A hybrid hard drive, on the other hand, is a normal hard drive with an SSD cache space (of normally either 8GB or 16GB). When data is written or read from the disk, a special algorithm on the disk pushes the most commonly read items into the SSD cache, giving you potentially faster read speeds. Note that despite it being around 4x faster than a normal HDD, you'll never hit the speed of any SSD.

So for your use case, I recommend either getting a 7200rpm 2.5" hard drive (which is sort of okay) or a hybrid 2.5" hard drive. Your write speeds will be slow but your subsequent read speeds will be better. I'll link examples below:


Normal mechanical hard drive: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Performance-Mobile-Hard-Drive/dp/B01DOL05OC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hard+drive&qid=1557484304&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A6799355011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A4990425011&rnid=4990422011&s=pc&sr=1-3

​

Hybrid hard drive: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=hard+drive+hybrid&qid=1557484381&s=electronics&sr=1-4

​

Hope this helps, I'm not the most knowledgeable but this is what I know.

Desktop Link


Same price on Amazon


I personally use the 1TB version of this drive and I'm very satisfied with it. If you don't want a QLC drive that's fine but for god's sakes if all you're gonna post is "QLC trash" or something similar, rethink hitting that submit button.

Amazon has the Samsung 860 QVO 1TB on sale right now (Nov 25, 2019) for $89

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Inch-Internal-MZ-76Q1T0B-AM/dp/B07L3D19MY/

there is also the Seagate Firecuda 2TB on sale for $59, but i'm not sure if that 2TB capacity works in the PS3?

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/

• First place your order using the RetailMeNot Cash Back offer, details here.
  
  
• Once the order has been placed, do a price match via Staples CS Chat. You can use either this Amazon link or they should also accept Walmart.

$279 Amazon Prime

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393792390&sr=8-2&keywords=500+evo

Yeah but If you would want to have really sweet loading times and have a storage device as big as the PS4 HDD then that's £166 down the drain just for faster loading times.

[[SSD] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-500GB-2-5-inch-Basic-Solid/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417404964&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+500gb+ssd)] But really SSD prices are going down a lot might be worth it if you are a huge "likes the comfort of their couch but won't use a PC with a wired controller kinda guy/girl"

And if I sounded like a PCMR drone then sorry I do understand that people have friends on console and or like the exclusives but that doesn't mean I need to like it!

Amazon price matched this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3W19MO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

If you get him a hard drive, make sure it is 7200 RPM. 5400rpm drives are seriously soul sucking.

This 1tb from Seagate is a bit more than the WD Blue, but it is significantly faster.

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM010/dp/B01LNJBA2I/

If SSD, 256gb is the sweet spot. 120gb out of the box after formating to NTFS is about 95gb to 105gb, then you subtract 25gb for Windows and Windows updates. You are left with 60gb to 80gb for everything else. Do keep in mind that a drive perforforms best when it is more than 50% full. So with a 256gb, you are still left with at least 190gb after formatting and Windows.

You can get one for $185:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC

Spend $5 more for a su800

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=twister_B07D3BXSZF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Same price but no tax, no shipping so actually considerably cheaper. Isn't this better? I bought it a couple weeks back at $160.... now $145. 5 year warranty.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KZNTZYB/

Also buy a $100 SSD instead of the $250 one they're pushing. They make it just as easy to swap out the HD as they do the RAM, and an SSD will extend your battery life while dramatically increasing the speed of everything.

With shipping it's the same price on Amazon

I'm guessing you have a desktop PC of some kind in which case the answer in Most cases is yes. The vast majority of PCs by various manufacturers have as many as 2-4 open SATA ports for additional drives.
The trick is to get a good SSD Use that as your boot drive. And use the 2tb as ur data and other programs.
My recommendation and I think most will agree with me is SAMSUNG 840 PRO (best quality )
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7PD256BW/dp/B009NB8WRU#mobile-twister_size_name_1417928727725
Or the Samsung 84 EVO (Best value)http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO

> Anyone complaining about price has no idea what goes into R&D of devices like this. There's no way you'll find a similar device of similar quality for cheap.

Nice attempt at condescension, but I know all about how tech R&D works. I work in computer engineering for the Navy. They do spend huge amounts of R&D dollars, but that's no concern of the consumer's. And don't fool yourself, those R&D dollars aren't actually developing the impressive parts of the tech. That's all Intel and the other real hardware companies. They're just figuring out how best to assemble shit to keep it selling for the most part.

Anyways, the consumer just sees a product with a given level of quality for a certain price. And these products are expensive as shit for low performance components and a level of quality and polish that makes it the tech equivalent of a shiny turd.

The "high res display" and the 500gb ssd are not anything special or exclusive. The display is 2304x1440p. Oh wait, I have a 10.5 inch tablet with a 2560x1600p display. Apple will certainly give you a nice Samsung SSD in your laptop, but the most recent configuration options show that they upcharge $200 for the jump from 128GB to 256GB. You know what the upcharge for the same capacity of SATA SSDs? Fucking $18. And I just bought a 250GB Samsung SSD for a grand total of $108 at Christmas.

Tell me again how you aren't throwing your fucking money out the window? Don't even try to say that the components are good enough and the exterior quality makes it worth it. The $1300 Macbook just announced gets beaten out by an Asus that's $700 for the same hardware. No one can bitch about the quality, its got an aluminum unibody chassis too. Oh and wow, it's thinner (despite all of Apple's pride at how thin their newly announced darling is) and has a bigger screen.

First year graduate student here. Just ordered (yesterday) a Lenovo Thinkpad W540. It cost about $2,000. I ordered it custom from their website which is currently giving 10% off (until Nov. 3). The laptop is overall very well rounded. It has 16gb of RAM to run quickly and a solid state drive so programs and files are quickly accessible.

I recommend the following specs for architecture, as they're specs I chose and with good reason:

500GB Solid State Drive (I actually ordered the laptop with the base 500gb HDD and am pulling it out and replacing with a 500GB Samsung 840 EVO Solid State Drive...$240 off Amazon)-The solid state drives through Lenovo are very pricey and not as highly praised and rated as many solid state drives out there. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3W19MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

16GB RAM (2 Dimm) - More RAM is always better to run more things quickly at the same time. 2 Dimm is better than 4 dimm as it is more stable and less likely to cause software to freeze/crash/whatever.

3K IPS Screen- Super high resolution screen with superb display of colors. The screen is similar to those on MAC's to give you an idea of display quality.

K2100M Graphics Card- There are a couple different types of graphics cards, I recommend the K2100M as it is well rounded in regards to Adobe Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator), Autodesk (CAD, Revit) and 3d programs like Rhino, Vray, 3DS MAX. There are graphics cards that are better for rhino and Photoshop, however they are not nearly as good in Autodesk products.

i7-4800qm processor- I recommend upgrading to the highest i7 processor in your budget, every upgrade will add a fair amount of performance to the machine.

I wish I already had it so I could give you my feedback on it. It may not be the best machine out there, but overall it will be very well rounded in terms of software compatibility and in terms of operating speed it competes with laptops that are $3,000-$4,000.

Edit: The only thing that I wish I could change would be the screen size, I've always preferred the 17.3" screen but 15.6" still includes the number pad and plenty of viewing space. The plus side to 15.6" is it will easily fit into more backpacks than the 17.3" while weight a significant amount less.

Figure $200-ish for the laptop, another ~$100 for the CPU, $150 for the SSD (though you could save $50), $30-40 for the keyboard, $100+ for the RAM, plus the cost of the screen upgrade if it originally came with the HD screen, and labor hours to install all of those upgrades, it might just be, depending on how new those parts are.

That's the evo version. The pro version is an extra $60 on amazon at the moment.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-256GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7KE256BW/dp/B00LMXBOP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1427476971&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+850+pro

From what I can see, the Samsung 860 SSDs tend to run a bit higher cost wise than the Crucial MX 500GB ones. In fact, Crucial has a PCI-e SSD that's basically the same price as the Samsung 860, which would have substantially faster data transfer rate than the SATA SSDs if your motherboard has a PCI-e slot available for it (which it seems like the one you picked has plenty.)

As long as it is a SATA 2.5 inch HDD you should be fine. You could upgrade to an SSD if you really wanted to. I found this drive which is cheaper and faster than all of the drives you have listed.

An SSD would improve battery life, speed and longevity of you laptop. It will make it feel like brand new. I would recommend a Samsung 850 EVO either 250 GB or 500 GB capacity.

I personally upgraded my Mid 2012 MacBook to an SSD ant the boot time went down to seconds. If you prefer more storage and cheaper options then go for the HDD.

SSDs have their lifespan rated by amount of data written to it. SSD Memory cells, however, have their lifespan rated by number of writes per cell. Increasing SSD capacity is going to increase its lifespan by increasing the number of cells.

The 240GB version of that SSD only costs $20 more, and upgrading the RX 480 to 8GB also only costs $20 more.

PNY CS1311 120GB 2.5" SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - (SSD7CS1311-120-RB) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019H3B3P6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_GorHxbPCMHK6K 34.99 with prime

$127.99 Intel NUC NUC5CPYH

Has VGA, HDMI, 3x USB 3.0 (wtf is that yellow port?), 2x 2.5mm Headphone Jack.

$38.79 8GB RAM for Intel NUC (it doesn't come with any RAM)

$39.99 PNY CS311 120GB (it doesn't come with any drives)

Total: $206.77

Intel Celeron N3050, the NUC's CPU. Dual Core w/o Hyperthreading, max 8GB RAM, Burst (NOT Turbo) to 2.16GHz. Has VT-x, but no VT-d. 64bit.

Disclaimer: The only mini-PC I know of is this NUC, someone else can probably find even cheaper or with better hardware than I can here.

don't click this to drive (no referral code)

Direct link to the drive, minus as much amazon URL BS as I know how to remove: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LNJBA2I

Free shipping! It's a pretty good deal. Also available on amazon.ca (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LNJBA2I/?tag=pcp0f-20) for the same price! Don't forget that some provinces don't pay provincial tax with Newegg.ca, so that might be the better choice for you!

Same price at Amazon.ca. If you prefer it for any reason!


Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5-Inch SATA III 6 Gb/s Internal Hard Drive (ST1000DM010)

Use eBay.

• Intel i5 3570K Processor - $75
  
• Hyper 212 EVO Cooler - $30
  
• Asus P8H61-M LE Motherboard - $41
  
• Kingston 8GB DDR3 RAM - $41
  
• EVGA GTX 970 - $195 (or less with an offer)
  
• EVGA 500BQ Power Supply - $45
  
• 1TB Seagate Barracuda - $45
  
• Any case you'd like - $40
  
  Total: $512 or possibly less if you make some offers -- for a very capable system.

Go for a Corsair RMx, Seasonic Focus Plus, or Evga G2/G3 PSU.

Go for the m.2 version to save two less cables, it's the same price on amazon link

Looks good - how about this Intel as well?

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=SSDPEKNW020T8X1&qid=1563301926&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Make sure you're comfortable with the write endurance (i.e. actually calculate against your workloads) before buying. Many homelab applications don't have heavy write requirements, and just need fast reads. So that's fine. But the cost differential for MLC is minor, and it gives you greater utilization of capacity. If you're stuck in the SATA market segment then the bus is the main constraint, so it's a commodity market, and MLC stuff with similar burst performance, better sustained perf, and better write endurance; is actually around for similar money.

The drop-off in perf of QLC during extended data transfer can be a killer. It can drop to being slower than an HDD in some scenarios. This is going to hurt, for example, in a DR situation, or when shifting VMs around. Rule of thumb is, if the drive hasn't been used recently: It will write a quarter of available free space available at full speed, then it will slow the write to HDD-like speeds. (Although read speeds will always be fast)

An interesting point is that overprovisioning capacity can be a nice way to guard those same issues. Having a huge drive lets the controllers spread the load nicely, and also extends boost performance. If well managed, it's sometimes nice to spend on the largest drives within economic reason, even if the drive has less technical endurance in the cells. If you can afford to have plenty of free space for the controllers to play with, it can often perform nicely. There is a bus constraint in doing this, but NVMe (u.2 or m.2) largely fixes that issue. Large drives provide a lot more benefits than standard RAID, including less parts to go wrong, less redundant controllers, better quality, less power draw, and less config. An SSD controller is effectively a really advanced hardware RAID 0 array already... Double it up, and you've often got the most effective use of flash possible.

It's also possible to isolate heavy workloads (e.g. DBs) to their own little SLC/MLC/Optane RAIDs, or just bump up the RAM and keep it in memory... so if you get smart about managing wear, you can easily balance things. When doing this, just keep DR in mind.

It's worth reading a few different reviews of different types of SSDs fully, and truly appreciating what the technology is doing. It's not the same thing as a spinning platter, and so it's worth knowing what the design considerations are for your storage system.

FWIW, and this is slightly unrelated... I think the Intel 660p (2TB max) is much better than the QVO for the intended target market of the product.

the Adata Su800 is a good drive that's cheaper at $129.99 plus no tax

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01K8A29E6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also on Amazon for the same price. Historic low price for this drive, according to PCPartPicker.

​

The MX500 is a top choice SSD for OS usage; up there with the 860 EVO, according to u/NewMaxx.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/9gl7kb/ssd_1tb_crucial_mx500_25_sata_iii_internal_solid/e657h9i

​

u/NewMaxx now has a guide for SSDs here!

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-250GB-NAND-Internal/dp/B0764WCXCV

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Tool-free-Enclosure-Optimized-EC-UASP/dp/B00OJ3UJ2S

Get a 860 evo Crucial MX500 500GB m.2 ssd instead of the 960 you've chosen. I think you'll get a 500gb for less than the price of a 960 250gb. Either case, if you still decide to get 250gb, you'll save something. Also, as others have said, get a good 50-80$ air cooler instead of the NZXT you have chosen. Id recommend Noctua u12s, though check case clearances. Personally though, I won't recommend getting any other cooler other than the stock Wraith Stealth if you are new to PC building/tuning. The stock can boost it to 3.9 ghz on 1-2 cores, which should be enough.

If you drop the aio and get a 250gb 860 evo, you may as well upgrade to a Vega 56 and get a hdd. Upgrading yopur GPU will give you much more frames than oc'ing your 2600. You should be able to snag a Vega 56 for a good deal if you'll monitor r/Amd or r/buildapcsales . Also, the Vega 56 should last considerably longer than the 580 and you'll still get 3 free games with it. The rest of the build is pretty good.

Also, good on you for getting a quality psu :)

I am looking to get the gen 2 first chance it goes on sale. Does anyone know what the available slots are on it?

Lenovo.com lists 32Gb ram and 1Tb SSD as max but I assume that is just what they can deliver

but I would like to have (2x32Gb ram and 2x2Tb 660p m.2 nvme SSD)

ram: 2x150$

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2666MHz-Memory-Computers-M471A4G43MB1/dp/B07N124XDS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=32gb+sodimm+laptop+ram+ddr4&qid=1557450017&s=gateway&sr=8-3#customerReviews

ssd 660p 2x200$

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GCLLKDC/ref=twister_B07LHHZRG4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

​

This looks like I would get a powerful machine for a very reasonable price. From reading online, it looks like the upgrades would fit in a gen 1, any idea if it would work in a gen 2 too?

Amazon.ca has this for $249.99 regular price with free shipping:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC

You won't really see any improvement in real world performance over a cheaper Phison E12 or SM2262EN based PCIe 3.0 SSD unless are heavily into content creation. They are also TCL based drives which don't have the same downside as a QCL based on such as the Intel 660p which slows down dramatically when you hit the cache limit (although you also won't run into that issue unless doing very large file transfers to the drive). This means boot times, game load times, and application load times will all be pretty much the same and you will be better off with the currently priced $99 Sabrent Rocket 1TB PCIe 3.0 drive. Save the $70 and put it towards something else like a nice CPU cooler, double the RAM, moving from a RX 5700 to a RX 5700 XT, etc.



$99 (Use Code 09P28FWK) Sabrent Rocket 1TB PCIe 3.0 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LGF54XR (lowest priced Phison E12)

$119 XPG GAMMIX 1TB S11 Pro https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07KZNTZYB (lowest priced SM2262EN)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KZNTZYB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

m.2

This is actually cheaper on Amazon, where it's $89.99.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-PRO-2-5-Inch-MZ-7KE256BW/dp/B00LMXBOP4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1487392118&sr=1-4

Amazon has slightly better prices on the 256gb and 1tb:

1tb 850 pro for $419

256gb 850 pro for $127.88

I would recommend the Adata SP550, I have one, and it ranks extremely high to me for a budget SSD.. It's surprisingly competitive in performance against the popular Samsung 850 Evo/Pro.

this one? https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-SU800-Ultimate-Solid-ASU800NS38-1TT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=gbps_tit_m-6_c7e8_ff6536c3?smid=A2UXO5LPTDY3LN&pf_rd_p=f5da058f-7214-4e12-924f-ec492877c7e8&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=14611812011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=P4SYVY6FWGVYW8XHQXDV&th=1 I still see it

I bought this in 2015, any reason to upgrade if it's holding just fine? ( as in it's enough and it hasn't died on me yet

Daca iti comanzi din US o sa te ajunga si mai mult fata de cat ai plati daca le-ai cumpara din Romania.

Verifica Amazoanele din Europa (.de, .fr, .co.uk, .es, .it). Unele au oferte foarte bune. Cand in Romania un GTX 980 era 3k eu l-am luat cu 2650. Acum vad SSD 850 Evo de 250GB pe amazon.es la 70€, de 500GB la 170€ si de 1TB la 327€.

I've never seen one of these threads, so my build is not new, but I'm game to join in.

Last year, I built this NAS that serves as my Plex machine: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/drop.emily.st/DSC02173.jpg

I built it from

• a barebones Shuttle SZ170R8 system,
  
• added an Intel i7 6700K processor,
  
• a 32 GB of 2133 MHz CL14 DIMM DDR4 RAM,
  
• a Samsung 850 EVO (500GB) M.2 SATA III SSD, and
  
• two WD Red 8TB drives.
  
  I can't remember how much it all ran at the time, but it was something a little over a thousand. I installed CentOS on it, and the hard disk drives are using a ZFS filesystem.

Some decent options in that price range:

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-2-5-Inch-SDSSDHII-480G-G25-Concierge-Service/dp/B00M8ABFX6
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E500B-AM/dp/B00OBRE5UE/
https://www.amazon.com/Transcend-512GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-TS512GSSD370/dp/B00K9HID1C
https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Extrem-Performance-Gaming-ASX930SS3-480GM-C/dp/B012ASDGDM
https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Digital-2-5-Inch-SV300S3D7-480G/dp/B00FZ3C9UQ
https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-HyperX-Savage-SHSS37A-480G/dp/B00W35L2KC

Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB

Crucial MX300 525 GB

SanDisk Ultra II 480 GB

Nope, buy now

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT500MX500SSD1-MX500-NAND-Internal/dp/B0784SLQM6/
  
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/
  
  There you go.

The HP's screen is probably much better: IPS on the HP vs TN (check the reviews on the Dell site). You're also right to be concerned about battery life, the HP has a slightly smaller battery, 61 Wh vs 74 Wh. I'd expect about 5 hours on the HP to 6 hours on the Dell, but that's just an educated guess.

Honestly, unless you can afford to upgrade the Dell's screen, I'd go for the HP for the screen and savings. You can even put the money saved towards an SSD and swap out the hard drive; that is a upgrade that can make miles of difference compared to anything else you can reasonably change about these two models. For example: SSD

EDIT: It looks like the laptops actually have two storage slots. You also have the option of adding in an SSD into the second slot like this one and installing Windows onto it, while keeping the 1 TB HDD as storage for videos, games, etc.

If you'd like to read more about the HP here. This has last year's 960M graphics card, but it looks like everything else about it is the same.

Portable Picker is kind of a bitch because it doesn't give any context to the suggestions it makes. It's just a search engine, basically.

If you're playing Fallout 4 and working with CAD, you should probably go for a full TDP processor like an i7-6700HQ. That beingf said, the Asus ROG GL552VW isn't a bad option. The keyboard is great on it, the specs are solid, and it has an open M.2 slot so you can throw an SSD in when you decide to (and I would playing FO4. That game is loading screen after loading screen).

You can take a look at this list as well to check out any other options within your budget. You may see something else you like better.

That isn't true. I have this set as my boot drive and it works fine. It's a SATA: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-3-5-Inch-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454229594&sr=8-1&keywords=500+gb+m2+sata

Pick one

PNY CS1311 for $60 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019H3B3OW/

Corsair Force LE for $59 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017UDPWRA

ADATA SP550 for $58 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013J7Q338

Silicon Power S55 for $55 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D4AVS6I

Was this any better than the XPG deal earlier?

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KZNTZYB/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A2UXO5LPTDY3LN&psc=1

What are the differences between the one posted here and this one: https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-GAMMIX-NAND-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C/dp/B07KZNTZYB

Wow seriously thank you so much for the info. Really helpful, this is my first build. These are the SSDs


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZNTZYB?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details


https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-250GB-Internal-MZ-76E250B-AM/dp/B07864WMK8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=OUA8WCVYASQN&keywords=samsung+evo+250gb&qid=1572548135&s=electronics&sprefix=Samsung+eco+250%2Celectronics%2C250&sr=1-3

Oh I didn't realize the seller wasn't Adata. Adata never seems to charge tax when you buy directly from them. This deal is really quite cold then considering there are at least 3 drives that are cheaper on the market with similar or better specs.
I'd look at the Silicon Power P34A80 for $145 + tax as my first choice. The XPG Gamming S11 Pro is identical to tis one and should be $160 with no taxes on top. Though if you're putting it in a laptop, that heatsink is attached via thermal adhesive and won't fit in most laptops with it on. These aren't even BF prices. The WD is technically better than all of them but I'm not sure you'd notice a difference in day to day tasks.

same price at amazon.ca but with prime shipping. seems to have less cache tho (64mb at newegg.ca, 32mb at amazon) but the same model #. link

how do these compare to WD blue?

IMO, I'd get this psu instead -- roughly the same price, WAAAY more reviews (so, presumably, more consistent).


Also, for a couple more dollars, you can double your HDD storage.

Promo code for easy copy-paste: EMCRJRC27

Model number ST1000DM010

Amazon link

It runs at 7200 RPM

-89.89

If you already have a windows 10 license, they are already associated with your log in, you no longer have to buy a new copy of windows for a new pc build.


-18.89

You don't need a DVD/CD drive anymore. everything is digital download. My case doesn't have a slot for a media drive anymore.

