Upgrading Old Custom bought computer.

[MauroDiogo]

Greetings everyone,
I bought my current computerabout 4/5 years ago and at the time I didn't know much about computers (Still don't know much but I know more than I used to! ) so I just asked for something that would be able to play A and B games properly. They gave me that but after an year or two it was outdated already!
I've since then added more memory to it and the specs are as follows:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.800
Memory: 2GBs DDR
Mother Board: ASRock K8 Combo Z
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 9500
PSU: Antec SL350P (350Watts)
Case: Antec SLK1650B ATX
OS: Windows XP SP2

This month I got my hands on a few extra penies and decided to upgrade my Video Card. Money doesn't come easily unfortunately so I can't upgrade the computer as freqeuntly as I'd love to (hence why its so old). I was looking for something reasonably cheap, reliable, fast and that would work for a really long time. After looking around, asking other "experts" and formulating an opinions based on others opinions Idecided to settle for a Saaphire Radeon HD 3850 512 (AGP because my mobo does not support PCI).
I bought it for a bargain! Much cheaper than slower , weaker cards that would suit my computer better.
However, only after ordering and paying for it I realised my power supply is only a 350 W one instead of 500W like I thought it was! This annoyed me a bit because I now have to buy a new PSU probably!

And that's exactly why Im here!

1 - Ive still got some spare "change" left from saving after buying the graphics card so I thought I'd get a new PSU. After reading several articles about PSUs, reading reviews, and of course the recommended links on one of the stickies here on the forum I found a OCZ StealthXstream 500W (http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=8101) at a cheap price aswell. Is it a good Power Supply?

2 - Would that power supply work on my computer? (Main concerns being the mobo and case)

3 - Do you reckon I should get different power supply altogether? If so What one?

With time if I get an extra any time soon Im probably going to upgrade my mother board and processor but I can't count on it (It has taken me like 2/3 years to get a better gfx card!) so its just the video card for now and the PSU since Im on a really tight budget.

That is all,
If you require any more information let me know!

Thanks in advance,
Mauro

 

[skora]

Did you take a look at this TH article?
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ati-agp-3850-agp,1939.html

Might be best to save you're money until you can get enough to do a CPU/Mobo upgrade. The AGP won't be able to be used in you're next comp and what you have now is for all practial purposes DEAD.

As to if the Antec is enough power for the 3850, total wattage should be enough to get by, but the real concern is the 16a on the 12v rail. Before going and buying anything more, I'd spec out each piece and see if you can get the amps used and see if its enough?

Here's the PSU calc I use.
http://www.antec.outervision.com/PSUEngine

 

[MauroDiogo]

Hey Skora,
Thanks for the quick reply!

Yeh I have read that article (not in depth though!) right after searching for the card on the forum and before making my post. The benchmarking shows excellent results in my opinion and made me even more excited about the "new" graphics card tbh.

I've used a similar calculator and put the new card in just to get an idea of how much wattage the computer would require and it was well below the 350Watt I currently have. (288 Watts If Im not in error, peraphs a bit less)

I was hoping I could get a quick fix for my computer but also something cheap and that would allow me to play recent games properly for a really good while (recent games and games that are yet to come). Guess it isn't happening then

 

[aford10]

That is a good psu. However, I gotta agree with skora. The little stop gap upgrades aren't real beneficial and can get costly. When you decide to upgrade your mobo, the video card you purchased, cpu, and RAM will need to be upgraded.

Older boards also usually came with 2 IDE ports allowing for up to 4 devices to be hooked up. Newer boards usually only come with 1. So if you want a HD and 2 opticals, then you will need a new SATA device (optical or HD), unless you get an IDE card.

These are just some things to think about when thinking of upgrading.

 

[MauroDiogo]

Thanks once again for your replies. That's what I was thinking just now Aford. These are quick cheap fixes NOW but if I do decide to upgrade the mobo etc later on it'll add up to that cost and ill probably have to buy a new graphics card once again!

I think its time to dig up topics about cheap custom built games oritend computers and start saving for my own!

I've also just cancelled the order on that radeon hd 3850 so hopefully theylll cancel it before dispatching it!
Thanks again for your replies guys - didnt think about the ditional upgrade costs later on if I decided to get a new mobo etc before making this topic so it has helped me a lot so far!

 

[skora]

You've made the right choice.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of budget do you have avaiable now.

Taking you're time to build a comp can be very beneficial. The one I have now took 4 months of waiting for the BEST deals I could find and I think I did well.
Asus P5Q-PRO + 2gig OCZ DDR2-800 = $91 amir
Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer = $25
E5200 + World In Conflict + Assassins Creed = $80
Corsair 550VX = $63
2 more gigs matching ram = $12
Asus 4850 TOP edition = $105
Reused case, peripherals, monitor, OS
So a full guts upgrade for under $400.

