[DIY] Upgrade PC - Need comments/recommendations

wishboy

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Intending to upgrade my pc due to problems surfacing (most likely mobo-related) and got a couple of questions.
Getting new mobo+cpu, ram, case.
Usually play dota2, l4d2, sc2, d3.

Prices from TradePac.

CPU+Mobo: MSI H97 Gaming 3 + i5 4460 - $393
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro 1600MHz 2x4GB - $118
GPU: Palit GTX 580 (re-use)
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB (re-use)
DVD-RW: Samsung (re-use)
PSU: Seasonic M12II Bronze 620W (re-use if possible)
CASE: (need recommendation)

Would like to get a new case as the old one I never clean for 4 years haha.

Do I need to get cooling fans?

Processor - should I spend a little more and get an i5 4590/4690?

Appreciate any input :)
 

Goodshot

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Franking speaking , i cant feel the diff of i5 3.2ghz to 3.5ghz . Also cant feel the diff of h81 board and h97 board . So i rather buy a H81 + i5 4690 at $362
.Of cus if u got spare $$ add more fans to keep clean and cool , why not ? it does help to heathy and longer lifespan pc
 
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wishboy

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Franking speaking , i cant feel the diff of i5 3.2ghz to 3.5ghz . Also cant feel the diff of h81 board and h97 board . So i rather buy a H81 + i5 4690 at $362
.Of cus if u got spare $$ add more fans to keep clean and cool , why not ? it does help to heathy and longer lifespan pc
Yeah that was what I was thinking about the processor as well.

Hmm, reason I'm opting for msi h97 gaming is cos now got free mouse for any purchase of msi gaming mobos =:p and there aren't any cheaper alternatives other than msi b85-g43 gaming.

Thanks for your reply!

Now I need some recommendations on which case looks nice and is cheap :s13:
 

muddle

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Franking speaking , i cant feel the diff of i5 3.2ghz to 3.5ghz . Also cant feel the diff of h81 board and h97 board . So i rather buy a H81 + i5 4690 at $362
.Of cus if u got spare $$ add more fans to keep clean and cool , why not ? it does help to heathy and longer lifespan pc

You don't feel any difference between chipsets. It all boils down to features. H81 has lesser usb3 and sata3 ports.
 

valkarian

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Hmm..

I'm still pretty new to building but I've taken great interest in scavenging older parts and reusing them on newer computers where possible. Your budget range seems right in my comfort zone so perhaps I might be able to offer some advice.

1) Mobo + CPU

Your current CPU is still Haswell and uses a LGA 1150 socket, so you'll be fine with any motherboard that will give you the features you require. USB ports is all well and good, but you might also want to consider front USB 3.0, on-board sound, memory slots, SATA ports and the like.

Reusing your old CPU sounds great, and I can recommend the Asrock H81m-HDS (micro ATX). With the newer version featuring USB 3.0 front outlet, it is very relevant and cost efficient. It features 2 RAM slots and 1 PCI-E x16 for the GFX. The M-ATX form factor also allows you room to pick Cases with a smaller form factor to save space.

2) PSU

Personally, Seasonic makes excellent PSUs, and your's is probably fine. However, as you have mentioned that the case was previously rather dusty, I do hope that dust has not accumulated within the PSU. Do see if you could clean it up. It'll probably continue to serve you well for awhile.

Do note, however, that connectors will limit future upgrades. Seasonic's older 620W are only capabel of 6-pin PCI-E power connections. Some higher end GFXs require 8-pins. Hence, when you do upgrade in the future to a better GFX, you can change the PSU then.

3) Casing

Should you decide to go down the M-ATX form factor, there are many more interesting cases you can consider. Bitfenix Prodigy M remains one of the rather sought after cases for looks and function, while Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 gives huge real estate for future GFX and very versatile component layouts.

As you do not look to be doing much heavy over-clocking, air cooling is probably the road you'd like to go. Both cases run relatively silent and have multiple fan options. Fractal has a huge edge in filter placement and cooler compatibility, but Bitfenix takes the edge in design and size.

Either is fine, but as your system does not require intense cooling, any case which catches your eyes online should provide sufficient airflow.

4) Cooling Fans

As I previously mentioned, you do not seem to be doing any heavy over-clocking. As such, your case temperatures should be relatively comfortable to you. Fans could always come at a later date for design flair and slightly better temperatures.

Keep in mind most Mobos have a limited number of fan ports, and be ready to use molex connections from the PSU to power your fans.

That's about it in my opinion. Do feel free to chat me up or leave me any message on my facebook page, www.facebook.com/kisspc (Keep It Simple). I will be documenting a few builds in the coming weeks, and would like to help many others get their own PCs as well.

I am eager to learn from everyone regarding all matters as well, so feel free to correct me where I am misinformed. Thanks!
 

Alternative X

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Intending to upgrade my pc due to problems surfacing (most likely mobo-related) and got a couple of questions.
Getting new mobo+cpu, ram, case.
Usually play dota2, l4d2, sc2, d3.

Prices from TradePac.

