Considering upgrading an old machine, need some advice.

[roawh]

Hello,

I recently acquired an older consumer PC (~2007) for free and I am exploring some low cost upgrades that would allow me to improve its performance.

Computer details:
-HP a6130n (link)
-Athlon 64 X2 (B) 5000+ 2.6 GHz (65W)
-GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 (On-board)
-3 GB Samsung DDR2-667 (2 1GB, 2 512 MB)
-Seagate Barracuda 400 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec) 7200 RPM
-Stock 250W power supply (Max 12V power ~218W)
-Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

In the past, the computer had problems locking up frequently. I restored the computer to factory settings (clean install of windows) and I am now testing it with updated BIOS and NVIDIA drivers to see if the problem goes away. The computer runs fine considering it has Vista, so if the machine no longer locks up I think it is at least suitable to try upgrading.

I am planning on using an extra HDD I have in conjunction with the primary disk so I can store media files somewhere without bogging down the boot drive (I could partition but I think 2 HDD would be better).

There's not much I can do on the RAM side as I am basically maxed out for 32 bit Vista. The processor is slightly upgradable on this mobo, but not worthwhile. That leaves the graphics as the most updatable feature. To get a card I will need a new power supply (min 300W).

I am looking at a budget of $40-50, based on the parts that are out on the market right now (I could wait for future sales if I needed to):

~Corsair CX430 after mail in rebate $20
~MSI Radeon HD 5450 after rebate $15

Some questions I have are:
~If I get a PCI-e 2.1 video card like the Radeon HD5450, is that likely to be compatible with my mobo (which I believe is 2.0)?
~If not, should I focus on getting a card that is PCI 2.0?
~If I get a video card on the level of the HD 5450 or the GeForce GT 520, am I likely to need improved cooling in my case or is updating the power supply sufficient?
~Do you think I'll get my $50 worth out of swapping out these parts?
~Are there any other upgrades you would recommend in addition to or instead of buying a power supply and graphics card? :]

 

[DracoSense]

First off, all pci-e 3.0 cards are backwards compatible. So you can get any gpu you want (within reason).
Those upgrades look like the best thing you could do for that system. Seeing as the processor chip is old (AM2)
I think you will be able to run all new games at low, maybe medium if your lucky. Also if the GPU doesn't come with a fan, quite frankly it doesn't need it.

 

[gbryan101]

You can install a PCIE 2.1 or 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot. That said, I wouldn't spend the money on a new card to put in something this old. If you can get a refurbished, used, or clearance card, then maybe. The HD 5450 you are looking would be appropriate. You will need a new power supply. Even with the 250 watt that it has, PSUs degrade over time, which has a negative effect on their max power. I would replace it anyway, regardless of getting a graphics card.

As for cooling, I think you should be okay with a card at the 5450's level. They don't really produce that much heat. If it does become an issue, make a vent pattern and drill a new fan mount into the case.

Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will. If you expect too much from it, you are just asking for frustration.

As for other upgrades, I would suggest either partitioning the existing HD or buying another and then putting a lightweight Linux install on it, something like Lubuntu or Mint. It will be better than Windows Vista and doesn't have to cost anything.

 

[DracoSense]

You can install a PCIE 2.1 or 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot. That said, I wouldn't spend the money on a new card to put in something this old. If you can get a refurbished, used, or clearance card, then maybe. The HD 5450 you are looking would be appropriate. You will need a new power supply. Even with the 250 watt that it has, PSUs degrade over time, which has a negative effect on their max power. I would replace it anyway, regardless of getting a graphics card.

As for cooling, I think you should be okay with a card at the 5450's level. They don't really produce that much heat. If it does become an issue, make a vent pattern and drill a new fan mount into the case.

Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will. If you expect too much from it, you are just asking for frustration.

As for other upgrades, I would suggest either partitioning the existing HD or buying another and then putting a lightweight Linux install on it, something like Lubuntu or Mint. It will be better than Windows Vista and doesn't have to cost anything.

You are kidding right? Lubuntu is such a horrible Linux build, it crashes and is unbelievably glitchy. Any OS but that. I mean even Vista is better than that.

 

[gbryan101]

You can install a PCIE 2.1 or 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot. That said, I wouldn't spend the money on a new card to put in something this old. If you can get a refurbished, used, or clearance card, then maybe. The HD 5450 you are looking would be appropriate. You will need a new power supply. Even with the 250 watt that it has, PSUs degrade over time, which has a negative effect on their max power. I would replace it anyway, regardless of getting a graphics card.

As for cooling, I think you should be okay with a card at the 5450's level. They don't really produce that much heat. If it does become an issue, make a vent pattern and drill a new fan mount into the case.

Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will. If you expect too much from it, you are just asking for frustration.

As for other upgrades, I would suggest either partitioning the existing HD or buying another and then putting a lightweight Linux install on it, something like Lubuntu or Mint. It will be better than Windows Vista and doesn't have to cost anything.