The motherboard is good BUT!!! consider switching to a 500 gb M.2 integrated memory module they are 6 times faster read and write speeds than the SATA alternative, allowing you to load ableton and the operating system far faster, reducing start up times for operating system and ableton. Your motherboard can fit 2 of these modules, and up to 6 of your old HDDs. As a tip, you should stop trusting traditional HDDs after 5 years. Mark their estimated "born on date" and destroy them after moving their contents to new drives before that time is up.

The extra ram slots, probably won't matter as you are already getting 16bg ram. 32gb is sort of overkill right now. good choice on the ram.

Only other thing I would consider changing is the CPU cooler, the smaller fans tend to run higher speeds and more dB, which can be annoying during audio playback. I would recommend a Corair Watercooler this build with a 500 gb m.2 and corsair water-cooler is $100 cheaper than your current build, and allows you to maximize your overclocking potential while minimizing load times, and only at the expense of 500gb reduced capacity on your main storage drive, which isn't important, as you have plenty of other expansion options later when that becomes an issue.

You are wrong -- it hasn't been this price on Amazon for weeks

Highly recommend you skip the 500GB HDD and go with a smaller SSD. It's going to be dog-slow on a conventional drive with boot times in the absolute shitter, even if it's got a tiny bit of hybrid cache, and that is a ridiculously expensive drive for only 500GB too.

For instance this one or even this will be a million times better and is the absolute must-change for this build.

She can always get an external drive for large cheap slow storage once she runs out of space.

Here is my recommendation. Much better CPU, more cores and threads, it can also be overclocked for even more performance and comes with a nice cooler. RX570 is faster than the 1050 Ti for the same price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor | $159.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $59.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $114.99 @ Newegg
Storage | PNY - CS900 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $50.36 @ Amazon
Video Card | Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 4GB PULSE Video Card | $169.99 @ Newegg
Case | Cooler Master - MasterBox Lite 3.1 MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $30.98 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $596.20
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $586.20
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-23 19:12 EDT-0400 |

Edit: This is a better SSD, it's not on PCpartpicker for some reason.

• WD SATA SSD 500GB
  
• WD M.2 SSD 500GB
  
• Crucial SATA SSD 250GB
  
• Crucial M.2 SSD 250GB
  
  There's no difference in price between a SATA SSD and a non-NVME M.2 SSD. An NVME M.2 SSD is a different story though.
  
  Edit: They edited their comment to include nvme after I replied

Brand new the same SSD is $40 on Amazon


Crucial MX500 250GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD - CT250MX500SSD1(Z) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0764WCXCV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4Hc6Cb8ER9Z83

Crucial MX500. It has DRAM cache.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077SQ8J1V/?tag=pcp0f-21

We can do better with that link... ;)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-MX500-CT1000MX500SSD4-Internal-2280SS-x/dp/B0784SY515/

Or even

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0784SY515/

So from the product manual, that i'm seeing here,

FOR SSD:

your laptop have 1x M.2 PCIe/SATA Combo slot and 1x M.2 PCIe slot. and the ssd that you mentioned in specs is nvme/pcie ssd. Therefore i can assume that you can buy either m.2 sata or m.2 pcie/nvme drive. both will work. but i would recommend buying m.2 ssd for mass storage if you are not doing any kind of video editing. you can buy e.g. crucial mx500 1tb. Or if you are doing video editing or really hard core work that require insane amount of read write ssd speeds then buy samsung 970 evo.

How to configure in laptop:

- if u buy sata ssd: remove the alrdy installed ssd and put it in pcie only slot. put new sata ssd in combo slot.

- if u buy pcie/nvme ssd: install it in the second empty slot. dont touch alrdy installed ssd.

​

FOR RAM:

since you want 32 gb, you would need to replace both ram sticks. Also since laptop has intel cpu, ram of speeds 2667 are enough. buy a kit of 2x16gb 2667mhz and just replace the old rams. you can buy this and use it. i have recently installed 8gb ballistix stick in my laptop to make it 2x 8gb. works great.

​

Several videos are online to open up ur laptop. e.g. this one. just follow.

Non-NVME M.2 960 1 TB for 178.90€. https://www.amazon.de/dp/B078WQT6SB/
Non-NVME M.2 Crucial 1 TB for 149.90€ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0784SY515

Plenty of choice at different price points it seems. Personally still leaning towards 500Gb NVME instead of 1Tb non at the same price.

Price History

• Crucial MX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA M.2 (2280SS) Internal SSD CT1000MX500SSD4 ^PureLink
  CamelCamelCamel │ Keepa
  
  _
  These savings aren't just Black and White.
  ^(Developer) ^| ^(Inquiries) ^| ^(Support) ^| **[^(Report Bug)](/message/compose?to=The_White_Light&subject=Bug+Report&message=%2Fr%2Fbapcsalescanada%2Fcomments%2Fbdv7rx%2Fssd_crucial_mx500_1tb_nand_sata_m2_15499amazonca%2Fel0y4iq%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0APlease+explain+here+what+you+expected+to+happen%2Fwhat+went+wrong.)**

M.2 version is on sale as well. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0784SY515/ref=twister_B07CFLKPZV?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

2TB M.2 SSD I bought for $184.99

We're inching closer to that for NVME drives albeit really slowly. The 2TB version of this Intel 660p is at $199.99 at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=2tb+nvme&qid=1557625356&s=gateway&sr=8-3

And this was considering just last week when I had this on my cart, it was at $205.99.

Hmm. Looks like Amazon price matched NewEgg. I looked at Amazon before I posted the deal and it wasn't $249.99. CCC still has it listed at $259.99.

https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com/Intel-Internal-Solid-State-SSDPEKNW020T8X1/product/B07GCLLKDC

Either way, good option for those who prefer Amazon. Thanks for letting us know.

Trying to fill a 2.5 inch storage slot. Is the Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB still worth double the price of Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD on sale for $60?

Agree that 4 is the best option but it is also $85 more. The question is what will you be doing? Optane is pretty good for speeding up OS loading and application loading and is supposed to work quite well. I would go with option 2 . If you still feel you need more speed, you can get your own NVMe SSD ($70 will get you 500GB ) and clone your OS from the 5400 HDD and now you have an system with an 500 GB SSD and a 1TB drive.

Edit: I would also by 8GB of RAM on your own and add it later to get proper dual channel performance. Ask the sub again when you get your laptop and folks will chime in on how to get the right memory to match the timings of what your HP ships with.

The Gigabyte Mobos for z390 are solid picks according to reviews. They are said to have done the best or one of the best for the z390 chips. They have good VRM. I ended up getting a Gigabyte z390 Aorus one just because I want RGB lights. But the UD would have been my choice otherwise.

The different brands take the stock GPU and add their own heatsinks and fans and clock them at different speeds. With each different manufacturer having multiple versions, reviews and guides help find the better ones. I personally like to get the higher clock speeds of a graphics card so I like the Duke 8G OC and the the Zotac AMP Extreme if you want RGB and one of the highest clocked.

​

MSI 2080 Duke

https://www.amazon.com.au/GeForce-RTX-2080-256-bit-Graphics/dp/B07GHXMMYF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=msi%2B2080&qid=1554979139&s=computers&sr=1-1&th=1

Zotac 2080 Amp Extreme

https://www.newegg.com/global/au-en/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX8G77696&Description=zotac%202080%20amp%20extreme&cm_re=zotac_2080_amp_extreme-_-9SIA0ZX8G77696-_-Product

​

I would suggest getting an NVMe SSD as they are faster than Sata SSD due to the limitations of the Sata connection. I'd rather get less space and have it faster. Here is a Crucial 500GB that would be faster. Most motherboards these days have 1 NVMe M.2 slot. The Gigabyte UD does have 1 NVMe slot from what I quickly read (double check to make sure). Here is a read to understand more.

https://www.velocitymicro.com/blog/nvme-vs-m-2-vs-sata-whats-the-difference/

​

Crucial P1 1TB

https://www.newegg.com/global/au-en/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820156200&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

​

You can get a slightly faster RAM and these Corsair ones are highly rated. They cost a bit more than the one on the list, but the cheaper NVMe SSD that I showed allows you to put a bit more money on the RAM.

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07J2WBKXF/?tag=pcppau-22

​

Don't forget Thermal Compound. I suggest getting a good one.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Compound-Performance-Heatsink-Interface-Material/dp/B0045JCFLY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=thermal+paste&qid=1554981798&refinements=p_85%3A5444100051&rnid=5444099051&rps=1&s=electronics&sr=1-4

The SSD is actually a good addition as it does increase boot time and increase overall speed of laptop... But if you should get the cheaper rig and get a low budget yet great SSD like this and add your self, you still save a decent $.

One card stronger card is always better than two lesser cards, so yes go with the 1070. Just uninstall all the previous drivers with [this] (http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html) before.

I would give the 970's, CPU, Motherboard, RAM to the wife.

Amd is coming out with their new CPU in a little less than a month now, end of feburary. If you're looking to upgrade your rig you could do so then. Get their new CPU (there will be a few options so come ask us if you are unsure), a new motherboard, and DDR4 ram. Depends on your budget though, but it shouldn't be ridiculously expensive. You'll also need new mounting hardware for the cooler if you replace the motherboard, I think.

You could also get a bigger SSD, fit more games on it. This is my current recommendation for "budget" SSD's. Everyone seems to recommend Samsung SSD's but their not worth the price for most peoples usage cases in this sub.

Samsung 850 EVO 120gb vs PNY CS1311 240gb

Im replacing the optical drive on my laptop with an SSD to run the OS on. Is there any reason I should go for the Samsung over PNY even though the PNY is cheaper and has a higher capacity?

not sure why there is so much hate for pny, ive bought tons of SSD's from them for my work and never had issues. It seems thats what they are good at.
If your looking for a good cheap and fast SSD this is the one i buy for my company

How does this compare to the PNY CS1311? http://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-Internal-Solid-SSD7CS1311-120-RB/dp/B019H3B3P6

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-120GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B019H3B3P6/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481075863&sr=1-10&keywords=Ssd+drive

Definitely not top of the line here, but I just need it to run Windows and last 6-9 months while I build new pc from ground up.

It's a good SSD. I'd recommend the PNY one.

$119.99 ADATA USA Ultimate Su800 1TB 3D Nand 2.5 Inch SATA

$94.99 Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SATA III 500GB Internal SSD

$449.99 Garmin Fenix 5

$138 for a sata 1tb

https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Ultimate-Su800-Internal-ASU800SS-1TT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6

Edit here's an m2 for $140 if you're willing to wait 2 weeks

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-1TB-SSD-WDS100T2B0B/dp/B073SB2MXT

For faster web browsing and general multitasking, you want: Fast ram, fast/multicore CPU, and fast storage.

I don't see an SSD on your parts list, so that would by far be the biggest bang-for-your-buck improvement you can add to your computer.

Get a solid state drive to use in conjunction with your hard disk drive, reinstall your Windows operating system onto that SSD, and move all important/frequently used software/files onto that SSD.

Here is the SSD buying guide to help you choose which SSD to probably buy: https://www.reddit.com/user/NewMaxx/comments/9yv0c6/ssd_buying_guide_wip/

For top performance, I would recommend the Samsung 860 EVO (in whichever size you want, but the bigger the storage size the better it will perform). If that is too expensive for you, there are always other options, such as the ADATA Su800.

---

Note, an SSD will improve your loadspeeds on everything, but alone is unlikely to improve your LoL framerate much. For that you will likely need a new CPU, new RAM, and a new motherboard to put it all in.

amazon has the same one for $5 more...
https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-SU800-256GB-3D-NAND-ASU800SS-256GT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6?th=1
i prefer buying from amazon personally

https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Ultimate-Su800-Internal-ASU800SS-1TT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=Adata+su800&qid=1575066494&sr=8-3



Look at these top Amazon comments Tho?...

Well, I have yet to meet the two of you on here, however, from what I have seen you both are amazing people. I'm sure you both look absolutely amazing :-) Thank you for this contest, and for being so generous.

gift one: Well,I could use this for my computer; it doesn't run the fastest, and I think this would help it with a nice little boost. I was going to purchase it myself, but I came up a bit short this pay period after taking care of bills and what not.

As for gift two...This is up next in the marvel universe for me.

Again, thank you...and... C'mon...gimme.

What size is your 840?

The 120gb model's ideal write speeds are actually around 130 MB/s. That is normal. Its literally what the Amazon page suggests it should be.

If you've got a larger model then that is slow and you should look into firmware updates.

SSDs tend to get faster when you have larger drives because it means there are more individual memory chips, which allows for higher bandwidth.

This one.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-120GB-internal-Solid-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=sr_1_2?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367623484&sr=1-2

Bam. 100 dollars exactly. Its not a pro, but you won't see the difference, and hell, at least its not OCZ.

They're cheaper in the MBP (2.5") than the MBA (1.8"), or at least that's what I found when I purchased my MBA SSD.

Seriously, for anyone that's complained of lag in they're older Macbook, I've pointed to upgrading to an SSD first. Makes a big difference in speed and battery. And I've always used Carbon Copy Cloner. Clone old HDD to new SSD, boot in target mode, verify SSD cloned successfully, replace HDD with cloned SSD.

Also, RAM is better handled in OSX Mavericks with Compressed Memory.
http://m.imore.com/os-x-mavericks-preview-compressed-memory-gives-your-mac-room-run

Samsung 840 Series 2.5 inch 120GB SATA III internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7TD120BW
http://amzn.com/B009NHAF06

Samsung MZ-7TD250BW 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch
http://amzn.com/B009NHAEXE

four of these in raid 0. So fast your pubes will catch fire

Assuming that the 500gb capacity is maintained:

$250 for the SSD, $70 for the hybrid.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407261218&sr=8-1&keywords=500gb+ssd

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Laptop-500GB-Drive-ST500LM000/dp/B00B99JU5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407261236&sr=8-1&keywords=500gb+hybrid

I picked this up earlier today.

On my editing machine, I have a 1TB Samsung Evo Pro as my 'work drive' which houses my active projects. I used to use a cheaper Sandisk drive but it gets so much stress that I kept burning them out.

I keep my OS and programs on a separate 248GB Samsung Evo Pro, and I also have a cheapo 128GB SSD for a cache disk.

I then keep a 'hot storage' archive which is a RAID'ed NAS with 8 x 4TB WD RED drives. I use the Synology DS1815+ which has been incredible.

Every 4 months, I back everything up on cold (i.e. uninstalled) 8TB RED drives. Down the line I'll probably offload the 4TBs and use the existing 8TBs as part of a RAID array.

I really try not to use my RAID for editing unless I'm in a real jam. It works fine actually, I just don't like to put unnecessary stress on it.

My archive system is worth more than my two main cameras, but it completely makes sense to me to invest in a bulletproof archival system.

Consider putting together an HP Z820.
---

Z820 Mobo - $278

Chassis/PSU - $275

8GB Ram - $7.74

Dual E5-2660 - $99.95

Dual Heatsink - $154.80

Intel Quad Gig NIC - $30.00 (Total 6 ports including mobo)

Sandisk Ultra II 480GB SSD - $125.72

Total: $971.21

This will be an incredibly fast build with the potential to reach 128GB ram only adding 8GB sticks (more with larger sticks). I just built one just recently, and it has been rock solid. The case/psu I linked are brand new, and any other used components are non-concerns as far as failure goes IMO.

If I'm not mistaken (since I'm new here), you can get the SSD cheaper at Amazon here.

It's probably just me but I'm not a big fan of AMD, just always gone with NVIDIA/Intel, I just prefer it. Since you have a bigger price range you might want to check out some of the new Intel 4th Gen Processors

That is if you want to go with Intel. Since you're not as restricted in price as I thought you should definitely get an SSD in your build, probably just 128gb should do the trick for the OS.

And the graphics card is up to you, I have the NVIDIA GTX-660 and it's pretty good, you might want to get a 670 or even a 770, just don't get the 680. It's 100$ more expensive than the 770, and the 770 has about the same performance, if not more.

Now that's probably more than you wanted to know, but I'm here to give advice haha!

I'm using this SSD. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-120GB-internal-Solid-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06

I'll look into getting a better GPU though!

If you're willing to spend more money, something that can really speed up your computer is a SSD. Something like this would work.

So there's a few combinations you can use to go about this.

1. Get a relatively inexpensive, small-sized SSD (Something like the Samsung 840 120GB SSD for less than a 100$ on Amazon). Now you can have your OS & main applications on your SSD for amazing boot times & amazing program load times..generally a better PC experience. That being said, for your games, depending on how many GB's worth of them you have or will have, you could purchase a high capacity SSD like the Crucial Micron m500 or the Samsung 840 EVO (EVO releases next week or so, you can pre-order it now.) Both of these drives come in capacities upto 1 TB. So you can have a massive STEAM library on SSD (For your current games + thinking about future game purchases). Depending on your budget, you could go for a 500 GB SSD or a 750 one if you think 1 TB is overkill or too expensive. (Crucial costs 600$ & the EVO costs about 650$). So the m500 is cheaper than the EVO, but the EVO performs better. This will be your most expensive option, but also the best.
   
   
2. You can keep your OS + Apps on your regular HDD & just buy either the m500 or the EVO for your STEAM library.
   
   
3. You can keep your OS + Apps on your regualar HDD, get a large sized HDD for all your games. Now, get a small mSATA SSD & use that to cache your STEAM HDD. Better performance than getting just getting an HDD, but not as good as an actual SSD. (I don't know if your MoBo supports mSATAs or where you can install them, so you'll have to look this up) If you decide to get one, you can get the Crucial Micron m4 mSATAs. They're good. Get a 64 GB or a 128 GB one. Relatively inexpensive.
   
   STEAM Gauge is a great tool as mentioned by /u/sulliwan . Use that to determine what sized SSD you'd require. You could multiply that number by two to be future-proof. So you can keep adding to your library without having to worry about running out of space.
   
   
   As far as being 'worth-it' goes, I would personally recommend it. It helps a LOT. I have like about 1-2 seconds of load time in some games. Then again, it depends on what kind of games you're playing. I would always get an SSD for games & programs though.
   

Short answer: yes.

Long answer:

Yes, but there are a couple of factors here. First and foremost, start looking into Solid State Drives. Since you've already got a larger drive for your files, installing the OS on a smaller capacity SSD is a cost effective easy win which will really speed things up. The Samsung 840 series is currently one of the best on the market: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06

Now, putting an SSD into your computer will absolutely speed it up, but you're shooting yourself in the foot by sticking with XP, especially since you don't want to reinstall it. XP has a tendency to deteriorate with age. It just gets slower over time. I suspect that if you reinstalled from scratch, that "pokeyness" you described would be a lot better.

Installing Windows 7 or even 8 (8.1 is coming soon, and is pretty good) would boost your performance by even more, as well as allow you to reap the benefits of a more modern OS.

To address the situation you referenced above -- it would be possible to clone your current drive onto a new hard drive, SSD or spinning media.
Good luck!

A lot of people seem to be making some broad assumptions, so I'm threadjacking the top post to give some backstory.

Up until last week my wife's desktop PC was a 6 year old Core 2 Duo that I build her back when we were dating. At the time it was top of the line because we wanted it to last a long time, even if she was just using it for WoW and The Sims. To it's credit, it met that need.

She loves games with lots of character custimization, so after watching me play Saints Row 3 she decided she wanted to play it too. I grabbed a copy for her in the last Humble Bundle and she's been having a blast, but her PC could only play it at lowest settings. Now she wants to play Saints Row 4 when it comes out next month, so it was time to upgrade her hardware.

I can't afford to build her a total new system, so I wanted to reuse as much as possible.

• CPU - Obviously needed replacement, and I knew I wanted a current generation Core i5.
  
• Motherboard - Can't put a Haswell on a Bearlake, so that had to go.
  
• RAM - Old ram was DDR2
  
• SSD - While she had an SSD already, it was a first generation OCZ 60GB that was completely filled up. New mobo would have SATA III, so it was time to upgrade to a current gen SSD.
  
• PSU - Old PSU is a modular 500w Enermax, well within the specs of anything I'd be putting on it, and whisper silent to boot.
  
• Video Card - I had a GTX 560 Ti sitting in the closet that I hadn't installed yet.
  
• Optical drive - Nothing wrong with her DVD burner
  
• Case - Cooler Master something, bought back in 2007, but ATX is ATX, no big reason to switch that up.
  
  I set a budget of $650 and started looking for parts. My typical process when building a PC is to read through Bit-Tech.net's reviews for the past three months and find the comparison charts for the best performance parts, and then start looking up the prices for everything in the middle of the chart while also reading reviews to make sure there's nothing about the board that is a total roadblock. This strategy has worked wonderfully for me for the past 10 years, every system I've built has been at a perfect balance of speed for price.
  
  I settled on a Core i5 4670, a Gigabyte Z87, 8GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1866, and a 120GB Samsung 840 SSD. This put me at about $560 before tax.
  
  My own PC has a Fenrir Titan, huge block of copper that makes it quiet as a mouse. The Fenrir made me a believer in the benefits of splurging on a large block cooler, the difference it made in my own system was astounding. My wife's old computer used the stock intel cooler, and it was loud as all hell.
  
  Once again I went to Bit-Tech and started digging through their performance charts, searching for stuff on Amazon. Bit-tech is a UK based site, so a lot of the stuff they review isn't available through Amazon US. On all of their charts the Noctua NH-D14 ranked very high on the chart, and Amazon carried it. I've had very good experiences with Noctua's fans in the past and they've become one of my more trusted cooling sources, so I was game. It didn't look that much larger than the Fenrir, and the customer reviews all mentioned how it didn't suffer from ram clearance issues like a lot of large block coolers do (including the Fenrir). $70 ( + $10 for the LGA 1150 mounting kit) was just within my budget, so I ordered it. When it arrived I measured the case and determined that it would be JUST short enough to fit.
  
  The mounting kit for the Noctua took three days longer to arrive than the rest of the parts, so I started assembling the new components using the stock cooler with the plan to replace it in a few days. I immediately ran into problems with the old Cooler Master case, it was just too cramped for what I needed to put into it, the drive bays weren't compatible with the SSD mounting kit, the old PSU's cables weren't long enough for me to connect the new SSD, the old SSD, and the old HDD, and the case's front panel cables were too thick to route under the board. Luckily, I had another case, a Rosewell all aluminum budget case from another system. It had more space, easier to use drive bays, and better cable management. I transferred all the parts into it and the build went WAY better, there was so much more room in the Rosewell. The system booted up on the first try and everything went smooth.
  
  Fast forward to Friday when the mounting kit arrives. I pull the board out, installed the cooler, and put it back into the Rosewill... and then took the pictures I posted. The rosewill is half an inch shallower than the Cooler Master, so now the block doesn't fit.
  
