Reuse oldish hardware?

My girlfriend could use a new rig. She currently has an old HP running a slowish C2D (2.2 GHz IIRC) with 2GB of RAM. 945G chipset.

I currently the following laying around not doing anything:
Gigabyte P45 MB - ATX
8 GB DDR2 RAM
QX9650 C2Q 3.0 GHz
GeForce 750ti
PC Power and Cooling 750 watt PSU

Unfortunately, it seems that the motherboard in the current rig (Asus P5LP-LE Rev 6.00) won't accept the quad core CPU I have, though it could probably run the GPU and I could use the memory in it. Cost - $0.00

Alternatively, I could buy a new case for the old motherboard and set up a slightly better rig than she has now. Possibly upgrade to an SSD in the process. Cost - $50-150 probably.

Or I could just flush everything and build fresh with an i3 and just use the GPU. Cost $300-450?

Her son is 7 and plays basic games like Minecraft and Terraria and watches YouTube videos. The third option seems a little silly, plus I don't have the cash for that at the moment, but 1 and 2 don't really seem that different. One advantage to option 1 is not needing to re-install Windows, but I can't help but want to find a home for this C2Q that I've had laying around. Is there enough difference between a C2D and C2Q to justify the extra effort?

Somebody talk something that resembles "sense" to me.

My girlfriend could use a new rig. She currently has an old HP running a slowish C2D (2.2 GHz IIRC) with 2GB of RAM. 945G chipset.

This system in its current state can not continue. C2D is too weak, especially at such a low clock speed with default FSB speeds. 2GB of RAM is not enough for a 64 bit OS running any kind of modern game.

I currently the following laying around not doing anything:
Gigabyte P45 MB - ATX Which board exactly? You're going to want to seriously overclock. Particularly the FSB- for C2Q to be even slightly usable for modern gaming
8 GB DDR2 RAM You'll want to use all of this if you do a C2Q rebuild.
QX9650 C2Q 3.0 GHz Good CPU for its time but it's going to struggle. The FSB these chips ran on was a big bottleneck.
GeForce 750ti The only decent piece of hardware in the list
PC Power and Cooling 750 watt PSU Get new PSU!!!!

Unfortunately, it seems that the motherboard in the current rig (Asus P5LP-LE Rev 6.00) won't accept the quad core CPU I have, though it could probably run the GPU and I could use the memory in it. Cost - $0.00

Core 2 Quad? If you have no other choice.. Ok. Core 2 Duo? No. Not in 2015.

Alternatively, I could buy a new case for the old motherboard and set up a slightly better rig than she has now. Possibly upgrade to an SSD in the process. Cost - $50-150 probably.

SATA 3 SSD on SATA 2? Major bottleneck.

Or I could just flush everything and build fresh with an i3 and just use the GPU. Cost $300-450?

This is what I would very strongly urge you to do. You're looking at about $120 for the CPU, $60 for the board and $75 for the RAM. And $50 for a PSU. EVGA's 500B is decent. Low end Seasonics are decent..

Her son is 7 and plays basic games like Minecraft and Terraria and watches YouTube videos. The third option seems a little silly, plus I don't have the cash for that at the moment, but 1 and 2 don't really seem that different. One advantage to option 1 is not needing to re-install Windows, but I can't help but want to find a home for this C2Q that I've had laying around. Is there enough difference between a C2D and C2Q to justify the extra effort?

You would definitely need to reinstall windows. You're changing chipsets. Any time you change chipsets you have to reinstall windows.

Noted on dual core vs quad core, but I think you might've missed the point here. He's seven. He's not playing FC4 or anything even similar to it. A "modern" system isn't needed here, it's just that the current system is showing its age. As you noted, not enough RAM and a dual core with low clocks is really not cutting it these days.

Why would I replace a perfectly good PSU with a new low end one? That makes no sense to me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the PSU. It's a quality unit.

I wouldn't need to re-install W7 with option 1. Same chipset, just a RAM upgrade and discrete GPU added.

I'm leaning towards option 2 really, but the SSD might not make it into the mix. Not because of the SATA2 "bottleneck", just because I'm not sure I even want to spend that much on it. There's a 2-4+ fold difference in cost between options 2 and 3. There isn't 2-4 times more computer involved between the two options though IMHO.

How are 945G and P45 the same chipset?

Clearly, they are not. There seems to be some confusion, so let me clarify.

Option 1: Put 750ti and RAM into existing system. $0.00

Option 2: Buy new case and use MB, RAM, CPU, GPU, PSU. Maybe buy SSD. $50-150.

Option 3: Buy nearly everything new except the GPU. $300+ depending on exact config.

945G only supports up to 4GB of RAM though, I hadn't thought to look that up until now. Better than 2GB, but not very good. And slow at 667MHz max. Option 1 is looking worse and worse.

