Newbie upgrading an old desktop

[Lemonage]

Hi all! I have a 6-7 year old, still working Lenovo H series desktop that I'm looking to upgrade and hand down to my younger brother for school work(which I think it’s still capable of) and light to moderate gaming on some modern titles. I've done a bit of research here and there regarding PC building but aside from having to take apart a few components for cleaning, I have no prior experience in putting things together especially when it comes to compatibility so any help and feedback would be appreciated.

 

Listed below are the components that came pre-built within the system, all 6-7 years old but still in working condition.

 

CPU: i5 3350p 3.1GHz

Motherboard: CIH61MI v1.1 - I can't find this model in any of the system building sites that I know of and have read that this model is apparently manufactured exclusively for pre-built Lenovo PCs, so I'm not entirely sure if it's only compatible with the components that came with it especially with GPUs since I've read that some GPUs failed to work on this board while some did.

GPU: GT 630

RAM: 2 x 4GB

PSU: 240W, a generic one by the looks of it.

 

Anyway, I'm running on a strict $200-$250 budget and have been trying to decide between GT 1030 or RX 570 and I'm leaning heavily towards the latter. I'm only considering the GT 1030 simply because it hella cheap, seems to be far less of a hassle to install and might not require further upgrades outside of the GPU, but if I decide to go for the RX 570, will upping the PSU suffice? I’ve three available models that fit my given budget to choose from:

FSP Raider 550W 80+ Silver,

Cooler Master MWE 550 White V2 or

Seasonic S12ii 520 Bronze

Would love to have some feedback regarding these models. Unfortunately, other more popular alternatives are either not available in my locality or are far too expensive but I still may have missed some excellent models, so I'm open to other alternatives. Lastly, does having a decent casing matter? I might be able to find a new but cheap case or a decent but second hand one since the old one is too small/thin for the RX 570 if I ever go that route.

 

That should be all the concerns I currently have. Thanks in advance to the community for any help it provides! 

[AndrewB121]

Can't really help with the PSUs, check out this list: 

 

Case shouldn't matter as long as there's some airflow. That proprietary motherboard might not fit a new case anyway.

 

The 570 is a good choice, if you're fine with upgrading the PSU.

 

If the PC doesn't currently have an SSD then get one, it makes such a massive difference in PC responsiveness that it's bascially required at this point. 

[Radium_Angel]

12 minutes ago, Lemonage said:

Lenovo

Ugh.

 

Ok, here's the scoop, Lenovo are one of the last system builders to still use mainly proprietary parts. You might find the PSU aready inside the case is custom, and a new one wouldn't fit. Some of the Lenovos I have here at work don't even use standard 24pin power connectors.

You'd be much better off with the GT1030, as it doesn't need anything extra to run.

[Lemonage]

7 minutes ago, AndrewB121 said:

Can't really help with the PSUs, check out this list: 

 

Case shouldn't matter as long as there's some airflow. That proprietary motherboard might not fit a new case anyway.

 

The 570 is a good choice, if you're fine with upgrading the PSU.

 

If the PC doesn't currently have an SSD then get one, it makes such a massive difference in PC responsiveness that it's bascially required at this point. 

Thanks very much for the list! From what I could gather, The Cooler Master unit is placed at tier B, FSP Raider at C and Seasonic S12ii at D. So, there's basically no competition and that I should just opt for the Cooler Master one? 

 

What do you mean by new case? Any case that isn't the original or newer models?

5 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Ugh.

 

Ok, here's the scoop, Lenovo are one of the last system builders to still use mainly proprietary parts. You might find the PSU aready inside the case is custom, and a new one wouldn't fit. Some of the Lenovos I have here at work don't even use standard 24pin power connectors.

You'd be much better off with the GT1030, as it doesn't need anything extra to run.