  Could I buy a different case? Yes, but I probably wont. For starters I'm already $100 over budget after I realized that my wife's Windows 7 copy is 32bit and I had to buy a 64bit install to be able to use all 8GB of ram. Secondly, I love this Rosewill case. I've had it for almost 8 years and this is the fourth system I've put into it. It's extremely lightweight, very sturdy, has great air flow, and is one of the most accessible cases I've ever used. Yes it's cheap (I think it was $35 when I bought it), but it has served me well and I'm not going to toss it just because it's too skinny. I have no issues with bumping out the cover a little to fit this CPU block.
  
  TLDR: Bought the cooler for a deeper but more cramped case, switched cases when I ran into space problems, now the cooler is too tall. Don't have budget or the desire to buy a different case.
  
  

I have a mid-2010 15" MacBook Pro and have done a few upgrades to it recently that have really helped. The options you have available are: upgrading your RAM, swapping out your hard drive, and removing the DVD drive and replacing it with a hard drive caddy and a second hard drive. RAM will increase performance somewhat and allow you to run more things at once with more fluidity. Swapping out your hard drive will give you more storage space and/or faster read/write times, depending on if you put your money towards storage space or an SSD. The hard drive caddy option is a more intense modification, (though in truth it isn't a hard procedure at all), but it gives you the best of both worlds: you can buy an SSD as your boot drive, and still have tons of storage space on the other hard drive. It's a great mod if you don't frequently use your DVD drive, and for about $30, you can buy a USB enclosure to keep using said drive.

If I had to make one change, regardless of price, I would put an SSD in the computer. It will be by far the biggest performance boost.

But depending on your budget, here are the upgrades I would make:

Smallest: Upgrade to 8GB RAM, $60 or so. This G.Skill RAM is a good place to start. Protip: "Mac Memory" is just a sales tactic to mark up prices. As long as you find RAM to the specifications you're looking for, it will work. Just do a bit of research and make sure other MacBook Pro users have used the RAM successfully.

Larger: Upgrade RAM and purchase an SSD, perhaps something like the Samsung 840 250GB. $150-300

Larger still: Upgrade the RAM, purchase an SSD, and buy an optical drive bay caddy to hold your previous hard drive as a data drive. $250-350 if you also buy an enclosure to use the optical drive via USB.

Largest: Upgrade RAM, purchase an SSD, purchase a new HDD such as the 750GB 7200rpm WD drive listed in another comment, and buy a drive bay caddy to hold the new HDD data drive. $325-425.

How does this do?
Here is the non-pro version, which has a slighly shorter lifespan and writes data slower.

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426363435&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+840+120gb+ssd&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

it is really easier to just get 2 different large capacity platter drives and two cheap 120 gig SSD drives and use them for the OS.

Samsung 840 series SATA3 128 gig drives sell for $97 on amazon.

Samsung 840 series in 250 gig drives sell for just $169.99 on amazon.

I have reviewed those drives in the past and they are some of the best drives i think out currently and the most reliable. I even got taken on a tour of their fabrication facility and I even use them in my macbook pro and hackintosh.

The RAM looks fine to me, but I'd offer up a suggestion for this SSD:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1410570453&sr=1-2&keywords=samsung+840+evo

I've got two Samsung SSDs, an 840 pro (main OS drive), and a 750GB 840 Evo (for applications and games). The price is very similar, yet you get slightly more space. Also, Samsung's Magician software is fantastic for helping to maintain your drive's firmware, as well as prepping your OS for optimal SSD performance

If you are talking about a pure boot time increase in performance an ssd is the way to go. I personally have both upgraded my ram and hard drive to an ssd and the ssd is the major increase in preformance. ram only increases performance if you need more ram capacity which at 4 GB you shouldn't need. If you are referring to a better gaming performance you are kinda are screwed as your laptop does not have a 4x pci expansion slot or thunderbolt capabilities.
here is a link for a very good 500gb ssd and here is a cheaper however only 250gb ssd. pm me if you have any questions

If you get an external hard drive enclosure to go along with your new drive then you can just plug it in to the computer through USB and then use Carbon Copy


https://www.bombich.com


to clone your existing hard drive to the new drive and you'll have everything exactly the way it is currently. Then just take out the old drive and plug in your new one. Then you can use the external drive enclosure to hold your old hard drive and use it for whatever you please. I would still recommend backing up to time machine regularly anyway as you never know when a drive or machine might fail or be lost/stolen.


Here's a good guide on how to replace a drive: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Late+2008+and+Early+2009+Hard+Drive+Replacement/841


I would not recommend using OWC as their prices are steep compared to other brands and wasn't even as fast as my Samsung SSD. Here is a way better and one of the fastest SSDs on the market for half the price of an OWC 6G SSD: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405796918&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+ssd+840+evo

If you have the original hard drive from 2011, it's possible that it's starting to wear out and slow down, even if Onyx says it's healthy. One of the best upgrades you can do for any computer is replacing your hard drive with a solid state drive, as they are much faster, and your hard drive is probably the bottleneck for everything your computer does.

If you can use a screwdriver and you're gentle, you can replace a macbook hard drive, it's incredibly easy in that model.

Price-wise, you can get 250GB for just over $100 ($130 or $110 being popular options) or 512GB for about $200 ($199 or $239). For your average consumer, the crucial is fine.

Here are some instructions on replacing it.

Good luck. Since you reinstalled OS X, I doubt there's much wrong on the software side. This upgrade really will give you a nice speed bump.

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-500GB-2-5-inch-Basic-Solid/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413067335&sr=8-1&keywords=500gb+samsung+840+evo

USA: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413067351&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+500gb+evo

I have this drive, it is really fast and is valued perfectly. Once you go SSD, you never go back. I'm rocking a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB for my primary drive and a 500GB Evo for my secondary drive. :) No more HDDs!

Not sure if you're looking for the 840 EVO or the 840 EVO pro but amazon has the 500gb 840 for $189.99

Hey there mleap.

The ASUS N550JV seems like a great choice for you. It has an i7 4700MQ quad core, 8GB ram, 1TB HDD, GT 750M GPU, backlit keyboard, 3 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port, Ethernet port and a 1920x1080 IPS 15.6" touchscreen. It weighs 5.7 pounds, has around 5 hours of battery life.

You could get a 500GB SSD like the Samsung 840 EVO for $275 and still be within your budget.

359.99 at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3W19MO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

500GB SSD

8GB RAM

HD Enclosure

HD Replacement Tutorial

RAM Replacement Tutorial

It took me about an hour to complete which involved me forgetting to reconnect the battery cable so I had to reopen it for that.

edit: forgot to link tutorials

I can remember reading about this a few years ago. Looking through the web I saw that Samsung released firmware updates though that were supposed to address this issue. Do you know if the firmware updates actually did fix the issue?

​

Edit: Looking through Amazon the Samsung 840 EVO has actually been discontinued! (At least the model that I bought)

I don't think any of those models have a 15.6", for that you'll have to go to a custom builder which I tend to stay away from. Regarding an SSD you can pay more money to have a better model of the same laptop, but it's more cost efficient to purchase your own ssd, i.e: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3W19MO/ref=s9_simh_bw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-7&pf_rd_r=0T2WXS6DEZKP9X20T2S3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1752943722&pf_rd_i=172456

and just install it yourself. It doesn't take too much time to do and there are many guides.

What would be the better option between these two SSDs?

Samsung 2.5" 256GB

Samsung M.2 250GB

I've tried to do research on the topic and it seems like M.2 are the faster option; for the same price it seems like I should go with the latter option, but what are the pros/cons of going with a 2.5" vs M.2? Are there other SSDs that come highly recommended in this price range?

Leaving Shanghai. Selling a bunch of stuff.

Prices are in USD. I'll take RMB at the Google rate (https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=usd%20to%20cny) or USD directly.

Samsung 46" LED TV (2012 model) - $350

Keurig Coffee Machine (non-DRM, 2012 model) - $50

Bose Companion Speakers (bought this year) - $50

Playstation 4 (imported from US) - $300

Rockstone Transformers (bought last year) - $50 for 1 3000W, $30 each for two 500W, or $100 for all three

Samsung Pro 256GB SSD - $100

you will need a motherboard that supports m.2 or you could save a couple of dollars and just get a 2.5" SSD.
https://www.amazon.ca/Samsung-Internal-Solid-2-5-Inch-Vertical/dp/B00LMXBOP4/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1467982330&sr=8-23&keywords=intel+ssd


I'd also recommend getting a fully modular power supply. Then you won't have to try to hid the cables you don't need in your case.
https://www.amazon.ca/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Certified-ATX12V-220-G2-0750-XR/dp/B00IKDETOW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1467982378&sr=1-2

Edit: didn't see the motherboard there. you'll want a z170 motherboard if you plan to overclock. If you don't plan to overclock then that cooler is way overkill and there are much cheaper options on the market. Also I have that cooler and I have to replace the NZXT fans on it every 6 months. Just a head's up but it has a really long warranty.

It's hard to go wrong with any SSD in comparison to old platter drives, period.

That said, one of my favorite references is Tom's Best SSD List.

Personally, I've used and been a fan of the Samsung 840 Pro drives, and the newer 850 seem to maintain their position toward the top of the pack, too:
Samsung 850 256gb $140

I wouldn't upgrade the HDD to an SSD through Lenovo. 200 bucks for a 180 GB SSD is quite expensive. And you don't know which SSD they will stick in. Maybe a slow LiteOn model. It would be better to buy an SSD yourself. For $150 you could get a top of the line Samsung 850 Pro with 256 GB.

I've had good luck with the 240GB variant of this ssd. It worked perfectly in my 2011 until the day I sold the laptop. If you don't use your disk drive I'd definitely recommend it. Put your SSD in the original drive slot and put your HDD in the disk slot

The 480GB one (https://www.amazon.ca/SanDisk-Ultra-2-5-Inch-Height-SDSSDHII-480G-G25/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1468326097&sr=1-3) is 175$-50$=125$.

Would you recommend going with a 480GB Sandisk Ultra for 125$ or a 250GB Samsung 850 Evo for 115$

If you really want to have a silent PC, you have to avoid hdds and get an ssd instead but it is an investment :) I swapped my 1tb hdd with a 500gb and I am more than happy since my mITX is on my table and it is very easy to hear HDD which becomes very annoying after some time.

Here is a good and cheap ssd if you consider it: https://www.amazon.de/SanDisk-Ultra-480GB-Interne-550%C2%A0MB/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467733069&sr=8-1&keywords=sandisk+ultra+ii+480+gb

I'm not the guy you asked, but I've been meaning to make a topic about this. SSD's surprisingly vary in their performance (I have 3 ps4's in my house). The best one I've personally used is Silicon Power. I got significantly WORSE performance from the ADATA

Thank you for the reply! For the Hard drive what happen was that it sold out in amazon. Could this one be a good replacement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LNJBA2I/?tag=pcpapi-20?

Also the reason is want to get everything from amazon is that I caan get free shipping and since it will come from that one vendor.

as Chareu suggest. best suggestion IMO


>Just get a better GPU and you're set. The RX480 for example.
Maybe a 1TB HDD as well.


gpu and hdd:
rx 480: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GAMING-RX-480-4G/dp/B01KIZUF7Y


1tb hdd: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM010/dp/B01LNJBA2I/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1483726310&sr=8-9&keywords=1tb

If you mean this, https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM010/dp/B01LNJBA2I/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1511916709&sr=1-2&keywords=1tb+hdd Yep, its fine.

60 bucks https://www.amazon.ca/Seagate-BarraCuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM010/dp/B01LNJBA2I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511762374&sr=8-2&keywords=seagate+1tb

better yet, 58 from best buy https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/seagate-barracuda-1tb-3-5-desktop-internal-hard-drive/11509501.aspx?

>Link with no referral code, for real

What is your budget?

The price difference between a 1tb Seagate hdd and a 2tb Seagate hdd isn't that huge. If you plan on having a lot of games, I would go more liberal with storage.

I personally have a 3tb Segate hdd along with a 500gb ssd. I have movies I download, art I make on photoshop, and games I download so I went with more storage.

You do not need a fulltower case IMO, it is way overkill and takes up too much space.

Something midtower like this:

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/8850694858626857081?lsf=seller:6136318,store:18011995565160192565&prds=oid:7992287768184037503&q=nzxt+s340&hl=en&ei=UMBCWZ_5IYfMjwOk36qoCg&lsft=gclid:CNqP59mswNQCFRKUfgodp9kJ1w

Would take $90 off.

Don't listen to the person saying i5 over i7. I5 is dead so if you can't afford the I7 then go for a ryzen build instead but I would personally stay with the 7700k.

For the GPU look at eBay at buying one second hand. With EVGA the warranty is transferable so buying second hand is very very safe (since it is still within the three year warranty).

You can see the GTX 1080 FTW (and also even the freaking FTW hybrid edition which is a beast). Has sold on ebay (by looking at recently completed listings) in the last three weeks for ~460. Doing that can give you the same (or better if he gets a hybrid) card with the same warranty and EVGA protection for 80$ (plus tax if amazon taxes you) less.

Doing those two things puts you down to $1260.

You can buy the CPU brand new here for $310 to bring it down to $1240

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Intel-i7-7700K-Kaby-Lake-Quad-Core-4-2GHz-Processor-BX80677I77700K-/272635222784?hash=item3f7a535b00:g:dsYAAOSw53NY9WmO

For the cooler, a single radiator AIO is not worth it for a CPU. So you need to either go cheaper for an aircooler (which would be comparable but wouldn't be good for overclocking) with the cryorig H7 for 35$ (bringing your total down to 1210) or go more expensive with the Noctua NHD-15 or corsair H100i for 80 (brining your total up to 1275).

Personally, I would upgrade the ram to something 3200mhz - you don't want to be locked down by slow ram with that killer CPU/GPU. For $20 more you can get this (also matches the case!):

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-3200MHz-Desktop-Memory/dp/B01EI5ZRQY/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1497547277&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=ddr4+dram+3200mhz

I would also trade the 3TB drive for a 120GB SSD for 50:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PNY-CS1311-120GB-Internal-SATA-Solid-State-Drive-/322271147966?hash=item4b08db77be:g:JbIAAOSwmfhX5aT1

With a 1TB HDD for 45:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM010/dp/B01LNJBA2I

About the same price but much higher performance.

Doing this all would put you between 1250-1300 and would be much higher performing in my opinion.

This would murder anything @ 1080P 60FPS (probably even 1080P 144FPS) and be future proof for a while.

SSDs:

• Samsung 960 [Evo] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYFKJR7) / [Pro] (https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-PRO-Internal-MZ-V6P512BW/dp/B01LXS4TYB) (M.2)
  
• Samsung 850 [Evo] (https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OBRE5UE) / [Pro] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LF10KTO)
  
• [Sandisk Plus] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F9G46Q8/)
  
• [Crucial MX300] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IAGSD68)
  
• [Intel 730] (https://www.amazon.com/Intel-2-5-Inch-Internal-Solid-SSDSC2BP480G4R5/dp/B00IF4NGXQ)
  
  HDDs:
  
  
• [Seagate BarraCuda] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LNJBA2I)
  
• [WD Black Series] (https://www.amazon.com/Black-Performance-Desktop-Hard-Drive/dp/B00FJRS6FU)
  
• [WD Blue Series] (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Cache-Desktop-Drive-WD10EZEX/dp/B0088PUEPK)

MSI B250M Bazooka: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAQ6RFE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lAT.AbNAXG9QP

Crucial MX500 250GB SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781VSXBP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jBT.AbTJ3HG07

Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD @ 7200 RPM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LNJBA2I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rCT.AbMFB5R0V

$60/year is $5/month. That means you want something around $5/month/TB or $0.005/GB.

At that price your options are very limited:

• Backblaze B2 - $5/TB/month storage, $20/TB retrieval
  
• Wasabi - $3.90/TB/month storage, $40/TB retrieval
  
• Buy a 1TB HDD and give it to a friend to keep for you - $45 per drive, or $15/yr.
  
  All those services you mentioned are out of your budget. Honestly you're probably going to get the best value from just buying a drive and storing it somewhere.

If you're going for money saving, you don't need an M.2 SSD, nor do you need an NVME SSD. Go with a standard SATA SSD. If you've been using an HDD until now, you will already notice a massive different. You can also go for larger storage capacity to run your games from it.

Although, looking at amazon right now, the M.2 SSD is only $200 compared to the 850 EVO same capacity at $150. Might be worth the jump for that.

If you wanna put games on it, no less than 250GB.

If you can afford it, get an NVMe SSD, they're much faster.

Fantastic SSD for cheap

Spend a little extra, get 3x the performance

Think that links for the 860. The 960 is a M.2 form factor and is PCIe, not SATA.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E500BW/dp/B01M20VBU7/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520277707&sr=1-2&keywords=samsung+960+evo+500gb&dpID=41czROzO2cL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I would like to get another stick of memory in there so I can dual boot Linux

Never upgraded a laptop before let alone build a computer so I am a complete noob as to how to go about this. Any guide would be appreciated. I am looking at this one from amazon currently

EDIT: This one seems to be a better deal

Type|Amazon|3rd Party New
:---|:---|:---
Lowest|$154.99 on Sep 05, 2018|$154.90 on Aug 26, 2018
Highest|$249.99 on Aug 01, 2017|$250.91 on Jan 13, 2018

3C link

*****
I am a bot; please send comments/questions to github issues

github

I have a few comments:

Nice choice of case, it is a very low-key simplistic sophisticated look, and very nice to build in

That hard drive has to change, you have 1TB at $45, you can get the same model in 2TB for only $5 more here

I've never heard of Transcend storage products, I may live under a rock but idk if thats very reliable, you can get a 250GB ssd from Crucial which is more well known (to me at least) for the same price here

Other than that, good looking build, welcome to PCMR!

Buying a solid state drive to upgrade a 2010 MacBook Pro. Between the following, is there any major differences I'll notice? I'm not a power user by any means, just looking to improve boot/app start times. Looking at ~250GB. I'm leaning towards the ADATA solely based on price and can easily be swayed towards the others.

Samsung 860 EVO

Crucial MX500

ADATA SU800

Might be hard to sell these man, the newer versions go for the same price new. GL tho!

Seems like the blue might not be NVME. Not sure.

Also research the Intel 660p: https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-series-512gb/p/N82E16820167460 and the Crucial MX500 https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-500GB-2280SS-Internal/dp/B077SQ8J1V

Same price on amazon.ca if you want it from there:

SATA: https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-MX500-500GB-NAND-Internal/dp/B0784SLQM6

SATA M.2: https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-MX500-500GB-2280SS-Internal/dp/B077SQ8J1V

I don't know what your use case is, and a lot of these things are budget/availability dependent, especially since I don't know what country you are purchasing in, so take some of my recommendations with a grain of salt on those bases:

>Core i7 8086k or 9700k (leaning towards the 8086k though)

Depending on if you can get your hands on it, and if price is similar, the 9700k is superior in every non-synthetic performance metric. I'd really recommend you go with the 8 core chip if you can.

> ASUS ROG STRIX Z390-F H or E (May opt for the WiFi variant)

The Z390-H has worse VRM than the F and E, and no AI VID autoclock features, which can help you determine stable frequencies if you are interested in that. Even for the first point alone though, since the price points are so similar between the Strix boards, I'd disregard it as an option. The F and E both use the same Vishay VRM and are much better for stability and efficiency of your overclock. The WiFi is up to you.

>Kraken X62 (instead of the x72 or coolermaster as it seems to perform better and looks better)

The Kraken series are great, and I love the X62. It's expensive, and you can get the same performance from Corsair and EVGA, but looks are firmly in the NZXT camp here. No problems with that.

>G-Skill 8gb x 2 3200Mhz

Good value and high quality RAM, excellent choice.

>Samsung 970 Pro 512GB m.2

This is somewhat up to you, but NVMe drives have very minor performance benefits for most people. While the speed on paper looks like a massive step up, it is only in sequential read/write speeds, which is only really good for video editors working with extremely high quality footage (4K RAW and above, basically). If this rig is for gaming primarily, or general workstation use not involving massive files, you can save a significant amount of money and go with something like a Crucial MX500 SATA M.2 Drive. For everyday performance and gaming, you will notice zero difference between the two.

>Fractal meshify C or possibly the nzxt h500

Both are great cases. The Meshify is objectively better for temps, but IMO the H500 looks better. As someone who owns the NZXT H500i, I can tell you that temps have never been an issue for my 1080Ti or 9900k, but again, the choice is yours, both are great.

>Corsair TXM SERIES 650 w

This is fine, but the Corsair RX series (the fully modular variants) are made by a better OEM (RX from Seasonic, TX from FSP) and have more port flexibility. Sometimes it is worth looking at the 750W and 850W variants, as even though you don't need the additional power, they often go on sale for cheaper. Other options include Seasonic FOCUS and FOCUS Plus series, or the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 (or G3, but go with a 750W minimum on these as the fan can be loud under high load) series. Power supplies are one thing I recommend spending extra on, as they are the lifeblood of your power delivery, and the only component in your computer in which a failure can cause every other device in your PC to fail as well. Just some food for thought. You can go with the least expensive of any of the ones I listed above.

> Evga 2080 xc ultra

Depending on your resolution/refresh rate, this is a great card, although obviously expensive. 1080Ti's are definitely becoming harder to find now, but if you can get one for cheaper and don't plan on using the RTX features, its effectively the same card. This may no longer be possible, though.

If you can give me some additional information, like what country you are purchasing from, your overall budget, the workload you are using it for (if games, give me specific games you play or intend to play in the future), and the display resolution and refresh rate you are using now/what you want in the future (IE 1080p/144, 1080p/240, 1440p/144, 4k/60, etc), I can give more accurate overall recommendations on all of these parts.

MX500 500gb 75~ https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-MX500-500GB-2280SS-Internal/dp/B077SQ8J1V/ref=sr_1_4?m=AUJBRIGYRJ3Q8&s=warehouse-deals&ie=UTF8&qid=1543031158&sr=8-4&keywords=ssd

Happy to help!

​

So specs aren't as important as form and function in this case, but I figured I'd get them out of the way first just in case you are curious:

• CPU: Intel i5-7500
  
• MOBO: MSI H270I GAMING PRO AC
  
• SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB
  
• GPU: EVGA GTX 970
  
• CASE: CoolerMaster Elite 130
  
  Really the only elements that matter here as far as building a couch setup are motherboard and case, as they pertain to the form factor. I chose Mini-ITX to keep the size down, which helps the PC fit nicely under my TV alongside my consoles. The Elite 130 is big for an ITX case, but still got the job done for what I need. Specifically, I chose it for its ATX PSU and full size GPU support, in addition to its affordable price. For reference, ATX PSUs are generally the standard size power supplies for a PC. Smaller PSUs tend to command a significant premium compared to ATX PSUs of the same quality. Speaking premiums, you can end up paying a hefty premium for smaller and better designed ITX cases. just look at /r/sffpc if you want an example of how beautiful (and expensive) these things can get. There's some really awesome stuff in there, but honestly what you need will depend on your use case. If you're going to be doing any gaming, then a case that supports a GPU is a must, and you'll pay for cramming more power into a smaller space. However, since your current couch build is a Vista laptop, this may not be an issue for you at all!
  
