Trying to possibly piece together a new build

agoeb

Distinguished
Jul 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
So I have come to realize I need to brush up on my Windows skills + Visual Studio, I primarily use os x. Therefore I am looking to build a new desktop. I did a build back in 2007 as a learning experience primarily.

So I still have this mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131022&cm_re=M2N-E-_-13-131-022-_-Product

and this graphics card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130057


I'm wondering if using those two components is even worth it. Would I even be able to upgrade the cpu and/or ram (currently 2gb)? Can I use that graphics card on newer mobos + cpu combos.

I will primarily be doing light use, maybe a game occasionally, and some moderate video editing, and mainly development/coding. I would also want to do dual screens at some point.

With all that said, my question comes down to, is the money I would be saving by using these two components and upgrading the other components even worth it/possible? I'm kind of on a budget < $400ish. Any advice, or 'if I was you' comments would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance
 
The graphics card can be used on new boards, but is incredibly underpowered by today's standards. Fine if you just need a windows GPU, and should do dual monitors.

You might find an AM2 CPU somewhere that would fit the board, but again you have a outdated board and the matching CPU will be poor by today's standards. Plus you will pay extra for DDR2 RAM... about $10-20 more than similar DDR3.

Do you have a case? OS?

A $400 box that will do what you need is possible, but perhaps not with an OS.

This build gets you a modern board with USB 3 and SATA 6GB/s... very upgradeable, and a quad core processor. The PSU is adequate quality and will power a moderate GPU upgrade should you want later, but not a big GPU upgrade. This includes everything except an optical drive, including an OS.

Xigmatek ASGARD II B/B CPC-T45UC-U01 Black / Black 0.8 mm SECC / Aluminum and Aluminum Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer ...
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Rosewill Green Series RG430-S12 430W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core ...
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX
MSI 870A-G54 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
TOTAL: $441.93