Point is, keep checking day in, day out and have an idea of the target system you want to build. Buy rediculous combos and wait for the right deal. You don't happen to live near a microcenter do you?

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I would suggest on a cheaper budget, check out an AMD build, and also the stock cooler is sufficient until you can afford better.

 

[aford10]

Pretty good build by skora. One suggestion would be an aftermarket cooler because that cpu OC's like a champ. It's a cheap addition and I've seen that cpu top 3.5Ghz.

 

[MauroDiogo]

Thanks once again for the replies.

I am aiming for a games heavy computer. One that hopefully would also last 2 years or more if possible
For that I would probably have to spend a lot more than what I have right now. About $280 since you've asked!

And sorry for the dumb question but what's a microcenter? I live in england and I dont think we have those over here.

 

[skora]

It'd be a bit of a trek to get to one then. Micro center is a brick and mortar that is only in major metro areas. I don't have one near me and cry myself to sleep every night because of it. They have the i7 920 for $200. Lots of exceptional deals like that along the way.

 

[aford10]

It's a store here in the states.

If you save up about $100 more, you could probably get a decent budget build. You'll need to salvage parts like the HD, opticals, case, monitor, and peripherals.

 

[skora]

This might be a stretch, but would get you started. Newegg has some great deals on AMD 710 x3 and 940 x4 cpus with mobos. The mobo options are the 780G or the 790GX. Both the CPU and Mobo combo will run around $200 for the x3 or x4 with a 790GX down to $160 for the X3 with a 780g. If the board is DDR2 ram, 4 gigs will cost $45. DDR3 mobo will add $65. The 790GX has a better on-board graphics than the 780G, but both are better than the 9500 you have now. Both mobos should be able to be run with your current power supply as long as it has the 24 pin mobo power connector. That will set you up so when you have the money, all you need is a PSU to match the GPU you get. You'll get a great tri or quad core now and see a significant boast compared to your current system.

I used this calculator to see how much power you'd need. Made some assumptions, so double check and let us know.
http://www.antec.outervision.com/PSUEngine

940 and 790GX (DDR2 required) $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.209473

710 and 790GX (DDR2 required) $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211694

Here's all the combos for the 710. Look at the ones under $200 with a 780G mobo if interested.

710 and 790GX (DDR3 required) $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.212210

 

[royalcrown]

It would be better to buy a pre made pc if money is really tight. When they buy 10,000 motherboards and cpus, etc.., they get a lot better price than you can, look for a good used or "older" dual core athlon x2 system with 4 gigs and a pcie slot (hopefully 2.0) then all you have to do is drop in a good power supply and whatever super duper card you want.

An athlon x2 5800+ or newer (with a good gpu) can play modern games reasonably well. Avoid the phenom like the plague ! Phenom II or "kuma" is good as well. Kuma's basically recycle the athlon x2 design.

 

[royalcrown]

Or get what is called a "barebones" system. Basically new minus the GPU, you usually get a non branded power supply (junk) so make sure it is a well known brand or add your own.

 

[aford10]

That's an option if you can find a real good deal. However, when someone builds a system for you you pay for labor costs. If you buy a built system over a site like ebay, you pay extra for S&H. You can save that extra bloat and build one yourself, with new parts, for around the same overall price.......unless you find a real good deal. There are people out there now looking to bring in some $$ b/c of the economy.

 

[royalcrown]

That's an option if you can find a real good deal. However, when someone builds a system for you you pay for labor costs. If you buy a built system over a site like ebay, you pay extra for S&H. You can save that extra bloat and build one yourself, with new parts, for around the same overall price.......unless you find a real good deal. There are people out there now looking to bring in some $$ b/c of the economy.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4843600&Sku=B69-0099

I did not know stuff like this was available either till last week. So the OP would be well served. Maybe SCAN has something like this as well ?

 

[aford10]

^ that's not a bad deal. But for the OP, I don't think it's the ideal choice. The psu that comes with it isn't able to support a mid to high end video card. Since this if mainly for gaming, the OP would have to replace the PSU and buy a video card. The mobo supports ddr2 667 tops. This barebones system is including parts that don't have to be changed and doesn't come with a cpu fan.

So, on top of the $250 system, the video card, PSU, and cpu fan would need to be purchased. That would easily put it over $400 before shipping costs.

The guts could be replaced for cheaper.

 

[royalcrown]

True, but the diff between ddr 667 and 800 and such doesent make a big diff in real life as long as you have plenty, plus ditching the ps was a given anyhow. try to go to newegg and build a 400.00 system w kb, mouse and speakers w higher end parts and it can't be done easily if at all. All I was getting across was a system like this with a geforce 260 and a good ps should keep him gaming even for a cpl years at reasonable settings, low cost too.

