Building my friend a PC, can I give him my old GPU?

[JerrBear]

A few days ago my friend asked me to build him a PC with a budget of $600-700 (this is a total, he needs to buy windows and a monitor with this budget too. Going to build it during the summer). I was planning to upgrade to a GTX 1080 ti around summertime, so I asked him if he wants my used GTX 980 (great condition). Neither of us have much experience with used PC parts... I have a couple questions.

 

Do I need the card cleaned before I put it in his build? I have never cleaned the card (had it for about 2 years).

 

How does this being a used part affect it's lifespan? Using my 'old' GTX 980 is the best option for sure since it gives great performance and no cost since it's mine, he doesn't need to buy a separate card.

 

Do I need to change anything on the software side of things before swapping cards from a 980 to a 1080 ti.

 

NON-GPU Question: If he does use my used GTX 980 (which will have no affect on the budget), for his budget which processor would guarantee he does not have a bottleneck. Since it's going to be finalized in the summer, Ryzen 5 will be out and it will be interesting looking at AMD however I would like an idea for right now.

[TheKDub]

Yes, you can give him your old GPU.

 

Just make sure you have the right drivers installed and you're good to go.

 

I'd suggest at least an i5 4460 for the CPU.

[Himommies]

Unless it's really really dusty I say just give it to him.In the case of your gpu failing.HArd drives mobos psus well all fail berfore that and even then it's gonna be a fan issue.The only thing I would watch out for is PSU power

[JerrBear]

Just now, TheKDub said:

Yes, you can give him your old GPU.

 

Just make sure you have the right drivers installed and you're good to go.

 

I'd suggest at least an i5 4460 for the CPU.

Right drivers on which machine? I'm pretty sure the drivers aren't loaded onto the GPU soon my machine or his?

[Guest]

1. Clean yes, it never hurts to do 

2. If maintain well it should still go strong

3. Just run DDU (http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html) to be sure. Though it's Nvidia card to another Nvidia card so you won't have much issue

4. This

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.69 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI B150 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($94.16 @ Jet) 
Memory: Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($79.90 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($74.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.33 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($48.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: AOC i2267Fw 22.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor  ($99.88 @ Jet) 
Total: $702.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-07 21:55 EST-0500

[TheKDub]

1 minute ago, JerrBear said:

Right drivers on which machine? I'm pretty sure the drivers aren't loaded onto the GPU soon my machine or his?

 

Both. (Yours when you get a 1080ti, his when he gets your 980.)

You can download them from Nvidia's website.

[Damascus]

2 minutes ago, JerrBear said:

Right drivers on which machine? I'm pretty sure the drivers aren't loaded onto the GPU soon my machine or his?

Just use Nvidia's automatic system to take care of it

[JerrBear]

1 minute ago, Damascus said:

Just use Nvidia's automatic system to take care of it

Since it's an 'automatic' system. I don't need to do anything, right?

[Guest]

Just now, JerrBear said:

Since it's an 'automatic' system. I don't need to do anything, right?

I would still clean install driver to be sure

[AvocadosGuac]

Dont buy windows...

[JerrBear]

3 minutes ago, Jrock said:

Dont buy windows...

1. I don't want to pirate windows.

2. I know you can get OEM keys off various websites for $5-15, but this build isn't my own and my friend does not want that since it's his first custom PC.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Jrock said:

Dont buy windows...

What?

[AvocadosGuac]

Just now, JerrBear said:

1. I don't want to pirate windows.

2. I know you can get OEM keys off various websites for $5-15, but this build isn't my own and my friend does not want that since it's his first custom PC.

Nope... Just dont activate it, pirating is illegal....

Activating it isn't and it works perfectly fine.

[mrzoltowski]

41 minutes ago, JerrBear said:

A few days ago my friend asked me to build him a PC with a budget of $600-700 (this is a total, he needs to buy windows and a monitor with this budget too. Going to build it during the summer). I was planning to upgrade to a GTX 1080 ti around summertime, so I asked him if he wants my used GTX 980 (great condition). Neither of us have much experience with used PC parts... I have a couple questions.

 

Do I need the card cleaned before I put it in his build? I have never cleaned the card (had it for about 2 years).

 

How does this being a used part affect it's lifespan? Using my 'old' GTX 980 is the best option for sure since it gives great performance and no cost since it's mine, he doesn't need to buy a separate card.

 

Do I need to change anything on the software side of things before swapping cards from a 980 to a 1080 ti.

 

NON-GPU Question: If he does use my used GTX 980 (which will have no affect on the budget), for his budget which processor would guarantee he does not have a bottleneck. Since it's going to be finalized in the summer, Ryzen 5 will be out and it will be interesting looking at AMD however I would like an idea for right now.

I dont think anyone has mentioned yet .. how nice of you to not only build a friend a pc, but give him your old card, so kudos to you for that!

