Upgrade old pc, buy new pc

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jbell2825

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My old PC is dying a slow death. I plan on getting a new computer first part of 2015 as soon as I get my tax refund.

Current build http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Bulldawg2825/saved/38Lp99

Any suggestions on this?

Now for my current PC; I know it has a 450w PSU, Phenom 9750 quad core, 8gb ram (4x2 sticks i think), gtx 560 GPU.

What would be some cheap upgrades to keep this thing going? My kids still use it for school, games like minecraft, youtube videos etc. Lately seems to be getting slower.

I would love advice on the new build knowing it is still a few months away and most importantly advice on breathing in some new life to my current pc
 
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snowctrl

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Replacing your system drive with an SSD will make far more difference than anything else, and when you upgrade you will be able to carry it forward to be part of the new machine. Since any current SSD will max out your current PC Sata ports (I'm presuming it has Sata - do check...), go for a good budget SSD such as the Crucial MX100
 
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uthvag

uthvag

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yes , waht is the budget and which month are you planning on getting it? january ? March?

sorry about your PC, but still if you are going to get a PC in 2015 i would definitely wait till the nxt gen of processors(broadwell ) or maybe pascal from nevidia(i dont know its release) or 300 series from AMD, also ddr4 would be a bit more mature. so it is hard to speculate

 
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jbell2825

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Man, sorry about that. The budget for my new build is around $2k but that includes monitor and peripherials since I plan on keeping the old PC up and running for the kids. I was thinking it would be bought around March 1, that is when I get the tax refund typically

As for the old PC, I would like to keep it under $200 for a partial upgrade. I know the current GPU serves thier needs fine but I wasnt sure about the rest. Questing I have is how do I determine what type of mother board I have?

Will the next gen of processors be worth it? I have no info on what broadwell will be like.
 
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jbell2825

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Well here is the thing, when I looked up Min specs for the new Dragon age, my Phenom was the only thing that didnt meet the requirements. I figured that, or the mother board was the problem.

I like this idea of an SSD drive, suggestions on that?

Another thing, how can I tell if its a virus causing problems? I am running malwarebytes and I am trying a new Panda anti virus. I have found several trojans lately, not sure if its from the kids or due to a more deeply embedded virus i cant detect.
 
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uthvag

uthvag

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well the samsung 840 evo of 120 gb is a good deal

and the trojans might be due to your kids, heck even my 19 yr old sister sometimes visits some idiotic website in search of music ( or games/cartoons in case of kids) which usually contain viruse or even worse ...... new toolbar/search engine (hos things are harder than Darksouls to get off...)

and why do you think the mobo is the problem?
 
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Eximo

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Bleepingcomputer.com 's Combofix is a pretty good at scrubbing off pesky ones. If you suspect that is a cause for concern you might consider wiping the system and starting over.

Minimum recommended and minimum to play are not always the same thing.

What kind of motherboard are we talking about. Might be able to cram a Phenom II in there for much higher clock speeds.
 
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Math Geek

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when was the last time you reinstalled windows? over time all windows installations start to get buggy and bogged down with extra crap that slowly creeps in over time. i'd recommend starting with a fresh windows installation and see if that returns some of the pep to the system.

you can possibly upgrade the cpu and gpu some for a bit of a boost as well and stay under $200. if the pc is store bought, post the make and model from the sticker that is somewhere on it. if it is home built you'll probably have to open the case and look at the mobo itself to get it's model number. post either bits of information and some information on the psu, make and model if possible as well, or some stats like 12v amps and such.

with this information we can give you some ideas what you can do for minimal cost. i would start with a windows install first and see if that gives you some pep back for the kids.
 
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jbell2825

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Thanks for all of the advice.

I am not sure about the mother board, I just know it was a store bought pc 5-6 years ago. I have wondered about updating the CPU but I didnt know what my mobo could handle, and I am not sure what I am looking for to identify it. The system is kinda a frankenstein machine now, some parts are original and others have been replaced (had a repair guy do some major work a couple of years ago I even have a new case).

