Upgrading PC Advice

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Elite Dragons

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Feb 3, 2014
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Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430

Processor: AMD Anthlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ 2.00 GHZ

RAM: 2 GB

System Type: 32-bit (Windows Vista)

Desktop: Acer, HP Pavilion a6109n monitor

Ok. I looked for a graphics card for casual gaming and I found a graphics card at Fry's Electronics for only $100 It's an Asus GTX 640 - 2GDDR3.

Now before I buy this product, I want to make sure whether it would be compatible or not and why or why not. I understand that I have a really crappy PC, but all I want is a casual gaming PC that can run most, if not, some games smoothly. I recently screwed my HP Pavilion a6109n monitor and it turned out that I can upgrade the RAM, graphics card, etc. My PC uses two sets of DDR2 RAM, each with 1GB. I have 4 RAM slots whereas the 2 are already being used.

I would like to know what would be the best RAM for me to get and about how much I really need. I also don't understand the difference between DDR2 & DDR3 RAM? Is DDR3 significantly better or not? If so, what would I need to replace for making DDR3 compatible?

I'm not sure if voltage matters when it comes to graphics cards. My voltage is between 58-60. Do I need to change the power supply before using this graphics card?

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Solution
clutchc

Yes, you can use your existing HDD if it is a SATA interface and not the older PATA (IDE).
http://www.ni.com/cms/images/devzone/tut/SATA%20vs%20PATA.png

Yes, you can use the same display if it has the correct connection to match the card you choose. What inputs does your monitor have? DVI? HDMI? VGA?

That Coolmax is a poor quality PSU. For a few dollars more I'd recommend this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Since you are not buying a "K" processor for easy overclocking, you could back off on the MB if you wanted...
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clutchc

clutchc

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If you stay with your stock PSU, chances are you can use any gfx card that does not need an aux 6 or 8 pin PCIe power cable feeding it. The GTX 640 (actually, GT 640) is one of those. But don't get the model with GDDR3 VRAM. Always opt for GDDR5. Much faster. If you want a card that uses less Wattage than the GT 640 but is at least as fast, look for one of the AMD Radeon HD 7750 cards instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006662%208000&IsNodeId=1&Description=hd%207750&name=Newegg&Order=BESTMATCH
...again, with GDDR5 memory.

Now on to system RAM (DDR), not to be confused with video RAM (GDDR)... The RAM you can use will depend on the motherboard in your system. Since you have an older processor, you may have an older MB that only uses DDR2 memory. That will be slightly slower than the more modern DDR3.

As to the voltage... it appears you have a confusion about that. There is no voltage used on the PC that is in that range. The power supply in your PC is fed from a 120V AC outlet (US). The power supply converts the power to 12V, 5V, and 3.3V DC for use in the PC.
 
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Elite Dragons

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If you stay with your stock PSU, chances are you can use any gfx card that does not need an aux 6 or 8 pin PCIe power cable feeding it. The GTX 640 (actually, GT 640) is one of those. But don't get the model with GDDR3 VRAM. Always opt for GDDR5. Much faster.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that I don't need to upgrade my PSU in order to use GTXs like 640, right? How do I know whether or not the graphics card uses an aux 6 or 8 pin PCIe? Thanks for the tip. I'll be looking at GDDR5s for now. Is DDR3 any good by the way?

If you want a card that uses less Wattage than the GT 640 but is at least as fast, look for one of the AMD Radeon HD 7750 cards instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006662%208000&IsNodeId=1&Description=hd%207750&name=Newegg&Order=BESTMATCH
...again, with GDDR5 memory.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I actually went to the Office Depot today and found a Radeon HD 6450. Would that suit me well for casual gaming and would I need a DDR3 motherboard for that?

Now on to system RAM (DDR), not to be confused with video RAM (GDDR)... The RAM you can use will depend on the motherboard in your system. Since you have an older processor, you may have an older MB that only uses DDR2 memory. That will be slightly slower than the more modern DDR3.
Click to expand...

Do you know any DDR3 motherboards I can get at a decent price for casual gaming?

As to the voltage... it appears you have a confusion about that. There is no voltage used on the PC that is in that range. The power supply in your PC is fed from a 120V AC outlet (US). The power supply converts the power to 12V, 5V, and 3.3V DC for use in the PC.
Click to expand...

So is that good or bad for using GTXs? I'm sorry, I don't know much about these components.
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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That card requires an aux 6 pin power cable. And may be too much for your PSU. If you can open the side of your PC case and look at the nameplate on the PSU, tell me what the make/model is. Or at least the rating that is listed under the +12V.

If you want to determine which cards need aux 6/8 pin cables, find a card and then go to Newegg ( http://www.newegg.com/Video-Cards-Video-Devices/Category/ID-38 ) and look at it there. They have several views of almost every card. And one of those views always shows the side that would have the 6/8 pin socket if it has one.
Example of a card that has a 6 pin socket: http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/2048/7850-power.jpg
Example of one that does not: http://i.stack.imgur.com/BcsP8.jpg

Video RAM GDDR3 is OK, but not as fast as GDDR5. System RAM DDR2 is OK but not as fast as DDR3. But in the case of system RAM, you have to use the type that your motherboard accepts. So I need to know the make/model of your MB.

If you want me to pick out a gfx card for you, I need to know the PSU's make/model or at least the +12V rating on the nameplate. And I need to know your budget. But when it comes to changing out the MB itself, you may not want to tackle that as your first attempt at upgrading. It's not that difficult, but it can be fraught with pitfalls if done wrong. And when doing so, you will want to do a clean install of the OS as well.
 
