Trying to upgrade a gaming PC I bought from a friend (mainly the CPU)

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

Hey guys! First post here so sorry if my formatting is a bit off.

I'm buying a gaming computer from a friend and he says it runs games incredibly well but the processor makes loading times a nightmare. I'm buying the computer for $100 so I'm willing to dump a bit of moolah into it. Here's the spec list he sent me:

8gb of ram
intel core 2quad CPU
64 bit
Nvidia 660ti
-750 gig hard drive
biostar group model g41d3+
850 watt PSU

I'm fairly new to computer building so I'm not quite sure what kind of CPU I'm looking for.

Cheers

Shneiky · Sep 7, 2014

Intel Core 2 Quad is more or less the top that you can get for that motherboard. There is nothing you can upgrade to. Better stick to what you have - for 100$ its a bargain I guess.

Col Da Red · Sep 7, 2014

this processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286&cm_re=amd_fx_6350-_-19-113-286-_-Product

this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131851

This card so you can run sli:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130854&cm_re=gtx_660_ti-_-14-130-854-_-Product

and this ssd to speed it up: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211719&cm_re=adata_ssd-_-20-211-719-_-Product

bmacsys · Sep 7, 2014

sinat50 :

An ssd would load your os really fast. It isn't your cpu it is the glacially slow mechanical hard drive.

bmacsys · Sep 7, 2014

Col Da Red :

He said he wanted to do a $100 upgrade. Your suggestion is practically a whole new build.

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

bmacsys :

I'm buying the computer for $100 dollars, I dont mind dropping a 2 or 3 hundred extra.

[Edit] Would this build make sense though?

bmacsys · Sep 7, 2014

sinat50 :

bmacsys :

I'm buying the computer for $100 dollars, I dont mind dropping a 2 or 3 hundred extra.

[Edit] Would this build make sense though?

Oh, then I would forget buying it and pouring money into it. The 6300 and a good 990 board would destroy that and not break the bank.

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

What Core 2 Quad is this?

Download CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and it will tell you the CPU model.

If you have an older Kentsfield Q6600 or other, you can upgrade to a Yorkfield Core 2 Quad, like the Q9650 or Q8400, and that will give a good jump in performance. I would also recommend buying an SSD and re installing windows.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q8400-2-66-GHz-Quad-Core-Processor-/221542882666?pt=CPUs&hash=item3394fc1d6a

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Storage: PNY XLR8 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $187.97

Buying all that will give you a sizeable jump in performance.

Hope that helps

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

sinat50 :

Getting that for $100??? Wow that was a steal! The graphics card alone is probably worth $200 alone.

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

Zircoben :

My buddy has the computer packed up but I will most likely be getting it tomorrow. Would it be ok for me to shoot you a PM or just respond to this once I have it up and running?

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

sinat50 :

You can do either one, I'm fine with it! I would just post here simply because you will get the help of everyone else, including other Tomshardware experts much more intelligent than I am that can chime in.

What version of Windows is it running now and does he have recovery media?

If your budget allows, I would get a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, that is the best CPU your motherboard can take. It would cost about $80, and would only give you probably 10% performance over the Q8400 I linked in my post, but if you plan on keeping the build, it may be worth your money.

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

Zircoben :

sinat50 :

You can do either one, I'm fine with it! I would just post here simply because you will get the help of everyone else, including other Tomshardware experts much more intelligent than I am that can chime in.

What version of Windows is it running now and does he have recovery media?

If your budget allows, I would get a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, that is the best CPU your motherboard can take. It would cost about $80, and would only give you probably 10% performance over the Q8400 I linked in my post, but if you plan on keeping the build, it may be worth your money.

Windows 8.1 and they got a friend to build it for them so I'm pretty sure he just has the factory reset.

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

sinat50 :

Zircoben :

sinat50 :

You can do either one, I'm fine with it! I would just post here simply because you will get the help of everyone else, including other Tomshardware experts much more intelligent than I am that can chime in.

What version of Windows is it running now and does he have recovery media?

If your budget allows, I would get a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, that is the best CPU your motherboard can take. It would cost about $80, and would only give you probably 10% performance over the Q8400 I linked in my post, but if you plan on keeping the build, it may be worth your money.

Windows 8.1 and they got a friend to build it for them so I'm pretty sure he just has the factory reset.

Okay, make sure you get the Windows 8.1 disk and the product key so you can reinstall it onto an SSD.

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

Zircoben :

sinat50 :

Zircoben :

Windows 8.1 and they got a friend to build it for them so I'm pretty sure he just has the factory reset.

Okay, make sure you get the Windows 8.1 disk and the product key so you can reinstall it onto an SSD.

Will do! Thanks for all your help!

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

You're welcome! Feel free to PM me or post again on this thread for more help! I'd appreciate if you clicked "Pick as the Solution" if you're satisfied!

