Hey guys, how are you?

I have this old i7 PC that has been serving me really well along the years, but I think it's about time to upgrade.

(CPU-Z screenshots attached)

I know there are some really computer savvy guys here, and I'd like your opinion about it.

First, what do you think is the most performance oriented but cost-effective processor nowadays (and motherboard to go with it)?

Second, I don't intend to upgrade my whole setup at once. I don't have money for it.

So, what what would I absolutely need to upgrade right now besides processor and motherboard?

Besides working with music, which is mostly a hobby nowadays, I'm a professional industrial and graphic designer, so that's what I would be mostly using the computer for.

Thanks so much in advance.

Cheers,

M.

 

Anyone?

 

I went with a 10700k and a z490 board.
So far so good for me.
I have nothing against AMD but I just like the Intel stuff with drivers.

 

Use the old one for audiogridder server and get a new 11th or 12th generation intel.

 

i just finished upgrading my computer to a ryzen 7 5700g cpu, a gigabyte b550 aorus pro v2 mothernoard, and 32gn of ddr4 ram. about the only thing i was able to re-use from my 8-years old system was the case and the hard drives. but i also bought a 2tb nvme drive for my system drive. i love it so far. there are more powerful ryzen cpus, but this one has 8 cores and 16 threads plus the latest version of ryzen graphics built-in. not having to buy a video card saved me hundreds of dollars.

 

You have an old Sandy Bridge setup from year late 2010 ...
Best CPU for that architecture is i7 3770K , you have an i7 2600 CPU that is close to 3770K in performance, though not overclockable...

So pointless to upgrade CPU.

Sure you can upgrade RAM, but that would be waste of money and will serve you only through the short survival period with this PC as DDR3 RAM is far behind from newer RAM technologies and I don't think your architecture supports faster RAM than DDR3.

Your selection of upgrade depends on what you can afford...

To upgrade to a newer or recent architecture, you need to replace basically everything except maybe the GPU --> Replace: Motherboard, CPU, RAM, maybe also PSU if that is from gen 2010. Also newer HD with faster bus than SATA would be desireable, for instance NVMe or PCIe, in a new setup, Such an upgrade will cost ... If you chose to do it, I would investigate an AMD-platform setup. Gives you more performance per spended $ ..

In short terms, if you must to stay on current PC for economical reasons, the best you can do is upgrade your HDs (I would choose high-end 2.5 SSD-manufacturer and model as Samsung EVO or EVO Pro). I don't think your motherboard supports any faster HD than SATA 6 and 2.5 inch SSD, so if you haven't done that, I would, for survival, consider upgrading all HDD's to 2.5 SSD, which can be reused in your future setup as audio HD (not system HD), but maybe you already have done that?

 

IF I'm being honest I would head over to overclockers (That's where I will be buying my next computer from) Tell them exactly what i want to use it for and my budget and leave the rest up to them. They are top notch.

www.overclockers.co.uk


I realise you don't want to upgrade the whole thing, but I would probably wait until I was ready to and then sell the other one for a few bob privately.

 

.. or find a trustworthy computer-nerd forum on the web located in your country with a buy and sell market and seller-buyer ratings.
And buy newer second hand components from a high-rated trusted seller near your location so you can meet up face-to-face.

The risk is that your components will be out of warranty, but you will probably save a lot of money compared to buying new components directly from a store - and if you are lucky everything will work out great... I have done this many times and have never been disappointed.

 

Hey JTSD I noticed you mentioned not to use a SSD as the system drive, can you elaborate on that, because I do

 

@thebeatsareill - You should use SSD as system drive, but preferably with M2/NVMe/PCIe interface if your setup supports that. Many older motherboards supporting older gen CPUs, only support SATA. If you can't afford upgrading to a newer setup (replacing motherboard, CPU, RAM, e t c) then a 2.5 inch SSD with SATA 6 is the second best choice until you can afford to upgrade. The 2.5'' SSD can be reused as secondary HD for audio.

There are forums suggesting you can update BIOS of ASUS P8Z68-V LX (@RMorgan MOBO-model) to support nvme HD (with PCIe interface), but It doesn't seem stable, at least I can't find any verification of that.

High-end HD Benchmarks:
https://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/high_end_drives.html

 

I wonder if i7 11700k would work with win7, i guess if the motherboard has the drivers it should?

 

hello,
SSDs use flash memory (not mechanical memory like HDDs) to store information. They offer improved durability and performance over HDDs. However, HDDs generally offer more storage capacity for less money.

 

I think you should be satisfied with your Porsche, you don't need a Ferrari.

I would buy a fast SSD. Crucial MX500 1TB CT1000MX500SSD1-up to 560 MB / s (3D NAND, SATA, 2.5 inch, internal SSD) https://www.amazon.de/Crucial-MX500-CT1000MX500SSD1-Internes-NAND/dp/B078211KBB?th=1

 

hello,
upgrading your pc is not really a good deal in terms of money and productivity, it's an 11 year old honorable pc....what is made nowadays is not comparable, both Intel and AMD, I took my time and saved my money to buy and build a new one, amazing!!!
Even for your profession a new pc is a must!

 

Hello @flush with your foot, unfortunately the money is a bit unfairly distributed, so that not everyone gets what they want.

 

hi Beat16,
I understood that, this is why I wrote to wait and take some time to save money and buy a new pc to assemble yourself,
I made this choice for myself and I am delighted! I also had a 4 generations old pc, which I use for networking and software testing...
yes, unfortunately the money is a bit (to much) unfairly distributed, for this reason it must be spent in the best way...
have a nice musical day

 

Howdy, I think what you wrote is good. I am buying "discontinued CPU models" and then buying the last DDR 3 RAM. There is the savings potential and maybe the prices will fall after Christmas. I believe that anyone can get a PC that is fast enough.