Building a used pc

[ehawkins2232]

I built my real gaming PC 2 years ago. I'm not really wanting to upgrade right now, but I thought it would be a bit of fun to build a used PC with parts off mostly eBay. I'm willing to buy the case and psu new, but the rest of the parts I want to by used. I might also be using steamOS just to give it a try (I know that the game compatibility isn't great) Thoughts on this build?

Here's the part list:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz- $45 in CPU/Mobo/Ram Combo (eBay)

Motherboard: Intel DG31PR LGA775/Socket T: $45 in CPU/Mobo/Ram Combo (eBay)

GPU: EVGA Gtx 670 Superclocked 4GB ~ $70 (eBay)

RAM:Kingston 2x2GB 800MHz, 4 GB DDR2 - $45 in CPU/Mobo/Ram Combo (eBay)

PSU: Seasonic S12II 620 BRONZE, SS-620GB  ~ $50 (Amazon)

Storage: 750 GB Seagate Barracuda Hard Drive (7200 RPM) ~ $26.60 (eBay)

Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid-Tower ~ $50 (Amazon)

Total: $241.60

 

Things I Have Thought About:

- Used Hard Drive Failure

-CPU is most likely a bottleneck for the 670

-PSU a little overkill

-Motherboard is a little sketchy

-Using an aftermarket cooler for cpu?

 

[Herman Mcpootis]

what's your budget for everything? the S12ii is old+missing protections, so get the CX550 instead. what's the city you're in?

[Imbellis]

One of the few parts that I wouldn't recommend buying new is the HDD.

You could buy an HDD (500GB) for $30 (or less) without having to worry if it works.

[ehawkins2232]

21 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

what's your budget for everything? the S12ii is old+missing protections, so get the CX550 instead. what's the city you're in?

My budget isn't set, but less than $250 would be fine.

Also, I live in a small town in NJ

[ehawkins2232]

12 minutes ago, Imbellis said:

One of the few parts that I wouldn't recommend buying new is the HDD.

You could buy an HDD (500GB) for $30 (or less) without having to worry if it works.

Ok thanks for the tip

[Herman Mcpootis]

6 minutes ago, Eric Hawkins said:

My budget isn't set, but less than $250 would be fine.

you can get alot better for $250 than an old Q6600.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-INSPIRON-620-i5-2320-3-00GHz-6GB-DDR3-500GB-HDD-64BIT-4CORE-T5-F14/302530005089?hash=item4670318861:g:xpAAAOSwGPxaDJfQ#viTabs_0 $91.40

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PNY-Geforce-GTX-770-2GB-RVCGGTX7702XXB-Video-Graphics-Card/122811127192?hash=item1c981d1598:g:Y98AAOSwCJxaDNu3 $100

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FdRFf7/corsair-cx-2017-550w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020121-na $25 after rebates

[ehawkins2232]

1 minute ago, herman mcpootis said:

you can get alot better for $250 than an old Q6600.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-INSPIRON-620-i5-2320-3-00GHz-6GB-DDR3-500GB-HDD-64BIT-4CORE-T5-F14/302530005089?hash=item4670318861:g:xpAAAOSwGPxaDJfQ#viTabs_0 $91.40

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PNY-Geforce-GTX-770-2GB-RVCGGTX7702XXB-Video-Graphics-Card/122811127192?hash=item1c981d1598:g:Y98AAOSwCJxaDNu3 $100

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FdRFf7/corsair-cx-2017-550w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020121-na $25 after rebates

Oh wow ok, I haven't looked into buying old desktops. What are the chances that the motherboard in that Dell is ATX and not some OEM part, because I might want to transplant the CPU/RAM/Mobo into a new case?

[ehawkins2232]

2 minutes ago, CUDA_Cores said:

That's the restriction here, strictly speaking you can't. While the motherboard is micro-ATX, the front panel connector for the power button is proprietary. If you could identify the two pins that were for power on, it might work. But unless you've built tons of PCs before, it's probably not worth it. 

Alright, then do you think it's at least effective to take out the RAM, CPU, and HDD out of an old desktop?

[Herman Mcpootis]

14 minutes ago, Eric Hawkins said:

Oh wow ok, I haven't looked into buying old desktops. What are the chances that the motherboard in that Dell is ATX and not some OEM part, because I might want to transplant the CPU/RAM/Mobo into a new case?

the motherboard uses standard 24-pin and 4-pin psu connectors and is standatd MATX, but the I/O connectors look proprietary. you'll have to look up a manual online and figure it out manually if you want a case upgrade.

[Herman Mcpootis]

42 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

you can get alot better for $250 than an old Q6600.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-INSPIRON-620-i5-2320-3-00GHz-6GB-DDR3-500GB-HDD-64BIT-4CORE-T5-F14/302530005089?hash=item4670318861:g:xpAAAOSwGPxaDJfQ#viTabs_0 $91.40

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PNY-Geforce-GTX-770-2GB-RVCGGTX7702XXB-Video-Graphics-Card/122811127192?hash=item1c981d1598:g:Y98AAOSwCJxaDNu3 $100

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FdRFf7/corsair-cx-2017-550w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020121-na $25 after rebates

screwed up with the GPU, it's too big for the case so you can replace it and the psu with a 1050ti instead 

[ehawkins2232]

24 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

the motherboard uses standard 24-pin and 4-pin psu connectors and is standatd MATX, but the I/O connectors look proprietary. you'll have to look up a manual online and figure it out manually if you want a case upgrade.

Ok I'm actually planning tomorrow to drive over to a used PC shop just to see what they have. But if they don't have anything, does this dell (and oem pcs in general) have standard mounting holes for an ATX psu? I assume they do if you can replace them

[Herman Mcpootis]

Just now, Eric Hawkins said:

Ok I'm actually planning tomorrow to drive over to a used PC shop just to see what they have. But if they don't have anything, does this dell (and oem pcs in general) have standard mounting holes for an ATX psu? I assume they do if you can replace them

yeah it's standard atx mounts.you'll have to check, standard tower prebuilts usually have normal PSU mounting holes but you'll need to check manually.

[ehawkins2232]

6 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

yeah it's standard atx mounts.you'll have to check, standard tower prebuilts usually have normal PSU mounting holes but you'll need to check manually.

Checked the manual, it doesn't specify the power supply form factor but I found some forum posts about replacing the power supply that say it's atx.

[Herman Mcpootis]

Just now, Eric Hawkins said:

Checked the manual, it doesn't specify the power supply form factor but I found some forum posts about replacing the power supply that say it's atx.

you can replace it just fine. but other towers might not so you'll need to check if you're planning on those. the I/O connectors may be different as well so if you want a case upgrade check if any forum posts or manuals online say anything about the layout.

[ehawkins2232]

1 minute ago, herman mcpootis said:

you can replace it just fine. but other towers might not so you'll need to check if you're planning on those. the I/O connectors may be different as well so if you want a case upgrade check if any forum posts or manuals online say anything about the layout.

Sounds good, 1 more question. Do you have any tips for searching for the old desktops. ebay's filters really don't help b/c most hardware is listed as "unspecified". Do you think it'll be more effective just to search "Core i5 2nd Gen Desktop" or something like that?