[ymk600]

Hey everyone, newcomer here!

 

I've been doing some research myself, but haven't been able to find an answer.

 

I am currently owner of a (rather outdated) PC, which used to be pretty good when I bought it, but not annymore.

 

Some specs:

 

OS: Windows 7 x64 Home Premium

Motherboard: P5K-VM (Asus) 

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad  Q9450 @2.66 GHz~2.7GHZ

RAM: 4GB

GPU: NVIDIA  GeForce GTX460 SE

 

Since I am not an expert, but also no novice, I am guessing that the main problem is my CPU (and my motherboard, since it does not support i5/i7)

 

So my question to you guys:

Is it possible to keep my gfx card and ram, and replace motherboard and CPU for better ones? If yes, which motherboard/CPU would you recommend? Or am I better off buying a new computer?

 

My goal is to play games, mainly (MMO)RPG's (Skyrim), and I don't really care about max settings, but something like medium settings would do for me.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Advertisements]

   ymk600

 

The video card is the one hardware item that you could use short term but not the Ram if you upgraded the MB and CPU, this because DDR2 has been replaced with DDR3 and the slots on the MB are not compatible.

 

The Windows 7 OS depends on what type of disk and corresponding Microsoft licence key you have, please see my canned text below.

 

Just a cautionary note, unless your OS disk is the full retail edition you cannot use it with a new MB as an OEM disk is tied to the original MB it was paired with, to use an OEM disk with a new MB is software piracy and therefore illegal.

Exceptions to the above are 1: If your MB is replaced under warranty and 2: If your MB is replaced out of warranty with an alternative type but same brand due to the original model no longer being available, an upgraded MB however will require the purchase of a new OS licence.

If you have a full retail disk and a product key that is not in use on another computer the OEM restriction/s is/are not the same.

 

 

Other considerations are what type of case you have as in small form factor, mid tower or full tower, this I mention because the present ASUS MB is the smaller micro ATX type and so you may have a smaller case that will not accept a full size ATX MB, the present PSU is another item that is very important to check, again it may be a smaller size and type due to being in a smaller case + it must have an adequate power output and the appropriate connections that any replacement hardware may require, the present ASUS MB has both IDE and SATA ports, you could presently  be using either and so making sure that the present PSU has enough SATA connectors is another must.

 

Sorry to inundate you but being the intention is to hopefully help you make the decision that is best for you 

 

NB: So that I can confirm that you have received notification of my reply to your topic please click on the Follow this topic tab at the upper right corner of the page. 

[phillpower2]

   ymk600

 

The video card is the one hardware item that you could use short term but not the Ram if you upgraded the MB and CPU, this because DDR2 has been replaced with DDR3 and the slots on the MB are not compatible.

 

The Windows 7 OS depends on what type of disk and corresponding Microsoft licence key you have, please see my canned text below.

 

Just a cautionary note, unless your OS disk is the full retail edition you cannot use it with a new MB as an OEM disk is tied to the original MB it was paired with, to use an OEM disk with a new MB is software piracy and therefore illegal.

Exceptions to the above are 1: If your MB is replaced under warranty and 2: If your MB is replaced out of warranty with an alternative type but same brand due to the original model no longer being available, an upgraded MB however will require the purchase of a new OS licence.

If you have a full retail disk and a product key that is not in use on another computer the OEM restriction/s is/are not the same.

 

 

Other considerations are what type of case you have as in small form factor, mid tower or full tower, this I mention because the present ASUS MB is the smaller micro ATX type and so you may have a smaller case that will not accept a full size ATX MB, the present PSU is another item that is very important to check, again it may be a smaller size and type due to being in a smaller case + it must have an adequate power output and the appropriate connections that any replacement hardware may require, the present ASUS MB has both IDE and SATA ports, you could presently  be using either and so making sure that the present PSU has enough SATA connectors is another must.

 

Sorry to inundate you but being the intention is to hopefully help you make the decision that is best for you 

 

NB: So that I can confirm that you have received notification of my reply to your topic please click on the Follow this topic tab at the upper right corner of the page. 

[ymk600]

Thanks for the info!

 

*edit* My case is a Mid-Tower Cooler Master CM690 (or at least, looks like it)

OS won't be a problem. I was planning on getting a new copy of Windows anyways.

So what you're basically saying is that my GPU is okay for mid-range, and the units that need replacement are CPU/MB and RAM?

I don't need lots of space on this rig, since I don't play many games (I just play a few intensively) So 500-1000GB would be enough.

 

 

Taking all of this in consideration,

What units would you recommend to deliver "decent" performance for a nice price?

Edited by ymk600, 06 October 2014 - 04:59 AM.

