Fix this old junk or just scrap it?

Timothy Kim60 said:It’s totally normal for performance to dip toward the end of the benchmark. That other 320GB Western Digital drive should be fine—is its health status looking decent too?

Yeah, it's 100% fine.
Basically, am I looking at buying a new hard drive and nuking my OS for a fresh install?

Joseph Allen71 said:Yeah, it's fine.
So you're saying I need a new drive and a full OS reinstall?

Based on what you're saying, yeah, you've got a problem. That big old hard drive is basically a dinosaur at this point.
If you don't need massive storage, just grab a 120GB SSD specifically for Windows and your main apps. It'll run for about $150

If you actually need space, just stick an old-school mechanical drive in there. Something under $133 1TB—it’s only a few bucks more than the 500GB ones.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Based on what you're saying, yeah, that's going to be an issue. Those larger HDDs are basically becoming relics at this point.
If you don't need massive amounts of space, just grab a 120GB SSD specifically for Windows 10 and whatever other software you run. It’ll cost you about $150

If you actually need storage, just go with a standard mechanical drive. Anything under $133 a terabyte is only a few bucks more than a 500GB model.

I'd probably just go for the terabyte one. It'll be useful for storage while I'm scraping together cash for a better setup. 🙂

Edith: Actually, I think I'll pass. I can scrape by on this smaller drive for a month or so, and by then, I should have enough saved up for a whole new build. Once hardware starts failing, it usually happens all at once.😉

I’d probably just unplug that second 500GB drive if I were you. It’s likely what's dragging your whole system down, and honestly, if you keep running it while it's basically on life support, you might end up losing all your data entirely.

Also, if you're looking at getting a new drive, my unsolicited advice would be to either save up for a whole new PC or at least grab a decent power supply first. That current PSU looks pretty old and cheap, which usually means it's packed with low-end components. Typically, the capacitors go first, they lose their capacity, and then you start dealing with unstable voltages. It'd be a real shame to drop money on a new drive just to have it fry in a few months because of the power issues.

Your rig is definitely an old dinosaur, but it still has some life left in it and should handle whatever you're doing. If I were in your shoes, I'd swap out the PSU, toss in that new drive, and if everything else holds up, it’ll run pretty smoothly. You should definitely install Windows on the new drive, though, since it'll be way faster than the old one. Throw an SSD in there too, and you'll be set for a long time. 😁

Just think about it—even if you buy the drive and the PSU now and decide later that you aren't happy with them, or if something fails, you can always migrate them over to a newer build.

Unfortunately, neither of those hard drives is any good. The larger one is just obnoxious—it has decent speeds, sure, but the smaller one is inexplicably sluggish for some reason.

So, you're looking at buying a new hard drive or an SSD. If you decide to go the SSD route, I’d suggest keeping that 320GB drive strictly for backups or miscellaneous data storage.

A better first move would be to ditch that 500GB drive entirely and install the OS onto a smaller, faster drive instead.

So, I went ahead and grabbed both the power supply and the hard drive, and NetJak is coming over to handle the whole setup.
I honestly didn't realize there was someone actually competent in my own family. 😁

Here’s the PSU, and this is the hard drive.
With the cash discount, the total came out to about $85.
I'll let you guys know how it goes once it's up and running. 👍

Aaaand, looks like you went out and bought another junk power supply...

If you can still return it, I'd suggest doing that. I guess there's no point in rushing into things without asking first. 🕺

Now, this one is actually much better quality and significantly more powerful than that other thing:

https://www.amazon.com/evga-power-supply/

Joseph Allen71 said:'So, I ended up grabbing both the power supply and the hard drive, and NetJak is coming over to handle the whole setup.
I didn't realize there was actually someone with half a brain in this family. 😁>

This is the PSU, and this is the drive.
With the cash discount, the total came out to about $580.
I'll let you know how it goes. 👍>

That power supply is just some budget brand, but don't sweat it; it'll keep your rig running without any drama. I get it, money's tight and finding a high-end unit is a hassle, though honestly, you shouldn't have even bothered buying a new PSU—it's not like that's the main bottleneck here.

Didn't I tell you right at the start to just grab the Hexa

https://www.amazon.com/products/

And honestly, skip the blue WD drives. You're better off going with Seagate or Toshiba...

Thanks for the advice. I had to swap out my power supply because it started overheating—and I’m pretty sure I dumped about a pound of dirt out of it. 🙈
It’s definitely a budget-tier piece of junk, to put it mildly, but it gets the job done. At least it'll hold me over until I can actually afford a new motherboard and CPU.
Everything is running smooth as silk now, so I can finally get back to gaming.

Did you put the new Windows on the new drive, or did you just leave the old one there? Probably a shame about that power supply, I guess. $23 You probably could've gone with a decent power supply that would actually last you for years, but I guess this one is right on par with your old junk...

fadedorca66 said:Did you go with a fresh install of Windows on the new drive, or did you just carry over the old setup? Either way, that power supply situation is a real shame. $23 You really should have invested in a decent power supply that would actually hold up for years. This thing you've got is basically on par with your old one...

