Upgrade or Buy New? From 2007

[itakey]

So i'm trying to decide if I should upgrade my old secondary computer, or just let it die and buy something else. I currently have it running Windows XP and it has been a good machine overall. I run it as a secondary machine to my I7-2700K/16GB machine, so its truly only a secondary machine.

Here are the specs:
Motherboard: Abit IP35E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813127031
CPU: Intel Dual-Core E2160 CPU
RAM: 4GB (1X1GB) DDR II - 667 MHz/PC2-5300 HP PX976AT

Would it be worth buying a faster CPU for this? The motherboard specs on NewEgg state it has a LGA 775 CPU Socket Type and is compatible with:
Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Duo

Would that make something like this worth the cost of the upgrade?
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8600/E8400/E6300/ or the Core 2 Extreme Q6600?
-I would plan to leave the 4GB of ram as is

I know these CPU's I've listed can be had super cheap and under $50 which would be a worthy price if it would bring new life into this machine and allow it to run Windows 7. I read that the Core 2 Extreme is the fastest of the types this board is compatible with (Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Quad/Core 2 Extreme) but I want to keep the price in the $50-$100 range max.

QUESTIONS:
-Is it worth wasting money on it to have as a secondary rig?
-What is the fastest processor this board and the LGA 755 socket made?E8600 best bang for value dollar?Or which is the best processor that would be the best of the compatible types listed above?
-Would this machine run Windows 7 or think I'd have motherboard/Bios issues?

All feedback appreciated

 

[lehtv]

PC upgrading rule of thumb #1: don't spend money on obsolete hardware.

I'm afraid that's a no from me. (c) Simon Cowell

 

[itakey]

PC upgrading rule of thumb #1: don't spend money on obsolete hardware.

I'm afraid that's a no from me. (c) Simon Cowell

Thanks for the vote. I was thinking just keep it around if it I can spend $50 and have it run Windows 7 to get a few more years of life from it. I already have a blazing fast computer I use daily so this is just a secondary machine since I like to have more than 1 physical machine running.

My guess is that I could get away with a simple CPU upgrade and get it running Windows 7 but i'm not sure, anyone know?

Also, which would be a good CPU and bang for my buck IF I decide to upgrade the CPU? I just looked and the Q6600's on ebay go for around $45 which isn't bad.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

It's not worth upgrading really.

 

[xantub]

Better sell it to someone's grandma for $200 and put that into building a low budget but current PC

 

[lehtv]

What is it that you plan on using it for, exactly? Why is the existing CPU not sufficient?

I agree it'd be better to sell it away and buy a complete modern PC if you truly do need a secondary PC.

 

[Ken g6]

I think worthwhile upgrades would be:

- A heat sink. It would help you overclock and it can be reused on other machines.
- Linux. Like win 7, but free.

 

[mfenn]

I'm not seeing why that machine couldn't run Windows 7 as is. The OS itself doesn't require a faster CPU than XP. Either one can be loaded down with bloated software that drags down performance or run lightweight.

 

[Cozarkian]

I already have a blazing fast computer I use daily so this is just a secondary machine since I like to have more than 1 physical machine running.

For what purpose?

Do you read email on the secondary while working on the primary? If so, maybe you could just use a dual monitor setup and sell the secondary.

Are you just keeping it around as a backup? If that's the case, put the $50 in a savings account as an emergency fund in case your main computer breaks and you need to upgrade.

Are they in different rooms and it is just convenience to have the backup nearby? If that's the case, I'd save up for a laptop as a secondary computer.

Are you keeping it around in case you have kids and want them to have their own computer? Then wait to upgrade until you actually have kids.

Do you just feel good having two machines running at the same time? Start asking around about setting it up as a mining machine. If you don't want to do that, find a financial consulting, because you are just pissing money into the wind by running two computers for no reason.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

What you use it for dictates how much sense this makes, but if it's a "secondary" computer that sees a lot of use, and you can stretch that $50 a little, maybe an SSD.

Otherwise, I'd run it into the ground as-is, it's not a bad rig.

 

[Drummerdude]

I'm not seeing why that machine couldn't run Windows 7 as is. The OS itself doesn't require a faster CPU than XP. Either one can be loaded down with bloated software that drags down performance or run lightweight.

Agreed. Medium spec xp machines make great windows 7 machines. Windows 7 is very optimized for hardware. I've been known to get win 7 to run well on a single core pentium 4 with 1.5gb DDR. I wouldn't upgrade hardware at all, honestly. And if you already have a spare copy of windows 7, git-er-done

 

[VirtualLarry]

So i'm trying to decide if I should upgrade my old secondary computer, or just let it die and buy something else. I currently have it running Windows XP and it has been a good machine overall. I run it as a secondary machine to my I7-2700K/16GB machine, so its truly only a secondary machine.

