Upgrade or New Build?

[Steven R]

Hello, I am a freshman in high school interested in getting into 3D modeling with Autodesk 360. I have recently been given a used Alienware X51 R1 (I think it is 64-bit).

 

Its specs are:

• Intel i3-2120
• 4GB DDR3 RAM (2 x 2GB)
• Nvidia GeForce GT 545 with 1GB VRAM
• 1 TB HDD
• 240 Watt Alienware Power Supply

 

I was hoping I could learn to 3D model with this PC, but it has been crashing frequently when using Autodesk 360 (The settings are turned down to minimum and using DirectX 9 since this is an older graphic card). The computer will freeze and everything will become unresponsive until the computer is rebooted, and sometimes this crash will include weird boxes on the screen.

 

I was planning on saving up money by working this summer, so my budget is probably $300 USD max. I was wondering if it is worth it to upgrade this computer (and what should I upgrade)? Or would it just be better to build a budget PC with modern parts (and what parts should I use)?

 

I already have a monitor (with HDMI), keyboard, and mouse that work fine, so I don’t need to worry about buying those.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!!! I really appreciate any help people can provide!!!

 

If this is the wrong place to post this, feel free to delete/move!

[RobFRaschke]

How would you propose to upgrade the system as opposed to going for a new build?

[Guest]

I mean, I don't know exactly what you could get for $300 USD, but I would pop in an SSD, GPU and more RAM.

 

Preferred? New build, but I highly doubt you could get something decent for $300 (Not sure, I don't live in the US).

Realistic? Update this one to the best of your ability. SSD, GPU and more ram (second hand DDR3 RAM is going quite cheap here in Aus, I assume it would be in the US as well).

[Firewrath9]

uh, I'd upgrade everything, so new build. Try to sell your build for 20-50$, and here is a part list with upgradability in mind (for in the future). Do you have a nearby micro center? (keep the hdd)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$89.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - B450 AORUS M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$74.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Patriot - Viper 4 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$54.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$29.99 @ Amazon
Case	Cooler Master - MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$39.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$19.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$329.94
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$309.94
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-25 21:23 EST-0500

 

[RAM555789]

Like @Firewrath9 suggested, going with a Ryzen 3 2200G is going to give you a much better CPU power and the integrated GPU is better than even your current graphics card. Putting all your money into a GPU and SSD won't net you nearly as much worth as the Ryzen 3 2200G.