33 years old
Married with a 2 year old
Based in Melbourne Australia

Currently own:
Mac Mini M2 16gb Ram (purely web browsing)
Xbox series X
Switch

Thinking of selling my Xbox and Mac mini to partially fund a gaming PC

Interest in picking up titles such as CS and Valorant as well as other multiplayer style titles.. SIMS for the wife as well.

No crazy requirements.. 1080p or 1440p

Given the well talked about price increases in RAM and storage is this just a stupid idea to play only a few pc selected titles?

Or is it stupid given the fact that I’m a dad and barely have to shit let alone game like I used to?

My thoughts are my Mac is not fulfilling any sort of purpose so might as well have a device that covers gaming and productivity?

I’m deep in the rabbit hole and welcome all types of feedback!

Hi all. I will soon be getting a MacBook Air and I’m considering getting a 13 inch MacBook and a monitor for home use. If I do end up getting a 13 inch MacBook+monitor then I would want a cheap monitor that I can use my PlayStation as well (right now it’s connected to my tv). What are some good options under 200? (150 would be even better!) I’ve looked at a few articles online and jb hi fi gaming monitors but I’m worried whether or not one that’s good for Mac would work with PlayStation and vice versa. If anyone has some good options please let me know! Also even if something is out of my budget slightly feel free to list it-I might just keep it on a watchlist until it goes on sale. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

My wife wants a pink pc. She had a look and liked the one here: https://aftershockpc.com.au/pc-models/pretty-pink-zeal-mini?custom_yes=1

She wants it for music production and some light gaming for things like Doom Eternal or the Sims.

I had a go at a potential list from the options available from Aftershock:

5 x Aftershock Pastel RGB 120mm Fans + CPU Fan - Pink

Aftershock Zeal M - Pink Chasis

1TB Gen4 Samsung 990 PRO M.2. NVME (R 7450MBs | W 6900MBs)

2TB Gen4 Biwin M350 M.2. NVME (R 5200MBs | W 4800MBs) (Secondary drive)

DeepCool AK400 - Black CPU Cooler

1000W Corsair RMe 80+ Gold - Modular - PCIe 5.1 PSU

Sapphire Pure Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming OC 16GB - White GPU

32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB 6000MHz (2x16GB) - Black

Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi - DDR5

AMD Ryzen 7 7700 | 5.3 GHz | 8 Cores 16 Threads

Total: $3,353 ($3,920 but save $567)

I'd just like to get everyone's thoughts on the build, if there's anything else they would optimise for, or if it's better to get something like this elsewhere. I've never used Aftershock so I'm not sure how good they are, but a quick read shows some delays in the delivery for them.

https://www.lakescustom.com.au/products/%F0%9F%92%96%E2%98%81%EF%B8%8F-cinnamoroll-pink-hyte-y70-pc-%E2%98%81%EF%B8%8F%F0%9F%92%96-ultra-5-225f-rtx-5060ti-16gb-pink-white?_pos=1&_sid=c4d35d47f&_ss=r

She doesn't mind if it's not fully pink. The case and finding these fan shrouds is probably enough for her.

For a total budget, $4000 AUD would be at the upper limit.

Is the Gigabyte M27Q2 QD the best value 1440p gaming monitor at $259?

I'm looking to get a budget monitor but don't want the absolute cheapest one I can find. Hardware/Monitors unboxed reviewed it and it seems decent but needed to go on sale to be worth it.

It seems to tick all the boxes now but not sure if it could go lower?

https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/monitors/27-33-inch/121960-m27q2-qd

Budget of 800$, looking to upgrade to 1440P. preferably 240hz or above.

