Need advise for upgrade or change PC

[generalwu]

Hi,

I need some advise here regarding my current build.

I have a i7-920 rig that has been using for many years.

I have no much trouble/issue with my rig just that I really do not like my casing, it's a dust magnet. (CM690)

Is it advisable to just change my casing or should I just change a new rig?

Many thanks.

 

[MoneyFace =p]

Hi,

I need some advise here regarding my current build.

I have a i7-920 rig that has been using for many years.

I have no much trouble/issue with my rig just that I really do not like my casing, it's a dust magnet. (CM690)

Is it advisable to just change my casing or should I just change a new rig?

Many thanks.

If you find your PC performance acceptable, you should change out the chassis into a Antec P280 or Corsair Obsidian 550D, both of which are quiet-oriented.

Your PC needs the following upgrade to feel current:
Overclock Core i7-920
Get Corsair Hydro H100i
Get another 3X 2GB RAM sticks
Get SSD
Get Windows 7 64-bit

 

[generalwu]

If you find your PC performance acceptable, you should change out the chassis into a Antec P280 or Corsair Obsidian 550D, both of which are quiet-oriented.

Your PC needs the following upgrade to feel current:
Overclock Core i7-920
Get Corsair Hydro H100i
Get another 3X 2GB RAM sticks
Get SSD
Get Windows 7 64-bit

Thanks for the reply.

I'm looking for a postive airflow case, is Fractal Design Arc midi good enough?

Also regarding the upgrade that you mention,
- For overclocking is there any chances of data corruption?
I read from other forum that if not done correctly, it might happened.
Anyone has experiences with this?

- Get this (Corsair Hydro H100i) for OC?

- I have a 3 x 2GB ram, is this enough?
I normally just surf net, play games, watch movie.

- I got a Intel X25 SSD, should be okay right for normal usage?

- I'm already using Windows x64 so should be okay.

Many thanks.

 

[Blehana]

Bro, best to visit the shops that sell the casing you desire so you can examine the air flow and what kind of fans you can install. Research a few casings so you can pick the best one.

When you say you use your pc for gaming, what kind of games do you play? If it's not being used for intensive stuff, you can still use the i7-920. Perhaps remove the heatsink and clean it to remove all the dust collected over the years. What graphics card do you use?

As for OC, no one knows for sure especially with an older machine. Usually if you OC wrongly the pc will just shutdown and you just reset the cmos. If you OC wrongly the CPU could get damaged. If you're worried about data corruption but are still intent on OCing, get another HDD, load a copy of windows and test it out. If the system is stable I suppose you can swap back to your original HDD... or your new SSD

Good luck.

 

[Swiftbladez]

I changed my case once after 3 years. My old case is the Same as yours

Yeah its fine to change the case, doesn't do anything in terms of computing performance but it makes you happy At least for me.

There isn't exactly a "positive airflow" case. To put it simply, just have more intakes than out.

For casing, go for something that you like. Something that aesthetically pleases you. That's the most important thing in my opinion. However, if you're a clean-freak and don't mind cleaning your PC every now and then, invest in a PC that has great fan filter implementation. Corsair cases usually have some of the best implementation of fan filter IMO. You can always can those magnetic dust filters as well.

If you don't play any graphical intensive games, I would suggest you go for some peripheral upgrades. People often overlook such upgrades, thinking that the GPU, CPU etc are the only things that make an experience on the PC more enjoyable.

Some peripherals that will definitely improve your enjoyment on the PC are things like a better set of speakers/audio setup, a larger monitor etc.

For your case maybe time to get a >27" 1440p monitor? God you will love the extra screen real estate.

If you listen to music maybe invest on a pair of headphones or a higher end set of speakers?

Just some suggestions for you to think about.

 

[generalwu]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

I changed my case once after 3 years. My old case is the Same as yours

Yeah its fine to change the case, doesn't do anything in terms of computing performance but it makes you happy At least for me.

There isn't exactly a "positive airflow" case. To put it simply, just have more intakes than out.

For casing, go for something that you like. Something that aesthetically pleases you. That's the most important thing in my opinion. However, if you're a clean-freak and don't mind cleaning your PC every now and then, invest in a PC that has great fan filter implementation. Corsair cases usually have some of the best implementation of fan filter IMO. You can always can those magnetic dust filters as well.

If you don't play any graphical intensive games, I would suggest you go for some peripheral upgrades. People often overlook such upgrades, thinking that the GPU, CPU etc are the only things that make an experience on the PC more enjoyable.

Some peripherals that will definitely improve your enjoyment on the PC are things like a better set of speakers/audio setup, a larger monitor etc.

For your case maybe time to get a >27" 1440p monitor? God you will love the extra screen real estate.

If you listen to music maybe invest on a pair of headphones or a higher end set of speakers?

Just some suggestions for you to think about.

I actual quite like Fractal Design as they have dust filter for all area especially at the top of their casing which most casing do not have (Exhaust).

As for gaming wise, I'm fine with just smooth gameplay, though not low graphics yet.

As for peripherals I think I got what I can afford right now.
But as greed has no boundaries, I'll see what I can get next time.

For 27" monitor I don't think my GPU can support fully, I'm using Powercolor ATI HD7950 PCS+. So far it's just nice for 24" with normal settings.

Bro, best to visit the shops that sell the casing you desire so you can examine the air flow and what kind of fans you can install. Research a few casings so you can pick the best one.

When you say you use your pc for gaming, what kind of games do you play? If it's not being used for intensive stuff, you can still use the i7-920. Perhaps remove the heatsink and clean it to remove all the dust collected over the years. What graphics card do you use?

As for OC, no one knows for sure especially with an older machine. Usually if you OC wrongly the pc will just shutdown and you just reset the cmos. If you OC wrongly the CPU could get damaged. If you're worried about data corruption but are still intent on OCing, get another HDD, load a copy of windows and test it out. If the system is stable I suppose you can swap back to your original HDD... or your new SSD

Good luck.

Casing wise I think I got a target already, fractal design looks good with all the filters.

As for gaming I do most types of gaming, FPS, RPG, MMO, etc.
But most of time I just surf net, listen to music. Just do not have the energy left to play game after work less I reach home early.

Yup, I read i7-920 is still okay just maybe need to OC to be updated nia.

BTW, I'm using Powercolor ATI HD7950 PCS+.
I read somewhere that it actually can supprt 24" smoothly but so far it's not really that smooth for me. FPS spike from time to time.
Heatsink maybe find one day go change thermal paste.

Talking about OC, do you guys use prime95/OCCT/Intel burn test?
How long do you run those test?

Many thanks.

 

[Maeda_Toshiie]

Talking about OC, do you guys use prime95/OCCT/Intel burn test?
How long do you run those test?

Many thanks.

Aida64
x264
Linpack

 

[generalwu]

Great, Thanks for the heads up.

Will have a look.

BTW, would it be a good idea to get a new PSU?
My currently is a non-modular one and I hope to get a full modular.

Many thanks.

 

[Yureak]

Generalwu i have a seasonic x850 gold less than a week old on sale if you keen

 

[annoymous]

can get seasonic or superflower psu