# Merry Christmas, el cheapo computer--you get an upgrade! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 8, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754 "2015-12-08T00:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/1 "2015-12-08T00:06:29Z")
About five years ago, I bought [this computer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13631072&postcount=23). It’s served me well lo these five years, but I’m thinking about asking my lovely wife for a Christmas upgrade. Some ideas: -I have 4 gb of DDR2 RAM. I could upgrade to 8. -I have a XFX Radeon HD 5550 1GB GDDR2 PCIe, DVI/HDMI/VGA videocard. I could upgrade this to something more modern. -I have a boring hard drive (actually, two boring drives, one of which I use for archival storage). I could get a solid-state drive. -I have tiny little speakers. I could get better speakers. -I could get something else. I’m probably looking at something in the $50-$100 range. We use the computer mainly for gaming and for watching video on our 25" monitor. What would your suggestions be? ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/2 "2015-12-08T03:23:08Z")
Did you get a 5550 or a 5770? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/3 "2015-12-08T03:32:23Z")
[Here is Tom’s Hardware’s](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLMKIHC/) current “best card for around 90 bucks.” It’s 75 right now on Amazon after a rebate. ([Tom’s link.](http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-2.html)) You could throw in a couple sticks of cheap 4 GB DDR2, presuming you have the slots to spare, and keep the whole package under a hundred bucks. Though if you want a straight system upgrade and aren’t planing on doing more gaming than you’re currently capable of, go with the SSD. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/4 "2015-12-08T03:47:22Z")
It’s important to note that the difference between an R7 250 and a 5770 is basically nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/5 "2015-12-08T11:49:41Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Did you get a 5550 or a 5770? Hmm…device driver says it’s the 5700 series. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/6 "2015-12-08T13:55:07Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > It’s important to note that the difference between an R7 250 and a 5770 is basically nothing. According to the [Graphic Card Hierarchy](http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html) chart, it’s actually a step down. Going by the chart’s notion of getting at least two tiers worth of upgrade to see a difference, you’re looking at an R7 260X or better on the AMD side or a 750 Ti on the Nvidia side. Looks as though the 750 Ti is around $140-150ish. You can get an [R7 265](https://jet.com/product/detail/49dc3501b4a543619c37f6e409b451c1) for $85 with first time 15% discount from [Jet.com](http://Jet.com). I don’t know anything really about them except that I’ve been seeing them pop up on a few deal sites lately. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/7 "2015-12-08T14:00:32Z")
Have you considered a set of headphones instead of speakers? ---
**Author:** ![And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/and_his_buzzer_goes/32/377_2.png) [@And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_his_buzzer_goes)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/8 "2015-12-08T15:11:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Though if you want a straight system upgrade and aren’t planing on doing more gaming than you’re currently capable of, go with the SSD. Exactly this. IMHO the first upgrade should be an SSD. Maybe some RAM later or a second hand GPU if you’d like prettier pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/9 "2015-12-08T16:17:31Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Have you considered a set of headphones instead of speakers? I have headphones, but better speakers are something for when we watch shows together, or when I play games with my kids. Sounds like a SSD would be the way to go. I’m looking at different buying guides, but a lot of them are multiple years out of date. Are there particular companies to pursue or avoid? ---
**Author:** ![And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/and_his_buzzer_goes/32/377_2.png) [@And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_his_buzzer_goes)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/10 "2015-12-08T19:18:19Z")
I’d go personally for a Samsung, though I have some Crucials running in other systems as well. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/11 "2015-12-08T20:18:32Z")
This is super helpful. Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/12 "2015-12-09T03:05:12Z")
[Does this drive look like the right thing for a desktop](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA12K2F41232)? I’m hoping it’s sized appropriately and otherwise would work, but can’t quite make it out from the specs. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/13 "2015-12-09T03:18:32Z")
I vote for the speaker upgrade. But then, music is my game. I bought a pair of Altec Lansing (r+l) and a separate bass booster for about $50. And that was 6 years ago. They are turned on all day, until I go to sleep. They have served me well. In today’s market they are probably cheaper and better. Yes, get some good speakers. ---
