Is a 12 year old pc that has an Intel Pentium, 16gb of 1333 Mhz memory, and a 250 or 500 gb hdd be able to run Windows 10?

[Copper Shortsword]

I upgraded a Dell Inspiron that has windows 7 on it. What should I upgrade on the pc. I know for sure the cpu needs an upgrade, but I need to know what else. It has a Pinevalley DELL motherboard with an 1155 intel chipset

[TetraSky]

Yes. My old PC, that I changed in 2020, had an i7 875k released in 2010. It was running windows 10 easily. Things didn't change much in the past 3 years as far as running the OS itself. Definitely needs an upgrade though. Pentiums are lower than i3 in terms of performances. 

[tkitch]

Probably yes, but it'll be pokey, as Pentiums are not fast chips.

 

[Copper Shortsword]

So Tetra, thank you. I have another question. Do you think I should upgrade to the CPU you had?  My motherboard has an Intel 1155 Socket. 

[da na]

9 minutes ago, Copper Shortsword said:

So Tetra, thank you. I have another question. Do you think I should upgrade to the CPU you had?  My motherboard has an Intel 1155 Socket. 

Check the max supported CPU. 1155 was used across multiple generations.

[Zando_]

7 minutes ago, Copper Shortsword said:

So Tetra, thank you. I have another question. Do you think I should upgrade to the CPU you had?  My motherboard has an Intel 1155 Socket. 

You can quote people with the little arrow under their post, that'll notify them you replied. Or tag them (I'll ping em so you don't need to re-ping) like so:@TetraSky.

 

As for the question itself, what chipset is your board? Intel often shares sockets across chipset generations where the CPUs aren't compatible. CPU-Z has a motherboard section and should say what the chipset is. 

[Copper Shortsword]

2 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

You can quote people with the little arrow under their post, that'll notify them you replied. Or tag them (I'll ping em so you don't need to re-ping) like so:@TetraSky.

 

As for the question itself, what chipset is your board? Intel often shares sockets across chipset generations where the CPUs aren't compatible. CPU-Z has a motherboard section and should say what the chipset is. 

Thank you for telling me

[Copper Shortsword]

2 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

You can quote people with the little arrow under their post, that'll notify them you replied. Or tag them (I'll ping em so you don't need to re-ping) like so:@TetraSky.

 

As for the question itself, what chipset is your board? Intel often shares sockets across chipset generations where the CPUs aren't compatible. CPU-Z has a motherboard section and should say what the chipset is. 

My motherboard has an 1155 intel chipset

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Copper Shortsword said:

My motherboard has an 1155 intel chipset

1155 is the socket, chipset is a separate thing that handles all the motherboard I/O (your USB ports and some PCIe slots, etc). According to wikipedia they did only use 1155 for 2 gens of chipsets though, so whatever board you have should be compatible with Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge CPUs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1155. Which makes an i7 2600 or i7 3770 what you want to shoot for if you can find one cheap, they are 4c/8t chips and quite long in the tooth now, but much more usable than that pentium will be. A cheap SSD for the OS is also advisable, modern operating systems tend to run like mud on HDDs, both Windows 10/11 and newer macOS versions. From a quick peek on ebay you should be able to get an i7 2600 for $25-35 or so, an i7 3770 for around $45. A basic 256GB SSD can be had for $20: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DRcG3C/inland-professional-256-gb-25-solid-state-drive-618996736294. 

[Copper Shortsword]

@Zando_I can't access my desktop right now. So is there a website you can tell me about? Nevermind, I didn't see it until I posted this. Thank You!!!

[TetraSky]

44 minutes ago, Copper Shortsword said:

So Tetra, thank you. I have another question. Do you think I should upgrade to the CPU you had?  My motherboard has an Intel 1155 Socket. 

No, my CPU was actually 1156 socket based. Which is older than 1155.
We would need to know the chipset of the motherboard before recommending something. Like in the links@Zando_posted, you can see the CPU compatibility of the various chipsets for the 1155 socket. 

 

The i7 3770 is Ivy Bridge. Meaning you would need H61, H67, P67 or Z68 for this to be a possible upgrade path.

Otherwise the highest CPU you can go is the i7 2600. I'm thinking because it's Dell, it is either B65 or H61. 

 

Knowing the exact model of the Dell Inspiron (if you can find the product page for it) would greatly help, as Dell may have artificially limited the CPUs it can be upgraded to or simply never released BIOS updates for it.

[Lurking]

Before you invest $, keep in mind those old CPU won't be able to run W11. So after 10/2025 when W10 is EOL, you need dome other secure OS. 

 

Not saying this is a deal breaker, but be aware and consider getting an older new platform that can run W11.

