Can we rebuild her? Do we have the technology? AKA: StormTrooper needs some love
My main rig (StormTrooper) has been down for a couple weeks now. I missed quite a bit of the TF2 GunMettle event and have had 2 games gifted to me in the mean time that I'm fiending to play.
The hard drive started failing and I don't want it to crash so I have stopped booting off of it. This brings up Upgrade 1, I need a new hard drive.
Along with that I want to upgrade my RAM. I've already maxed the current mobo in there to a whopping 4GB. So Upgrade #2 is a motherboard that handles more RAM (I presume processor along with that? Should that be assumed?).
The StormTrooper started out as an Inspiron 530 and has been upgraded over time. The Power Supply is an nzxt 500w and I won the video card (Sapphire Radeon HD 6850) at Expo a few years back so I am sure those two components will hold up.
Questions:
Are motherboard sizes standardized to the point I would be able to use the same case?
Hard drive and motherboard recommendations would be super helpful
Do I need to take anything else into consideration based on the above?
If I am missing key pieces of info, just let me know. I'll do my best to get it.
Budget: Couple to a few hundred bucks if at all possible. Will be on the tab of a soon to come bonus.
Comments
Your PC looks like its mATX. If you want an inexpensive board CPU combo that will feed a three year old graphics card well enough to play games reasonably....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2488974
You will need some DDR3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178381&ignorebbr=1&cm_re=ppssHybridHDD--22-178-381--Product
Ballpark $230 for everything.
Yes. If you can list the model of your case, that would guarantee it, but almost certainly it will fit ATX or smaller motherboards.
Windows license? Sometimes it can get finicky about moving from one mobo to another, or if you get a new mobo, it might not have driver support if your license is for 7 or earlier. This can usually be resolved with a call to their automated system for the former, and just a requirement for the latter to ensure it supports whatever license you possess.
So, to clarify: you need at least a replacement drive (size?) and you shouldn't depend on this drive in the future for data or any other purpose if you know it is failing. You know you want more RAM and therefore need a new mobo (and processor). I think you're correct about the PSU and video card continuing on.
Here is a possible list that I threw together without a ton of research. Feel free to play around on that site as it won't let you pick incompatible products by default.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rTBNwP
I'll take a look at the case model when possible to verify.
Not concerned about Windows license. The 8 I was running on it was not OEM so I don't foresee having problems. I've got an MSDN account to fall back on if needed.
Your clarification is pretty spot on. As for size of the new drive, a TB would be nice. Prefer more space over SSD. I'm a patient guy, I don't need insta-boots. I'll be trashing the current drive after I get my Terraria saves off of it
Speaking of which, any reason why a SATA to USB adaptor would not work with a drive? Already ruled out adapter (other drives work) and computer (tried multiple) as possible problems. The adapter reads and shows in devices but the drive does not mount? map? so I can't access the data.
Thanks for the help so far guys!
Here is a slightly more expensive, but I think better bang for buck setup. Just under $300
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Tushon/saved/HX3J7P
Hybrid 1TB is a pretty good idea to get you boosted performance without going full SSD, so thanks for that @Cliff_Forster . I honestly kind of forgot they existed.
I have had good success with a phone call to Microsoft explaining the situation. My PC had crashed and due to the rapid change in hardware, the motherboard I had wasn't available anymore. They always activated my install over the phone and sent me on my way. Once you actually talk to an actual person, the Microsoft support has always been really nice in my experiences.
Nvm lol didn't read
Sigh This is why MvM took forever. I still have an extra SSD if you would like it Bobby. Not the fastest, but she has it where it counts. Crucial M2 128GB.
Bobby, bro, YOU NEED AN SSD. For real. "More space" is not as good as "SOMETHING LIKE EIGHT ACTUAL TIMES FASTER EVERYTHING". It's the single biggest upgrade experience you can possibly do to a modern PC. Don't skimp on this one. Get a 1tb porn drive later if you have to.
If there were a "super serious real talk do not pass go do not collect $200 don't do anything but this" button, I would have pressed that too.
Realer Talk has never been spoken on this site.
I appreciate the RealTalk™. It's why I love you guys and why I started this thread here, but I am pretty sure I had this convo already. Granted it was probably during MVM so maybe I didn't communicate my concern properly. I fail to see how installing Windows to a "tiny" SSD will help TF2 booting from my 1TB "porn" drive. What am I missing here?
I know I have an SSD in my residence somewhere, I believe it is a 256GB even. A few configurations back I had windows installed to the SSD but I did not have a secondary drive so I ran into space issues. I wanted to have more than 1 game installed at a time so I went with everything installed to the 1TB drive configuration. I'll search some more and if I can not find it I may take you up on the offer there @Signal . That is super awesome of you to offer.
You would move games and apps you want to load fast (now normal) to the SSD. A 128gig drive should hold windows and a handful of games and apps without a problem. I started with 128gigs of SSD glory and as soon as I got a taste for dat speed I never looked back. You'll have to read a few guides on SSD optimization and take a few steps to help shrink the Windows install. Typically you can go from a 40gig install to 20. That leave you about 90-95gigs for games and stuff.
If you have a 256GB drive, you can tell steam to default to porn drive and only install certain games to the SSD (either my most used or currently playing). I've got windows and a few games installed on main SSD, everything else is on extra HDDs.
^ exactly this. I have Windows and TF2 and Photoshop installed on my measly 120gb SSD. The rest of my steam library and wow and stuff that isn't so dependent on load times is on my 2tb spinner.