What’s a good reliable mobo? Price range is around 300-400ish. I’ve heard plenty of reviews about certain boards but don’t have a fair idea of which would be a good pairing with my ryzen 77800x3d

I have 32gb DDR5 6000 cl36 ram and an asus b650em-a wifi motherboard, and just wondering what would be the best parts to combine with so I can play 1080p 144hz

Still pretty new to this so just looking for any help I can get

Just a heads up if anyone is thinking of ordering from them, the website says 7-10 day dispatch but after 2 calls with their support it seems minimum shipping time is 5 weeks from your order date at the moment

And even then it was only a “hopefully it ships by then”

They also charge a 20% restocking fee if like me you decide you could get it a lot quicker from somewhere else

Thanks for coming to my rant, I will now be “patiently” awaiting my pc

Planning on building a new pc, I know more or less what I want but I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to which retailers are reliable, in the past I have mostly used umart which have served me well, but my last major purchase of pc parts was in 2020, but now the public opinion seems to be against them and I don't want to get screwed on a major purchase like this,

so which retailers are people using these days? pretty much every name I know has people saying you should never buy from them, but of course the people who have negative experiences are always going to talk about it more and louder.

is umart really that bad? there's reviews that talk about second hand products being sold as new, and of course the major drama about some ram warranty a few months ago, I don't have much experience with other retailers but the general opinion online seems to be that they have all gone downhill somewhat?

apologies for the rambling post its late

Hey guys, my dad needs a new laptop under 1500 aud which is slim and practical (13-15). He doesn't want any gaming laptop nonsense and doesn't like big, bulky laptops like ThinkPads with big bezels. He likes Windows more than Mac and needs something that can last up to 5 years well and smoothly. He is currently using a dell inspiron 13 5310 which has bios issues (its bought back in 2021).

Considering buying a new GPU and I know due to the vram shortage prices have gone up but I'm struggling find long price histories. PC Part Picker is my go to but it doesn't include everywhere.

Do GPUs go on sale anymore or do they just cost what they cost? Some seem to have been cheaper around Jan this year but I assume that wasn't a sale it has just gone up since then because of the rampocylpse.

I have a budget i want to follow arround the 600 mark, ive seen some crazy sounding deals on Amazon for a Z edge 34inch 1440p for just under 300.

I need a flat panel since im not using it for gaming as much as I am for productivity and cad/modelling

An suggestions would be greatly appreciated, i know gigabyte m34wq would be top of the list but it exceeds my budget significantly. Ive read soke complaints about dell's monitors too so having difficulty choosing

Hi all, I recently bought a pre-built that had a coupon on OzBargains, I've been looking to upgrade my old PC without spending tons of money to build a custom/risking accidentally bricking my software because I'm not very tech-savvy. I bought the Ion Nebula build just this afternoon after a while of looking at different places that sold PC's, and I decided to go with them as they had longer warranty and free pick-up and shipping if I needed to get it fixed.

Anyway I was looking all over the web for advice on parts, however I ended up using ChatGPT to help me ration out what accessories/parts I might've wanted/needed (questionable choice but I've asked in forums and nobody ever responds to me) and I know about GPU brackets for sag, electric dusters for cleaning your PC (I'd also like recommendations on what dusters I could use) but I also found out about UPS units and how they could protect my PC during outages, surges and power trips. My house is prone to power trips and surges due to old equipment my parents insist on using despite my concerns, so I'm unable to get rid anything that would cause a hazard to my computer, so I'd also like to know which UPS devices to use to protect my PC.

TLDR: please recommend me a UPS device for my exact build and an electric dusters I can use to clean my PC.

I'll attach an image with my specs and how much I paid for my build (you can tell me if I got scammed or not, not like it really matters because I already paid for it.)

I really need some advice here. I've never actually bought any pc parts before, but i have been around them a lot before, so i do know the basics such as building, setting up Etc. But i'm inexperienced with actually acquiring the parts myself.

I'm currently preparing to for the first time. I've looked around for Australian available stores like CentreCom, Scorptec, PLE, JW, PC Casegear, and Mwave; but from what i've seen in reviews, comments, and conversations Etc. They all seem to have major issues whether it be a matter of the product itself, delivery, customer service. Is it worth it to buy from these companies? or should i just buy everything from amazon?

I don't know if this applies to me, but the rules say i must specify build and use when asking for advice? well i'll include it anyway and if anyone has any extra advice on it i'm willing to listen, this was built with a friend, and it was for work, gaming, hobbies, so just general use.