**Author:** ![And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/and_his_buzzer_goes/32/377_2.png) [@And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_his_buzzer_goes)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/14 "2015-12-09T12:29:42Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > [Does this drive look like the right thing for a desktop](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA12K2F41232)? I’m hoping it’s sized appropriately and otherwise would work, but can’t quite make it out from the specs. Yes, it should work without a problem. It seems to include a USB3 adapter, don’t know if you need it, but it look more expensive despite. I’d go for a larger capapcity though. Before you know it you want to put more stuff on it, like games so they load faster. > **[SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)...](https://www.newegg.com/samsung-850-evo-250gb/p/N82E16820147372)** > > Buy SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E250B/AM with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/15 "2016-05-04T12:26:51Z")
Bump! The SSD Hard Drive was a great idea, folks. Everything is so much faster! I just came into a little more mad money here–$135, to be exact–and I’m thinking of pouring it back into the computer. The computer, by the way, has really loud fans. I’m not sure if that’s something to worry about. I don’t know which fans are so loud either. At this point, I’m thinking that a video card, or more/better memory, would be my best bet. Does that sound right? If so, does anyone have specific recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/16 "2016-05-04T12:56:35Z")
For reference, I have: [This motherboard](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128455&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-VigLink-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3865083&SID=insv945ton0004p600053), a GIGABYTE GA-MA78LMT-S2 AM3 AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard. [This videocard](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131330&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-VigLink-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3865083&SID=insv96uds30004p600053), a PowerColor Radeon HD 5770 DirectX 11 AX5770 1GBD5-H 1GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card. [This memory](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-VigLink-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3865083&SID=insv995pzc0004p600053), G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/17 "2016-05-04T14:15:13Z")
I assume you’re not overclocking so heat probably isn’t a big concern, provided you blow the dust out now and then. Some fans are just cheap and loud. You could certainly upgrade to some better, quieter fans if you wanted to. [Noctua](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608004) is a top tier standard although I really like [Cougar Vortex](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553002&cm_re=cougar_vortex-_-35-553-002-_-Product) for a mix of performance & price in a relatively quiet fan. Both also have the “advantage” of being ugly as sin. If your fans are loud because they’re running harder, that might suggest your system is hotter than usual. Dust is a likely culprit, old fans going bad or sometimes the thermal paste between the CPU and heat sink starts to fail. You can download [free programs](https://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/) to monitor your system temperature and see if this is an issue or if you just have loud cheapo fans. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/18 "2016-05-04T14:16:30Z")
Now is not the right time to be buying a video card: the new ranges are about to be launched. Paper launch at the end of this week, actual launch in a couple of months. This means that the present ones will shortly be coming down in price. I suggest buying 8 GB RAM now which will cost you [$30](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820012057). Do note that if you’re running 32 bit Windows you’ll have to reinstall with 64 bit Windows to take advantage of the extra RAM. You’ll notice an immediate speed-up as your system pages less. Then, after the price drops kick in, buy a Nvidia GTX 950 or equivalent, which should cost you around $100 - they’re [$130](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487238) now. Do take the time to find out which fans are making the noise. Just open the case and use your ears. Chances are all they need is a good clean, but a case fan will only be a few dollars. You might consider the location of the case fan as that case has a position at the lower front - you only have one case fan header on the motherboard so you can’t have two case fans. Don’t forget the fan inside the PSU, but don’t open the PSU - just give it a blast of compressed air. You should check the CPU temperature. As your PC is old, you may need to replace the thermal compound between the CPU and the cooler. You won’t need much, and this shouldn’t cost more than a few bucks. Only replace the compound if the temperatures are high. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/19 "2016-06-20T21:12:55Z")
Thanks, **Quartz** , for the advice! I got the new memory, and am waiting on the drop in video card prices. Meanwhile, I’m realizing that my CPU is getting out of date. I’ve got an Athlon II X4 Quad core 3.0 Ghz processor that I bought 5 years ago, and games like XCom 2 (which I totally want to play once it goes on serious sale) won’t run on this chip according to [systemrequirementslab.com](http://systemrequirementslab.com). So I’m looking at a chip upgrade. [Here’s my motherboard stats](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128455&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-VigLink-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3865083&SID=ipoirvnx720004p600053). Can I upgrade safely to something like [this HD995ZXAJ4BGH AMD Phenom X4 9950 2.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor CPU](http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/171561911093?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true)? Would that be the best chip upgrade? I definitely want to stay budget on my CPU, but would also like to be able to run games for another few years with it, at minimum settings if not at recommended settings. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754/20 "2016-06-20T21:15:33Z")
Oh, and as for the fans, I spent 20 minutes blowing cat hair out of the computer. Nasty stuff. The fans are quieter now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merry-christmas-el-cheapo-computer-you-get-an-upgrade/739754.md?page=2)