# Upgrading my ye olde system.



## kylos (Apr 19, 2006)

I have had my desktop for ten years now. It was custom built. Over the years I have upgraded here and there. My PSU was replaced not so long ago after my other one failed. I got a 2GB RAM stick to boost memory after one of my chips failed. I also got a newer sound card for the hell of it.

Aside from that, the system is getting quite old. I have trouble playing some of the newer games, and I know I am running into a wall with my current system. I don't plan on getting a new motherboard anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind getting other things if they don't burn my pocket. I think some subtle upgrades could really freshen it up.

Specifications:

Processor: Intel Pentium E2200 Dual Core (Socket 775 LGA) @2.2 Ghz
Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology G31M-S2L
Chipset: Intel P35/G33/G31
Graphics Interface: PCI-Express x16
Memory: DDR2 2GB Elixir (400Mhz), DDR2 1GB Elixir (400Mhz)
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT
Clocks (550Mhz), Memory (400Mhz) Memory Size (512 MBytes)
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 32 Bit
Hard Drive: Western Digital wd5000aakx-00erma0 ata device (500 GB)

My case is ancient. It says Aurora on the front. It has some gaps where I took certain things out (CD drives etc). It's not ideal for gaming system, but I have managed to keep graphic card temps down. I get 40-46 celsius standard, it can push up to 60 on load. This is when I play games like F1 2014 in full screen.

It was over 70 until I added arctic silver and sorted out one of my fans. I was running with one fan for a long time because the wire for my system fan wouldn't reach (happened when I upgraded the motherboard in 06) but I found a way. My fans run at 1900+ and 2200+ RPM.

I assume my best upgrades would be another 2GB RAM, and a new graphics card. Only thing is, I don't know if my PSU would support anything better, and whether a case change would do a lot to keep temps down. Thanks for any help on this, I am hopeless at hardware shopping. :thumb:


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

Your best upgrade option is to replace that old motherboard/cpu/ram combination that you have. I'm aware you said you'd rather not but that's all I would upgrade at this point and I wouldn't sink a dime in what you're currently working with. There's a very good chance you could get a 50$ craigslist computer with a better motherboard/cpu combination then what you have now.

Also , your machine is 7 years old not 10 , as the e2200 was released december of 07.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

Oh , I'd recommend a cheap amd cpu/motherboard/ram combo as your next upgrade , they usually got them bundled pretty cheap on newegg/tiger direct.

AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core APU/Asus A58M-A/USB3 mATX MB/4GB DDR3 1866 Kingston HyperX Fury Red Memory Bundle at TigerDirect.com

Or , alternatively you can buy locally a machine with better barebones for 50-100$ , anything with ddr3 and a new socket type would be better to start with.


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## kylos (Apr 19, 2006)

It would be great to have a brand new system, but I don't have lots of money. I was just thinking of a small upgrade, like an early xmas present for myself. Also I am from England.

But yeah, this system is pretty old now. I have had the case ten years, because it was originally built with an even older motherboard but it got switched out for the Gigabyte one. Would love to have a brand new computer in general, that would be amazing. I have looked at some on ebay but after buying a laptop many years ago (the lcd died after a day of having it), I am wary of purchasing a full computer.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

In that case there really isn't much I would spend money on as any money you put into this machine would basically be a waste. Your money is better spent being saved for a newer platform rather then band-aiding this one alive any longer.

If you're dead set on not upgrading see if you can find a free extra 2gb of ram and maybe an old 775 core-2 quad to hold you over.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Or you could look for a cheap Core 2 Quad on eBay (there are a lot of them) and drop in a newer graphics card. More memory is not going to show you any benefit; 32 bit Windows means you are limited to around 3GB (+ or -) of useable memory.

Core 2 Quad Q9550 | eBay.co.uk

Core 2 Quad Q8400 | eBay.co.uk

Sapphire HD 5770 1GB GDDR5 | eBay.co.uk

Asus HD 6850 DirectCU | eBay.co.uk


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## kylos (Apr 19, 2006)

Oh yes, I knew I got 3GB ram for a reason. I totally get what you are saying emosun. Spending more money on this when I could use that money to get to the next level does sound like a waste of time, seen as I would only get minimal performance increases out of this old dog.

That Quad Core processor is dirt cheap though ... thanks for the links.

Only thing is, if I get a new cpu/motherboard/ram combo, I would probably need a new graphics card and case to go with it. Don't think I can afford all that right now.

