Kajper's Info Corner

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You can definitely build something for maybe $250-$300... but $150? I doubt it unless you're hunting for the absolute cheapest parts on the market.

Got it, thanks.
If I don't cave and go for that all-in-one Samsung setup—which might run me around $700 (though let's be real, I probably won't have the cash)—I'll get back to you guys once I figure out my next move. I'll have plenty of questions about how to put together a rig for roughly $250 $833 that actually feels like an upgrade from what I'm using now.

It’s basically just a PC build. You need to pull the old drive out of the old machine and transplant it into the new one, making sure it’s properly hooked up to the motherboard and power supply. Honestly, though, don't stress yourself out over it—just grab that controller at the same shop where you're picking up your other components and let the pros handle the assembly for you.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to DIY, just check YouTube.

Here is the specific controller that plugs directly into the drive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYrz-u4-M58

And then there's the standard drive installation process:
http://youtu.be/3a9n7G4q30M?t=1m50s

Timothy Kim60 said:You’ll have to open the case. You need to pull that old drive out of the old rig and put it in the new one, making sure it's hooked up to the motherboard and the power supply. Honestly, don't even stress about it—just grab that controller at whatever shop you're using to pick up the rest of your parts and let them handle the assembly for you.

Yeah, obviously I have to take it out of the old one... I just thought maybe I could plug it into the new setup "neatly" from the outside... just pop it in. 😁
So, did I get that right? If I buy everything, will they just leave both the old and new setups in a box (either my old one or a new one) so I can access both? Like having two partitions... just like how I have my C and D drives now? Can I just move files back and forth?

If you want to play handyman, check out YouTube.

I don't know... I wouldn't really dive into that myself (I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff)... but I'll look into it.
Thanks.

Rachel Jones8 said:Got it, thanks.
If I don't go all-in on an all-in-one Samsung that might run me around $850 (though I probably won't have the cash anyway), I'll reach out once I figure things out. I'll have plenty of questions about how to build a rig for roughly $300 $833 that actually feels better to use than my current setup.

1 x Asrock FM2A75M-HD+, Supports Socket FM2+ 95W / FM2 100W processo
1 x AMD Trinity A8-Series x4 5600 3.60GHz 4cores, FM2
2 x DDR3 2048MB ( 2GB ) Kingston, 1600MHz, Value
1 x Chicony HPA-350W, Advanced Highly HPA Series 1 x
1 x Zelman ZM-T1 PLUS micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x ARCTIC-COOLING Alpine 11 Pro 2, socket 775/1156 92mm PWM Fan
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA

$800
Look, you can get this kind of setup for $350. It's a decent quad-core with integrated graphics—good enough for some light gaming and perfectly fine for everyday stuff.🙂
www.newegg.com ( $667 free shipping and setup included wherever you are 😁 )

http://www.zaslike.com/files/d30rufmukl1317jvy9uv.jpg

Best Buy (shipping costs extra, not sure if they'll assemble it for you 😁)

Robert Rodriguez2 said:$800
So, you can grab something like this for around $2,500. You get a solid quad-core processor with integrated graphics that actually lets you play around a bit. For everyday stuff? It’s a killer machine. 🙂

Thanks for the help. Just to be clear, I'm not buying anything right now—I was just curious if that price was actually legit. Still, all this info helps; at least now I know what's what. Yeah. Would you actually drop that kind of cash on this?
People have finally started bugging me about this, so hopefully I’ll come up with something in the near future—maybe six months down the road? Once I actually make a call on it, I'll reach out with a new post.
Maybe this is a bit out of place to ask about the case, but it’s tied into my whole plan to refresh this PC for maybe $350 or $400? Fingers crossed it goes through. 😉
Is it actually worth sticking with my old case? Given all the different ports, slots, fans, and everything else that makes a build good or bad... should I just grab some cheap budget tower, or is it smarter to invest more in a solid case now? Even if my current components aren't exactly high-end, wouldn't it be better to go for something more durable? You know, just so upgrading parts later on isn't such a headache?