Thanks for the reply! PSU size shouldn't be an issue since I'm opting for a different case anyway if I want to upgrade to the 570 instead. With regards to the 24pin power connectors, I'm still inexperienced on how to read mother board specs but I found this: http://www.findlaptopdriver.com/mainboard-lenovo-cih61mi-specs-v1-1/ where it says it has a 1 x 24-pin ATX power connector. Will that allow for a PSU upgrade?

[AndrewB121]

16 minutes ago, Lemonage said:

What do you mean by new case? Any case that isn't the original or newer models?

By this I meant that your motherboard may not be a standard size, so you'll have to check that it is compatible with a standard ATX or mATX case. 

 

Quote

With regards to the 24pin power connectors, I'm still inexperienced on how to read mother board specs but I found this: http://www.findlaptopdriver.com/mainboard-lenovo-cih61mi-specs-v1-1/ where it says it has a 1 x 24-pin ATX power connector. Will that allow for a PSU upgrade?

If it has a standard 24pin connector then you should be fine. 

[BarackOBatman]

If it were me, I would NOT get the AMD RX card as I have had very poor luck when it comes to compatibility with pre builts. I have tried RX 460 RX 470 and RX 570.

 

I would either throw in a GTX 1050 or GTX 1650 and call it a day.

If your stock power supply has a 6-pin (it probably doesn't considering the wattage) I'd grab this GTX 1650 for $130 https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=04G-P4-1057-RX

If your stock power supply does not have a 6 pin, i'd grab this GTX 1650 for $135 https://www.ebay.com/itm/254445347409?ul_noapp=true

If you are really limited on cash, a GTX 1050 is a bit cheaper. If you can find on on ebay for like $60, its a pretty good deal, I see them go for this price semi commonly. They're pretty easy to find in the $75 dollar range.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-Geforce-GTX-1050-SC-2GB-/174120395484

 

If you still have budget leftover, an SSD is a nice upgrade if you dont already have one. I'd grab the largest size SSD that you can afford with your remaining budget.

I wouldn't worry about the power supply personally. if you have DIMM slots leftover maybe grab some used DDR3 RAM. I usually can find 2 X 4GB for 10-15$ pretty easily.

I wouldn't worry about upgrading the power supply unless your graphics card choice requires a power connector. Personally, i'd just try and find a low powered graphics card like one i recommended.

 

Edit: A few afterthoughts:

Like these other guys said, if you go the power supply upgrade route, be sure to check compatability! Lenovo systems commonly use proprietary connectors. You'll want to check to make sure it uses a 24-pin ATX connector and a 4-pin EPS connector.

If you go the GT 1030 route, be sure to get a GDDR5 one and NOT DDR4 one! The performance between these two are WORLDS APART and the prices are pretty close.

[Lemonage]

23 hours ago, AndrewB121 said:

By this I meant that your motherboard may not be a standard size, so you'll have to check that it is compatible with a standard ATX or mATX case. 

 

If it has a standard 24pin connector then you should be fine. 

Gotcha. I checked and the board is of mATX size, so I now know which case to look for. Again, thanks a whole bunch for the replies!

23 hours ago, BarackOBatman said:

If it were me, I would NOT get the AMD RX card as I have had very poor luck when it comes to compatibility with pre builts. I have tried RX 460 RX 470 and RX 570.

 

I would either throw in a GTX 1050 or GTX 1650 and call it a day.

If your stock power supply has a 6-pin (it probably doesn't considering the wattage) I'd grab this GTX 1650 for $130 https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=04G-P4-1057-RX

If your stock power supply does not have a 6 pin, i'd grab this GTX 1650 for $135 https://www.ebay.com/itm/254445347409?ul_noapp=true

If you are really limited on cash, a GTX 1050 is a bit cheaper. If you can find on on ebay for like $60, its a pretty good deal, I see them go for this price semi commonly. They're pretty easy to find in the $75 dollar range.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-Geforce-GTX-1050-SC-2GB-/174120395484

 

If you still have budget leftover, an SSD is a nice upgrade if you dont already have one. I'd grab the largest size SSD that you can afford with your remaining budget.

