[Vinceroman]

Hi guys,

 

It's been a while since I last posted on here (19th August 2013 to be exact)

Here is the old post: http://www.geekstogo...other-problems/

 

I kinda just stopped trying and left the problem on my computer on going as the computer seemed to be okay at the time.

 

There was actually several problems with the computer with the main one being random BSOD.

 

This was sorta solved when I changed into a heat sink from a water cooler for my motherboard but now that the BSOD is back as well as the other problems, I now want to move on and upgrade this computer.

 

I have not replied in the old post (bad on my part) as I kinda felt that the computer was back to normal. 11 months later, getting 3-4 random crashes a day, some during while I'm playing a game and disconnects me from it then when I come back the team is losing and I get the blame (League of Legends).

 

What I mean by upgrade is, here is my current set-up at the moment:

 

Motherboard: Asus M4A89GTD PRO
Graphics Card: Radeon HD 6870
Power Supply: Corsair CX600
Processor: AMD Phenom™ II X6 1055T Processor 2.80GHz
RAM: 2x Corsair TW3X4G1333C9D 
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Monitors: 2 x LG M2280D

Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case - VL80001W2Z

 

I'm wondering if possible, any of these hardware I can use for a new computer? like graphics card/RAM/OS?

 

I don't really have a clue on how to fully build a computer as my friend done it 3 years ago for me.

 

I'd like to be able to play my favorite game right now on the computer which is League of Legends at high spec while at the same time be able to watch streams or go on social media on the other screen.

 

Hope you guys can help.

 

Regards

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Hello again Vinceroman,

 

The ram no as it is too slow so add 2 X 4GB sticks of 1600MHz to your initial shopping list, the OS depends on whether you replace the MB + if you have an OEM or full retail licence for the present OS, the GPU is possible as it was a good card when first released + it is 256-bit which gives better video and gaming quality.

 

Let us know what particular upgrades you would like and your maximum budget and we will see what we can put together for you.

[phillpower2]

Hello again Vinceroman,

 

The ram no as it is too slow so add 2 X 4GB sticks of 1600MHz to your initial shopping list, the OS depends on whether you replace the MB + if you have an OEM or full retail licence for the present OS, the GPU is possible as it was a good card when first released + it is 256-bit which gives better video and gaming quality.

 

Let us know what particular upgrades you would like and your maximum budget and we will see what we can put together for you.

[Vinceroman]

Hello phillpower2,

 

I'd say my budget range would be around £600-800.

 

I'd like to salvage as much as I can from this current computer I have, I'd like a new good motherboard so that would mean a new OS? or would it be simpler if I keep this OS and get it transferred (is it possible? I have the CD case with me still).

 

I'm wondering more if you can advise me on what I should keep/replace if it's better for me in the long run.

[phillpower2]

Hello Vinceroman,

 

I would upgrade the MB, CPU, Ram, OS to 8.1 and if you would like front USB 3.0 ports the case, you can do this well within your budget, see how it goes with the present GPU and if you are not happy with it upgrade to a GTX 760 or above, list of suggestions here tweak as appropriate such as removing the case if you dont want it or by paying the little extra and purchasing an 8.1 disk rather than updating Windows 8 online to 8.1.

 

Regarding the present OS, you can use the disk but would need to purchase a new product key, it makes sense to go for Windows 8/8.1 now rather than needing to purchase it further down the line when support for Windows 7 ends.

 

Windows lifecycle fact sheet Last updated: April 2014

In this page

• End of support
• End of sales
• Service packs and updates
• Windows downgrade rights

Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it's no longer supported. Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to upgrade or make other changes to your software. Here are the rights and limits of the Windows lifecycle.

End of support

End of support refers to the date when Microsoft no longer provides automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance. This is the time to make sure you have the latest available update or service pack installed. Without Microsoft support, you will no longer receive security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal your personal information. For more information go to Microsoft Support Lifecycle .

Client operating systems Latest update or service pack End of mainstream support End of extended support

Windows XP

Service Pack 3

April 14, 2009

April 8, 2014

Windows Vista

Service Pack 2

April 10, 2012

April 11, 2017

Windows 7 *

Service Pack 1

January 13, 2015

January 14, 2020

Windows 8

Windows 8.1

January 9, 2018

January 10, 2023

* Support for Windows 7 RTM without service packs ended on April 9, 2013. Be sure to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 today to continue to receive support and updates.

End of support: questions and answers

Show all

 

What is the difference between mainstream support and extended support?

 

What should I do when the version of Windows I'm using reaches its end of support date?

 

How does the end of support for Windows XP affect my business?

Top of page

End of sales

End of sales refers to the date when a particular version of Windows is no longer shipped to retailers or Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Examples of OEMS are Dell and Toshiba—PC manufacturers who often preinstall Windows software. When a version of Windows reaches its end of sales date, it's a good time to think about upgrading.

This table gives end of sales dates for specific Windows operating systems.

Client operating systems and updates Date of general availability Retail software end of sales * End of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled

Windows XP

December 31, 2001

June 30, 2008

October 22, 2010

Windows Vista

January 30, 2007

October 22, 2010

October 22, 2011

Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate

October 22, 2009

October 31, 2013

October 31, 2014

Windows 7 Professional

October 22, 2009

October 31, 2013

Not yet established **

Windows 8

October 26, 2012

October 31, 2014

Not yet established

Windows 8.1

October 18, 2013

Not yet established

Not yet established

 

[Vinceroman]

Hi phillpower2,

 

I'm liking your suggestions and the parts that you'd like to me get for this upgrade. Unfortunately I have little to no clue with how to assemble everything together. I mean I can follow the simple instructions as long as there isn't any complications and if I do something wrong I can redo it.

