Question Out of the game a long time and need help

[goatfarmer]

Hi all. I have been out of the loop on gaming and PC's since 2008 when i built my current desktop to play Everquest. LOL. I was going to buy a laptop, and get a docking station for my office and get rid of the old dekstop, but have decided it may be more economical to but a tablet and upgrade the desktop.

I currently have an old 22" monitor with DVI-D connection only. I also have a 32" 720P TV with HDMI connection.

I DO NOT game anymore. This desktop will only be used for internet use, Excel/Word/Powerpoint, and to multitask on the monitor and TV(i.e. watch TV and surf the net simultaneously).

The current(old) desktop is an ancient E8400 dual core overclocked to 3.2GHZ with 4GB DDR2 memory and an ATX motherboard I also have a SATAII 500GB 7200RPM hard drive. The video card is an Invidia 8800GT.

I plan on keeping the case, the Corsair 550W power supply, and the old hard drive for storage.

Given what i need this desktop for, I am guessing i can upgrade just the CPU/Motherboard/Memory. I also want to get an SSD drive(around 50GB or so). If necessary, i need a cheap video card.

Looking for recommendations to keep this as cheap as possible and have it suffice for my needs for at least 5 years.

 

[86zx]

The cheapest thing to do would be to buy a older workstation like a dell precision t3600 I’ve had many older precision’s systems and honestly they are very reliable and have more than enough power for your needs. I recently got one for around 100$ so they are fairly economical

 

[mdd1963]

R5-3400G
MSI B450 Tomahawk (With this CPU/mainboard, you don't need a video card, the mainboard and CPU provide it)
Samsung 970 EVO Plus (500 GB)

(not sure I'd ever reutilize a 12 year old PSU, with new ones costing only $70 or so,....so...
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Bronze-Certified-Modular-CP-9020103-NA/dp/B01B72W1VA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22WGBELUHHGR4&keywords=corsair+cx650+power+supply&qid=1581886549&sprefix=Corsair+CX650,aps,320&sr=8-1

If the hard drive is 5 years of age or older, I'd not trust it beyond perhaps a 3rd copy of your data...; you can get a Crucial MX500 1 TB SSD for about $95 these days, or, if you need more storage capacity and like waiting on spinning drives, a WD Red 4 TB drive for $110 or so

 

[Ralston18]

My immediate recommendations:

With a 12 year old computer I would ease into it.

Start with a least a 256 SSD as boot drive and at least double the RAM. 2 x 8GB modules - if supported.

See how that initial hardware configuration performs.

Overall, you may be better off buying or building a new PC.

And that 550 watt PSU is likely to need replacement.

 

[86zx]

another option is if supported a core 2 quad q9400 that would double performance atleast and can be had very very cheap

 

[ohio_buckeye]

For your use, I'd probably go with the recommendation above for finding a used/refurbished PC. Find something like an old desktop with an i5 or i7, upgrade to at least 8 but preferably 16gb of ram. Grab about a 500gb SSD and toss in and it would run like new.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Just for web browsing and basic usage, you could get by with just upgrading to a better CPU, more ram, and an SSD.

Q6600 Quad core
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core...sh=item2cf3864b2e:g:qhEAAOSw1pZdYIBk&LH_BIN=1

8gb DDR2
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8GB-4GB-2G...5226b69fa3:m:m5cKYwcbmZeEOX104L6ZrdA&LH_BIN=1

240gb ssd
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dF448d/pny-cs900-240gb-25-solid-state-drive-ssd7cs900-240-rb \

I have used a Q9500 which is only slightly faster. It runs W10 well and does your tasks fine.

 

[86zx]

Just for web browsing and basic usage, you could get by with just upgrading to a better CPU, more ram, and an SSD.

