[SOLVED] Need (cheap) Recommendation

[go-rebels]

Looking to upgrade an older home built system w/integral Intel HD Graphics 4400 chip running an Intel Core i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50 GHz.

Looking to improve Zoom video conferencing and play some non-taxing, older 3D games.

Prefer a new card.

Thx!

 

[Archaic59]

Looking to upgrade an older home built system w/integral Intel HD Graphics 4400 chip running an Intel Core i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50 GHz.

Looking to improve Zoom video conferencing and play some non-taxing, older 3D games.

Prefer a new card.

Thx!

That's about a 7 year old system. If all the components are that age you're looking at a new build. You may be able to re-use storage and possibly even the chassis (case) but the rest will need replacing for any meaningful upgrade. In any case you need to spec your system, list a budget and your location. If your budget is really low you may be able to drop in a used i7 CPU that works with your current motherboard that should help a bit for a little while.

 

[go-rebels]

Yeah, I’ve been wrestling with that option for a few months now but I’m waiting for decent, modern graphics cards to drop to MSRP before I build an entirely new system. It may be another year before chip manufacturers can meet global demand, therefore I’m looking for an inexpensive upgrade (<$150 or so) now.

I’ve got a good mid-sized case and SSHD but that’s all that’s worth saving.

Maybe the Asus GT 730 2GB?

 

[jacob249358]

Looking to upgrade an older home built system w/integral Intel HD Graphics 4400 chip running an Intel Core i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50 GHz.

Looking to improve Zoom video conferencing and play some non-taxing, older 3D games.

Prefer a new card.

Thx!

I would recommend going with a new system. Refurbished dell optiplex is insane price to performance. This seller on ebay has a ton of refurbished pcs for cheap. I personally added an r5 340x to mine and my total was about $125 plus a wifi card. Probably add a 120gb SSD too

| eBay

 

[Zerk2012]

Yeah, I’ve been wrestling with that option for a few months now but I’m waiting for decent, modern graphics cards to drop to MSRP before I build an entirely new system. It may be another year before chip manufacturers can meet global demand, therefore I’m looking for an inexpensive upgrade (<$150 or so) now.

I’ve got a good mid-sized case and SSHD but that’s all that’s worth saving.

Maybe the Asus GT 730 2GB?

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce...?keywords=gtx+1030&qid=1641660924&sr=8-4&th=1

Comes with a low profile bracket incase you need it.

 

[jasonf2]

If you are looking to build, integrated graphics on a decent CPU will do anything you are looking for. If you want discrete graphics right now about the only way to go is to buy a prebuilt system. Unless you have a direct volume contract with Nvidia or AMD right now scalper prices are stupid. Personally my recommendation, do not buy a GPU, but provision for it (get a big enough PSU). Take some of the money you are saving on the video card and up-buy on the CPU. When card prices come back to earth then get your graphics card. There is a lot of investment in fab capacity right now, but it takes time to bring online. MSRP isn't probably going to go down anytime soon, but we will see MSRP pricing come back in the next couple of years.

With all of that said buying a GPU as an upgrade to your system is kind of like burning premium gasoline in a Yugo. It is expensive and you aren't going to see a huge gain.

If all you want is zoom and older games get an I5 with integrated graphics. It isn't going to be top of the line but will be reasonably priced and carry any of the loads you are looking at. You will also build the whole computer for less than the price you would have to pay to get a 3070.

 

[go-rebels]

That’s a good idea. Might you recommend a CPU that plugs right in? I’ve never just replaced a processor; is there any configuration that needs to be done or will the system seamlessly fire-up?

Maybe this i5 (Same LGA1150 socket)? Intel 4600 graphics. $87

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FJQ5ZZR/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PBMYJE6H9QXJC86ZM1JV

Does the i7 graphics perform better than the i5? Same Intel 4600 graphics, same socket. $170

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PND9T4F/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PKGNR0JX5KAER454BG93

 

[larkspur]

A i7-4790k is the top CPU for your board. You would want to update the BIOS first using your old CPU. But it's as easy as swapping it out - no OS software needs to change necessarily although you'd want to make sure the iGPU drivers were updated. They run really hot. A non-k i7-4770 would be easier to keep cool. But I really don't think a ~$100 used CPU upgrade would be worth it honestly. The iGPU in the 4000-series Intels is terrible no matter which CPU you use.

