[SOLVED] Existing Case & PSU: Best Very Cheap Stable Mobo?

raywood

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I have an old HP with an old, slow 32-bit ATX motherboard. What's the best combination of 64-bit CPU, motherboard, and (4+ GB) RAM to replace it with? Can it be done for $50?
 
Solution
Ok, so that's a micro-ATX motherboard. It's also a mid tower ATX case with an ATX power supply. So you SHOULD be good to go on all concerns for this model.

Not going to happen for fifty bucks though. Especially not if you want new, not used parts.

What kind of budget can you realistically budget for this? Even a dual core 64 bit low end Pentium is going to cost more than or just about at, fifty bucks, new. Then you're going to need a motherboard and memory as well.

Anything less than that is probably not even worth looking at or doing.
What is the model of the HP you have? Many HP, Compaq, and other OEM systems use proprietary form factor motherboards in cases designed only for use with the form factor it came with, that won't allow the use of aftermarket standard form factor motherboards or power supplies. Before making ANY plans to upgrade an OEM system, it would be wise to first make certain that the system you are trying to upgrade can even support an aftermarket motherboard or power supply.
 
Ok, so that's a micro-ATX motherboard. It's also a mid tower ATX case with an ATX power supply. So you SHOULD be good to go on all concerns for this model.

Not going to happen for fifty bucks though. Especially not if you want new, not used parts.

What kind of budget can you realistically budget for this? Even a dual core 64 bit low end Pentium is going to cost more than or just about at, fifty bucks, new. Then you're going to need a motherboard and memory as well.

Anything less than that is probably not even worth looking at or doing.
 
Solution

raywood

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The thought of upgrading this is actually the tail end of an inquiry into what difference an SSD might make. It does make the machine faster. At least now it can handle Chrome with multiple tabs open, without a delay of many seconds whenever I open, close, or switch tabs.

It seems that SATA III (rather than this motherboard's SATA II) would make much better use of the SSD.

It's funny that there isn't more old hardware out there. This machine is apparently at least ten years old. You'd think there would be the occasional semi-old never-sold motherboard lying around somewhere.

I may look at eBay for a decent used motherboard. My main concern isn't so much that it's used, it's getting into the quirks of old stuff. I had good luck with Gigabyte motherboards, for purposes of relative simplicity in setup.

Thanks for the quick reply. Cheers!
 
There IS new old stock out there (NOS), but generally speaking, it's been hoarded by sellers who know that later on they can charge 200% for a component if somebody needs it for an existing system because even paying twice the price for it, when they NEED it, is less expensive than a whole platform upgrade. Ebay generally has just about anything you need for just about any generation you need it for, from somebody with some NOS, but it won't be cheap usually.

Now used hardware, different story. That can usually be had for reasonable prices BUT as with anything used, you are rolling the dice and the only way to minimize the risk is to buy from a very reputable seller with MANY sales in their history. Even then, it's never a 100% guarantee that you won't get a lemon. Often though, sellers will work with you to make it right if there is a problem but you can't count on that in every case so as before, it's always some amount of risk involved.

Even new old stock could be risky because things like capacitors still age and degrade even when unopened and sitting in the box for years.
 
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