Question about amd/intel cpus

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MrGeary08

Commendable
Apr 30, 2016
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1,510
Im wondering how to change from amd to intel. I know id need a new mobo and the intel cpu. Is there anything else? does ram have to be compatible? or hdd? im new to this stuff. I dont have the pc yet as im considering buying one.

I can get:
Amd athlon ii x2 b24 3.0ghz
8gb ram
1tb hdd

or:
i3 2100 3.1ghz
4gb ram
250gb hdd

I know the i3 is much better but the price difference is very little so I believe the hdd and ram makes the amd a better buy. I would want to upgrade the i3 as soon as i can anyways. so just how hard is it to change? If i got the i3 id have to buy more ram and upgrade the hdd, which would cost much more than the around $10 difference between the two computers.
as long as the only thing needed to change from amd to intel is the cpu and mobo. if hdd and ram need to be compatible then its not worth it clearly.
Sorry about my rambling xD im just trying to understand everything before i buy my first pc. I do plan on using it mainly for gaming, therefore will buy a gpu eventually. Hopefully someone can understand what im asking and help me.

Thanks in advance
 
Solution
synphul
Agreed, business/premade pc's especially sff are a royal pia and not suited for upgrading at all. They often use proprietary hardware that doesn't play well with other standard off the shelf parts, the sff cases are so small they use an inexpensive psu that may even be smaller than standard physically to fit the small form factor case. On top of being barely enough to power the system they were sold with in terms of power output.

What is your budget for this pc and what are your needs? Are you looking for something that you can use or eventually turn into a gaming system, something for simply surfing the web and email? You're almost always better off putting your own together. Older prebuilt pc's 'can' work if the usage needs are...
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I have nothing atm, just wondering about these two. only way to learn is ask questions to people who know more than me

i would be upgrading the cpu to some sort of i5 regardless of which one i bought, so i was thinking i could get the higher ram and hdd one for less money. i dont know the specifications on the ram or anything :/ even if i got the i3 i would need a mobo upgrade to a newer socket type. So its a mobo and cpu upgrade either way.
 
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Buying an old PC only to replace almost everything doesn't make much sense. You need to explain what your plan is and provide a complete list of parts that you want to reuse. They have to be awfully cheap because a brand new 1 GB HDD is inexpensive and the RAM probably is useless with a new socket 1151 motherboard. It has to include a case that can be reused (good ventilation) and a quality PSU.
 
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So, from what it looks like, your question is "How do I switch from an AMD based system to an Intel system?"

And here's how. First up, CPU. You should start by finding what Intel CPU you want, then buying a motherboard for it. If it's Intel 5th gen and below (with the exception of Broadwell), then you can keep the same RAM you have in your AMD system, which is DDR3. Once you get the compatible motherboard for the CPU, you pretty much have to disassemble your system and rebuild it with the new CPU and MOBO (and maybe RAM if you're going above 5th gen), then you're good to go.
 
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Yea it makes sense, i do want to upgrade the case, cpu/mobo, and gpu. Eventually the ram but i figure if there are no compatibility issues 8gb will be fine for awhile. i know it's technically cheaper just to build my own but that would cost more upfront which i dont have atm. I just want a pc atm to play older games that wont require much hardware. i have my ps4 for bf4/gta v and such games. But maybe would like to try them out down the road. Ive been wanting to get one of the pcs that are offered where i work, there is the amd one, the i3 2100, and an i5 2400. Ive been planning to get the i5 but id have to wait even longer to get it. ive been putting off buying anything until i have a solid plan as to not waste my money.
 
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Are those business PCs? If so, what make/model? I'm asking because they may include a weak PSU that can't be used in a newer system with a discrete GPU. Since you'll buy from your employer, why don't you test each one and then decide? Depending on how old the Athlon is, the DDR3 memory may be rather slow, e.g., only 1066 MHz.
 
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They are business pcs, they are sff, I believe they are in the optiplex line. they are sold online so i cant test them :/ and theres no info on the psu but i would assume its not very high wattage. They are refurbished by joy systems but i can get the amd for $140 and the i3 for $150. the original i5 i was going to get was for $250 and had 8gb ram and 1tb hdd, its the optiplex 990. Probably the best but i can get but id have to wait awhile longer. They said I should probably be able to put a gtx 750 ti in it without needing to upgrade psu.
 
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Agreed, business/premade pc's especially sff are a royal pia and not suited for upgrading at all. They often use proprietary hardware that doesn't play well with other standard off the shelf parts, the sff cases are so small they use an inexpensive psu that may even be smaller than standard physically to fit the small form factor case. On top of being barely enough to power the system they were sold with in terms of power output.

What is your budget for this pc and what are your needs? Are you looking for something that you can use or eventually turn into a gaming system, something for simply surfing the web and email? You're almost always better off putting your own together. Older prebuilt pc's 'can' work if the usage needs are limited with no plans to expand much in the future and they may be appealing due to cheap prices when a company is getting rid of them. However trying to save you from investing into something that will turn into nothing but headaches for you.
 
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Solution
But i find YouTube videos of people upgrading optiplex refurbished pcs? And its possible to change all hardware to a new case right? Ive tried to rebuild the pc and the parts end up being much more expensive, even used. Problem with building my own pc is i also have to pay for the os which is included on these refurbished ones. ive looked everywhere and i cant find a pc that matches or exceeds the i5 2400 8gb ram 1tb hdd for $250. im just wondering if i get the amd one could i switch out mobo and cpu for intel. Something better than the i5 2400. I already have a case picked out, just have to make sure the intel chip i upgrade to uses a mobo that fits the case. I really dont know what to get.
 
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We need some info before making you suggestion -

1. What is your budget? That means how much you want to spend now?
2. What is the purpose of the pc? What you will do with the machine?
3. Do you have any old parts that can be re used? Like hard disks? DVD drives? Cases?

For around $230 you can get a brand new system with intel pentium g4400, 8gb ram, 1tb hdd and decent power supply. You can also upgrade to better cpu like intel i5 6500 in this system later.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($58.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($27.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $226.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-27 15:25 EDT-0400

Does not include case, as you said you have already picked it. You can get a ok case with 20 bucks.
 
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You forgot to include the OS.

 
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Uh, you can't suggest an OS without first knowing what he's doing. If he's a true gamer, then Linux is a terrible choice, since it doesn't make sense to download Linux, and separately download a third party program like WINE, especially since Linux is a lot more complicated than Windows. Now if he was a guy who liked to customize his operating system, and had experience with Linux, did some light gaming (preferably not Steam), and even server work, then Linux would be a great choice. And if the OP already had an OS in mind, then all of what I just said is useless 😀
 
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Sure sounds like the OP is using Windows, and needs the OS to be included in his budget.
 
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TJ Hooker is most likely correct, but OP, if you have an existing Windows PC, you can download the boot media onto a hard drive through Microsoft's Windows Media Creation Tool. The issue with doing this is you can't personalize (I wish I could tell you how to bypass it, but it'd get me banned 😛), but hey, you're saving yourself at least one hundred dollars.
 
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