Resurrect old workhorse, or do new budget build?

[Arrbjorn]

So I have an old workhorse that I built way back in 2008-2009 (don't remember exactly) that still runs great, however the performance parts have slowly been replaced by not so performant parts over the years as I've tried to keep her running on a budget.

All these years later I'm down to 4gb of ram, a GTS450 graphics card, and she's running on a 5200rpm 2.5" drive I harvested from an external drive I got for free.

Needless to say, she's a turd.

So now I'm wondering, is it worth bringing her back to life with updated ram, SSD/Disk drive combo, and a better graphics card. Or would I be better off trying to do a budget build?

Here are her current specs as she sits:

Asus Rampage Formula (yes, the original one)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 @ 3.0ghz
4GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1333 (two sticks still working out of the original four)
EVGA NVidia GTS450 GPU
2TB Toshiba 2.5" 5200rpm drive harvested from external drive
500watt PC Power and Cooling non-modular power supply


My thought is to throw in 8gb of ram, an SSD (OS/frequent games only), desktop 2TB drive, and an NVidia GTX1050. I've been out of the game for a while, but I'm pretty sure this should play most of today's at decent FPS even if it's at a little lower resolution.

Is this a good solution for the mean time, or would it be worth it to try to build a budget PC with the same (or a little more) money I would pay for the above components?

 

[velocityg4]

I wouldn't spend that much on it. You can get a used GTX 660 Ti 2GB , 670 2GB or 760 2GB for about $60. Which will pair well with that CPU. Then you can up the RAM to 8GB with a pair of 2x2GB DDR3 for about $20 used.

For games a few years old it will still do well. Games from 2015 and later will be hit or miss. It really depends on the game. Indie games and simpler games from major publishers should still play well. Major AAA titles, not so well.

Here's a Core 2 Quad paired with a GTX 750 on some major games. Any of the cards I mention will blow the doors off a 750.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHLxulIjSnc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNN4RmFPio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BmG7_2TP_s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4uFzpIhCQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-yEeumt7V0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkloGoVaJ8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0MPWiJjL50

As for an SSD. You can always use it later in a new build. For everyday use it will make the computer feel much faster. I have a Q6600 with a 120GB and it is quite peppy for daily use. The SSD made a big difference. Heck, I have a 120GB in a 2006 Core 2 Duo Macbook which is quite usable.

This should get you by for a couple more years. Although the prospects of some AAA titles is quite dismal.

Then I would suggest setting up a savings account and sock away $15 per week for the next two years. If you have trouble saving money. Destroy any ATM card and don't set up online access. Just make your deposits at the drive through window and never withdraw money. Perhaps you will develop a good habit.

 

[dudeman509]

If you intend to use them in a future build, you can go ahead and get a decent GPU (1050/1060) and a SSD, which will make a big difference.

4 GB of RAM is too little, but that's an investment you wouldn't get back with a newer system, as they're all on to DDR4 now.

 

[R4DIO4CT1VE]

upgrade to 8gb ram, maybe get a 750ti, 660ti, 950, RX460 or something of similar power, and an SSD. I think it would end up being a pretty capable computer, upgrades can easily be done for under $200.

 

[bambiboom]

So I have an old workhorse that I built way back in 2008-2009 (don't remember exactly) that still runs great, however the performance parts have slowly been replaced by not so performance parts over the years as I've tried to keep her running on a budget.

All these years later I'm down to 4gb of ram, a GTS450 graphics card, and she's running on a 5200rpm 2.5" drive I harvested from an external drive I got for free.

Needless to say, she's a turd.

So now I'm wondering, is it worth bringing her back to life with updated ram, SSD/Disk drive combo, and a better graphics card. Or would I be better off trying to do a budget build?

Here are her current specs as she sits:

Asus Rampage Formula (yes, the original one)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 @ 3.0ghz
4GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1333 (two sticks still working out of the original four)
EVGA NVidia GTS450 GPU
2TB Toshiba 2.5" 5200rpm drive harvested from external drive
500watt PC Power and Cooling non-modular power supply

My thought is to throw in 8gb of ram, an SSD (OS/frequent games only), desktop 2TB drive, and an NVidia GTX1050. I've been out of the game for a while, but I'm pretty sure this should play most of today's at decent FPS even if it's at a little lower resolution.

Is this a good solution for the mean time, or would it be worth it to try to build a budget PC with the same (or a little more) money I would pay for the above components?

Arrbjorn,

The amount spent on the current system is, in my view, would not be effective from a cost /performance perspective. and only delay replacing the whole system anyway.

Add up the cost of the upgrades: RAM ($25,), SSD ($70), 2TB drive ($90) and GTX 1050 ($140), which is about $325 and then add in the sales value of the current system at $75 for a total budget of $400.

For a $400 budget, consider:

Dell XPS 8300 Intel Core i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz 12GB RAM 1.5TB HDD *Very clean > $140 + $40 shipping

The i7-2600 4-core @ 3.4 /3.7GHz produces a Passmark average CPU rating of 8224 and the important single thread score is 1920. Compare that to the Q9650 figures of 4236 / 1268.

Add to that system

1. SSD:_____ $80
2. GTX 1050: $140
__________________
TOTAL=___$400

That would have much better performance than upgrading the current system, better future potential, and resale value.

Cheers,

BambiBoom