Q6600 Quad core
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q6600-SLACR-Processor/193064225582?epid=74098758&hash=item2cf3864b2e:g:qhEAAOSw1pZdYIBk&LH_BIN=1

8gb DDR2
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8GB-4GB-2GB-For-Samsung-RAM-PC2-5300-DDR2-667Mhz-Desktop-Memory-DIMM-NON-ECC-Lot/352836820899?hash=item5226b69fa3Ⓜm5cKYwcbmZeEOX104L6ZrdA&LH_BIN=1

240gb ssd
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dF448d/pny-cs900-240gb-25-solid-state-drive-ssd7cs900-240-rb \

I have used a Q9500 which is only slightly faster. It runs W10 well and does your tasks fine.

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this but with windows 10 with a q6600 I get stutter during videos and the system over all feels lethargic but with a q9400 everything is smooth

 

[goatfarmer]

Sort of leary on used stuff, especially off the internet. I am actually leaning toward building a new computer with my current Antec 900 case. Will keep the old LG 22" Monitor. Will reuse my old DVD drive. Will use old SATAII hard drive as backup/spare drive. This setup lasted 12 years. Plus, I sort of like building them and want to again!

Leaning something towards purchasing/building something like the following:

CPU: Ryzen(so i can avoid a graphics card)
Motherboard: AM4(need recommendations on series and micro or full ATX)
Memory: DDR4, 8GB min(taking recommendations)
Hard Drive: SSD, somewhere in the 60-256GB range
Power Supply: No clue what is good today. Used to be Corsair and Seasonic

trying to keep it in the $300-$400 range. $500 absolute max if something is that much better i need it.

Again, mostly a multimedia setup and multitasking use as stated above. I doubt I will ever game again. Just want something that will last 5-8 years.

I could be talked into used stuff or upgrading what i have if possible if you think it is a good idea. Would need more justification over just building new, considering how old my stuff is. Would hate to buy used memory and cpu, then turn around and have hard drive go, or power supply, or motherboard and then have to buy new ones.

Although, it is tempting to try to find an old quad core and some memory and a ssd and see how it runs. But, if it doesn't do what I want, I'm out thet money.

 

[86zx]

A used cpu is a pretty good bet it’s very rare for a cpu to fail unless someone shorted it out, new stuff is nice too but if it’s just going to be a office pc you can get away with older stuff for quite a while longer

 

[ohio_buckeye]

if you go used, go with business class stuff. Like we use a lot of Dell equipment at work. Many times we pull older dell optiplexes with i5 or i7 processors from like 2013 or 2014. Not that they don't work any longer, but they are now getting toward 6-7 years old. However, if you can find a system like one of those, here's what I would do.

1. Replace the power supply with a decent quality unit just to be safe.
2. Remove the CPU cooler, clean the cooler and the CPU, and apply new thermal paste.
3. Upgrade to 16gb of ram to make the machine feel a bit snappier
4. Pick up about a 500gb ssd or whatever size you think you will need. Remove the drive in the system, and clean install windows 10 on the ssd.

The power supply you could probably skip, but I'd recommend doing that to be safe. The biggest things in the list though, replace thermal paste, you can get arctic silver 5 for under 10 bucks and that should last a long while. If you have more than 8gb of ram, installing an ssd drive as your boot drive will make most of those machines feel like new.

Work was getting rid of a PC, a Dell Optilex with an i7 3770 and 8gb of ram. I paid 50 dollars for it. Upgraded it from 8 to 16gb of ram, put a spare 600 watt power supply in it that used to be in my gaming rig. I figured that was overkill for what was required and should last a long while. Then put a 480gb ssd in there.

This system resides in my wife's home office, but starts up in about 30 seconds from a cold boot and runs great. If I even wanted a budget gaming system, I don't see a reason you couldn't pop in a 1660 super for example for a budget gamer with this box.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Here's a new build for you in that $300-400 range:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3200G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.04 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Green 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: be quiet! System Power U9 400 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.47 @ Amazon)
Total: $386.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-21 16:20 EST-0500

 

[goatfarmer]

I have been away from this way too long. Such a rookie mistake.

