Old PC, what can I upgrade?

nst68 · 1 Nov 2015 at 16:04

Hi, I've been given an old PC from my brother in law to play games on.
I'd like to play games like TF2 and BF4.

I installed TF2 and playing on 1024 x 768 the pc was struggling to get a decent frame rate at it was lagging. I presume BF4 will be more demanding.

Specs are :-

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 2.40GHz - Conroe
Asus P5QL LGA775
4 GB DDR2 (with 2 free slots)
GT 240 1GB
Corsair VX 450W PSU
AOC Monitor - 1366x768
Approx 1TB storage over 3 HDD
Windows 7

Is upgrading any of this worthwhile, i.e. processor, GPU, RAM or is it too old?

BluD · 1 Nov 2015 at 16:15

TF2 should play fine on that PC, BF 4 not so fine, if ya wanna play newer games you could try sticking a newer GPU in but i wouldnt go mad as you will be CPU restricted with the old duo.

You could maybe try and get a second hand 7950 to keep you going untill you can replace the lot. Should only cost ya about 50-60 quid.

Danny75 · 1 Nov 2015 at 16:21

GPU first. Something you can carry into a new build if needed. Something that the VX 450 PSU can power (check the PCI cables on it, see how many there are, whether they are 6 or 8-pin).

If you see a reasonable improvement, and don't want to splash a lot more (CPU/mobo), then you can try and find some cheap DDR2 RAM as 4GB is too little for gaming these days. And an SSD to stick the OS and fave games on to make it feel snappier.

pastymuncher · 1 Nov 2015 at 17:14

The VX450 was a decent psu. It's Seasonic built and before Corsair cheaped out with lesser oem's. It has 396w on the 12v rail. However, it has to be 7-8 years old now and with capacitor aging I doubt if it would get near that much anymore. I wouldn't go sticking a gpu in there that draws too much power. I would probably replace the psu but then again I wouldn't want to spend money on such a old pc.

FixupSellon · 1 Nov 2015 at 18:05

more ram and a gtx 750 non ti, gpu for a bias opinion, but also requires no 6 or 8 pin or if you want to keep it cheap then 6670 onwards.

edit: look online or second hand shop like c*x for either e8400 or q6600 as the quad sells for less than £30 and the dual under £10.

Andrew_McP · 1 Nov 2015 at 18:11

My E6600 overclocked nicely to about 3GHz, so that's worth trying, and I'm still doing most of my 1080p gaming on an E8400@3GHz with a 5870 and 4GB RAM. So I think if you find a decent, more modern and power efficient GPU you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm currently playing Defence Grid 2 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag, which looks and runs great.

Rage was the last game I tried which hated this machine, but as long as you don't want all the bells and whistles, weak console hardware has kept old PCs in the game for way longer than I'd ever have guessed.

Of course newer hardware is more fun, but so is having some money left in the bank! :-)

FixupSellon · 1 Nov 2015 at 18:18

just to add on...

when i look to build/upgrade computers for games i tend to find a game id like to try or a game that sets a sort of benchmark(ie BF4/Crysis/GTA/F1/COD etc) and base round those requirements, so maybe that be a good platform to go from.

sastusbulbas · 1 Nov 2015 at 19:12

I ran an old LGA dual core system for years, right up to the use of an AMD 7950. Played Crysis 3, WoT, LoL, Warframe, BF3, Bioshock Infinite, GTA San Andreas, PlanetSide 2 and even Minecraft!

That was an E8500 in an Asus Maximus II Gene with 4gb of Corsair Dominator GT. Both PSU's used in that were over 600w but a 550w would have been more than enough.

My lad has that PC but with a Q9550 and 8gb of DDR2 and a Samsung EVO SSD. But only an old Sapphire Toxic 4870 1gb card at the moment. Still contemplating letting him have one of my crossfire 7950's or a newer card.

I also have that old E8500 in an Asus VM-EPU micro atx motherboard with 4gb of ddr2, with a Fractal Core 1000 case and Corsair VS-350 PSU. I would put no more than a 2gb 750 ti in that. In fact I am contemplating it as a budget gaming system.

I would say the Nvidia 750 ti 2gb or 950ti 2gb cards would be fine in an old build like you say, with a 7950 being the maximum but pushing the PSU you have.

The Nvidia 750ti with no PCI-E cable requirement is a reasonable value card for anythig up to 1080p, but the cost would cover a second hand 7950 or better, and a little more money can get you the Nvidia 950 that requires 1 6pin cable and is a better GPU.