Here are the specs:
Motherboard: Abit IP35E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813127031
CPU: Intel Dual-Core E2160 CPU
RAM: 4GB (1X1GB) DDR II - 667 MHz/PC2-5300 HP PX976AT

QUESTIONS:
-Is it worth wasting money on it to have as a secondary rig?
-What is the fastest processor this board and the LGA 755 socket made?E8600 best bang for value dollar?Or which is the best processor that would be the best of the compatible types listed above?
-Would this machine run Windows 7 or think I'd have motherboard/Bios issues?

All feedback appreciated

That rig is definitely Windows 7-ready. As-is, if you want, but I would indeed go ahead and replace that CPU. You should be able to get a Q8200/8300 for under $50. You could get a Q6600, but then you would have to spend extra on a heatsink to overclock it to the max, and the IP35E didn't have the greatest power-delivery section for the CPU.

Make sure that you find the "BIOS 18" for it, though, maybe the Beta, I forget which one is newer. You'll need it to run newer CPUs for that rig.

One option would be to get an E8400, or an E5200/5300/5400, and overclock the bejeezus out of it. (Probably heatsink required.) You could probably get 4.0Ghz out of those CPUs, with a little luck, a good-sized heatsink, and some voltage.

My (late) friend, I upgraded his machine that had an IP35E (got it for some ridiculously low price after rebate), from an E5200 (originally at 3.75), to a Q8200 (not overclocked). With a GTX460, it made a decent (if decidedly low/mid-range today) gaming rig, running Win7 64-bit Home Premium, with 4x1GB DDR2 and a 1TB SATA HDD.

I picked up a pair of E3300 CPUs for $20 on ebay. Those are equivalent to E5200 CPUs, except with 1MB less L2 cache. They are 2.5Ghz, and overclock to 3.0 or 3.2 pretty easily (possibly even on a stock heatsink).

So, spend $10-20 on an E5200/5300/5400, E3300, E8400/8500/8600 and go to town. Pick up a (big, stock) or a (tower, heatpipe) heatsink too, for another $10-30.

So for $50 total, you could soup up that box to pretty acceptable performance, and then install Windows 7 on it, and it should run great.

You could also possibly invest in an SSD, however, I don't believe the chipset in the IP35E supports AHCI (for some reason). That may prove a limitation for SSDs. (They will still be faster than a HDD, but not as high-performance as they could be, because you are essentially limiting them to QD=1, without NCQ.)

Edit: Disclaimer - I do love myself some Core2Duo...
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2376167

 

[itakey]

Wow! Thanks for all the great responses. At first I was starting to lose faith since most votes were to just get something else.

Current Use:
I've basically run this machine to do anything from web surfing, word processing, outlook email, and occasional Photoshop/Dreamweaver. It was my main machine and when I upgraded to my I7-2700K a while ago I just kept it running and have used it as is ever since with XP on it.

Use After Reloading:
I may use it to house a few drives that I will use for network storage, that will be the main use. I'll probably just keep it running as a secondary machine and load up the same programs I mentioned above as well. It will basically just serve as a secondary rig when I want to keep certain programs or projects/windows separate from my main machine. Its also nice to have a second machine when you need to reboot your other machine or do maintenance. Yes photoshop would struggle on Windows 7 with only 4GB, but is usable in a pinch.

Current CPU:
Guess I can try to load up Windows 7 and see how it does. I figured spending $50 on a new CPU that is 2X-3X faster would be a worthy investment, and would keep the machine around longer. I'd like to try to get the best CPU without needing to overclock it. Not that I don't like to since I've been an overclocker for far too long, but I don't have the time to tinker any longer. So what would be the best chip to go for considering price vs. speed?

New CPU:
So only a few of you suggest an upgraded cpu (VirtualLarry). Which would be the best CPU to buy that would not need to be overclocked in the $50 range? Or what is the next best in the $20 range? And would these be a bit step up from the E2160 as in 2 times faster, or will it be negligible?

Heat Sink:
My current E2160 chip has a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler, is this compatible with the E8400 chip? I know that it lists a TON of CPU Sockets as compatible so i'm going to guess yes I can reuse this again:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065


I had to laugh when I checked how much the E2160 chipers were going for, on average about $3.99 on ebay. Crazy how technology is hot one year, and dead many years later.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[itakey]

To add to my last post, here are what the manufacturer says is compatible with the board:
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-duo.htm
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-quad.htm
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-extreme.htm

So it says some CPU's aren't compatible or are listed as n/a, such as the E8400, etc.

Which would give me the best bang for my buck without overclocking? I know the Core2extreme's still hold their value so that may not be best, but anyone know which is a reasonable upgrade over the E2160 in the $50 or less range?

Here are some that seem compatible in the sub $50 range. How are these?
Intel® Core 2 Quad Q6600 in the $50 range
Intel® Core 2 Duo E6850 in the $25 range

 

[VirtualLarry]

Current CPU:
I figured spending $50 on a new CPU that is 2X-3X faster would be a worthy investment, and would keep the machine around longer. I'd like to try to get the best CPU without needing to overclock it. Not that I don't like to since I've been an overclocker for far too long, but I don't have the time to tinker any longer. So what would be the best chip to go for considering price vs. speed?