I don't know much about cases or any of that gear, but my PC sits in my den and it's way too loud. I really want to find something quieter. I'm a fan of the ones with doors, kind of like my old setup... plus, I love having USB ports right on the left side of the door (the kind that swing open to the right). My power and reset buttons used to light up, too, but they've quit on me.
Alright. Here’s what my rig looks like.
It’s not exactly the same thing, though. You know, since there aren't any side or top fans? Hey, what's up? People are talking about a card reader and "power buttons for the 2nd and 3rd hard drives," but I don't see those on mine... even though it looks exactly like the photo. It does have the temperature display, though.

If I'm putting together a build with a $2,000 budget— $833Would it be smart to just ditch this case and pick up something else for around a hundred bucks?$67 What do you think about using that Zelman one? $60Should I just shell out a few extra bucks to get a decent case? You know, something with actual thickness, better airflow, dust filters—whatever makes it premium. Is it worth paying a little more now for something that actually holds up later?
I'm not even gonna think about anything else until I settle on a case. New vs. old, high-end vs. budget... what's the point in stressing over it yet?

It’s pretty simple: if you actually like this case, just keep it. There’s really no reason to swap things out if it works for you and gets the job done.

Maybe just swap those noisy fans, but as for those LEDs giving you such a hard time—they probably just aren't plugged into the motherboard right or were wired incorrectly.

fadedorca66 said:It’s pretty straightforward—if you like this case, just stick with it. No point changing things if it works for you.

Just swap out those loud fans. As for the LEDs that aren't working, they probably just didn't plug them into the motherboard correctly.

Got it, thanks for the tip.
Regarding the lights, it's not even my main headache. What's actually bothering me are these side USB ports that don't work either... but the big question is whether this case can actually hold all the new parts. Can I fit everything inside? Even though the case is old, I don't want to run into a situation where a part won't fit or just doesn't line up. I keep reading about how much internal space matters, but honestly, I have no clue what fits and what doesn't. (Making it quieter would be great, but the lights aren't a huge deal.)
Also, I need to make sure I can plug in my mouse, keyboard, and printer... for example, my keyboard doesn't use USB; it uses one of those old purple round plugs. The most important thing is that everything connects so I don't have to buy everything brand new... at least not the keyboard, mouse, or monitor if they still work.
If I take the case to a local shop and they build the new components inside for me (fingers crossed they can), everything should be fine, right? That way I save money on a new case and can put that extra $100$67 toward the actual parts.

On another thread, I found some info about hooking up an old hard drive to a new PC so I can slowly move my important files over.
It sounds like (if I understood correctly) I could use an adapter like this to plug the old drive into the "new" computer via USB and grab my stuff.
http://www.ambery.com/idesatousb20.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvom7l-jcKE

Does that mean I don't need to stress about backing up documents before swapping parts? Could I just wait until the end, plug the old drive in through USB, and transfer everything then?
(The computer doesn't have those red wires, just the wide, old-school ones)

How old is that case even? If it’s an ATX standard—which, I guess, it probably is—then you shouldn't have much to worry about. As for the USB ports not working, I can't say for sure, but maybe someone was just lazy when they built the PC and didn't plug them in, or maybe they didn't have a header for it or something. You should probably just pop the side panel off and check if they're actually connected.

That purple circular thing is just a PS/2 port. It isn't part of the case, it's on the motherboard, so you'll need to make sure the board actually has a PS/2 port or two.

And yeah, you could totally hook up the HDD with that adapter and use it like a thumb drive. Though, honestly, you might be better off grabbing an enclosure for it so the whole thing looks a bit cleaner and more practical.

fadedorca66 said:How old is that case anyway? If it’s an ATX standard, then you’re probably golden. As for those USB ports acting up, who knows? Maybe whoever built the rig was just lazy and skipped the internal connections, or maybe they didn't even have a spare header to plug them into. You should probably pop the side panel off and see if they're even hooked up.

It’s nine years old. (Honestly, I’ve no clue what the ATX standard even is.) As for the USB ports, they used to work fine, but I'm not sure exactly when they died... maybe after some repair job? Even if they're totally shot, it's not a huge deal. Maybe I can just snag a few more from the back?

