Upgrading Desktop? Advice please!!

[Ag408548]

Hello I am upgrading my Hp 500 - 214

here is a link to the desktop specs 

https://support.hp.com/id-en/document/c041003

 

specs

amd a8 processor 3.5ghz

8gb ram (max 32gb) ddr3

integrated hd Radeon 8570d

300w power supply

2tb HDD

 

now I want to upgrade it and use it for video and photo editing, programs like adobe and Sony vegas.

 

I will probably upgrade the ram first. If I upgraded from 8GB to 32gb will I need to upgrade the power supply right away or will it be ok. I know I need a bigger  psu for a better graphics card. But plan to get the ram first then couple weeks later the psu and graphics card.

 

what kind of graphics card should I get that's compatible? I'm looking to start doing 4K work soon so if it's to expensive for a 4K card I get a reg one.

 

same with power supply what kind should I get?

 

my budget on graphics card is $200

on power supply I need cheapest that can handle all these upgrades 

 

thanks for your help 

 

 

 

 

[CatXice]

not being funny but u would more then likly be better off selling the system and buying a full new one and building it your self and your atleast going to need a 480/580/1060 if u can find 1 for $200

[Legolessed]

10 minutes ago, Ag408548 said:

Hello I am upgrading my Hp 500 - 214

here is a link to the desktop specs 

https://support.hp.com/id-en/document/c041003

 

specs

amd a8 processor 3.5ghz

8gb ram (max 32gb) ddr3

integrated hd Radeon 8570d

300w power supply

2tb HDD

 

now I want to upgrade it and use it for video and photo editing, programs like adobe and Sony vegas.

 

I will probably upgrade the ram first. If I upgraded from 8GB to 32gb will I need to upgrade the power supply right away or will it be ok. I know I need a bigger  psu for a better graphics card. But plan to get the ram first then couple weeks later the psu and graphics card.

 

what kind of graphics card should I get that's compatible? I'm looking to start doing 4K work soon so if it's to expensive for a 4K card I get a reg one.

 

same with power supply what kind should I get?

 

my budget on graphics card is $200

on power supply I need cheapest that can handle all these upgrades 

 

thanks for your help 

 

 

 

 

The graphics card should be the first thing you upgrade. Theres only so much performance you can squeeze out of an a10 CPU with integrated graphics

[maartendc]

14 minutes ago, Ag408548 said:

Hello I am upgrading my Hp 500 - 214

here is a link to the desktop specs 

https://support.hp.com/id-en/document/c041003

 

specs

amd a8 processor 3.5ghz

8gb ram (max 32gb) ddr3

integrated hd Radeon 8570d

300w power supply

2tb HDD

 

now I want to upgrade it and use it for video and photo editing, programs like adobe and Sony vegas.

 

I will probably upgrade the ram first. If I upgraded from 8GB to 32gb will I need to upgrade the power supply right away or will it be ok. I know I need a bigger  psu for a better graphics card. But plan to get the ram first then couple weeks later the psu and graphics card.

 

what kind of graphics card should I get that's compatible? I'm looking to start doing 4K work soon so if it's to expensive for a 4K card I get a reg one.

 

same with power supply what kind should I get?

 

my budget on graphics card is $200

on power supply I need cheapest that can handle all these upgrades 

 

thanks for your help

If you are upgrading to a brand new CPU, the only thing you will be able to preserve from the old system is likely the case and the PSU.

 

Seeing as most prebuilt systems have terrible PSU's and case, it might not be worth salvaging even those, your call. The PSU 300W would likely not be powerful enough to run a dedicated GPU anyway.

 

You will need:

-New motherboard

- New DDR4 Ram

- New CPU

- New GPU

- New PSU

 

I would recommend a Ryzen 5 1600 and a GTX 1060 or better. It all depends on your budget. What is your budget?

 

Do NOT upgrade the ram first now, as you would have to buy DDR3 for the current CPU, but need DDR4 for the newer CPU's. They are not interchangeable. You should buy Ram + CPU + motherboard at the same time.

 

You could upgrade GPU now, and wait to upgrade CPU + Motherboard + Ram when you have the money. GPU is not really incompatible with the old / new system, so you can just move it over later.

 

Vegas uses GPU rendering, so upgrading the GPU will likely see the biggest performance boost.

[Ag408548]

55 minutes ago, maartendc said:

If you are upgrading to a brand new CPU, the only thing you will be able to preserve from the old system is likely the case and the PSU.

 

Seeing as most prebuilt systems have terrible PSU's and case, it might not be worth salvaging even those, your call. The PSU 300W would likely not be powerful enough to run a dedicated GPU anyway.