 

A couple of things however with this set-up, everything will be replaced except for the PSU and GPU. I thought before in the previous thread that I had that there was a problem with the PSU? (Can this be confirmed? More information in the thread).

 

Also, with this new computer after everything is set up. Will it be able to perform better than the one I currently have?

 

Final question: Will a laptop be cheaper that can perform as well as a Desktop?

[phillpower2]

Build tutorial provided courtesy of Troy and Artellos respectively here

 

Sorry but in your reply #263 here you said you were replacing the PSU, one of the links is a dead end so we couldn't tell if it led to your present PSU as a like for like replacement, I would not recommend using a suspect PSU with your new hardware.

 

The upgraded computer will perform better than your present set up + it has better upgrade potential for the future, the MB for example will accept the new 5th generation Intel CPUs.

 

You would need to spend upwards of £1500 to get a gaming notebook that is anywhere as capable as a gaming desktop, add on video cards require a lot of power which notebook batteries cannot provide.

[Vinceroman]

Hi phillpower2,

 

Great stuff right there, thanks for the information about the laptop. I always thought of them as like a cheaper version of computers but in this case it's the other way around and I assume its due to the gaming capabilities.

 

With regards to the current PSU, we had a thought that it may be the cause for the problem that the MB kept on restarting even when I go on shut down, but after using several other PSU (borrowing from my friends) the computer still restarted even when I go on shut down. In the end we suspected that the MB was the cause of the problem for the shut down/restart.

 

I have another question, will a new hard disk drive be required? The blue screens I have been getting I catch a glimpse of the word disk drive and I'm wondering if my current one is faulty? - is there a way to check this?

 

Or is it possible that it's due to the MB again for this BSOD problems.

[phillpower2]

Hello Vinceroman,

 

PSU and notebook information acknowledged 

 

How old is the present HDD.

How much free storage space is available on the drive.

Has the drive been making any odd noises or is it slow to access.

 

I was mindful of your budget so did not suggest it earlier in case you wished to keep the funds back for any potential video card upgrade, adding an SSD for your OS to your build would speed up your boot times dramatically, 8.1 boots up on my 128GB Sandisk SSD almost instantly, you could also store your favourite game on the SSD and then keep the present HDD if it is ok as a storage device only.

 

Have you backed up all important data from the HDD;

Post a screenshot of Disk Management for us;

 

1.        Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel.

2.        Click on the System and Security link.

Note: If you're viewing the Large icons or Small iconsview of Control Panel, you won't see this link so just click on the Administrative Tools icon and skip to Step 4.

3.        In the System and Security window, click on theAdministrative Tools heading located near the bottom of the window.

4.        In the Administrative Tools window, double-click on the Computer Management icon.

5.        When Computer Management opens, click on Disk Management on the left side of the window, located under Storage.

After a brief loading period, Disk Management should now appear on the right side of the Computer Management window.

Note: If you don't see Disk Management listed, you may need to click on the |> icon to the left of the Storage icon.

[Vinceroman]

Hi,

 

The current HDD is nearing 3 years old I think. It hasn't really been showing any signs of being slow to access but the odd noises yes I think it comes from either there or the MB.

 

I wouldn't mind an SSD but then again, I'll need help on how to install it. I also don't mind about using the present HDD as a storage device even though I don't keep that many files, I mainly use the computer for gaming, socializing, watching films and videos.

 

Here is a screenshot of the Disk Management:

[phillpower2]

The drive looks healthy.

 

Check out the example failing HDD sounds here, do any sound similar.

 

We will advise on the installation of all of your new hardware.

[Vinceroman]

Hi phillpower2,

 

There is hardly any sound coming from the desktop, I'd say its only from the fans sometimes but apart from that it's okay.

 

Also, I guess I can use the current fans I have, (2 attached to case)

 

Just wondering if this is correct, the parts i'll be keeping to use for the upgrade:

PSU

GPU

Heatsink

Fans

HDD

I have a blu ray drive, so I guess the cables I can transfer

 

Anything else?

[phillpower2]

No need for the case cooling fans or heatsink/CPU cooling fan, the Antec case has all the cooling fans you need (I have the same case) and your new CPU will be shipped with an appropriate HS and cooling fan, your other items are correct, updated list here still allows for a GPU upgrade within your maximum budget.

[Vinceroman]

Hi,

 

Looking real nice. Now time to get the parts, would you recommend on any websites or places I can get this from? Are these items that I should be going for and no alternatives?

 

I always look at Hot UK Deals and SSD always pops up there that are on sale, not sure if good or what but just some info for you: http://www.hotukdeal...ch&keywords=ssd

I also have a friend who may be able to get me discounts off overclockers but still need to ask: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/

[phillpower2]

I tend to stick with retailers suggested by PCPartpickers or logicalincrements which you can check out here

 

You should stick with the suggested items and don't try and save a couple of quid by purchasing a lesser brand as it is false economy.

[Vinceroman]

Hi,

Will it be okay if I can try get the same parts but for cheaper?

I think I'm ready to start checking places to buy but maybe tomorrow, after the World Cup