Money is tight right now, so that extra seventy bucks felt like a massive hit to my budget. To make matters worse, I’ve got both windows sitting on a new disk because the old ones were completely stripped out.
I have to admit, the guy over at Instar was actually being more than fair. He even offered me some better drives and power supplies if I could swing a little extra cash, but $60 was really the absolute limit of my budget.
Honestly, for me, it all ends on a high note. Chess stepped up and sorted everything out exactly according to plan—which is why I didn't bother giving him a formal shout-out earlier. Now, after this whole ordeal, I finally get my hands on a new toy featuring an i5 processor. R7790 Honestly, getting a Radeon card would be total overkill for what I actually need.
He bought Chess for his kid, but since then, he’s actually managed to earn enough to get a beast of a machine. This old rig has just been sitting there collecting dust for about a year now.
If you actually take a second to look at the big picture, I’m a wealthy man—even if my pockets are bone dry right now. 🙂

Joseph Allen71 said:Right now, money is tight. That extra seventy bucks felt like a massive deal to me, especially since I had to swap out both old drives for new ones.
I’ll give credit where it's due—the guy at Instar was actually pretty fair. He offered some better drives and power supplies for a bit more cash, but $600 was my absolute limit.
Honestly, everything worked out great in the end. A buddy of mine played Chess and basically messed with me because I didn't think to call him by his name, but after the new setup, he's hooking me up with a new rig featuring an i5 processor and an R7790 card, which is total overkill for what I need.
He bought it for his kid; the kid's been making enough lately to afford a beast, so that PC has just been gathering dust for about a year.
If you look closely, I'm a wealthy man, even if my wallet is completely empty. 🙂

you'll be able to play Chess in multiple tabs then :O 🤣

Gladly, my friend. Enjoy it—I am pleased I could be of assistance!

You have no idea how much this means. 🙂
After dealing with nothing but absolute garbage over the last six months, bumping into you and the rest of the genuine crowd here has actually restored my faith in people. Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I ran into someone actually willing to lend a hand without looking for something in return.
From the bottom of my heart, thanks to everyone.

Joseph Allen71 said:And you have no idea. 🙂
After all the garbage I've dealt with over the last six months, bumping into you and the rest of this crew actually restored my faith in people. I can't even remember the last time I ran into someone willing to lend a hand without looking for a handout.
Thanks, everyone. Seriously.

So you actually doubted us 😬?

Even though we haven't met in person, technically you still owe me a coffee at the Starbucks in downtown Chicago!

I have a soft spot for statistics because they reveal so much while keeping the most vital details hidden.🙂

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Wait, were you actually doubting us😬?

No, but since I much prefer pleasant surprises, I've learned to set my expectations at rock bottom.😳

mellowtiger83 said:Even if we haven't met in person, technically you still owe me a coffee from that waitress at the local diner!

I like diners because they're like statistics—they reveal a lot but hide the most important stuff.🙂

And it’s incredibly easy to just moisten your fingers while scrolling through catalogs. 🕺
From what I can tell, you're busy working afternoons, so maybe when things clear up, we can grab a ride on the train and head out toward Los Angeles. It's way too cold right now to bike out to your place, and taking the train from Vrban to Los Angeles is the fastest way to get there.
I'm sure you know some local spot with a waitress at a diner somewhere. 😉
By the way, are BenQ monitors any good?
My old LG started acting up, and I found this one for about $150.

Joseph Allen71 said:No, though since I happen to prefer pleasant surprises, I have learned to lower my expectations to an absolute minimum. 😳

It is quite simple enough to just dampen your fingers while scrolling through the catalogs. 🕺
From what I can tell, you’re busy working all afternoon, so maybe some junior guy and I could catch a train whenever it suits us and settle in once we reach Los Angeles. It is far too cold right now for me to bike out to your place, and taking the train from my area to Los Angeles is simply the fastest way to travel.
I assume you've heard of that old western movie with the girl and the horse in the Mini Cooper. 😉
By the way, are BenQ monitors actually any good?
My old LG has become temperamental, and I found this one for about $20.

BenQ is decent; you won't make a mistake there, though there are certain people here who obsess over monitors, so perhaps you could find something even better for that price.

Those are the types who get worked up over useless nonsense like FreeSync, QHD, or 4K—just silly things they need at "ultra" settings because otherwise their ego feels a bit bruised,🙂 if you catch my drift.😁
In other words, geeks.😵
Personally, I think any Full HD monitor is top-tier. Full HD provides more than enough pixels for the human eye, let alone those pseudo-products marketed as 4K just to move graphics cards with prices too obscene to even mention.

I just need this thing to hold up for two or three years; honestly, that's my only real concern. I was looking at used models—about two years old—for maybe $600 to $800, but I eventually decided it’s better to just buy something brand new. Besides, as I get older, I’ve really started to appreciate having a bigger screen. I was even thinking about picking up a 32-inch TV, though I highly doubt the Treasury Secretary would approve that kind of spending from my budget. 🙂