 

You will need:

-New motherboard

- New DDR4 Ram

- New CPU

- New GPU

- New PSU

 

I would recommend a Ryzen 5 1600 and a GTX 1060 or better. It all depends on your budget. What is your budget?

 

Do NOT upgrade the ram first now, as you would have to buy DDR3 for the current CPU, but need DDR4 for the newer CPU's. They are not interchangeable. You should buy Ram + CPU + motherboard at the same time.

 

You could upgrade GPU now, and wait to upgrade CPU + Motherboard + Ram when you have the money. GPU is not really incompatible with the old / new system, so you can just move it over later.

 

Vegas uses GPU rendering, so upgrading the GPU will likely see the biggest performance boost.

I'm kind of confused isn't the processor good enough? Can't I just upgrade the ram, power supply and graphics card? 

[pyrojoe34]

1 hour ago, Legolessed said:

The graphics card should be the first thing you upgrade. Theres only so much performance you can squeeze out of an a10 CPU with integrated graphics

I completely disagree. The video card is the last thing he should worry about when it comes to video editing. For the most part the CPU does 99% of the work and the GPU will give only a performance gain when only when certain limited effects are used in the timeline. A CPU upgrade would be the best thing he can do to boost video editing work. A GPU will help but not worth it without a better CPU, it won't make up for an under-powered CPU.

 

OP save up for a R5 (with mobo) and 16GB of RAM (alternatively, get an i7 with iGPU if you can't afford to upgrade the CPU and GPU at the same time, OR if you upgrade to a CPU like an R5 get a dirt cheap, older, used GPU to use for display purposes only for like $30 on CL). The next thing to upgrade would be to get an SSD to install your OS and the video editor on, and to be used as a media/preview cache. The last thing to upgrade (once you have the money) is a GPU, you don't need anything crazy but aim for >4GB vRAM, either a 1050Ti or 1060 6GB (CUDA on Nvidia is useful for editing programs like Premiere).

 

Until you can afford to upgrade I wouldn't bother putting more money into that system (except maybe an SSD which you can transfer to a new build once you upgrade). Instead learn about proxy editing on lower end hardware, and transcoding to editing codecs (don't edit in h.264). This will allow you to still smoothly edit even 4k footage on a slower system by working with lower quality proxy files that are replaced with the original higher quality files during the final render.

[maartendc]

27 minutes ago, Ag408548 said:

I'm kind of confused isn't the processor good enough? Can't I just upgrade the ram, power supply and graphics card? 

No that processor is not good enough anymore for serious video editing. You should upgrade it. You will notice much more of a performance increase. Upgrading the ram will be less noticeable.

 

Look at this comparison between your cpu and a ryzen 5 1600

http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-5-1600X-vs-AMD-A8-6500-APU/3920vsm5272

 

If you cant afford an r5 1600, an r5 1400 is also good.

6 minutes ago, pyrojoe34 said:

I completely disagree. The video card is the last thing he should worry about when it comes to video editing. For the most part the CPU does 99% of the work and the GPU will give only a performance gain when only when certain limited effects are used in the timeline. A CPU upgrade would be the best thing he can do to boost video editing work. A GPU will help but not worth it without a better CPU, it won't make up for an under-powered CPU.

 

OP save up for a R5 (with mobo) and 16GB of RAM (alternatively, get an i7 with iGPU if you can't afford to upgrade the CPU and GPU at the same time, OR if you upgrade to a CPU like an R5 get a dirt cheap, older, used GPU to use for display purposes only for like $30 on CL). The next thing to upgrade would be to get an SSD to install your OS and the video editor on, and to be used as a media/preview cache. The last thing to upgrade (once you have the money) is a GPU, you don't need anything crazy but aim for >4GB vRAM, either a 1050Ti or 1060 6GB

 

Until you can afford to upgrade I wouldn't bother putting more money into that system

Pretty much what he said is right. Dont bother upgrading. Just save your money for a new system. Your current system is not worth sinking money into.

[Ag408548]

46 minutes ago, maartendc said:

No that processor is not good enough anymore for serious video editing. You should upgrade it. You will notice much more of a performance increase. Upgrading the ram will be less noticeable.

 

Look at this comparison between your cpu and a ryzen 5 1600

http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-5-1600X-vs-AMD-A8-6500-APU/3920vsm5272

 

If you cant afford an r5 1600, an r5 1400 is also good.

Pretty much what he said is right. Dont bother upgrading. Just save your money for a new system. Your current system is not worth sinking money into.

I don't have money for a new system. I just thought well I can upgrade ram to 32gb, get maybe a low profile 2gb graphics card. And I be good for video editing. I found the 

EVGA GeForce GT 720 2GB will work on my 300watr psu

[Ag408548]

53 minutes ago, maartendc said:

No that processor is not good enough anymore for serious video editing. You should upgrade it. You will notice much more of a performance increase. Upgrading the ram will be less noticeable.

