I want to update and I need some help.

[Hacendado]

Hi! The thing is my PC have almost 3-4 years now and I think it's time to update it, I wanted to buy another but I have some cash problems right now so I was wondering if someone could help me with some questions I have.

First of all, this is my pc:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
Motherboad: Asus P5K SE/EPU
Memory 2 modules of DDR2 2GB Kingston (DRAM Frequency 400 MHz)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX460 768 MB 700 MHzOverclocked
Windows 7 32bit (Planning on formating to 64bit)

Now, as I said, first of all I wanted to update the Ram, could I use, for example, this? -> http://www.pccomponentes.com/g_skill_ripjaws_x_ddr3_1333_pc3_10666_4gb_2x2gb_cl9.html

And besides that I don't know what to do because I don't have a lot of money and my knowledge in hardware is very limited xD

Any advice? And thank you very much in advance.

 

[Sp33dFr33k]

What is the primary purpose of this system? Switching memory is not going to make a lot of difference except maybe in a benchmark. Both the CPU and GPU are getting older but replacing those requires basically a new PC. If it's for gaming (judging by the GPU) you could replace the video card but the CPU can be a bottle neck depending on the game.

My opinion is to save up until you can start over with a new PC. If the video card is holding you back, you could replace that now and use it in a future system.

 

[Moneyless]

I second what Sp33dFr33k said, saving up your money to build a completely new system some time in the future would be a better idea than upgrading what you have now... Especially if you don't have much money right now anyways.

 

[Hacendado]

What is the primary purpose of this system? Switching memory is not going to make a lot of difference except maybe in a benchmark. Both the CPU and GPU are getting older but replacing those requires basically a new PC. If it's for gaming (judging by the GPU) you could replace the video card but the CPU can be a bottle neck depending on the game.

My opinion is to save up until you can start over with a new PC. If the video card is holding you back, you could replace that now and use it in a future system.

Yes what I do mostly is play videogames, a lot actually xD What do you mean with replace the video card and use it in a future system? If I replace the card for another one better why should I need it in the future?

 

[tiraides]

The problem is that a new video card will cause your processor to become a performance bottleneck in many of today's games. Additionally, you may also have to upgrade your power supply if it's (over three years) old or comes from a manufacturer or vendor we normally don't recommend.

So we can get a better picture of what you need, please...

- Give us the full specs of your system, plus the age of the power supply and hard drive.
- Inform us of the problems you're seeing while gaming.
- Tell us which games you play, at what resolution, and at what level of visual quality.
- Let us know how much you have to spend on upgrades right now.

 

[Hacendado]

The problem is that a new video card will cause your processor to become a performance bottleneck in many of today's games. Additionally, you may also have to upgrade your power supply if it's (over three years) old or comes from a manufacturer or vendor we normally don't recommend.

So we can get a better picture of what you need, please...

- Give us the full specs of your system, plus the age of the power supply and hard drive.
- Inform us of the problems you're seeing while gaming.
- Tell us which games you play, at what resolution, and at what level of visual quality.
- Let us know how much you have to spend on upgrades right now.

First of all, thank you.

And as for your questions.

-What do you mean with full specs? I don't really know. as for the power supply its 600W Corsair, 2 years ( the last one broked ) and 2 HDD, 1 of 500GB and another of 1 TB

- Some crashes due to memory and I also want to upgrade the graphic options in the games I play

- I usually play all kinds of games, from battlefield to super meat boy, and thats the thing right now, I can't play Battlefield 4 but I am not sure if its for my pc or another reason, for this one I'm waiting for Bf4 next patch. Resolution: 1920x1080

- And my money it's a tricky thing, I was thinking about spending around 53$ in RAM, but I think for the moment I can come up with around 100-150$, maybe more next month. That's why I need to save money xD

 

[tiraides]

What do you mean with full specs? I don't really know. as for the power supply its 600W Corsair, 2 years ( the last one broked ) and 2 HDD, 1 of 500GB and another of 1 TB

Give me the model number of your Corsair power supply. As for the hard drives, I'd like to know of the brand and model of each drive. Also, what case are you using?

Some crashes due to memory and I also want to upgrade the graphic options in the games I play

I usually play all kinds of games, from battlefield to super meat boy, and thats the thing right now, I can't play Battlefield 4 but I am not sure if its for my pc or another reason, for this one I'm waiting for Bf4 next patch. Resolution: 1920x1080

You need to save money regardless. For Battlefield 4, the "bare minimum" video cards you should be looking at are the GTX 760 and the HD 7950. Then again, we've been recommending better video cards for more serious gamers.

And my money it's a tricky thing, I was thinking about spending around 53$ in RAM, but I think for the moment I can come up with around 100-150$, maybe more next month. That's why I need to save money xD

Can you save up at least $300 within the next three months?