I would build new:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Fw7wNP

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($239.97 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME A520M-K Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($51.97 @ Amazon)
Total: $361.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-01-08 14:07 EST-0500

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-5-5600g-review

You'd want a new PSU too. But this would give you integrated graphics that can actually game and six Zen 3 cores that are capable of driving any dedicated GPU that you might buy in the future. This is just an example of course...

 

[Fect123]

AMD Radeon HD 7770 Ghz Edition is a good option if you're looking for something basic. it's cheaper & faster than the GT 730. it'll be able to run older games very well & still receives driver updates.

 

[jacob249358]

AMD Radeon HD 7770 Ghz Edition is a good option if you're looking for something basic. it's cheaper & faster than the GT 730. it'll be able to run older games very well & still receives driver updates.

yeah also the gt 710,730, and 1030 are all severely overpriced because that's everyone's go to option for some reason. When I built my dirt cheap PC I wasn't bout to pay $80 for a gt 710 so after some searching i found on ebay that there are a ton of r5 340x for $25 and it is between the 730 and 1030. I cant stop talking about it

 

[go-rebels]

Sorry for the simpleton question: can I replace a CPU + MB + RAM w/o a clean install of Windows? Yeah, I know, I probably should after 7 years.

 

[Fect123]

Sorry for the simpleton question: can I replace a CPU + MB + RAM w/o a clean install of Windows? Yeah, I know, I probably should after 7 years.

yes. it might ask you to re-activate though. it might also clash with pre-installed software

 

[go-rebels]

A i7-4790k is the top CPU for your board. You would want to update the BIOS first using your old CPU. But it's as easy as swapping it out - no OS software needs to change necessarily although you'd want to make sure the iGPU drivers were updated. They run really hot. A non-k i7-4770 would be easier to keep cool. But I really don't think a ~$100 used CPU upgrade would be worth it honestly. The iGPU in the 4000-series Intels is terrible no matter which CPU you use.

I would build new:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Fw7wNP

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($239.97 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME A520M-K Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($51.97 @ Amazon)
Total: $361.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-01-08 14:07 EST-0500

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-5-5600g-review

You'd want a new PSU too. But this would give you integrated graphics that can actually game and six Zen 3 cores that are capable of driving any dedicated GPU that you might buy in the future. This is just an example of course...

Larkspur, I took your advice and purchased exactly what you recommended. What a huge improvement!

Some notes:

1) You’ll need an old fashioned PS/2 connector to recognize the keyboard else you’re stuck in the BIOS screen waiting for an F1 command (couldn’t see my USB keyboard.) And you need to get into the BIOS to change the default UEFI setting else you can’t boot to your existing C: drive.

2) My graphics performance was worse than my old i3-Intel system until I updated the AMD 5600G chipset with fresh drivers. Now my graphics performance is 5-10x faster.

All in all, money well spent!

 

[larkspur]

Awesome! That's weird about the USB thing - did you try different USB ports? And yeah make sure you are using the newest drivers with your 5600g. Newer drivers should be more stable and possibly better performance. But if everything is working properly your system should be much much better than your old system, especially the graphics.

Things to keep in mind going forward:
-Your 5600g provides PCIe 3.0 to the graphics card slot. In the future if you decide to put in a dedicated graphics card then you are fine using a PCIe 4.0 card (they are backwards compatible) but make sure to use a graphics card that isn't limited to x8 or x4 PCIe lanes. Some of the new low-end graphics cards are limited to x4 or x8 lanes of PCIe 4.0. While those will work, they won't work as well on PCIe 3.0. But any full x16 lane graphics card will work great. Here's an example of a x4 lane PCIe 4.0 card: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-usd-199-rx-6500-xt-restricted-to-pcie-4-x4

-You can upgrade your CPU all the way to a Ryzen 5950x (16 cores, 32 threads)! BUT - your motherboard is inexpensive and might have issues getting the most out of such a powerful CPU. I would generally stick to Ryzen 5800x or lower on that board. Keep in mind - if it isn't an APU then you will need a graphics card. If you do choose to put a more powerful CPU in that board, make sure your mobo stays cool. You could use a "spot fan" and point it toward your motherboad's VRM such as (You'd have to shop around to find one but here's an example): https://www.newegg.com/antec-spot-cool-100-case-fan/p/N82E16835209058

 

[go-rebels]

Yeah, I tried 4 USB ports; the BIOS couldn’t seem to recognize my MS keyboard even though it appeared in the BIOS list as connected. After I used my PS/2 keyboard and reconfigured the boot sequence everything worked fine.

I’m not a hard gamer so my system today far exceeds what I need.

Again, thanks for the good advice!