Used PC builds: What are they worth?

Look, my absolute ceiling is $900... though I suppose I might be able to stretch it to $333, if I really have to. I've been browsing Craigslist, but honestly, I'm a bit out of my depth when it comes to motherboards and processors. What I really want is something reliable—something fast enough that it won't freeze up or stutter on me constantly. I also wouldn't mind a decent enough graphics card so that when my kid visits, he can play a few games, though they certainly don't need to be high-end titles running at massive resolutions.

I actually gave some thought to picking up a laptop, but I suspect I'd just end up getting an even bigger piece of junk for that kind of money compared to what I could get with a desktop... so, I'll admit, I'm feeling pretty lost here regarding what would actually be a solid buy. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, is this thing even worth it? $267

A very high-quality Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz computer with a fresh installation of Windows 10 Pro.

Specs:

1. Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, 2x3.0GHz/6MB cache, cooled by a massive SCYTHE Katana cooler.
2. Gigabyte P35-DS3L, top-tier 775 socket motherboard, supports all Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors, 4xSATA, 6xUSB, 4xDDR2, LAN, 5.1 audio...
3. 4GB DDR2 Samsung memory (4x1GB)
4. 1.5TB WD Blue Hard Drive, SATA6.0GB/sec (1TB+500GB)
5. XILENCE Red Wing 420W power supply, 80+, a modern component purchased just 6 months ago.
6. ATI 3870, 512MB, DDR4 graphics card, capable of running Full HD 1080p video content from the web as well as less demanding games.
7. DVD-RW, SATA
8. 7-in-1 multi-format card reader.
9. ANTEC Big-Tower case, heavy-duty, thick galvanized steel, high quality, features 2x92mm fans, weighs about 15kg with all hardware included.

I think that first one is way better than those other two options. If you can talk them down another 50 bucks, $33 you’re probably looking at a solid deal. You could even look into upgrading the GPU later with something like an AMD Radeon RX 560 for just a bit over $267. That would probably let you run GTA V on Full HD 1080 at Medium-High settings without much trouble.

[QUOTE=crimsonstag84;64358237]That first one you're looking at is a much better bet than those other two options. If you can talk him down by another 50 bucks, $33, then you've got a solid deal. You could even look into upgrading the GPU later to something like an AMD Radeon RX 560 for just a bit more than $267. If you did that, you'd probably be able to run GTA V on Full HD 1080 at Medium-High settings without any real trouble.[/QUOTE

Well, he’s willing to drop the price on that first unit to 900, but honestly, since he's out in a suburb like Naperville, the drive there is going to be a massive pain in my neck, which is $33. He’d be willing to let it go for 950 total... but I don't know, I guess I should probably keep sniffing around a little longer before I pull the trigger. I'm definitely open to any other suggestions if anyone happens to have a better deal on the table..[/QUOTE]

Let me lay it out for you, maybe you'll change your mind:

Right now, you're rocking a CPU that's ten years old on a socket that's also a decade old—basically, your whole setup is ancient.
The standard right now is DDR4; DDR3 is starting to feel pretty dated, and DDR2 is basically museum pieces at this point.

So, you've got a ten-year-old platform and you're thinking about tossing $333 just to buy the exact SAME ten-year-old platform again.

Whatever you pick up for that kind of money, it's going to be slow, mostly because of the hard drive. Plus, there's almost zero room to upgrade later...

If you really want to breathe some life into this PC without breaking the bank, tell me what motherboard you have and we can see what else fits. You could probably grab 2GB of RAM for $33, or maybe find a slightly better processor on eBay for about $33. It would also be a good idea to pop the side panel off and check which power supply you're running. But honestly, the biggest boost you'd get is buying an SSD—new 120GB ones go for around $133, and you can definitely find used ones cheaper. Just install Windows and your basic apps on it, and everything will feel way faster than it does on that old drive. Even if you do buy a new SSD, it's not a waste of money since you can always use it in a future PC or laptop.

fadedorca66 said:Let me try to clarify a few things for you, just in case that might make you reconsider your position:

Look, you're essentially working with a processor that’s been sitting around for a decade now, which means your entire platform—the whole Socket 775 setup—is ten years old. It's pretty much ancient history at this point, I guess.
As things stand, we’re firmly in the era of DDR4, and honestly, I feel like DDR3 is starting to lose its grip on relevance quite rapidly, while DDR2? Well, that’s already ancient history at this point.

