Background (main question below):
My dads desktop broke down, and the motherboard needs to be replaced. So I need to replace the cpu and RAM too since they're both outdated (am2+ & ddr2).
Now this system is only used for basic, non-intensive things - just outlook, word, spreadsheets, browsing the web, streaming videos, and possibly stock monitoring software; no gaming. There will be two monitors connected and the second one will be used occasionally.
I'm trying to keep the cost low. Definitely lower than $500 since I can get a whole new system for that much and it would probably do the job.
I've got an SSD with the OS on it,a HDD with data on it, a dvd drive, and a coolmaster 460W PS. What I'm looking to get is a new CPU/APU, RAM, mobo and an extra harddrive (going to mirror the existing data HD)
MAIN QUESTION:
So the old system has a ATI radeon HD3650 512mb ddr2 graphics card in it and I'm wondering if I should reuse this with a new CPU, or if I should get a new APU instead?
My understanding is that a CPU + discrete GPU is better than an APU (around the same price), but this GPU is very old so I'm not sure if it would be any better than even a cheap new APU.
My rough budgeting is : ~$200 for the cpu and mobo, ~$60 RAM, ~$50 HD
That was planning for 2x2GB RAM, since my old system was running ok on 2x1GB. However, it seems like there aren't very many 2GB sticks out there anymore, it seems 4GB is kind of the min now so I'm unsure of how much RAM to get.
Any help/advice would be much appreciated =)
My dads desktop broke down, and the motherboard needs to be replaced. So I need to replace the cpu and RAM too since they're both outdated (am2+ & ddr2).
Now this system is only used for basic, non-intensive things - just outlook, word, spreadsheets, browsing the web, streaming videos, and possibly stock monitoring software; no gaming. There will be two monitors connected and the second one will be used occasionally.
I'm trying to keep the cost low. Definitely lower than $500 since I can get a whole new system for that much and it would probably do the job.
I've got an SSD with the OS on it,a HDD with data on it, a dvd drive, and a coolmaster 460W PS. What I'm looking to get is a new CPU/APU, RAM, mobo and an extra harddrive (going to mirror the existing data HD)
MAIN QUESTION:
So the old system has a ATI radeon HD3650 512mb ddr2 graphics card in it and I'm wondering if I should reuse this with a new CPU, or if I should get a new APU instead?
My understanding is that a CPU + discrete GPU is better than an APU (around the same price), but this GPU is very old so I'm not sure if it would be any better than even a cheap new APU.
My rough budgeting is : ~$200 for the cpu and mobo, ~$60 RAM, ~$50 HD
That was planning for 2x2GB RAM, since my old system was running ok on 2x1GB. However, it seems like there aren't very many 2GB sticks out there anymore, it seems 4GB is kind of the min now so I'm unsure of how much RAM to get.
Any help/advice would be much appreciated =)
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