Obnoxious · Sep 7, 2014

There are various different Core 2 Quads available you can purchase used (you can't purchase them new, since they're discontinued). Therefore you could always upgrade your processor to a better Core 2 Quad, but to be honest with you, I would not bother upgrading to another Core 2 Quad since they are old tech. The motherboard in your friend's build will not be capable of accepting any new processors, since it is on the old 775 socket. Hence if you want to upgrade the CPU to something more modern, you'll need a new motherboard; you will NOT need new RAM modules since your friend's build includes the still mainstream DDR3. You can transfer the existing RAM to a new motherboard.

Could you please download and run CPU-Z, once open select the "Memory" tab and please reply back with the "DRAM Frequency"? I am attempting to verify that you can indeed use your existing DDR3 RAM with a new motherboard.

I would purchase your friend's system for $100; it is a great deal. Heck, I'd pay more than $100 just for the GTX 660 Ti graphics card.

Is the hard drive in your friend's system SATA or IDE/PATA by the way? Since the motherboard does support both. Ideally you want it to be SATA; if you upgrade the CPU, you need to upgrade the motherboard whereby modern motherboards do not support IDE/PATA. (IDE/PATA are obsolete.) If the hard and optical disc drives are IDE, then you'll need to purchase new SATA hard/disc drives for a new motherboard; hence why if they are already SATA, you can simply move them over to a new motherboard which supports better processors.

Finally for the last of questions, what brand/manufacturer is the power supply? It's important to have a decent quality PSU, especially on an older system such as the Core 2 Quad, since perhaps the PSU has deteriorated over the years.

Now, why have I assumed that replacing the motherboard and CPU would be your best option here? Your friend's motherboard which runs the Core 2 Quad is old, heck even the Core 2 Quad is old; they're both obsolete. The other components are worth keeping, if the HDD/ODD are SATA, the RAM is at least 1333MHz (I will determine this after you provide the DRAM Frequency after running CPU-Z), the power supply if it is produced by a decent manufacturer, and most definitely the GTX 660 Ti (the GTX 660 Ti is even better than my current card). If you replace the motherboard and CPU, yet keep all the other components; then you may just have earned yourself a major bang for you buck. I'll attempt to assist you in finding the best deals.

So if possible, please reply back with the DRAM Frequency of the current RAM in the system, if the HDD/ODD are SATA or IDE and the brand of the PSU. I'll try and find you a suitable upgrade to the processor and motherboard; I was thinking perhaps upgrading you to an Intel i5, which is solid for gaming and will perform even better tied in with the GTX 660 Ti. With an i5-4xxx, 8GB RAM and the GTX 660 Ti, you should have no problem running most modern games at high/ultra at 1080p; just to give you an idea, such as Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs.

All the best.

sinat50 · Sep 7, 2014

Obnoxious :

There are various different Core 2 Quads available you can purchase used (you can't purchase them new, since they're discontinued). Therefore you could always upgrade your processor to a better Core 2 Quad, but to be honest with you, I would not bother upgrading to another Core 2 Quad since they are old tech. The motherboard in your friend's build will not be capable of accepting any new processors, since it is on the old 775 socket. Hence if you want to upgrade the CPU to something more modern, you'll need a new motherboard; you will NOT need new RAM modules since your friend's build includes the still mainstream DDR3. You can transfer the existing RAM to a new motherboard.

Could you please download and run CPU-Z, once open select the "Memory" tab and please reply back with the "DRAM Frequency"? I am attempting to verify that you can indeed use your existing DDR3 RAM with a new motherboard.

I would purchase your friend's system for $100; it is a great deal. Heck, I'd pay more than $100 just for the GTX 660 Ti graphics card.

Is the hard drive in your friend's system SATA or IDE/PATA by the way? Since the motherboard does support both. Ideally you want it to be SATA; if you upgrade the CPU, you need to upgrade the motherboard whereby modern motherboards do not support IDE/PATA. (IDE/PATA are obsolete.) If the hard and optical disc drives are IDE, then you'll need to purchase new SATA hard/disc drives for a new motherboard; hence why if they are already SATA, you can simply move them over to a new motherboard which supports better processors.

Finally for the last of questions, what brand/manufacturer is the power supply? It's important to have a decent quality PSU, especially on an older system such as the Core 2 Quad, since perhaps the PSU has deteriorated over the years.

Now, why have I assumed that replacing the motherboard and CPU would be your best option here? Your friend's motherboard which runs the Core 2 Quad is old, heck even the Core 2 Quad is old; they're both obsolete. The other components are worth keeping, if the HDD/ODD are SATA, the RAM is at least 1033MHz (I will determine this after you provide the DRAM Frequency after running CPU-Z), the power supply if it is produced by a decent manufacturer, and most definitely the GTX 660 Ti (the GTX 660 Ti is even better than my current card). If you replace the motherboard and CPU, yet keep all the other components; then you may just have earned yourself a major bang for you buck. I'll attempt to assist you in finding the best deals.

