New computer or replace old processor?

Author	Post
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 6 2010 : 4:06AM Is it better to just replace an old computer with a new one rather than trying to install a faster processor in my old computer? A friend told me that the motherboard in my computer may not be able to handle a faster processor. I got a PC game from a friend, and my processor is too slow to run the game. Thanks. [Link]
NewRomancer Deactivated User under THEIR avatar 738 Posts 7/08	Posted - Apr 6 2010 : 11:09AM How savvy are you with hardware? Better? It's certainly EASIER to just buy a new computer... [Link]
Gentleman Jon All-Star Member 1881 Posts 6/05	Posted - Apr 6 2010 : 12:18PM If the processor in that computer isn't fast enough to play the PC game your friend gave you, it seems rather unlikely that that system's RAM and video card would be. Go new. Of course, you could tell us about exactly what kind of computer you are running now (try running Belarc advisor, a free program you can locate by googling) and what the recommended specs are to run the game (google the name of the game and "recommended specs".) [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 7 2010 : 12:21AM I added two new 1 GB RAM sticks to my computer last week to replace 224 MB of RAM. It helped. I own a 5 year old Compaq Presario, with a 984 MHz AMD Sempron Processor, 68 GB Hard Drive, and 2 GB of RAM. The game requires at least a Pentium III 1.4 GHz or a AMD Athion 1.4 GHz Processor, 512 of RAM, and 2 GB of Hard Drive. Thanks for your help gentlemen. I'll get a new computer. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 9 2010 : 2:02PM A few things to keep in mind: --A good system is a balanced system, because the weakest link in any system (CPU, RAM, Motherboard, Video Card, Hard Drive) will cause a bottleneck. As a result (for instance) a state-of-the-art CPU is unlikely to do much good in tandem other components that are sub-par. --With respect to the playability of computer games, the most common cause of a bottleneck is the video card (not the CPU or the RAM). --It's unlikely that a 5-year old motherboard could support the kind of CPU and video card upgrades that you would need to increase game performance significantly. ----------------- So your decision to buy a new computer is a good one. You might consider building you own so that you can get the exact components that you want from the specific manufacturers that you trust or which get good marks in reviews. [Link]

dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 1:36AM Thanks! [Link]
RandomPrecision Senior Member Enjoy! 8175 Posts 3/06	Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 4:26AM One other thing about gaming on a PC. If you're going to do it, you're probably going to be in a constant struggle to keep up because it seems like the newest games always push the technology to it's limits. This is not a hobby for someone who doesn't like to replace computer equipment before it wears out. If you're looking to get by as cheap as you can now, you will likely be dissatisfied with whatever decision you make. A serious gaming computer isn't a cheap piece of hardware. You can do it for a relatively reasonable sum if you're either willing and knowledgeable enough to do the work yourself or you have a good friend who is willing and knowledgeable enough to help you. Companies that sell complete systems that are designed for gaming or that sell the components don't sell these things cheap. It's like a race car. You get what you pay for but it won't necessarily last long. The value is the performance. Not the longevity. Edited by - randomprecision on 4/11/2010 4:27:12 AM [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 3:35AM Thanks! I checked out a Dell computer that would cost about $7,000.00 with all the bells and whistles. You are correct sir, they are expensive! It has an option for a solid state hard drive. Just like motor vehicles, computers are built for "planned obsolescence". I checked out Tomshardware.com also..a good site IMHO. I appreciate all the help. The PC game I want to play is called Silent Hunter III, a submarine simulation game. The first subsim I ever played was called Silent Service, by Sid Meir, on a Comodore 64 computer. Edited by - dogzcatcher on 4/12/2010 3:51:04 AM [Link]
Dave_K99 Member 497 Posts 12/07	Posted - Apr 12 2010 : 7:02AM A pretty modest PC is capable of playing the latest games. You won't be able to turn all the graphical settings to maximum, but games will still look pretty good and play well on a mid-range system. Push for the cutting edge and you get rapidly diminishing returns on your investment. In my opinion, if you aren't made of money, you're better off keeping to a budget and putting the rest of your money in the bank. That way you've got an upgrade/replacement fund for when new technology has been released and the current high-end has dropped in price. Before you know it the latest budget system will be outperforming that $7000 monster. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 13 2010 : 2:18AM Thanks! Just like the $900.00 VCR machines when they first appeared, I've noticed that the cost of computers have come down. I'd like to find a reliable computer that has received good reviews from Gamers. I got this one as a Christmas gift. It's worked well. I've kept the inside of the case clear of dust bunnies that have a habit of shorting out video cards. That happened to a computer where I worked at. If I did not have a problem with using a faster processor, I'd install one. Thanks to the information I've received here I'm not going to do that. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 13 2010 : 2:21AM I recommend that you take a look at these articles on Tom's Hardware.com: System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $3,000 Extreme PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $1,500 Enthusiast PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $750 Gaming PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: System Value Compared Also: Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: April 2010 and Best Graphics Cards For The Money: March 2010 [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 14 2010 : 2:38AM Thanks Bob. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 14 2010 : 2:15PM dogzcatcher wrote: Thanks! I checked out a Dell computer that would cost about $7,000.00 with all the bells and whistles. You are correct sir, they are expensive! It has an option for a solid state hard drive. Just like motor vehicles, computers are built for "planned obsolescence". I checked out Tomshardware.com also..a good site IMHO. I appreciate all the help. The PC game I want to play is called Silent Hunter III, a submarine simulation game. The first subsim I ever played was called Silent Service, by Sid Meir, on a Comodore 64 computer. Edited by - dogzcatcher on 4/12/2010 3:51:04 AM Click to expand $7K? i think you were talking to a very good salesman. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 15 2010 : 1:38AM Dave_K99 wrote: In my opinion, if you aren't made of money, you're better off keeping to a budget and putting the rest of your money in the bank. That way you've got an upgrade/replacement fund for when new technology has been released and the current high-end has dropped in price. Click to expand ^ I like this idea. It makes good sense to me. The $7,000.00 "monster" Dell computer was one that could be obtained on the Dell website. Thanks Dave. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 15 2010 : 1:18PM There rather inexpensive ways to speed up a slow and old computer. There a quite a few tools available that will evaluate your Windows registry and remove entries that have become meaningless over time. (about $30) You should also check to see if unnecessary programs are ruining and using up processor resources. There are better process managers then the one that is found on Windows, and they are free. (cnet.com or snapfiles.com/freeware Also I believe you are running your game from cd/dvd. If so, see if the game can be installed directly on your hard Drive, which should speed things up. If they can't be loaded on the HD look into replacing the CD/DVD with a newer faster one. Also, for more general use, try "defragging" the HD. Tou can find a tool for this in your Windows administrative programs. [Link]

Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 12:12AM I've just enjoyed a virtual shopping expedition at NewEgg.com and have determined that, if I had money to burn, I could "justifiably" spend $7,000 to build a state-of-the-art desktop computer. That would buy absolutely top-of-the-line parts for the machine itself -- no labor included (and no monitor, keyboard, mouse, operating system, utilities, or applications included, either). It wouldn't be state-of-the-art a year from now, and it would be somewhat obsolete in three, but what the heck . . . [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 1:31AM Bob wrote: I recommend that you take a look at these articles on Tom's Hardware.com: System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $3,000 Extreme PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $1,500 Enthusiast PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $750 Gaming PC System Builder Marathon, March 2010: System Value Compared Also: Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: April 2010 and Best Graphics Cards For The Money: March 2010 Click to expand ^ I read the above articles. Thanks Bob. If I found a step-by-step article on how to build a computer, I may try to build my own. It would be great if they had Hayes Manuals for building or repairing computers like they have for repairing different cars and trucks. If not, I know of a business in town where they build computers. I could use the parts that are recommended in tomshardware.com and pay them to put them together. I defrag my computer about once a week. I'll check out those free process managers. Thanks Clam Digger. I appreciate the help. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 3:11PM There are a numerous books and on-line resources demonstrating how to build a computer. It is not complicated -- not much different from putting together Legos or tinker toys. In addition, every motherboard comes with instructions (either in the box or downloadable from the manufacturer's website) about how to connect all the components (CPU, RAM, video card, power supply, etc.) to the motherboard. The directions for most computer cases demonstrate how to install the assembled motherboard, optical drives, and hard drives inside the chassis. If you just go step-by-step and take your time, it's a snap. Some care must be taken not to damage the parts through mishandling -- static electricity being the main danger -- but there are inexpensive tools available that protect against static discharge during the assembly process. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 4:58PM dogzcatcher wrote: .... ^ I read the above articles. Thanks Bob. If I found a step-by-step article on how to build a computer, I may try to build my own. It would be great if they had Hayes Manuals for building or repairing computers like they have for repairing different cars and trucks. If not, I know of a business in town where they build computers. I could use the parts that are recommended in tomshardware.com and pay them to put them together. I defrag my computer about once a week. I'll check out those free process managers. Thanks Clam Digger. I appreciate the help. Click to expand You should understand that building your own computer is likely to be more expensive then buying one. If this is basically a hobby type thing, then have at it, but unless you are trying to make a living out of it, building one is pointless (trying to make a living at it may be both impossible and pointless). Good luck. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 10:59PM ^^^ You're just wrong. If you want to build a high-performance computer, you can do it more cheaply yourself. All that companies like Dell, Gateway, and Compaq do is assemble components manufactured by others. They don't use the very best parts and the mark-up is substantial. The only thing of value that you are buying from them is a warranty -- and not a very good one at that. [Link]
ILVBUTT Member Nice & Juicy! 925 Posts 9/09	Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 11:14PM ^Agreed. I put a new hard drive in a friends' computer (A Dell) and it turned out to have 2 in there already. The 2nd one wasn't showing. It was useless. He bought it as "New" and not as "Refurbished". Personally, I don't like PC's. My advice to dog is if you are going to spenda whopping $7,000. I would suggest spending it on a Mac. Too many PC's have too many parts from too many manufacturers'. I have older PC's which I use to surf the net. (Including this site) But the majority of my work, or anything else, I use my Mac. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 2:32AM Bob wrote: Some care must be taken not to damage the parts through mishandling -- static electricity being the main danger -- but there are inexpensive tools available that protect against static discharge during the assembly process. Click to expand I was able to add two new 1 GB RAM sticks to my computer recently with no problem. The retailer had instructions on-line on how to avoid static discharge by touching a metal part of the case first before installing the RAM sticks. I like the idea of building my own computer. I could just acquire the parts when I can afford to buy them (as long as they are compatable?) and build one like Johnny Cash built his Cadillac in the song "One piece at a Time". [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 3:45AM ^^^ I'd advise against purchasing the parts one at a time. By the time you've bought them piecemeal, many will have become obsolete. Also, if a part is defective, it will be harder to get it replaced months later. Save your money and, when you're ready to build, purchase everying at once. Then build immediately. It's a good idea to have components ship in separate boxes though, so you can place several simultaneous orders. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 5:09AM Thanks Bob. I appreciate all the help from those posting on this thread. I'm glad I didn't just go out and buy a faster processor and try to get it to work in my old computer. I look at this like getting a new car. I could try to keep the old one fixed up, yet, at some point it's like making a silk purse out of a pig's ear. Eventually the car's frame will rust out. Eventually the hard drive on my old computer will break. I've read articles where college kids have made super fast processors using absolute zero temperatures. Maybe someday they will make processors like this. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 8:20AM Bob wrote: ^^^ You're just wrong. If you want to build a high-performance computer, you can do it more cheaply yourself. All that companies like Dell, Gateway, and Compaq do is assemble components manufactured by others. They don't use the very best parts and the mark-up is substantial. The only thing of value that you are buying from them is a warranty -- and not a very good one at that. Click to expand In my time I've sold and supported hundreds of PC's. I've even built a few in the course a 30+ year career. Trust me, there is no money in it. PC's have become a disposable commodity. The parts used in a Dell or an HP are no different then the the OP is likely to buy peace-meal. There are only 3 or 4 disk drive manufacturers in the entire world. There are only a handful of manufacturers of memory manufacturers. Only 2 companies manufacture CPU's.The same is true of network cards or disk controllers. Can anyone name a manufacturer of power supplies? The OP managed to configure a server, not a PC, for $7,000, which could probably could support 50 to a 100 users, without breaking a sweat. That is hardly a prudent expenditure, if all that you are going to do is play games. As I said earlier, if this project is just about shits and giggles, fine. But the 1st time a pin is bent or a motherboard is cracked, it will produce some sober reflection on the whole enterprise. [Link]

Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 9:27PM Clam Digger wrote: I've even built a few in the course a 30+ year career. Trust me, there is no money in it. PC's have become a disposable commodity. Click to expand Who said there was money in it? I'm certainly not going into the PC-assembly business. I said that if you want to build a performance computer, you can save money doing it yourself. As for the issue of parts -- whether it's Intel, AMD, Western Digital, Asus, etc. -- each company makes a variety of parts and some are better than others. Take Western Digital: they have currently umpteen model lines of internal hard drives to choose from -- Green and Green-RE (5,400 RPMs); Blue, A/V, Black, and Black-RE (7,200); and VelociRaptor (10,000 RPMs), etc. Before I started building my own computers, I opened up the Gateways, Compaqs, and Dells that I previously owned. I know the quality level of the parts they choose and how hard they make it to upgrade their proprietary machines. That's why I do it myself. You're right to say that you have to be an enthusiast of sorts for it to make sense to build your own computer. But that's true with most things that you make, do, or build yourself because you want something a little better than store-bought. Saying it's only for shits and giggles seems way too strong. However, your mileage may vary. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 12:22AM Clam Digger wrote: In my time I've sold and supported hundreds of PC's. I've even built a few in the course a 30+ year career. Trust me, there is no money in it. PC's have become a disposable commodity. Click to expand ^ I agree with you, Clam Digger, that computers have become disposable comodities. I can understand how selling a product (that is constantly going down in price) is difficult for businessmen trying to make a profit. Whether I build one or buy one, in a few years it will be obsolete anyway, and I'll have to replace it again. I appreciate the help from ALL of you. Thanks! [Link]
Dave_K99 Member 497 Posts 12/07	Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 4:46PM Getting a custom built PC is an alternative to either building one yourself or buying from the like of Dell and Compaq. You get a much bigger choice of components that way, including things like being able to pick specific cases and models of hard drive, rather than getting whatever you're given by a big PC maker. It's been a while since I looked, but I don't remember there being a huge mark-up for that. The advantage is that you get a fully working system out of the box, one that you can simply send back if something goes wrong. Built it yourself and it's up to you to do any troubleshooting. If the PC you've built crashes every 5 minutes, or just sits there dead when you first switch it on, you'll have a work out the specific faulty component to send back, or fix whatever configuration issue is causing it. That isn't always obvious and easy, especially if you don't have any backup components to swap in and test things. I've built loads of PCs, including building them professionally for a while, but these days I'd happily buy a ready made system if I didn't have any unusual requirements. The only reason I built my last few PCs is that I like my computers to be quiet, and that's a bit too specialised for builders. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 6:47PM dogzcatcher wrote: Clam Digger wrote: In my time I've sold and supported hundreds of PC's. I've even built a few in the course a 30+ year career. Trust me, there is no money in it. PC's have become a disposable commodity. Click to expand ^ I agree with you, Clam Digger, that computers have become disposable comodities. I can understand how selling a product (that is constantly going down in price) is difficult for businessmen trying to make a profit. Whether I build one or buy one, in a few years it will be obsolete anyway, and I'll have to replace it again. I appreciate the help from ALL of you. Thanks! Click to expand I wasn't complaining about there not being any "money" in building/selling PC's, from my perspective of being in business. But I was thinking (maybe not writing as clearly as I should have been), from the perspective as a customer like yourself. I'm saying that it most likely will cost you more and not less to build one. If you are going to use Windows, the cost of that, to you, maybe as much as the hardware. Microsoft sells licenses in bulk to manufacturers. OEM licenses are available through distributors, but you have to by 5 at a time. Additionally as an individual you will need a state tax ID before thewy will even talk to you. There are alternatives such as Linux, its free. However, you are really a novice looking for a platform to play games on, I'm not sure that sure that you have the background for that. In any case, good luck and don't be shy about letting us know how you are making out and if questions arise, just give us a yell. [Link]
ninja1 Senior Member 2940 Posts 1/08	Posted - Apr 19 2010 : 3:52PM Clam Digger wrote: If you are going to use Windows, the cost of that, to you, maybe as much as the hardware. Microsoft sells licenses in bulk to manufacturers. OEM licenses are available through distributors, but you have to by 5 at a time. Additionally as an individual you will need a state tax ID before thewy will even talk to you. Click to expand The "free" software is the main reason the factory-built computer can be cheaper than the homebuilt. It is also why it's cheaper to buy a new computer vs. repairing/upgrading a broken/old computer. The licensed software can't be used with a different motherboard, and the motherboard is the key component capable of substantially revitalizing a years-old computer. So, a motherboard upgrade necessitates purchasing new software from scratch, for several hundreds of dollars; the total cost approaches the cost of a new factory-built computer, and the cycle continues. Edited by - ninja1 on 4/19/2010 5:58:42 PM [Link]