How do you do a new install of windows? Do i have to save my files on a seperate storage device and start fresh that way, or do you just reinstall windows?

Im thinking I would like to update the CPU and add a SSD to give new life. What info from the mother board do you need? If there is something specific that gives you an indication of type let me know.

As for the new build, what is the likely-hood that this new type of chip will be a game changer for playing games?
 
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Math Geek

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yes you will need to back up any data you need to save to another drive and then do a fresh install. if you have a new case then you probably do not have the windows product key that came with the computer so you will need to get the number BEFORE you start over. this https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/ will search your pc and show you your windows, office and other product keys if you need them. write them down for future reference.

if the pc has a restore partition you can use this to start over or download from microsoft the iso file for whatever windows version your using and burn it. now boot to the disk and finish the install by formatting the hdd and installing a new copy of windows.

since the parts may not be original the easiest way to get your mobo model will be to open the case and look at the motherboard itself. the brand such as gigabit, asus, biostar or others will be on it somewhere and under it is usually the model number. there may be a sticker on it since it was store bought with the model number on it but maybe not. if nothing else post a nice pic of the mobo here and we'll get what we need from it.

the power supply information is also needed though i'm sure it will be a cheapo 350w one unless you upgraded it as well. so check out the label while your inside and see what make/model it is for us.
 
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jbell2825

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I will post pictures when I get home, in the mean time lets say I cant upgrade my CPU based on my mother board. What combo would you suggest? PSU is 450w and I have a gtx 560 GPU. I know I have 8gb ram but Im thinking its 4 sticks of 2gb each and its DDR2? When I was looking at the board last night it had, I think, AM2/AM3 on it?
 
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Eximo

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A lot of AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+ are all socket compatible. Up to each motherboard what CPUs it does support though. Once you are home get the exact model of the motherboard, go the manufacturer's site, and you can see the CPU support list.

Or post back here for recommendations.

Recommendations would be limited by what you are willing to spend. If you want to scrap the entire older system and build new you have quite a build in the original post.

I would probably recommend an i5-4690k with a z97 board. If you aren't into overclocking, an i5-4460 and an h97 board.
 
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Math Geek

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to update the cpu and mobo you'll also need new ram. anything new will use ddr3. now your getting into a good upgrade. depending on the psu you have, you could get a pentium g3285/mobo/4 gb of ram and cheap gpu for around $250-300 or reuse the gpu for less than $200. this would serve the kid's needs for a while without busting the bank.

let's check that mobo first and see if there is anything to work with there
 
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jbell2825

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What is your thoughts on monitors. 1080p at 144mhz, or is it better to go 1440P

 
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jbell2825

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What is your thoughts on monitors. 1080p at 144mhz, or is it better to go 1440P

 
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Finfin15

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The only reason to buy 144 hz monitor is because of a slight advantage in fps games, and that is only if your pc can consistently get 144 frames per second in those games. I personally would opt for 1440p if your budget will allow.
 
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jbell2825

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I never did figure out how to attach pics so I will just tell the information I have. The board is an AM3/AM2+. Is that all you need?

The PSU is a BFG 450w power supply. Model BFGR450WGSPSU

Does that cover it?
 
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jbell2825

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No need to be sorry, I appreciate your help. I will do this when I get home from work. Does the AM3/AM2+ not give enough detail? Does it give any idea of what might be possible?

 
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Math Geek

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it gives an idea what's probable but not exactly what is guaranteed possible. having the same slot and supporting the same cpu is not the same thing sadly. this is why it can be so confusing when looking at potential upgrades. add in the fact that a bios update on a mobo might even add support for a chip that was not supported at first. everytime it is a case by case investigation with a specific model in mind since the options are so specific.

hang in there, almost done :D
 
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