Result? Me and Ninja sitting in the MvM spawn room almost instantly while waiting for everyone else to load up.
Buy My Shit™
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820228135&cm_re=TRION100--20-228-135--Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820228134&cm_re=TRION100--20-228-134--Product
Why are we talking about 200 GB range SSDs? Jump it up to 480+ and just live on that drive.
TLDR; Because budget.
Even a low end TLC SSD like the OCV Trion will out perform the SSHD I listed. That said, I've installed the SSHD in single drive systems where that was the right option for the client, and I'm pleased with them. Having that extra solid state cache is a big performance aid. You just have to weigh it in your budget, plus there is a certain convenience factor to just running a single large drive especially if you are working in a case with limited upgrade space.
When I buy SSD's I'm about 100% sure I'll buy a Crucial MX200 now. Good price for MLC drives that offer superior voltage stability vs. the low end TLC competition. I've purchased a number of Crucial MX SSD's and I'm really pleased with how they have held up. Have yet to have one fail. I can't say that for a few cheap TLC drives that I rolled the bones on.
Uh, is the number one item on @BobbyDigi list not harddrive. @Tushon already listed one build that was at $377 with a 500GB SSD but everything else people have suggested is lower. If there is a need to upgrade why do what people have been doing for a couple years so far instead of moving forward. Install all your software on the SSD and dump just pure media and backups on the HDD, that is where everything is going.
I go as far to say if the budget allows you to buy the core parts but not a large SSD, buy the SSD and then wait for the rest. The harddrive is the primary issue here. If his machine is running fine except for load times and slow failure then replace the issue part first with forward tech not current. Use that and when you have the money a little later buy the correct parts for the remainder of your list. The Trion drive is twice the price for twice the storage. Digi already stated he wanted to get beyond having the 1 game installed scenario.
You make valid points @_k and they are appreciated. I had not looked at the build that was $377, unfortunately that will probably be a bit out of my range. I rarely get a chance to spend money on my rig so what I spend here will probably be it for a while. I would love to load everything off of a super fast SSD and yes the new drive is #1 but only out of necessity for StormTrooper to rise again at all. For it to move faster though, I need more Ram -> New Mobo.
Still boils down to budget unfortunately. I need to pick up as many components as possible in the $300 range, even if they are minor or not ideal upgrades.
I would subscribe to Newegg's ShellShocker deals. I get a full PC upgrade deal at least once a week. It's normally a mobo, CPU, 8gigs of ram, ssd or hdd and sometimes a case and powersupply for $280-$300. There was just one today in fact.
Since shipping SSDs and ram is cheap I wonder if anyone here is looking to upgrade and could sell digi their used for a good price? The mobo should be bought new really but that could help with the budget a lot.
I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking for here but I'm sure the Service Tag info has case size or mobo size.
It's a mid-tower case, which means ATX or micro ATX should fit without a problem. The only potential issue is the standoffs being in only a certain configuration (like ATX or if dell chose to do something weird ... not ATX) and not supporting any other layout.
I dont know if it'll help, but I have beast of a case sitting next to my desk empty not being used (no psu) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119136, and you are more than welcome to it. It's a beast and either I'd have to drive down to you with it or if you're ever up here.
I actually have an old DFI Lan Party board with either a Phenom II X4 or X6 under the heat sink. I don't remember. I think it is a chip that has AM3 compatibility though the board is an old AM2+ and I really wouldn't recommend it, DDR2 only and it's been in and out of a few systems by now, the CPU though, that might be worthwhile if you are interested let me know and I'll check.
Super Awesome Update of Super Awesomeness
1: An awesome community member has donated a 256GB SSD so I will purchase a 1TB drive and go with the setup we have been discussing. Huge Thank You!
2: The bonus was better than expected! Should I need to spend a bit more than $300, will be able to do that without issue.
Now with the price of the SSD out of the mix. The HDD @ ~$70. I would be comfortable with spending around $300 on just the Mobo, Processor, and RAM. The recommendations above ( @Tushon @Cliff_Forster ) seem to be 8GB of ram. Was that due to price limitation or hardware limitation? Could I go 16GB in the $300 range without sacrificing the processor?
I am not clear on what processors are "better" since there is quite a price difference between the following:
AMD Athlon X4 860K Quad-Core 3.7 GHz Socket FM2+ 95W AD860KXBJABOX Desktop Processor (BLACK EDITION) = $79.99
Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor = $112
Why is a processor with the same speed but half the cores almost 1.5x more expensive?
Thank you to everyone for the help and advice so far! Eager to get the parts coming my way and get back in the game!
@DontCallMeKelso What does that beast sound like? The fan is so big!
Edit to Add: If sound is not an issue, I will accept your offer, make the trip up north to pick it up and buy you lunch/beer. The ability to have more than 2 internal HDs would be worth it.
She's missing a couple fans and I forgot the PSU is no longer with us, POS died twice and wasn't modular. But she's not too loud when running a full boar, or at least I never noticed it.
The per core passmark efficiency is about 25% better on the i3 cores of that generation. The Intel architecture is superior in delivering better single core performance clock for clock and its a winner in power efficiency too.
That said, if your deciding factor is pure first cost for something good enough to feed a three year old graphics card, it's hard to argue against getting a quad core CPU and mobo combo for less than $150. In my experience that is going to feed a single GPU for 1080P gaming fine. Now.... I have seen Intel CPU's smack the crap out of AMD on a couple titles that were less GPU dependent. Good examples are WOW and Starcraft. For playing TF2 or really any other FPS I have touched it's generally not noticeable because you mostly bottleneck at the GPU.