Upgrade or Just Replace?
Posted by GreenerAnonymous@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 5 comments
So I have been fine using this old PCs to date but I am now unable to access some secure websites because I can't upgrade to the latest version of Firefox because I am still running Windows 7. That prompted me to look more seriously at an upgrade/replacement.
Upgrading / re-using stuff is my preference if possible (for environmental reasons) but I also recognise that some of it is getting pretty old. I am debating between A)Upgrading the desktop, B) Replacing the desktop. C) Upgrading the MediaPC and using the parts to build a new desktop.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Current Desktop:
- HP Compaq 6000 Pro SFF PC
- Pentium Dual-Core CPU E5400 @ 2.7ghz
- 4GB RAM - unknown make
- Samsung 960 EVO 250GBSSD + 1TB HDD, HP DVDROM
Current MediaPC (Dedicated PC connected to the TV):
- Silverstone Grandia SST-GD05B-USB3.0 Black HTPC mATX Case
- Gigabyte MB F2A85XM-HD3
- Seasonic G-450 Modular 80PLUS Gold 450W PSU (SSR-450RM Active PFC F3)
- SanDisk 120GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (SSD)
- 8 TB Seagate HDD
- AMD A6-5400K w Radeon graphics 3600mhz 1 core 2 logical
- 8GB RAM 2x4GB DDR3 1866MHz CL9 Dual Channel (assuming my ancient notes are correct)
Desktop Need:
Up to date Windows; Main usage is MS Office (I'm still using an ancient version), and Internet browsing.
Photoshop CS3 and having too many Firefox browser windows open are currently the most taxing activities.
Currently it's pretty slow when running multiple things or working on large images but it is mostly sufficient.
Desktop Want:
1080P video playback - It currently struggles with HD video both locally and via Youtube.
1080p video editing - I don't really do much of it so it would be a nice to have.
Onboard wifi would be nice but not a strict requirement (I am using a USB wifi dongle right now and
can't easily use a wired connection.)
If I am buying new I'd like to get 5+ years out of it at least so ideally won't be quickly obsolete
MediaPC Want:
Plays 1080p x264 but can't really play 1080p x265 video. Not sure if that's a hardware or software issue?
4K playback would be a nice to have but i don't currently have a 4K capable TV so that's more wishlist than need.
So I guess my question - What's my best bet / bang for buck prioritizing a working desktop?
I don't mind spending a bit more but am I wrong to think something like this might be sufficient?
https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/refurbished-business-desktops-mini-pcs/253552/lenovo-m720s-sff-i7-8700-16gb-512gb-ssd-win11-pro-renewed-ct-736832274790.html
ltecruz@reddit
I can't even compute how slow that desktop must feel even with basic usage with only 4Gb of RAM and running on a pentium!
So both of these are old. Like way way too old. You can salvage drives, maybe that seasonic PSU as well.
Do you have a budget? There's nothing to upgrade here really, these are 12-15 year old components - we were all still on wifi 4 or 5, 1080p monitors were high end and usb-c didn't even exist yet!
GreenerAnonymous@reddit (OP)
LOL. I am used to it but, but my work computer definitely feels pretty fast in comparison :)
I'd like to spend under $1000CAD. Ideally less than that but can also theoretically spend more if it's worth it.
ltecruz@reddit
Ok I'm not a big office PC builder, but hopefully some of this can help you and giv eyou some food for thought.
So, since you are only doing basic usage, no gaming or anything, it doesn't make sense for you to get a dedicated GPU. There are a few CPUs with competent APUs that can easily get you through your basic tasks, and the end result will ofc be cheaper than getting a dedicated GPU.
I'm recomending an AM5 build for the desktop and an AM4 for the mediaPC. The difference is that in AM4 there aren't a lot of upgrades left, it's a platform near its end of life (regarding upgradeability), but it's still very competent and will be for the easy tasks you want to perform (which is basically just video playback). If you ever feel that it isn't enough for video playback, say 4k, you can simply just slot in a GPU and it will work (like a 50CAD gtx 1060 used). I'd also heavily recomend looking into used parts for this. You should find good deals, save a lot of money, and have a good PC for your needs.
I'm choosing the smallest standard cases that are reasonably priced. I'm assuming you don't want a big PC case occupying space and looking ugly, so I also took that into account. This could probably be used, if not forever, for 10+ years as well.
I ended up going with 32GB of RAM for your desktop. Sure it's overboard, but should be useful for your video editing purposes, while helping with having lots of excel sheets, browser tabs open, etc. Same reasoning (video editing) for the 1tb SSD. The AM5 platform will be supported until 2027, so if in 5 years you want to let's say upgrade the CPU, you probably can with something that will still be relevant for 5 more years.
For the media PC you can reuse your drives and the PSU. So keep in mind you can probably go a bit lower. For example, I chose a tiny bit more expensive motherboard so you could have a not as bad audio for video playback.
Both CPUs have stock coolers you can use.
If you have any questions, just ask. Hope this helps. the builds as follows:
PCPartPicker Part List
PCPartPicker Part List
GreenerAnonymous@reddit (OP)
Thank you! Those are super helpful and a good starting point.
Does that make much of a difference if I am just using HDMI output to a receiver?
Was that a general comment or specifically for the MediaPC / for the GPU?
thanks again!
ltecruz@reddit
I didn't really know all the use cases of your media PC, or your full setup, so if you are just using HDMI to send audio to a receiver, the quality of the motherboard's onboard audio chipset won't make a difference.
Regarding the used parts, the media PC. Since it is using an older platform you can find good deals as people ditch them for cheap to move to the newer one.
I wouldn't buy storage used tho.