New CPU:
So only a few of you suggest an upgraded cpu (VirtualLarry). Which would be the best CPU to buy that would not need to be overclocked in the $50 range? Or what is the next best in the $20 range? And would these be a bit step up from the E2160 as in 2 times faster, or will it be negligible?

If you're not willing to overclock, then don't bother. Sell your mobo/ram/cpu, and get a haswell i3 and the cheapest decent H81 mobo you can find.

You're not going to find a 2x-3x faster CPU, if you don't plan on overclocking. You have the heatsink for it, so why not?

I would buy the cheapest 45nm quad-core S775 chip that I could, and then OC it as high as I could. I'm currently running Q9300 chips, OCed from 2.5 to 3.0. Surely you could find one of those for under $50.

Edit: perhaps "under $50" for a used 45nm Core2Quad was a touch optimistic.
Here's the cheapest decent one I could find.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...sor-/121309292978?pt=CPUs&hash=item1c3e98e9b2

 

[itakey]

If you're not willing to overclock, then don't bother. Sell your mobo/ram/cpu, and get a haswell i3 and the cheapest decent H81 mobo you can find.

You're not going to find a 2x-3x faster CPU, if you don't plan on overclocking. You have the heatsink for it, so why not?

I would buy the cheapest 45nm quad-core S775 chip that I could, and then OC it as high as I could. I'm currently running Q9300 chips, OCed from 2.5 to 3.0. Surely you could find one of those for under $50.

Guess that makes sense. What do you think of these chips?
Here are some that seem compatible in the sub $50 range. How are these?
Intel® Core 2 Quad Q6600 in the $50 range
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Pentium-E2160-vs-Intel-Core2-Quad-Q6600
Intel® Core 2 Duo E6850 in the $25 range
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Pentium-E2160-vs-Intel-Core2-Duo-E6850

CPU Boss definitely shows some much faster scores in some of the tests, wouldn't that mean it would be a worthy gain?

The Q9300 isn't compatible with the IP35-E, or at least that's what the links say in my last post.

Of the compatible chips I guess which would be the best one to buy and then overclock? Q6600 or E6850? My Cooler Master should strap on to either and I guess a light overclock that won't require too much fiddling wouldn't be bad.

 

[VirtualLarry]

To add to my last post, here are what the manufacturer says is compatible with the board:
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-duo.htm
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-quad.htm
http://abit.ws/cpu-support-list/intel/intel-core2-extreme.htm

So it says some CPU's aren't compatible or are listed as n/a, such as the E8400, etc.

You need the beta bios 18 to support E8400, etc.

If you're not willing to flash beta bioses and overclock, then I wouldn't even bother with this experiment.

 

[itakey]

You need the beta bios 18 to support E8400, etc.

If you're not willing to flash beta bioses and overclock, then I wouldn't even bother with this experiment.

I'd be willing to go with the Bios 18, looks like it isn't a beta any longer:
http://abit.ws/page/en/download/dow...d&pTITLE_ON_SCREEN=IP35-E&pSOCKET_TYPE=LGA775

So which chip would you say then is a worthwhile purchase to do some minor overclocking on in the $50 or less range? Still the E8400 that has the quad vs dual core?

 

[VirtualLarry]

it's up to you if you want to go for a 45nm dual or a quad. The duals are clocked higher.

Wait, your RAM is 667, isn't it? That could put a big damper on overclocking. Many chips will overclock very easily by changing FSB to 400, and adding a tiny voltage boost. But that requires DDR2-800 RAM (at a minimum)... unless you are willing to OC your RAM too.

Maybe you should stick to E5x00 series then. They have the lowest default FSB (200), and thus the highest multiplier.

Look for an E5200/5300/.../5800.

Edit: E5800 is cheap on ebay, under $20.
Stock is 3.2Ghz, with a 200FSB. With 667 RAM, you can go up to FSB 333, without OCing you RAM. That would give you 16 x 333 = 5.33Ghz. Of course, the ceiling is probably around 4Ghz, but a least you won't be FSB-limited.

 

[itakey]

Maybe you should stick to E5x00 series then. They have the lowest default FSB (200), and thus the highest multiplier.

Look for an E5200/5300/.../5800.

Edit: E5800 is cheap on ebay, under $20.
Stock is 3.2Ghz, with a 200FSB. With 667 RAM, you can go up to FSB 333, without OCing you RAM. That would give you 16 x 333 = 5.33Ghz. Of course, the ceiling is probably around 4Ghz, but a least you won't be FSB-limited.

E5800 sounds like a plan. Anything specific or are all the E5800's the same? How's this one look:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-E5800...CPU-/161259259408?pt=CPUs&hash=item258bcd0610

 

[itakey]

Before buying a chip i'm going to first try to just reload the machine with Windows 7 and see how it does. I have a bunch of drives i'm decommissioning so i'll probably pick the fastest of them and load it up and see how it does. For $25-$50 I may still buy a chip that scores faster, but if it runs good as is i'll just let it ride.