- Apr 5, 2013
- 2
- 0
- 10,510
Hi All,
I built a system a couple months ago because my family and I wanted a central file server type machine since we mostly use clients like our phones and tablets these days. I didn't think it would get used much.
Once it was built, I hooked it up to our main tv, installed Plex and a cableCARD, and it is in use as a media server. It works well but since it is in use all the time I think it might be smart to invest some more money into it. I need to know where I should upgrade to get the best performance boost for my buck.
Here are the specs (remember, I was thinking cheap when I built it):
Motherboard: M5A78L-M LX PLUS Socket AM3+ 760G mATX
Processor: AMD FX 4100 Black Edition 3.6GHz Quad-Core Socket AM3+
Memory: Micro Center 4GB DDR3-1333 (PC3-10666) CL9 Dual Channel
Video Card: EAH5450 SILENT/DI/512MD3(LP) AMD Radeon HD 5450 1024MB DDR3 PCIe 2.1 x16 - I did this because the motherboard didn't support HDMI directly from the board.
Hard Drive: Toshiba 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Operating System: Windows 8 Media Center Edition
TV Tuner: Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe
My biggest complaint is that it sometimes gets a little bogged down while running Media Center if it is running anything else that is processor intensive like converting video. It also takes a long time to start services on boot. I also want to make the machine more robust. It makes me nervous that it runs all the time like a server but the components aren't really meant to take so much abuse.
I want to upgrade a little at at time. Where should I start? I have about $150 to spend on it right now. I was thinking about upgrading to 8GB of memory (the max for this mother board) and maybe adding an solid state drive - I hate the thought of reinstalling Windows but I will. I am also running low on storage so I was thinking about adding another 2TB mechanical drive.
What kind of performance boost would I get if I changed to an AMD 6 core processor? Do you think it is wise to just wait on the memory and upgrade it to 32GB when I upgrade the processor and motherboard?
I am having so much fun with this computer. I have been playing Flight Simulator X on ultra high graphics with no lag. My wife also loves it because it has 4 tv tuners so she can record a ton of stuff that we are apparently going to watch when our kids grow up and go to college.
Thanks!
Rich
I built a system a couple months ago because my family and I wanted a central file server type machine since we mostly use clients like our phones and tablets these days. I didn't think it would get used much.
Once it was built, I hooked it up to our main tv, installed Plex and a cableCARD, and it is in use as a media server. It works well but since it is in use all the time I think it might be smart to invest some more money into it. I need to know where I should upgrade to get the best performance boost for my buck.
Here are the specs (remember, I was thinking cheap when I built it):
Motherboard: M5A78L-M LX PLUS Socket AM3+ 760G mATX
Processor: AMD FX 4100 Black Edition 3.6GHz Quad-Core Socket AM3+
Memory: Micro Center 4GB DDR3-1333 (PC3-10666) CL9 Dual Channel
Video Card: EAH5450 SILENT/DI/512MD3(LP) AMD Radeon HD 5450 1024MB DDR3 PCIe 2.1 x16 - I did this because the motherboard didn't support HDMI directly from the board.
Hard Drive: Toshiba 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Operating System: Windows 8 Media Center Edition
TV Tuner: Ceton InfiniTV 4 PCIe
My biggest complaint is that it sometimes gets a little bogged down while running Media Center if it is running anything else that is processor intensive like converting video. It also takes a long time to start services on boot. I also want to make the machine more robust. It makes me nervous that it runs all the time like a server but the components aren't really meant to take so much abuse.
I want to upgrade a little at at time. Where should I start? I have about $150 to spend on it right now. I was thinking about upgrading to 8GB of memory (the max for this mother board) and maybe adding an solid state drive - I hate the thought of reinstalling Windows but I will. I am also running low on storage so I was thinking about adding another 2TB mechanical drive.
What kind of performance boost would I get if I changed to an AMD 6 core processor? Do you think it is wise to just wait on the memory and upgrade it to 32GB when I upgrade the processor and motherboard?
I am having so much fun with this computer. I have been playing Flight Simulator X on ultra high graphics with no lag. My wife also loves it because it has 4 tv tuners so she can record a ton of stuff that we are apparently going to watch when our kids grow up and go to college.
Thanks!
Rich
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