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Upgrading Old PC

The MSI H97 PC MATE, one 8GB stick of DDR3 1600, EVGA 500w, Windows 7 64bit, and the i3 4170 is what I would do....

Anything less and I think you'll be disappointed in the machines gaming performance.

This will provide a solid "backbone" which can then be complemented with a new video card, ssd, and monster processor as you fall into more money etc.
 
defaultluser said:
Also, if you want a recommendation for a significantly better CPU than the Celeron, this is the best all-around CPU from Intel is the 3.7 GHz Core i3 for 88 pounds:

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34170

It's 3 times the price of the Celeron, but has 40% faster single-threaded performance, up to 40% more performance in modern games that use four cores.

The next step up, the Core i5, starts at 150 pounds for the same turbo clock speed as the Core i3. Since it's clocked exactly the same, it won't make a difference unless you're playing a game that uses all four cores, and needs an immense amount of processing power. And those just don't exist.

Note: you probably should get an H97 motherboard if you get the 3.7 GHz Core i3, as it's a Haswell refresh.

Or you can get this 3.4 GHz Core i3 for the same price. It will be compatible with any motherboard:

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34130
Click to expand...

Honestly, considering that the A10-7850K costs near that i3 and gets him a significant CPU performance increase over the Celeron, plus a full-blown GPU update, I'd think you'd want to recommend that before the i3.
 
Not had time to have a proper look because been at work but was thinking the same, leaning towards the MSI H97 PC MATE and one 8gb stick ddr3 1600. That mobo has crossfire which means i can eventually run 2 video cards is that correct?

Not had time to look at anything else yet but I will have a good look later on today.

horrorshow said:
The MSI H97 PC MATE, one 8GB stick of DDR3 1600, EVGA 500w, Windows 7 64bit, and the i3 4170 is what I would do....

Anything less and I think you'll be disappointed in the machines gaming performance.

This will provide a solid "backbone" which can then be complemented with a new video card, ssd, and monster processor as you fall into more money etc.
Click to expand...
 
Ok so Im thinking I want the best motherboard suggested so I can fully upgrade the cpu, ram to 32gb and up to 2 video cards if I want too.

The cpu I may as well just go with the celeron as Im only going to be using this for flight sim atm and that is rather cheap so I wont be too gutted losing £28 when I upgrade it in the future.

RAM I will go with 1x8gb stick. That way I can eventually upgrade to the max of 32gb if I ever want too.

Now to the PSU. If I did run 2 video cards in the future would I need the 600w PSU or would the 500w still be good enough?

I'll stick with the video card I have for now and see if flight sim runs on high settings with it.

So...

MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150
Intel Celeron G1820 2.7GHz Dual-Core

EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply or VGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply <------- which do I need if running 2 video cards?

1x8gb ddr3 1600 <----- any recommendations as to brand etc?


Also I will be playing on my TV in the living room. I want to hook up to my home cinema system so is the easiest way to get a sound card with optical out? Any recommendations?

Lastly where is the cheapest place to get windows7?
 
We've literally told you most of this stuff already. Aiming for 32gb on a gaming system is a ridiculous goal. 500W is huge overkill for this system and was suggested so that it could be used in beefier future builds. Therefore a 600W PSU is utterly unneeded.

Running 2 GPUs isn't all it's cracked up to be. Do lots of research on the games you want to play and the cards you want to crossfire/SLI before doing this; not all combinations of hardware and software play nice. If you want a trouble-free system with no issues, run the best single card you can instead of two lesser cards.

If your computer doesn't have optical sound out but you need it, you have a few options:

1. Buy a USB to Optical Out Adapter: http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Advantage-Digital-Adapter/dp/B0036VO4X4

2. Buy a sound card like this one: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-sound-card-xonardg

3. Buy a new GPU with HDMI out and just run your sound to the TV through the HDMI.

IMHO, the last option is the best option. Fewer cables, fewer drivers and compatibility worries, and more cost-effective in the long run.

Let's suppose you were going to do this on a 150 pound budget. Instead of dropping any money on a sound card or adapter, getting a low-end modern GPU might be your best bet:

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/nJXYD3
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/nJXYD3/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Celeron G1820 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£28.00 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£32.17 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (£16.67 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GT 740 1GB FTW Video Card (£57.29 @ Aria PC)
Total: £134.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-18 16:59 BST+0100

This still offers a significant increase in performance over your present build - the CPU, RAM, and GPU are all decent upgrades over what you've got. Sell the 4850 to recoup some of the costs.