That purple circle is just the PS2 slot. It’s built right into the motherboard, not the case, so you'll need to make sure the board actually has one.

Can't we just use an adapter? Feels pretty limiting, right? Having to pick a motherboard based on some old relic I've got... plus, who knows if this keyboard is even going to last much longer. Don't newer ones just use USB or something else these days?

Yeah, you could just plug an HDD into that adapter and treat it like a giant USB drive. But honestly? You might be better off grabbing a case too. It’ll look way cleaner and actually be practical, don't you think?

So what does that mean? Like... the old HDD just stays sitting in the rig, or what?

Come on, that's already an ATX standard. If you want to be 100% sure, just open it up and snap a photo. 🙂

It’s not really a limitation; most modern motherboards come with those slots anyway, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Plus, the new keyboard is $17 😁

Nah, that would mean putting the hard drive in an enclosure and using it as an external drive. It looks way cleaner than having that adapter cluttering up your desk.

fadedorca66 said:Come on, that's already the ATX standard. If you want us to be 100% sure, just open it up and snap a photo? 🙂

Which part should I snap a photo of? I've already got one, but I'm not sure if it'll actually do the trick... first thing is I gotta figure out how to even upload an image here. I'm still getting the hang of this forum stuff. 😢

It’s not really a limitation. Most modern ATX boards come with those slots anyway, so it's not a big deal. Plus, I just got a new keyboard. $17 😁

I've got one of those ergonomic ones—it cost a bit more, but I'm pretty set in my ways. Is it even worth switching? 🙂

Nah, you'd just pop the drive into an external enclosure and use it like a standard portable hard drive. It looks way cleaner than having that bulky adapter cluttering up your desk, don't you think?

But... 😕 So then you’ve gotta find a way to plug it into a USB, right? But the drive doesn't even have a USB port—it just has those different slots. Won't you need an adapter for that too?
So you're telling me everything on my current PC is actually sitting on that old external hard drive?

Let me give this a shot... can you guys actually see anything here?
I can't see any images here. What am I looking at?

Can you show us what the inside of your rig looks like? We definitely need a photo.

Basically, you just grab one of those enclosures, pop your hard drive in, and plug it straight into a USB port. It’s way cleaner than trying to juggle bare drives and random adapters, especially if you aren't some kind of PC expert:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

You just need to make sure you get an enclosure meant for ATA/PATA drives.

fadedorca66 said:Basically, we need a shot of what the inside of your rig looks like.

Look, just grab an external enclosure. You pop the hard drive in, plug it into a USB port, and call it a day. It looks way cleaner than spinning a bare drive around in your hands and messing with random adapters—especially if you aren't some hardcore PC tech geek:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/en/external-hard-drive-enclosures

You'll just need one that fits your specific SATA drives.

I get it now. Sounds pretty handy if I want to slowly sift through all this junk on my drive, move the important stuff over, and just wipe the rest.
Thanks so much for the help and the tips!
I posted a photo above, but I'm not sure if it's clear enough... can you actually see anything useful?
If it sucks, I'll try taking another one...
...and once I'm ready to buy, I'll head over to the right thread to get help picking out a setup for maybe $833, or up to $30 or so. (That includes the enclosure you suggested)

I mean, that case should be fine, you can totally use it if you want.

It’s not even about which case I pick, it's more like—is a case even the right way to go? Hope it's cool to post this here without starting a whole new thread.
So...
Computer keeps freezing up and lagging... everything's just super slow. Anyone else dealing with this?
I’m just sitting here thinking about how I can actually upgrade this thing without breaking the bank. Since everything I own is basically nine years old, I'm hoping a decent jump isn't totally out of reach? I see some build suggestions floating around for maybe $350 or so. Is that even doable?
Before I even start looking for actual help on a specific thread, I wanted to get some quick advice on what to do with my case. fadedorca66 already suggested just sticking with my old one if I’m happy with it, but after doing some digging online, I'm starting to second-guess that idea. What do you guys think?
Say someone writes something like this:

High-end cases are just built different. You get sturdier builds where the side panels don't bend when you're messing around, way easier cable management, and cooling that actually works. Plus, most of them are toolless for swapping drives or GPUs, and the overall finish looks a hell of a lot cleaner. Isn't it worth the extra cash? They're quieter, too, and have way better dust protection...
The veterans will tell you it is. You really can't go wrong by dropping a little extra on a solid case and a reliable power supply right out of the gate. Isn't it better to get that foundation right from day one?Everything else is just secondary. If you grab a high-quality case and a solid PSU, they can easily outlast several full system rebuilds—motherboard, CPU, RAM, all that stuff—without even looking used.