Also, the motherboard in option 2 is a Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R. http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2842#ov

It's no screamer, but it served me well until I swapped it out last summer.

Get rid of your antique. Slapping an SSD wont magically make it perform better.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YRTVHx

264$

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YRTVHx) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YRTVHx/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646g3258) | $68.98 @ OutletPC
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1) | $19.99 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97pro3) | $85.98 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8gbxl) | $63.99 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [Cooler Master Elite Power 460W ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-power-supply-rs460psari3) | $24.99 @ Newegg
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $263.93
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-19 21:03 EST-0500 |

I vote for option 2 (Windows, a case, CPU cooler & optionally a SSD) because I'm still running a C2Q at 3.6Ghz, 4GB of RAM & an HD 6950 2GB. All the games I play are older & they still perform great on this old setup. I'm even running a 3840x1024 Eyefinity desktop. I want to update my system, but until I buy some new software it just isn't needed.

Adding a SSD to an old SATA II motherboard will still be a great improvement over a HDD. Mostly what you will notice is power-on to desktop will be much faster. An SSD can be moved to a new box if you decide to upgrade

You'll need to buy either Win7 or 8.1 64 bit to use your 8GB of RAM. Both can be found for about $75-80 if you keep an eye out for sales.

Windows, the case, CPU cooler & SSD could all be reused in Bob's suggested build if you decide to go that way at a later time.

JLK03F150 said:

I vote for option 2 (Windows, a case, CPU cooler & optionally a SSD) because I'm still running a C2Q at 3.6Ghz, 4GB of RAM & an HD 6950 2GB.

Click to expand...

Please don't take this the wrong way because I say it with all the kindness in my heart, but, if you jumped off a bridge, would the OP be wise to follow you?

I mean, just because you're running 2006 hardware doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. We all know a C2Q system will still get you by in today's computing world. But we also know that there would be dramatic improvements from going to a modern CPU. A pentium G 3258 at 4.5+Ghz is going to burn the pants off a Q6600. Not to mention that you can run very fast RAM on that G3258. Certainly much faster than the 1200Mhz or so that P45 boards cap out at. The PCIE and memory controllers are on the CPU die itself, not on the northbridge. 6 SATA 3 ports off the PCH versus none on the southbridge of P45. M.2, SATA express, much better integrated audio, PCIE 3.0 vs PCIE 2.0 (I believe all P45 boards were PCIE 2.0 although some may have been 1.0 don't quote me on that).

Today's low end is much better than 2006's high end. It's worth the money to upgrade. I think the best possible upgrade here, personally, is a B85 board, low end i5 ie i5 4460, 2x4GB DDR3 1866-2400 (That Team Xtreem stuff is still very affordable @ Cas 10 2400)... and you're off to the races. An i5 will take you much further than an i3 or a G3258 will. And it'll "open up the world" of gaming for the kid who will be playing with it. He'll be able to run more stuff. He's not going to be playing purely minecraft for the rest of the projected lifespan of the PC. Get him something he can grow with.

If your gf is only websurfin', emailin', youtuben', etc plus "basic games like Minecraft and Terraria and watches YouTube videos"...you don't really need much imho.

I'd lean toward picking up an e8500 for $10-15 and a used, cheapo ssd. Use all her other existing stuff and be done with it.

If it were me...I'd use your existing parts (Gigabyte P45 MB - ATX, 8 GB DDR2 RAM, QX9650 C2Q 3.0 GHz, GeForce 750ti, PC Power and Cooling 750 watt PSU) add a used, cheapo ssd and put everything in her existing case. This setup would be more than adequate for what I understand to be the usage.

If you go option 1, your current win install should work. If you change the cpu, it'll likely complain and you'll need to put in a new win key. Option 2 would also need a new win key. Good news is that you can find a legit os and key for less than $50 (check out [H]...there are multiple ppl selling working keys for cheap).

Update: Quick check found this . 7 Home Premium for $30 or Vista Home Premium for $15

funsoul said:

If your gf is only websurfin', emailin', youtuben', etc plus "basic games like Minecraft and Terraria and watches YouTube videos"...you don't really need much imho.

Click to expand...

Honestly, that's my opinion as well. I don't see why theocnoob is so keen to put together a new dual-core, two threaded system that already can't successfully launch and play the games that option 2 would be able to. Dual execution systems are the realm of phones only these days. If I were to build something new, it'd be at least i3. The lifespan of this system is 1-2 years most likely, so getting in for as little money as possible is good thing. We both have jobs but also both just finished school, so it'll be a different situation money-wise soon enough.

funsoul said:

If it were me...I'd use your existing parts (Gigabyte P45 MB - ATX, 8 GB DDR2 RAM, QX9650 C2Q 3.0 GHz, GeForce 750ti, PC Power and Cooling 750 watt PSU) add a used, cheapo ssd and put everything in her existing case. This setup would be more than adequate for what I understand to be the usage.