CPU+Mobo: MSI H97 Gaming 3 + i5 4460 - $393
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro 1600MHz 2x4GB - $118
GPU: Palit GTX 580 (re-use)
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB (re-use)
DVD-RW: Samsung (re-use)
PSU: Seasonic M12II Bronze 620W (re-use if possible)
CASE: (need recommendation)

Would like to get a new case as the old one I never clean for 4 years haha.

Do I need to get cooling fans?

Processor - should I spend a little more and get an i5 4590/4690?

Appreciate any input :)
What sort of issues are you having with your rig?
 

aardlak

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Case: I recommend the Corsair 350D. one of the best casing brands, sleek and beautiful case with premium build quality. It is definitely not a budget case, but for something that sits in the middle of my room for 4-5 years it should pay its price.
 

wishboy

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Hmm..

I'm still pretty new to building but I've taken great interest in scavenging older parts and reusing them on newer computers where possible. Your budget range seems right in my comfort zone so perhaps I might be able to offer some advice.

1) Mobo + CPU

Your current CPU is still Haswell and uses a LGA 1150 socket, so you'll be fine with any motherboard that will give you the features you require. USB ports is all well and good, but you might also want to consider front USB 3.0, on-board sound, memory slots, SATA ports and the like.

Reusing your old CPU sounds great, and I can recommend the Asrock H81m-HDS (micro ATX). With the newer version featuring USB 3.0 front outlet, it is very relevant and cost efficient. It features 2 RAM slots and 1 PCI-E x16 for the GFX. The M-ATX form factor also allows you room to pick Cases with a smaller form factor to save space.

2) PSU

Personally, Seasonic makes excellent PSUs, and your's is probably fine. However, as you have mentioned that the case was previously rather dusty, I do hope that dust has not accumulated within the PSU. Do see if you could clean it up. It'll probably continue to serve you well for awhile.

Do note, however, that connectors will limit future upgrades. Seasonic's older 620W are only capabel of 6-pin PCI-E power connections. Some higher end GFXs require 8-pins. Hence, when you do upgrade in the future to a better GFX, you can change the PSU then.

3) Casing

Should you decide to go down the M-ATX form factor, there are many more interesting cases you can consider. Bitfenix Prodigy M remains one of the rather sought after cases for looks and function, while Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 gives huge real estate for future GFX and very versatile component layouts.

As you do not look to be doing much heavy over-clocking, air cooling is probably the road you'd like to go. Both cases run relatively silent and have multiple fan options. Fractal has a huge edge in filter placement and cooler compatibility, but Bitfenix takes the edge in design and size.

Either is fine, but as your system does not require intense cooling, any case which catches your eyes online should provide sufficient airflow.

4) Cooling Fans

As I previously mentioned, you do not seem to be doing any heavy over-clocking. As such, your case temperatures should be relatively comfortable to you. Fans could always come at a later date for design flair and slightly better temperatures.

Keep in mind most Mobos have a limited number of fan ports, and be ready to use molex connections from the PSU to power your fans.

That's about it in my opinion. Do feel free to chat me up or leave me any message on my facebook page, www.facebook.com/kisspc (Keep It Simple). I will be documenting a few builds in the coming weeks, and would like to help many others get their own PCs as well.

I am eager to learn from everyone regarding all matters as well, so feel free to correct me where I am misinformed. Thanks!
Wow thanks for the comprehensive reply. Will take note of cleanliness of the old parts as well as the PSU cables! All the best in building your computers too!

What sort of issues are you having with your rig?
Hmm it's kinda difficult to describe but a lot of things are happening though.

- PC hangs frequently, need to manually press the reset button to reboot
- Upon rebooting, sometimes it goes into a boot loop where nothing comes on the display except for the keyboard (numlock/capslock/scrlock) lights

And when it goes into a boot loop, I will connect my boot drive to another SATA port which often resolves the issue for the time being. However, it will hang again eventually. At times where switching ports doesn't help, I will have to wait for around an hour before trying to boot again to be able to successfully boot it up.

Did not have any spare parts with me so did not manage to pin point which part exactly is causing the issue. Hopefully after I fix up my computer it can run smoothly.

Case: I recommend the Corsair 350D. one of the best casing brands, sleek and beautiful case with premium build quality. It is definitely not a budget case, but for something that sits in the middle of my room for 4-5 years it should pay its price.
Fractal R5 coming mid dec - definitely worth waiting for.
Thanks people for your suggestions! I went down to look around just now and got all the parts. :)
 

Alternative X

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Hmm it's kinda difficult to describe but a lot of things are happening though.

- PC hangs frequently, need to manually press the reset button to reboot
- Upon rebooting, sometimes it goes into a boot loop where nothing comes on the display except for the keyboard (numlock/capslock/scrlock) lights

And when it goes into a boot loop, I will connect my boot drive to another SATA port which often resolves the issue for the time being. However, it will hang again eventually. At times where switching ports doesn't help, I will have to wait for around an hour before trying to boot again to be able to successfully boot it up.

Did not have any spare parts with me so did not manage to pin point which part exactly is causing the issue. Hopefully after I fix up my computer it can run smoothly.

Could be RAM/RAM slot issues. Reseat RAMs, change RAM slots if necessary, use clean eraser to rub gold contacts on RAM, download and run Memtest 86+.
 
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