  In any case, deciding where you're going to put the PC is important. If size is a concern, there are still great options out there if you don't need too much performance. There are other Mini ITX builds that could accomplish this quite nicely, but if you don't need any PCIe slots at all, ASRock makes a beautiful Mini-STX machine called the DeskMini that is only 6"x6"x3"! I'm not 100% sure that the remote start I first mentioned would fit into this case, but I have a non-ASRock MiniSTX machine at home, so I can take a look and speculate if you'd like. And even if not, you could get that same function through Wake-On-LAN if you have an ethernet connection. Anyway, you can get a barebones model for $170 that supports the latest 8th and 9th gen Intel CPUs, but you'll need to add the CPU and SSD on your own. There are fully built models available, including AMD Ryzen models starting at $500, but again, depending on your needs, that may be more money than you need to spend. For instance, adding an Intel i3-8100 CPU for $135 and a Crucial SATA M.2 SSD for $63 brings you up to $368, and leaves plenty of upgradability down the line. Additionally, you could scale that price down further by lowering the SSD capacity, getting a Pentium CPU, buying used, etc. Let me know what you currently (and want to) do with your couch computer, and I'll be happy to help with a performance recommendation!
  
  Moving on to peripherals, a wireless mouse/keyboard combo would certainly work well! There are plenty of bluetooth and USB dongle-based options on the market for you to consider. I personally use a Roccat Sova lapboard, which is wired, but I decided that was more important for me as it comes with USB ports for my headset and mouse. Plenty of options are available that are both cheaper and better suited for a wireless mouse and keyboard anyway, so don't feel like you need to go this route! Another product to consider is couch table. I used this model for my mouse before I learned about that Roccat lapboard, but I still love that table for couch use in general!
  
  As for the display, I use my TV. It's a 4K TCL 55p607, which got great reviews for its price when I bought it. Full disclosure, TVs generally aren't as good as PC monitors when it comes to use with a PC. Refresh rates and input lag tend to be the biggest differentiating factors, but this video will do a far better job of explaining it than I can. Overall though, TVs as displays only get more viable every year! Just don't expect the budget set from Walmart to be as easy on the eyes as a high quality model. If you're going to be staring at it for hours at a time, it will likely be worth the investment to research and buy a better model! One other thing you will likely have to play with regardless of TV quality is visual scaling. Since default settings assume you are sitting a foot or two from the monitor, text and graphics will be very small at first. Customization options are getting better though; Windows has settings for text scaling now, and even has an automated tool to fix programs that aren't cooperating in this regard, but you will still likely have to tinker with settings in some programs to get things comfortably readable from the couch.
  
  Something else to consider is audio, HDMI inputs, and overall technology compatibility. I have a surround sound setup via a Yamaha receiver. All my consoles (and my PC) plug into it, and it feeds HDMI to the TV. However, I ran into a snag on this front. My receiver is a few years old, and thus cannot support 4K at a refresh rate above 30Hz. Here's another TechQuickie video on refresh rates, and yet another about TVs faking better refresh rates (which should absolutely be disabled if you got this route). So since the receiver sits between the TV and the PC, that means that me getting both surround sound and 4K for my PC got very complicated. In the end, I decided to forego the 4K resolution and instead opt for the simplicity of sticking with 1080p at 60 Hz for my gaming PC. It ended up making sense to me since my hardware specs were better suited for 1080p gaming anyway, but again, higher resolution tends to be easier on the eyes when it comes to everyday PC use, so your mileage may vary.
  
  ​
  
  Sorry this got long winded, but I hope this answers a lot of your questions. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions, I'd be happy to help in any way I can!

Hi,

With the upgrades you have listed, the Acer Aspire E 15 would indeed be fine option. If you want to replace the 2 GB stick, this 4 GB stick would be fine. Additionally, the Crucial MX500 500 GB M.2 SSD would be a good option for the boot drive, but you could for a smaller NVMe SSD if you wanted faster speeds.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I bought an SSD but it’s very small. Like 4 inches long.

I’ve never built a pc before. Is this normal? This is what I got.

Things are kind of mixed up and I don't blame anyone who mixes them

NVMe is PCIe protocol that can run on x1 fine, although that would be slower than SATA on PCIe 2.0 and 1.0

Generally PCIe 3.0 x1 or 2.0 x2 (~1000MB/s) is where PCIe has better bandwidth than SATA

For PCIe storage to be detected to OS only a link(adapter or M.2) is required but to boot from PCIe storage using any link the motherboard's bios MUST support that features, if it doesn't then you will have to boot from another hard drive and use the NVMe SSD as additional partitions only while not being able to install an OS inside the SSD

About adaptors: since PCIe is only a link any M.2 adaptor would be passive without any chip, essentially just a port that SSD plugs into

With Sandy bridge PCIe booting wasn't supported in that platform so user won't be able to install OS into any drive that uses PCIe link directly

Chips in adaptors are usually external SATA controllers that allow for additional SATA ports, these can be alone or integrated into PCIe M.2 adaptors at a higher cost

Sandy bridge can boot from M.2 SATA even if board doesn't have any M.2 ports , an adaptor here would either be passive that requires power+sata cable just like an HDD require or an active adapter, there is a lot of configurations for these adaptors

An active adaptor isn't advised for if user will install SSD into these unless motherboard's SATA ports are SATA 2 version, because SATA 3 active adaptor is slower than native SATA 3 ports found on motherboards


TL;DR : get this adaptor and connect it to one of motherboard's SATA ports, buy a SATA M.2 SSD (Good units : Crucial MX500,Samsung 860 evo) and plug it into the adaptor's SATA M.2 port, you will be able to install OS and run just fine from it along side almost certainly finding newer motherboard's M.2 port supporting it without needing the adaptor + the adaptor will work as an expansion just fine in newer boards, you will find slower than advertised speeds if your motherboard has only SATA 2 but still you will benefit from SSD faster loading speeds

Of course 2.5" versions of mentioned drives is also a cheaper option, gives same speed as SATA M.2 since both are SATA just that my recommendation are based that you want M.2 port

u/CovaDax1

Fair play to you! :D

Have the parts for your PC arrived yet? One of the things that was bugging me about your build was the tiny no-name SSD and then a separate old and slow hard drive for storage. Such a setup would be a PITA but was accepted years ago when SSDs were very expensive, but even in the past 6 months the price has fallen massively - a 1TB SSD is now around €120. Use an M2 SSD like this one and you won't even need to run power and SATA cables inside your case! :)

Windows will work much better with just one fast drive, and your sanity will remain largely intact. A few weeks back I had to rescue someone's photo library from an old-style hard drive, it's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy.

Wouldn't this be the better deal if you have an extra m.2 slot?
Crucial MX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA M.2

Its running for just a few dollars more on Amazon if anyone is interested: https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-MX500-NAND-2280SS-Internal/dp/B0784SY515

thanks for replying.

​

can i buy those cables in amazon like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Connection-Cables-Splitter-ST1003/dp/B01FD7R0ZM

​

I mostly got confused because I saw there was a type of ssd like this and wasnt sure of the difference https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-2280SS-Internal/dp/B0784SY515/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

​

​

Amazon says there's a newer model: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0784SY515/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile but I don't see the difference

I do remember seeing something about this on Linus' channel -- this is the one good Eluktronics laptop!

In my opinion, then, the best move would be the MAG-15 with a GTX 1660 Ti.

The GTX 1660 Ti option is $300 cheaper and only 8% slower than the RTX 2070 Max-Q. Unless you really need real-time ray-tracing in particular (which you probably don't), the RTX 2070 Max-Q is a giant waste of money on this system that will bring battery life down and thermals up while costing $300 extra.

I would then encourage you to spend that extra money on a $200 2TB Intel 660p SSD instead of paying $600 for them to install this exact same SSD for you stock... what?

​

$1500-$1700 for an i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti, big NVMe SSD laptop with this kind of battery and thermals is an awesome deal

​

edit: and definitely pay the $35 for Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut; it's possible to get a really top-notch system with the right config on this MAG-15.

Looks good, but have you considered getting the Intel 660p instead of the MX500? You do have an open M2 slot that you could use for it.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QTQG3C/intel-660p-2-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-ssdpeknw020t801
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC

You could look into the Sandisk Ultra II, more storage for almost the same price.

Maybe you can wait for the RX 480 before buying a GTX 950 (You could order the other parts already and put them together, then add a GPU later).

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-2-5-Inch-Height-SDSSDHII-480G-G25/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453666820&sr=8-1&keywords=sandisk+ultra+2

Okay so got some money from my birthday and after Christmas (around $300 total). Now I'm looking at buying an SSD for my build. I want 480/500/512GB at around $100-$160 and preferably from Amazon (unless there's a really good deal on a 960GB/1TB drive at around <$200 and reliable). I'm currently looking at the Sandisk Ultra II 480GB at $133.99, the Crucial MX200 500GB at $164.99, or the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB at $159.18. Which of these is the better choice? Also any other recommendations? Thanks.

Here was my attempt, came in about $40 over if you have Amazon Prime. Decent build - definitely a great home to drop a GPU into later. glhf!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6600k Quad-Core Processor | $237.89 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Evo 212 CPU Cooler | $29.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Gigabyte ATX DDR4 LGA 1151 Motherboards GA-G1.Sniper B7 | $109.93 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $64.74 @ Amazon
SSD | Sandisk Ultra II 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $124.99 @ Amazon
Case | Apex Vortex Mid Tower Case | $40.44 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 600B Bronze Power Supply | $39.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $647.97
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-24 18:59 EDT-0400 |

I would personally go with the Samsung 850 Evo 500GB

I didn't even realise that Amazon was in Spain & that PCPartPicker (the website we use to look for parts) had Spain as well.

But.. I couldn't find everything and I am certain that certain parts are cheaper at other shops. Especially the GTX1080 currently is on high prices because the demand is higher than the supply from Nvidia. Meaning that stores can ask high prices since people are paying it anyway.
Regardless, this list of hardware shops helped me find the fans. You can have a look at certain shops as well.

Anyway, I managed to put together an absolute beast (I'm jealous!) of a PC together for you where I did not compromise anywhere on the parts. I went for high quality & performance pretty much for everything. If you want to hear my rationale or know more about certain choices that I made, let me know and I will explain it to you.


I as well found some great fans to keep this PC almost dead silent. These fans are actually hard to find, since I don't think that they're still produced.
But you want to use the NoiseBlocker fans on the radiator instead of the stock fans that come with it. These fans will reduce the noise & increase the performance by a good margin. Reducing the temperature of the CPU by a good amount.
You want to use the Scythe as 1 in the rear as exhaust and then.. the other one you have a couple of options, you can place it on some rails on the right or left side to push some more air inside or at the bottom. The use of this fan is to provide a bit more air for the GPU.

---

• I will provide you with my standard list of videos to help you understand why I suggest these parts.
  
• I also give a couple of great guides to help you build the PC.
  
• Lastly, a list of software that I personally use to overclock a CPU & GPU.
  
  Posted in a reply to this post, since I went over the 10.000 character limitation reddit provides per post!
  
  ---
  
  PCPartPicker part list
  
  Type|Item|Price
  :----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | €335.00 @ Amazon Espana
  CPU Cooler | Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | €69.50 @ Amazon Espana
  Motherboard | Asus MAXIMUS VIII GENE Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | €216.14 @ Amazon Espana
  Memory | Kingston Savage 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | €178.40 @ Amazon Espana
  Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | €136.00 @ Amazon Espana
  Storage | Western Digital Blue 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive | €135.89 @ Amazon Espana
  Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card | €755.00 @ Amazon Espana
  Case | Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | €73.15 @ Amazon Espana
  Power Supply | Super Flower Leadex Gold 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | €164.83 @ Amazon Espana
  Radiator Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-ELoop B12-2 51.1 CFM 120mm Fan | €18.00 @ CoolMod
  Radiator Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-ELoop B12-2 51.1 CFM 120mm Fan | €18.00 @ CoolMod
  Case Fan | Scythe SY1225DB12M 68.5 CFM 120mm Fan | €12.00 @ CoolMod
  Case Fan | Scythe SY1225DB12M 68.5 CFM 120mm Fan | €12.00 @ CoolMod
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total | €2132.39
  | Generated by Kiwiandapple |
  
  
  

M.2 SSDs are about the same price, yes slightly more expensive than SATA SSDs but they also cut down on cabels and are faster. in my opinion they are worth it

Sono nella tua stessa barca, ma con uno da 250GB forse non ci faccio quasi nulla. Sto guardando questo

E se non li hai usati già ricordati i due buoni sconto della ricarica sisal!

EDIT: come non detto. Era a 129€ quando ho messo il link, è già risalito di 30€. Adesso sto vedendo quello crucial da 525GB o quello Sandisk da 480GB.

Samsung 850 EVO 500GB has lightning deal on Amazon. Starts for non prime @ 15:30.
Price is £122

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/r

You can also get the 850 EVO for a similar price on amazon.

(hopefully this doesn't trigger automod)

I'm very close to purchasing the final components for my Node 202 build, but I'm unsure if I should go for an M2 SSD or a non-M2 Samsung SSD. I know that the Samsung SSD would probably be faster, but I don't think this would matter too much. The reason why I'm interested in an M2 SSD is that apparently it would make the building process a lot easier. If it wouldn't help that much, then I think I would prefer to go with the non-M2 SSD, so I'm interested to see how much of a difference an M2 SSD would make.

I can get either SSD for a similar price, with the M2 SSD being a WD Blue, and the non-M2 SSD being the Samsung 850 EVO. My build is as follows:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | Purchased For £188.99
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG - C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler | Purchased For £30.95
Motherboard | Gigabyte - GA-AB350N-Gaming WIFI (rev. 1.0) Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard | Purchased For £116.77
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | Purchased For £137.85
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £139.00 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING X Video Card | Purchased For £267.49
Case | Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case | Purchased For £72.99
Power Supply | Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply | Purchased For £98.97
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full - USB 32/64-bit | £11.60
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan | £16.98 @ Ebuyer
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan | £16.98 @ Ebuyer
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1098.57
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-17 22:10 BST+0100 |

CamelCamelCamel graph

As you can see though, it's only going down so if you are looking at buying it may be worth just waiting until you actually need it. But at this price it would be an excellent upgrade for any computer with limited SSD space or no SSD - I got a 500GB (£115.99) for my Macbook and it's sooo much faster.

Sure thing. These are Canadian links though, sorry.

RAM: Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L 1066 MT/s (PC3-8500) SODIMM 204-Pin Mac Memory CT2K4G3S1067M https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008LTBJFM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qyvFxbSYANJEQ

SSD: SanDisk Internal SSD 240GB 2.5-Inch SDSSDA-240G-G25 https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qxvFxb0ZMFWVR

The Sandisk SSD Plus is a decent SSD if your on a budget.

I would look on Amazon, they are actually having a sale on SSDs today. Here are two good options: http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-BX200-240GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B016JREGAC/ref=sr_1_6/183-1514266-7900427?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458744272&sr=1-6 and http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Plus-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=sr_1_9/183-1514266-7900427?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458744272&sr=1-9

i know it's only a 240 but you might look at this.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Plus-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4

i purchased this https://www.amazon.ca/SanDisk-Internal-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4

If you don't mind a little sacrifice in performance, you could buy the Crucial BX200 240GB (540/490 $65) or the SanDisk SSD Plus 240GB (520/350 $70). SanDisk's SSD is a bit slower than Crucial's, but it's more reliable.

An SSD did wonders for my daughters 2009 MacBook. Made a huge difference. I am planning on getting her a new MacBook in a year or so. This SSD will diffidently hold her over till then. I guess if you can afford to upgrade to a newer Macbook now, do it. But the SSD will give you more life in your current one if you want to wait.

This is what I got. Inexpensive and works great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You want high speed, so your first option is an HDD. You want high reliability, so your first option is a Seagate HDD. You want cheap... Okay, that one actually works.

Why does something like this not work?: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1459189678&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=240+gb+ssd&dpPl=1&dpID=41Cago76PuL&ref=plSrch

how are these, compare to this one

I was going to jump on the sandisk 240gb because of the negligible performance drop compared to the 850 evo, supposedly. can the same be said about the mushkin? am i splitting hairs here? i think im addicted to savings.

a couple of the reviews are claiming pc stops recognizing mushkin unit after just a few months of use.

With an Amazon Prime account you can get a 240gb SSD for £43: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S9Q9VS4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00 (or larger amounts, still a good deal).

Just wish I'd seen this before I ordered it... :(

They're probably not quite as durable as the T3, but assuming you keep them in a side pocket of a bag or something, I think you'll be fine.

https://www.amazon.com/ZTC-Enclosure-Adapter-SuperSpeed-ZTC-EN004-BK/dp/B00KQ4LNJC/

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/

Those two parts basically make up the T3 at only a slight discount, but Samsung SSDs are kinda overpriced nowadays.

So, use this SSD, save some money, and still get 99% of the performance: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820156154

in terms of performance / dollar at your budget range
I would get this should last you a few years while still remaining a beast.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-15-7559-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B0185P47QY/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462565247&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=dell+5000+7559

You want the best graphics card and gpu than you can get you can for gaming you can always upgrade ssd and memory later when you feel like it.

Both my brothers got it after many many hours of research,

later on if you want faster loading and boot times and when you have the money get this SSD and this laptop has a sata over m.2 slot so you can keep your HDD too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-500GB-850-EVO-M-2/dp/B00TGIW1XG


Also watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJPQfWCuxAo



So overall in terms of gaming this is for you if you want a better build (in terms of sturdiness etc...) you will need a higher budget or sacrifice some gaming potential which ruins the point.

It's not a great sale. I'll post any deals here.

EDIT: I'm done for now. I think my post got removed?

---
Computer Accessories & Peripherals

• 3M Dual-Swivel Monitor Arm @ $36.77
  
• Creative A250 @ $16.48
  
• Dell AX210 @ $8.46
  
• Dell AC511 @ $12.80
  
• HyperX Cloud Stinger @ $33.11
  
• SteelSeries Stratus XL @ $23.04
  
  Computer Components
  
  
• BitFenix Prodigy Mini-ITX / Black @ $56.03
  
• Samsung 850 Evo M.2 500GB @ $128.15
  
  Computers & Tablets
  
  
• ASUS CHROMEBOX-M004U @ $112.10
  
• ASUS K31CD-DS71 @ 547.83
  
• Samsung Chromebook 3 @ $87.59
  
  Monitors
  
  
• Dell U2414H @ $131.40

Right, but it looks like the pattern for this model, if you go down the list, shows that the M.2 interface requires SATA signaling.

You'll have to get something like this, most likely: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-3-5-Inch-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1450578381&sr=1-2&keywords=m.2+sata+evo

one of the reviews mentions the user using this in the GT72. If it works for that thing, it'll work for yours.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-3-5-Inch-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425934205&sr=8-3&keywords=samsung+850+m2

The 850 EVO M.2 version isn't out yet but you can always get the 840 EVO if you're so inclined.

This is the exact one I purchased. I don't see NVME listed anywhere on the description

this: https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Premier-SP550-240GB-ASP550SS3-240GM-C/dp/B013J7Q338/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483721941&sr=1-3&keywords=240gb+ssd

inside of this:

https://www.amazon.com/Tool-free-Inateck-External-Enclosure-FE2004/dp/B00JQTO8TU/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483722004&sr=1-2&keywords=portable+hard+drive+enclosure

basically that setup. works great.

Correct! A great choice on a budget is this one for 240GB, and this one or this one for 480GB.

Eh you're right, I meant every 240-256gb SSD that goes on sale, which is quite frequently, I see them maybe 2-3 times a week on SlickDeals for $50-$60.

This is the cheapest on Amazon right now, and it was $53 a week ago.

I think amazon has a better deal. https://www.amazon.ca/ADATA-SP550-240GB-SATA3-SM2256/dp/B013J7Q338

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KZNTZYB/

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/e0537e/ssd_hp_ex920_1tb_3200_mbps1800mbps_nvme_ssd_14435/

95% rating, over 1000 ratings, sounds legit

Or go with the similarly fast Gammix model, it's 10$ but select ADATA as the vendor and avoid paying taxes: https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-GAMMIX-NAND-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C/dp/B07KZNTZYB/ref=pd_cp_147_1/142-6354450-9316038?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07KZNTZYB&pd_rd_r=e8a16e55-2a0d-4220-9cf2-3f7ee3773849&pd_rd_w=MCJkm&pd_rd_wg=bCU0h&pf_rd_p=2cf9199e-e65f-43e3-98e2-64b6dc3f6d60&pf_rd_r=4YQ7DW10SZMCENY1YPM9&psc=1&refRID=4YQ7DW10SZMCENY1YPM9

Personally I would take https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-GAMMIX-NAND-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C/dp/B07KZNTZYB over a 1tb drive + SSD which I think is a strategy that is increasingly becoming obsolete because you will get significantly better acoustics especially at idle as well as performance. Less capacity but still. As we approach 2020 I'm starting to advocate ditching spinning rust for most users.

If using i5-9600k specifically you can get away with the 650w and dropping the second eps connector and saving some coin. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WrNypg/seasonic-focus-plus-gold-650w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-650fx

I have two storage boxes, this particular one holds the OS partitions of my VMs. I have dedup enabled since they contain a lot of the same information. I have a separate box for bulk storage.
Config of this box:
CentOS 7
SuperMicro MBD-X9SCL-F-B with 32GB ECC RAM and i3 CPU
2x SuperMicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 HBA
16x WD RED 1TB Model WD10JFCX in 8 Mirrored VDEVs in a single Zpool (~7TB)
2x ADATA Premier SP550 120GB Mirrored ZIL cache
1x ADATA Premier SP550 240GB Cache
1x MNPA19-XTR 10Gb NIC
Corsair RM750 PSU

I'd recommend this, it's much less but almost just as good. If you have window, the design looks good too imo

Thanks. And whoops, noticed the price of the ROG went up. Here you go!

Mmkay, let's talk specs... 4th Gen vs 6th Gen, no difference in gaming performance. According to the description, Asus also has a G-Sync display. SSD... can be bought for pretty cheap and put in the Asus if you desire. One main issue however you mentioned b4... the Asus is also a bit heavier and lacks a USB C.