 

Look at this comparison between your cpu and a ryzen 5 1600

http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-5-1600X-vs-AMD-A8-6500-APU/3920vsm5272

 

If you cant afford an r5 1600, an r5 1400 is also good.

Pretty much what he said is right. Dont bother upgrading. Just save your money for a new system. Your current system is not worth sinking money into.

One quick question can I upgrade it to 32gb without needing to upgrade power supply

[maartendc]

29 minutes ago, Ag408548 said:

I don't have money for a new system. I just thought well I can upgrade ram to 32gb, get maybe a low profile 2gb graphics card. And I be good for video editing. I found the 

EVGA GeForce GT 720 2GB will work on my 300watr psu

Do not buy that graphics card. It will NOT be better than your integrated graphics you have now.

 

Get something like at least a RX460 or GTX 1050. Anything below that is a total waste of money (even if you don't have the money, you are better sticking with what you have rather than waste the money)

23 minutes ago, Ag408548 said:

One quick question can I upgrade it to 32gb without needing to upgrade power supply

Short answer: yes.

 

Ram is pretty expensive right now. For 32 gb you are looking at something like $200+. 

 

As I said: you need DDR3 memory, and you will want to upgrade your CPU pretty soon. Upgraded CPU will need DDR4 memory. So that $200 you are spending on the ram now will be money down the drain.

 

LONG STORY SHORT:

- Either just wait, save money, and upgrade CPU, motherboard and Ram all at the same time.

OR

- If you are really low on RAM right now, Put another 8 GB of ram in now, for a total of 16GB, until you can save up to replace the CPU, motherboard and ram. Investing now in 32GB would be stupid. 16 gb should be plenty for the time being.

OR

- Invest in an extra 8GB of ram now + a GTX 1050 or 1050Ti. This should work on your current PSU, and be a good upgrade for exporting video with SOny Vegas. I would still look at saving up to replace the CPU + motherboard in the future then.

[maartendc]

Here you go, just save up until you can afford this:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1400 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($156.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - A320M-DGS Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Flare X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($148.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $472.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-01 14:57 EDT-0400

 

This should be about twice as fast as your current system.

 

Your current 300Watt PSU should be enough to power that.

 

If you really want to, you can also buy an extra 8gb of DDR3 ram now, as well as the 1050Ti. Sony Vegas does use GPU for rendering, so it will be a good upgrade. However, the CPU will still hold you back while working. The GPU will only be of use when actually exporting the video.

[Guest]

Like others have said actually i recommend something a bit more adventures i'd buy a used I5 2400 PC on ebay for around 120$ that has 8GB of ram and then i'd keep your 2TB drive put it in there and then buy a 1050TI for 150$. 

 

That setup will be night and day compared to what you have and its within your budget.

 

 DUMB get the Pentium build below i recommended didn't realize how cheap it would be 

[Guest]

That A8 processor is so weak even a 60$ Pentium would out perform it. If you don't game you could always jump to Intel and upgrade the CPU later on. 

 

80$ Pentium+ 60$ board + 60$ memory get a budget 40$ case and a EVGA 500 watt PSU for 40$ and keep your 2TB drive and put it in the system. 

 

Ryzen 3 will be better but will cost you a good 40$ more but i actually recommend that as i think you will get more performance in your case

 

Edit also to note Ryzen will also force you to buy a GPU unlike the pentium 

[maartendc]

32 minutes ago, jdwii said:

That A8 processor is so weak even a 60$ Pentium would out perform it. If you don't game you could always jump to Intel and upgrade the CPU later on. 

 

80$ Pentium+ 60$ board + 60$ memory get a budget 40$ case and a EVGA 500 watt PSU for 40$ and keep your 2TB drive and put it in the system. 

 

Ryzen 3 will be better but will cost you a good 40$ more but i actually recommend that as i think you will get more performance in your case

 

Edit also to note Ryzen will also force you to buy a GPU unlike the pentium 

I see where you are going, but a Pentium is hardly a workstation processor. He should get at least a quadcore. The Pentiums are dual cores.

 

The Pentium for $80 would only be about 40% better than his current a8 6500: http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-G4600-vs-AMD-A8-6500-APU/3894vsm5272

 

If you are upgrading to a completely new platform, it should be a worthwhile upgrade, like a Ryzen 5 1400 or a Ryzen 5 1600. If you really want to keep it cheap, get a Ryzen 3 1200, which is at least a quadcore. Stay away from the pentiums and i3's, they are all Dual core. Ryzen is definitely the better value workstation CPU right now.