Look for Windows licenses cheap with old refurbished computers on ebay or places like G2A.com
 
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Yeah, 32GB on a gaming system won't be a thing for seven+ years. Most games can function just fine today on just 4GB. Don't worry aboput it, just set your sights on eventually beign able to upgrade to`16GB.

If I were to spend a little more today on one thing, it would be a single 8GB ram stick instead of a a 4GB stick, as that will make the future upgrade to 16GB easier. But otherwise the build above should be great.

And no JonnyConcrete, you don't want to bother with multiple GPUs, it's just a feature motherboard makers like to put on the package to make the board sound cooler. 1080p is easily doable on a cheap GPU like the GT 740 included in the build above, or you can get something more expensive like the GTX 750 Ti (around 100 pounds).

Adding a second GPU is never a good option unless you start out with a super high-end system, and just can't get the performance you want from a single GPU. You are obviously not doing that here :D

Also, you won't be using Crossfire because we are setting you up with an Nvidia GPU. I only suggest Nvidia because they get much higher performance for weaker CPUs like the Celeron, which essentially buys you a performance upgrade versus buying AMD.
 
OK points taken.


So I'll take your advice and order the above.

Now when I change out the motherboard and replace with the new gear is it simply swap the parts over? Do I want to change the parts before upgrading to win7 or after?

Got any links to youtube tutorials on the whole process I can watch first?


Is it OK to use this cpu as a local shop has one in stock for £30?

Intel Celeron G1840 Skt1150 Retail (Including Heatsink+Fan)
 
1840 is Haswell refresh.

Unless you're buying the h97 motherboard, you'll be taking a risk on possibly buying an older motherboard.

But if you can buy both the board and the processor in the same shop, and let them know you'll be returning the board until you get one that works, that should be ok.
 
Last edited:
To be honest I've decided to do a more substantial upgrade. Thinking of getting these parts now then get a gtx 750 for Christmas or maybe a gtx 960 then further down the line get a i5 or i7 cpu and an ssd drive, then even further down the line another 8gb ram and maybe a second video card sli.



http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/GYHBVn



Intel Celeron G1840 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor


ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard


Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory


EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
 
JonnyConcrete said:
To be honest I've decided to do a more substantial upgrade. Thinking of getting these parts now then get a gtx 750 for Christmas or maybe a gtx 960 then further down the line get a i5 or i7 cpu and an ssd drive, then even further down the line another 8gb ram and maybe a second video card sli.



http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/GYHBVn



Intel Celeron G1840 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor


ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard


Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory


EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Click to expand...

Glad you figured out a setup that works for you!

For Christmas, I would really recommend spending the extra 40-50 and just getting the 960.

(It makes sense.)

Let us know how the build turns out. Like default said, ENJOY! :cool:
 
E4g1e said:
At this point you're better off saving up for a complete new system. Any worthwhile upgrades to that old system will cost far more money than that entire system is currently worth.

Plus, that system might not be properly supported on any OS newer than Windows XP, which is now no longer supported by Microsoft (no updates - not even security patches - since April of last year).

And with whichever route that you choose, I'd strongly recommend a new PSU: That "405W" PSU is very likely a CWT PUF or PUFP based PSU, which is one of the crappiest PSU platforms CWT has ever released: It has been shown to fail to handle much above even 300W, let alone the inflated "405W" rating.

In other words, I and a few other posters at the [H] have been warning people who own such archaic PCs not to waste a single pence on them, especially if the entire system put together is worth less money (after depreciation) than a single worthwhile upgrade component. And if you can't afford a new PC at all whatsoever for months or years to come, then you might as well have absolutely nothing at all (PC-wise), especially since any single GPU upgrade that costs anywhere close to £100 will not provide a performance increase that's meaningful enough to justify your spending that amount. The cheapest worthwhile GPU upgrade for that system will cost you more like £250 - and then, you'd still need a new PSU, and that the performance will still be CPU-limited in many games that would otherwise be GPU-limited on a newer PC platform.
Click to expand...

What he said
 
Hi folks

So having a newborn and moving house has taken up all my time and money.

Ive got all the parts except the motherboard. I can get a z97 from argos 0% interest if I spend over £100.

They only have 4 over that price and looks like this is the only one that has sli support and has spdif optical out both of which I want.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3167139.htm

Is this motherboard ok to fit in with the build?

Also seeing as my hard drive is old would it be worth upgrading it for say something under £70?
 
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