Just an FYI to everyone planning on purchasing this,

it's a good deal but it's not actually that good a deal. SSD prices have been getting lower in the last few months.

$67 isn't that great a deal for a 250GB SSD, at this point. While this time last year, SSD's of that size ran about $80-$100, I think the average price is ~$70 now.

I build systems constantly, and I personally recommend the ADATA Premier SP550 SSDs.

Crucial BX100 250GB read/write: 535/370 MB/s advertised. Price: $66.99 at the moment. Same link as the post.

ADATA Premier SP550 240GB read/write: 560/510 MB/s advertised. Price: $63.99 right now. Amazon link here.

It's 10GB's less, but makes up for it in write speed, and (in my opinion) looks as well.

No, I'm not some ADATA rep. Just throwing the info out there 'cause I've been building my systems with ADATA recently and they're just cheap but great quality drives.

I would get something like this and add a 120 or 240 gb SSD I would also recommend buying a sata 3 cable, you never know if they include an extra one inside the PC. And use a program to transfer windows from the hard drive to the ssd.

Recommending swapping that Hitachi drive for this one.

Double the cache and double the disk space for $7 more.

Edit: Also, This is a fair priced quality SSD if you wanna drop another $61 for speed in exchange for storage space. 240gb is also a decent amount if you will only play a couple games and do work. Much more than that though and you pretty much will kick yourself if you don't get a storage drive in conjunction with the SSD.

PNY CS1311 240GB for $64 vs. Samsung 850 EVO for $92.

I installed this SSD in my laptop and haven't had any issues so far with it: http://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-240GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B019H3B3OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464358540&sr=8-1&keywords=pny+cs1311

link

smile link

Neither, PNY

If it's available where you are that is, and is around the same price.

yeah, you don't have any slots to take those kinds directly. You can get a pcie adapter card if you really want the speed. Otherwise, stick with SATA. the samsung evo are the best. personally i have the pny cs1311 240GB and it serves me well, but i got it on sell several months ago. atm a 250GB evo is like $10 more.

First off the i5 6500 is a very good CPU, however it is an unlocked CPU so it cannot be overclocked and therefore buying the Z170 motherboard in your list is a waste of money. Find yourself an H170 motherboard that you like and that has good reviews, $120 or lower.

Second, you won't be needing a CPU cooler at all if you do not plan on overclocking so the Hyper 212 is a waste of money as the stock Intel cooler will work fine. However if you really want a CPU cooler, I'd say take a look at the Cryorig H7, it's an awesome looking and performing CPU cooler, much better than the Hyper 212 in every way along with a simpler install. But since you are trying to keep it under about $1000, then I strongly recommend not getting any CPU cooler and just use the stock one.

Third, if your only aim is to play games then 8gb of RAM will be perfectly fine, especially for CSGO, H1Z1, and The Division. You can always buy 8gb more RAM later on if you REALLY want 16gb of RAM or decide to start video editing, etc. We can save you some more money here by going with 8gb.

Fourth, I'd like to try and convince you to look at this 240gb PNY SSD. It has very similar read and write speeds to the 850 EVO while being at a $65 price point. The reviews for it are very good and you can save yourself some money there while still having the same performance.

Edit: Changed "under $1000" to "about $1000".

Oh crud! I used the wrong link haha was helping someone else with not getting this SSD. Mean't to use this http://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-Internal-Solid-SSD7CS1311-240-RB/dp/B019H3B3OW/ref=sr_1_15?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1456902397&sr=1-15&keywords=ssd
Thanks for the heads up on the mistake I made haha :C

I threw in a cheaper PNY SSD I had laying around into my ebay auction bought 2012 (I also added 8 gb of ram too). My 2012 MBP is a beast of a second computer after doing this swap. No complaints on from the cheaper PNY SSD. Samsungs are considered better, but I've had luck with the two PNYs that I've had.

Jenny is right.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019H3B3OW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's a great 240MB SSD For about 60$

I'm positive I have an SSD (here is the model).

I bought a case and cable that support UASP (here is the case).

I do still have OSX installed on the internal HDD. I was giving it a few days to make sure everything runs smoothly before formatting it. The Mac Mini runs considerably faster off the external SSD than it did with the internal HDD.

To re-iterate, I don't notice any day-to-day difference between my external SSD and my family's internal SSD in a Mac Mini. I do feel by boot time is a bit slower, though.

They've pulled some shady shit in the past, and their drives aren't the highest quality, but it's a budget drive so you can't really expect much out of it.

I would actually try this SSD, it's one of my favorite drives to recommend for its awesome prowess as a budget drive. It's more reputable too in my book.

Amazon doesn't have a lot of options, and tbh they're kind of overpriced. But the CS1311 and SSD Plus aren't bad, only about $5 over their usual prices.

I'm in the American market so bear with me.

The i7 has built in graphics so unless you need to do some graphics intensive things, you shouldn't need it for the tasks you've listed. All it will do is eat up more electricity. What you've listed could be handled by a much weaker CPU.

Same with the Wifi Card, unless you absolutely need it. Since you're remoting into it anyway, hard wire it somewhere.

You could use a lower-end SSD. I've been using a 120GB PNY for over a year now with no problems. Its hard to tell the difference between SSDs unless your moving a lot of things.

You could check out the used market for Xeons.
They're cheap unless you want to buy new.

If you're going to spend that much on a PSU, go for a platinum rated one. I've been using this EVGA 650W.

As others have said you wont need a sound card or DVD drive.

well, you could lower the cost a little bit by going with something other than a Samsung Evo 120gb ssd... I was able to pick up this PNY 120gb for $40 (its currently $45) and haven't had any problems, programs load almost instantly. For this application, there really isn't a need for a top of the line SSD IMO.

so that saves you $25-30 right there, then you could possibly find a cheaper HDD, even a WD Blue on amazon is $134 right now, so that saves another $16.

Next is that case. Yes, it's sexy and has 8 HDD bays, but do you really need that many? you can easily find a case for $50 or under that would get the job done perfectly fine, saving another $25 minimum...

now, all that would save around $65, bringing you back to your $600 mark.

now another option, if you decide to stay up at the sub $700 range, would be to purchase a Lenovo TS140 w/ Xeon, currently $525 on amazon. That cpu has a passmark of 9869, well above your goal. Add a $40 SSD and a $120 4tb HDD, and your at $685, with a much beafier cpu and a well put together machine. I have the i3 version of the TS140 and its spectacular.

Just some things to think about, also if you can find cheaper RAM (don't need 1866, 1600 will be just fine if you can find it cheaper)

it's 120GB my bad https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019H3B3P6/?tag=pcpapi-20

Here's an Acer for you for $319.

Install your own SSD for a snappy laptop experience. You'll come out to $360 for laptop+ssd. The the PNY one is out of stock, this one looks equally as good at nearly the same price.

Yeah that SSD will just be enough for your OS and maybe a few small applications. If you're ok with sata instead of m.2, then this will be much better.

https://smile.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-120GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B019H3B3P6?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=120gb%20ssd&qid=1480981626&ref_=sr_1_3&s=pc&sr=1-3

PNY CS1311 120GB

I just bought these three items to expand my Wii U storage. It works great! Load times are marginally faster in Smash
Internal memory 37.7sec load time
SSD 35.6sec load time

External drive enclosure

SSD

USB Y-cable

Thanks again. Just bought your suggested SSD
ADATA Ultimate SU800 1TB Solid State Drive (SSD), black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jeFqDbEGNEPVN

If you have the cash available and need the space now, go for it.

​

Or you could simply go for the ADATA SU800 1TB at $120 https://www.amazon.ca/ADATA-Ultimate-Su800-Internal-ASU800SS-1TT-C/dp/B01K8A29E6
Since ADATA is the direct seller and does not charge any tax on amazon.ca, this is equivalent to a little more than $100+tx for 1TB.

Which ones are the MCLs? these are explained as confusing marketing since their 3bit MLC is TLC. Are their SATA SSDs just exactly the same as the Crucial, WD, Adata, Kingston, SanDisk, etc.

You're spending $70 on a 2 drive split. When a 1tb ssd cost $500 splitting the drives up made sense, but nowadays ssd prices are so low it does not.

For $95 you could get the 1tb version of the same ssd and not deal with the hassle of 2 drives, or the slow laggy hdd:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8A29E6/

Though personally I prefer to not buy the cheapest ssd drives, I'd spend $110 on the wd blue:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-1TB-SSD-WDS100T2B0A/dp/B073SBQMCX/

All good!

Echoing what /u/DubbleYewGee mentioned - adding an SSD would be the biggest improvement. 1700 + RX 580 won't be an issue for 1080p gaming, but DDR4-2400 is a little slow. Ryzen really likes faster RAM (CAD$122).

I don't know if the stock motherboard will support an M.2 drive (like the Intel 660p), but Adata's SU800 is often on sale for ~US$100 / 1TB.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01K8A29E6/ref=gbps_tit_s-5_5baf_5c1d6d7e?pf_rd_p=a7e1c818-e7bc-4318-ae47-1f5300505baf&pf_rd_s=slot-5&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=gb_main&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=5336HYGHM2H3EYM8E24T&th=1


Like 250

Looking at a picture of the insides of that ADATA Ultimate SU800, it does indeed seem to have a DRAM cache (i.e. the "Nanya" chip on the top right).

Well in that case, here is a link to the 2TB Intel 660p. I prefer the 660p at higher capacities because the NAND/flash is denser and you need a certain amount of dies to saturate the controller (even a four-channel one like the SM2263). The SM2263 is very similar to the SM2262/EN actually, just with half the channels, but it performs very similarly for normal workloads. The 660p only has 256MB of DRAM cache for all capacities (rather than the normal 1GB:1TB ratio) while the Crucial P1 - which shares the same hardware - would have 2GB at 2TB (although it's hard if not impossible to find the 2TB SKU). I've covered this previously but basically this is not a huge concern for that type of drive. The 2TB 660p will always have at least 24GB of SLC cache regardless of used capacity but doesn't do well with sustained writes at speed outside of this cache. Keep in mind that if you do stripe these, your effective cache will be doubled.

Here is also a link to the 1TB Sabrent Rocket which is often on sale and is one of the most popular E12 drives. Be sure to check Sabrent's site for software (formatting utility for 4Kn or 512e, as needed) and if you buy it, register for the five-year warranty. Firmware should already be updated for it, but I have a post somewhere with the newest firmware revision that applies to all E12 drives. Cooling may be a concern with sustained writes - this is a different topic I've also covered in detail with many posts. To be brief, it can be ideal to cool the controller but for consumer usage you're fine with worrying about aesthetics. As such, the Ace with its included M.2 heat shields is sufficient.

There are a few differences between the Ace and the Master. I ended up choosing the Master. For fast storage purposes, though, they are comparable.

+1 to what /u/NotAFurry stated.

I have the 2070 max-q version with liquid metal (ordered way back in early September) and I love it. I also purchased an additional NVMe drive on my own, and it was cake to install.

It's this one https://camelcamelcamel.com/Intel-Internal-Solid-State-SSDPEKNW020T8X1/product/B07GCLLKDC, they occasionally drop in price. It's $184 for the 2TB on Amazon right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance

Good news I have to have an SAT connector and this has that and I know were 2 TB of storage rooms. If it matters my current computer where the hard drive with the stuff that was built by my brother and he says it has this SATA cable in it. Generally pretty strong computer I think it has 8 MB of RAM I’m not sure about anything Except that I have an Alexa that are use occasionally. We’re supposed to have a really high Internet speeds such as up to 1 TB download for second and upload to 30Mb per second I think

I think everything else is pretty good hand I think it has six or 8 MB of RAM a reasonably good graphics card edit used to have a 1 TB hard drive

Thanks for any help or suggestions. My budget is around $100

I really appreciate your guys generosity of knowledge

Seagate 2 TB solid-state hard drive SATA

they do have those hybrid drives that combine a small SSD with a HDD in a single drive. It gradually learns what needs to be loaded, so can approach ssd speeds at times.

But is that what you are really looking for? Those drives are not real popular, but I have a 2TB one that works with a 64gb SSD as a cache built in, that has worked for me in linux without me having to do anything.

Example:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HsSHDbQCK5DV7

Best gaming drive for the money. Pick the size.

Could someone please explain the price difference between the 2GB Firecuda ($65) vs the Samsung EVO ($278) ??

Will the Firecuda still be significantly faster than the original 1tb hdd in the ps4 pro?

Samsung

Firecuda

I just bought the 2TB firecuda on Amazon for that $60 price on Nov 25 here

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741 (US). Wherever you order from make sure it is the 2.5" version as they sell a 3.5" one too.

Can you put a 2.5 SSD in the HDD slot? Or is there a second NVMe?

was looking at this HDD: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H2F3741/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

|Component|Title|Price|
|:-|:-|:-|
|CPU|Ryzen 5 3400G + Vega 11 GPU|$149 (Amazon US)|
|GPU|XFX Radeon RX 570 RS XXX 8G|$159 (Amazon US)|
|RAM|(2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000|$74 (Amazon US)|
|Motherboard|Gigabyte B450M DS3H|$70 (Amazon US)|
|Storage|Crucial P1 500GB|$66 (Amazon US)|
|Storage 2|Empty Storage|$0 (Amazon US)|
|Power Supply|Corsair CX550M|$69 (Amazon US)|
|Case|Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L|$35 (Amazon US)|
|Monitor|Empty Monitor|$0 (Amazon US)|

Generated by BuildCores on August 18, 2019 11:48 PM

Amd coolers are pretty good compared to intel ones. The 2600 comes with one in the box

Also you could get a crucial NVMe ssd for only $59.99
Crucial P1 NVMe Is the same price as a MX500 2.5inch sata3 ssd.

The 1Tb version of this ssd is pretty cheap tho, however it isn’t available at the moment, I personally have it and I recommend it.

Looks fine to me, the chipset says AM4.

One suggestion though, do away with that SATA SSD you have picked out and get an NVME SSD instead.

This one's even cheaper than the SATA - https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=500gb+m.2+nvme&qid=1562710038&s=electronics&sr=1-4

Edit: Cheaper with prime that is

I would recommend getting 3200 MHz RAM instead of 3000 MHz since the fastest memory supported by that mobo is 3200 MHz. Not sure if you prefer a certain look or brand, but this G.Skill RAM will do the job, I use it in my PC, and it's $12 less: https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820231977

Also I would suggest getting this SSD instead: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J2WBKXF. It is less and it performs better.

CRUCIAL P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (CT500P1SSD8) https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_s47ZDbZ8NHCSR

For your SSD,you can go with this. If you don't have too much storage constraints/have an external HDD,you may even skip the 1 TB HDD and go straight for a 1 TB ssd.

Buy a Crucial P1, it's cheaper and has 500GB, 250GB is really not enough it for gaming unless you have Gbit internet and want to uninstall/download as you wish, but even then.... with games like cod that are up to 120GB... yeah...


https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=crucial+p1&qid=1572203616&s=electronics&sr=1-2


For 30$ more you can get 1TB: https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-1TB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2Q4SWZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=crucial+p1&qid=1572203616&s=electronics&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWTZOMFhTRkdJNFo4JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjcxMDQ1M1UyN1E0MU8xNzZXSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDM2NDAyMkszTFM3NDRWVDQ2SyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


And with a cheaper PSU/mobo you can get an RX 580/590 or maybe 1660ti. 570 for 185 is way too expensive anyway.

This PC here would honestly be a lot better, mainly due to higher capacity SSD and the noticeably better GPU) and at the same time cheaper:


[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Dxkgwh)

​

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox) | $117.68 @ Amazon

**Motherboard** | [ASRock Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Pq97YJ/asrock-fatal1ty-b450-gaming-k4-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-gaming-k4) | $84.99 @ Amazon

**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QDhKHx/corsair-vengeance-rgb-pro-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3200-memory-cmw16gx4m2c3200c16) | $84.99 @ Amazon

**Storage** | [Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pxKcCJ/crucial-p1-1tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct1000p1ssd8) | $95.99 @ Amazon

**Video Card** | [PowerColor Radeon RX 590 8 GB RED DRAGON Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KFzkcf/powercolor-radeon-rx-590-8-gb-red-dragon-video-card-axrx-590-8gbd5-dhd) | $189.99 @ Amazon

**Case** | [NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6Cyqqs/nzxt-h510-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-h510b-w1) | $69.98 @ Amazon

**Power Supply** | [Corsair CXM 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/R2mxFT/corsair-power-supply-cp9020103na) | $69.98 @ Amazon

**Wireless Network Adapter** | [Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCIe x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tTdqqs/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di) | $35.52 @ Amazon

| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |

| **Total** | **$749.12**

| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-10-27 15:21 EDT-0400 |

XPG GAMMIX 1TB NVME $185.99 NO TAX https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KZNTZYB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kZolDbSVCGEMN

This sub seems to really like the Silicon Power and Adata XPG drives.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BDLf7T

You're buying a case with a built in power supply, why purchase another?

A two PC setup is always ideal for streaming. IMO just go with the 3700x (assuming you're doing 1440p 144hz with the 5700xt), downgrade to 16gb ram, and get some cheaper SSDs. There's no way you should be paying almost $450 for those drives when you can get a 2tb Intel 660p for half the cost, or 2x 1tb EX920s for the same price. Then buy a capture card, toss it in your old PC, and enjoy a sweet 2 PC stream setup.

There, I saved you over $500 and got you better gaming/streaming performance.

I want to buy a 2TB M.2 SSD for my upcoming build and had an idea:

If I take the hard drive to a friend, we plug it in his PC and set it up properly (installing Windows, downloading some games, etc.), would I be able to just plug it into my build and it'd run? All answers appreciated :)

SSD: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/product/7MQG3C/intel-660p-series-2tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ssdpeknw020t8x1 or on [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Intel-660p-2-0TB-80mm-978351/dp/B07GCLLKDC/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=Intel+SSD+660P+Series+2TB&qid=1574192215&s=pc&sr=1-1)

Full build: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/qtNPV7

Why a 1TB and a 512 GB SSD? For $40 more you could get a 2TB SSD and then wouldn't have to put content on two different drives (plus have an extra 512 GB of space)

Also, check /r/buildapcsales for deals on the 5700. I've seen some for almost $100 cheaper than that one.

If all you are doing is gaming, I'd say just get the Intel 660p 2TB.

i bought a 512gb ssd for like $105(converted the currency). Prices went really low nowadays, they are not as expensive as they used to be. You can do it!

​

Edit: found this. 2tb ssd for $220. Its on sale. Fucking 1800m/s speed. I'm wet right now

No issues in my desktop for at least a month and was using this drive between desktop and Macbook without issues

Enclosure: Sabrent USB 3.1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K4TZQ7D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

drive: Intel 2tb nvme.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCLLKDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the heads up!

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R21JWC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Motherboard

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCLLKDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

SSD

Soooo by your reasoning am I okay...I bought the 2TB (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCLLKDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1) for my PC gaming needs and it's where I store & run ALL of my games from. Is this fine? I have the 1TB (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J2Q4SWZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as my OS drive as well. (have 2 M.2 slots on the Mobo)
By my understanding, I'm fine with running this right? Or will using it for gaming wear it out faster?

I’m right on money atm.. would this work also? https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=2.5+firecuda&qid=1563323273&s=gateway&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_4?crid=SZWCX4AGJO3E&keywords=seagate+firecuda+2.5%22+2tb+sshd&qid=1562717614&s=gateway&sprefix=seagate+fire%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-4

​

i've seen it as low as 80-85 around black friday...

This Firecuda is probably a good start. It's a dang good deal for a hybrid drive.

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=prime+day+ssd&qid=1563277640&s=gateway&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-5

Hey buddy, quick question before I pull the trigger. Since today is PrimeDay I noticed this hard drive for sale. Should I take advantage of this? Or just stick to the Crucial one. Not sure if this one would work out even thought it does show as a SATA 2.5inch drive.

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4.mlDb6PYEM4B

If you did want a laptop I would totally snag this or this. Both have enough hardware to play current AAA titles and will last for a few years for sure

If you do want to part out a PC to build Amazon might not be the most cost effective so check a bunch of different sites to make sure before pulling the trigger (including microcenter if there's one near you). Here's a decent start list though:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 $199.99

GPU: Zotac RTX 2070 $556.43

Mobo: Gigabyte x470 Aorus Ultra Gaming $124.90

RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengeance 3000mhz $69.99

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo m.2 nvme 500GB for OS/select programs $89.99

2TB Seagate Firecuda SSHDD for library storage, if necessary $59.99

PSU: EVGA 650W, 80 plus gold rated fully modular PSU $97.06

OS: [OEM Win10](https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Home-English-Language-Product/dp/B07TW6G6JP/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=windows+10&qid=1563210474&s=gateway&sr=8-7]. $72.00 Not need if you already have. Pretty sure you can get even cheaper OEM copies out there. Or y'know, other means. Or Linux, etc

Total: $1270.35 including the OEM Win10 which you may or may not need

Missing items: monitor, mouse, keyboard, case. Compared to the prebuilt at $1499.99 that leaves you $229.64 to get a case & any necessary peripherals, upgrade any items on the list, or just pocket the 'savings'

The ibuypower one linked doesn't appear to be that bad. But when reading the comments there are people who got the 8700k version for $1350 (currently $1433, one you linked "on sale" for 1499.99)...so pricing might be misleading. Also keep in mind SI's need to make a profit and usually skimp when it comes to things like cooling, storage and motherboards. I can't tell what mobo that has, but it shouldn't be much of an issue unless you want to overclock, probably not as good components and features as what I listed though. The cooling is actually pretty nice with the cpu watercooling at that price. But not sure on how it is for the other components (ie system case fans). The storage is a bit shit, with a smaller sata ssd and a smaller much slower mechanical hdd. The RAM isn't much better, going off amazon reviews it's basically no name ram at 2666mhz. Also they use a generic 600W psu and apparently the included mouse and keyboard stink. So gotta take the good with the bad but the one I price out looks like a much better option across the board and leaves you room to pick and choose certain upgrades n such

You can get this mechanical hdd with 2tb

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_418gDbWB4N85Q

This is the one I bought. Again, I dont notice much of a speed difference, so if you went with a normal HD to save some $ I think you’ll be fine

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_tZyiDbPD6E8YA

You can get a 2TB Seagate Firecuda 3.5" hard drive at 7200 rpm for less money. I think you have enough SSD/NVME that a hybrid drive is probably not really necessary.

The benchmarks indicate that the non-hybrid model is better. You can check the scores of the models. The non-hybrid model score versus the hybrid model.

