[SOLVED] Upgrading after 10 years -- Help

bharat617

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Jun 23, 2009
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Hi All

I am upgrading my system after 10 years and need some some help of which components i can reuse. I would like to reuse as much as possible but if its going to hurt ore than help, im open to a completely new build. I primarily use it for gaming.. games I want to play are Battlefield V or similar games

Here's my current build:
Cooler Master NAF Case
Vendetta CPU Cooler
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M600 RS-600-AMBA-D3 600W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ...
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 DirectX 10.1 100245L 512MB 256-Bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X3 720 Triple-Core 2.8 GHz Socket AM3 95W HDZ720WFGIBOX Black Processor
CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1600C9
Western Digital Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E1T0B/AM)

New build:

Reuse:
Cooler Master NAF Case
Vendetta CPU Cooler
CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model
Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E1T0B/AM)
Western Digital Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive

Buy new:
Ryzen 3600
B450 Motherboard
Radeon 5700 XT
1 TB SSD

Please let me know if you guys have any better options for me.

Thanks much
 
Solution
There isn't really a way to test a PSU. It's really, really old in terms of power supplies. I'd recommend selling it and getting a new one regardless of whether it is working now. It'll save lots of time wondering what is wrong, and possibly also save damaging your other components, later on down the line. If you tell us what country you are in, we'd be happy to give some recommendations for old quality new PSUs in your budget.

The 5700 XT will definitely be great at 1440p.

I'd recommend selling them. For the PSU, make sure you mention the fact that it is 10 years old, so might not be up to the task as it was when it was new. Selling them not only means someone who cannot buy new has the opportunity to get them, but also adds to your...

Gavin Crane PC

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The only things you can keep from your old build is the PSU, case, and your storage drives. DDR3 Ram will not work on the AM4 platform, you'll need DDR4 which goes around $70 for a decent 16GB kit. Preferably 3000MHz speed or more. The 3600 also comes with a decent cooler. The new parts you listed sound good.

Looks like it's going to be an awesome build.
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
I would just get one of the cheaper x570 boards. People have been having problems, getting b450 to work, with Ryzen 3000 chips. You cannot reuse ddr3, with Ryzen. Ryzen requires ddr4. An Intel 660p, would be a great budget option, for a new SSD. You are going to need a good quality power supply as well. What is the hardware budget, reusing as much as possible, from your old build? I do believe case and cooler will be fine, along with your current storage. While old, that cooler does use AMD's brackets for mounting, and that style has not changed, since S754. Only the way the bracket attaches to the motherboard has changed.
 
If you intend to move to Ryzen then you can't reuse the old RAM. Current platforms require DDR4 RAM.

The Ryzen 5 3600 is a solid choice. I suspect most B450 motherboards won't have updated BIOS to be compatible with it out of the box. May want to consider MSI motherboards with 'Max' in the name, or with BIOS flashback+.

May want to consider a new PSU as it sounds like yours has been well used.
 
Hi, unfortunately you won't be able to reuse the DDR3 RAM. You will have to buy new DDR4. To get the best performance, I'd recommend 2×8GB DDR4-3000MHz, or faster.
Also, are you thinking about keeping the PSU or getting a new one. I'd strongly urge you to get a new one, especially if that one is the same age as the PC. The SeaSonic Focus Plus Gold is a great price at the moment.

Some tips:
• Wait for the 5700XT to come out with custom coolers. They will be quieter and have lower temperature.
• I'd recommend the MSI b450 Tomahawk. It's a good quality motherboard, and has the ability to be updated to ryzen 3000 support without a compatible CPU.
• Unless that Samsung 860 is too slow to boot for you when being used to store Windows and your favourite games, I'd recommend keeping it. If you do want faster loading times, get rid of the HDD and keep the Samsung as your second storage device. Use an NVMe drive like the Intel 660p to then store Windows and the things you want to load quickly.
 

bharat617

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Jun 23, 2009
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Thanks so much for all the responses..

Looks like i have no choice on the ram, i will find a good 16GB set and may be 32GB later

Is there a way to test the PSU to see it needs to be changed?