RandomPrecision Senior Member Enjoy! 8175 Posts 3/06	Posted - Apr 19 2010 : 6:00PM ninja1 wrote: So, a motherboard upgrade necessitates purchasing new software from scratch, for several hundreds of dollars; the total coast approaches the cost of a new factory-built computer, and the cycle continues. Click to expand This is the reason I just threw my old computer out when it died. It was either that, buy a license for Windows and fix whatever was wrong with the old system or just buy another disposable system. The last option was the cheapest and the only one I was really in the mood for at the time. The one I bought cost around $300 and has actually been OK for my needs, with a few modifications. [Link]
Clam Digger Deactivated User Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good. 2268 Posts 1/05	Posted - Apr 19 2010 : 8:11PM Actually PC problems are rarely about hardware failing. It's the software, especially, Windows. Over time as software gets installed an uninstalled the system registry gets screwed up, and can be a real drag on the system, The disk gets fragmented causing slower reads and writes. Services that no longer used run in the background using up CPU resources. On purchasing off the shelf PC's' users don't bother to create emergency CD's which are really the only way to reinstall damaged or missing Windows system files. Vendors like Dell do not ship copies of the OS on CD's. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 5:46PM A cousin of mine works for Microsoft, so I can get multiple copies of Windows and Office for very little. There's no question that this cost-saving ability re-weights the scales for me. Even so, if you don't feel compelled to change your operating system as often as Microsoft would like you to, you can purchase a retail copy of a verson of Windows and re-install it on any new or upgraded computer that you build. [ invalid url ] [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 6:32PM Clam Digger wrote: Actually PC problems are rarely about hardware failing. It's the software, especially, Windows. Over time as software gets installed an uninstalled the system registry gets screwed up, and can be a real drag on the system, The disk gets fragmented causing slower reads and writes. Services that no longer used run in the background using up CPU resources. Click to expand Hence the joy of the clean re-install made possible by having your own machine-independent copy of Windows. [Link]
Harri Patel Senior Member #SDNY he's all yours. -- Michael Steele 5110 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 8:01PM Bob wrote: [ invalid url ] Click to expand If you change enough components, or do a completely new build, don't you have to go through a reactivation process if you're running OEM Windows? As in, talk some MS customer service person into believing that it's still somehow the same machine, even if it's like the axe that has had three new handles and two new blades? [Link]

RandomPrecision Senior Member Enjoy! 8175 Posts 3/06	Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 5:54AM Harri Patel wrote: If you change enough components, or do a completely new build, don't you have to go through a reactivation process if you're running OEM Windows? As in, talk some MS customer service person into believing that it's still somehow the same machine, even if it's like the axe that has had three new handles and two new blades? Click to expand It must be a Windows code in some chip on the motherboard because I know from experience you can change just about everything else (except the processor. Never tried that) and it still works. A new hard drive works fine. As does a video card, sound card, RAM, etc. But of course, motherboards and processors die too and when that happens, the machine is toast. [Link]
Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03	Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 8:18PM Harri Patel wrote: If you change enough components, or do a completely new build, don't you have to go through a reactivation process if you're running OEM Windows? As in, talk some MS customer service person into believing that it's still somehow the same machine, even if it's like the axe that has had three new handles and two new blades? Click to expand You're right. I shouldn't have conflated the reactivation process for a retail OS with the one for an OEM version. I've only had experience with the former. You might have to lie or stretch the truth with an OEM license, and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. I think RP is right, though, in believing that the "computer" is defined in terms of the motherboard. Although I'm confident that it would still be okay to replace a damaged motherboard with another motherboard using the same chipset (a repair), adding a motherboard with a newer chipset would likely require a fresh OEM license. I don't think that upgrades of the other components (HD, CPU, RAM, VGA card) present problems. So scratch my previous statement about OEM licenses. [Link]
dogzcatcher All-Star Member Fat bottomed girls make the rockin' world go round! 1551 Posts 5/09	Posted - Oct 30 2010 : 12:34AM Well.. I finally got a new computer yesterday. It's a Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 installed. I'm downloading the game I wanted to play right now. Unfortunately, with DSL, it's going to take 7 hours to do so! I appreciate the good advise regarding this issue. Thanks! [Link]