My battery died on the motherboard/CMOS. When I replaced it, didn't even think it would erase all my overclocking of the processor. Just went in and redid it. Have no clue what it was set to before, as it was done 10 years ago. Just did some tinkering and have the E8400 running at about 3.5GHZ. Much better performance. I do have an aftermarket cooler btw. That LGA775 used Quad Core(and overclocking it), some more memory, and an SSD is much more tempting now.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

SSD will make systems feel like new if your coming from a mechanical drive.

 

[SFPCIT]

It's good to hear you're back in the game!
As others have stated, I think a Ryzen APU would be a great choice. AM4 socket is great.
If you're looking for a max upgrade path I'd recommend the x470 or x570 boards if your budget fits, but you'd could do just as fine with a b450 which still has decent VRM solution. It' better to cheap out on the parts you know you're going to replace, and plan the board to take the one you're gonna swap.
Alot of it comes down to budget and preference, since amd is dominating the market, and the chips all generally perform well, and how big you go with the c/t counts is determined by the workload and user needs/budget.
ScrewySqrl has given you an amazing budget build, that is probably best performance to price ratio you'll find with good, quality component choices. You'd be hard pressed to beat that at $400, and it's a perfect place to start, becaus ethe upgrade path on that board goes all the way, and it does support 3rd gen out of the box. he literally done the legwork for you. I'm going to close with a +1 to his build, and say we will be here if you run into any snags during the build. Best Wishes!

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Personally I would buy an SSD, ram, and core 2 quad to see if the performance is up to what you need.

An SSD and 8gb ram can make a large difference in performance, especially compared to a HDD from 12 years ago.

If performance is adaquate, good. You saved a lot of money.

If not, you can take the SSD to your new PC and you only spent $20 or so on upgrades for the old system which may be able to be partially regained if you sell the PC.

 

[goatfarmer]

So, if i decide to try to get a used processor and memory, best sources for those? Ebay I am assuming is one. Anywhere else or any preferred used vendors with a good reputation?

 

[86zx]

With stuff that old eBay is your best bet I’d look for a q9400 I had a qx6850 overclocked to 3.8ghz and the q9400 at 3.6ghz and the 9400 beat it

 

[EndEffeKt_24]

Another question I would ask myself if I take money to buy me something new:
"Does it really has to be that big and ugly?"

For your use case you could get by with an itx machine arround 5 litres of volume or an ASRock Deskmini. It includes a motherboard and psu.

https://www.amazon.de/ASRock-Deskmini-A300-AMD-AM4/dp/B07P9GL1LN

 

[Ralston18]

Even with a "budget build" objective, I suggest a higher wattage PSU.

Leaves room for 1) growth, and/or 2) if you decide to build a more powerful build then the PSU is likely to be transferable.

One other thing I will mention: with respect to PSU's do not interchange the cables between manufacturers. Things are different and a mismatch may prove unworkable at best and disastrous at worse.

 

[goatfarmer]

Yeah, appear to have the E8400 overclocked to 3.6GHz now and running alright. Ditched Rivatuner and installed MSI Afterburner. Going to try to overclock the EVGA 8800GT with it and see how things go. If this works out well, I might try to find some old memory to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB or even 16GB if the price is right, as well as a Q9400 processor. Then, upgrade to a SSD drive. I really am thinking that this might suffice for my needs, and be rather cheap as well.

Thank you for all the input and advice!

 

[ohio_buckeye]

8800 gt. Wow. I remember when those cards were the big dog and expensive and how that I couldn't afford one at the time. Then the 9600gt came out and I got one of those.

 

[goatfarmer]

Ok. So next question.

I have an outdated motherboard in the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L version 1.0 .
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-EP35-DS3L-rev-1x#ov

I believe this is only a SATA 3gb/s interface. Thus, it would bottleneck most current generation SSD devices and limit my choices to a SATA interface version and not an M2 i believe, because i do not believe this motherboard's PCIe slots will support it. Am i correct? If so, need recommendations on an economical SSD drive for this motherboard, that will also work well if i decided to upgrade the motherboard and CPU in the future.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Correct

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Crucial MX500 is really the go to SSD. Performs like a Samsung 860 evo but is cheaper.

I have had my experience with cheap SSDs. Don't do it.