Which one should I choose?

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

Hi All

I have an old Dell 530s (G33M02 motherboard) with E6750 2.66GHZ processor with a Radeon HD5570 graphics card, with a 250W power supply, which is used by my daughters.

I have been offered a self built PC with an ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 motherboard, with integrated graphics card Gforce GT260 Dual 1GB, with 8GB of RAM and ATX 400W power supply for £100.

Should I buy the newer PC for £100 or keep and upgrade if possible the 530s?

Obviously I would need a decent graphics card for self build, but not sure what I can get for another £100?

Thanks.

Math Geek · Apr 21, 2016

you can do a lot more with the asus board than your old pc. it can run an fx cpu up to 95w rather than not being able to upgrade much of a cpu on your old system. if you have no other choice then the set-up being offered is not a bad price depending on the psu included. i'd get the model of that if possible. if it is a junk psu, then it will be just as worthless as the 250w one you have now. if it is decent, then this would be a good base for a system for the kids.

if you wish to build them something from scratch, with only a budget to go on, i can easily offer some options that are more modern for you to consider.

TJ Hooker · Apr 21, 2016

Does the Asus build not come with a CPU?

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

He tells me that the PSU is this one : http://www.amazon.com/Apex-ALLIED-Power-Supply-AL-A400ATX/dp/B00008ZPNA#immersive-view_1461152509830, but I am interested in the option of a self build, although I have never done one before.

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

This was his spec : ATHLON 2 AM3+ QUAD, ASUS 2gb Board, Ge Force GTS260 DUAL 1GB GRAPHIC CARD, 8gd DDR3 RAM, Will take 16GB, Sound Blaster FX sound card 500hd. He confirmed board was ASUS M5A78L-M LX3

Math Geek · Apr 21, 2016

what will be the use of the pc? is this a homework pc, surfing the web and watching youtube videos? or is this for gaming type activities?

you will need some other pieces still to make the parts work for you such as a copy of windows more than likely and the psu is at the very bottom of the list for quality so it will need to be replaced as well. if this is just a basic homework/web surfing pc, then it the parts with a couple additions would be fine for the kids. for anything more, i'd go with a new build tailored to your needs.

edit: some quick looking and for about 350-450 pounds a simple homework pc can be built that includes everything with all new up to date parts based on an i3 cpu. gaming of course would add to it depending on what type of gpu would be desired.

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

I would want it to do the general stuff, but also have the option of decent gaming too, I can see that the old 530s will be struggling with the most basic games soon, although most games run ok on it at the moment. So if I were to self build my own, do you have any options that are more modern, as you mentioned above and any tips for a newbie doing a self build with a budget of say £350 or is that a very low optimistic budget?

Math Geek · Apr 21, 2016

here is a basic build that will play modern games at decent settings. this is a full system with all that is needed for the build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£97.98 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£49.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: Kingston FURY 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£31.74 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.95 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB StormX OC Video Card (£91.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: BitFenix Neos White/Blue ATX Mid Tower Case (£29.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX TS 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£31.99 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£11.48 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (£73.98 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £459.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 01:59 BST+0100

if you have some parts that can be reused, then the price can come down. such as a newer hard drive or a case that already has a dvd drive would save a few bucks as well. building a pc is actually pretty easy as everything only goes in one place and one way. follow the motherboard manual page by page and install as you read and it's hard to mess it up. this is just a baseline to give you an idea what you get for a low end model but this is actually pretty good for the money with all quality parts.

this being current parts, the motherboard is ready for an i5 or i7 and a better graphics card as it becomes necessary down the line. so the base has years of use for it with some easy upgrades down the line.

TJ Hooker · Apr 21, 2016

An Intel i3-6100 with integrated graphics would outperform either of those builds by a decent margin. Could even run it off your existing 250W psu, although it would probably be a good idea to replace that as well.

Math Geek · Apr 21, 2016

i thought of the i3 with the igp first but then added the 750ti for some gaming muscle

it's nice and small build so won't take up a lot of room on the desk.

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

Math, thank you for your reply, what about the COU cooler and fans? and would this new PC be able to be upgraded in the future?

TJ Hooker · Apr 21, 2016

The CPU comes with a cooler, which performs just fine.

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

and would this new PC be able to be upgraded in the future?

