Advice on upgrading a 7 year-old system without a GPU, on a 150$ budget?

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Hi! So I have a home-built system that I put together in mid-2007. It had some isues though. First, the motherboard is limited to DDR2 RAM and I only ever had 2Gb on it, which used to be enough for my needs. Of the two GPUs I ever plugged in, both died, a couple of years apart. The first (and original card) was a BFG Tech GeForce 8800GTS 512MB that started dying on a very hot day in 2009 while playing Combat Arms (what a bad game to fry a card on). It had a lifetime guarantee, so I got a free 9800 as replacement, which in turn suddenly broke (popped capacitors) in 2011 when I moved to a new appartment and launched League of Legends for the first time... Both cards usually had no issues running games like Dragon Age or Mass Effect 2 quite well and didn't even get hot. Although, when the second card broke, I had neither the money nor the spare time to make it worth replacing, and BFG tech apparently went out of business, so I ran on the mobo-integrated intel graphics to this day (it ran Homeworld, Halo PC, League of Legends and even Eve Online on the bare minimum settings).

Now that I have more time to play games, I'd like to know what I should upgrade first on a 150$ budget. A new GPU seems like the obvious choice, but seeing how the previous two ended up, maybe I should get a better PSU, case or fans before a GPU. I still don't know if the fried cards were caused by PSU irregularities, insufficient air flow or faulty manufacturing on BFG's factory-overclocked cards. Also, my CPU will likely cause major bottlenecking, so it might be better to just get a new mobo/CPU/RAM and keep on running integrated graphics until I can get a GPU...

Approximate Purchase Date : this month

Budget Range : 100-200$ CAD (after shipping/rebates)

System Usage, from Most to Least Important : opening a bunch of Word and pdf docs at the same time (university/work), gaming, watching movies, occasional photoshopping

Am I buying a monitor: No

Parts :
Mobo: Intel DG965RY
CPU : Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 2.40GHz
RAM : 2x 1Go DDR2 PC2-5300 333 MHz (Kingston)
PSU: Thermaltake TR2-500 P/N:W0093RU
HDD: 2x 7200rpm SATA drives (250GB and 80GB)
Case fans: 1x 120mm fan in the back

Do I need to buy an OS: Preferrably no, but I'm still on 32 bit Vista SP2

Preferred Websites for Parts: newegg.com, bestbuy.com, futureshop.com

Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada

Parts Preferences: I prefer Intel and Nvidia, but AMD is fine if it's a better deal

Overclocking: No, don't want to risk more fried parts...

SLI or Crossfire: No, unless it's somehow better to get two low-end GPUs for the price of a better one

Monitor Resolution: 1600x900

Additional Comments: I want to be able to run Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 again, also maybe The Witcher 2.
 
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Iron124
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avarice

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You seem to be having a bad run of things with your video cards. Please provide the specs/brand on you power supply. It may be part of the issue.

Otherwise, a new video card is likely in order. I don't have time right now to suggest a model, but try to find something that is a lower power use to help mitigate issues with the current PSU.
 
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swifty_morgan

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one, both those graphics cards got hot, way hot. don't know why they would be any different in your machine than 10 million other users.

if you go with integrated graphics ( quad core amd apu )?......... Intel's graphics aren't really that great for gaming.

on the other hand, get a new set of ram ( 2 2gig sticks -- 4gigs )....... toss your old stuff......... get an R7 260x for graphics.............

power supplies go bad over time but think ( since the bfg over clocked cards were junk ) you shouldn't have to worry too much about that.
 
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jfkeenan

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Vista is a notoriously slow operating system so I would strongly recommend moving to Windows 7 or 8 64bit.
Go to a crucial.com and run the memory tool; it says "Scan my system." It will tell you how much memory your motherboard can support and even the type of memory. I recommend 8GB if you can get it. Over 8gb has diminishing returns but this probably goes over your budget. At least double your current to 4gb.

4GB DDR2 (2x 2GB) for $79USD
Then get an nvidia GT 740 for $99USD.
That would be your budget.

But I really recommend leaving Vista. It thrashes the hard drive unnecessarily all the time and its a resource hog.
Another thing to think about is replacing the hard drive with an SSD. Especially if you're going to a new OS like Win7/8.

BTW, don't upgrade vista. Do a new install. upgrade = bad.
If your PSU is really frying cards, something's wrong.

Consider saving for a new machine. Your current machine is really at end of life.
You're missing out on:
Quad-core. i5/i7 architecture
USB 3.0
SATA 3 (6.0 gbs)
SSD




 
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Andrew Buck

Andrew Buck

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No, the GT 740 isn't worth it. GTX 750 for $10 more is much better. The 2x2 RAM is good, make sure it is good RAM, though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145343
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-01G-P4-2751-KR/dp/B00IDG3NDY
 
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DHFF

DHFF

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So many places to upgrade, its hard to choose with just a $150 budget LOL.
well the first and most obvious choice is the MB/RAM/CPU. that will give you an architecture to work with for future builds. Though tossing in another $50 and getting a Corsair or Seasonic P/S couldn't hurt.

This might come in a little over your budget when you add in the P/S but it will give you a decent leg to stand on:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1665036

The CPU is an AMD A6 APU, I have built many rigs using this chip, it performs decently for the money.
The Motherboard is FM2+ which will give you room to stretch your legs when you want to upgrade the CPU. The latest A10 APUs are extremely nice.
The motherboard also has room for (4) RAM chips so you can again add more as your budget regenerates.

