- Sep 17, 2013
- 10
- 0
- 10,510
Hi all!
I've decided to geek out and upgrade my 2008ish PC - never done this before
. I'm not a gamer, but do need some extra horsepower for a software startup I'm working on and various media needs. Instead of wasting money on a new PC, I opted to simply update my current Gateway DX4300-11 (RS780 Motherboard, Phenom II x4 805, 8GB Ram, stock Radeon 3200, 1TB HDD). To keep costs down and considering my use, here is what I purchased based on research:
$58 - Corsair CX 600 Watt PSU
$40 - Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 GPU
$100 - Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA SSD
$20 - UtechSmart 4x USB 3.0 PCI card (I have a bunch of gadget)
$170 - Samsung C370 LED-Lit Monitor
$0 - Windows 8 license through work
(^ open to critique, can always return parts)
If a deal comes out on an AMD Phenom II x4 965-980 3.0+ ghz CPU, I may jump on it. I'm currently running 2.5 ghz AMD Phenom II x4 805. Right now, the upgraded CPUs are a bit expensive.
So that all being said, it's all coming in tomorrow, and I'm trying to strategize on how to do build this system in an efficient and correct way. What do you think about the following?
(1) [Already Done] Flash/update BIOS using Gateway's software here.
(2) Get some dusters and clean out all the dust! It's pretty messy. Haven't opened in since 2008. Unplug everything.
(3) Pop in the new PSU, SSD, USB PCI Card, GPU and Monitor in that order. I'm assuming it won't be too complicated - I've been inside a PC so have a general understanding of how things work. Boot into existing Windows 7 HDD and make sure it's working properly and install drivers.
(4) Update the firmware for the SSD (read elsewhere in forums) while in Windows 7. Pop in my Windows 8 disc/USB bootable and shut down.
(5) Unplug HDD with Windows 7 build. Power up and go into BIOS setup and turn on "ACHI" for advanced harddrive connectivity. Set boot order to the bootable drive with Windows 8. I'm assuming I will be taken into Windows 8 install from there after i set the ACHI setting.
(6) After install, shut down and power in HDD. I want to keep 1TB HDD for music and other files. Eventually format it.
Is this a good course of action or would it be better to do the Windows 8 install first on the SSD and then install the components later?
Thanks -- you guys rock!!
I've decided to geek out and upgrade my 2008ish PC - never done this before
. I'm not a gamer, but do need some extra horsepower for a software startup I'm working on and various media needs. Instead of wasting money on a new PC, I opted to simply update my current Gateway DX4300-11 (RS780 Motherboard, Phenom II x4 805, 8GB Ram, stock Radeon 3200, 1TB HDD). To keep costs down and considering my use, here is what I purchased based on research:$58 - Corsair CX 600 Watt PSU
$40 - Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 GPU
$100 - Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA SSD
$20 - UtechSmart 4x USB 3.0 PCI card (I have a bunch of gadget)
$170 - Samsung C370 LED-Lit Monitor
$0 - Windows 8 license through work
(^ open to critique, can always return parts)
If a deal comes out on an AMD Phenom II x4 965-980 3.0+ ghz CPU, I may jump on it. I'm currently running 2.5 ghz AMD Phenom II x4 805. Right now, the upgraded CPUs are a bit expensive.
So that all being said, it's all coming in tomorrow, and I'm trying to strategize on how to do build this system in an efficient and correct way. What do you think about the following?
(1) [Already Done] Flash/update BIOS using Gateway's software here.
(2) Get some dusters and clean out all the dust! It's pretty messy. Haven't opened in since 2008. Unplug everything.
(3) Pop in the new PSU, SSD, USB PCI Card, GPU and Monitor in that order. I'm assuming it won't be too complicated - I've been inside a PC so have a general understanding of how things work. Boot into existing Windows 7 HDD and make sure it's working properly and install drivers.
(4) Update the firmware for the SSD (read elsewhere in forums) while in Windows 7. Pop in my Windows 8 disc/USB bootable and shut down.
(5) Unplug HDD with Windows 7 build. Power up and go into BIOS setup and turn on "ACHI" for advanced harddrive connectivity. Set boot order to the bootable drive with Windows 8. I'm assuming I will be taken into Windows 8 install from there after i set the ACHI setting.
(6) After install, shut down and power in HDD. I want to keep 1TB HDD for music and other files. Eventually format it.
Is this a good course of action or would it be better to do the Windows 8 install first on the SSD and then install the components later?
Thanks -- you guys rock!!
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