[SOLVED] Upgrade advice

[Luigi108]

I am interested in replacing my desktop with one that is more responsive. My current one is very slow both at startup and during operation. I am a retiree and I do database work, photo editing and maintain records for various organizations that I belong to - not much video and no gaming.

I found a refurb pc for ~$300 that I think would be appropriate. ...
Refurbished HP 8300-SFF WA2-0239 Desktop PC with Intel Core i7-3770 Processor, 16GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive and Windows 10 Pro

I was thinking of adding a SSD and gigabit network card.

Any feedback would be appreciated. My daughter has received great advice from this forum and suggested that I post to get some feedback from more knowledgeable users than myself.

Thanks

 

[Mickieg1994]

i would not buy this as a prebuilt as the older intel chips are still too expensive when for $150 you can get a motherboard and cpu that will be much faster, go for an AMD, prebuilt, if you like, make sure it is AM4 platform and have a look at what you can get, if possible to get someone you know to build it for you and you will get a much better deal, infact a $300 budget can go a really long way nowadays

Ssd will be perfect for you for now, it will speed up your boot times and make the machine feel a bit more snappy when using it, pretty soon though if you are photo editing you may want a more powerful processor in future, which would probably be a whole new platform

Crucial MX500 comes highly recommended
Kingston
Samsung
Western Digital
All good brands for SSD's, just be wary of the prices as sometimes you will only pay a little bit more for alot more storage, i'd recommend anything with a 5 year warranty as a good rule

Gigabit ethernet is not quite what you would want unless you are downloading and uploading massive files all the time, or are already paying for gigabit internet speeds, normal ethernet is usually fast enough for most users

 

[Luigi108]

Thanks for your feedback. If I could stay in the $300/350 range, I would like to build a new machine. It would be a great experience. My daughter just finished building a gaming machine which was specified through this forum and she is thrilled with the result. Her specs (although some prices have risen substantially in the last month) were ...

CPU: Ryzen 1600 AF $85.
https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Stealth-Cooler/dp/B07XTQZJ28

PCPartPicker Part List
Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($70.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 4 GB GAMING Video Card ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $410.93

Since I will not be using the machine for gaming would I be better off with a new configuration or modifying this build.
Possible changes ...

• I don't think that I would need the video card which brings the price down close to my range.
• The price of the Rysen 5 1600 has jumped to $149 ... is there any alternative that would still provide a responsive unit.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mickieg1994]

Excellent set up you have for her there, she will be good to go for years to come depending on which games she is playing, also when the newer parts come down in price upgrading her machine will be dead easy, only suggestion maybe to throw an old hdd in there for more space, you can get them dirt cheap nowadays

Perhaps the new 3100 or 3300x may be compatible with your motherboard but do check first, 4 cores 8 threads is all you need for essentially an office machine but my ryzen 7 2700x has gone on sale around about the 130-150 mark, i'm in the uk so i payed £150 for mine but it's a great little chip for not too much more money, i reckon an 8 core chip will last me a few years before becoming too slow, i game alot but the overall responsiveness when booting and using the computer in general is better, if the price difference is that small just spend the extra money, if you are not gaming on it that chip will last many years

 

[Luigi108]

Excellent set up you have for her there, she will be good to go for years to come depending on which games she is playing, also when the newer parts come down in price upgrading her machine will be dead easy, only suggestion maybe to throw an old hdd in there for more space, you can get them dirt cheap nowadays

Perhaps the new 3100 or 3300x may be compatible with your motherboard but do check first, 4 cores 8 threads is all you need for essentially an office machine but my ryzen 7 2700x has gone on sale around about the 130-150 mark, i'm in the uk so i payed £150 for mine but it's a great little chip for not too much more money, i reckon an 8 core chip will last me a few years before becoming too slow, i game alot but the overall responsiveness when booting and using the computer in general is better, if the price difference is that small just spend the extra money, if you are not gaming on it that chip will last many years

Thanks for your advice. I will be building a machine in the near future ... I am hoping that some of the prices for the components will drop to near what my daughter paid. If not I will have to consider alternatives or paying more.