Old pc upgrade!!!

[gabiz4lyf]

Hi guys! I just want to upgrade an old working pc that i found in our attic. It rocks a/an:

CPU - Athlon x2 250 (dual core)

Mobo - Biostar N68S3B (AM3 socket) (supports up to 8gigs of dual channel RAM)

GPU - Nvidia GeForce 7025 512mb (integrated)

Case -  Intex Supernova

RAM -  2gb Kingston kvr1333d3n9

PSU- Genie Power ATX 600w with molex (no 8, 6, or even 4 pin connectors) (50-60hz)

Display-  Asus (can't find the model name) 

 

I am having a hard time figuring out if i should buy x2 4g of RAM or a single 8g (according to their website, it doesn't suport single channel 8g but I think just a BIOS update will fix it).

I am also confused by the fact that:

-GTX 1050 is a good budget card

-but RX 460 is similar in performance

-but RX 470 is too good for its price

-might as well check if GT 1030 is good

-but GT 1030 is just a rebranded 730

 

Anyway, I live in Manila, Philippines, so online shopping is unreliable and retail shopping is overpriced (I'm looking at you PC Express). The nearest PC retail shop is in Gilmore, Quezon city, and is also a city away. I just need recommendations and guides 'cause this is my first pc. Thank you.

 

P.S. My maximum budget is 15k php/ 300 usd/ 360 cad/ 19k inr

P.S.S  Just a 13 yr. old senior student still starting out so please don't go hard on me

[gabiz4lyf]

Will my cpu bottlneck the rx 460 heavily?

 

[3rrant]

11 minutes ago, gabiz4lyf said:

cut

It's hard to help you out with prices so I'll just say out a few advices..

 

If you need it for gaming, your main priority it to get a decent GPU, a minimal amount of RAM, and an acceptable CPU to follow.

If you need it for work/study, then you should focus on RAM, CPU then GPU.

 

So about gaming, it depends on the resolution you are gonna play so by your monitor. If we suppose 1080p (1920x1080) which is today's standard, a GTX 1050 is a bare minimum and doesn't give you a good experience. If you wanna play decently, go for a 1050Ti.

470/480/570/580 are great cards but their price is all over the place because of cryptocurrencies mining.

 

About memory, 4GB are ok for running any windows platform to work with, but 8GB are quite essentially needed for gaming. With that motherboard you cannot use 8GB sticks, so you can start with 4 and upgrade later..

 

..but this motherboard also do not support any decent CPU upgrades, so you should think about replacing it later. This CPU is ok for work, and is "acceptable" for gaming as well. Yes it will bottleneck any 460+ GPU you are gonna put in there in some situations but it's not your main concern as of now.

 

Try to go with the used market. You should be able to find a cheap AM3 motherboard that supports FX processors (also cheap on 2nd hand) and DDR3 memory for the future.

[gabiz4lyf]

4 minutes ago, ErrantNyles said:

It's hard to help you out with prices so I'll just say out a few advices..

 

If you need it for gaming, your main priority it to get a decent GPU, a minimal amount of RAM, and an acceptable CPU to follow.

If you need it for work/study, then you should focus on RAM, CPU then GPU.

 

So about gaming, it depends on the resolution you are gonna play so by your monitor. If we suppose 1080p (1920x1080) which is today's standard, a GTX 1050 is a bare minimum and doesn't give you a good experience. If you wanna play decently, go for a 1050Ti.

470/480/570/580 are great cards but their price is all over the place because of cryptocurrencies mining.

 

About memory, 4GB are ok for running any windows platform to work with, but 8GB are quite essentially needed for gaming. With that motherboard you cannot use 8GB sticks, so you can start with 4 and upgrade later..

 

..but this motherboard also do not support any decent CPU upgrades, so you should think about replacing it later. This CPU is ok for work, and is "acceptable" for gaming as well. Yes it will bottleneck any 460+ GPU you are gonna put in there in some situations but it's not your main concern as of now.

 

Try to go with the used market. You should be able to find a cheap AM3 motherboard that supports FX processors (also cheap on 2nd hand) and DDR3 memory for the future.

Should i stay with this cpu for a while or upgrade it with my ram?

 

[3rrant]

3 minutes ago, gabiz4lyf said:

Should i stay with this cpu for a while or upgrade it with my ram?

 

First you need to choose what you are mainly gonna do with the PC. If you want to play some games, get the GPU first. If you have less than 4 GB of RAM, get these 4GB as a second step. You CPU might bottleneck? Yes, but it's not gonna make games unplayable.

 

Then, you can wait to save up a bit of money and look for used parts, and buy a motherboard and new CPU. I suggest, because of the low pricing, to go with a AM3 motherboard and a FX6xxx+ CPU, but it depends. If you find a good deal on an older Intel i3-i5-i7 for example you might go for it as well (it would be better than the FX if they are 2nd generation or higher).

 

If you just wanna work, look for a deal on a new motherboard, change CPU and add some RAM (4gb again as a minimum, 8gb for the best results). You GPU will only be needed for monitor display so you actually can stay with a very old one like yours or a newer very low end like the RX550 or the GT1030.

[gabiz4lyf]

oh okay... thanks for the help Italian guy!

[Jurrunio]

16 minutes ago, gabiz4lyf said:

Hi guys! I just want to upgrade an old working pc that i found in our attic. It rocks a/an:

CPU - Athlon x2 250 (dual core)

Mobo - Biostar N68S3B (AM3 socket) (supports up to 8gigs of dual channel RAM)

GPU - Nvidia GeForce 7025 512mb (integrated)

Case -  Intex Supernova

RAM -  2gb Kingston kvr1333d3n9

PSU- Genie Power ATX 600w with molex (no 8, 6, or even 4 pin connectors) (50-60hz)

Display-  Asus (can't find the model name) 

 

I am having a hard time figuring out if i should buy x2 4g of RAM or a single 8g (according to their website, it doesn't suport single channel 8g but I think just a BIOS update will fix it).

I am also confused by the fact that:

-GTX 1050 is a good budget card

-but RX 460 is similar in performance

-but RX 470 is too good for its price

-might as well check if GT 1030 is good

-but GT 1030 is just a rebranded 730

First of all, I'd like to correct some facts first.

1. Yes the 1050 is a good budget card, though the RX 560 is also competitive at a similar price.

2. RX 460 is a tier slower than GTX 1050, but a tier faster than GT 1030.

3. RX 470 is ridiculously expensive due to crypto currency mining. Not worth considering anymore.

4. GT 1030 is not a 730 rebrand. Its performance is similar to the 750ti.

 

The mobo supports Phenom II and Athlon II, try look for some 4 core versions.

Try get 8Gb of RAM. Be aware that your mobo is a bit old, so buy older DDR3 with larger memory modules than newer ones. Newer ones might not work.

What graphics card you can get depends on how much you have after buying those above. Used 750ti (must get those without 6 pin) or new GTX 1050 (or even Ti version) should be your target. Dont buy a 1030 since it is no faster than a 750ti but is more expensive.

[gabiz4lyf]

thank you guy from the second dimension for your help!