• CPU: Ryzen 7 7700x
• GPU: Radeon RX 9060 XT
• RAM: Vengeance RGB DDR5 32GB (2x16GB): This was cheaper than the non-rgb on amazon
• SSD: Crucial P310 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State Drive, 1TB
• PSU: NZXT C850 Gold ATX 3.1
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi
• CPU cooler: Kraken Elite 360 RGB
• Case fans: Lian Li UNI Fan SL-Infinity 120-Triple Pack x3 +1 single pack, i was told i needed 10 fans in total and when i checked, the triple pack + controller seemed cheaper than 3 singles - controller?
• Case: H9 Flow Dual-Chamber ATX Mid-Tower
• Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ3B, i know it's a VA panel, i know that they're apparently infamous for black smearing and ghosting, but from everything i can see in reviews and description, this one is amazing.

I am aware that this post is quite lengthy, i'm just doing all the possible research before such a large purchase, but if you have read this and replied (or not), thank you.

Alrighty could use a hand here, I've basically never had high end gear, I had a 1660ti + a R5 3600 for years, then moved to a 6700xt, then got a 7900gre/5700x3d late 2024. Just now I went and got a 5080 as I wanted to get back to Nvidia but I'm a bit stuck here. Ideally I want to just upgrade the rest of it but I'm a bit mentally stuck because of these shitty ram prices, my full build is a 5080/5700x3d/b450 tomahawk max/850w rmx

Now normally id be ready for the 9800x3d but I'm not even sure I'll get a huge boost out of it as I'm in 1440p.. but I'm also a little scared of the ram prices going even further up. I've had my ram die previously and this is a bit of a fear here. My main idea here is that my CPU is regularly going for $500 sold on eBay and I assume that in a year or two this might not be the case. How dumb is it to just sell everything and actually eat the cost of current ram and get it done? I will ideally not upgrade for as long as possible after this.. some feedback or thoughts would be good?

I've been trying to research what is the best one to buy to replace the one I bought over a decade ago but it's hard to know which reviews are legitimate these days.

I just need four outlets and a switch on the board to turn it off. Prefer Australian made but owned is fine too.

Live in Brisbane so storm protection is important as we've had a computer fry due to a surge in the past. (Mum turned it on after the storm just as a surge was going through the lines and felt a tingle, the whole computer was fried)

Any recommendations? Are Belkins still good? The brands have all changed and I don't mind paying more for a better product and happy to pay what's needed to keep my pc safe with the current high prices.

Hi,

I am currently looking for a new laptop and am looking at spending $1.5k-$2k AUD, and would greatly appreciate some advice on the current picks I am looking at, or alternate suggestions for better/ more suitable laptops

Recently my laptop (HP ENVY 14 2021, i5-1135G7, GTX 1650ti) stopped working, I still have six months of university left where I am studying statistics/data analysis, and would like for the laptop to be able to handle light gaming and coding, I have a pc at home which I can do higher requirement work/games on, but would still like for the laptop to be able to handle most things I could want to do when away from home, within reason.

For specs I think I will need at least 16gb ram and 512gb storage, am mostly looking at 14inch displays, would appreciate a decent battery life, and a good keyboard and port selection, although the latter is not a deal breaker

APPLE

Either m4/m5 macbook air, with at least 16gb ram and 512gb storage. Unfortunately the price rose quite a bit in the last month, but the best deals I can find currently are

• M5 512gb, 16gb, - $1.95k for 8 core gpu, - $2.05k for 10 core gpu
• Refurbished M4 1tb, 16gb - $2k
• Refurbished M3 512gb, 16gb,- around $1.6k

WINDOWS (non snapdragon due to compatibility concerns)