[bartolo1988]

27 minutes ago, Copper Shortsword said:

My motherboard has an 1155 intel chipset

You should be able to upgrade to the 3rd gen Ivy Bridge Core CPUs. My sister is running my old i7 2700k which is a 2nd Gen Core CPU. It still runs quite well. 

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B007SZ0EHE

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-3-40-Processor/dp/B07KJSKHRQ/

 

There are obviously cheaper CPUs out there.

 

And as other posters said you won't be able to run Windows 11. But Windows 10 will probably be around for a little while longer.

[Zando_]

11 minutes ago, bartolo1988 said:

And as other posters said you won't be able to run Windows 11. But Windows 10 will probably be around for a little while longer.

If you don't need windows-specific software, Linux becomes a solid option for general use also. Been messing with Linux Mint and for browser/discord, some CD ripping, etc it's been a comparable or better experience to Windows. All the GUI utilities have gotten really sharp since I originally dabbled in linux ages ago, you don't have to use command line for really anything now. 

23 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Like in the links@Zando_posted, you can see the CPU compatibility of the various chipsets for the 1155 socket. 

Thanks for the catch on that btw, I am tired and didn't register that some of the chipsets within that generation didn't support the standard 2 CPU gens. 

23 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Knowing the exact model of the Dell Inspiron (if you can find the product page for it) would greatly help, as Dell may have artificially limited the CPUs it can be upgraded to or simply never released BIOS updates for it.

^^^ If there's a Dell branded sticker with a bunch of numbers on it, that would be most helpful. Often there's different versions within the same model. For example I built a sleeper PC in an Inspiron 530S, that was a pentium based system but there's also an AMD... Phenom something system in the exact same chassis and 530S line. So if you were trying to use the original hardware you'd need to confirm the full model #, usually some extra digits on the end of the main model/line name. 

[Lurking]

1 hour ago, bartolo1988 said:

You should be able to upgrade to the 3rd gen Ivy Bridge Core CPUs. My sister is running my old i7 2700k which is a 2nd Gen Core CPU. It still runs quite well. 

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B007SZ0EHE

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-3-40-Processor/dp/B07KJSKHRQ/

 

There are obviously cheaper CPUs out there.

 

And as other posters said you won't be able to run Windows 11. But Windows 10 will probably be around for a little while longer.

For $229 instead if buying an old CPU, one can almost buy an AM4 MB, RAM, and a hexcore all together. That is W11 ready, runs circles around OP's system and is brand new. 

 

That's the problem with old platform, new old stock of desirable hardware is much more expensive than brand new stuff. Maybe used work if you can find one for $30 or so... but that also comes with risk.

 

Unless you can find the CPU for next to nothing, a new system is better, IMHO.

[BondiBlue]

2 hours ago, Lurking said:

Before you invest $, keep in mind those old CPU won't be able to run W11.

This is incorrect. Windows 11 will run just fine on an older PC despite the ridiculous list of "supported" CPUs. 

 

2 hours ago, bartolo1988 said:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B007SZ0EHE

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Core-i7-3770-3-40-Processor/dp/B07KJSKHRQ/

 

There are obviously cheaper CPUs out there.

Those CPUs can be had for much less on sites like eBay. Amazon doesn't usually have good prices on old hardware like that. 

[cmndr]

Probably not worth upgrading such an old system. For the cost of a CPU you can pretty much buy an entire system. 


You can buy a newer, better and faster system for $150ish off amazon or ebay. Some even come with SSDs and windows 10 pre-installed. 
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-OptiPlex-9020-SFF-i5-4570-Windows/dp/B07TB9G2R6/

It's hard to beat that in terms of performance/$, though you would be limited to physically small, low power draw graphics cards. 

[Bitter]

I've easily ran 10 on a Core2Duo E8400 with 4 or 6GB of RAM and a SSD, there's something called Tiny10 (and now Tiny11) that are stripped down versions of the OS's to make them run better on lighter systems. However unless you specifically need Windows for a specific application I cannot implore you enough to install some kind of light weight Linux distro. Xubuntu Kubuntu will run nicely on even a low end system like that without upgrading the CPU. If you're just using it for a 2nd PC and mainly web browsing then you'll be far happier with the performance of Linux that Windows.

[Lurking]

1 hour ago, BondiBlue said:

This is incorrect. Windows 11 will run just fine on an older PC despite the ridiculous list of "supported" CPUs. 

You are right, and who knows what MS decides by 2025. If that PC makes it 2.5 mote years is questionable anyways. Just don't invest any money in it. Better to save up for a better system. 

[BondiBlue]

1 minute ago, Lurking said:

You are right, and who knows what MS decides by 2025. If that PC makes it 2.5 mote years is questionable anyways. Just don't invest any money in it. Better to save up for a better system. 