So, let me get this straight—you’re looking at a platform that's ten years old and you actually think about just tossing it out? I mean, I guess it's possible, but honestly, it seems a bit reckless to me. $333 So, you're seriously telling me you'd go out and buy the exact same platform again? I mean, we're talking about hardware that's ten years old at this point. It seems a bit wild to me, but I guess if someone was truly obsessed with replicating their old setup, that's their prerogative. Personally, I can't wrap my head around why anyone would want to revisit a decade-old architecture when there's so much better stuff out there now.

Honestly, whatever you end up picking up with that kind of budget—especially given how dated this hardware is—it’s going to feel sluggish, and I'd say that's primarily due to the hard drive. To be fair, the upgrade path here is practically non-existent, so you're pretty much stuck with what you get.

If you’re genuinely looking to breathe some life into that PC without emptying your bank account, I suppose the first thing you ought to do is figure out exactly which motherboard you're working with. Once we know what we're dealing with, maybe we can actually see what else is compatible with it. For instance, you could probably pick up an extra 2GB of RAM for... $33I suppose it might be worth looking for a slightly more powerful processor on eBay for the same kind of money, if that's even possible. $33I suppose it would probably be a wise move to actually pop the side panel off and take a proper look at what kind of power supply is sitting inside that chassis. As for getting any real, noticeable performance gains, I guess you’d see the most significant jump if you just invested in an SSD—new 120GB drives are hovering around a pretty reasonable price point these days. $133 Look, you can always find used gear for a much lower price if you're willing to hunt for it. Honestly, if you just install Windows and your basic software on a solid drive, you'll probably see everything running significantly faster than it ever did on that ancient hard drive of yours. And, I suppose, even if you decide to pull the trigger on a brand-new SSD, it’s really not like you're throwing money down the drain; you can always repurpose it later in a new desktop or a laptop down the road.

So, I think I follow your drift here... you're essentially suggesting that instead of blowing my budget on something entirely new, I should take the cash I've got on hand and try to squeeze some more life out of this aging rig of mine. Hmm... alright, fair enough. If I go down that rabbit hole, what exactly should I be scrutinizing regarding the motherboard and the power supply?

Kyle Robinson41 said:Alright, I get what you're saying... so you're suggesting I take that cash and just upgrade my old rig instead? Hmm... okay, what should I be looking at specifically regarding the motherboard and the power supply?

For the motherboard: just download Speccy and check under the "Motherboard" section—it'll tell you exactly which model you've got. As for the power supply, just pop the side panel off your case; you'll see the manufacturer and model number printed right on the unit itself. Just snap a photo of that and upload it here.

Either you patch this thing up and call it a day, or maybe just start looking at something a bit more modern, because buying the same old setup again doesn't really make sense.

My bad, I didn't even realize he listed his specs 😬

http://www.craigslist.com/listing/motherboards...22790604 -> you could probably grab a Q9550 for about $100 plus some extra RAM, though it might end up costing about the same
http://www.craigslist.com/listing/graphics-cards...22624972

And if you happen to need a power supply:

http://www.craigslist.com/listing/cases/power-supplies...22765702

GTA V (Full HD 1080):

Here’s the list of power supplies and motherboards I've got available

So, what am I even supposed to do at this point? Honestly, I'm just staring at my options and feeling completely overwhelmed... I can't decide if I should grab an SSD, pick up that graphics card, or maybe just go all out and do both to finally get this rig upgraded... or whatever else makes sense.

Any idea what I could get for this setup?

Processor: Intel Pentium E5200
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP31-DS3L
RAM: 2 GB DDR2
HDD: Samsung Hard Drive (320 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA-II)

Kyle Robinson41 said:So what should I actually buy at this point... ugh... an SSD, this GPU, or just both to upgrade my current rig or whatever...

It's a bit of a messy situation since the motherboard is pretty entry-level, so it won't support much in terms of CPUs. This one on eBay is probably the best you can do, maybe for about $17 you could get a slight bump:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-2...sAAOSwFNZWtpDy

The power supply isn't great either, so that'll probably need replacing eventually—if it isn't already ancient.