 

[aford10]

gigabyte p43 - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128380

OCZ reaper 4GB - $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

Corsair 450w - $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

e7400 - $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206

HIS 4850 - $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161259

This comes out to $389. It's in every way better than the barebones system. The OP can salvage everything else from the old system. The old HD could be replaced at the OP's availability and would be a nice improvement.

 

[royalcrown]

Well there ya go, suppose the op has a want to run the old system as a linux box, or has a 120 gig hd, or his old case doesent have front usb. Are you saying the WD drive and ASUS and AMD are junk. While it is not top of the line, it's not no name or pcchips crap either. Plus he still gets the extras you left out. Sure he can salvage, and that stuff is a bit higher end, but if he were throwing everything out and or had no interest in occing, then this is a better overall deal.

take $249 and add that corsair ps and that $99 4850 and what do you get $403.00...he saved 14 bucks w your setup and still has to keep his old probably smaller hd and dvd burner, which are prob IDE anyhow. This was just an option on the cheap that is reasonably functional even on today's games.

 

[aford10]

Not saying they are junk, they just aren't as good overall. Personally, I just don't like the idea of paying for items that I don't need. The price of the barebones system is including those parts that the OP could salvage from the old system. If the OP salvaged the parts from the current pc, he could get a better overall build. The IDE part does throw a kink into things if there are 2 opticals. However, that's easily remedied w/ an IDE card (~$20), or using 1 optical w/ 1 HD. Down the road the HD could be upgraded to a faster SATA drive. If the OP has a 2nd optical drive, it could then be hooked up. That $14 saved could go towards a caviar black drive, which is a faster drive than the caviar green series.

 

[royalcrown]

Ya, it just depends on what he wants to reuse really. Plus, if he has an old 40 gig or somethin, he's gota burn it ...hehe. I hate the green series myself, got a 2nd 640 (green) as a backup drive because the blue aaks was sold out. seems a lot slower than my blue main drive.

 

[skora]

I love respectful debates like this. Thats why I stick around TH.

RC and aford: the OP was rather emphatic about the tightness of the budget. Knowing he couldn't get a full low budget system, I looked to see if this could be phased. If he's only doing core upgrades every 4/5 years, getting a dual core seems like just another costly stop gap that after 2 years will have limited effectiveness. The tri and especially the quad combos I linked to give the system a chance to survive those 4/5 years.

I'm finding myself checking to see if I can sell my e5200/P5Q-Pro and am really looking at that AMD 940/Biostart 790GX deal. While OC might not be as great as a gigabyte board, you're running stock at 3.0 as it. For the OP, knowing he can only do the guts or a GPU/PSU, the cpu/mobo will at least have some life and be heads and shoulders above what he has now. Yeah there's no GPU, but if you can't afford the cash, then phasing or waiting are your two choices.

I had to laugh RC when you said that you didn't know that TD barebones section exsisted. I was the one who posted it in that WoW thread from my favs after buying one many many moons ago.

 

[MauroDiogo]

Hey guys, again thanks for the replies. Didnt think Id get so many opinions but I guess I was wrong (luckily!).

I found some of the information overwhelming though since Im a "noob" when it comes to the new technologies etc (I used to be in the know though when Voodoos 2 were the best out there )

I have taken in account all the information you guys have been giving me and I do agree with all of it, I could get some cheap combos or deals for the mobo + processor for now and then upgrade the card and PSU peraphs.

While browsing the internet this morning though I came across this nifty little computer.

http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/404.asp?404;http://www.dinopc.com:80/shop/pc/20-001-PC-Intel-Dual-Core-E1400-2GB-RAM-160GB-HD-95p486.htm

£162 is about $261 dollars.

Peraphs I could get that now and then upgrade some of the parts one by one with time?

1 - Is the processor alright?

2 - I couldnt find information about the motherboard, if anyone does, is it good and will last me a couple of years?

and lastly, 3- it comes with an onboard graphics card, that can be upgraded at anytime yeh? (If its a removable "chip" on the motherboard and has a slot for a new card)

Thanks again for the great help you've been giving me!

Oh and you were wondering if I would keep some of the components I already have and yes I'll probably will. I have a 160Gb HDD which is more than enough for what I need and sound card + CD drive work just fine so thats money that I would save!

 

[aford10]

I think your better off waiting until you can get something like I listed above. That system you linked has a real low budget board that wouldn't support higher end dual core, let alone quad core cpu's if you were thinking of upgrading down the line. That celeron cpu is pretty old.

Since this is mainly for gaming, I have a hard time recommending a budget board w/ onboard graphics. That could be remedied by an upgraded video card down the line, but the performance you're looking for will suffer until then. However, that's totally your call. If you're ok with that, it's certainly an option.

As far as cpu's go in games. Most all the games out utilize single or dual cores. Not many games utilize more than 2 cores yet. A higher end dual core with a faster bus will give better performance than a slower tri or quad core.