I completely agree that it's not really worth spending the money in this situation. I actively use all sorts of old computers, but I hardly put any money into parts. One of my file servers is an old Dell OptiPlex from 2008. It's been in use as a server its entire life, and I've personally been using it as a server for nearly 7 years. Over that time I've replaced the power supply at least twice (they develop bad caps), I've replaced the RAM, and I've upgraded the CPU. However, I didn't spend anything on those parts. They all came from spare systems that I got for free. I still have more spare parts for it, but if I didn't it would be retired if it breaks again. 

[Lurking]

10 minutes ago, Bitter said:

I've easily ran 10 on a Core2Duo E8400 with 4 or 6GB of RAM and a SSD, there's something called Tiny10 (and now Tiny11) that are stripped down versions of the OS's to make them run better on lighter systems. However unless you specifically need Windows for a specific application I cannot implore you enough to install some kind of light weight Linux distro. Xubuntu Kubuntu will run nicely on even a low end system like that without upgrading the CPU. If you're just using it for a 2nd PC and mainly web browsing then you'll be far happier with the performance of Linux that Windows.

Thanks for bringing up tiny 11. I didn't know that. But, from what I read, tiny 11 doesn't enable updates. Is that true? 

If so, it will be as unsecure as W10 after EOL.

 

I do like the idea of bloatless Windows, even on a 16-core... 

 

If you don't need Windows compatibility, that Chrome OS looks interesting for regular user.

[aron304]

4 hours ago, Zando_ said:

1155 is the socket, chipset is a separate thing that handles all the motherboard I/O (your USB ports and some PCIe slots, etc). According to wikipedia they did only use 1155 for 2 gens of chipsets though, so whatever board you have should be compatible with Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge CPUs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1155. Which makes an i7 2600 or i7 3770 what you want to shoot for if you can find one cheap, they are 4c/8t chips and quite long in the tooth now, but much more usable than that pentium will be. A cheap SSD for the OS is also advisable, modern operating systems tend to run like mud on HDDs, both Windows 10/11 and newer macOS versions. From a quick peek on ebay you should be able to get an i7 2600 for $25-35 or so, an i7 3770 for around $45. A basic 256GB SSD can be had for $20: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DRcG3C/inland-professional-256-gb-25-solid-state-drive-618996736294. 

this is the best answer. by far and i would suggest exactly the same thing. the only comment i will make is a 512 can be had for less then 25 as well. either way i would follow this advice. 

[Bitter]

I don't know much about Tiny11 except that it can boot (eventually) on 200MB of RAM.

 

Eh if a better 4 core CPU is available for the system for like $15 shipped and they're going to actually use it daily for stuff then the upgrade is worthwhile. 16GB of RAM on such a weak CPU of that age is a weird combo tho, must have needed to run Chrome (lol). Even a 4C 4T i5 will be a huge upgrade over the Pentium in there and they're a lot cheaper than the i7's because i7 tax.

[Copper Shortsword]

12 hours ago, Zando_ said:

If you don't need windows-specific software, Linux becomes a solid option for general use also. Been messing with Linux Mint and for browser/discord, some CD ripping, etc it's been a comparable or better experience to Windows. All the GUI utilities have gotten really sharp since I originally dabbled in linux ages ago, you don't have to use command line for really anything now. 

Thanks for the catch on that btw, I am tired and didn't register that some of the chipsets within that generation didn't support the standard 2 CPU gens. 

^^^ If there's a Dell branded sticker with a bunch of numbers on it, that would be most helpful. Often there's different versions within the same model. For example I built a sleeper PC in an Inspiron 530S, that was a pentium based system but there's also an AMD... Phenom something system in the exact same chassis and 530S line. So if you were trying to use the original hardware you'd need to confirm the full model #, usually some extra digits on the end of the main model/line name. 

I forgot about linux, I have used it before on my raspberry pi to run a minecraft server. I have to go to school, but when I get home I'll get the model number.

[Copper Shortsword]

8 hours ago, Bitter said:

I don't know much about Tiny11 except that it can boot (eventually) on 200MB of RAM.

 

Eh if a better 4 core CPU is available for the system for like $15 shipped and they're going to actually use it daily for stuff then the upgrade is worthwhile. 16GB of RAM on such a weak CPU of that age is a weird combo tho, must have needed to run Chrome (lol). Even a 4C 4T i5 will be a huge upgrade over the Pentium in there and they're a lot cheaper than the i7's because i7 tax.

I am planning on gaming on this pc, but the only game that I can seem to run is Roblox. I upgraded the memory for a Demonstration Presentation in my speech class. What about this CPU? https://www.ebay.com/itm/114605895652?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=114605895652&targetid=4581183927179143&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=418233787&mkgroupid=1241348861725295&rlsatarget=pla-4581183927179143&abcId=9300542&merchantid=51291&msclkid=6645bc67886215dbfe8fdf8412e9a5fe