Toss a power supply in for good measure:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139049
This one is fairly cheap and very reliable. Though you may need to upgrade it when you eventually bump up the RAM,CPU and adding graphics.

IF you dont want to upgrade the P/S later on and get something beefier now then this might also work for you:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

Good luck.
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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It is usually unproductive to spend much on upgrading an obsolete pc.
In your case, I would first install a discrete graphics card like a GTX750 or GTX750ti which will be in the $120 to $150 range.
It is a very low power card that does not even need a 6 pin pcie aux power connector.
Such a card could be transferred to a new build in the future.

For the multitasking you do, 2gb is not enough. But... DDR2 ram is expensive.
I might shop on ebay to find another 2 x1gb kit that matches your specs.
4gb total is all your 32 bit os can handle. Such ram can not be carried forward, but will have a market value when you rebuild.

Lastly, consider a ssd for your "C" drive. You will be amazed at how much quicker everything is.
If your current "C" drive contents can fit on a ssd, you can clone and have an easy conversion.
Look for Samsung evo. A ssd will transfer to a new build.
 
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Iron124

Iron124

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Others are gonna recommend graphics cards and maybe some more ram (2GB is almost unusable) but dumping $200 into an aging system is not cost effective and is only going to get you MAYBE another year at best. Save up another $150 and build yourself this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A4-5300 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($43.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A55M-VG3+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($38.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.75 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Momentus 5400.6 250GB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Canada Computers)
Case: Apex SK-393-C ATX Mid Tower Case ($26.25 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Memory Express)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.79 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $356.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

AMD's integrated graphics are infinitely better than anything Intel makes, especially on their Intel Core 2 Duo line. If this is too much, take Windows out of the equation, and run Ubuntu (more and more games are running on Linux now, 500+ on Steam, or give Steam OS a try )

You can always get Windows later. You're going to lose money ordering from only newegg, bestbuy, and futureshop. This build allows for upgrades and a much better outlook for the future.
 
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swifty_morgan

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anything you buy in Canada and anything you buy at ncix is going to cost more. that's a fact.

then you dis an apu build and you openly admit Intel's graphics are worse.
 
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Iron124

Iron124

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What in the hell are you talking about...? Please make sense.
 
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Andrew Buck

Andrew Buck

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Not sure what he is saying. This guy lives in Canada if you didn't see the budget range.
 
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Iron124

Iron124

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I know, that's why I built it on PcPartsPicker Canada...
 
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Guest

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Alright, so if my PSU is ok (which I have no idea how to check), I guess I should get more RAM and either a GTX 750 or an R7 260... As for the OS, Intel's website doesn't list Windows 7 or 8 as supported by the DG965RY, so I'm pretty much stuck with Vista unless I forget about gpus for the moment and just put the money on a recent mobo, CPU and some DDR3 RAM.

Also, should I consider an R7/7000 series card over an Nvidia one in hope that Mantle might reduce the cpu bottleneck in the future? Does that even work on a 32 bit OS/Dual core without Hyperthreading?

Oh, and would it be more cost-effective to just add a 2x 1GB set to make it 4x 1GB @ 333mhz? I still have 2 empty memory slots left and it would be cheaper than getting a set of 2x 2GB DDR2.
 
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Andrew Buck

Andrew Buck

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Windows 7 and 8 have mostly the same effects, that is an older mobo, so it may not have been updated in information for the series.
 
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swifty_morgan

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first..missed the Canada thing..sorry.

mixing ram could pose problems, especially if they're not matched properly. better just to scrap what you have. you can try to buy the same stuff.

tbh a complete platform upgrade would be best. your choice on what way to go but an apu will at least let you play some games even if you could only play at 720p on medium to high setting.........

good luck with this.
 
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bccorrupt

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The TR2 power supplies are a little overrated on the power, but the components are good, so just don't push it too close to 500w. Your motherboard supports 533/677/800 mhz ram, so I'm assuming you meant yours was 533 ram. Normally I wouldn't suggest putting money into ddr2 ram, but 800 and 4GB vs 533 might make a difference enough to be worth a couple dollars if you can find some cheap. There's someone on the "deals" section selling 4GB of 800 mhz ddr2 ram for $35, link below.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2195942/sale-16gb-ddr3-2400-sold-4gb-ddr2-800.html

$150 would buy the ram and either a GTX750 or r7 260x , both would work well with your power supply. The 260x is a little faster, but uses a little more power. Either is good, whichever you prefer or whichever you can find a better price on.
 
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Guest

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OK, so I found the 7 year-old reciept for the RAM. It is apparently 667, not 333. Piriform Speccy must have wonked, cause it marked it as 333 MHz...

And I found some disconcerting reviews about the PSU from the mid-2000s. With power output loss over time due to capacitor aging, i'm concerned that my PSU won't be able to provide the 450W actual max wattage that tests show it can provide. That could also explain the fried GPU capacitors, and if that's the case, then spending money on a GPU would be a bad idea as long as this PSU would be powering it... I really don't know what to do.
 
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Iron124

Iron124

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I would recommend this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Memory: Crucial 2GB (1 x 2GB) DDR2-667 Memory ($37.01 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 260X 1GB Core Edition Video Card ($114.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $196.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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swifty_morgan

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thermaltake.............. would never touch one. new most of them new are bad ( terrible thing to say ) ... just giving perspective. the ps is thee most important part of any build and people always seem to scrimp on them in a build.......... kinda like an after thought....... anyways........ a bad supply new and then add 7 years.........

speccy didn't wonk, you did.

save money. time for a real upgrade.




 
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