JonMyrlennBailey
Well-known member
What hardware do I need?
I want to retain full MS Windows 7 64-bit compatibility with the option to change to Windows 10 or other edition later on. I want max Trainzing performance with settings maxed out and routes thick with 3D content even with the latest Trainz version offered. How cheap can I get all the parts rounded up and where?
Will probably need the following new parts to replace older ones:
1. 120 mm case fan, mobo-speed-controlled
2. PSU, modular cable management
3. mobo
4. solid-state drive
5. processor, heat sink and cooling fan (Intel or AMD inside?)
6. graphics card
7. RAM (I believe Windows 7 supports up to 16 GB)
8. any necessary hardware attachments (cables, connectors)
Here are the build specs on my current PC:
[TABLE="width: 655"]
[TR]
[TH]Item[/TH]
[TH]Source[/TH]
[TH]Description[/TH]
[TH]Price[/TH]
[TH]Notes[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]HARDWARE[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Badge for front of case[/TD]
[TD]CorporateConnection.com[/TD]
[TD]plastic engraved plate (office door sign)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Blu-ray Optical Drive, internal[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Pioneer Electronics USA, BDR-209 DBK (this drive writes Blu-ray disks, CDs and DVDs)[/TD]
[TD]$68 with extended protection plan[/TD]
[TD]Replaced 5-year- old HP DVD writer in November 2014[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Building Supplies/
Tools[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]Philips screwdrivers, ruler, plastic locking cable ties[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cooling Fans/heat sinks as needed[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]1 on heat sink supplied w/ processor, 1 supplied w/ case, 1 supplied w/ power supply[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CPU[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics[/TD]
[TD]AMD® Athlon™ II 620, 64-bit, 4 cores, 2.6 GHz clockspeed, 2MB cache[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Supplied w/ AMD fan and heat sink[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fastening hardware as need[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]supplied w/ case[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Graphics card if no video onboard mobo[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]XFX CORE Edition FX-777A-ZNF4 AMD Radeon HD 7770, 1GB 128-Bit GDDR5, PCI Express 3.0 x16, HDCP Ready, CrossFireX Support Video Card
[TD]$100.00[/TD]
[TD]Purchased and installed May 2013[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Hard Drive, internal[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Western Digital Blue 1TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (WD10EZEX): Serial Number: WCC6Y4KC94D9[/TD]
[TD]$52.95[/TD]
[TD]Replaced original Seagate 500 GB drive on Oct. 25, 2017[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Keyboard and mouse[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com (keyboard), Fry's (mouse)[/TD]
[TD]Adesso 3-color illuminated compact desktop keyboard, wired: Logitech wired mouse, optical[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory card reader/writer, internal, 3.5”[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD](none)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory, RAM[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics/Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]DIMM DDR3 2GB 1600 DUAL x 4, CMX4GX3M2A160069, Corsair = 8 GB total[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Monitor[/TD]
[TD]Fry's Electronics, Sacramento, CA[/TD]
[TD]Samsung 20" LED[/TD]
[TD]$200.00[/TD]
[TD]Includes 2-year protection plan, purchased May 2013[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Motherboard[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Skytech[/TD]
[TD]
[TD]$79.95[/TD]
[TD]NOTE: has Asurion 4-year plan, purchased Feb. 6, 2018, $8.02 extra
BIOS Version: F1
Serial Number: 4/A/HBA027 01810
Model: GA-78LMT-USB3
Revision: R2 (Rev.1)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]PC case[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics[/TD]
[TD]ATX form factor: Antec™ New Solutions NSK 4480B II w/ original 380w Earthwatts power supply and 120 mm fan, not mobo-controlled[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Discontinued Enclosure: PSU replaced 2/16/2018, replaced front panel switches and LED lights 2/16/2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Power Supply[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Services, Inc.[/TD]
[TD]EVGA 450 B3, 80+ BRONZE 450W, Fully Modular, EVGA ECO Mode, 5 Year Warranty, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 220-B3-0450-V1[/TD]
[TD]$49.95[/TD]
[TD]Replaced original PSU 2/16/2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sound Card if no sound onboard mobo[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]supplied w/ mobo[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Speakers[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Wal-Mart Onn external amplified desktop speakers, pair[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wireless Adapter card , internal w/ driver[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD](none)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wires, cables, connectors, adapters as needed[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]several USB cables for remote USB hubs, printers, etc.-monitor cable, wireless Ethernet bridge Cat-5 cable, power cable supplied w/ case[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]SYSTEM SOFTWARE[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Copy of operating system installed on build[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics, Roseville[/TD]