TJ Hooker · Apr 21, 2016

Absolutely. With that motherboard, you could upgrade to a 6th (current) or 7th (next) gen i5 or i7 some day. You could replace the 2x4GB RAM for 2x8GB in the future if you wanted. Swapping video cards is pretty easy too, just need to make sure your PSU can handle it. If you want to give yourself a little more breathing room, you could get a bit more powerful PSU, which will expand your options for GPU upgrades in the future. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9

simmy · Apr 21, 2016

Thanks guys, much appreciated

Math Geek · Apr 21, 2016

thanks for filling in TJ

had to run some errands and get the kids fed!! only thing lacking in the build is the psu. it is lower power and plenty for the build but if it might get a high end gpu in the future you could bump it up to 550w such as the one TJ suggested.

much better for the money than old stuff that is already years out of date and well behind the current cpu's

simmy · Nov 24, 2016

7 months on I am now in a position to purchase and build the newer pc. Further to your excellent efforts earlier in the year, I was wondering if your recommendations of hardware to purchase stays the same for a budget pc or whether I should now buy different stuff? I have also seen this as a pre-built system and would ask for your critique on it : http://www.ebuyer.com/760820-cyberpower-gaming-battalion-1050ti-ecc01748-ecc01748, as I have not built a pc before.

Thanks for your help.

Math Geek · Nov 24, 2016

are you still on the same budget or has it changed? lots of sales right now so who knows what you can do. plus lots of new gpu's on the market which changes the performance for dollar a lot.

here is something around the same price range reflecting tosay's prices.

price difference over the cyberpower you found is the much better cpu and faster ddr4 ram. VERY MUCH worth the extra few pounds for the superior performance of the i3. the fx 4300 is not a very good cpu at all and will hold back the system a good bit. that was a budget cpu years ago and the years have not been kind to it. ]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£105.59 @ Novatech)
Motherboard: MSI H110M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£49.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£42.98 @ Novatech)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Mini Video Card (£129.95 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£28.00 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: XFX TS 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£36.60 @ Eclipse Computers)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£21.39 @ BT Shop)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full 32/64-bit (£83.90 @ More Computers)
Total: £540.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-24 16:45 GMT+0000

simmy · Nov 24, 2016

Math Geek :

are you still on the same budget or has it changed? lots of sales right now so who knows what you can do. plus lots of new gpu's on the market which changes the performance for dollar a lot.

here is something around the same price range reflecting tosay's prices.

price difference over the cyberpower you found is the much better cpu and faster ddr4 ram. VERY MUCH worth the extra few pounds for the superior performance of the i3. the fx 4300 is not a very good cpu at all and will hold back the system a good bit. that was a budget cpu years ago and the years have not been kind to it. ]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£105.59 @ Novatech)
Motherboard: MSI H110M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£49.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£42.98 @ Novatech)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Mini Video Card (£129.95 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£28.00 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: XFX TS 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£36.60 @ Eclipse Computers)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£21.39 @ BT Shop)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full 32/64-bit (£83.90 @ More Computers)
Total: £540.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-24 16:45 GMT+0000

simmy · Nov 24, 2016

Thanks very much for your help on this, will be looking to buy this in the next few days, the disappointing thing is that looked at a similar spec to the above earlier today came in at £490, now its £540!

simmy · Nov 24, 2016

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£97.98 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£49.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: Kingston FURY 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£31.74 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.95 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB StormX OC Video Card (£91.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: BitFenix Neos White/Blue ATX Mid Tower Case (£29.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX TS 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£31.99 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£11.48 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (£73.98 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £459.08

simmy · Nov 24, 2016

like the 1050ti graphics card option

Math Geek · Nov 24, 2016

yah basic difference is the 1050ti vs the 750ti of the older option.

but it is roughly a gtx 960 in performance making it a pretty good upgrade over the 750ti. it can be dropped back down if you need to save the cash. the 950 and 960 cards are coming down in price and might find one of a good sale. did not really look but it is a possibility.

simmy · Nov 25, 2016

Here is a customs made one, with your specs £499 : https://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/Black-Rider-119p2935.htm

What do you think?

Is motherboard the same?

Math Geek · Nov 25, 2016

main parts are similar though what you give up is faster dual channel ddr4 ram. the single 8 gb stick is both slower and only single channel. not a massive performance hit but will slow it a bit. and the power supply is pretty much junk quality. it'll work for that pc but not a recommended model to have in a pc. you can up it to a carsair vs 550w (more power than needed but for low quality psu it better to have too much power) for 9 pounds more which at least gets you to the "it's ok but i wouldn't do it" level of quality. i'd do that for sure if i went for this pc.

otherwise it's not too bad of a price for the system.

Which one should I choose?

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