1. A 2 yr old card will be perfectly fine and will last him for a long while. 
2. Graphics card swap should not need new software however I did a complete fresh install from my GTX 970 to a 1080 ...  using DDU http://www.wagnardsoft.com/  just in case
3. i5 6th gen should be plenty for him for the 970
4. I dont think Ryzen has had enough time to mature yet for any kind of an educated guess so far

[Walkure]

As someone who regularly hunts for used parts, the lifespan of the card depends on how you had used and maintained the card, if its well taken care of in a case with good airflow it's all good.

 

What 980 is this exactly? If it's an open air cooler just clean the dust off with compressed air and replace the thermal paste for good measure as it's 2 years old. If it's a blower / reference cooler you might need to obtain some thermal pads as well to replace them.

[JerrBear]

5 minutes ago, Walkure said:

As someone who regularly hunts for used parts, the lifespan of the card depends on how you had used and maintained the card, if its well taken care of in a case with good airflow it's all good.

 

What 980 is this exactly? If it's an open air cooler just clean the dust off with compressed air and replace the thermal paste for good measure as it's 2 years old. If it's a blower / reference cooler you might need to obtain some thermal pads as well to replace them.

Its the GPU in my PC specs (look at my signature). I haven't really cleaned it thoroughly in between the fins and such however it is not that dusty.

[I LOVE YOU LINUS]

1 hour ago, Jrock said:

Nope... Just dont activate it, pirating is illegal....

Activating it isn't and it works perfectly fine.

I didn't activate my windows and it works perfectly fine

[Walkure]

1 hour ago, JerrBear said:

Its the GPU in my PC specs (look at my signature). I haven't really cleaned it thoroughly in between the fins and such however it is not that dusty.

A compressed air spray will suffice, that's a great card

[JerrBear]

2 hours ago, Walkure said:

A compressed air spray will suffice, that's a great card

Thanks, I'm sure my friend will be happy. I'm going to have to introduce him to the vast world of PC gaming and GTA V, Overwatch, etc. Right now he's mostly into League of Legends (and I admit I am too).

[JerrBear]

6 hours ago, deXxterlab97 said:

1. Clean yes, it never hurts to do 

2. If maintain well it should still go strong

3. Just run DDU (http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html) to be sure. Though it's Nvidia card to another Nvidia card so you won't have much issue

4. This

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.69 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI B150 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($94.16 @ Jet) 
Memory: Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($79.90 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($74.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.33 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($48.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: AOC i2267Fw 22.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor  ($99.88 @ Jet) 
Total: $702.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-07 21:55 EST-0500

Forgot to ask: Would you recommend any aftermarket coolers or the stock cooler is fine?... (AIO liquid cooling is out of the budget, one of those tower coolers?).

[PunchingPigeons]

From someone who is using a borrowed GTX 670. Yes! 

 

If this gives a higher budget to spend on other components and you are happy lending your card out (financially) for a year or 2. 980 is still a top tire video card. I would clean it and replace thermal paste for a learning curve. If you go to sell in the future it would Be nice to add into the details its fresh and shows you look after your card. At later date it would be advised to replace the thermal paste anyway sondebeloping the skill when you have the opportunity is always a positive. 

 

Do a Gamers Nexus and draw a rectangle and pretend it's the back of your video card. Place screws on rectangle according to the location on the video card to keep track of where every screw comes from. Watch enough videos on the subject so you feel somewhat confident. 

If the learning curve makes you feel like someone has a gun to your head then maybe ask someone more experienced to shadow you doing I think to stop panic attacks and heart palpitations. It really isn't complex process (just don't go bull in a China shop crazy with it because that is what breaks video cards). 

 

Ryzen 5 will potentially and probably have a smoother launch than ryzen 7 and if AMD directly competes with i5's for gaming then it will probably be cheaper than an i5 but won't render and i5 obsolete in the same way it renders the fx series (and possibly i3's?) useless.

 

 Buying an i5 now for your friend wouldn't be be an awful investment. Especially compared to my cheapest upgrade (fx 8350) don't laugh at me lol. 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, JerrBear said:

Forgot to ask: Would you recommend any aftermarket coolers or the stock cooler is fine?... (AIO liquid cooling is out of the budget, one of those tower coolers?).

Stock is fine. 6500 can't oc anyway

[maartendc]

Yeah just blow out the dust, pop it in his system, install Nvidia drivers (just download from their website) and youre set. There is only 1 driver for Nvidia, you cannot go wrong.

 

Also, can I be your friend? Do you have any other GPU's lying around for me?

Very nice of you to give him the card! Its a great card still.

[JerrBear]

9 hours ago, maartendc said:

Yeah just blow out the dust, pop it in his system, install Nvidia drivers (just download from their website) and youre set. There is only 1 driver for Nvidia, you cannot go wrong.

 

Also, can I be your friend? Do you have any other GPU's lying around for me?

Very nice of you to give him the card! Its a great card still.

It's in my current build , not laying around