[phillpower2]

So what you're basically saying is that my GPU is okay for mid-range, and the units that need replacement are CPU/MB and RAM?

 

 

Nope, I actually said;

 

The video card is the one hardware item that you could use short term 

 

 

 

Also from my reply #2

 

Other considerations are what type of case you have as in small form factor, mid tower or full tower, this I mention because the present ASUS MB is the smaller micro ATX type and so you may have a smaller case that will not accept a full size ATX MB, the present PSU is another item that is very important to check, again it may be a smaller size and type due to being in a smaller case + it must have an adequate power output and the appropriate connections that any replacement hardware may require, the present ASUS MB has both IDE and SATA ports, you could presently  be using either and so making sure that the present PSU has enough SATA connectors is another must.

 

 

As advised, the present video card would be ok short but not long term, new games are getting more advanced and demanding on resources and the low to medium settings that the card will achieve compared to the faster CPU and Ram will prevent you from getting the max out of the new processor and memory, if your budget would allow it an upgrade to the GPU as well is advised.

 

Your OP suggests that you may have a limited budget and using the GTX460 SE short term was my suggestion purely to help with getting your upgrade off the ground, keep in mind that many new CPUs also provide graphics and so you do not actually need to reuse the present video card with the right CPU, again though only for the short term if you want decent gaming/video quality.

 

What type of case do you presently have.

What are the brand and model name or number of the present PSU, if you are unsure remove the side of the case and check for a sticker like in the attachment below.

In what country will you be purchasing the new hardware.

What is the maximum budget for your new hardware.

 

You are welcome btw 

[ymk600]

I understand now. So the GPU is only a temporary unit, that could use upgrading in the future.

 

 

What type of case do you presently have.

What are the brand and model name or number of the present PSU, if you are unsure remove the side of the case and check for a sticker like in the attachment below.

In what country will you be purchasing the new hardware.

What is the maximum budget for your new hardware.

 

Case: Cooler Master CM690 (Likely the older version CM690-I)

PSU: Chieftec GPS-550AB-A

Country of purchase: Netherlands, Europe

Max Budget: For now, something like 200-400 euros

 

Thanks for your help so far!

[phillpower2]

That is correct and when you upgrade the video card you should also upgrade the PSU, the present Chieftec PSU will do for now but it is old and does not have a minimum of a bronze rating which means that it does not have at least an 80% output efficiency.

 

If the Cooler Master CM690 case that you have is the same as the one here it will accept both m-ATX and full ATX and will be fine, please note that it does not have any front USB 3.0 ports.

 

Budget is a limiting factor but for an example of what 400 euros will allow you see here

 

Again you are most welcome 

 

NB: Parts in English here

[ymk600]

My case is indeed the one you have mentioned above, with no front 3.0 ports.

I know that my current budget is quite limited, but that's an issue time can fix

 

Your advice has given me a better understanding of my current situation.

I am probably going to follow your advice, and in time, fix my GPU and PSU.

 

I might even wait a bit, and get a more higher-end CPU instead. (Mainly due to one of my games that is written in a really old engine and does not fully support multi-threading yet)

Not sure about which future GPU to get yet, but I guess the future games will tell me what I want to make of my computer.

 

Once again I would like to thank you for your time! I have upvoted all of your replies as a token of my gratitude.

 

Have a nice day

[phillpower2]

You are most welcome and thank you for your kind words and votes, the latter are nice but knowing that we have been able to help you is reward in itself 

 

Regarding the CPU, for your intended use you do not need any more than the one that was suggested, the fastest i5 CPU is presently the 4690 but for such a small increase in overall MHz i do not feel the additional cost is justified, the k version of the processors are overclockable if you were not already aware but again I do not feel that the extra cost is worth it (I don't recommend or OC myself btw) i5 4690k CPU here

 

Will your older game not play in compatibility mode.

 

This thread will remain ongoing for as long as you wish so there is no rush and you can come back as and when appropriate 

[Robust]

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 isn't the worst card. It's quite a few years old though, and as already mentioned, it'll be okay for short term use. Don't expect it to nail games at full settings, but with some compromise to quality in some aspects you should be able to run quite a number of games with a consistent 30fps I'd assume. Until you notice your games are becoming unplayable, otherwise below 20fps constantly or as newer games come out, I'd say your card would be fine, but it really does depend on how you use your computer, and sometimes some of the latest technologies are necessary. 8GB RAM is a fair amount, and if you want you can of course use what you already have to save some money, and add another 4GB (assuming there's space for such).

Good luck.

[phillpower2]

. 8GB RAM is a fair amount, and if you want you can of course use what you already have to save some money, and add another 4GB (assuming there's space for such).

 

 

Please explain what you mean Robust.