I guess it depends on what's actually bothering you about the PC. Is it just slow, or can you not play games? If it's both, maybe just grab an SSD and some used GPU.

Jamie Jones58 said:What do you guys think I could get for these parts?

CPU: Intel Pentium E5200, 1800 MHz
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP31-DS3L v2
RAM: 2 GB DDR2
HDD: Samsung Hard Drive (320 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA-II)

CPU: $50-$33
GPU: $100-$50
Motherboard: $150-$67
RAM: $33
HDD: $100-$50

Also, you really ought to look into replacing that power supply unit too—if not right this second, then definitely down the road (since, I assume, it’s probably seen better days by now?)

I'm not entirely sure what the biggest headache is with your current rig. Is it just general sluggishness, or are you hitting a wall whenever you try to play games? If it's one or both of those issues, you could potentially just grab an SSD and maybe pick up a decent used graphics card.

Honestly, the thing that drives me absolutely crazy is when I'm in the middle of working—just having one or two programs open along with a couple of browser tabs—and the whole system just freezes or locks up on me. Then, well, I'm stuck having to hard reset everything, and once it's back up, the entire machine feels even slower than before. So, instead of just buying random new parts, I guess it might actually make more sense to just get an SSD, a used GPU (maybe that one mentioned earlier in the recommendations?), a new power supply, and this CPU for $17, which would hopefully get things somewhat back on track... though, I suppose, what kind of power supply would actually be reliable enough?

I don't know, if you can hang in there for a few more months until you've saved up enough cash to do things properly, that's what I'd suggest—mostly because everything is interconnected. It’s kind of like trying to renovate a bathroom where you swap out an old tub for a walk-in shower, but decide to leave the tiles, the sink, and the toilet exactly as they are... even though the whole setup is twenty years old and probably needs a complete overhaul anyway.

Larry Ortiz5 said:I honestly don't know; if you can possibly hold out for just a few more months until you’ve scraped together enough cash, I’d say go for it and do things the right way. It’s all interconnected, you know? It’s kind of like when you decide to remodel a bathroom—say, you swap out an old bathtub for a modern walk-in shower, but then you leave the tiles, the sink, and the toilet exactly as they were. Except the reality is those things are twenty years old and probably need a full overhaul anyway..

Honestly, I’m at a bit of a loss myself now. I’ve been doing some digging up to $400, and I think I’m actually starting to lose steam regarding the whole idea of upgrading to a better laptop or a desktop than what I’m currently running. I really do want to change things up, though—mostly just to speed things up with the budget I have on hand, haha—but I figured I might ask if anyone could recommend a solid laptop or PC available in the US within that price range. Then I could just sell my old setup and call it a day... 🙂

Pentium G4560 - roughly $167
H81 motherboard - about $150 (just make sure you have them flash the BIOS at the store)
4GB DDR4 RAM - around 250-$100

That gives you a solid foundation. From there, you can just plug in a power supply, a graphics card, and an SSD down the road.

If you’re looking to upgrade your rig, honestly? If I were in your shoes, I’d probably save up a few more bucks and just build a completely fresh system from scratch. Patching together old parts feels like trying to fix up a beat-up old Chevy—it kind of makes sense in the moment, sure, but it’s just not worth the headache if you're looking at the long term, especially since you're stuck on such an outdated socket.

Timothy Kim60 said:pentium G4560 - roughly $167
H81 mbo - about $150 (you’ll probably need to handle a BIOS update at the local Micro Center)
4gb ddr4 ram - maybe around 250-$100

And then you'd have your foundation; later on, you can just drop in a power supply, a GPU, and an SSD

Man, seriously? If I pull the trigger on this now, I'm basically stuck waiting forever to scrape together enough cash for everything else... I honestly thought this was going to be a quick fix, but now it feels like I've stumbled into this massive, drawn-out project...

It’s a whole process, but you’ll end up with a killer new rig. It’s basically like trading in a beat-up old clunker for a brand new Tesla 🙂

So, I guess the question is, am I actually able to pull the trigger on this stuff? :