 

[Hacendado]

Give me the model number of your Corsair power supply. As for the hard drives, I'd like to know of the brand and model of each drive. Also, what case are you using?


You need to save money regardless. For Battlefield 4, the "bare minimum" video cards you should be looking at are the GTX 760 and the HD 7950. Then again, we've been recommending better video cards for more serious gamers.


Can you save up at least $300 within the next three months?

I can't say for sure the model number of the Corsair. As for the HDD Seagate ST31000528AS ATA and Seagate Barracuda ST3500412AS ATA. And the case is a Nox Coolbay-25.

And yes, I think I can come up with that money in 2 months.

 

[tiraides]

Can you come up with $300 to $400 every two to three months?

It may be one way for you to build your new system without having to buy everything at once.

 

[nrok45]

Now, as I said, first of all I wanted to update the Ram, could I use, for example, this? -> http://www.pccomponentes.com/g_skill_ripjaws_x_ddr3_1333_pc3_10666_4gb_2x2gb_cl9.html

That RAM will not be compatible with your current system. Your current computer uses DDR2 ram, which is really overpriced at this point as it has become somewhat scarce due to everyone having moved on to DDR3 as you have linked.

As others have suggested, save up some money and look into building a new computer. You can sell your old computer to get some money to put towards building a new one.

 

[Hacendado]

Can you come up with $300 to $400 every two to three months?

It may be one way for you to build your new system without having to buy everything at once.

Yes, I think I could.

That RAM will not be compatible with your current system. Your current computer uses DDR2 ram, which is really overpriced at this point as it has become somewhat scarce due to everyone having moved on to DDR3 as you have linked.

As others have suggested, save up some money and look into building a new computer. You can sell your old computer to get some money to put towards building a new one.

That's one of the questions I needed answer too, if it was compatible, if it doesn't I have no other option but to save up money. As for seling my "old" one I think that's going to be difficult, being so old.

 

[nrok45]

As for seling my "old" one I think that's going to be difficult, being so old.

You would be surprised at what you could get for your current stuff. Have a look around here in the trade section and other tech site trade sections and see if you can compare what others are selling similar parts for.

 

[Hacendado]

You would be surprised at what you could get for your current stuff. Have a look around here in the trade section and other tech site trade sections and see if you can compare what others are selling similar parts for.

Well I guess I'll have to try selling them. Thank you!

 

[tiraides]

Can you come up with $300 to $400 every two to three months?

It may be one way for you to build your new system without having to buy everything at once.

Yes, I think I could.

OK, let's look at your current build....

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
Asus P5K SE/EPU
2x2GB Kingston DDR2 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX460 768 MB
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB SATA 3Gb/s HDD
Seagate Barracuda Barracuda LP ST3500412AS 500GB SATA 3Gb/s HDD
Corsair 600W PSU (2 years old... CX600V1?)
Nox Coolbay-25 ATX case
Windows 7 32bit (which version?)

Assuming you get around $300 to $400 every two to three months, and you're building more to improve performance than of any fear of your system dying soon, here one idea to consider.

ROUND 1: Buy a good video card, preferably on sale. For simplicity's sake, the HD 7970 should be what you look for (the recently released R9 280X is essentially a rebranded HD 7970) and there should be a few good sales available throughout the next month or two. If the HD 7970 is unavailable, go for either the GTX 760 or the HD 7950.

Save whatever money you don't spend for the next round.

ROUND 2: Buy a good SSD with 120GB to 256GB of storage, and use that as your new primary drive. Two good choices are the Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD and the Crucial M500 240GB SSD. Each one is available for under $200.

I also recommend either a new power supply or a new case (if not both, assuming you can afford to). A newer power supply could be more energy efficient (if you get a good 550 watt or greater PSU) or easier to work with (if you choose a modular power supply with removable cables). A newer case could give you more internal space, more fans, or (in some cases) some tool-less assembly.

ROUND 3: Buy the processor, motherboard, and at least 8GB of RAM together. Due to the age of your current platform, you'll eventually have to replace everything. To give you some perspective, the quad-core Intel Core i5-4570 costs around $200, a good B85 or H87 motherboard can reach upwards of $75, and an 8GB stick of RAM is currently at least $60. If you wish to overclock, you need to consider either the Intel "K" processors (which carries a considerable price premium alongside a Z87-based motherboard) or an AMD-based platform (but some AMD processors can't keep up with the i5-4570 in many gaming benchmarks).

ROUND 4: If you haven't bought them by now, buy the new case and power supply. A couple of good examples for each one are:

Case - Corsair 200R, NZXT Source 210 Elite
PSU - Corsair CX600V2, Seasonic SSR-550RM

You could also buy a third-party CPU cooler and other accessories you may need for your system.

Is the above plan feasible?

(One more thing: If you can find a legal 64-bit copy of the same version of Windows 7 you're currently using, you can reuse your license key without penalty.)