I wouldn't worry about the power supply personally. if you have DIMM slots leftover maybe grab some used DDR3 RAM. I usually can find 2 X 4GB for 10-15$ pretty easily.

I wouldn't worry about upgrading the power supply unless your graphics card choice requires a power connector. Personally, i'd just try and find a low powered graphics card like one i recommended.

 

Edit: A few afterthoughts:

Like these other guys said, if you go the power supply upgrade route, be sure to check compatability! Lenovo systems commonly use proprietary connectors. You'll want to check to make sure it uses a 24-pin ATX connector and a 4-pin EPS connector.

If you go the GT 1030 route, be sure to get a GDDR5 one and NOT DDR4 one! The performance between these two are WORLDS APART and the prices are pretty close.

Thanks for letting me know! I decided to opt for the 570 due to its far more attractive price in comparison to those you mentioned. The GTX 1050 and 1650, are unfortunately way too overpriced here, almost double of what's listed apparently. Still, I'll try and find a deal for the RX 570 where returns are allowed if it's incompatible. If not, nvidia will definitely be on the table.

 

Also, glad you pointed that out. The 1030 I had my sights on turned out to be DDR4, but they still had the better variant. Thanks again!

[BarackOBatman]

1 hour ago, Lemonage said:

Gotcha. I checked and the board is of mATX size, so I now know which case to look for. Again, thanks a whole bunch for the replies!

Thanks for letting me know! I decided to opt for the 570 due to its far more attractive price in comparison to those you mentioned. The GTX 1050 and 1650, are unfortunately way too overpriced here, almost double of what's listed apparently. Still, I'll try and find a deal for the RX 570 where returns are allowed if it's incompatible. If not, nvidia will definitely be on the table.

 

Also, glad you pointed that out. The 1030 I had my sights on turned out to be DDR4, but they still had the better variant. Thanks again!

No problem! Would you be willing to let me know if you have any compatibility issues? I'm just curious if it works in your lenovo.

[Lemonage]

13 hours ago, BarackOBatman said:

No problem! Would you be willing to let me know if you have any compatibility issues? I'm just curious if it works in your lenovo.

Sure thing! I'll be picking up the parts this weekend so I'll let you know soon after.

[VEXICUS]

Firstly, update the bios of that mobo to the latest available one.

Get a used rx580 from ebay/aliexpress. They go for around $100 with free international shipping.

Get something like CX/CXM series from corsair or masterwatt series from cooler master for the PSU. This mobo uses a standard 24 pin power connector with 4 pin eps connector.

Get a cheap 240gb ssd for the boot drive.

 

I have refurbished a few lenovos. Most of them work with the rx series cards prior to a bios update.

[BarackOBatman]

On 1/10/2020 at 3:39 AM, Lemonage said:

Sure thing! I'll be picking up the parts this weekend so I'll let you know soon after.

Any updates?

[Lemonage]

On 1/24/2020 at 2:53 AM, BarackOBatman said:

Any updates?

Heya! Turns out our also-old-monitor only has VGA support(I didn't even consider that. Lol.) so we had to delay the purchase 'til we can get a second hand HDMI one for cheap. Anyway, just got everything working without problem, at least from what I can tell. Thanks for the help!

[BarackOBatman]

21 hours ago, Lemonage said:

Heya! Turns out our also-old-monitor only has VGA support(I didn't even consider that. Lol.) so we had to delay the purchase 'til we can get a second hand HDMI one for cheap. Anyway, just got everything working without problem, at least from what I can tell. Thanks for the help!

Okay!

Just to confirm, you even fired up a game? Basic tasks worked OK but games only a few minutes into a game and it'd crash.

[Lemonage]

On 2/5/2020 at 9:59 PM, BarackOBatman said:

Okay!

Just to confirm, you even fired up a game? Basic tasks worked OK but games only a few minutes into a game and it'd crash.

I haven't, personally, but my brother hasn't brought up any issues since I handed the system to him last weekend so I'd assume it's working fine so far.