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Elite Dragons

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The name of my PSU is Bestec and the model is an ATX-250-12Z REV D3R. Here is the picture for it in photobucket: http://s278.photobucket.com/user/angel1__20/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140204_085300_zps9995c38c.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

It says 165W. Does that mean I don't have to upgrade my PSU to use those video cards?

My MB manufacturer/model is an HP-Pavilion / GG038AA-ABA a6109n. I don't have a budget yet, but I'm looking no more than $1000 for casual gaming that can play most, if not, some games for a decent. I'm not a hardcore gamer, so I'm not going for the high-end PCs like the Geforce Titans. I want something that will suit me well in performance. The graphics aren't as important compared to performance.

I also have a few questions before I proceed in buying the components. Someone on the Steam forum claims that upgrading my PC is useless because the current-gen CPUs/Processors won't fit on my motherboard and the fact that it is too old. Now I don't know if this is true or not. I mean, if I really can't upgrade the CPU, then I don't see any reason why I should upgrade it. What is your response to this?

Here is the motherboard I decided to get for DDR3: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaf2a75mhd2

Would this motherboard be compatibe?

I really appreciate your service. You're actually helping me more than the ones I talked to on Steam. Some people on Steam complain that I'm using an old PC and there's no point of upgrading it but get a new one for $700. Again, I appreciate your support :wahoo:





 
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clutchc

clutchc

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1000 Dollars! You can buy or build a whole new high end gamer for that. Please do not spend any more money than maybe an inexpensive gfx card upgrade on that older system. The folks on the Steam forum were correct. It is definitely not worth upgrading beyond maybe an inexpensive gfx card. Sorry...

Now for the bad news... That PSU is a low-end 250W PSU with a tiny 14 amp (+12V) rail. Completely unsuitable for anything more powerful than maybe an HD 6450. And that would only be a minor upgrade over your integrated video.

That MB you linked to is for a line of processors known as APUs. If you are thinking of replacing your old MB with that one, you will need to:
1) Be sure your case accepts ATX MBs. If this is your PC: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?cc=us&lc=en&product=3445431 it appears to be a mATX case. An ATX board won't fit. Count the number of expansion slots on the back (filled and empty both). If the number is less than 7, it is a mATX case.
2) That FX2+ MB would require a new processor completey. And with the OEM version of Windows you have now, it would require buying new copy. The OEM licenses are tied to the MB they are originally installed on.
3) At this time there are no more processors made that fit your existing MB. All that remains is a few well-used CPUs on sites like ebay. Occasionally you get lucky and find someone that has a new AM2, AM2+, AM3 CPU for sale, but it is rare.
 
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Elite Dragons

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Sounds like I need to let go of this PC and get myself a new one. No problem. I'd just buy myself a mid-tower ATX case for the GTX 650 Ti.

Overall, I decided to go with DDR3 System RAM & GTX 650 Ti. Here is a complete list of the components I decided to go with:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Motherboard: Asus Z77-A ATX LGA1155

Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB

Case: Apevia X-SNIPER2-GN ATX Mid Tower

Power Supply: CoolMax 500W ATX12V / EPS12V

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)

Total: $774.45

Source: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Elite_Dragon/saved/#savedbuild_858419

A PC for $775 doesn't sound very appealing to me. I'm pretty sure I overlooked some of these parts that could have suit me well for casual gaming at a much cheaper price. Now before I finally close this thread I would like to know if there is anything you disagree on or suggest I should get for a better price. A budget of $500 or less would be great. 600$ would also be ok. Thanks for the great work again. Without you I would probably waste my time upgrading my current PC all for nothing.
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Yes, you can use your existing HDD if it is a SATA interface and not the older PATA (IDE).
http://www.ni.com/cms/images/devzone/tut/SATA%20vs%20PATA.png

Yes, you can use the same display if it has the correct connection to match the card you choose. What inputs does your monitor have? DVI? HDMI? VGA?

That Coolmax is a poor quality PSU. For a few dollars more I'd recommend this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Since you are not buying a "K" processor for easy overclocking, you could back off on the MB if you wanted to save a few bucks.




 
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Elite Dragons

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How do I find out whether my HDD is SATA or PATA? Can I also still use the same Windows if I use the HDD on the new PC?

Yes, my display monitor uses a VGA chord that's connected to the mATX. Thanks for the advice. I actually switched to EVGA 500W PSU since I heard good reviews by my neighbor (also planning to switch from laptop to PC Gaming) and the reviewers. You can see my updated parts on the same link above.

Again, thanks for everything. Now I know what PC to get :D
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Didn't you click on the link I provided above?
http://www.ni.com/cms/images/devzone/tut/SATA%20vs%20PATA.png

PATA stands for Parallel ATA and uses a wide ribbon cable
SATA stands for Serial ATA and uses a small flat cable

More than likely, you will have to do a clean install of Windows when you change the MB. The existing installation of Windows has installed device drivers, written its registry, and other things pertaining to what it found on the other motherboard. Trying to boot with the current Windows installation will undoubtedly cause a freeze or crash when it can't find the devices it thinks should be there.
Besides that, an OEM copy of Windows is only licensed to the MB it is originally installed with. You will have to activate the clean installed Windows once again. And it is a good chance they will catch the fact that the MB has changed, requiring you to jump through some hoops, call MS, or purchase a new license.
 
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