Best (Economical) Upgrading Options?

[gbaker200]

I would like to upgrade my current system, but I'm not sure which is the best approach: an upgrade bundle, a DIY kit, or buying individual components.

I currently use an HP p6140f (circa 2009) with the following upgrades:

Antech VP450 PSU
Zotac GeForce GT 630 4GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Dual DVI HDMI Graphics Card
PCI x1 and x16 USB 2.0/3.0 ports
Samsung SSD

I primarily use the computer for design, video editing, and streaming webinars.

I would like to upgrade the processor and motherboard, but bundled options for the mATX case are limited, so I'm considering either buying individual components or a new PC kit with an ATX case.

I've never built a computer, and while I'm comfortable plugging in PCI cards, I don't know if working with the motherboard and the processor might give me unexpected difficulty.

I'm also not sure if I'm better off with a 4th generation processor (more mobo and memory options) or if I'd be smarter to go ahead and "future proof" with the 6th gen.

I'm also trying to decide between the i5 and the i7. The i7 seems to be about $100 more in either generation, and while keeping the cost down is important, I spend about 18 hours a day working at the computer, so making that a faster and more pleasant process seems worth it.

My usage typically has me switching between Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint, Word, Excel and 20 or so browser tabs. I usually consolidate just the files I need before launching the webinars and I do my CAD design independently (although the lure of open web pages always beckons), but just the Adobe products slow my system enough to cause frustration and I'd love to have faster (i.e., not over night) video rendering!

Any advice is welcome.

 

[Martin1982]

Try to sell the whole system, but keep the ssd..
Your case is not worth keeping bad airflow, Psu you might not have the connections you need (pci power pins) And only 450w
The rest of it is socket 775 old dead platform.
Start all over what is your budget what will you use it for?

 

[gbaker200]

Try to sell the whole system, but keep the ssd..
Your case is not worth keeping bad airflow, Psu you might not have the connections you need (pci power pins) And only 450w
The rest of it is socket 775 old dead platform.
Start all over what is your budget what will you use it for?

I primarily use the computer for design, video editing, and streaming webinars -- with pretty heavy multitasking.

Budget for a totally new system would be less than $1000, which is why I want to reuse as much of the existing hardware as I can.

The extreme power supply calculator recommended less than 400W for the current equipment with both the i5 and i7 processors and the Asus Z170 and Gigabyte B85 boards, so unless I'm missing something, the 450W should be okay.

The current processor is 95W, and the case has been cool enough, so I'd think the airflow is sufficient for an 84W or 65W processor, no?

The majority of my files are on networked or external drives, so I don't really need a new HDD, and I'd definitely keep the SSD as my boot and programs drive.

 

[Martin1982]

Xeon E3-1231v3 it's socket 1150 it's basically an i7 but without integrated graphics.
If you are not going to use it for any gaming at all then you are fine with that Psu and case.

 

[gbaker200]

Xeon E3-1231v3 it's socket 1150 it's basically an i7 but without integrated graphics.
If you are not going to use it for any gaming at all then you are fine with that Psu and case.

Thanks again, Martin. The Xeon looks especially good for rendering, but I was thinking the integrated graphics would be a good backup if the video card ever craps out (in that I wouldn't be out a computer while I wait for a replacement). Maybe I can hold off a little longer and watch prices on an i7.

 

[Martin1982]

Remember to get a good amount of ram it is very helpful for your usage, and the price of ram is really low.
if you can afford the i7 it is the best solution... The next step is the x99 platform but it is quite expensive.

 

[gbaker200]

I opted for the i7 4790 on a GA-H97 HD3 with 16 GB Kingston Savage RAM. Should start arriving tomorrow!