Even if ultimately decide to go with the hybrid model, I think there is a cheaper version, the "newer" model listing on Amazon is $64.99 instead of $77.85.

Unfortunately, the word "gaming" in a product is now market speak for gouging.

Firecuda=hybrid, yes... Barracuda and Barracuca pro are just regular mechanical drives, except the pros are 7200RPM, and the non-pro are 5400RPM. the pros have MASSIVE caches, though. Mine's got 128MB of cache.

Here's the thing about the firecuda though...and this is the deal-breaker for me. The actual spindle speed is only 5400RPM.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=psdc_1254762011_t1_B01M1NHCZT

​

It appears that it has 128MB of cache as well....it's almost like it's a stock Barracuda, with some funky memory-handling written into the firmware, because it doesn't say anything about a separate flash module...usually, when you're reading all this marketing wank, they LOVE to throw out numbers, and jargon that sound smart, but that the average consumer knows fuck-all about what it means.... So, since they're not bragging about "an additional 2GB of super fast flash memory", or somesuch bullshit, i can only assume that the 128MB IS the enhanced SSD part, and that the firmware's doing something different with it, than a standard drive.

It honestly looks to me like a jumped up Barracuda, and i ain't feelin' it..

ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming AMD Ryzen 2 AM4 DDR4 DP HDMI M.2 ATX Motherboard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C4PH429/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iIG2CbFN5B8CW

AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Processor with Wraith Spire LED Cooler - YD2700BBAFBOX https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B41717Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KIG2CbGDBQDRK

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition, ZT-P10800A-10P, 8GB GDDR5X Dual-link DVI-I Display Port, HDMI Gaming Graphics Card (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q1NK2XB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZJG2CbHWAMY1V

G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Desktop Memory F4-3000C16D-32GTZR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQP3XQB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DHG2CbKFTG7Q9

EVGA 650 N1, 650W, 2 Year Warranty, Power Supply 100-N1-0650-L1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYRXRDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nJG2CbB9R1Q8G

SanDisk SSD PLUS 1TB Internal SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5"/7mm - SDSSDA-1T00-G26 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D998212/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kKG2CbGXWABDF

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD – 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LXZ01) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KKG2CbCSESB2X

I personally like hybrid drives

Here’s a link to a 2tb FireCuda SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive):

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1M97IMP4G3N6T&keywords=firecuda&qid=1557243317&s=gateway&sprefix=Firec%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

They’re between 40 and 50% as fast as SSD’s but more than twice as fast as hard drives and have the storage you’d get on a hard drive at a very reasonable price.

IMO a 500gb SSD is ideal along with one of those 2tb SSHD’s

Would you recommend any of these hybrid styles? https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=gaming+storage+hdd&qid=1556916962&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Looking at these two:

Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD

Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD

Do you think the extra speed of the SSD version would be worth it given that I'll be using the laptop primarily for video editing? Or since they're the same price might I just as well get the extra 2tb HDD version?

you can get a nice median with an SSHD


https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=2tb+hybrid+drive&qid=1570899512&sr=8-3

Seagate FireCuda Gaming (Compute) 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LcrODbYXQDCXM

would this work?

Seagate FireCuda Gaming (Compute) 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HsU2DbZG6863S

As upgrading the drive is a specifically accessible item, it's not particularly a mod, and many, many owners have done it - you'll probably get more responses and opinions in /r/PS4

That said, any reputable brand SSD will work just fine. Someone mentioned the Samsun Evo, which is great but not the cheapest option. I've had those, as well as Sandisk SSD Plus in various consoles, and currently have a 2TB ADATA SU800 in my Pro which has been working for months with no issues.

If you really are just after capacity, consider an SSHD

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=twister_B07H6YSC91?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Is this the one you got? I noticed that the 2tb version is going cheaper on a sale then a 1tb right now like $7.99 Cheaper

2tb ssd price are 200 USD++ but you can buy Sata sshd (hybrid ssd+hdd) 2tb under 100 usd

Seagate FireCuda Gaming (Compute) 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD – 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001)

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741

$59.99

Thanks, i just ordered this one

Seagate FireCuda Gaming (Compute) 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD - 2.5 Inch SATA 6GB/s Flash Accelerated for Gaming PC Laptop - Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000LX001) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Aiu4DbQJTNW7H

I was afraid it wouldn't fit in the slot but found a review that any 2.5 inch one would fit.

yeah, even 4 & 2tb SSD are pricey. The best performance HDD I could find would be the SeaGate SSHD FireCuda, but they max out at 2TB:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FireCuda-Gaming-Accelerated-Performance/dp/B07H2F3741/

Hey Reddit community! We have got some upcoming deals on Seagate computer storage and wanted to share them with you. Listed are the retailer, link, product name and capacity, and the deal price:

Available Thursday, Nov 28 - Monday, Dec 2

(Amazon) - 2TB FireCuda SSHD - $59.99

(NewEgg) - 1TB FireCuda 510 NVMe SSD - $169.99

(Amazon) - 6TB IronWolf HDD for NAS - $134.99

(GameStop) - 2TB Game Drive for Xbox- $64.99

(GameStop) - 2TB Gears 5 Special Edition Game Drive for Xbox - $79.99

(GameStop) - 4TB Game Drive for Xbox - $99.99


(GameStop) - 2TB Game Drive for PS4 - $64.99

(Amazon) - 8TB IronWolf HDD for NAS - $189.99

Available Friday, Nov 29 - Monday, Dec 2

(Best Buy) - 8TB Game Drive Hub for Xbox - $139.99

(Best Buy) - 2TB Game Drive for Xbox - $64.99

Available Sunday,, Dec 1 - Monday, Dec 2

(Best Buy) - 2TB Game Drive for PS4 - $64.99

Good luck with your holiday deal hunting, everyone!

---
Seagate Technology | Official Forums Team

Okay sounds good I will do just that. Do you reckon this to be a good deal? (the prices are in CAD) https://www.amazon.ca/Seagate-FireCuda-Hybrid-Performance-Accelerated/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=sr_1_30?keywords=ssd&qid=1574109137&sr=8-30

I learned that a hybrid drive is better and still faster than stock drive. The PS4 regular wont properly take advantage of the SSD's speeds. Check out this hybrid.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3741/ref=psdc_1254762011_t3_B07H2RR55Q

OK merci donc NVMe si j'ai bien compris.

C'est celui là

https://www.amazon.fr/Crucial-CT500P1SSD8-Interne-500Go-NAND/dp/B07J2WBKXF/

et pas celui là

https://www.amazon.fr/Crucial-CT500MX500SSD4-Interne-MX500-500Go/dp/B077SQ8J1V/

?

Merci encore :)

Get this m.2 SSD (alot faster and even cheaper): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J2WBKXF/?tag=pcp0f-21

The airflow on that case isn't great, did you consider the NZXT H500/H510 it might even be cheaper and comes with 2 fans..

CPU: Ryzen 5 3600

• Price (USD): $197
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07STGGQ18/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=d16c445060bcd23cf05e5068c4389d42&language=en_US
  
  
  GPU: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT Pulse
  
  
• Price (USD): $419
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-Triple-Backplate-Graphics/dp/B07WC7683C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X8234KSNZCTP5XBC2QSZ&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=855986297ec4b33e2ae3bbd43798b3dc&language=en_US
  
  
  Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk
  
  
• Price (USD): $114
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Crossfire-Motherboard-B450-Tomahawk/dp/B07F7W5KJS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ref_=Oct_BSellerC_1048424_1&pf_rd_p=5346f542-acf9-55ea-9653-814f56b392c6&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=1048424&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=NW0EXEJ3DQ2W0GHBD57K&pf_rd_r=NW0EXEJ3DQ2W0GHBD57K&pf_rd_p=5346f542-acf9-55ea-9653-814f56b392c6&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=ae8e62c377988d3accac2dca5107c939&language=en_US
  
  
  RAM: (2x8GB) G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200
  
  
• Price (USD): $79
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-Ripjaws-PC4-25600-3200MHz-F4-3200C16D-16GVKB/dp/B015FXXBW0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1545862960&sr=8-1&keywords=ripjaws+v+3200&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=b212824a430e249d7c38cbfa3b709349&language=en_US
  
  
  Storage: Crucial P1 500GB
  
  
• Price (USD): $66
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=13BKK38F5BDSS9HDC9K1&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=8f0d7b927ca084b86d63ff8ad10986d8&language=en_US
  
  
  Power Supply: Corsair CX550M
  
  
• Price (USD): $69
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Bronze-Certified-Modular-CP-9020102-NA/dp/B01B72W0A2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1545862596&sr=8-1&keywords=cx550m&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=40504d757c38689e18c29b635d39bb47&language=en_US
  
  
  Case: Fractal Design Meshify C
  
  
• Price (USD): $89
  
  
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Design-Meshify-TG-Lt/dp/B07B3JDBM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1547589294&sr=1-1&keywords=meshify+c&linkCode=ll1&tag=buildcoresx-20&linkId=c3c6c2170f06627284e49278ef87c122&language=en_US
  
  
  CPU Cooler: Empty CPU Cooler
  
  
• Price (USD): $0
  
  
• Amazon Link: null
  
  
  Monitor: Empty Monitor
  
  
• Price (USD): $0
  
  
• Amazon Link: null
  
  
  Generated by BuildCores on 2019-08-18
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You could change 1000$ build to this one. You can also change mobo to other one.

Yeah is very easy to find good NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 at better prices than SATA (60$), like THIS one or THIS, or even the CRUCIAL P1 (wish i think is worse than the other two, but is a better known brand).

Thanks for the replies.

You'll want any m.2 SSD and any 260pin SODIMM ram stick.

Two example SSD's include the Crucial P1 and 970 EVO. An example ram stick is the Crucial 8GB.

If I was a betting man, the m.2 under the heatsink requires it to be nmve with the “m key” on the connector.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF

For $60

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=512gb+nvme+ssd&qid=1564282884&s=gateway&sr=8-4

This is what I would get for $70:

https://www.amazon.com/XPG-GAMMIX-512GB-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-512GT-C/dp/B07KZXJTLN/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=512gb+ssd+nvme&qid=1564282947&s=electronics&sr=1-17

Really? Because it literally has the same model number https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF

1x Synology 5 Bay NAS DiskStation DS1019+ (Diskless) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NF9XDWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PENFDb752SYT1

4x SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND 2TB Internal SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5"/7mm, Up to 560 MB/s - SDSSDH3-2T00-G25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071KGS72Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TFNFDbG45J0F4


2x Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD - CT500P1SSD8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wGNFDb7D37E0X

You can leave the lat bay open or put a 5th SSD in. You can probably also use synologies dynamic load balancing and plug one port into each of your two switches.

Maybe something like this ?

I would probably pick up this and install a 1050ti and a m.2 ssd like this one if you feel comfortable with a screwdriver enough to pop a few things in yourself.

I was thinking the crucial p1 for 115 or the xpg 6000 for 109 or xpg8200 for 139

https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550479386&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=p1+1tb&dpPl=1&dpID=41X-tg8s2ZL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-SX8200-Gen3x4-3000MB-ASX8200PNP-512GT-C/dp/B07K1HMMJC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550479423&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=xpg+sx8200+pro&dpPl=1&dpID=41Zqu2ASpbL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-SX6000-Gen3x4-1500MB-ASX6000PNP-512GT-C/dp/B07H5355JF/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1550479453&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=xpg+sx6000&dpPl=1&dpID=41WwzClBYZL&ref=plSrch

I removed the windows license,
I just want to make sure i have all the right parts on amazon. Are these correct?

Silverstone Tek Strider Gold S Series 750W ATX12V/EPS12V 80 Plus Gold Full Modular PSU Power Supply ST75F-GS https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00FZHCPR4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_vepACb6HP157N

Corsair Carbide Series 100R Mid Tower Case https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00RORBQNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NepACbWJSC402

MSI VGA Graphic Cards RX 580 Armor 8G OC https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XZQMMHJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gfpACbD5MGTAR

Seagate 2TB Barracuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive (ST2000DM006) https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01IEKG402/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GfpACb1FQ85K1

Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD - CT500P1SSD8 https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0fpACbX5SXH9S

G.Skill 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series DDR4 PC4-24000 3000MHz Intel Z170 Platform Desktop Memory F4-3000C15D-16GVS https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B017WSWG6I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_igpACbJTKG3RX

MSI Arsenal Gaming AMD Ryzen 1st and 2nd Gen AM4 M.2 USB 3 DDR4 DVI HDMI Crossfire ATX Motherboard (B450 Tomahawk) https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07F7W5KJS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CgpACb7S300C2

AMD YD2600BBAFBOX Processeur RYZEN5 2600 Socket AM4 3.9Ghz Max Boost, 3,4Ghz Base+19MB https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07B41WS48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZgpACb8ZMV762

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J2WBKXF/?tag=pcpapi-20

​

2.5x faster

This any good?
Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD - CT500P1SSD8 https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_w2--BbR1P1SZ2

Will my PC fully support an NVMe SSD, such as these:

• Crucial
  
• Sabrent
  
• Samsung
  
  My PC is this Lenovo IdeaCentre 710

$70 is quite a low price point for M.2 SSDs. A lot of SATA M.2 drives are more expensive than their 2.5" counterparts. I can still recommend you some though.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-500GB-SSD-WDS500G2B0B/dp/B073SBX6TY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=western+digital+blue+ssd+m.2&qid=1575112670&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=western+digital+blue+ssd+m.2&qid=1575112773&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFVQ0pMOFBQS1hBVDEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1NzUxNzYyN0IwVE43Skk4MFNHJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNzQ1NTYyOE82VlZNVThTQjNGJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=western+digital+blue+ssd+m.2&qid=1575112773&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFVQ0pMOFBQS1hBVDEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1NzUxNzYyN0IwVE43Skk4MFNHJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNzQ1NTYyOE82VlZNVThTQjNGJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I have never used such a drive or fitted one, not sure how! Curious how the P1 https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF/ref=sr_1_2 would compare with the MX500 https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-SATA-Internal/dp/B077SF8KMG/ref=sr_1_15

Just wanted to point out that the Crucial P1 and Intel 660p are now priced competitively with standard SSDs. Kinda pointless still but why not at that price right?

MX500 for $69.95 on Amazon

P1 for $69.99 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF Might I recommend this one. They also have a 1TB model for 105 bucks. I recently put the 1TB model in my build and it's lightning fast, almost twice as fast as my other SSD and it performs really well so far.

The 500 GB Crucial P1 is apparently not as fast as the EX920 so if speed is king the EX920 is worth the price.

Csn someone help me, how does this stack up with this 70 dollar one on Amazon?

Any comment on this speed? https://www.amazon.ca/Crucial-500GB-NAND-NVMe-PCIe/dp/B07J2WBKXF It's suppose to be roughly 900MB/s read and advertised as 2000 MB/s

Price History

Perhaps the XPG Gammix S11 Pro? I recently got the 512gb model but I'm waiting on the rest of my parts for my build so I haven't tested it yet

I picked this up yesterday... XPG GAMMIX 1TB S11 Pro - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZNTZYB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_i5-IDbN2R26G3

Should this be my boot and the one listed in this thread be storage? It's a machine for editing video and audio only. Sorry, probably a dumb question.

So just from looking, it appears to just be a sticker, not a heat shield. I know that the Samsung M.2s don't usually have a preinstalled heat shield.

If you look at this one (the one I have), the flashy, red/black plastic piece is a "Heat shield" with a thermal strip in between the board and the shield. That plastic piece is a couple millimeters on top of the rest of the board.


If you're worried you can honestly just try it. I tried to put the motherboard cover over it and it made the M.2 flex just a little bit so I took it off. No damage done. So if you can get it on without bending the M.2, go for it. It's not much of a risk as long as you don't force anything.

Maybe this is a stupid question but is this an SSD I can use?

https://www.amazon.com/XPG-GAMMIX-NAND-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C/dp/B07KZNTZYB?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_7779323011&th=1

https://www.amazon.ca/XPG-GAMMIX-NAND-Gen3x4-AGAMMIXS11P-1TT-C/dp/B07KZNTZYB/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=xpg+s11+pro&qid=1571407512&sr=8-2

​

This should be a better drive for $20 more, also no tax.

Here is a slightly cheaper Sandisk with twice the capacity, the X300 is their "premium" branding, so it runs a little bit faster but costs almost double, just for consideration! (I currently have the 1tb version of this drive in my PC!)

M.2 and Sata are essentially physical connections that can be used for connecting from the motherboard to something. The something is typical a storage device (SSD's). This is a pretty in depth video explaining the differences between the types of connections, but is a bit lengthy. What makes M.2 special is size and speed. M.2 drives are less than half as large as their equivalent Sata3 drives, but at the same capacity. The downside to this is that most motherboards will only have 1 or 2 M.2 slots to connect to. The speed part comes in to play with NVMe drives only. NVMe is just a fancy word that means it uses PCI lanes for data transfer. Drives that use this are much faster, and typically more expensive but have the same physical connection. Also, motherboards will typically only support standard M.2 or NVMe, not both. The motherboard you have selected has the NVMe offering, so to use an M.2 drive you would need to make sure it says NVMe or "pci-express" somewhere on its description. Non NVMe drives use the Sata 3 speeds, but still get the benefit of small size, and Sata 3 is the term that will describe pretty much any 2.5in SSD as its the physical connection they use as well as the protocol for reading data!

Excellent, thank you. I'm looking at a 480gb one, which brands are the best, or should I say recommended?

How's this one?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=391RM9DMKV7L8&coliid=I1DV7TD1FX6LQX&psc=1

You should go full SSD.

You can get 480gb for quite a reasonable price. (125 USD)

this

I'd say it is worth it. Unless you really need more space

Unfortunately, It is not possible to upgrade the CPU unless you are an expert engineer. Ram and SSD are fairly easy upgrades, and you can buy an great 525gb crucial SSD and 16gb of ram as a bundle for $200 (here) or the sad itself for $100 (here) plus 8gb of memory for $40 (here) for a total cost of $140. I would greatly recommend going with one of these options, as it would greatly speed up your old Mac. Have fun with your new toy!

Any recommendations for a good SSD with ~500gb? Been looking at this SanDisk or this Samsung. Don't know if any particular brand would be a better choice.

Firstly most if not all laptops can only fit in 1 ssd. I would recommend the SanDisk Ultra II as it has very high read/write speeds. but being that you didnt list your price point or budget it may not be affordable. Lastly keep in mind that ssd's tend to perform faster in the 500gb and higher range. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-2-5-Inch-Height-SDSSDHII-480G-G25/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451827614&sr=8-2&keywords=sandisk+ultra+ii

I'm using if for a number of things, probably should've listed this in the original post. I only play one game, league of legends, and that doesn't take up much space. I used to be a digital artist, so I do some photoshop and illustrator design work for friends on occasion, but that's not really a priority. I am also in school, but I just use google docs for most stuff, so I won't have many other files or programs on the computer.

Almost all of the space on my current computer is taken up by movies and tv shows I've torrented, but I have no reason to keep any of it, I just haven't needed to delete anything yet so I haven't.

I guess I'll see how far I can negotiate the price down on #3 to decide if its worth it. If I don't decide to do that, though, I'll definitely take your advice on the i5 and 2 sticks of 4gb. Would that be more expensive? Also, what if I did a 500gb ssd? Do you know about how much more that would cost?

Thanks!

edit: looks like it'll cost about an extra $70 to jump up to an i5, not sure if it's worth it but I'll still consider it. It's only an extra $50 for the 480gb ssd so I might do that (although at that point I guess I could just get the 240gb ssd and the 1tb hard drive, thoughts?). The 2x4gb ram I'll definitely do though.

Just look for a used ninja 2 there’s probably a ton out there since people are going to 4K. Or you could buy a new 4K capable ninja flame and just record in 1080.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/ATOMOS-NINJA-2-recorder-monitor-for-HDMI-cameras-DSLRs-with-2-SSDs-2-batts/112887030726?epid=1826234779&hash=item1a489763c6:g:ywoAAOSwoupatHFQ&_trkparms=gclientid%3DWa7RMFJvx7BwroDKZdq3s7dlc8EvZfxTEY0aMA5WX_AF_jcjZxgYLW7vdZi8R8qb&_trksid=p2489528.m4335.l8656

6300 should be fine
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1242001-REG/sony_alpha_a6300_mirrorless_digital.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1380867-REG/sony_fe_70_300mm_f_4_5_5_6_g.html

I think you’ll be about 3k all in

There may be a good 1080 camcorder option for you, I’m just not familiar with the zoom reach of one in your price range. This will give you all the reach you’d need I think.

Make sure you get
-mount to connect monitor
Neewer Black 1/4" Screw Mount Swivel Mini Ball Head Camera Mount with Lock and Hot Shoe Adapter for DSLR Camera,LED Video Light,Microphone,Video Monitor and Ring Flash Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018LQGNK0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-vCUAbCWRAV9F

Ssd
SanDisk Ultra II 480GB SATA III 2.5-Inch 7mm Height Solid State Drive (SSD) with Read Up To 550MB/s- SDSSDHII-480G-G25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fxCUAb2N5HK8R

Power
AC-PW20 AC Power Adapter Supply PW20 DC Coupler Gonine (NP-FW50 Battery Replacement) for SONY Alpha NEX-5 NEX-5A NEX-5C NEX-5CA NEX-5CD NEX-5H NEX-5K NEX-3 A6000 A6300 A6500 A3000 A5000 A7. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D67LTIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rzCUAbEGAQJF4


UCEC 11.81"/30cm Coiled Micro HDMI to Full Size HDMI Cable for Atomos for Ninja Star Recorder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019BVLTVW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cCCUAb66K4CH2

I'd be looking at either a Samsung 850 EVO, a Sandisk Ultra II or an Intel 535. They're all reliable drives that'll give you decent speeds.

SanDisk Ultra II. Good read speeds, good write speeds, great price/performance.

Do you know how important data transfer speed is over read/write? Is it even important.

One claiming 6gbs

https://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-OCZ-Trion-Internal-TRN150-25SAT3-480G/dp/B01B4NUKME/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1502613404&sr=1-4&keywords=500gb%2Bssd&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A14027459011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_five_browse-bin%3A7688215011&th=1

600mbs but higher write speeds. (20mbs)

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS1311-480GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B019H3B6SU/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1502613404&sr=1-3&keywords=500gb+ssd&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A14027459011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_five_browse-bin%3A7688215011

Doesn't say but apparently on sale.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-2-5-Inch-Height-SDSSDHII-480G-G25/dp/B00M8ABFX6/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1502613404&sr=1-2&keywords=500gb+ssd&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A14027459011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_five_browse-bin%3A7688215011

I was going to rebuild my pc, but I decided to test the ssd improvement while the ssd was going to get formatted anyway, bought a usb3 disk caddy from amazon for less than £10 (but I did make sure to choose one that said it was designed for SSDs).