 

[Hacendado]

OK, let's look at your current build....

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
Asus P5K SE/EPU
2x2GB Kingston DDR2 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX460 768 MB
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB SATA 3Gb/s HDD
Seagate Barracuda Barracuda LP ST3500412AS 500GB SATA 3Gb/s HDD
Corsair 600W PSU (2 years old... CX600V1?)
Nox Coolbay-25 ATX case
Windows 7 32bit (which version?)

Assuming you get around $300 to $400 every two to three months, and you're building more to improve performance than of any fear of your system dying soon, here one idea to consider.

ROUND 1: Buy a good video card, preferably on sale. For simplicity's sake, the HD 7970 should be what you look for (the recently released R9 280X is essentially a rebranded HD 7970) and there should be a few good sales available throughout the next month or two. If the HD 7970 is unavailable, go for either the GTX 760 or the HD 7950.

Save whatever money you don't spend for the next round.

ROUND 2: Buy a good SSD with 120GB to 256GB of storage, and use that as your new primary drive. Two good choices are the Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD and the Crucial M500 240GB SSD. Each one is available for under $200.

I also recommend either a new power supply or a new case (if not both, assuming you can afford to). A newer power supply could be more energy efficient (if you get a good 550 watt or greater PSU) or easier to work with (if you choose a modular power supply with removable cables). A newer case could give you more internal space, more fans, or (in some cases) some tool-less assembly.

ROUND 3: Buy the processor, motherboard, and at least 8GB of RAM together. Due to the age of your current platform, you'll eventually have to replace everything. To give you some perspective, the quad-core Intel Core i5-4570 costs around $200, a good B85 or H87 motherboard can reach upwards of $75, and an 8GB stick of RAM is currently at least $60. If you wish to overclock, you need to consider either the Intel "K" processors (which carries a considerable price premium alongside a Z87-based motherboard) or an AMD-based platform (but some AMD processors can't keep up with the i5-4570 in many gaming benchmarks).

ROUND 4: If you haven't bought them by now, buy the new case and power supply. A couple of good examples for each one are:

Case - Corsair 200R, NZXT Source 210 Elite
PSU - Corsair CX600V2, Seasonic SSR-550RM

You could also buy a third-party CPU cooler and other accessories you may need for your system.

Is the above plan feasible?

(One more thing: If you can find a legal 64-bit copy of the same version of Windows 7 you're currently using, you can reuse your license key without penalty.)

That's an amazing job you did there. And yes, I think I can work with that. The thing is, should I wait to use the new video card until the 3rd round? also, in my vast ignorance, what's the meaning of buying a SSD as a primary drive? and why isn't better to change the round 1 for round 3?

Thank you very much man, I really apreciate all the help.

PD: Also I forgot, the version is w7 ultimate

 

[tiraides]

The big issue for you is gaming performance. Though an SSD is much faster than a hard drive in starting/booting up and loading games and programs, it doesn't improve in-game performance. You essentially have to determine whether the processor or the video card is the greater performance bottleneck and upgrade accordingly.

However, the upgrading the video card (up to $400 for one card) is cheaper and (arguably) easier than a processor/motherboard/memory upgrade. And regardless of what you upgrade first (between the processor and the video card), the other part becomes the bottleneck.

Ideally, IMO, the upgrade "rounds" would go:

ROUND 1: Processor, motherboard, memory (e.g., one 8GB DIMM), DVD burner (either internal SATA or external USB)
ROUND 2: Video card, power supply
ROUND 3: 250GB SSD, case, CPU cooler (optional though preferred if you're overclocking)
ROUND 4: Additional parts as needed (e.g. second 8GB DIMM, additional case fans, additional hard drives to support or replace the older ones)

I would also shorten the time period between rounds to between 30 to 60 days.

What's more realistic for you?

 

[Hacendado]

The big issue for you is gaming performance. Though an SSD is much faster than a hard drive in starting/booting up and loading games and programs, it doesn't improve in-game performance. You essentially have to determine whether the processor or the video card is the greater performance bottleneck and upgrade accordingly.

However, the upgrading the video card (up to $400 for one card) is cheaper and (arguably) easier than a processor/motherboard/memory upgrade. And regardless of what you upgrade first (between the processor and the video card), the other part becomes the bottleneck.

Ideally, IMO, the upgrade "rounds" would go:

ROUND 1: Processor, motherboard, memory (e.g., one 8GB DIMM), DVD burner (either internal SATA or external USB)
ROUND 2: Video card, power supply
ROUND 3: 250GB SSD, case, CPU cooler (optional though preferred if you're overclocking)
ROUND 4: Additional parts as needed (e.g. second 8GB DIMM, additional case fans, additional hard drives to support or replace the older ones)

I would also shorten the time period between rounds to between 30 to 60 days.

