[SOLVED] Switch case or buy a pre-build?

[Volkamer]

I'm absolutely over my Alienware x51 R2 mini-ITX case.
I'm unsure of whether it would be worth simply moving all hardware into an ATX case or just buying a pre-built, installing my GPU and going from there with a new slate.


Hardware:
CPU: Intel i72600
Motherboard: Andromeda H87 LGA 1150 mini ITX Motherboard 0PGRP5 PGRP5
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 670
RAM: Patriot Signature 4GB (x2)
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB 64 GB
Dunnno if it matters but I'm using Windows 10, Home Edition (64)

From what I've read, it seems perfectly possible, but I want some input from people who have experience with PCs and my main concern is how I'll attach the Power Supply since it's fully external in the form of an AC/DC adapter.
And if it IS possible to just swap cases over, is it recommended that I update any of my hardware?
I don't do any hard core gaming. I mostly just play Sims4 and Minecraft with Shaders and I also have a Wacom Cintiq 16 I use for digital illustration, if that matters.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

is it recommended that I update any of my hardware?

oh yes, pretty much everything.
that's a 10 year old CPU with a 9 year old GPU and using old DDR3 memory.

while it should be relatively easy to move the components to a new case,
though you would need a new power supply,
i would be looking more towards a new build from the ground up.

 

[Eximo]

Well, you have some discrepancies in your parts list there. LGA 1150 and i7-2600 are not compatible, would have to be at least a 4000 series processor for the motherboard to make sense, or you have the chipset wrong.

Not really worth salvaging at this point. 2nd gen or 4th gen i7 is basically an i3 of today (pentium even), so for very little you could replace the system more or less completely.

Something like an i5-10400F, a cheapish B560 motherboard, and a nice 2x8GB kit of DDR4 3200Mhz would only set you back a few hundred. Add a chassis and power supply and you are all set. Probably want an SSD for the OS at this point as well.

 

[Eximo]

Probably a little much, and you would have to keep the GPU for now, since they are basically unobtainable:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($175.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B560M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($112.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($82.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA G5 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $598.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-07-12 16:43 EDT-0400

 

[Eximo]

Can certainly cut corners from there though, drop down to an i3, get a cheaper motherboard and memory. Even a smaller power supply, though we are talking like $10 less there. Already a cheapish case, but I like to recommend it since it comes with two fans and doesn't look terrible.

Or even do another small form factor build. Mini-ITX can be pretty powerful and still quite modular. Though the cost of motherboard and chassis tends to go up.

The above build would be ready to accept something like an RTX3060 or Radeon 6700 (when released) quite handily and be a computer that can run Sims 4 or Minecraft for a decade or more. Could even try out Ray Tracing for Minecraft if you get an RTX card.

 

[Volkamer]

oh yes, pretty much everything.
that's a 10 year old CPU with a 9 year old GPU and using old DDR3 memory.

while it should be relatively easy to move the components to a new case,
though you would need a new power supply,
i would be looking more towards a new build from the ground up.

I had a suspicion that was the case. I looked up the parts on PC-Specs to see if my hardware was still capable of doing what I needed, the site said yes, but I'm glad I sought out the input of people who know what they're doing.
Thanks for your insight!

Well, you have some discrepancies in your parts list there. LGA 1150 and i7-2600 are not compatible, would have to be at least a 4000 series processor for the motherboard to make sense, or you have the chipset wrong.

Not really worth salvaging at this point. 2nd gen or 4th gen i7 is basically an i3 of today (pentium even), so for very little you could replace the system more or less completely.

Something like an i5-10400F, a cheapish B560 motherboard, and a nice 2x8GB kit of DDR4 3200Mhz would only set you back a few hundred. Add a chassis and power supply and you are all set. Probably want an SSD for the OS at this point as well.

I'm not surprised. As a casual user, it was kinda of difficult to find what I was looking for in regards to the motherboard, let alone tell if the info I did find was correct in my situation.
I'll see if I can't find the parts you recommend and get them together..or find something comparable as a pre-build. Not sure what the margins is between your recommendation and a pre-build so if you think I'm better off building from your recommendation rather than go pre-built, I'll be glad to take that route.

 

[Eximo]

Well, there are cheaper pre-builds with similar hardware out there, they even have GPUs in the case of the Intel F series processors that are likely better than your old GTX670. However, they come with similar problems. Proprietary power supplies, custom motherboard shapes, limited upgradeability. Single channel ram is a common flaw that the OEMs can't seem to grasp. Poor CPU coolers (with proprietary mounts)

So basically, just the same basic computer, but crippled all around:
Small SSD, single channel memory, small power supply, not really intended for graphics cards or upgrades.

https://deals.dell.com/en-us/produc...Rqdzl_g631Gka7omjjdF0cMRtfvOQGwkJKNs-PzquQ9rG

Better, but still quite bad.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gam...Rqdzl_g631Gka7omjjdF0cMRtfvOQGwkJKNs-PzquQ9rG

Also non-Dell out there, and boutique builders to consider.

CyberPowerPC is alright as long as you know what you are getting into, and have the experience to check the computer over once you get it. They commonly forget simple things since they have people building many machines a day. Newegg has their house brand, NZXT build services.

But you would be looking at starting prices around $1000 for something with a GPU.

Probably don't want to go down the route of Maingear, Origin PC, or Falcon Northwest. Great computers, but you pay about a 50-60% markup.

 

[Volkamer]

Well, there are cheaper pre-builds with similar hardware out there, they even have GPUs in the case of the Intel F series processors that are likely better than your old GTX670. However, they come with similar problems. Proprietary power supplies, custom motherboard shapes, limited upgradeability. Single channel ram is a common flaw that the OEMs can't seem to grasp. Poor CPU coolers (with proprietary mounts)

So basically, just the same basic computer, but crippled all around:
Small SSD, single channel memory, small power supply, not really intended for graphics cards or upgrades.

https://deals.dell.com/en-us/produc...Rqdzl_g631Gka7omjjdF0cMRtfvOQGwkJKNs-PzquQ9rG

Better, but still quite bad.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gam...Rqdzl_g631Gka7omjjdF0cMRtfvOQGwkJKNs-PzquQ9rG

Also non-Dell out there, and boutique builders to consider.

CyberPowerPC is alright as long as you know what you are getting into, and have the experience to check the computer over once you get it. They commonly forget simple things since they have people building many machines a day. Newegg has their house brand, NZXT build services.

But you would be looking at starting prices around $1000 for something with a GPU.

Probably don't want to go down the route of Maingear, Origin PC, or Falcon Northwest. Great computers, but you pay about a 50-60% markup.

In that case, it sounds like my best bet is to follow your list of recommended parts. I expected to pay at least $500 anyway so I'm def not sore about the price and I'm fairly pleased that it's possible to do better than my current build and at the low end of what I expected to pay.
Since GPUs are hard to come by and mine seems to be doing okay, I'll hang onto it for a bit. I do notice some kind of odd, horizontal static while playing Sims specifically, though. But only while playing Sims. Not sure if that's a red flag for my GPU. I had somebody suggest my connection between my PC and Monitor was going bad. (Monitor is about a year old but I am using an adapter if that matters)

Thanks for your time and wisdom btw.

 

[SamirD]

This is a very proprietary system--attempting to move it to anything will be more expensive than buying a used prebuilt and moving over the gpu and ram.