Popped the SSD in the caddy, attached it to my Xbox one S, let the xbox format the drive and move the D2 install to the SSD, took maybe 2 hours in total.

I wish I'd actually timed the menu before the SSD but I can say for sure that without the SSD, I really noticed the time it would take if I wanted to switch a weapon, opening the menu, waiting for the pictures to populate, waiting for the little animation after selecting the new weapon. Crucible matches particularly when I'd try to swap my gear as soon as I died, I'd always respawn a good couple of seconds before I managed to switch my guns round.

to cut a long story short, I havent noticed the load times for the menu since I tried the SSD, the PC did not get rebuilt (yet!), SSD now belongs to xbox, would rather have the performance gain there than on the pc.

this is the ssd I used and this is the caddy

camel camel camel

I went nuclear and ordered a full fledged SSD (480 gigs), partially because I plan to build a gaming pc sometime in the future and justified the cost by saying I'll use it with my pc. Here's the one I got-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M8ABFX6/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here's the enclosure-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JQTO8TU/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's what I'd got and it's worked good, but the part 2 to all this is that you can get a SSHD for cheaper and it's likely to work just as well. That's what my good friend did and he tells me he has 0 pop in issues now. Someone in the r/xboxone subreddit did some SSD vs SSHD tests and found the differences minimal, so the SSHD is what I've been recommending to others. Here's the one he bought-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IEKG484/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522166973&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Seagate%2Bfirecuda%2Bsshd&dpPl=1&dpID=51Q5JsfaKQL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

So, less money for more storage and basically the same performance. He doesn't know what enclosure he got, he got whatever generic one the store had for cheap.

Edit- just because some people have had some confusion about it, these aren't dedicated "external hard drives." They are real hard drives that are turned into external hard drives with the use of the enclosures (saves you money, with the added bonus that they can also be used in your pc should you ever need it). Here's a video that goes over it a bit more.

https://youtu.be/SHmI414ExRs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518263533&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+evo+850&dpID=41LDHJHtOnL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Thanks for the reply.

Might be a really stupid question but looking at the (german) amazon page of the Samsung Evo 850. https://www.amazon.de/Samsung-MZ-75E500B-EU-interne-schwarz/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1469454214&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+850+evo

Is that a laptop/notebook ssd? Is there even a difference between a notebook or desktop ssd?

My motherboard is a asus p7h55-m pro

I'm considering getting a ssd too for a 100$ do you think that would add some good life to it?

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E500B-EU/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_147_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6XRNY3R8AFT0RG2NV1SA

this is the one I'm looking at

Really nice deal but it could use an SSD. Amazon have an upcoming deal in the UK for EVO 850 500GB. Waiting to see what the price will be.

Yes it has an unused 2.5" SATA port where you can easily add in another SSD like this[Samsung 850 EVO] (https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E500B-EU/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1511485760&sr=1-3&keywords=samsung+850+evo+500gb&linkCode=ll1&tag=edgetech18-20&linkId=ba5f9f7c2361c35ec30bdc2a2ee9e249)

Looks like there is room for 1 additional stick of ram, you can get something like this to double the amount available: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-PC3L-12800-SODIMM-204-Pin-CT102464BF160B/dp/B006YG8X9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511889953&sr=8-1&keywords=ddr3l1600+sdram

Though, what you could do is opening up the task manager when you have Spotify and LR/PS open and see how much RAM you have left. This will tell you if RAM is indeed a problem (I suspect it is, as LR/PS uses a lot of RAM).

Another contributor to the issue would be the 1TB HDD. Usually laptop hard drives are spin slower and thus the lower read/write speeds. When your laptop runs out of memory, Windows will attempt to use your hard drive as memory swap, since the hard drive is slow as well then you are waiting a long time and Spotify would stutter due to lack of memory and slow read/write.

So here's what you could do:

1. Add an additional 8GB of RAM.
   
   
2. Purchase a SSD, something like (I'm not familiar with UK prices, may want to shop around):https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=twister_B013ZJ4EWC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
   
   
3. If you do get the SSD, what do you do with the 1TB that you had before? Two options: external enclosure, so you can use it as a portable, or get rid of your DVD drive and buy an adapter to put your 1TB drive where your DVD drive used to be.
   
   With the suggestions above, you'll end up spending probably close to your $300 limit, but no new laptop :(. I did have a look on Amazon and the closest laptop that's got 16GBs of RAM and 512GB SSD is selling for about $800, though it does have better graphics card and CPU. Though refurbished laptops are selling for $450 to $700, maybe you can consider those, but be wary of the warranty.

Yes, the Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB 2.5 inch Solid State Drive and also a HDD.

It crashes with the HDD disconnected also.

https://www.amazon.de/Samsung-MZ-75E500B-EU-interne-schwarz/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466539394&sr=8-1&keywords=Samsung+850

Yh it would be pushing it.

I get you about stuttering in SLI, but it seems worse for some reason with the 10 series.

Maybe its because I'm so impressed with the jump in performance with these cards, I just expected better and the fact that Nvidia released their own high bandwidth SLI bridge, made me think they'd invested a lot of time in research and it would be stable. (Within reason)

Anyways, what do you think about going for M.2 over a standard SSD, it should be faster and its similarly priced.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=pd_lpo_147_bs_t_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=994A5YD66EJ7PFKCV6A9&th=1 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-500GB-850-EVO-M-2/dp/B00TGIW1XG

I would be wary of buying second-hand products from cex. Especially headsets as they claim to test all products thoroughly, but I have a few friends that have worked there and they cut corners and half the time things don't even get tested properly or at all. You also have the hygiene factor to take into consideration when buying a headset.

The prices are not that great either, when you can get the same ssd from scan for £6 more brand new or £6 less from aria, £1 less at amazon uk;


https://www.scan.co.uk/products/500gb-samsung-850-evo-25-ssd-sata-iii-6gb-s-mgx-3d-v-nand-512mb-cache-read-540mb-s-write-520mb-s-98k?v=c


https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Storage/SSDs/300GB+-+1TB+SSD/500GB+Samsung+850+EVO+Solid+State+Drive+%2F+SSD?productId=62666&utm_source=pricespy&utm_medium=referral


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4

I have this and want to go for another one.

i personally use this sata 850 evo and this hdd which is very good and very cheap, amazing combo imo.

Yes, that will work. Note that the Samsung "Pro" models cost a little more, and the benefits are probably not going to be apparent. They can handle more reads/writes before wearing out. Unless you're running a server from your laptop, the normal model will last 10-30 years with daily use.

Link to normal model:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4

You may also want to buy a SATA adapter, per this article:
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/ssd-upgrade-tutorial

SATA adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84

Definitely. Here's a comparison.
The better looking SATA version of the 850 EVO 500GB is available for only $6 more than the mSATA variant, btw. New 850 EVOs come with a 5 year/75-300TBW warranty, too!

I've an 850 Evo 500gb and it's been great so far. I have Windows, my main programs and games on there. However with big games now reaching 50gb+ I'll need another soon.

I got mine from Amazon for around £145 - this SSD is listed twice on Amazon, at slightly different prices, I don't know if one is a retail version or how they've done it, but it's the same SSD, just a little cheaper.

ETA: Here it is. Temp out of stock. It shows £169.58 here, I paid £138.73 in early December. Worth keeping an eye out for.

ETA 2: The regular listing is a tenner off, at £144.27 - still a good buy IMO.

I got macbook 2012 GT 650m i7 cpu. This is what made that shit work for me:
720P Resolution, everything else on Low/off with multi processing (Whatever its called) Disabled.

Launch Options: -novid -nod3d9ex +rate 128000 +fps_max 91 -threads 4

And finally this seems to do the trick for me: Verify game integrity.

I should say I've upgraded my hard drive to SSD and that made a big improvement in my performance in everything. Highly recommend you do the same.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449658157&sr=8-3&keywords=ssd

Also Upgraded Ram to 8GB from 4GB.

Edit: I should say my FPS isn't perfect, it was before update but not anymore. Still though it is usually around 60-80 with occasional dips to 40 fps but very playable none the less.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-Ryzen-1600-Desktop-CPU/dp/B06XNRQHG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506648205&sr=8-1&keywords=Ryzen+cpu

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-inch-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1506648263&sr=1-1&keywords=ssd&th=1

Would be a lot better options I presume?

HUMAN BRAIN UPGRADE

THIS HUMAN BRAIN WILL PROVIDE OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE FOR CURRENCY EXPENDITURE; OR THE MORE EXPENSIVE 850 PRO WILL PROVIDE SLIGHTLY SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. THESE ARE HIGH QUALITY UNITS OF HARDWARE.

that's the problem for consoles because it's 100% the SSD not being fully utilized. The ps4 will only use SATA 2 ports that's why i went with this one i bought a couple years back on an Amazon Sale. Theres no m.2 slot on the ps4 but even with some sort of adapter it's full speeds wont be usable and i doubt there'd be space for an adapter too.

Samsung 960 EVO : https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01M20VBU7/ref=asc_df_B01M20VBU752255540/?tag=googshopfr-21&creative=22686&creativeASIN=B01M20VBU7&linkCode=df0&hvdev=c&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=

Samsung 850 EVO : https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00P73B1E4/ref=asc_df_B00P73B1E452255540/?tag=googshopfr-21&creative=22686&creativeASIN=B00P73B1E4&linkCode=df0&hvdev=c&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=

It is actually 50€ more, the price that I saw was 221$

Haven't specified yet but it is for gaming.

Will there be a noticeable speed increase in boot times and general applications going from an SSD to an M.2 NVME?

I've just bought a Samsung 850 EVO 500Gb SSD

I'll check their website now to see if they have some cloning software as if they do, it will be the most reputable software to use.

EDIT: Thanks u/ToxiCKY They have Data Migration Software

Changed the cooler. New one uses less power, runs quiter and has adjustable fan speed. Put everything except the case in via Amazon. MUCH easier when you get it all in one delivery. Also you will need some Thermal Paste

The PSU will be fine for your question below.

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | £177.91 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer C + LNC 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | £49.99 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £89.58 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury White 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | £63.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £115.90 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £54.00 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card | £544.98 @ Amazon UK
Case | NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | £88.98 @ Aria PC
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | £90.11 @ Amazon UK
Monitor | Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor | £530.88 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1806.32

For a few more hours you can get a 850 EVO 500GB for the equivalent of £100 on amazon italy:
http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00P73B1E4?/&tag=hotukdeals0a-21
Drop your RAM to 8GB and get this instead. 120GB will feel too small.

That's for the Euro. Which hasn't lost value as much the pound has. 850 Evo on Amazon UK See how the price has been rising since the end of June (Brexit), well before the holidays. Your point is still valid, I would say it's a bit of both.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25-Version/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1469212384&sr=1-7&keywords=SSD

This is one example. There are a lot of 240 GB SSD deals in the $50-$70 space - and some 120 GB deals as low as $30 if you're willing to look. Hell, on Prime Day there were 1 TB SSD'd going for <$90.

You can install a SSD alongside your current HDD, then use the SSD for things which you'd like higher performance in; games, large programs etc.

Something like this or this is quite affordable and will give many times the performance of any hdd you could buy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016JREGAC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hALmxbTXAEZ48

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kzLmxbDW9NM9H

Here's an updated list, taking into account the advices so far:

• case: Enermax Skalene (don't care about the case itself, just looked for something not too bulky, not too expensive, sold/shipped by amazon france)
  
• motherboard:
  AsRock H170M PRO4 motherboard Intel Micro ATX H170 Socket LGA1151
  
  
• psu: EVGA 210-GQ-0650-V2 PC 650 W
  
• ram: Corsair CMK16GX4M2A240​0C14 Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2400Mhz CL14
  
• graphics: MSI GTX970 Gaming 4G Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 1114 MHz 4096 Mo PCI-Express
  
• ssd: sandisk plus 240Gb 2.5" SDSSDA-240G-G25

This one if you want 240GB.

However, I recommend going slightly over your budget and double the storage with this one.

I have this in my PC. I'll be upgrading to a high end M.2 drive in the next few months but this does the job well in the meantime. Zero complaints.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25-Version/dp/B00S9Q9VS4

Personally, I really don't like 128GB SSDs. These tend to be significantly slower than 240GB+ models and wear out much faster as the controllers and components are cheap. Keep your old HDD for storage, but put windows and games on the new SSD.

---

£55.99 SSD:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/?tag=pcp0f-21

£69.78 DDR3:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0079TBJ5U/?tag=pcp0f-21

£66.93 Motherboard:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TOBQQTK/?tag=pcp0f-21

---

Similar parts used are much cheaper. I have no issues with buying used System Ram myself. SSDs and Mobos I tend to buy new though...

The RAM and hard drive upgrade are Good To Go.

I would advise again OCZ Trion SSDs... They have had A LOT of failures in the past.

I would recommend Sandisk instead, perhaps a more reputable company with better customer support. http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-inch-Internal/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458675865&sr=8-1&keywords=sandisk+ssd

BX200 isn't really a good SSD:
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/41ao8y/stop_recommending_the_crucial_bx200/

OP if you are going to buy new, you should go for the SanDisk SSD Plus 240gb (£54): http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-inch-Internal/dp/B00S9Q9VS4

Or just spend extra (~£65) and get the best SSD which is the Samsung 850 EVO 256gb.

AFAIK any current 2.5" SSD should work. And unlike /u/PineappleBoss 's suggestion, you don't need a Samsung SSD, especially not when you are trying to upgrade an old machine. If you want affordable, I think this is the model I am using (the 120GB model, I got it for $40):

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Plus-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4

wow thank you so much!
this is exactly what i was looking for.
This is the ssd that's in my mac: https://www.amazon.ca/SanDisk-Internal-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4
This is the laptop i'm thinking of buying: http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-e-series/ThinkPad-E570/p/22TP2TEE570
Is there a way to confirm before buying that the ssd is compatible?

This Sandisk SSD has been dirt cheap for a couple months, so if you're looking for maximum bang for your buck, I'd recommend it.
If you're looking for something a little better performance-wise (performance being read/write speeds), a Samsung is great, but more expensive. As /u/royal_rocker said, the Samsung 850 EVO is extremely popular. It should give better performance than the Sandisk and is only ~$12 more.
If you wanna go really crazy, a PCIe SSD should provide a massive performance boost over a SATA one. The one /u/Nilick listed, the Samsung 950 Pro, will cost you over twice as much for even just the 256 GB version, but (going by the listed transfer rates) it is supposed to have approximately 4x the read speed and twice the write speed of the 850.
My personal recommendation would probably be the Samsung 850 as well, since the performance gains for a rather small price difference are notable.

Thanks!

I'm also getting an SSD and I'm looking to get a SanDisk 240GB, do you have an opinion on these? The last computer I built was in 2009, so I haven't had a reason to replace anything in a while and I'm a bit out of the loop in all this stuff.

I forgot what type of SSD i need to get. It's a full tower. So a 2.5"? I can't remember what i put in mine, but it was simple to connect to the mobo, and i just ghetto rigged it with a side screw into on the bays. Can i expect the same from a dell? This one look ok? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/?tag=pcpapi-20


((I built a PC just fine about 1.5 years ago, using pcpartpicker and this sub. But now i forgot all the vernacular, and want to purchase my dad a SSD for his desktop. (i had to use his computer the other day and it was awful, it's a dell intel I5, 6 gb ram, think an SSD will make it 100x more enjoyable.))

My bad, I plan to be getting this SSD as well. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Internal-240GB-2-5-Inch-SDSSDA-240G-G25/dp/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

And I was told not to worry about the budget, so I'm going to assume 800-850$.

I'm not very computer savvy, what's a Skylake?

If you use such little space, you might as well grab a SSD instead of a mechanical. It'll make everything load much faster.

well this is what i have in my system and it works really good for me, and it's on sale so it's a great deal.

Note sure if it's the same in CA but this is a pretty decent one and it's not too pricy.

I've got one of these if you're interested

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S9Q9VS4/

Ideally want £40 if you can. Would help fund the replacement.

I live in london so we can meet up this week if you needed it asap.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B013HMQ2L8/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?qid=1462815209&sr=1-16&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ssd



https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00Z1NP0X8/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?qid=1462815209&sr=1-18&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ssd


https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=mp_s_a_1_21?qid=1462815309&sr=1-21&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=ssd&dpPl=1&dpID=41Cago76PuL&ref=plSrch



https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00I3JPIC0/ref=mp_s_a_1_22?qid=1462815309&sr=1-22&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ssd&dpPl=1&dpID=41vlh714PoL&ref=plSrch


How do I pick?

Are any of those ones to avoid?

It says $58.73. Here's a link to a SanDisk 240gb for $62

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=psdcmw_1292116011_t3_B00RQA6LQY?th=1&psc=1

Theoretically, yes. You'd wipe the disk completely clean in Recovery Disk Utility, shut down and pop in your USB Windows installer, and follow the directions and voila. Though this SSD is relatively cheap and really good (I would know, I'm using it right now).

I have used Sandisk for a time, it just works for me with Linux Distro's, keep in mind with newer SSD, it may not work with Linux.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S9Q9VS4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A new one I have been using, have about 4 of them is ADATA, the publish they are Linux and Unix compatible.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K8A29CS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For me I don't care about transfer rates as others may, I look for that it will work with Linux.

If you're looking in that sort of price range the SanDisk SSD PLUS 240GB may be of interest.

So important question: Is samsung the go to brand for these? Or would a 240 gb sandisk do just as well by me?

Have a Sandisk SSD Plus 240GB that I got last summer, about to swap it out. Could do $50 shipped if you're willing to wait a week while the replacement gets here.

CDI: http://i.imgur.com/3htWdwS.png

Would this be the same SSD?

I do not know if it supports NVMe or SATA over said port, the current one you have is SATA.

Either way, i would not suggest the 960 EVO at all. Its performance is inflated by a small cache that looks great in benchmarks (and spec sheets) but gives no noticeable performance improvement at all, and i read pleeeenty of tests. Your littarly paying twice the price for nothing. Just go with a 850 instead https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519673940&sr=1-6
or any other m.2 SATA drive.

Otherwise, the manual might indicate if the port supports NVMe or not, or simply contact their support to ask for specifics. But either way, the 960 EVO is a huge waste of money.

"Revit Server" is an application that sits on a Windows Server 2012 R2 system to help keep large Revit projects in sync with many designers working at the same time. From what I've read, this is a requirement to keep files synced between multiple designers if any designers are offsite. There appears to be some debate on Revit forums if it's a necessity/requirement for even local groups, if there's a large-number of designers on the same project/server.

The alternative is simply a central File Share that can sit on a NAS device. QNAP and Synology are my 2 goto pre-built brands for small work-group NAS. If the local network is fast enough (i.e. all designers on wired gigabit, not high latency or unreliable wifi), it looks like a central file share is enough for most small teams. Looks like this is the approach by most teams on the same site of less that 10 designers.

It's important to realize that just centralizing files in a Revit Server or a NAS are NOT backups. That's live files you are editing. You'll still want a backup solution. In it's simplest form, a large external USB for the offline backup of your NAS. A more elegant and automated solution would be a second small 2-bay (i.e. cheaper) NAS to backup to remotely. Or even automated Cloud backups if that's your thing.

Onto the parts detail help. If you are just looking for simple, centralized storage NAS: There are now pure SSD solutions. QNAP has the TBS-452A you can fill it with 4x 500GB or 4x 1TB SSDs, giving you 1.5TB or 3TB of RAID 5 storage on your network.

Here's the QNAP TBS-453A SSD NAS shopping list:
------------------------------------------------------------

• $450 - QNAP TBS-453A-4G-US - [B&H Photo] (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1249544-REG/qnap_tbs_453a_4g_us_tbs_453a_4_bay_m_2_nasbook.html) / Amazon
  
• $40 - 8GB RAM Kit - Amazon
  
  ... Storage Capacity Options ...
  
  
• $640 - 1TB (RAID10 or RAID6) or 1.5TB (RAID5) - 4x Samsung 850 EVO 500GB - $170 each - Amazon
  
  or
  
  
• $1040 - 2TB (RAID10 or RAID6) or 3TB (RAID5) - - 4x SanDisk X400 1TB - $260 each - Amazon
  
  
  
  2nd NAS for Backup (Onsite or Offsite):
  
  
• $310 - QNAP TS-251+ - Amazon
  
• $480 - 6TB (RAID1) - 2x WD Red 6TB Drive - $240 each - Amazon
  
  
  
  
  -------------------------------------
  
  *Quick RAID Primer:
  
  

• RAID 5 - 1 drive can fail and you keep running fine. Some processor overhead and added latency for the parity calculations. Capacity is Total Space minus 1 Drive's Capacity
  
• RAID 6 - 2 drives can fail and you keep running fine. Some processor overhead and added latency for the parity calculations. Capacity is Total Space minus 2 Drive's Capacity
  
• RAID 1 - Limited to 2 Drives total. 1 drive can fail and you keep running fine. Almost no latency and processor overhead. Capacity is half Total Space.
  
• RAID 10 - 1 drive can fail and you keep running fine. Almost no latency and processor overhead. Capacity is half Total Space.
  
  ___
  
  
  
  If you actually want a "Revit Server" full Windows Server 2012 R2 Application server, then you are looking at something with far more involved software setup and maintenance. You may want the help of a local freelance Windows Server Sysadmin to get it all configured and maintained. If you are looking for a parts-list for something like that, let me know.

Believe this should work:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=twister_B00U82O92U?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's a 2015, search around for a SATA based M.2 SSD. Something like this WD SSD would work for you. If you want to go all out that SSD is really nice and has a huge capacity. If you're looking for just a 500GB one, check out the 850 EVO.

Will this fit? http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-3-5-Inch-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG?ie=UTF8&keywords=pcie%20ssd&qid=1462134014&ref_=sr_1_5&s=pc&sr=1-5

If I can get the 2.5in 850 Evo SSD and 3.5in M.2 850 Evo SSD for the same price and size, is there a reason to not get the M.2? What does that inch size mean?

Instead of the ssd get the m2 drive https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467909006&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+m2+evo

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
this is my SSD.
So just to be clear, I put my SSD in with my HDD in to - I boot to my HDD - I use a cloning tool to move my OS to the SSD?
After I do this do i have to go to the BIOS to get it to boot up from my SSD?

EDIT: Using the cloning software how do i get it to just move Windows and keep everything else?Also my SSD is 250GB and my hard drive is 1TB.