[maartendc]

Sounds like you really don't want to upgrade the whole system right now. The system currently has 4 Ram slots. My advice:

 

Step 1. Buy some used 8Gb of DDR3 ram, like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/8GB-2x-4GB-PC3-10600-Corsair-XMS3-Memory-Kit-DDR3-RAM-1333MHz-240-Pin-DIMMs-/132266138099?epid=141775460&hash=item1ecbad19f3:g:8p0AAOSwmFNZaUJy

 

Step 2. If you have the budget now, also buy the 1050Ti for $149, which will improve GPU rendering a lot, but not just working in the timeline (that is CPU bound).

 

Step 3. Save money (roughly $300) to upgrade CPU, motherboard and RAM.

 

Step 4. Buy the Ryzen 5 1400 with a cheap motherboard and 16GB of DDR4 ram for $300.

 

Extra step: upgrade your HDD and use an SSD for running Windows and software. This will improve performance A LOT as well. 250GB can be bought for about $100.

 

Your current power supply should be able to run all that. I checked the PSU calculator, and it should run at about 250 watts with the Ryzen 5 and 1050Ti.

[Legolessed]

2 hours ago, pyrojoe34 said:

I completely disagree. The video card is the last thing he should worry about when it comes to video editing. For the most part the CPU does 99% of the work and the GPU will give only a performance gain when only when certain limited effects are used in the timeline. A CPU upgrade would be the best thing he can do to boost video editing work. A GPU will help but not worth it without a better CPU, it won't make up for an under-powered CPU.

 

OP save up for a R5 (with mobo) and 16GB of RAM (alternatively, get an i7 with iGPU if you can't afford to upgrade the CPU and GPU at the same time, OR if you upgrade to a CPU like an R5 get a dirt cheap, older, used GPU to use for display purposes only for like $30 on CL). The next thing to upgrade would be to get an SSD to install your OS and the video editor on, and to be used as a media/preview cache. The last thing to upgrade (once you have the money) is a GPU, you don't need anything crazy but aim for >4GB vRAM, either a 1050Ti or 1060 6GB (CUDA on Nvidia is useful for editing programs like Premiere).

 

Until you can afford to upgrade I wouldn't bother putting more money into that system (except maybe an SSD which you can transfer to a new build once you upgrade). Instead learn about proxy editing on lower end hardware, and transcoding to editing codecs (don't edit in h.264). This will allow you to still smoothly edit even 4k footage on a slower system by working with lower quality proxy files that are replaced with the original higher quality files during the final render.

There is not really an upgrade path from an a10 CPU naturally and I was trying to supply an alternative to completely building a new system because he could have been trying to keep his old one. also you would upgrade the RAM before the gpu? I edit on my PC with 10gb of ram. You don't need 80gb of ram to edit videos. 8gb is plenty relative to his other specs. So shoot me if I'm wrong. But I was merely trying to say an alternative to upgrading the entire system and trust me, editing on a crap gpu still sucks. It still plays a big role in video editing.

[pyrojoe34]

Just now, Legolessed said:

There is not really an upgrade path from an a10 CPU naturally and I was trying to supply an alternative to completely building a new system because he could have been trying to keep his old one. also you would upgrade the RAM before the gpu? I edit on my PC with 10gb of ram. You don't need 80gb of ram to edit videos. 8gb is plenty relative to his other specs. So shoot me if I'm wrong. But I was merely trying to say an alternative to upgrading the entire system and trust me, editing on a crap gpu still sucks. It still plays a big role in video editing.

It really doesn't make a big difference in most cases (unless you add certain specific effects or plugins). My point is if he spends $200 on a GPU he may get like a 5% improvement (if at all), if he takes that $200 and waits until he has $350-400 he can upgrade his CPU/mobo/RAM which will give him like 200% improvement then he gets way more for his money. The reason I recommend 16GB of RAM is that the more Premiere can cache to RAM the less of a bottleneck having slow drives will be. Sure you can edit with 8GB but Premiere loves RAM and 16 will really help. To be clear, I do not think he should upgrade his system to 16GB, that would not be worth it. Just when he build a new one to get 16 rather than 8.

 

Trust me, a faster CPU with a trash GPU will beat his CPU with a goof GPU 100% of the time. It's just not worth it and he would be way better off putting that $200 aside until he has $400 to spend.

[Guest]

It's just hard for me to recommend him to buy outdated memory instead of jumping to a newer platform like ryzen or a Pentium dual core with HT. 

 

A8 is a terribly weak processor even a older phenom ii x4 will be faster. Now i can recommend getting a 1050Ti as he can always bring that over to a newer build. If he was on sandy bridge or better i'd say sure its ok to upgrade memory and possibly get another 3 years from the machine but he's not.