What's more realistic for you?

I think that this rounds are best IMO too, I'll try to get the round 1 items in the next 30 days and also try to save as much as I can to buy the gpu first and if I can the new power supply for the next 45 days after the first round.
Also I'll be using the list of hardware you gave me. I did some cheking in my amazon store ( because I'm located in south europe ) and I'm thinking on this setup:

Intel Core i5-4570 - Procesador (3.2 GHz, 6 MB caché)
ASUS PCI-E N GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC
Corsair Series CX V2 600
NZXT Source 210 Elite
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Didn't see anything yet about the memory.

The only doubt I have right now is in the motherboard =/ I'm between the Z87-G45 or the B85-G43 the price difference its about 50$, I'm not planning on doing any overclocking because I simply don't know how, the only thing I'm thinking about is the long future.

What's your opinion about this?

 

[tiraides]

Look for the MSI B85M-G43. It has four RAM slots, four SATA 6Gb/s ports, two SATA 3Gb/s ports, and USB 3.0 support.

For memory, you don't need any special "performance" or "gaming" RAM. Look for one 8GB DDR3 1333 stick that runs at 1.5V. Sometimes you can find something like the Crucial/Micron Ballistix Sport on sale, but even the "value" RAM from a well-known "brand name" (with a limited lifetime warranty) is good for your needs.

What you choose in terms of video card depends on the games you want to play and the level of visual quality you use. (Do you use a 1920x1080 resolution?) For the new shooters, specifically Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, I'd consider the HD 7970 as your "bare minimum" video card for good performance (IMO, over 30 frame per second at High graphics settings).

 

[Hacendado]

Look for the MSI B85M-G43. It has four RAM slots, four SATA 6Gb/s ports, two SATA 3Gb/s ports, and USB 3.0 support.

For memory, you don't need any special "performance" or "gaming" RAM. Look for one 8GB DDR3 1333 stick that runs at 1.5V. Sometimes you can find something like the Crucial/Micron Ballistix Sport on sale, but even the "value" RAM from a well-known "brand name" (with a limited lifetime warranty) is good for your needs.

What you choose in terms of video card depends on the games you want to play and the level of visual quality you use. (Do you use a 1920x1080 resolution?) For the new shooters, specifically Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, I'd consider the HD 7970 as your "bare minimum" video card for good performance (IMO, over 30 frame per second at High graphics settings).

Hmmm ok, I'll choose that B85M-G43, I'll save around 30$ with that one.
As for the resolution, yes, I play at 1920x1080 but the thing is I don't usually use GPU's that aren't nvidia, from experience I had always problems with the sapphire-amd video cards, thats why I didnt choose HD 7970. Is there any option similar where I don't lose game performance?

 

[tiraides]

The Nvidia "equivalent" to the HD 7970 is the GTX 770. But the 4GB GTX 770 model may be more expensive for you (at Amazon UK) than it would for me (at Amazon US).

 

[Hacendado]

The Nvidia "equivalent" to the HD 7970 is the GTX 770. But the 4GB GTX 770 model may be more expensive for you (at Amazon UK) than it would for me (at Amazon US).

Wow, yes, its definetly more expensive, I guess I'll have to deal with my hate for non-nvidia gpu's xD

Thank you very much man

 

[tiraides]

So how are you planning your "rounds" now? Which specific parts are you buying per round?

 

[horrorshow]

Your rig is definitely older than 3-4 years....

Regardless, it's time to save your money and do a complete rebuild.

(Between your pre-Iseries Intel CPU and DDR2 RAM, it's just not worth it to throw any more money into that machine..... Maybe up your RAM to 8gb if you can find it cheap, but it's my understanding DDR2 ain't cheap these days....)

 

[tiraides]

The end goal here is an entirely new system, but the OP doesn't have and can't obtain all of the money he needs at once.

I've suggested that he break up his spending into rounds so he could buy everything piecemeal. Even though I normally wouldn't recommend that tactic to most people, the OP will be able to integrate his new parts into his current system.

 

[Hacendado]

So how are you planning your "rounds" now? Which specific parts are you buying per round?

Well, I decided ( at least for now ) that the rounds will be like this:

Round 1:
Intel Core i5-4570 - Procesador (3.2 GHz, 6 MB caché)
MSI B85-G43 Gaming
And 8GB Kingstone (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MT/s
( Don't have link for these because i'll get them in a local store where I've got a discount)
Round 2:
Sapphire Radeon HD7970 3 GB - This one
Round 3:
Power Supply, NZXT Source 210 Elite and Samsung 840 EVO 250GB Basic SATA Solid State Drive ( Also from another local store )
Round 4:
Another 8GB of RAM and nothing else, I forgot to mention I also have one extra fan for the proccesor that makes no sound and cost like 60$, so I don't think I'll be needing any more.

What's your opinion?