Any decent deals for someone living in UK?


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

New motherboards still use atx form factors so any case will work fine , also your pci-e gpu will still be compatible. Same with the power supply.

My old setup used to be a q6600 with a 5770 but that's mostly just a closet computer now and I can't imagine some one spending money to have a computer that most people don't use anymore. Save up for that newer platform , it's actually worth it.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Seeing as the 9400GT, is the component which is affecting your gaming performance the most, I would change that regardless. Throw a low ball bid out on a used Core 2 quad. No it isn't going to turn your pc into a hotrod, but it will, at the least, meet minimum req for most games.

I see this as a no-brain decision. Save up 4-500£ for a full rebuild sometime next year, or spend less than 50 now for a huge improvement.


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## kylos (Apr 19, 2006)

As you say, my graphics card is probably the most hampering. I have had it for many years now, and it is one of my oldest pieces of hardware.

I like to play F1 2014, only problem is that I have to have it on the lowest possible settings and I can't have the window full screen or it lowers fps. My system tends to idle around 38-48 depending on room temp. I played F1 last night and it got to around 60c and stuck there throughout my 100% race. If I minimize the game, it flys back down to the late 40's.

99% sure my PSU is 500W, and bought it not so long ago. I also have two fans that are running at 2200+ RPM. One at the front of the case and one at the back. My wires are nicely out of the way as well so nothing is blocking anything and I keep it clean.

I would like to get a gaming card, but not something crazy. At least if I get a newer card, I can save up for the bigger upgrade in the future and it will compliment it.

My dual core is overclocked to 2.4 atm. I have had it up to 2.9 in the past but it was unstable at times. I like to keep a balanced power plan for browsing and high performance for F1. I do a lot to keep only the needed services when I play the game. Nothing running in the background to hamper fps, so it can only be the graphics card.

Any ideas? Maybe the GT 640?

F1 2014 Minimum System Requirements

CPU: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or 2.8 GHz AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core 5400+
RAM: 2GB System Memory
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT or AMD Radeon HD 2600 XT or Intel HD 3000.
HDD: 15 GB Free Hard Drive Space
Audio: Direct X Compatible Sound Card
OS: Windows Vista 32-bit
DX: DirectX 11.0
Other: Supported Graphics Cards: AMD Radeon HD2600 or higher, HD3650 or higher, HD4550 or higher, HD5000 Series, HD6000 Series, HD7000 Series, R7 Series and R9 Series. NVidia GeForce 8600 or higher, 9500 or higher, GTX220 or higher, GTX400 Series, GTX500 Series, GTX600 Series, GTX700 Series. Intel HD Graphics 3000 or higher, AMD Fusion A8 or higher.

F1 2014 Recommended System Requirements

CPU: 2.67 GHz Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core or 3.6 GHz Quad-Core AMD Bulldozer FX-4100
RAM: 4 GB System Memory
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 640 or AMD Radeon HD 7570
GPU RAM: 1024MB VRAM
HDD: 20 GB Free Hard Drive Space
OS: Windows 7 64-bit


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

kylos said:


> As you say, my graphics card is probably the most hampering. I have had it for many years now, and it is one of my oldest pieces of hardware.


Your motherboard and cpu are older then your gpu.

What you need to recognize is that your cpu and ram barely meet the minimum requirements for the game. Actually your cpu doesn't meet even the minimum requirements. Your gpu despite being old as well actually does meet the minimum requirements.

Buying a new gpu will not band aid your problem if your system is too slow to actually utilize it. Is that your cpu or gpu that runs at 60?


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## kylos (Apr 19, 2006)

Yeah .. I am seeing the point. I can't afford to get a new motherboard, CPU, Graphics Card, Memory and a new case all in one go. It's Xmas, just finished off my shopping, and I wanted to get something for myself. An upgrade but not something crazy. Something which sends me in the right direction without killing my pocket, because Xmas already did that. At least if I got a better gpu I could save up for a Motherboard/CPU/Memory bundle down the line when I make more money.

If I had the money I would just throw the old thing in the bin and buy a brand new system, but that's not possible for me.

Edit: Also found my PSU is 550W, not 500.

Edit2: The 60c temperature was my graphics card. Which is a lot lower than it used to be (in the 80-90 range at one point), I changed thermal paste and got my other fan in there which lowered things dramatically.


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