[TD]Microsoft® Windows 7® Home Premium/64 Bit
OEM COPY
PRODUCT KEY: ____[/TD]
[TD]$119.99[/TD]
[TD]Builder, ME!![/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Any drivers for internal components as needed[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]various supplied with extra devices on discs, Windows O/S and downloaded[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Thermal paste[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Deb Lope[/TD]
[TD]ARCTIC ORACO-MX40001-BL MX-4 Thermal Compound Paste, Carbon Based High Performance, Heatsink Paste, Thermal Compound CPU for All Coolers, Thermal Interface Material - 4 Grams[/TD]
[TD]$6.95[/TD]
[TD]to reinstall CPU heat sink on Feb. 16, 2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Switches/LEDs front panel[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Warmstor 2-Pack Computer Case LED Light Red Green ATX Power Supply Reset HDD Switch Cable 27-inch Long ATX Case Front Bezel Wire Kit
Replaces burnt out status leds on ATX cases PC ATX Power Reset Switch Cable
PC ATX Power Reset Switch Cable;Design : H.D.D LED, Power LED+, Power LED-, Reset SW, Power SW
Sometimes it's the small parts that can make a big difference. Replace your burnt out LEDs and worn out switches with this handy ATX front bezel wire kit. The five-piece kit comes with two switches (Power, Reset) and three LEDs (Power, Hard Drive Activity, Sleep). Each switch and LED is clearly labeled to make installation easy. Make sure your computer still looks and works as great as the day you bought it with this replacement kit
LED Number : 2;LED Light Color : Red, Green; Cable Length : 68cm / 27";Material (External) : Plastic
LED Number : 2;LED Light Color : Red, Green; Cable Length : 68cm / 27";Material (External) : Plastic[/TD]
[TD]$7.99[/TD]
[TD]Had to modify front panel LED holes from original 3mm holes to larger holes to press-fit larger LED's: original LED's were both blue: had to file down power switch operating pushrod that connects with on/off button in panel for reliable operation[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
This PC was originally built late 2009.
I want to retain full MS Windows 7 64-bit compatibility with the option to change to Windows 10 or other edition later on. I want max Trainzing performance with settings maxed out and routes thick with 3D content even with the latest Trainz version offered. How cheap can I get all the parts rounded up and where?
Will probably need the following new parts to replace older ones:
1. 120 mm case fan, mobo-speed-controlled
2. PSU, modular cable management
3. mobo
4. solid-state drive
5. processor, heat sink and cooling fan (Intel or AMD inside?)
6. graphics card
7. RAM (I believe Windows 7 supports up to 16 GB)
8. any necessary hardware attachments (cables, connectors)
Here are the build specs on my current PC:
[TABLE="width: 655"]
[TR]
[TH]Item[/TH]
[TH]Source[/TH]
[TH]Description[/TH]
[TH]Price[/TH]
[TH]Notes[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]HARDWARE[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Badge for front of case[/TD]
[TD]CorporateConnection.com[/TD]
[TD]plastic engraved plate (office door sign)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Blu-ray Optical Drive, internal[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Pioneer Electronics USA, BDR-209 DBK (this drive writes Blu-ray disks, CDs and DVDs)[/TD]
[TD]$68 with extended protection plan[/TD]
[TD]Replaced 5-year- old HP DVD writer in November 2014[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Building Supplies/
Tools[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]Philips screwdrivers, ruler, plastic locking cable ties[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cooling Fans/heat sinks as needed[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]1 on heat sink supplied w/ processor, 1 supplied w/ case, 1 supplied w/ power supply[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CPU[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics[/TD]
[TD]AMD® Athlon™ II 620, 64-bit, 4 cores, 2.6 GHz clockspeed, 2MB cache[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Supplied w/ AMD fan and heat sink[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fastening hardware as need[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]supplied w/ case[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Graphics card if no video onboard mobo[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]XFX CORE Edition FX-777A-ZNF4 AMD Radeon HD 7770, 1GB 128-Bit GDDR5, PCI Express 3.0 x16, HDCP Ready, CrossFireX Support Video Card
- 1GB 128-Bit GDDR5
- Core Clock 1000MHz
- 2 x DVI (1 Single Link, 1 Dual Link) DVI 1 x HDMI HDMI 1 x DisplayPort DisplayPort
- 640 Stream Processors
- PCI Express 3.0 x16
[TD]$100.00[/TD]
[TD]Purchased and installed May 2013[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Hard Drive, internal[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Western Digital Blue 1TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (WD10EZEX): Serial Number: WCC6Y4KC94D9[/TD]
[TD]$52.95[/TD]
[TD]Replaced original Seagate 500 GB drive on Oct. 25, 2017[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Keyboard and mouse[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com (keyboard), Fry's (mouse)[/TD]