2200 build list
CPU- http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Boxed-I7-6700K-Processor-BX80662I76700K/dp/B012M8LXQW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458134248&sr=1-1&keywords=i7+6700k
Price- $410

\Motherboard- http://www.amazon.com/MAXIMUS-VIII-HERO-ALPHA-Motherboards/dp/B017RI8UYA/ref=sr_1_19?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458134314&sr=1-19&keywords=lga+1151+motherboard
Price- $300

PSU- http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-120-G1-0750-XR/dp/B00K85X2A2/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138651&sr=1-4&keywords=Psu&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011
Price- $90

GPU- http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Cooling-Graphics-06G-P4-1996-KR/dp/B00Z0UX8TA/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138400&sr=1-5&keywords=gtx+980+ti
Price- $700

250 GB SSD- http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138522&sr=1-1&keywords=SSd
Price- $90

500gb M.2 SSd- http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-3-5-Inch-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138908&sr=1-5&keywords=m.2+ssd
Price- $160

You can use either option they are both good but the M.2 is my recomendation

RAM- http://www.amazon.com/G-SKILL-TridentZ-PC4-24000-Platform-F4-3000C15D-16GTZ/dp/B017QI1V74/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138836&sr=1-9&keywords=ddr4+3000
Price- $120

CPU Cooler- http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Hydro-Liquid-Cooler-CW-9060010-WW/dp/B009VV56TY/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458138978&sr=1-8&keywords=cpu+cooler
Price- $110

3 TB HDD- http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458139072&sr=1-2&keywords=hdd
Price- $90

My favorite gaming keyboard but its up to you. It doesn’t have any fancy side buttons just a great feel and excellent build quality- http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B00CD1FC6G
Price- $150

total $2130 without the case or windows or optical drive

let me know where it is you would like to go fro here? Is there anything you want to add or take out we can revise this build a couple of times

this is the one I got.

It is way faster.. it has around 500mb/s for both read and write.
The stock SSD had around 350 for read and 120 for write...

The service tag should be on the back of your device.

Would this work on this laptop, or is there is something else?

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486947035&sr=8-1&keywords=B00TGIW1XG

Hmm the last time I looked m.2 was a bit more than normal, but I found this for about the same so I may go for that after all. Is it still common to have to move whatever's plugged into the first sata port on the motherboard to a new slot to use the m.2?

I can second what bizboz said. I have a 9343 so the faster and pricier nvme SSDs are not fully supported, I installed the Samsung EVO 500GB which was only $150 now. Some Xps13 ssd install instructions:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/3hql7y/xps_13_ssd_upgrade/

https://m.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/3y30nl/install_samsung_950_pro_in_xps_13_9350/

Brick and mortar stores probably won't have these SSDs in stock. Make sure you get the m2 form factor not the larger SATA III.

This is the EVO at $157:
Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB M.2 3.5-Inch SSD (MZ-N5E500BW)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TGIW1XG/

If you can spend $300+, the skylake versions (9350) motherboard support the Samsung m2 nvme SSD which gets 2500/1500 read write, which is nuts.

This is the faster nvme at $327
Samsung 950 PRO -Series 512GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD 2-Inch MZ-V5P512BW

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01639694M/

I don't think there are other brands than samsung for the nvme, but you can use other brands for the slower pcie ssd, won't save much $ tho.

You need a spudger and torx screws, cheap on amazon, and if you want to clone your drive then an m2 ssd external housing, and samsung clone utility doesnt always work so you might need a third party cloning software. I did a clean install so i think i could have done without the external housing. Reports that the external housings don't work with the faster nvme anyway, too, so YMMV.

And yes crystal mark shows 500+/500+ read write with the EVO 850, before it was only 450/150 or so with the stock 128GB SSD.

that is all about the passmark it will have.
you can get a intel nuc skull canyon with a i7-6770HQ,
32 GB ram and a 512 GB ssd for a 870$ (you can lower the ssd and the amount of ram to make it cheaper.)

There are two main varieties of NUC: short and tall. The short one only can accommodate a single M.2 SSD (example); the tall version can also accommodate a single 2.5" drive (SSD or HDD, but no taller than 9.5 mm -- 2.5" HDDs bigger than 2 TB are almost certainly taller). So, you can install one (but not both) of your 2.5" SSDs as your boot drive and forgo using the M.2 slot, if you bought the tall variant.

All modern systems will boot off USB, so you don't need to copy the installation files off of the thumb drive onto the SSD. Just install the SSD, plug in the thumb drive and boot off of USB to install Windows 10. It shouldn't even require a BIOS change to boot from USB.

I recommend doing a UEFI install.

ah, yeah. So would there be any incompatibility issues with that motherboard and the samsung M.2 SATA SSD? The Crucial has an M.2-2280, and Samsung does have an M.2-2280 500 gb SSD for $300 as well as the M.2 SATA 500 gb SSD for $100.

knutti, all we need to know, is if your m.2 slot supports SATA or NVMe m.2 cards. We need your exact model number. It should have a dash after the GL552J.

Is it a GL552JX? Because THIS webpage says that it is in fact a SATA3 interface, NOT NVMe.

Did it come with windows 8? in which case it's highly improbably that it is NVMe. NVMe was in VERY early stages when Win8 came out.

If this is the case, just buy a normal M.2 Samsung 850 Sata3, which is quite cheap
HERE on Amazon

Need to wait and see what RAM is in the machine when it arrives to get an exact matching DIM.

What about : 850 evo

Samsung 850 EVO - 500GB - M.2 SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-N5E500BW) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TGIW1XG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kqbSzbF96JQ4A

Or

Crucial MX300 1TB M.2 (2280) Internal Solid State Drive (CT1050MX300SSD4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L80DH1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_erbSzbPSV2V1B

The 1TB for $287 is a great deal if you need the space. If not, go with the 500GB for less $$$

I was thinking about getting this. Going off the 6-12 month price check on pcpartpicker, I'm not sure if it will go down too much more. Going off the 256gb of the same series, this has plateaued around $100. Not sure if it is worth picking up or just getting some ram

You might consider getting the cheapest laptop you can find that will otherwise fit your needs, and adding a 512 GB SSD after the fact. A 512 GB SSD often comes as a premium upgrade, but it's not terribly expensive to buy separately. A Samsung 850 EVO Sata III SSD will only cost you $157.10 on Amazon, and places like Micro Center will match that. Want the same thing in m.2 format? $158.56. Want it in the faster NVME format? $314.99, though I expect that'll drop in a month when the 960 series comes out. The first to options are the most cost-effective, and the last only matters if your laptop supports NVME, which it probably won't at your price point.

If you go with either of the first two options, you're probably paying less than what most manufactures would charge to upgrade from a HDD to a 128 GB solid state for the same model laptop.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TGIW1XG/

Does to. Ordered one 2 weeks ago for a new laptop at work.

M.2 drives come in 3 physical form factors. This link is to the wrong one for the laptop being discussed.

What is a B/M key?

Are you talking about a Samsung evo like this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Computers-Accessories/Samsung-500GB-850-EVO-M-2/B00TGIW1XG/ref=sr_1_5?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1495236086&sr=1-5&keywords=850+evo

If you can't figure this out on your own, I'm not confident you can take apart your laptop and install it. You might want to do some research and learn first.

$136 tax included for an M.2 500GB Samsung 850 Evo.

Two in stock. Not an amazing deal for a used SSD but not bad either.

Is
this a good ssd for this or am i bottlenecking anywhere?

note: i already got the mobo on sale

So if I have a Z97 board, specifically this guy, I shouldn't prioritize the newer M.2 SSDs over older ones since they'll be bottle-necked? I.E. this 850 EVO will be pretty much equivalent to the new 960s with my board.

So helping a friend out, their old HDD failed this week and they are looking for cheap SSD to get the PC back up and running asap. The three I am looking at are:

1. ADATA Premier SP550 240GB
   
2. Kingston SSDNow UV400 240 GB
   
3. SanDisk SSD PLUS 240 GB
   
   I know they are 3 form the budget end but they don't want to spend too much right now and prefer to get a cheap one to make do, then over the coming months keep an eye out for good deals on better drives.

If you want to fit in an SSD, you could squeeze a bit more out of the budget. For example, you have a $330 1060 in your proposed build, but if you're willing to do a bit of waiting, there's usually a 1060 on Amazon for $280 (such as this Asus model right now.) If you're going for mini (maybe that case is small?), there's actually a Zotac mini 1060 for $250 right now. That would leave enough room for a 240 GB A-data SP550 SSD.

What am I looking at when comparing SSDs? I'm looking for advice when comparing:

1. Samsung 850 EVO 250GB. Price: ~$170
   
2. ADATA Premier SP550 240GB. Price $154 after taxes.
   
   I'm Ecuadorian.
   
   #1's price is how much it would cost to ship it here.
   
   #2's price is it's retail price here.
   
   Is #1 worth it the hassle of importing on top of the added money?

http://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Premier-SP550-240GB-ASP550SS3-240GM-C/dp/B013J7Q338/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1463267597&sr=1-1&keywords=adata+240+gb

did I say 10? I meant 15, ops

It would certainly work though it is a higher end drive so unless you need that level of security for some reason there are much lower priced drives available such as http://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Premier-SP550-240GB-ASP550SS3-240GM-C/dp/B013J7Q338/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464479744&sr=8-1&keywords=ssd+adata

or even:

http://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Premier-Pro2-5-Inch-Synchronous-ASP900S3-256GM-C/dp/B007RHT4K6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1464479744&sr=8-6&keywords=ssd+adata

Samsung does make a good high end product but for basic everyday usage it can be overkill, especially since either way you should be backing up important data on a regular basis.

SSD is overkill, you can get them a cheaper ssd https://www.amazon.ca/ADATA-Premier-Superior-to560MB-ASP550SS3-240GM-C/dp/B013J7Q338/

If you don't care about internal space, getting a SSD would be a better(and more noticeable) upgrade for your laptop.

Yes, you're using intel Haswell!! From the looks of the components you've selected I'm going to assume you don't plan to overclock your CPU, ram looks good (since you're running two dimms), and the PSU looks like it should work great for a single GPU. The only thing I'd be tempted to add is a boot SSD.

Here are some SSD's I'd recommend:

• intel 520 series 60gb SSD --> Amazon
  
• Corsair Neutron Series 64gb SSD --> Amazon
  
• Samsung 840 Series 120gb --> Amazon I'd recommend this SSD

Should I download this bugfix if I'm using this 840?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=pe_309540_26725410_item

I'm planning on getting a new graphics card, ASUS GTX760, and I want to know if I made a good choice. Here are my specs:

Component | Source
:--|:--
HDD | WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache
SSD (OS) | Samsung 840 Series 2.5 inch 120GB SATA III internal Solid State Drive
CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155
RAM | Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz PC3 12800 240-Pin DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit
PSU | Corsair CX750 Builder Series ATX 80 PLUS Bronze Certified Power Supply
MOBO | Gigabyte LGA 1155 Intel B75 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX DDR3 1600
Case | Cooler Master HAF 912 - Mid Tower Computer Case with High Airflow
GFX Card | powercolor ati radeon hd 5850 (I don't know exactly which one because it was a gift, but this should be enough information.)

I found this.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06

SSD will make the most difference for any build. I know you are trying to be budget, but they are getting cheaper. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1377367383&sr=8-4&keywords=128gb+ssd

$89

This setup will yield good density, but it takes a little fiddling to get up and running (drivers).

~$2500 = ~3.9 Mh/s

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-Corp-Motherboards-Z77A-G45/dp/B007QWI9TY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396364&sr=8-1&keywords=msi+z77-g45a

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Celeron-2-60GHz-Processor-BX80637G1610/dp/B00B4BJYVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396383&sr=8-1&keywords=celeron+g1610

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/LEPA-1600-Watts-Crossfire-Certified-G1600-MA/dp/B007W5TV6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396400&sr=8-1&keywords=lepa+1600

6 of these http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Mini-Displayport-PCI-Express-Graphic-GV-R795WF3-3GD/dp/B007581QHG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396424&sr=8-1&keywords=gigabyte+7950

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396482&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+840

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZDJ42O/?tag=pcpapi-20

2 of these http://www.amazon.com/Micro-SATA-Cables-Express-Flexible/dp/B0057M16Q8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396635&sr=8-2&keywords=pci+risers

1 of these http://www.amazon.com/Powered-Flexible-Extender-Bitcoin-Mining/dp/B00CQB1RIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396667&sr=8-1&keywords=powered+pci+risers

3 of these http://www.amazon.com/Powered-Flexible-Extender-Bitcoin-Mining/dp/B00CQBCKPY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375396667&sr=8-2&keywords=powered+pci+risers

1 of these http://www.lowes.com/pd_328959-80752-142430B-DS_0__?productId=3468765&Ntt=shelves&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dshelves&facetInfo=

2 of these http://www.lowes.com/pd_95021-1621-3733_0__?productId=1114391&Ntt=box+fan&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dbox%2Bfan&facetInfo=

a shitload of these http://www.lowes.com/pd_292678-1781-45-518UVL_0__?productId=3201639&Ntt=zip+ties&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dzip%2Bties&facetInfo=

And the lid from the cardboard box the motherboard came in. Makes a perfect motherboard tray.

Windows 8, catalyst 13.1 downgraded to 12.6, cgminier 3.1.1

setx GPU_MAX_ALLOC_PERCENT 100
setx GPU_USE_SYNC_OBJECTS 1
color 02
timeout /t 45
cgminer --scrypt -o coinotron.com:3334 -u -p --no-submit-stale --gpu-fan 80 --thread-concurrency 24000 --lookup-gap 2 --gpu-engine 1060 --gpu-memclock 1500 -w 256 -I 20 -g 1

If you'e willing to shell out the extra $10. I'd personally recommend the corsair tx650m PSU Modular reduces clutter therefore better airflow. also easier customization because you can take the cables you don't want out. My boyfriend had a rosewill and personally thinks it's a piece of shit.

I'd also recommend staying with the EVGA card. I'm also biased toward EVGA but they have amazing products that have never failed me once and great performance. Up to you though

I also really like g skill ripjaw

I also have this SSD And highly recommend it, Unless you care about the extra 8 gigs

EDIT: I also forgot to mention that if you're going to microcenter anyway they have a really sweet deal where you can get like $50 off a motherboard if you buy it in conjunction with the cpu

1000+ out of 1100 certainly disagree with you

Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately the closest microcenter to me is several hundred miles away so I will be sticking with the A10 and ASRock mobo. I agree that a quad core processor is the safest bet for long-term use of the computer with increasing cpu demands and whatnot.

As for the SSD, is there any reason I shouldn't go with the $97 Samsung 840 series drive?

And for the case, an integrated PSU would be great because I don't have much space in my budget to shell out for a psu. I think I will be sticking with the thermaltake case I have now after all, I'll settle for the front panel 2.0 ports. Those Wesenas look amazing though, I'll definitely look for an opportunity to use one.

Thanks for your input!

this
mainly because its the best budget ssd but i still cant afford it :/

That's not really that good of a deal considering this Samsung is the same price

Oh yeah! Forgot. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369444804&sr=8-2&keywords=ssd

First off, thanks a ton for the contest! I've personally been wanting an SSD for a while now, and it looks like the Samsung 840 Series SSD is getting really nice reviews. As of this posting it's sitting at $98.87 as well, so it looks like this will be my entry into the contest.

And since I'm not sure if the period was included, or even matters, I'll include both - Hello, Goodbye~ and Hello, Goodbye~.

This is an amazingly generous contest!

I kinda need to upgrade everything (and am not the one responsible for building my pc - not my specialty), so I guess a SSD would be a decent start :)

Hello, Goodbye~

I was quoting a 120 GB SSD.

$30 more dollars can get you a 256GB SSD.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NHAF06/ref=s9_cartx_gw_d0_g147_ir03?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-6&pf_rd_r=0SW552JW4WADABE3BGYY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939291&pf_rd_i=507846

I can buy a new one for that...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009NHAF06/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426363435&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+840+120gb+ssd&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Question, I own this SSD. Is it affected by the same issue? I have not noticed any slowdown and I've been using 2 of these things for 2 years now.

That seems to be what I have gotten from my "research" as well. I was wondering on your view of the process of replacement...e.g. difficulties that you will encounter and so on for when (if) I make the jump.

For reference this is the SSD I am considering: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=twister_B00EHFJJHY

I feel like I don't really need the new chipset, and configuring that laptop from base will definitely put me near of over the top of my price.

My current judgement says:
This Y510p, with this 500GB SSD, cooling fans, and a nice mouse for $1462 (minus ~80 for the hdd that's removed)

Hardly.

As far as I know there's no size limitation, but those MacBooks took SATA I drives, so theres no point in buying a SATA II or III drive - you can probably find a sizable SATA I drive online for cheap. If you can't, SATA II or III will work, you just won't be able to take advantage of the higher speeds.

Also, you should consider putting in an SSD. The speeds will make your laptop feel new again, and Amazon has some pretty big discounts right now, like this 500 GB drive, or this 1 TB drive.

Glad to help! That SSD isn't a very good choice for the price you're paying, I would recommend the Samsung 840 Evo instead for $50 less. It has great software and is a very popular SSD. The Crucial M500 is a good choice as well if you really want to save some cash.

What about http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO

EDIT: Had extra crap in the link...

Actually $229.99 for this 500GB Samsung isn't bad: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_hXhqub156YZP8

Most people do not need a 512GB SSD (and they are not anywhere near $450 new http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/)

As of me posting this, it's still available: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/

In a few hours I'm gonna buy this Samsung SSD. Do I need any other accesories to make it work, or is just any sata cable enough?

same price/game deal on amazon, but with prime shipping for those that have it.

The best one for sub $300 would definitely be a Samsung EVO 840 500 GB It is currently 189.99 on Amazon and to double it's space and get a 1 TB, it would be 349.99 but for under $300, the 500 GB is definitely your best bet and is reasonably under the price.

You're super sweet. I am worried. I'm an anxious person ha, trying to get over an anxiety disorder. I'm wondering if I should call them up right now and try to cancel it.

I also just updated that I'll be making music too, using Ableton Live.

I got this SSD: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417416832&sr=8-1&keywords=500+ssd

As far as gaming, Far Cry, WOW, anything awesome and naturey that will be coming out. I care more about music and artwork than gaming, though I'd love to run games at full capacity.

Again, you're super awesome.

Edit: Just called and I'd have to cancel it in the next five minutes or I can return it when it arrives with free shipping back.

I also have no idea how to build a computer but I could probably figure it out online, I hope! :)

Alright, so based on some great advice from you guys I am going to go ahead with the SSD upgrade. I am going with the 500gig Samsung EVO. I found it on Amazon (see link below). Do i need to also buy the bay converter, or is that only if I were to put it where the disk drive is? Apart from some small screw drivers and torx driver i should be good? Or are there other things apart from the physical SSD that i need in order to do a replacement?

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE500BW/dp/B00E3W19MO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1418005487&sr=8-5&keywords=internal+512+ssd+mac

Remember: Always be cautious when using payment methods other than PayPal Goods and Services.



Title: [USA-NE] [H] Mid 2012 MacBook Pro [W] Paypal

Username: /u/khong756

Body:

Hi guys,

I have a mid-2012 MacBook Pro Unibody that I no longer use. I upgraded it to this 500 GB Samsung SSD. and this 8 GB Crucial Ram Kit.

With the new hardware, it runs on MacOS Sierra beautifully. There are 1394 battery cycles.

The specs are:

• • • 
      
• 500 GB Samsung EVO SSD
  
• 8 GB Crucial RAM
  
• 15.4" LED Display (1440 x 900)
  
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M.
  
  
  It is a A1286 series and model number is MD103LL/A.
  
  There is a small chip on the left side below the keyboard and the plastic hinge has a crack at the edge so I put some tape on it. Both of these are barely noticeable and performance is not affected.
  
  
  I am asking for $620 obo shipped with insurance and signature.
  
  timestamps
  
  
  
  I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

If anyone else feels like me after watching, here you go.

> Will an SSD really help me in gaming though?

That really depends on the game. If the game loads files on the fly, such as Diablo 3 does, for example, then it can make a huge difference. For a multiplayer game where a map's loaded once in a while, well not so much. It made a gigantic difference in CIvilization 5's saved game load times for me but less so with Fallout New Vegas. Either way, it's certainly a bottleneck for swap files and such, which can have an impact on any game. Even if you have enough RAM to hold everything on a game's level, that may not mean Windows won't page stuff out that isn't game related. It's also possible that your HDD is beginning to have bad clusters pop up more often, which also causes a slowdown that's otherwise unexplainable (it remaps those on the fly, but you usually never know that).

> Say I have a 250gb SSD /C drive
I have a 500gb HDD /D drive. I have my games at the HDD drive. Will there really be any difference having the SSD drive if I have all my games at my D drive?

Considering your CPU is reasonably decent, you've got more than 8GB of RAM (generally considered "enough") and your video card's also not all that old, I'd say you should worry about the HDD before much else. You won't see a huge gain from a faster 700 series card, I don't think, and the cost of a 900 series is rather extreme, IMO.

SSDs aren't "required" but they sure as heck result in one of the most significant gains in performance, when you're otherwise running into HDD lag. And almost everyone has lag from a HDD at some point. Any spinning HD is literally the slowest single part of any computer made in the last 8 years, let alone older. If a decent SSD is within your grasp and, as in your case, any other single upgrade will likely not result in all that much of a gain, I'd say an SSD is a no-brainer.

Just my 2 cents. :)

Edit: I put my main games on the SSD, leaving the spinning drive for older games not affected by the slower speed and for things like music, pictures, etc.

Edit2: You're only looking at a couple hundred bucks for a decent SSD. Heck, I got a 500GB 840 Pro for $400 a year and change ago and still consider it money well spent.

Hey thanks for the response!

OEM Keyboard
Samsung 840 Evo 500GB SSD
No name battery - couldn't find OEM on Amazon...

I'm installing 10.9.1 and running updates to get to 10.9.5

I'm going to try and re-download the installer on a good mac, put it on another USB (different from what i used before), format, and retry. What I did find: Even though CPU levels are high with kernel_task, it doesn't make any heat. I have a sneaking suspicion it's the battery. Can you recommend a source for OEM batteries?

> 189.00

189.99*

what I actually ordered was this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E3W19MO
Cancellations on Amazon are easy enough so if you think it's worth the hassle then I can certainly order the Crucial one but would go for 512GB version.

Samsung 840 EVO 500GB

Buy this one. Another option. Either would be fine, but the Samsung has a 1TB option.

When you're researching, "SSD" is really all you need. "SSD" stands for "solid state drive" which means flash storage. Unless you're paying thousands of dollars for an unusual enterprise-level drive, they're all 2.5" and will fit in your Macbook.

Here's a good guide for when you're doing the install.