OK… I’ve upgraded this pc to a performance point I feel is more than acceptable.
Upgraded :
RAM: from 2GB to 16GB. This is the max the motherboard can support.
CPU: from Intel Celeron G640 to Core i5-3470. For two reasons, I did not want to upgrade the cooler. And second, I got the CPU for free.
GPU: I needed an HDMI or Display Port output so I put in Rx 550 GPU.
BIOS: The BIOS needed to be upgraded (twice) to get the Rx 550 GPU working. Consequently, this got secure boot working too, so that’s cool.
Storage: Upgraded from a 160GB 3.5 inch 5400 rpm HDD to a cheap 512 SSD. Also added two more 2TB 2.5 inch HDD’s --the maximum supported by the 300w power supply.
All these cost 11k only. Pay no mind to CPU usage. THat’s Windows Update being stupid as always.
I am actually really surprised by the end result. I expected a small performance bump but the difference is astronomical. This PC could barely play 60fps 1080p video. Now it runs Tomb Raider at medium settings while playing two 1080p videos in the background. Boot times went from two minutes plus to less than 20 seconds. And Firefox doesn’t grind everything to a halt.
Before the upgrades, the last time this PC was turned on was in 2013. It sat under a mountain of old trash for more than a decade, caked in layers of dust and it turns out is a perfectly usable PC.
The GPU is limited to a max of 60fps in order to not strain the 300W power supply. I’m sure it can handle it but I don’t need any more performance for what this PC is going to be used for.
16Gb ram will still be sufficient for at least 3-5years and a 4 core cpu is still decent for medium to light use, but the thing you did that gave the best perfomance boost is the ssd upgrade, I guess you still on sata II(max 300mbps), now learn about raid and connect the harddrives in raid 1. The rx 550 can definately handle 1080p, medium settings, 60fps.
Now i will suggest a good use for this pc, install linux ubuntu or mint is very easy. install plex and put media on the hard-drives now you can stream movies,music from your own devices, install pi-hole for blocking ads and trackers on the wifi network and use run a kenyatalk minecraft server 16gb ram can definately handle some 20+ players. You can go ahead and install home assistant and start adding smart devices to your home like my lights are managed by a small pc i run at home.You can run your own email server how cool will it be to host your own mail server(think about privacy not depending on gmail e.t.c). I also host my own cloud storage with 300TB of harddrives in raid 10 configuration.
Ok sijaelewa anything hapo but i get you are now enjoying your up grade . i also respect the fact that you people know your shit , so advice me how to up grade my laptop i want better speed and memory movies is my thing gaming haijanifikia bado , i have lenovo E540. core i 7 advice details what i need and approximates kindly wadau
as far as laptops go I think the only thing you can upgrade is RAM, and storage (size and type). I would recommend an SSD if you don’t have that already… and at least 8GB minimum if you have Windows 10 or higher.
after further testing, I realise the case has terrible air flow. for gpu intesive tasks, the case pretty much has to remain open. I saw the GPU temps hit 90 degrees! Keeping the case open keeps it below 85. Still too hot for my liking.
mimi I cant handle myself around a camera for some reason when one plays for me my recordigs video/audio it sounds wierd for me, but everything i have written is very googleable.
ukiangalia fb marketplace and jiji.co.ke kuna so many used and new cards za kila aina. inategemea budget yako, what you want to use it for, na motherboard PCIe slot.
Nilifanya mwenyewe. I’ve been using desktop computers since Windows ME, so ni basic PC maintenance knowledge kidogo nime-gather hapa na pale. It’s not hard though. You can google what you’re not sure.
Yangu nilitafuta comrade achape hio kazi alikuja na RAM na kufungua nyuma
Aliangalia na kusema acha aende RAM ingine anakuja mpaka wa leo nimungojea arudi.