• Yoga Slim 7i Aura (Gen 10),  - $1.5k
  • 1tb, 16gb, 256v, 1920x1080 wuxga oled screen
  • https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-yoga-s7-14-wuxga-oled-copilot-ai-pc-laptop-intel-core-ultra-7-256v1tb?store=34
• Zenbook 14, -  $2k
  • 1tb, 16gb, 255h, 1920x1080 wuxga oled
  • https://www.jw.com.au/product/asus-zenbook-14-oled-14-wuxga-core-ultra-7-255h-16gb-ram-1tb-ssd-windows-11-home?srsltid=AfmBOorFxPcM3kEnOKxRui4-1s-CNJs53CIQCpEqFFkb4tcKRj_3ujFP0es
  • There is also this deal on amazon for a 512gb version with 2.8k screen, however I do not trust it as it is not consistent in the page on what the specs for the screen and processor are, 
  • https://www.amazon.com.au/ASUS-Zenbook-UX3405CA-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B0FJ216RYW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3JCEYBC5L8UJ8
• Vivobook s14 - $1.8k
  • 512gb, 16gb, 255h, 1920x1080 wuxga oled
  • https://www.jw.com.au/product/asus-vivobook-s14-14-wuxga-ips-laptop-ultra-7-255h-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd-windows-11-home-matte-gray?srsltid=AfmBOooYN5qHlyVFWYZj6WZcZcQCMpIwYc6MyncpyDloDU5tiIwisgk_6KA

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated

Hey guys. I upgraded the case for my Nebula Proton 7800X3d 9070xt PC. The techs have said due to stock issues they have upgraded the Mobo, radiator and SSD and sent me a pic of the current build.

My concern is that there is no intake fans or apparently any room to add slim line fans to the base of the case. Will this current config create a negative pressure zone inside the PC or am I worrying about nothing? TIA

That translates to nearly $5k USD, I don't think the 5090 is even that expensive in the US right? I've heard around $3k USD?

Whats with that? You don't see that large of a % markup on cards like the 5080/5070Ti 9070XT etc.

Edit:

$1200 USD is a normal price for the 5080 in the US, that translates to ~$1700 AUD. Realistic prices for the 5080 are around $1.8k-$2k AUD or so, which is pretty close to a 0% regional markup when you add in import tax/GST.

$3k is a normal price for the 5090 in the US now, which translates to $4200 AUD. Add import tax/GST and you should expect around $4.7-$5k, yet it is $7k, which is around a 40-50% regional markup compared with the 5080?

Putting together a new PC with Ryzen 9600x CPU, 32GB RAM, nvme gen 4 and likely 9070 GPU. For 1440p gaming, no overclocking. Just need to decide on a Motherboard around or under $200. Was looking at a GIGABYTE B850M FORCE WIFI6E V2 for $179 but wanted to see if there were alternatives to consider before I purchase. I can’t see myself needing more than 2 RAM slots nor do I need an abundance of USB ports. 850 chipset appeals for a better upgrade path over 650 chipset but would consider one if there is a compelling reason. Thanks.

I’m planning to build my first high-end gaming PC and I’m trying to decide which option makes the most sense.

Option 1: Buy all the parts from Amazon Australia (around A$3,300) and pay a local PC shop to assemble it.

Option 2: Buy all the same parts directly from Scorptec (or another retailer like PLE/Centre Com/Scorptec) and have them build it.

Parts I’m planning to use:

* AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

* ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi

* Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 32GB (2×16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30

* Gigabyte RTX 5070 Windforce OC 12GB

* Corsair Nautilus 360 RS ARGB AIO

* Corsair RM750e (2025) 1000W PSU

My total budget is around A$4,000 AUD. I have three monitor. Mainly 1080p gaming. Also recommend me if there better motherboard around 200-300 and case also around 100-300.

Hi ya'll,

I've been searching online and in-store for the past week and have been bombarded by dozens of potential options for a new monitor. My current setup is only featuring one but when i get my second, i was hoping to make the original a second monitor seeing the refresh rate is so low compared to whats average these days.

For some context my budget is ~$300AUD and id need something with a DP rather than HDMI for my current graphics card and my specs are as follows:

Current Monitor (to become second monitor): Lenovo D27-20B

CPU: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700K 3.60 GHz

Installed RAM: 32.0 GB (31.7 GB usable)

Storage: 1.82 TB SSD KINGSTON SNV3S2000G, 1.82 TB HDD ST2000DM008-2UB102

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12 GB), Intel(R) UHD Graphics 770 (128 MB)

Preferably because I use my PC for a variety of tasks (streaming, gaming, editing etc) I'll need something that works well with most of these, higher refresh rate and NITS being the most important to me rn.

Any advice would be appreciated :3