[TD]Adesso 3-color illuminated compact desktop keyboard, wired: Logitech wired mouse, optical[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory card reader/writer, internal, 3.5”[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD](none)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory, RAM[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics/Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]DIMM DDR3 2GB 1600 DUAL x 4, CMX4GX3M2A160069, Corsair = 8 GB total[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Monitor[/TD]
[TD]Fry's Electronics, Sacramento, CA[/TD]
[TD]Samsung 20" LED[/TD]
[TD]$200.00[/TD]
[TD]Includes 2-year protection plan, purchased May 2013[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Motherboard[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Skytech[/TD]
[TD]
- Gigabyte AM3+ AMD DDR3 1333 760G HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard GA-78LMT-USB3 Socket AM3+
- Chipset: North Bridge AMD 760G & South Bridge SB710
- Memory: 4x 240pin DDR3-1333+(O.C.)/1066 DIMM Slots, Dual Channel, Max Capacity of 32GB
- Slots: 1x PCI-Express 2.0 x16 Slot, 1x PCI-Express 2.0 x1 Slot, 1x PCI Slot
- Windows 8 Ready
- CPU: AM3+ socket Support for AMD AM3+ processor,AMD AM3 Phenom II processor / AMD Athlon II processor
- Memory: 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory / Support for 1333+ (O.C.)/1066 MHz memory modules
- LAN: 1 x Realtek GbE LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
[TD]$79.95[/TD]
[TD]NOTE: has Asurion 4-year plan, purchased Feb. 6, 2018, $8.02 extra
BIOS Version: F1
Serial Number: 4/A/HBA027 01810
Model: GA-78LMT-USB3
Revision: R2 (Rev.1)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]PC case[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics[/TD]
[TD]ATX form factor: Antec™ New Solutions NSK 4480B II w/ original 380w Earthwatts power supply and 120 mm fan, not mobo-controlled[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Discontinued Enclosure: PSU replaced 2/16/2018, replaced front panel switches and LED lights 2/16/2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Power Supply[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Services, Inc.[/TD]
[TD]EVGA 450 B3, 80+ BRONZE 450W, Fully Modular, EVGA ECO Mode, 5 Year Warranty, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 220-B3-0450-V1[/TD]
[TD]$49.95[/TD]
[TD]Replaced original PSU 2/16/2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sound Card if no sound onboard mobo[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD]supplied w/ mobo[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Speakers[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Wal-Mart Onn external amplified desktop speakers, pair[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wireless Adapter card , internal w/ driver[/TD]
[TD]n/a[/TD]
[TD](none)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wires, cables, connectors, adapters as needed[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]several USB cables for remote USB hubs, printers, etc.-monitor cable, wireless Ethernet bridge Cat-5 cable, power cable supplied w/ case[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]SYSTEM SOFTWARE[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Copy of operating system installed on build[/TD]
[TD]Fry’s Electronics, Roseville[/TD]
[TD]Microsoft® Windows 7® Home Premium/64 Bit
OEM COPY
PRODUCT KEY: ____[/TD]
[TD]$119.99[/TD]
[TD]Builder, ME!![/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Any drivers for internal components as needed[/TD]
[TD](various)[/TD]
[TD]various supplied with extra devices on discs, Windows O/S and downloaded[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Thermal paste[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com Deb Lope[/TD]
[TD]ARCTIC ORACO-MX40001-BL MX-4 Thermal Compound Paste, Carbon Based High Performance, Heatsink Paste, Thermal Compound CPU for All Coolers, Thermal Interface Material - 4 Grams[/TD]
[TD]$6.95[/TD]
[TD]to reinstall CPU heat sink on Feb. 16, 2018[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Switches/LEDs front panel[/TD]
[TD]Amazon.com[/TD]
[TD]Warmstor 2-Pack Computer Case LED Light Red Green ATX Power Supply Reset HDD Switch Cable 27-inch Long ATX Case Front Bezel Wire Kit
Replaces burnt out status leds on ATX cases PC ATX Power Reset Switch Cable
PC ATX Power Reset Switch Cable;Design : H.D.D LED, Power LED+, Power LED-, Reset SW, Power SW
Sometimes it's the small parts that can make a big difference. Replace your burnt out LEDs and worn out switches with this handy ATX front bezel wire kit. The five-piece kit comes with two switches (Power, Reset) and three LEDs (Power, Hard Drive Activity, Sleep). Each switch and LED is clearly labeled to make installation easy. Make sure your computer still looks and works as great as the day you bought it with this replacement kit
LED Number : 2;LED Light Color : Red, Green; Cable Length : 68cm / 27";Material (External) : Plastic
LED Number : 2;LED Light Color : Red, Green; Cable Length : 68cm / 27";Material (External) : Plastic[/TD]
[TD]$7.99[/TD]
[TD]Had to modify front panel LED holes from original 3mm holes to larger holes to press-fit larger LED's: original LED's were both blue: had to file down power switch operating pushrod that connects with on/off button in panel for reliable operation[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
This PC was originally built late 2009.

Last edited: