# PLEASE  HELP - should change my entire system or just upgrade



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Hello
I currently have a Full size Cooler Master HAF X  case with the following build components
ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard
Intel i7 3820 3.6 GHz. CPU - Socket 2011 LGA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760  gpu - 2 GB
2 X 4 GB sticks of Kingston DDR3 RAM - 799 MHz
1 TB  Western Digital Hard Drive - old and tired
Running windows 10   64 bit  OS

The system is slow and cranky
Applications take too long to start and respond

I am not at all hardware savvy or software savvy

I do NOT have any security software protection at all

I run Registry Mechanic and Glary Utilities often

I am NOT a gamer - do NOT play at all

But I use my computer a lot for business and surfing

I need it to be very very RELIABLE and FAST

I DO use graphics software like Corel Draw and sometime Adobe graphics products to fix graphics files

I use a lot of office productivity tools and Customer Relations Management software

I use Acrobat Pro to create and edit pdfs and a lot of graphics file edits

I surf a lot with literally 30 windows open all at once

BUT my computer seems very tired and I think I need an upgrade

I am very confused about whether I should change my entire system or just upgrade

PLEASE advise with detail suggestions on specific hardware

I do NOT mind USED components

I am on a BUDGET

Thank you

Yacob


----------



## Solaris17 (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> I run Registry Mechanic and Glary Utilities often


Please uninstall this absolute trash.



nanotech said:


> I do NOT have any security software protection at all


Use Defender and download malware bytes to run periodically if you arent savvy and dont want to spend the money.



nanotech said:


> Applications take too long to start and respond



This is likely your old hard drive. I imagine you need to space since you use corel and appear to draw. I would reccomend getting a 250gb SSD for your OS and a new hard drive to actually store your stuff on.

This should remediate a lot of your issues.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Thank you Solaris


----------



## WatEagle (May 17, 2021)

Time to buy a sata ssd. You can easily clone your existing drive into the new one and be ready to enjoy it in very little time


----------



## Zyll Goliat (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Hello
> I currently have a Full size Cooler Master HAF X  case with the following build components
> ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard
> Intel i7 3820 3.6 GHz. CPU - Socket 2011 LGA
> ...


I believe that your biggest problem is that HDD drive that you already called "Old&Tired" it will be much better for you IF you can get yourself one SSD and install the system on it...GL


----------



## micropage7 (May 17, 2021)

i agree it looks like from your hdd, it start to wear, sometimes you gonna hear unstable spinning, harsh clicking, unresponse when copying big files, or just unusual noise when it run


----------



## Shrek (May 17, 2021)

A 2TB 3.5" Seagate FireCuda should make your PC more responsive (It has an 8GB solid state cache)
If you get a hard drive second hand be sure to check for any bad sectors.

You did not list your power supply.


----------



## ppn (May 17, 2021)

try SSD 128GB for the OS/boot drive, $20
1TB nvme on PCIe 4x riser adapter card, for working files and programs strongly advisable.
xeon 2650v2 $40 aliex
4x4 1866 server memory also at aliex $40 total.

that would be my best bet for $100, also by selling the old parts recoup some of the cost, you could keep them.


----------



## Zyll Goliat (May 17, 2021)

ppn said:


> try SSD 128GB for the OS, $20
> 1TB nvme on PCIe 4x riser adapter card, for working files strongly advisable.
> xeon 2650v2 $40 aliex
> 4x4 1866 server memory also at aliex $40 total.
> ...


ECC Reg memory don't work on his motherboard.......


----------



## puma99dk| (May 17, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> A 2TB 3.5" Seagate FireCuda should make your PC more responsive (It has an 8GB solid state cache)
> If you get a hard drive second hand be sure to check for any bad sectors.
> 
> You did not list your power supply.



You need to read up, the SSD cache doesn't work for sh*t, it never has in Windows because it moved the frequent used files over to the SSD part if there is space for the file this is the way Windows handle this so a SSD is much better then this.

Only place where the SSHD like the FireCuda tech worked was with PS4 it was faster at loading then a regular HDD but the SSD is the clear winner.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> A 2TB 3.5" Seagate FireCuda should make your PC more responsive (It has an 8GB solid state cache)
> If you get a hard drive second hand be sure to check for any bad sectors.
> 
> You did not list your power supply.


I have a NOCTUA  NF P12 cooling fan for the CPU and a FRACTAL design 750 Watt PS


----------



## ppn (May 17, 2021)

Zyll Goliath said:


> ECC Reg memory don't work on his motherboard.......


ehh, why. im sorry, i assumed since it is 2011.
OP can only trust the P9X79 PRO Memory QVL then.


----------



## Zyll Goliat (May 17, 2021)

ppn said:


> ehh, why. im sorry, i assumed since it is 2011.
> OP can only trust the P9X79 PRO Memory QVL then.


NP....I also wish it's working as I could get for myself some cheap ram


----------



## Chomiq (May 17, 2021)

Get a 500GB Crucial MX500 and run OS on it along with all the apps. Later on upgrade to additional 2TB HDD for storage.


----------



## puma99dk| (May 17, 2021)

Chomiq said:


> Get a 500GB MX500 and run OS on it along with all the apps. Later on upgrade to additional 2TB HDD for storage.



Not a bad choice, but I would look for what's needed usually a 250-256GB SSD is more then enough for most users.

But again check prices and see what's might be on sale sometimes you can be lucky


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

thank you all for the really quick response and great suggestions


----------



## Chomiq (May 17, 2021)

puma99dk| said:


> Not a bad choice, but I would look for what's needed usually a 250-256GB SSD is more then enough for most users.
> 
> But again check prices and see what's might be on sale sometimes you can be lucky


250 goes for $48, 500 is on sale at amazon for $56.


----------



## 64K (May 17, 2021)

When you're on a tight budget compromises have to be made but Defender should have come along with Win 10. Malwarebytes has a free version. Just download it and scan your PC and then uninstall.

If it were me I would get a small SSD and put the OS on that and a 4 TB hard drive and when you can upgrade to 16 GB RAM.

If you can buy from Amazon they are running a sale on WD Blacks HDD. Here's a 4 TB for $150



			https://www.amazon.com/Black-4TB-Performance-Hard-Drive/dp/B0792G331G/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3CCEFRRLP0ISE&dchild=1&keywords=wd+black&qid=1621257923&sprefix=wd+%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-4


----------



## Shrek (May 17, 2021)

puma99dk| said:


> You need to read up, the SSD cache doesn't work for sh*t, it never has in Windows because it moved the frequent used files over to the SSD part if there is space for the file this is the way Windows handle this so a SSD is much better then this.
> 
> Only place where the SSHD like the FireCuda tech worked was with PS4 it was faster at loading then a regular HDD but the SSD is the clear winner.


I have three 2TB 3.5" Seagate FireCudas and all work well (and fast) with Windows 10


----------



## puma99dk| (May 17, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> I have three 2TB 3.5" Seagate FireCudas and all work well (and fast) with Windows 10



Oh god please no, I thought these times where ancient where we seen Windows on large drives not even OEM's does this anymore expect with SSD's or RAID.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Any suggestions on which supplier is competitively priced with good quality hardware ?

Or do I have to shop at different suppliers ?

Is Aliexpress  a safe place to buy - good quality hardware ?


----------



## Shrek (May 17, 2021)

puma99dk| said:


> Oh god please no, I thought these times where ancient where we seen Windows on large drives not even OEM's does this anymore expect with SSD's or RAID.


Maybe you are right and I am a little behind the times ;-)


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Good Morning,

I have been building systems for about 30 years now, and while I understand the need to extract as much productivity out of your system as you can. There is a limit.

At some point you spent a considerable amount of funds on the system you currently have.  The board and CPU you have were considered upper level gear back when they were originally released but lets take a closer look at your gear:

That CPU was released in 2012, so its just about a DECADE OLD.  The mainboard is also from that same period.

It is a testament to how well made some of that gear was but if this is truly used for business than I would suggest its well past time for you to invest in some new gear.

You did however wait a bit too long given the sorry state product availability is in right now.

but there are a lot of helpful folks around, myself included that can help you find what you need.

Put plainly, you need a NEW SYSTEM, not upgraded parts and pieces.  Its slow because all the parts in it are 10 years and 5 generations+ old.

that is par for the course for gear of that vintage.  Nothing wrong with using it provided you understand the limitations and the expected performance you will get from it.

What I don't know is your budget, or if you can afford to replace your system, if you can, do your self and your business needs a favor and do that. .

I would suggest the following components as a place to start:

Availability is not guaranteed given todays shortages and increased pricing, but given what you had, here is something that will perform well given your previous standards:

Asus Strix X570-e Gaming
AMD Ryzen 5800X
(2) 16GB DDR4 3200Mhz Dims n- 32GB Ram total.
Sabrent Rocket Plus 1TB M.2 PCI-e 4.0 SSD
Phaneks Enthoo Pro Metal panel case Full tower, good cooling and not RGB infected
Windows 10 Pro - if needed or if you don't already have it.
850Watt ATX Power Supply, get something quality so you don't have to replace this later, ideally, if you can spend the extra get a 1000Watt, it will give you the needed power for a better video card later.
Video card, I wish I could make any kind of recommendation here, there just isn't much available, you could actually use your existing card although it will be disappointing.
If we are just making solid recommendations, and you can find one at a price less than a kings ransom, the 3070 RTX is a great card.

Apart from the video card, I have many customers running this exact configuration, we run it as an AutoCAD and Graphics workstation mostly.

Pay no attention to the "gaming" labels on the mainboard, I selected this one for features and reliability, I have yet to get a bad one of these.

It is fantastically fast and responsive and is able to manage heavy workloads.


----------



## xtreemchaos (May 17, 2021)

i agree with the new ssd it will solve loads, also how are your temps ? when was your cpu and gpu last pasted a bit of new Tim wouldnt hurt if its been a long time like morethan 3 years.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Forgot the CPU cooler, just stay with the basics, AMD Prism Air cooling is fine for the CPU I recommended.

PS, Avoid Ali Express if you can, I have heard some really mixed results out of there and some really wonky brands.  Stay with vendors that you can trust and return parts that have issues to.

Places like NewEgg.com

PS PS,

you could likely go with a lower end CPU to save on costs, but if you want this system to last you nearly as long as the last one, invest in better than average performance components, they will last longer and will maintain performance for a longer term as well.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> I currently have a Full size Cooler Master HAF X case with the following build components
> ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard
> Intel i7 3820 3.6 GHz. CPU - Socket 2011 LGA
> NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 gpu - 2 GB
> ...


My 2 cents, you have a decent system with potential.

Your i7-3820 is showing it's age. An upgrade would serve you well. As long as your BIOS is up to date you can drop in a Xeon and get a big boost.





						P9X79 PRO - Support
					






					www.asus.com
				




For example a Xeon E5-2667V2 is an 8core CPU that runs at 3.3 and gives an all turbo boost of 3.5ghz. That CPU will almost double your CPU performance.








						Xeon E5-2667 v2 3.3GHz 8c 25MB CPU LGA2011 X79 Motherboard 3.6Ghz Turbo  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Xeon E5-2667 v2 3.3GHz 8c 25MB CPU LGA2011 X79 Motherboard 3.6Ghz Turbo at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




Your RAM is easily upgraded just buy a 2x4GB kit to double your RAM to 16GB.








						"Lot of 2" Micron MT8JTF51264AZ-1G6E1 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-12800U DDR3-1600MHz RAM  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for "Lot of 2" Micron MT8JTF51264AZ-1G6E1 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-12800U DDR3-1600MHz RAM at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




Get an SSD and add it into your system but keep your 1TB Western Digital for mass storage. Avoid anything that is QLC NAND based. If the listing doesn't clearly state it has TLC, keep looking.

In this current market, GPU's are extremely pricey, even used. Your GTX 760 is an older but solid card. If you want to upgrade sooner look for a GTX 780 as such will give a solid boost over what you have now and will tide you over until GPU prices come down.








						Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 3GB GPU VRAM Graphics Card PC Gaming  | eBay
					

Nvidia GTX 780 Graphics Card. Serial number recorded. Always online! Works great. Excellent condition.



					www.ebay.com
				




The ebay links are just examples but should give you a good idea of what to look for.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

While I commend those recommendations as possible options, the mainboard is nearly a decade old.

I would not recommend buying more old components to upgrade your already ancient system board at this point.

There are risks associated with that path.  Bios updates might be needed and sometimes on older gear can brick the system.

These efforts will only bring diminishing returns.

This is the path you would likely take when you have 3-5 year old hardware.  and are looking to extend its life to 5-7 years.

Please do yourself a favor and replace the SYSTEM, even with a faster CPU and upgraded memory amounts, you will still be running a 10 year old system.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Thank you all again
@Morbius thanks for the really detailed analysis
Perhaps you make a very relevant observation about the vintage of my system
I will take heed of everyone's advice
Hope I make some good decisions
Much obliged guys  : )


----------



## Colddecked (May 17, 2021)

Morbius2021 said:


> Good Morning,
> 
> I have been building systems for about 30 years now, and while I understand the need to extract as much productivity out of your system as you can. There is a limit.
> 
> ...



I love a new PC like the next guy, but for his use case and his emphasis on budget, I don't like your recommendations.  There's no need for the massive upgrade you are suggesting.  He has obvious bottlenecks in the HD and RAM (get 4 sticks of 4gb for quad channel memory!).  If he were to just upgrade those two items, ALOT of his issues go away.  If he is willing to tune his system, he could even drop a 4930k/xeon 1650 or splurge for a 8 core xeon 1680, over clock to 4.4ghz, he could use the system for another 10 years if the mobo holds up.  If he was straight unwilling to tune the system, then maybe I can see the need for a new system, but there's much more budget friendly options than 5800x/asus x570 strix mobo...

And I would not buy a 780 to hold yourself over, considering you have a 760.  Save your cash until gpu market corrects itself...


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Thank you all again
> @Morbius thanks for the really detailed analysis
> Perhaps you make a very relevant observation about the vintage of my system
> I will take heed of everyone's advice
> ...


No problem, happy to help, I know its hard to make the leap, and sometimes, if you are happy with how things are working why fix what isn't broken?

In your current case though, it really does sound like its time to move on and up. Good luck.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Thank you Lexluther ........  also a decent suggestion

I think it is a factor of what I want out of this ...............................

A machine to tide me over for a bit 

or

a machine to last another 8 years

All good suggestions

You guys are all the best  .........  God Bless you all


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 17, 2021)

If you decide you want to go the upgrade route, chime back in here and we can help you through it.

I would warn against a brand new system build as GPU prices are just out of control. The only way you're going to get a good GPU is in a prebuilt system from a big-box vendor.

If you don't mind spending the extra money, then ignore my above warning.


----------



## Shrek (May 17, 2021)

Just my story and not saying its the best way to go

My main machine is a Core 2 Quad and still serves me well

I upped the RAM (but think your 8 GB is enough)
Upgraded the CPU from a Duo to Quad ($25)
Moved to a hybrid drive
For reliability I recapped the power supply and tested everything for flaws.


But if you have the money, take the advice to replace.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Colddecked said:


> I love a new PC like the next guy, but for his use case and his emphasis on budget, I don't like your recommendations.  There's no need for the massive upgrade you are suggesting.  He has obvious bottlenecks in the HD and RAM (get 4 sticks of 4gb for quad channel memory!).  If he were to just upgrade those two items, ALOT of his issues go away.  If he is willing to tune his system, he could even drop a 4930k/xeon 1650 or splurge for a 8 core xeon 1680, over clock to 4.4ghz, he could use the system for another 10 years if the mobo holds up.  If he was straight unwilling to tune the system, then maybe I can see the need for a new system, but there's much more budget friendly options than 5800x/asus x570 strix mobo...
> 
> And I would not buy a 780 to hold yourself over, considering you have a 760.  Save your cash until gpu market corrects itself...


Well , I would agree that sometimes just putting in some new parts will indeed wake up a dated system, I think you have missed the fact that this system isn't just dated, but ancient.  Investing in more ancient parts , even if they perform better will only result in marginal improvements.  He is also using this system for WORK, which means it is critical for his productivity, meaning it cant be down.  Buying ancient used gear is great when you are playing, or experimenting, but it cannot be counted on for production systems.  That is the key difference here.  If this is a production system, and not a hobby system, investing in a replacement is best practice, especially after nearly 10 years.



lexluthermiester said:


> If you decide you want to go the upgrade route, chime back in here and we can help you through it.
> 
> I would warn against a brand new system build as GPU prices are just out of control. The only way you're going to get a good GPU is in a prebuilt system from a big-box vendor.
> 
> If you don't mind spending the extra money, then ignore my above warning.


I agree with your statement regarding current GPU pricing, but even if he gets something basic a new system would still be of considerable help.



Andy Shiekh said:


> Just my story and not saying its the best way to go
> 
> My main machine is a Core 2 Quad and still serves me well
> 
> ...


Sir you illustrate my point quite well .

If you are happy with the performance of your system, don't fix what isn't broken. 

There are a lot of use cases for a Core 2 Quad, I have many of those doing mail filtering and most of them with 4GB of ram.

The systems that does that work really don't need much more that that.

I am not anti legacy gear, just looking to be usage case appropriate.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

Someone mentioned an RGB infection
As I can best understand this ......... it means a virus / bug in a hardware piece in the system
Apparently this will cause me endless problems ????
Can someone kindly explain if I understood this correctly and if this is true.
I am told that if this is the case it is best for new hardware ???
How do I know if I have this issue ???
Thank you


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Sorry that was meant to be a joke,

Much of the current hardware out there includes RGB LED lighting, it adds ZERO functionality but simply makes the new parts SHINY.

Memory, CPU coolers, and cases, almost all provide for this current trend.

The case I recommended has NO RGB "red green blue" LED Lights on it, except for the power switch and the HDD activity light.

If you do have a malware issue though, that can cause massive performance issues.

I would follow the suggestion another user made and get the following utilities to clean things up:









						AdwCleaner - Free Adware Cleaner & Removal Tool | Malwarebytes
					

Download Malwarebytes AdwCleaner for free to remove adware, bloatware, unwanted toolbars, and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) from your Windows PC. AdwCleaner destroys adware and restores your PC's performance.




					www.malwarebytes.com
				












						Malwarebytes Cyber Security for Home & Business | Anti-Malware
					

Protect your home and business PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices from malware, viruses & cyber threats with our comprehensive cyber security solutions. Free trials available.




					www.malwarebytes.com
				




download the free versions of both, run the scans and see what if anything they come up with.


----------



## nanotech (May 17, 2021)

@Morbius  .....Thanks    : )    - i did not catch that joke - due to my lack of knowledge -  I get it now    

Thanks


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> @Morbius  .....Thanks    : )    - i did not catch that joke - due to my lack of knowledge -  I get it now
> 
> Thanks


No problem, I didn't think about it when I originally typed it, sorry if I confused the issue.


----------



## BarbaricSoul (May 17, 2021)

Speaking from experience, if you can afford it, upgrade to a modern system. I know a lot of people are not going to agree with me, but hear me out. Last December I upgraded from a 3930k, 16gb DDR3 1600 RAM, and a 500gb SATA SSD (WD Blue) to a 10850k, 32gb DDR4 3200 RAM, and a NVME SSD (Samsung 980 Pro), and let me tell you, this upgrade blows the 3930k out of the water, both in gaming (which I know is irrelevant to you) and productivity. My WCG crunching results literally tripled. That also translates into productivity performance. The upgrade cost me about $700-800.

These were my WCG numbers with the 3930k-






And these are my WCG numbers with the 10850k-


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> @Morbius  .....Thanks    : )    - i did not catch that joke - due to my lack of knowledge -  I get it now
> 
> Thanks





BarbaricSoul said:


> Speaking from experience, if you can afford it, upgrade to a modern system. I know a lot of people are not going to agree with me, but hear me out. Last December I upgraded from a 3930k, 16gb DDR3 1600 RAM, and a 500gb SATA SSD (WD Blue) to a 10850k, 32gb DDR4 3200 RAM, and a NVME SSD (Samsung 980 Pro), and let me tell you, this upgrade blows the 3930k out of the water, both in gaming (which I know is irrelevant to you) and productivity. My WCG crunching results literally tripled. That also translates into productivity performance. The upgrade cost me about $700-800.
> 
> These were my numbers with the 3930k-
> 
> ...


Thanks, and in this case I agree.

I have lots of customers that we have done "upgrades" for over the years, the only upgrade we really found added value and real-world performance to their systems was by adding an SSD.

The subjective response by the users was almost always WOW what a difference!

Memory upgrades, while htey help help considerably less.

the thing we got the least bang for the buck from was CPU upgrades.

New systems though, especially when we have multiple core system standards change, i.e. moving from PCI-e 3 to 4, moving from DDR3 to DDR4 and Moving to systems with 8 cores vs 4, that made tons of performance difference.


----------



## Shihab (May 17, 2021)

Morbius2021 said:


> Well , I would agree that sometimes just putting in some new parts will indeed wake up a dated system, I think you have missed the fact that this system isn't just dated, but ancient. Investing in more ancient parts , even if they perform better will only result in marginal improvements. He is also using this system for WORK, which means it is critical for his productivity, meaning it cant be down. Buying ancient used gear is great when you are playing, or experimenting, but it cannot be counted on for production systems. That is the key difference here. If this is a production system, and not a hobby system, investing in a replacement is best practice, especially after nearly 10 years.



If this was a simple case where productivity correlates linearly with performance, you might have had a point here, but save for compute-intensive applications a la photorealistic CGI and mathematical sims, this is rarely the case.

Shaving a cumulative 5 minutes off a day's worth of filters and resizing is nice and all, but it's not really worth sinking $1k+ on a new rig. And makes even less when you count that equal (or better) gains could be made by just replacing the storage drive and adding extra memory.


----------



## outpt (May 17, 2021)

if you put a ssd in there now you will swear you have a new system. from there add other verious components as suggested.


----------



## BarbaricSoul (May 17, 2021)

Shihabyooo said:


> Shaving a cumulative 5 minutes off a day's worth of filters and resizing is nice and all, but it's not really worth sinking $1k+ on a new rig. And makes even less when you count that equal (or better) gains could be made by just replacing the storage drive and adding extra memory.



Upgrading the existing system will get the OP no more performance than I was getting out of my 3930k system. Trust me when I said, the performance difference between X79 systems and Z490 systems is HUGE. Especially considering this computer is a business use computer, meaning it's used to make money, it's worth the upgrade if the OP can afford to upgrade. I'm speaking from first hand experience here.



outpt said:


> if you put a ssd in there now you will swear you have a new system. from there add other verious components as suggested.



and if the OP tries a new computer, he/she will realize just how slow his/her x79 system is compared to new.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Shihabyooo said:


> If this was a simple case where productivity correlates linearly with performance, you might have had a point here, but save for compute-intensive applications a la photorealistic CGI and mathematical sims, this is rarely the case.
> 
> Shaving a cumulative 5 minutes off a day's worth of filters and resizing is nice and all, but it's not really worth sinking $1k+ on a new rig. And makes even less when you count that equal (or better) gains could be made by just replacing the storage drive and adding extra memory.


I would say it goes well beyond that.

Changing CPU's and doing Firmware updates on 10 year old boards can get really risky, especially for some one who isn't accustomed to do that kind of work.

I have had systems die form the basic act of tearing them down and installing new components.  systems can get very fragile when they run that long unchanged.

Other systems do just fine.  My point was that its a work computer, so it has to work.  A new system presents very low risk in terms of losing the one rig you NEED to work.

The other benefits are clear as well, but in the end, productivity is always the end concern.


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 17, 2021)

(others posted while I was writing this and I'm too lazy to edit )


nanotech said:


> I am NOT a gamer - do NOT play at all


I can't believe how many are ignoring that one line.  There's no need for a newer GPU or a 850-1000 watt PSU.



nanotech said:


> I surf a lot with literally 30 windows open all at once


This screams for more RAM.

@nanotech , you are at a fork in the road.  You either put a little money into what we all agree is an old system, or you buy something new.  If you go the new route, you really don't need much more than an off the shelf "office computer," except that you should have 16-32gb of RAM and make sure it's SSD based.

As for your current system, changing the HDD for a SSD, (seriously, a 1 TB SSD is not expensive, especially when this is being used for work, and going from a 1 gb HDD to a 1 TB SSD makes cloning easy) and adding 8 or 16 GB of RAM will do wonders.

The "best" method of adding RAM to your system is to find out exactly what RAM (make and model) you have and get a couple more.  Check the owner's manual to make sure that the RAM is in the correct slots.  With that being said, any DDR3-1600 RAM from one of the main manufacturers will most likely work without a problem.

If you were to build a new system using some of your existing parts, you're looking at about $700. 


			https://pcpartpicker.com/list/W8mHgt
		

I didn't use the i5-11400F because I don't think that there is a need for a dGPU.  I added an aftermarket cooler, but one really isn't needed.


----------



## QuietBob (May 17, 2021)

Hardware-wise, your PC should still be capable of performing the tasks you listed. I would mostly attribute the perceived sluggishness to the software, like old and bloated Windows install, or background processes stealing resources. That said, an SSD would improve your experience dramatically. If you decide to go the budget route, get a cheap 256 GB drive like the Crucial MX500, and install a fresh copy of Win10 on it. Keep your existing HDD for data storage. If you multitask (run a couple of apps at the same time), your next upgrade shoud definitely be the memory. Get a pair of matching 4 GB sticks for quad-channel operation and expand your RAM to 16 GB.

If you decide to replace your current rig, I would strongly recommend the Intel Core i5-11400, which is currently unbeatable for its price/performance ratio.


----------



## bobbybluz (May 17, 2021)

I still have two X79 rigs, one in daily use for A/V production work. A used Xeon 8 core E5 1680 V2 (overclockable) or 12 core E5 2697 V2 (locked multiplier) will give a huge boost in performance in addition to a SSD and more RAM. The prices on those two Xeons have been in the area of $90-130 on Ebay recently. My two E5 1680 V2's @4.5GHz are very close to my 5960X in a X99 mobo at the same speed. That being said I recently replaced the 5960X with a 16 core E5 2683 V4 Xeon and while having lower clock speeds the extra cores more than make up for it plus it runs a lot cooler.

We all have our own opinions. The biggest performance gain for the least amount of $$$ spent would be a Xeon CPU, SSD and more RAM. Your X79 is quad channel memory. Both of my X79's have 64GB each in them. With some bargain hunting everything is easily doable in the $200-300 range. X79 still has life in it with the correct components.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

thebluebumblebee said:


> (others posted while I was writing this and I'm too lazy to edit )
> 
> I can't believe how many are ignoring that one line.  There's no need for a newer GPU or a 850-1000 watt PSU.
> 
> ...


Normally, I would agree with you, the only reason I made the recommendations I did , including the high end PS was because this user had his system for "10" years+" that means that the components should be chosen to be both performant, and built for durability, a cheap office system would certainly work, "for the moment" but it wont last 10 years, and the way those cheap office systems are built these days it might not last 5 years.  Plus if its proprietary in design it will be a locked box with no upgrade or repair path past 4-5 years.

The system I laid out should last 4-7  years under normal use conditions, and the "granted" overkill PS should run well for the long term.

Cheaper PSU's tend to last about 3.0-3.5 years I have a graveyard of 500-650 watt power supplies from all vendors to prove this .

However, the 750 watt plus units tend to be built a bit better and tend to last longer.

The design wasn't about performance exclusively but about long term durability and service life.


----------



## 64K (May 17, 2021)

@nanotech is a new build something that you could afford right now or maybe soon? There's a lot of experience and knowledge on TPU and they can help you put together a build.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

QuietBob said:


> Hardware-wise, your PC should still be capable of performing the tasks you listed. I would mostly attribute the perceived sluggishness to the software, like old and bloated Windows install, or background processes stealing resources. That said, an SSD would improve your experience dramatically. If you decide to go the budget route, get a cheap 256 GB drive like the Crucial MX500, and install a fresh copy of Win10 on it. Keep your existing HDD for data storage. If you multitask (run a couple of apps at the same time), your next upgrade shoud definitely be the memory. Get a pair of matching 4 GB sticks for quad-channel operation and expand your RAM to 16 GB.
> 
> If you decide to replace your current rig, I would strongly recommend the Intel Core i5-11400, which is currently unbeatable for its price/performance ratio.





64K said:


> @nanotech is a new build something that you could afford right now or maybe soon? There's a lot of experience and knowledge on TPU and they can help you.


100% This, lots of helpful folks out here.  And there is no shortage of varied opinions on how to proceed, 95% of those are viable solutions in part or in full, in the end the more you know about it the better off you will be.  Don't take any ONE statement or view as absolute though, find the facts between the opinion lines .



Colddecked said:


> I love a new PC like the next guy, but for his use case and his emphasis on budget, I don't like your recommendations.  There's no need for the massive upgrade you are suggesting.  He has obvious bottlenecks in the HD and RAM (get 4 sticks of 4gb for quad channel memory!).  If he were to just upgrade those two items, ALOT of his issues go away.  If he is willing to tune his system, he could even drop a 4930k/xeon 1650 or splurge for a 8 core xeon 1680, over clock to 4.4ghz, he could use the system for another 10 years if the mobo holds up.  If he was straight unwilling to tune the system, then maybe I can see the need for a new system, but there's much more budget friendly options than 5800x/asus x570 strix mobo...
> 
> And I would not buy a 780 to hold yourself over, considering you have a 760.  Save your cash until gpu market corrects itself...


That's ok for you not to like my recommendations, we are all trying to help given our own perspectives and opinions, what works for you might not work for me, or for the OP in this case.  I do not claim to have the "best" or only answer, just what my experience tells me.  I have built over 2,000 systems for customers in the last 30 years, I am still doing it so I must be doing something right .


----------



## bobbybluz (May 17, 2021)

There's a great TPU forum for those of us still playing with the X79 platform. It's surprising that considering it's nearly 10 years old it still remains a viable option for some of us today. X79 and/or rampage IV OC'ing thread for those of us still left.... | TechPowerUp Forums


----------



## Colddecked (May 17, 2021)

Morbius2021 said:


> That's ok for you not to like my recommendations, we are all trying to help given our own perspectives and opinions, what works for you might not work for me, or for the OP in this case.  I do not claim to have the "best" or only answer, just what my experience tells me.  I have built over 2,000 systems for customers in the last 30 years, I am still doing it so I must be doing something right .



I'm not doubting your ability to build systems and those parts would certainly make a really nice PC, and OP would love it no doubt.  I just don't see the need for a 5800x/x570 combo, as its not very cost effective.  Yes, its a work PC, but he doesn't need zen3...

I have run a x79/4930k combo for a long time so maybe I'm a little biased?  For sure used parts are risky and would only go the used route if I got good deals.  If you are going to overpay, better to get new.


----------



## Shihab (May 17, 2021)

BarbaricSoul said:


> Upgrading the existing system will get the OP no more performance than I was getting out of my 3930k system. Trust me when I said, the performance difference between X79 systems and Z490 systems is HUGE. Especially considering this computer is a business use computer, meaning it's used to make money, it's worth the upgrade if the OP can afford to upgrade. I'm speaking from first hand experience here.



A newer CPU would indeed be "faster" in some metric, but that doesn't automatically translate to a -practically- better productivity. What would the user gain if the text on a word processor render 10 nanoseconds faster? No one denies the the performance difference is huge, but not all performance is useful under any given context. If 5% of the workload is bottlenecked by the CPU, not matter what CPU you get, the gains will not exceed that 5%, but on the other hand your ROI could potentially extend past the life the computer itself...



Morbius2021 said:


> Changing CPU's and doing Firmware updates on 10 year old boards can get really risky, especially for some one who isn't accustomed to do that kind of work.


I haven't mentioned CPU upgrades here. I'm mostly for the SSD/Memory upgrades, both are simple enough and require little effort.


----------



## Morbius2021 (May 17, 2021)

Colddecked said:


> I'm not doubting your ability to build systems and those parts would certainly make a really nice PC, and OP would love it no doubt.  I just don't see the need for a 5800x/x570 combo, as its not very cost effective.  Yes, its a work PC, but he doesn't need zen3...


ok, well I wont get into what he "needs" because that is a discussion with more variables that I care to get into.  I just provided a solid LONG term stable performance build that will make him happy today, and for some time to come performance and durability wise.

I completely agree that there are cheaper and lower performance options available , as to whether or not those other options are suitable, or what he needs isn't up to either of us.

Its the OP's decision.  I have ZERO stake in what he/she chooses, my previous statements are just an indication of the experience I have building systems, none of which gives me any particular and specific insight into what this or any other end user might "need".  That includes what they have now and what tasks they have to accomplish.  I can only go by what I have recommended in the past, and what has worked best in those cases.   Each system is unique and everything we as system builders design is just a best guess at what the end user needs.



Shihabyooo said:


> A newer CPU would indeed be "faster" in some metric, but that doesn't automatically translate to a -practically- better productivity. What would the user gain if the text on a word processor render 10 nanoseconds faster? No one denies the the performance difference is huge, but not all performance is useful under any given context. If 5% of the workload is bottlenecked by the CPU, not matter what CPU you get, the gains will not exceed that 5%, but on the other hand your ROI could potentially extend past the life the computer itself...
> 
> 
> I haven't mentioned CPU upgrades here. I'm mostly for the SSD/Memory upgrades, both are simple enough and require little effort.


I agree, I think I was referring to another post regarding CPU upgrades.

Like all things there is what is good on paper and what is actually good in terms of subjective end user experience.

I also agree that an SSD is by and large the best, lowest cost upgrade option out there.



Colddecked said:


> I'm not doubting your ability to build systems and those parts would certainly make a really nice PC, and OP would love it no doubt.  I just don't see the need for a 5800x/x570 combo, as its not very cost effective.  Yes, its a work PC, but he doesn't need zen3...
> 
> I have run a x79/4930k combo for a long time so maybe I'm a little biased?  For sure used parts are risky and would only go the used route if I got good deals.  If you are going to overpay, better to get new.


I also ran a number of x79 rigs, from 3820 to 4930k CPUs, then Jumped to X99's and a 5960x CPU, I ran my 5960x for nearly 3 years and really liked it.   What really pushed me to the next gen of gear was the Threadripper CPU's, I do some 3D rendering and I had maxed out my 5960x as it was really choking with some of the OPENGL Realtime rendering, most of that is video card bottlenecked but I also had issues with PCI-e 3.0 bandwidth when it came to pushing pixels fast enough.   I got some improvement with the TR system, but found that it was also limited by PCI-e 3.0.  I waited another 2 years before jumping to a bit of a beast that I use currently.
TR3970x , that along with a 3090 GTX made things just scream.



Morbius2021 said:


> ok, well I wont get into what he "needs" because that is a discussion with more variables that I care to get into.  I just provided a solid LONG term stable performance build that will make him happy today, and for some time to come performance and durability wise.
> 
> I completely agree that there are cheaper and lower performance options available , as to whether or not those other options are suitable, or what he needs isn't up to either of us.
> 
> ...


I on occasion will purchase used gear, but I try to limit those parts to 3-4 years old.  Mostly server hardware, I will never use USED drives, but CPU's and RAM and Server systems are usually pretty safe, especially if they came from datacenter locations.  No dust and good temp stability.  So I am not against buying used when its appropriate 

Just as a qualifier, the reason I recommended the Zen 3 systems over the Current Intel products is I have actually built a number of those systems.  I don't like the thermal characteristics of Intel's current crop of products, they run too hot and in my "opinion" will shorten the life of the system board as a result.  I built around 20 systems based on Zen 3, and all of them have performed VERY well for the customers who got them.  I haven't had any problems in terms of performance and the systems run stable under heavy workloads. I wish pricing on both Nvidia and AMD video cards were better, but my experience with Autodesk products have pushed me to stick with Nvidia cards over AMD, I have tried both, but in terms of overall stability and in terms of the drivers and hardware playing nice with CAD and Adobe products Nvidia seems more stable to me.   I have used many intel products in the past and have no issue recommending them when they provide a product that is stable and competitive.  At present I am unimpressed



bobbybluz said:


> There's a great TPU forum for those of us still playing with the X79 platform. It's surprising that considering it's nearly 10 years old it still remains a viable option for some of us today. X79 and/or rampage IV OC'ing thread for those of us still left.... | TechPowerUp Forums


Interestingly I still have quite a few of those in production.  Most of the legacy gear out there is x99 based now.

When they fail we do replace them, customers don't want to extend them now, but I would say I prefer the x99 platform overall.

The initial crop of x79 mainboards had their share of firmware issues, and quite a few of the ASUS boards we used failed for no apparent reason.

Asus also had issues with those firmware updates, about a year after they were released the bios format changed to the CAP format, and there was a lot of confusion regarding how to upgrade the boards.

Many of the systems required a BIOS recovery operation to get them past the original bios editions that were PRE CAP files.  Even the onboard BIOS update utility on the mainboards would crash if you treid to update them using that feature.


----------



## Why_Me (May 17, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Hello
> I currently have a Full size Cooler Master HAF X  case with the following build components
> ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard
> Intel i7 3820 3.6 GHz. CPU - Socket 2011 LGA
> ...


What country are you located and what is your budget?   <---- anyone not knowing the answers to those questions while giving advice on here should probably take a break.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 18, 2021)

Why_Me said:


> What country are you located and what is your budget?


Why that seems like a good question, there are reasons why we did not ask... 


Why_Me said:


> <---- anyone not knowing the answers to those questions while giving advice on here should probably take a break.


Why is that?


----------



## Why_Me (May 18, 2021)

lexluthermiester said:


> Why that seems like a good question, there are reasons why we did not ask...
> 
> Why is that?


Because making suggestions without knowing the OP's budget and location is akin to p1ssing in the wind.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 18, 2021)

Why_Me said:


> Because making suggestions without knowing the OP's budget and location is akin to p1ssing in the wind.


I disagree. Where they are is only helpful once they have decided what they want to do. The same goes for budget. Once they've made that choice getting details then come into play.


----------



## Why_Me (May 18, 2021)

lexluthermiester said:


> I disagree. Where they are is only helpful once they have decided what they want to do. The same goes for budget. Once they've made that choice getting details then come into play.


Not all countries have the same prices and/or inventory and we have no idea what the OP's budget is.  He might have a large enough budget to change his board, cpu and RAM while adding an SSD or he might not have enough to do jack with.  With that said I did a build last night for a guy in Vietnam and before I started looking up the components I was like _'no d@mn way are they going to have this over in Vietnam'_.  To my surprise they had a better selection of boards and cpu's than they have in the US seeing how their stuff is in stock.  He made out like a bandit.


----------



## tarkov1ch (May 18, 2021)

_*INSTALL AN SSD.*_
I do have an old laptop, a Dell L502X from 2011, which suffers from real slow-downs. Replaced with an SSD when I found out the hard drive was declining, but I can really say that it runs significantly better.
If you consider purchasing for it, I would suggest buying more and faster RAM. Airflow can be a good thing too, knowing that as components go older, they draw more power and accumulate more heat.


----------



## Gmr_Chick (May 18, 2021)

Just going to throw this out there, how about a Zen+ CPU and b450 or b550 combo, 16GBs of cheap RAM, and an SSD?


----------



## bobbybluz (May 18, 2021)

This is my last post on this subject. OP stated "I do NOT mind USED components" and "I am on a BUDGET". He didn't ask about building a new system. As I stated before his best option is upgrading the CPU, RAM and getting a SSD. An 8 core Xeon E5 1680 V2 can be had in the $100-125 range off Ebay. A 12 core E5 2697 V2 may be a few dollars more but would be perfect for his stated needs. With a bit of looking he should be able to score 32GB of DDR3 1866 for less than $100. There are several good 1TB SSD's for $100 or less. That combination will be like a new PC compared to what he has now.

The case he has is fine, the GPU will work for non-gaming applications. Personally I'd replace the PSU if it has a lot of time on it. I'd also do a fresh reinstall Win 10. Other than that I'd leave it alone. What I've mentioned above will cost less than a new GPU at the moment. If the mobo suddenly dies he can resell the upgrade parts on Ebay fairly easily if he so chooses. Brand name X79 boards are expensive on Ebay now. A used Sabertooth X79 costs more than what I paid for my first one new from Newegg on Black Friday, 2012. The X79 board he has will be fine with a Xeon (and better than any of the i7 Extreme Edition CPU's that were limited to 6 cores). If I scored a rig like what he has at the moment cheap I'd go the exact route I'm advising for it. I'd also add an Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 AIO to it.


----------



## Why_Me (May 18, 2021)

Gmr_Chick said:


> Just going to throw this out there, how about a Zen+ CPU and b450 or b550 combo, 16GBs of cheap RAM, and an SSD?


Or something like this if the OP has the funds for it.  Budget RAM but it plays well with Asus boards.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119388
ASUS PRIME H510M-A/CSM $99.99

https://www.adorama.com/inbx8110400f.html
Intel Core i5-10400F $150.99

https://www.newegg.com/team-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820331354
Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200 CL16 $82.99

https://www.newegg.com/team-group-1tb-cx2/p/N82E16820331561
Team Group CX2 2.5" 1TB SATA III 3D NAND Internal SSD $88.99

*Total: $423 USD*

https://www.newegg.com/evga-500-bq-110-bq-0500-k1-500w/p/N82E16817438101 
EVGA 500 BQ 80 Plus Bronze Semi Modular 500W PSU $44.99 

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-focus-g-mini-micro-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352068 
Fractal Design Focus G Mini Black MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case $55.99


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 18, 2021)

Why_Me said:


> Not all countries have the same prices and/or inventory and we have no idea what the OP's budget is. He might have a large enough budget to change his board, cpu and RAM while adding an SSD or he might not have enough to do jack with. With that said I did a build last night for a guy in Vietnam and before I started looking up the components I was like _'no d@mn way are they going to have this over in Vietnam'_. To my surprise they had a better selection of boards and cpu's than they have in the US seeing how their stuff is in stock. He made out like a bandit.


While that's a good set of points, the op needs to decide what they want to do first.


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Hello Everyone
I must say that I am amazed at all the really thoughtful and sincere responses and the way all of you have reached out to assist me with my dilemma.
Thank you all again - very much - I am much obliged to all of you.

My conclusions are as follows ........

There is NO wrong way to go about this and all your suggestions were based on just a few lines from me about what I need.

Based on such little information everyone has made totally awesome suggestions.

The best way does depends totally on what I can afford - so yes my budget ( which I did not mention ) will dictate how to best go forward.

Ideally if I could afford it ................... a NEW system is the way to go.
So those who made this suggestion - thank you
I know you have given me excellent advice and I appreciate it 

Unfortunately I am on a budget  and it is my shortcoming that prevents me from taking this route.

So I will have to go with the UPGRADE route even though it is not ideal - it will tide me over for a decent amount of time 


I am based in Toronto, Canada and I can spend about $300

Some  GOOD  NEWS  

I was doing a major cleanup of the office and I came across a package of goodies  

A  Brand New Sealed box -   Samsung 500 GB SSD  -  V-NAND SSD - 860 EVO  sata 6 Gb/s   
A  Brand New Sealed box -   Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017
A  Brand New Sealed box -  Windows 10 Pro

Question - Is it necessary to go back to the store ( Staples ) and get the latest versions of the Acrobat and the Windows ?
Hope that is not a silly question - all the boxes are SEALED - Never opened
And the package has the receipt also ( 2018 ) - I guess someone wanted to do an upgrade a few years ago .....

All 4 RAM slots are currently occupied by 4 X 2 GB RAM  -  see pic attached - Kingston HyperX Genesis
I guess I will have to sell these and get either 4 X 4  or  2 X 8  RAM sticks - not sure which is a better configuration - I do not think I will add more later.

Will the SSD drive attach to the SSD Caching Connector on the MB - see picture  ????

Also, is that Noctua Fan assembly too BIG - or is it OK ?

Further PROBLEMS to consider about the Case
One rear USB slot stopped working recently
The rear SOUND output connection stopped working also recently
I now connect sound to the front output jack
In front -  all jacks stopped working except the USB and SOUND jacks

I know that the front panel connectors can be replaced as an assembly from Cooler Master

BUT the rear issues are directly on the motherboard
I guess I can manage for now  but I would like your suggestions

All of you have helped a great deal so I shared pictures of the PC just so you get a better feel for what it looks like

Thank you all


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> One rear USB slot stopped working recently
> The rear SOUND output connection stopped working also recently
> I now connect sound to the front output jack
> In front - all jacks stopped working except the USB and SOUND jacks
> ...


So good to hear that you have a SSD and OS for your new build.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> I am based in Toronto, Canada and I can spend about $300


Given that budget, I would strongly advise upgrading rather than buying new.

Your motherboard should have 4 empty RAM slots[8 total, do correct if incorrect] so buying 4 more 2GB DIMMs would be inexpensive and boost longevity to you system.





						2gb ddr3 kingston hyperx: Search Result | eBay
					

Find great deals on eBay for 2gb ddr3 kingston hyperx. Shop with confidence.



					www.ebay.ca
				



Alternatively you can get 4 4GB DIMMs;








						32GB 16GB 8GB 4GB PC3-12800U DDR3 240Pin DIMM Desktop Memory RAM For Crucial LOT  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 32GB 16GB 8GB 4GB PC3-12800U DDR3 240Pin DIMM Desktop Memory RAM For Crucial LOT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.ca
				




The CPU upgrade has a number of option that are relatively inexpensive;








						Intel Xeon E5-2667 V2 3.3GHz 8-Core 16T 25M PROCESSOR LGA2011 SR19W CPU  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Intel Xeon E5-2667 V2 3.3GHz 8-Core 16T 25M PROCESSOR LGA2011 SR19W CPU at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.ca
				











						INTEL XEON E5-1650 V2 6 CORE 3.5GHZ 10MB SR1AQ IVY BRIDGE SOCKET LGA2011 CPU  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for INTEL XEON E5-1650 V2 6 CORE 3.5GHZ 10MB SR1AQ IVY BRIDGE SOCKET LGA2011 CPU at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.ca
				




For the time being, you have an otherwise decently solid system.


----------



## QuietBob (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> So I will have to go with the UPGRADE route even though it is not ideal - it will tide me over for a decent amount of time
> I am based in Toronto, Canada and I can spend about $300


If you can stretch your budget just a little, I'd strongly recommend buying a motherboard, CPU and RAM. Those are the only components you need to enjoy a new and very responsive system. Your current motherboard is starting to fail, I'd seriously consider replacing it for reliability. With that newly found SSD, you can reuse all your other hardware.

The combination below will work much faster in your use scenarios. It will also be much faster than any upgrade to your current config.


