HP Pavilion p6-2212d

[john61016]

Hi! Can you suggest an upgrade for my old pc? I plan to upgrade my i3 2nd gen and graphics card. I will use it for gaming. Thanks!

 

[jr9]

While you have options for processor upgrades such as the i5 or i7 2nd or 3rd gen. Anything after 3rd gen will not work with your motherboard.

You may have issues trying to install a modern graphics card like a 1050 GTX. HP OEM machines built before 2012 tend to not work with any nVIDIA card in the 700 series or later. I can't find any benchmarks with modern cards with that PC. A 600 series card would probably work. Radeon series 200 or lower should work.

If you get a video card upgrade then you may need to upgrade the power supply as well.

 

[john61016]

While you have options for processor upgrades such as the i5 or i7 2nd or 3rd gen. Anything after 3rd gen will not work with your motherboard.

You may have issues trying to install a modern graphics card like a 1050 GTX. HP OEM machines built before 2012 tend to not work with any nVIDIA card in the 700 series or later. I can't find any benchmarks with modern cards with that PC. A 600 series card would probably work. Radeon series 200 or lower should work.

If you get a video card upgrade then you may need to upgrade the power supply as well.

Probably I could upgrade first my motherboard so that I could cater future upgrades?

 

[jr9]

OEM micro PCs are not designed for large upgrades but some are possible. You could replace the motherboard with a brand name one. That case should accept a standard microATX board. If you did this:

1. You would have to reinstall Windows.

2. Your OEM Windows license would no longer be usable as new motherboard = new computer in the eyes of Microsoft.

So the expenses would be: CPU, motherboard, new PSU as the HP one sucks, new Windows license, a new case if you want to ever have a big GPU, graphics card of course.. this is basically a new computer at that point. That is too much expense for an old system.

I would get a 1050 GTX first and see if it works. If it does, upgrade the CPU and go from there. If the machine won't boot with a 1000 series card, I'd consider looking at another PC or building one and then move the 1050 into the new machine.

 

[john61016]

OEM micro PCs are not designed for large upgrades but some are possible. You could replace the motherboard with a brand name one. That case should accept a standard microATX board. If you did this:

1. You would have to reinstall Windows.

2. Your OEM Windows license would no longer be usable as new motherboard = new computer in the eyes of Microsoft.

So the expenses would be: CPU, motherboard, new PSU as the HP one sucks, new Windows license, a new case if you want to ever have a big GPU, graphics card of course.. this is basically a new computer at that point. That is too much expense for an old system.

I would get a 1050 GTX first and see if it works. If it does, upgrade the CPU and go from there. If the machine won't boot with a 1000 series card, I'd consider looking at another PC or building one and then move the 1050 into the new machine.

Thanks for the big help! Will get the 1050 and start from there.