I honestly wonder if it’s even worth cramming all this new gear into an old case. I’m kind of obsessed with how this one has that top side panel on the right—it fits my setup perfectly since I don't want to have to shove the whole rig around just to open it up. Plus, you can't beat having that temp display right there. Makes sense, right?
So, we're talking about a case that looks... Alright.Just missing those little buttons you see in the photos, though. In here. Here’s a shot from the inside.
I was planning on dropping about... $833It’s basically an all-rounder for office work, browsing, Photoshop, video editing, music... just a little bit of everything. I don't really game, but I guess you could probably handle some light stuff on it?
Is it actually worth splurging on a better case, even if the rest of the build is budget-friendly?
Honestly, I wish it was a thousand bucks. It’s sitting right on my desk in the living room, just behind the monitor, and it's kind of an eyesore when I'm trying to watch TV. Anyone else deal with that?
I really wish it had better dust protection—maybe some doors or just fewer holes—without totally killing the airflow. And wouldn't it be killer if there was a dedicated slot for cards?
Honestly, I’m not exactly an expert on what makes a case "good," but it feels pretty obvious that investing in a high-quality one now is the move. Wouldn't it be smarter to grab something beefier that'll actually last me years? I want room to grow—you know, for future upgrades or swapping parts without the headache. Why cram everything into this old, cramped box just to have to rip the whole thing apart later when I inevitably need to swap a component? I don't really get how those tight builds work, and I'd rather avoid that mess.
Then again, does it even make sense to sink all that extra cash into a case when you could be spending it elsewhere? $667.
Honestly, I feel like buying some cheap, bottom-tier case is the worst move you could make. Why bother dropping an extra hundred bucks just to end up with something subpar?$100Rather than just getting something mediocre, why not just stick with what I have or toss in an extra fifty bucks? Wouldn't it be better to grab a actually decent case for like $75?$233 Or more? And for the remaining $2300–$2500, just pick out the internal components?

Edit:
I'm actually thinking about adding a fan controller to the mix. It’s a game changer. Now that summer is hitting, I have to crank up the fans just to keep the rig from shutting down. Definitely feels like a solid upgrade.
So, I was wondering... what exactly is one of those docking stations for 3.5" or 2.5" HDDs or SSDs?
So, I just found out you can grab an external enclosure for an old hard drive from your current PC and just plug it into a USB port... isn't that basically doing the exact same thing?

Keep what you have. Unless you’re planning on clinging to that ancient PC while upgrading everything else, there's really no point. Look, you mentioned a $2,500 budget—honestly, how much do you actually plan on spending? You aren't going to get any life-changing suggestions based on a case choice alone, so it shouldn't matter to you. I can already guess what kind of advice Rachel Jones8 would give you—probably some low-end Celeron or Pentium setup, maybe an AMD APU, tucked into a cheap ATX Zalman case ($150-$60) and calling it a day. In your situation, the case is irrelevant, unless aesthetics are a priority for you and you want to swap things out just for the look.

Those high-end, feature-packed cases are designed for heavy-duty overclocking rigs. They offer massive airflow, tons of fan mounts, enough clearance for beefy CPU coolers, and space for custom water cooling loops—none of which you actually need.

Timothy Kim60 said:Just stick with what you have. Unless you're planning on keeping that old PC and upgrading everything else around it.

I don't get it. What do you mean "everything else"?

Look, if you're looking at a $2,500 budget, how much more could you even spend? You probably wouldn't get any real suggestions for a better case anyway, so it shouldn't matter. I can already guess the kind of build you'd get—likely some Celeron or Pentium setup (maybe an AMD APU) in a cheap ATX Zalman case ($150-$60) and that's basically all you'll get for that money.