Ive done some research on motherboards and kind of summarized that i dont really need a x570 unless i need PCIe4 or something ((which i am not entirely sure what it is and what benefits it gives)... looks like the Tomahawk is around a 100 bucks and the cheapest x570 is like 170 or 180 .. i could use the difference to get a new PSU and stick with b450

Perfectly happy with the samsung ssd, so probably keep that for now and get at NVMe later if there is a good sale

BTW i should mention i recently got a 1440p 144Hz LG from costco which I am hoping the new GPU will drive better

Also a dumb question.. what do i do with the old parts? One of the reason i want to reuse as much as possible is that i hate throwing these away (you know the pollution and all :))
 
There isn't really a way to test a PSU. It's really, really old in terms of power supplies. I'd recommend selling it and getting a new one regardless of whether it is working now. It'll save lots of time wondering what is wrong, and possibly also save damaging your other components, later on down the line. If you tell us what country you are in, we'd be happy to give some recommendations for old quality new PSUs in your budget.

The 5700 XT will definitely be great at 1440p.

I'd recommend selling them. For the PSU, make sure you mention the fact that it is 10 years old, so might not be up to the task as it was when it was new. Selling them not only means someone who cannot buy new has the opportunity to get them, but also adds to your budget, and as you say, means there is less of an environmental footprint. If any parts don't sell, you could give them to friends/family, or take them to an electronic recycling centre.
 
Solution

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
There isn't really a way to test a PSU. It's really, really old in terms of power supplies. I'd recommend selling it and getting a new one regardless of whether it is working now. It'll save lots of time wondering what is wrong, and possibly also save damaging your other components, later on down the line. If you tell us what country you are in, we'd be happy to give some recommendations for old quality new PSUs in your budget.

Seriously? There's plenty of ways and devices that you can use to test a PSU. There's hundreds of PSU testers and PSU testing kits that you can buy on Newegg and Amazon. Hell you can test your PSU with paper clips you have in your desk drawer if you so desire.

That said though I do agree with not using a PSU that's that old. It's definitely time to replace it.
 

bharat617

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Jun 23, 2009
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i was hoping initially to keep the upgrade under 500 but thats before i saw the prices of these things ... so at this point trying to get to something under a 1000 but dont want to buy anything that wont get me any better performance for gaming really

where are some places to sell the old parts? ebay or craigslist?
 
You need an oscilloscope to measure PSU performance. Electronic components (especially capacitors) degrade over time and 10 years is quite a long time for a PSU (depends on your usage, though). I support the recommendation to replace it.

This is a good start.

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-cx-series-cx450-450w/p/N82E16817139201

I've been told very recently that MSI ensures Ryzen 3000 support with their newly released boards (not sure about other brands though):

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/msi-300-400-series-max-motherboards-amd-ryzen-3000,40015.html

If you don't want to bother with BIOS flashing and all that hassle, you might consider these boards.

Not sure about where to sell the old parts though. I think any platform will be fine.
 
eBay would be the best as it has international and national reach (Global Shipping Program is free for the seller), but if you'd rather keep it simple and not have to ship anything, selling it as a whole gaming PC, rather than in parts, on Craigslist is also a good option.
 
here is a $500 build that blows your old system away:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($133.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Team GX1 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DIYPC MA01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($19.98 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12III 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $505.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-22 06:12 EDT-0400
 
here is a $500 build that blows your old system away:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($133.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Team GX1 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DIYPC MA01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($19.98 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12III 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $505.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-22 06:12 EDT-0400
I think they are planning on building a slightly better PC than that at the moment. Also FYI, the Seasonic S12III is really low quality, not Seasonic made etc. I'd recommend not to choose this, same reasons as for PSUs like the Corsair VS and EVGA bronze.

I think that without the storage you could get $200 for it. If you were to buy a second hand 500GB hard drive for it, which would cost about $15-$20, you could then sell it for about $250.
 

bharat617

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2009
28
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18,535
here is a $500 build that blows your old system away:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($133.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Team GX1 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DIYPC MA01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($19.98 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12III 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $505.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-22 06:12 EDT-0400

I know that i can do this too ... but was planning to put something together that can last another 5 to 8 years with may be a video card upgrade in between
 

bharat617

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2009
28
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18,535
I think they are planning on building a slightly better PC than that at the moment. Also FYI, the Seasonic S12III is really low quality, not Seasonic made etc. I'd recommend not to choose this, same reasons as for PSUs like the Corsair VS and EVGA bronze.

I think that without the storage you could get $200 for it. If you were to buy a second hand 500GB hard drive for it, which would cost about $15-$20, you could then sell it for about $250.
ok thank you .... i'll do that math on this... if i leave the HDD in there and sell it for 250 then for that i could get a new case, new fan, new PSU and a new ssd may be.. which at the end might make it easier to just sell it as a whole and put the money towards the new build
 
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