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Help me upgrade a 2009 PC

A

atomicskylark

Junior Member
Built this computer in 2009 and had to move abroad in that same year it's just been sitting in my mom's cupboard gathering dust for almost 4 years, it's missing a graphics card, hard drives and memory.

Components still inside it are:
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 D0 Stepping 2.66Ghz (Nehalem).
Motherboard: Gigabye GA-EX58-UD5 Intel X58 DDR3.
PSU: Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 650W ATX2.2.
Case: Antec 902.
CPU Cooler: Fenrir Titan.

I would like to make it workable again as a mid-range gaming and video processing computer.

What would you all recommend I buy to replace the missing components and should I replace anything already in there?

No budget in mind as I'm fairly flexible in that area but I don't need extremely expensive components.

SKLalOy.jpg
 
Either 7 or 8 is fine. If you're not getting a discount on 8 I don't think there's much to recommend it over 7 unless you really like the interface.
 
I personally prefer Windows 7, it's a lot more "traditional" as far as the UI goes. OP should try out a Win8 machine at a store, before committing to Windows 8. Might save him/her from going crazy.

Anyways, just get some RAM, a few 4GB DDR3-1600 1.5v DIMMs, and a drive. The new 1TB-per-platter Seagates for $60 at Newegg are fine. Or you can get a 2TB for around $100.

You could get an SSD, but most X59 boards lack Intel SATA6G ports.
 
DSF said:
Either 7 or 8 is fine. If you're not getting a discount on 8 I don't think there's much to recommend it over 7 unless you really like the interface.
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I would not be refuse to buy a desktop because it had win 8, but if installing the OS myself, I would definitely prefer win 7.

On a laptop or tablet with a touch screen, I see a good use for Win 8, but otherwise, I would prefer Win 7.
 
Agree with all above, except that you don't need two ddr sticks, you need three, either 2GB or 4GB, plus the lack of Sata 6Gbps is essentially irrelevant, so absolutely get an SSD. And Win8 hate is getting old. The $5 utility Start8 makes it better than Win7.

Also, if you're not interested in overclocking, I'd stick with an HD7870 or below, as higher end cards will be slightly bottlenecked.
 
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Interesting how the whole thread is on an item the OP didn't even mention he needed (the OS).

atomicskylark, can you give us an idea of how much you have to spend here?
 
I agree with most of the others - 3x 4GB DDR3 sticks, hard drive in your budget, and a good video card in your budget. I just snagged a GeForce 660 (not-TI) for under $175.

I'd actually suggest the Seagate Momentus XT 750GB hard drive with built-in 8GB SSD cache. Since your mobo can't support Intel SRT caching, this is a cheap way to boost drive performance on your most-used apps (and bootup) without the big expense of a full SSD. Just a thought if you want ONE drive and you're on a tight budget.
 
I've ordered 3x4GB DDR3 sticks, GeForce 660 and a 250GB Samsung SSD with adaptor.

Never had a particularly tight budget but for me there's no point in overly splashing on components I don't really need right now.

And I'm sticking with Windows 7 not 8 for now.

Already got plenty of storage drives I can install into the tower.

Thanks responders and will reply when it's up and running.
 
atomicskylark said:
I've ordered 3x4GB DDR3 sticks, GeForce 660 and a 250GB Samsung SSD with adaptor.

Never had a particularly tight budget but for me there's no point in overly splashing on components I don't really need right now.

And I'm sticking with Windows 7 not 8 for now.

Already got plenty of storage drives I can install into the tower.

Thanks responders and will reply when it's up and running.
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Sounds like a good combo. I have a feeling you will be quite pleased with it.
 
Blue_Max said:
I'd actually suggest the Seagate Momentus XT 750GB hard drive with built-in 8GB SSD cache. Since your mobo can't support Intel SRT caching, this is a cheap way to boost drive performance on your most-used apps (and bootup) without the big expense of a full SSD. Just a thought if you want ONE drive and you're on a tight budget.
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I wouldn't. Those are 5400 RPM drives. They accelerate boot-up, and not much else. If OP wants an SSD then OP should get an SSD and not get something half-assed.
 
VirtualLarry said:
I wouldn't. Those are 5400 RPM drives. They accelerate boot-up, and not much else. If OP wants an SSD then OP should get an SSD and not get something half-assed.
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The new lineup of SSHD's are 5400, but the previous generation 'XT' I mentioned was 7200.

Moot point since he got a real SSD anyway. 😉 That's a perfectly decent gaming rig now!
 
atomicskylark said:
I've ordered 3x4GB DDR3 sticks, GeForce 660 and a 250GB Samsung SSD with adaptor.

Never had a particularly tight budget but for me there's no point in overly splashing on components I don't really need right now.

And I'm sticking with Windows 7 not 8 for now.

Already got plenty of storage drives I can install into the tower.

Thanks responders and will reply when it's up and running.
Click to expand...

Looks like a good set of parts to me. The GTX 660 is a good match for the 920 if you're not overclocking.
 
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