I know that when people suggest builds in the $2,000–$2,500 range, they usually go with a cheap case. But I was wondering if it makes sense to buy a PC for, say, $1000, where a huge chunk of the price goes toward the tower. I mean, you could build a rig for $767 plus a $700 case, or a rig for $2,800 with a $200 case, right?
And if that $2,200 option actually performs better than my current setup (like, no laggy video and faster speeds), then maybe it's not such a bad idea... or is it? 😕

The case doesn't matter for you, unless aesthetics are a big deal to you and you want to swap things out just for the look.

Nah, I'm fine with how my old one looks. But check this out: Micro Center charges about $120 to build into an old case... but if you buy a new one, they do the assembly for free. So it might actually be smarter to just grab a new one... especially if I just toss an extra $40 on there to get something high-quality. 🤷

Those expensive, feature-packed cases are really meant for high-end overclocking rigs (if that's your thing). They have tons of fans, plenty of room for expansion, enough clearance for massive CPU coolers, and space for liquid cooling—stuff you don't really need.

Not sure what that is, but... yeah, I don't need it.

Shout out to the mod for being creative and kicking this off with such a funny title. 👍
And thanks to everyone who's jumped in... or will soon. 😁
You guys nailed it when I was looking for a laptop, so I know I'm in good hands here too.
But let's hold off on the specific builds for now—there's plenty of time. Like the thread says... I'm just gathering info for the moment. 🙂

Subject 🙏 You could probably migrate a few more posts over here

Rachel Jones8 - Just to clarify, I meant you keep your old PC case exactly as it is, but everything else inside gets replaced (a total configuration overhaul).

No, regarding the aesthetics, my old setup looks fine. But say Micro Center charges $120 just to build into an old chassis... if I’m buying all new parts, they usually do the assembly for free. It might actually make more sense to just go with a brand-new case... especially since for just a $40 little extra, I could grab something high-quality.

Exactly, if they're charging a fee there. But honestly, you don't need to spend an extra couple hundred bucks on something like a Micro Zalman for $60 or some Z3 Plus around $87. You don't need to go expensive; it's much better to take that extra cash and put it toward beefing up the actual components instead.

Sorry, but since you didn't really explain what you meant and just repeated yourself... I’m still lost. I don't know all the tech jargon, so I'm not sure what you mean by "PC" versus "everything else." If I'm keeping my old computer, then all these new parts aren't just "the rest"... it's basically an entirely new rig. So, I don't get what would be left over if everything is new.
Actually, never mind. Yeah, I want everything brand new (all the "other stuff"... except 🤷 😁) because my current setup is ancient, and I won't need the old machine anymore—unless I can somehow tuck my old hard drive into the new one. Maybe with an external enclosure or something.

On that note, how would I actually access that hard drive later? And will everything currently on this computer stay right where it is on it? (Sorry for the silly questions!)
Right now, I see:
- Local Disk C
- Local Disk D
- Floppy A
- DVD RW E
- DVD RW F
...and obviously, when I open C or D, there's everything... users, programs, folders, documents...

How would I view that old hard drive... and how would the files be laid out inside? Do I need to organize things into specific folders first... or will it be easy enough to just find my old stuff?
Also... since I've got my tech question out there... and there are always those (total masochists 😉) who are willing to answer basic amateur questions...
I have two DVD drives. When I burn something (not often), I just move it from one to the other. If I only have one, does that mean I have to burn it to the computer first and then onto the second CD? Is that how it works?
I'd love to keep a system like this... where one can just be for reading (ROM)... is that okay?

Regarding the case... once we start picking a configuration, I'll probably make a call. This Z3 + looks decent, but the ports are on the top, so they'll probably collect more dust than if they were on the side or front. (And trust me, there's plenty of dust.) My tower sits on my desk, not in a cabinet. Also, it doesn't look like it has fan speed controllers, which I use quite a bit right now... since I monitor my temps and crank up the fans when it gets hot.
Looking at some pictures and descriptions... this case seems to have that feature. 😍