Rebuild or Repair?

[gedbryce]

My present 7 year old flight sim computer is starting to click a bit and some times refuses to boot, warning me the HDD is not too happy and needs replacing. This made me think is it time for a major rebuild. I only use the computer for flight sim. My 'upgrade plan' is to multi boot it with Win7/ FSX and Win10/P3D. Maybe my Hardware not too bad and improvements not value for money? and just need to replace the Hard drive and add SSD, 8GB mem? New CPU good value for money? My present system is:
MB=Asus P8Z 68-V PRO ( I use the turbo feature for oc)
CPU=Intel Core i7 2600k @ 3.4GHz with water cooling. FSim loves CPU.
Mem=8 GB G.Skill 800MHz DDR3. want to go to 16GB(2x8GB)
Video=NIVADIA GeForce GTX580(FSim not video hungry)
HDD1= VelocitiRapter WD 6000HLHX(Replaced once due to clicking)
HDD2= Seagate Barra XT 2TB
PSU=Not sure 850W from memory
Geoff

 

[CountMike]

Can't see any viable straight forward upgrade from there, only alternative is making new system using few old parts, maybe GPU and disks, eventually PSU if it's in really good condition. If your only problem is only disk(s), you could always get an SSD which is good addition to any system anyway.

 

[gedbryce]

Can't see any viable straight forward upgrade from there, only alternative is making new system using few old parts, maybe GPU and disks, eventually PSU if it's in really good condition. If your only problem is only disk(s), you could always get an SSD which is good addition to any system anyway.

The MB and the CPU seem to be ok. The PSU was replaced under warranty two years ago. I need to replace the HDD very soon, so I am considering a SSD to house the win7 and win10 operating systems and FSX and P3D, and the HDD for the sceneries, weather etc and add on A/C. I guess one of my main concerns about update is the CPU. Is the i7 2600k far below newer CPU's? as flight sim is processor, rather than video reliant , so you really want the most powerful CPU you can afford. Once you get newer CPU, maybe this opens the door to needing a new M/B, then new DD4 memory. A bit of a slippery slope.

 

[CountMike]

I suppose you could go up to 3770K according to: https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_PRO/HelpDesk_CPU/ but that's not going to bring any revolutionary changes.
Some i5 6600k would be probably first next step with about 20 - 25% better performance. That also means changing everything to new platform.
I had FSX working OK on my AMD FX 6350 but P3D was too much.
FSX should work on W10 too, look at this : http://windowsreport.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-x-windows-10/ so maybe you won't need W7 too. It's much simpler to run only one OS but it's OK in dual boot on two disks. I'm running W7 on one SSD and W10 on another SSD. If done right there's no complications like on one disk.

 

[gedbryce]

I suppose you could go up to 3770K according to: https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_PRO/HelpDesk_CPU/ but that's not going to bring any revolutionary changes.
Some i5 6600k would be probably first next step with about 20 - 25% better performance. That also means changing everything to new platform.
I had FSX working OK on my AMD FX 6350 but P3D was too much.
FSX should work on W10 too, look at this : http://windowsreport.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-x-windows-10/ so maybe you won't need W7 too. It's much simpler to run only one OS but it's OK in dual boot on two disks. I'm running W7 on one SSD and W10 on another SSD. If done right there's no complications like on one disk.

Thanks for quick reply. I had thought about only W10, but my PMDG MD11 only flies in W7. It seems that FSX is being walked out of the park and P3D replacing it, especially when(if) they get the 64bit version working. I am currently typing this on my general machine with the i5 7400, and this means I had to replace MB etc. So...the compromise was both os and flight sim engines. As this is my flight sim machine, really no other non flight stuff there to get confused with W7/W10

Will the M/B understand there are two SSD drives with two operating systems and on boot, ask if W7 or W10? sounds very messy, but maybe not!!

 

[CountMike]

Yes, there's multiple ways to keep OSs apart and still be able to choose between them.
One is too choose disk (and OS on it) thru BIOS and/or fast boot device switch (it's F12 here).
Another (better) way is to use EasyBCD program on a disk considered primary (the first one set in BIOS) to make a boot menu and simply choose which OS to start. Same could be done from BCD file manually or change boot options (again manually) in msconfig.exe but EasyBCD does it for you. I also have Linux Mint on third disk and can use Start menu to choose it.
Best part of two (or more) disks boot is that there's no mixing with other OS so for instance if you have to repair one installation, the other one is not affected which can happen with dual boot on same HDD.

 

[gedbryce]

Thanks Mike for great solution to my dual boot question. EasyBCD looks just the thing. And, keeping the operating systems apart on different physical drives means should one fail, you have the other system to use. I guess you need to keep some good housekeeping rules as saving a file when in the W7 world, will remain in that world? and not be seen in the W10 world?
Getting back to the first question, It seems to update my processor to the new type will require me to move away from 1155 socket which then means a rebuild, and as you say, this could be new bits and old compatible bits together...ummm
old box,power supply, but need new MB,CPU, SSD, HDD,water cooler,memory. Flight sim sites saying P3D use the video card better, which means maybe updating this as well. Not sure what their supposed 64 bit system will require...maybe more memory. I have learnt over the years waiting for the best means forever waiting.

 

[CountMike]

As for dual (or multi boot) on separate disks, you can hide other disk(s) in each of OSs by removing the letter of the other on.
Example:
Boot from Disk 1, W7 is C:/ and disk 2, W10 will be D:/, hide D:/ (turn it's letter off on disk management).
Boot from Disk 2, W10 is C:/ now and disk 2 W7 will be D:/ hide D:/ (turn it's letter off on disk management).
Which ever you boot from will not see the other disk and no mixups are possible.

 

[gedbryce]

As for dual (or multi boot) on separate disks, you can hide other disk(s) in each of OSs by removing the letter of the other on.
Example:
Boot from Disk 1, W7 is C:/ and disk 2, W10 will be D:/, hide D:/ (turn it's letter off on disk management).
Boot from Disk 2, W10 is C:/ now and disk 2 W7 will be D:/ hide D:/ (turn it's letter off on disk management).
Which ever you boot from will not see the other disk and no mixups are possible.

Great solution, as this removes the off chance of losing files etc. Is the boot disk always C:/ ? EasyBCD looks like a great program.

 

[CountMike]

Yes, disk (or partition) you boot from is always C:. I also keep up the practice (since DOS times)to name every disk for added certainty of which disk is in question.
Name of my disk with W7 is "Win7" and one with with W10 is "Win10". Third one with Linux is named "LinMint" and other two, although partitioned in 2 partitions are named "Data, Backup1" etc depending on intended use. Because of often change of drives they may not keep same letter in different OSs but I know by their name (also marked in ink on each one), exactly which one is which.

 

[gedbryce]

Thanks Mike, You seem to have the Disk structure sorted out. Good idea to always keep the drive as the OS name, as this removes confusion as well as being inked if and when they need changing out. I never knew the PSU had some many cables to connect to the 5 drives.