Should I upgrade or build a new?

A

amtrak2041864

High Speed Rail!!
I dont know what to do should I save up and build a new PC or upgrade my old.

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 UltimateVersion 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6550 @ 2.33GHz, 2327 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name Joathans-PC\Henry Family
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 3.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 2.97 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.52 GB
Total Virtual Memory 7.41 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.97 GB
Page File Space 4.45 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


Name NVIDIA GeForce GT 430
Adapter Type GeForce GT 430, NVIDIA compatible
Adapter Description NVIDIA GeForce GT 430
Adapter RAM 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1600 x 1200 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32
 
Last edited:
It's up to you. Are you up to building your own. Sometimes the cost of building your own computer isn't just the cost of the hardware, but also your patience and frustration. Also take into consideration that you will have to purchase a new operating system license if your original came with a prebuilt machine, or was an upgrade from another version.

If you are interested in exploring the possibilities, check out www.newegg.com They have how-to videos in addition to the purchase area where you can get parts. Their pre-built machines aren't that bad either and I've heard some nice things about them. You could get one of their prebuilds and customize it for your needs such as by adding extra memory or another video card.

Another place to check is Microcenter www.microcenter.com They build a decent machine as I said in another thread.


John
 
I vote for replacement. You could upgrade some (depending on motherboard) but you'd be putting good money into old technology, IMHO. I also would recommend building your own, or finding someone trustworthy to do it for you. That way, you know exactly what you're getting and can better plan for future upgrade etc.

Darrel
 
amtrak2041864 said:
I dont know what to do should I save up and build a new PC or upgrade my old.

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 UltimateVersion 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6550 @ 2.33GHz, 2327 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name Joathans-PC\Henry Family
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 3.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 2.97 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.52 GB
Total Virtual Memory 7.41 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.97 GB
Page File Space 4.45 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


Name NVIDIA GeForce GT 430
Adapter Type GeForce GT 430, NVIDIA compatible
Adapter Description NVIDIA GeForce GT 430
Adapter RAM 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1600 x 1200 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32

Get more ram, a bigger harddrive, and a better graphics card.
Click to expand...

What motherboard do you have? That is often the key to whether you can upgrade. I would advise you to watch this guy's series of videos (below) where he buys a HAF-X case then transfers the components of his old PC into it and gradually upgrades them, which is pretty much what I did. By doing this you get familiar with computer parts and all the baffling terminology. If you really want to build a PC from scratch, some of the better PC magazines have tables of parts needed to build a PC arranged by grade (Basic through to Elite) but I would say the best course is to buy used parts on ebay (or a whole PC) from a reliable seller who has loads of good feedback. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0UPQGA3qvo
 
Your mobo is socket 775 so the best cpu your going to able to install is a quad core extreme for eg a QX9650 @ 3ghz. (I use one). They're 6-7 years old and still cost over £200 new. Plus you would need a decent cooler for it.
You can get a darn good i5 25xx or 35xx/37xx cpu for less.
GPU, the mobo again is maybe PCI-E 1.1, so putting a good one in for eg nvidea 660/760 which are PCI-E 2 or maybe 3 (no idea) your throttling the card to what the mobo will allow in transfer rates.
I hope I've put you off enough to save up for a new computer because no matter what you put in the old mobo you wont get better than 20-25 FPS, trust me I'm there !!
 
Fran1 has it right - the MBoard determines the potential of all the other components. If you decide on a new one, the first decision is Intel or AMD. If you go for Intel (I would, and did) the Socket 1155 Sandy & Ivy Bridge has been superseded by the Socket 1150 Haswell, which will future proof for at least 2 generations of CPU. On the other hand, the Socket 1155 mobo's and CPU's will see a price drop in comparison to 1150's and are more than adequate to run Trainz. Either will come with SATA-3 and PCI-3, enabling you to run the latest GPU's and give faster transfer rates on your HDD's. RAM will be practically unlimited, I run 16GBs if 16xxGHz with no problems on a Socket 1155 with an i5 4-core rated at 3.4GHZ.