So if possible, please reply back with the DRAM Frequency of the current RAM in the system, if the HDD/ODD are SATA or IDE and the brand of the PSU. I'll try and find you a suitable upgrade to the processor and motherboard; I was thinking perhaps upgrading you to an Intel i5, which is solid for gaming and will perform even better tied in with the GTX 660 Ti.

All the best.

Wow thank you! I'll be responding hopefully tomorrow with CPU-Z results as that's when I'm hoping to get the computer.

Col Da Red · Sep 7, 2014

bmacsys :

Col Da Red :

He said he wanted to do a $100 upgrade. Your suggestion is practically a whole new build.

those are all suggestions to upgrade

bmacsys · Sep 7, 2014

Obnoxious :

There are various different Core 2 Quads available you can purchase used (you can't purchase them new, since they're discontinued). Therefore you could always upgrade your processor to a better Core 2 Quad, but to be honest with you, I would not bother upgrading to another Core 2 Quad since they are old tech. The motherboard in your friend's build will not be capable of accepting any new processors, since it is on the old 775 socket. Hence if you want to upgrade the CPU to something more modern, you'll need a new motherboard; you will NOT need new RAM modules since your friend's build includes the still mainstream DDR3. You can transfer the existing RAM to a new motherboard.

Could you please download and run CPU-Z, once open select the "Memory" tab and please reply back with the "DRAM Frequency"? I am attempting to verify that you can indeed use your existing DDR3 RAM with a new motherboard.

I would purchase your friend's system for $100; it is a great deal. Heck, I'd pay more than $100 just for the GTX 660 Ti graphics card.

Is the hard drive in your friend's system SATA or IDE/PATA by the way? Since the motherboard does support both. Ideally you want it to be SATA; if you upgrade the CPU, you need to upgrade the motherboard whereby modern motherboards do not support IDE/PATA. (IDE/PATA are obsolete.) If the hard and optical disc drives are IDE, then you'll need to purchase new SATA hard/disc drives for a new motherboard; hence why if they are already SATA, you can simply move them over to a new motherboard which supports better processors.

Finally for the last of questions, what brand/manufacturer is the power supply? It's important to have a decent quality PSU, especially on an older system such as the Core 2 Quad, since perhaps the PSU has deteriorated over the years.

Now, why have I assumed that replacing the motherboard and CPU would be your best option here? Your friend's motherboard which runs the Core 2 Quad is old, heck even the Core 2 Quad is old; they're both obsolete. The other components are worth keeping, if the HDD/ODD are SATA, the RAM is at least 1333MHz (I will determine this after you provide the DRAM Frequency after running CPU-Z), the power supply if it is produced by a decent manufacturer, and most definitely the GTX 660 Ti (the GTX 660 Ti is even better than my current card). If you replace the motherboard and CPU, yet keep all the other components; then you may just have earned yourself a major bang for you buck. I'll attempt to assist you in finding the best deals.

So if possible, please reply back with the DRAM Frequency of the current RAM in the system, if the HDD/ODD are SATA or IDE and the brand of the PSU. I'll try and find you a suitable upgrade to the processor and motherboard; I was thinking perhaps upgrading you to an Intel i5, which is solid for gaming and will perform even better tied in with the GTX 660 Ti. With an i5-4xxx, 8GB RAM and the GTX 660 Ti, you should have no problem running most modern games at high/ultra at 1080p; just to give you an idea, such as Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs.

All the best.

He has to be running DDR2.

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

Obnoxious :

Awesome analysis as usual, Obnoxious

The motherboard has 4 SATA 2 ports, so a SATA 3 SSD will be bottlenecked at 300 mb/s, but it would be just fine and SSDs of today don't go far above that.

As for the upgrade, I think it all depends on the budget of the OP. Yes, a new build may give you better bang for the buck, but a Yorkfield Core 2 Quad is only 10-20% slower than modern AMD CPUs, and they still game well as long as the OP doesn't plan on being on the cutting edge of games.

If you, sinat50, want to spend $150 to get a good boost to your computer, go with my idea of getting an SSD and the updated Core 2 Quad.

If you are willing to spend $500 or so on a build like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-DGS R2.0 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($51.38 @ Newegg)
Storage: PNY XLR8 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Mwave)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $464.33

*You will need to re-buy Windows because of the new motherboard*

Getting the new build will give you better performance for your money, and is probably a better investment, but you decide.

The PSU should be fine *IF* it is a good name. A Core 2 Quad and 660 Ti probably use a max of 250W, so I don't see the power supply deteriorating too much, even though a new PSU is always a good idea.

Keep us updated with your power supply model, CPU model, and hard drive!

Zircoben · Sep 7, 2014

"He has to be running DDR2."

It's a DDR3 motherboard: http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=447#spec

Trying to upgrade a gaming PC I bought from a friend (mainly the CPU)

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