Click to expand...

I can't re-use the existing case as it's mATX, but other than that it's what I'll most likely wind up doing. I can't help but remember that I used this as my daily rig (albeit with 660ti instead of 750ti) and it did pretty ok. Not that my current system wasn't a good step up, but I think the old thing will be able to serve well for a bit longer.

Thanks for the info on Windows requesting a new key. I have a couple still left from TechNet, but I was never 100% certain about when it would ask for a new key. Those are good prices for legit keys, too.

funsoul said:

If your gf is only websurfin', emailin', youtuben', etc plus "basic games like Minecraft and Terraria and watches YouTube videos"...you don't really need much imho.

I'd lean toward picking up an e8500 for $10-15 and a used, cheapo ssd. Use all her other existing stuff and be done with it.

If it were me...I'd use your existing parts (Gigabyte P45 MB - ATX, 8 GB DDR2 RAM, QX9650 C2Q 3.0 GHz, GeForce 750ti, PC Power and Cooling 750 watt PSU) add a used, cheapo ssd and put everything in her existing case. This setup would be more than adequate for what I understand to be the usage.

If you go option 1, your current win install should work. If you change the cpu, it'll likely complain and you'll need to put in a new win key. Option 2 would also need a new win key. Good news is that you can find a legit os and key for less than $50 (check out [H]...there are multiple ppl selling working keys for cheap).

Update: Quick check found this . 7 Home Premium for $30 or Vista Home Premium for $15

Click to expand...

You don't 'necessarily' need to buy a new key for Windows just because of this upgrade. Nor do you 'necessarily' need to do a reinstall of Windows if you just migrate the drive. Let me explain:

If you were to install Windows using the key your girlfriend already legally owns on the system you are contemplating for option #2, yes, Windows will need to be activated manually. That means that when you go to activate the OS, you will have to call in to a Microsoft phone center, and enter in a screen full of characters, and then the automated system will verify, and reply with another string of characters for you to add on the next screen. A little bit of a pain in the butt, but worth it to save $100. Or $50, etc. But, obviously, you won't be able to use the key on the old system any more.

However, modern OS's are more portable than you may think. I once took a drive running Windows Vista out of my buddies old Dell Inspiron 530 running a Celeron, and booted it up in my old Asus CM1630 running a Athalon II 220, and the only thing that didn't work was the network card, because Asus didn't release a driver for Vista for it. You would still have to go through the authentication process, though.

I have my girlfriend's son in a similar setup to what you will ultimately be building in option 2, his is a Phenom II 940 with 4GB of ram, and a 550Ti, no SSD as of yet. It runs Skyrim, Minecraft and source games with no problem along with web surfing just fine and he is happy with it. Just because it is old doesn't mean it isn't usable, that C2Q is still a very viable machine.

Update just in case anybody wanted to know - Amazon had that "Gold Box" deal on computer supplies a couple weeks back and I pulled the trigger. I think the only thing I actually got on sale was the case, but it's a damn nice case for the price paid.

New stuff:
ViewSonic VX2370SMH-LED 23" IPS-LED monitor ($170)
Antec Sonata Series SOLO II ($70)
Asus 24x DVD-RW ($21)
Crucial MX100 256GB ($99)

Reused:
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R
8 GB DDR2
CoolerMaster Evo (doesn't everyone have one of these laying around someplace?)
EVGA 750ti SC

System runs great (better than expected really), screen looks great, kid likes it, I'm not in 1024x768 hell anymore, and she's happy. The computer itself clocked in at about $190 total (recycled a Windows key from another now disposed of system), mostly due to me insisting on an SSD. The new screen doubled the cost, but it's good enough that I think it'll be around for a while.

Qx 9650 is a good chip! I have one of them, and it runs 4 GHz without much effort, turn up the multiplier, turn up the voltage, set it and forget it. Probably would be a little slower on air cooling, but don't listen to these snobs, my qx9650 runs modern games very, very well, although it does have a 280x for the gfx card.

In demanding titles, I definitely see the difference my Haswell brings to the table, but for the most part that QX9650 at 3.5 GHz (as high as I can go without bumping voltages) does everything it's needed to do. I'm still slogging my way through ME3 (not much free time these days), but at least now I can continue from cloud saves at her place if I have a chance.

PS - Cloud saves are one of the most fantastic things about modern gaming IMHO. Sure, the graphics are great and all, but being able to go to someone else's house and pick up the game exactly from where I left off is freaking magic.

once dx12 comes to the table and games are using it, it will be more viable than it is now as alot of the load on the cpu will be removed if you look at mantle benches you see that the weak cpu's get the same fps as fast cpu's using mantle, and they both use a similar thingamajig to handle processing.