You are kidding right? Lubuntu is such a horrible Linux build, it crashes and is unbelievably glitchy. Any OS but that. I mean even Vista is better than that.

I have had pretty good success, mostly using it on extremely old hardware that was not able to keep up with anything beyond Windows 98. I'm talking about machines from the mid nineties. I guess my expectations (and standards) are lower than yours.

 

[roawh]

"Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will."

^
This is what I will be doing. Thank you for the input so far everyone.

If I tried to pick up a used card for cheap does anyone have some idea of what range of models I should be looking at?

 

[DracoSense]

You can install a PCIE 2.1 or 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot. That said, I wouldn't spend the money on a new card to put in something this old. If you can get a refurbished, used, or clearance card, then maybe. The HD 5450 you are looking would be appropriate. You will need a new power supply. Even with the 250 watt that it has, PSUs degrade over time, which has a negative effect on their max power. I would replace it anyway, regardless of getting a graphics card.

As for cooling, I think you should be okay with a card at the 5450's level. They don't really produce that much heat. If it does become an issue, make a vent pattern and drill a new fan mount into the case.

Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will. If you expect too much from it, you are just asking for frustration.

As for other upgrades, I would suggest either partitioning the existing HD or buying another and then putting a lightweight Linux install on it, something like Lubuntu or Mint. It will be better than Windows Vista and doesn't have to cost anything.

You are kidding right? Lubuntu is such a horrible Linux build, it crashes and is unbelievably glitchy. Any OS but that. I mean even Vista is better than that.

I have had pretty good success, mostly using it on extremely old hardware that was not able to keep up with anything beyond Windows 98. I'm talking about machines from the mid nineties. I guess my expectations (and standards) are lower than yours.

Yeah Lubuntu tend to run better on old systems, but im talking about 10+ years, something like roawh's pc still has some life in it. I don't think my standards are pretty high, its just it came to the point where trying to change any settings on the OS resulted in the PC crashing.

 

[gbryan101]

You can install a PCIE 2.1 or 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot. That said, I wouldn't spend the money on a new card to put in something this old. If you can get a refurbished, used, or clearance card, then maybe. The HD 5450 you are looking would be appropriate. You will need a new power supply. Even with the 250 watt that it has, PSUs degrade over time, which has a negative effect on their max power. I would replace it anyway, regardless of getting a graphics card.

As for cooling, I think you should be okay with a card at the 5450's level. They don't really produce that much heat. If it does become an issue, make a vent pattern and drill a new fan mount into the case.

Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will. If you expect too much from it, you are just asking for frustration.

As for other upgrades, I would suggest either partitioning the existing HD or buying another and then putting a lightweight Linux install on it, something like Lubuntu or Mint. It will be better than Windows Vista and doesn't have to cost anything.

You are kidding right? Lubuntu is such a horrible Linux build, it crashes and is unbelievably glitchy. Any OS but that. I mean even Vista is better than that.

I have had pretty good success, mostly using it on extremely old hardware that was not able to keep up with anything beyond Windows 98. I'm talking about machines from the mid nineties. I guess my expectations (and standards) are lower than yours.

Yeah Lubuntu tend to run better on old systems, but im talking about 10+ years, something like roawh's pc still has some life in it. I don't think my standards are pretty high, its just it came to the point where trying to change any settings on the OS resulted in the PC crashing.

Lol, I do know what you mean. The two machines I have used it on were both from around '95 or so and weren't very good then. At the time I got them (around '08), Lubuntu was the "new thing" to tack onto Ubuntu for older machines. I guess I just got used to spending a lot of time troubleshooting and in the terminal. Eventually, the bugs get worked out. Ironically, neither machine can run modern Lubuntu. Roawh could easily run Ubuntu, including 13.04, but I suggested something lighter because it would be very fast, even on the older hardware.

 

[Rafeed Iqbal]

"Are you going to get your money's worth? That depends on what you are expecting from the machine. If you want to browse the web, create and edit documents, play light games, and listen to music, then yes, you probably will."

^
This is what I will be doing. Thank you for the input so far everyone.

If I tried to pick up a used card for cheap does anyone have some idea of what range of models I should be looking at?

that psu is a good choice. As for gpus: HD 6670, 7670, 7730 are all good choices.

 

[roawh]

that psu is a good choice. As for gpus: HD 6670, 7670, 7730 are all good choices.

Thanks rafeed. I think those graphics cards are a bit beyond what I'm looking for, but if I could get the 6670 for around $30 on sale or rebate I would consider it.

Right now I'm looking at things on the graphics hierarchy list near the HD 5450.

 

[Rafeed Iqbal]

that psu is a good choice. As for gpus: HD 6670, 7670, 7730 are all good choices.

Thanks rafeed. I think those graphics cards are a bit beyond what I'm looking for, I don't think I can get those for <$20.

Right now I'm looking at things on the graphics hierarchy list near the HD 5450.

the powercolor 6670 is 58 $. borrow 30 $ from someone. used it should be 20-30 $.

 

[roawh]

Looks like it's on MIR for $49 at the moment, I'll consider it...thanks