Renovating an aging desktop - need suggestions and help.

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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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I bought this PC in 2006 it is in a state that it does not meed my needs now that my laptop is dead and not repairable.

I own an HP Pavilion a1315in. I'm thinking of the following upgrades:
1. Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-DS2 Motherboard (Micro-ATX).
2. AMD A4-4000 APU 3 GHz
3. Hard Disk 500 GB (Brand yet to decide)

I've looked through websites and the APU is compatible with the motherboard.

My concerns are:
1. My previous motherboard, stock one by HP, is a MicroATX, but is larger in dimensions than the new one i'm about to buy. Will there be any trouble fixing it to the cabinet?
2. I've heard coolant fans are provided with the APU. If it isn't, can i use my old coolants?

Lastly, please help me out fginding a compatible RAM. The APU supports DDR3-1333 but i'm having a tough time what to select so that they can be compatible.

I'm buying them all online so i have to be absolutely sure about the compatibility.

If you need any more details then i'm ready to give them all.
 
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Transmaniacon
You would be better off starting from scratch in my opinion. What is your overall budget? It might be wise to save up and build something new. Also I should note, a new motherboard means you need a new copy of Windows, unless you own a retail version.
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Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon

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You would be better off starting from scratch in my opinion. What is your overall budget? It might be wise to save up and build something new. Also I should note, a new motherboard means you need a new copy of Windows, unless you own a retail version.
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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Except for the SMPS, DVD drive (replaced them both in 2011) and the cabinet itself, I am about to buy everything fresh. Are you recommending to buy a new cabinet? My budget is very low, and the above selections fit the budget with around 1500 rupees ($30) to spare.

Will my Windows 7 Pro license that I got with my laptop work? This is my first time building a PC.

 
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Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon

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I would look into a basic mATX case, you should be able to find something with the last bit of your budget. Those pre-made cases often are modified and don't allow much expansion. For your first build, you would have a much easier time with a new case. Look for something from Antec, CoolerMaster, or NZXT, they all make good budget cases.

I would wager you don't have a retail version of Windows 7 if it came with your laptop, which means you will likely need a new copy. If you are a student, check with your school and see if they offer a discounted version.
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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You seem right. Just opened up the HP case and the space and expansion slots are restricted. I have decided to add an Antec ASK-4000B-U3 Mid Tower Cabinet with 7 expansion slots. It goes a little over the budget but i can manage. I will buy a new Windows 7 disk or opt for the student concession as you suggest.

What else should i consider? I'll post my chosen RAM in a while and will be glad if you can confirm the compatibility.
I have a motherboard, an APU, SMPS, DVD Drive, Hard Disk and RAM. Any more additions i should consider or any integral parts i missed out?

 
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Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon

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What do you mean by "SMPS"? If that is the power supply then good, you don't want to reuse the one that came with the HP as it is old and probably not a quality unit.

With APU systems, the faster the RAM the better, so see if you can get something like DDR3-1866 or DDR3-2133. Other than that it should work well for you, just check prices on 1TB drives, as they are usually only a couple dollars more than the 500GB version.
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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I mean the PSU. Will a 450 W PSU be enough?
I've chosen Transcend JetRAM DDR3 1600 Mhz 4GB. The CPU supports max DDR3 1600.
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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Thank you for your guidance
Here is the final list
1. Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-DS2 Motherboard
2. AMD 3.7Ghz A4-6300 FM2 APU
3. WD Cavier 1TB HDD.
4. Transcend DDR3 1600MHz 4GB RAM
5. Antec ASK-4000B-U3 Mid Tower Cabinet
6. Zebronics Micropower 450W PSU
7. LG DVD Burner

Any additions/deductions?

I have doubts about the APU but CPU-Upgrade website says its compatible. Any other places to confirm?
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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Zebronics is an Indian company.
However i'm thinking of Corsair VS350 having a lower 350W output. Is it good enough?
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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Won't be upgrading to a GPU in the near future. I'll upgrade the PSU when i do. Thanks a lot. Any other things missing which should be there?
 
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Rishabh Tatiraju

Rishabh Tatiraju

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Hi, updating with the progress.

So far the only components remaining are the RAM and HDD. I have installed the motherboard and the rest well.

However, even though i took precautions against ESD, i'm a bit worried (maybe because its hyped everywhere). My worries will go away only when the RAM comes and i can see the splash screen of the motherboard. For now all fans, LEDs, power on/off,reboot works. So i'm assuming everything is fine. Am i worrying too much?
 
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