On AMD, I know very little, but others on this forum do, and will chip in with relevant info if you ask nicely.

One big improvement I found was to install the OS and Trainz onto an SSD, 256GB is sufficient. Expensive, but currently the best bang for your buck that you can find. A 2-3GB 7200 rpm HDD for storage just about completes the essentials.

GPU is a matter of personal preference and previous experience. I favour NVidia (the GTX 660 is a good deal at the moment), but AMD seem to be making a bit of a comeback and some of their later mid to high end cards are getting good reviews.

Building your own machine isn't that difficult, really (I can do it!), just read all the manuals and take your time.
 
Thanks Guys for the help, I am saving up 600 for my new PC. I am still in HS so that is alot of money for me. But taxes are soon and my mother said she will help me out. I have 120 saved already, so all I need is another 280 and I'm in the clear. Also I am going down the AMD route. I spoke with a software engineer and she said there really is no difference between the two. Like Apple, you are paying for a name.
 
If you stick with AMD look for a motherboard with AM3+ socket and DDR3 ram.
CPU, 4 or more cores, shoot for 4Ghz to start with. (I have a 6 core AMD overclocked to around 3.9 Ghz) I think it defaulted to around 3.5Ghz.
My motherboard has auto-overclocking. (If you aren't experienced with overclocking, don't do it.)
I would start with 8 gigs of ram.
Nvidia 650 video card with 1gig ram or better. Power supply should be 750 watts or more if you want to upgrade your video later.
If you can, you should get a UPS. Many SSD's can't handle power dropouts at all. A good UPS around 1000watts should start around $100.
Even if you don't get a SSD, a UPS is still a good idea. I consider it mandatory on any system I build.

My system:
UPS: OMNI1000LCD (1000 watts) Bought at costco for $100 several years ago. Still going strong and has been a life saver.
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1100T, AM3, 3840Ghz (overclocked)
Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair IV Formula
Ram: 16 gigs
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 650, 1gig ram
Boot and OS drive 150 gigs (Win7 ultimate)
Programs and data drive 190 gigs
Programs and data drive 1000 gigs
DVD drive
CPU is watercooled. Corsair Hydro series
No SSD yet. (Spent money on kickstarter)
Power Supply: CoolerMaster RS750 (750 watts)
 
Just a thought.
Maybe go up a bit on the cpu to a Phenom II X4 Black Edition 980 or 975.
PSU does need more power.
 
Maybe the Corsair CX500M (sale ends tomorrow at NewEgg)
Or the Thermaltake SP-550PCBUS if you can afford it.
You will eventually need to add another 4 gigs when you can.
In the long run, I think an AM3+ system will give you more options.
I don't care for the FM2 socket boards.

If you are near a small computer store that builds systems, see if you can get a starter system.
I was able to find one that someone commissioned but changed their mind on.

Win7 Ultimate, 750watt Cooler Master PS, Case, Asus Crosshair Formula AM3 socket MB, AMD Phenom II 1100T, Corsair H55 water cooler, 1TB hard drive
for $544 including tax. (All was considered open box since it was originally built for someone else.)
 
drchoi21 said:
I believe you're in NJ correct? Then you can put GTX 580 inside this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERMICRO-...073851?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item20e04ca8fb
put it inside
of this case NZXT source 210 $40 w/ Dynatron lga 771 coolers $70 w/ EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750 B 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified 750W #80
now you have a machine capable of destroying Trainz
Click to expand...
I ordered a Source 210 case myself, they're EXTREMELY nice. I'm replacing the fans with 200CFM Delta fans though (They're also extremely loud, but I want my hackintosh to sound like a beast). Mine also has a side window.
There's a lot of space on the front to put decals too if you're into that sort of thing.
 
also you can modify lga 771 xeons to run on lga 775 with little modification. X5450 is around 20-30 which is same as Q9650 but cheaper.
 
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