Cheap computer build

Cheeseburgersyum

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Okay, so i bought a compaq sr5433wm for $50 the other day, nothing wrong with it, they only used it for pictures. I wiped everything off of it and cleaned it and its a decent computer but im wanting to beef it up a little, is there many parts for this particular computer?
 
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I googled the computer and read the specs

you could use that hard drive. Not the ram because it is DDR2. you can use the 15 in one media reader(maybe), you could probably use the fans. that is about it. the case does not have good enough airflow to be good for gaming

pearcenc

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Aug 20, 2012
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http://www.cnet.com/products/compaq-presario-sr5433wm-b-pentium-e2160-1-8-ghz-2-gb-360-gb-lcd-19/specs/

you could boost the ram 2 4gb, and add a gpu, but the ddr2 is going to hold you back quite a bit
 

Jdogz427

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I googled the computer and read the specs

you could use that hard drive. Not the ram because it is DDR2. you can use the 15 in one media reader(maybe), you could probably use the fans. that is about it. the case does not have good enough airflow to be good for gaming
 
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Cheeseburgersyum

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Jul 23, 2014
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is that all i could do? ddr2? im wanting to make it decent for gaming, i got it cheap so i cant complain either way
 

Jdogz427

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honestly the best thing you got from it are the DVD/CD drive, the media reader, the HDD, and the fans that alone comes to more than 50bucks new so you made out pretty well, but i would honestly not bother with adding more ram, it will not be worth it. you might also just want to get a bigger HDD bc 360 GB is enough for like 5 of todays AAA games after the OS,

GTA V for PC is like 65 GB or something
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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15 in one media reader? so i couldnt use it really for gaming?
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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i got a tb hard drive, i just wanna be able to run games pretty decent on it
 

pearcenc

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the most common ram used at this current moment is ddr3, the ddr4 for pcs has just started to come out. so your ram is more or less 2 gens old. the big problem is the motherboard and cpu(the main parts of the pc). other then buying a new mobo and cpu, im not real sure what u can do on the ram side. but on the plus side you could buy a gtx 500 series gpu and that would be quite good for gaming, but you would have to buy a new psu aswel
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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i sound like an idiot but could you break down what the gpu and psu is, and what ddr is, sorry if i sound like a bafoon
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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could i get a newer mother board for it and if so how much would it cost?
 

Jdogz427

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GPU is the Graphics Processing Unit, it basically builds the image and outputs it to the display through a cable
PSU is the Power Supply Unit, comes in many different Wattages, sized, sizes, qualities, Basically cables go from it to all parts to feed it power,
CPU, central Processing Unit, controls the PC in its whole pretty much, other than BIOS or sofware controlled fans
DDR Double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory (DDR SDRAM) is a class of memory integrated circuits used in computers. DDR SDRAM, also called DDR1 SDRAM, has been superseded by DDR2 SDRAM and DDR3 SDRAM. - This is what is called Volatile memory meaning it changes, the system uses this ram as sort of an actively used storage space to control what is going on to the computer at that time, more ram allows for more processes to occur at the same time (internet tab lovers use a lot of ram bc programs like chrome use a lot of volatile memory and this is why if you have a lot of programs running at once and your computer slows it is bc you do not have enough ram
 

pearcenc

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GPU(Graphics Processing Unit)= Graphics card
PSU(Power Supply Unit)= power supply
DDRx = Ram
you would need both a new mobo and cpu i think. you could pick up a decent combo for between $200-$500
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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i really apreciate it man, if i wanted to just do a little at a time, would i be best off buying a new mother board first?
 

Jdogz427

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What i mean by volatile memory is that it changes constantly, nonvolatile memory is like a HDD where it needs to be told to store something and will retain that info when the system is shut down while the Volatile memory will wipe itself when the system powers off
 

Jdogz427

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to be honest it is best to buy all parts at the same time to be sure that there are no compatibility issues, because nothing can be done really till you get all parts, you cannot really build it unless you have all you need. but you can pick the parts you want now and continue as you find the parts you want or need
 

pearcenc

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i would start with the motherboard and cpu first. make sure the motherboard and cpu your buy has integrated graphics though, since for the time being you wont have a gpu

 

Cheeseburgersyum

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how would i know if everything will work with everything and bolt up right, and what do you recommend for around $300ish
 

Jdogz427

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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6B7nCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6B7nCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($68.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $496.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-19 23:48 EST-0500
 

Jdogz427

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I didnt add a HDD bc you said you had one. This computer will do quite well at most games from early 2014 and earlier, maybe not at max, but you should get 60FPS with a combo of medium and high settings
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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Jul 23, 2014
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okay, i appreciate is man, could i possible use the tower and parts i have on this one and work my way up?
like keep this tower buy different parts or would they not fit it, thats one thing im kinda worried about is stuff not fitting
 

Jdogz427

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i am not sure if they would fit with a different Motherboard size, also the GPU might overheat because the case is not designed for a higher end GPU with higher heatoutput so the card might not get enough airflow and overheat. same for the CPU. the cases that gamers and editors use are specifically designed for these parts that put out a lot more heat and have higher airflow to keep the parts cool.
 

Cheeseburgersyum

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okay, so would you suggest me getting the parts i can get for this computer that i know would work then just saving up enough money and building me a whole different computer for gaming