interest but would you say updating bios & drivers worth it, even if just for the updating it to the current/latest version from mobos manufacturer?
Updating BIOS isn't something you can do on a whim. BIOS update, as such, is only viable when you know
for a fact that newer BIOS fixes the specific issue you have with your PC. (E.g if i want to use Kaby Lake CPU with my Z170 chipset MoBo, i need to update my MoBo BIOS.) If there are no issues, there is no reason, what-so-ever, to update BIOS. Just because you "can" update BIOS doesn't mean that you "have to". Or in other words: "If it ain't broke - don't fix it."
Most MoBos never get their BIOS updated and work fine until they are obsolete. Also, do note that when BIOS update would be interrupted for whatever reason (e.g power loss), your MoBo
will be bricked since PC won't run when MoBo has corrupt BIOS. And only fix is MoBo replacement. If lucky, you can roll back the BIOS update, if your MoBo has that feature. Or use 2nd BIOS in some high-end dual-BIOS MoBos.
Driver updates, in the other hand, doesn't come with such a severe risk as BIOS update comes. Still, old rule still applies: "If it ain't broke - don't fix it."
E.g GPU drivers are one such that i haven't updated for a while and until there isn't any issues with it, i'm not going to touch it either. Though, some latest games may require more up-to-the-date GPU drivers, so, only then i'll update mine.
But best course of action would be:
* download new drivers
* uninstall old drivers
* reboot
* download and install DDU (
https://www.guru3d.com/download/display-driver-uninstaller-download/ ) after which, use DDU to get rid of all lingering GPU drivers
* reboot
* install new GPU drivers
MoBo drivers usually don't get updated. The one it initially comes with, it remains as so. E.g i haven't updated my MoBo drivers for the past 8 years or so and all works fine.
Other software updates are quite frequent. Windows, web browsers etc. Best to do those, since newer version, usually, is better than older one.
And then, there are hardware firmware updates. Those have the very same risk as with MoBo BIOS update (technically, BIOS update for MoBo is MoBo firmware update). Some hardware that can have firmware updates are: M.2 NVMe SSDs, gaming peripherals and hardware that is part of brand ecosystem. E.g NZXT AIOs, where firmware is updated via NZXT CAM software. Same goes to Corsair hardware, which firmware is updated via Corsair iCUE software (mice, KB, AIO, RAM etc).
I will probably format the drives and try reinstall windows os like you said I dont wanna take the guy words for it.
For absolute security, you could buy a new OS drive and install Win there. Since with brand new drive, there is no risk of malware. Though, some malware can survive even drive format. So, it comes down on how sure you want to be with this.
These two seem credible and thorough enough at glance for what I need, even if for a diff mobo. Thoughts?
1st one, not so much.
2nd one, JayzTwoCents, yes. Jay is very knowledgeable when it comes to AIOs, especially custom water cooling loops. Jay has also made nice tutorial videos. Another one whom you can trust, is Steve Burke from GamersNexus.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/c/gamersnexus
All my PC news and other info comes mainly from GamersNexus.
Though, for Win11 install, i suggest that you read our very own tutorial about it, made by one of our long time members,
link:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/windows-11-clean-install-tutorial.3831442/
can this mobo take 2 of my old rams too?
No.
Your old system is running Intel Haswell architecture CPU and in turn, DDR3 RAM. The Ryzen build you bought (if it arrives, that is), is using DDR4 RAM. DDR3 and DDR4 aren't compatible. The RAM slot is keyed differently and you can't install DDR3 RAM into DDR4 RAM slot.
idk if it got 4 slots or if adding 2 much inferior rams with 2 decent ones will bottleneck and break performance.
While the Ryzen system does have 4 RAM slots, i advise against just chugging in two more DDR4 RAM sticks, since that would be mixing the memory and chances that old RAM set works fine with new RAM set, is 50:50.
Further reading, especially the 2nd chapter:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq...y-ram-and-xmp-profile-configurations.3398926/
This article answers all your questions about RAM.
Idk if I can just remove the HDD and SSD from the old one and it be a "plug and play" type of deal
Yes. However, do note that when you have OS installed on old drive (be it SSD or HDD),
DO NOT boot off from it. Win installed under Haswell architecture is configured for that hardware only. Most of the times, the old OS won't even boot and if it does, it will throw errors and BSoD. But you can install the old OS drive as data drive, to copy/paste personal data from it. But
do not launch any installed applications on that drive. Again, those apps are installed to work on old PC, and not on new one.
brace your eyes for the rats nest shipping directly from Amazon refurbish warehouse😁
I've seen far worse ratsnest of cables inside the PC. Yours looks actually quite clean. Or at least, almost best what can be done in that Dell prebuilt.
Anything I can salvage without costing performance will be worth it for me.
Besides the SSD and HDD, only thing you might be able to salvage would be the SATA data cables (the red one and the blue one). Rest isn't compatible with new system. Not even the front intake fan, which seems to be 92mm fan. Could be 80mm fan as well. But the new Ryzen build PC case does not have compatible fan mounts for 92mm or 80mm fan.
Thing with Dell prebuilt systems is, that many of the components are proprietary and can't be transferred into standard ATX build. E.g PSU is proprietary, MoBo is proprietary, PC case is proprietary. CPU isn't compatible with new build (but is compatible with Intel B85, H81, H87, H97, Z87 or Z97 chipset MoBo). RAM is DDR3, so, not compatible with new system either. Front intake fan is too small for today's standards, so, no mounting holes for that one. Also, it's small, noisy and doesn't move much air due to it's small size. So, won't give anything much in terms of cooling either.
Should I connect the pc to monitor with VGA cable or hdmi? or it doesn't really matter?
Monitor is connected to GPU and EVGA RTX 2070 Super KO has: 1x HDMI and 3x DP ports. If you connect PC monitor to the PC, best to use DP (DisplayPort). HDMI is more common on TVs.
VGA is such an old analog connector, that it is long obsolete nowadays.
Successor of VGA is DVI, but that too is obsolete nowadays. Today, only HDMI and DP remain.
And do the radiator fans go behind it or before it? is it case > 3 fans > rad or case > rad > 3 fans?
Currently it should be mounted: case - fans - rad. This way, you can see the fans through the front panel and how they spin + their RGB (which you can disable). Mounting it other way around: case - rad - fans, would hide the fans behind the rad, but would give more light glow inside the PC case.
On maintenance aspect, mounting it: case - rad - fans would be easier, since then you can just pop off the front panel to get access to the front of the rad, from where to pluck dust off, just like it was seen in the Linus'es video i linked above.
But most people keep the front rad installed as: case - fans - rad, since many want to see the fancy fans spinning.