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

So if I opted to stay with the CPU I have what is a decent cost motherboard upgrade  for me ?
Can a motherboard that supports DDR4 RAM accommodate my CPU ?
Should I just go for 32 GB RAM  - will it really be a lot better than going for 16 GB -  I currently have only 8 GB
Is it necessary to get a board that will be able to accommodate the newer NVMe storage cards ?


----------



## Shrek (May 18, 2021)

Install the SSD; 8GB of RAM is enough for Windows 10

See how that runs

Zero cost upgrade


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Yes that does sound great
I am just a bit concerned about the failure of some of the functions on the MB 
This is why I asked about the idea of upgrading the board
The I can buy the less expensive DDR4 - if the board will accommodate my CPU
This will also give me a chance to re - paste the CPU for better heat transfer
I could then also get back my audio port and USB port that I have lost
and maybe some other advantages with a newer board ???
Hope this make sense


----------



## r.h.p (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> So if I opted to stay with the CPU I have what is a decent cost motherboard upgrade  for me ?
> Can a motherboard that supports DDR4 RAM accommodate my CPU ?
> Should I just go for 32 GB RAM  - will it really be a lot better than going for 16 GB -  I currently have only 8 GB
> Is it necessary to get a board that will be able to accommodate the newer NVMe storage cards ?



i think what quietbob said will work


----------



## Chomiq (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Will the SSD drive attach to the SSD Caching Connector on the MB - see picture  ????


Use regular port. SSD caching port is a leftover from the period when SSD's were super expensive.



Marked as 7 below:


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> So if I opted to stay with the CPU I have what is a decent cost motherboard upgrade for me ?


You don't have that option. Your CPU is of a platform that is discontinued. Changing motherboards would give you no advantage as you would still be limited to DDR3. Even though the 2011 socket has DDR4 variants, a newer CPU would also be required. 2011 DDR4 is the X99 chipset and your CPU is exclusively X79 which is limited to DDR3. Your best option is to upgrade your CPU as it's only a quad core and most games and programs run better on a 6 or 8 core model.

If you'd like some tips and help, visit the following threads;








						X79 and/or rampage IV OC'ing thread for those of us still left....
					

I can't find anything resembling "new" threads or even replies to old threads about poor, little neglected x79 and 2011 v1! users not 2011-3 threads which I'm sure are all over those who still have money to upgrade an entire system...which currently I don't.  So I got my system tweaked with new...




					www.techpowerup.com
				











						Xeon Owners Club
					

Because i have seen around in the Forum that many of us are Xeon Cpu owners i have created this Thread.  This Thread is for everything that has to do with Xeon Cpu's and Xeons Builds as well here you can show off your Xeon Machines.  Let's start Posting.  Cheers.  This is my Dual Xeon L5640 6c/12t




					www.techpowerup.com
				




Upgrading your CPU would be a trivial effort and would grant you a solid performance boost as would running 4x4GB of RAM on it.


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

OK
Thank you


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 18, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Can a motherboard that supports DDR4 RAM accommodate my CPU ?


No


nanotech said:


> Is it necessary to get a board that will be able to accommodate the newer NVMe storage cards ?


Related to question above - no


nanotech said:


> Should I just go for 32 GB RAM - will it really be a lot better than going for 16 GB - I currently have only 8 GB


16 GB is going to be a lot better than 8 GB.  32 GB will only be marginally better.


nanotech said:


> All 4 RAM slots are currently occupied by 4 X 2 GB RAM


I think you're only seeing the RAM slots on one side of the CPU, largely because of that big cooler.  That motherboard has 8 slots.


nanotech said:


> 1 TB Western Digital Hard Drive - old and tired


According to your screen shot, you have a 640 GB HDD


nanotech said:


> I am just a bit concerned about the failure of some of the functions on the MB


That's what my previous post was trying to get across.  Your present motherboard is dying and it's time to move on.

I'm working on a build....


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Thanks for the correction
You do make a valid point about moving on
I will get 16 GB RAM
What board would you suggest would be the best value for money considering my CPU / GPU and cooler
My case is big - lots of room


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 18, 2021)

Prices in Canada!!!  And your Craigslist is depressing
Here's what I'd recommend:
Reuse your PSU, CPU cooler and bring the HDD along for data storage. I wish the case could be replaced...USB3. Install OS and apps on the SSD.
$265 Newegg.CA Intel Core i5-11400 This has built in graphics because I don't trust that GTX 760 to last much longer.
$165 Newegg.CA ASRock H570M PRO4 500 series motherboard with 4 RAM slots so you could get 16 GB now and add more latter if needed
$120 Newegg.CA CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200

That's already $550, and I don't know if there's tax on top of that.


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Thanks for the suggestions
I will look it over
I did a comparison between the of the Intel Core i5-11400 and the Intel Xeon E5-2667 V2 8-Core online
The i5 seems to do very well


----------



## AsRock (May 18, 2021)

Solaris17 said:


> Please uninstall this absolute trash.
> 
> 
> Use Defender and download malware bytes to run periodically if you arent savvy and dont want to spend the money.
> ...


^^ THIS ^^


How ever just getting a SSD might be all you need. But you need to stop installing crapware.


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 18, 2021)

BTW @nanotech , I think your computer is like this car:


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

@ ASRock which crapware ?

@ thebluebumblebee  - yes I think you got that right  : )

I gotta move on from this old machine to a newer build like you suggested.


----------



## claes (May 18, 2021)

Why are people telling OP that his motherboard is failing?

@nanotech, upgrade to a newer platform if you want to/can afford to, but even a fresh install of Windows 10 on your newly acquired SSD is going to be a profound upgrade for the basic office tasks you’re performing. I’d try that out and then see how you feel about your computer from there.

Sure, you could upgrade the RAM (best next upgrade since you like to have a lot of tabs open) or CPU from there (I’d just wait until your PC dies for your tasks), but folks here are trying to turn your web browsing machine into a workstation or an entry-level gaming PC. That’s fine, but if what you have on hand works for you and you don’t want to spend money, it’s okay to be frugal about things you don’t need.


----------



## Shrek (May 18, 2021)

Well, I suggested he use the SSD and Windows 10 he already has, and that he doesn't even get more RAM (8GB is not exactly small); a zero dollar solution.








						PLEASE  HELP - should change my entire system or just upgrade
					

There's a great TPU forum for those of us still playing with the X79 platform. It's surprising that considering it's nearly 10 years old it still remains a viable option for some of us today. X79 and/or rampage IV OC'ing thread for those of us still left.... | TechPowerUp Forums




					www.techpowerup.com
				



I think it was the OP who said one of his USB ports stopped working.


----------



## Why_Me (May 18, 2021)

https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1842_1960&item_id=169093
ASUS PRIME H410M-E $94.99



			https://www.pc-canada.com/item/BX8070110100F.html
		

Intel Core i3-10100F (4 Cores/8 Threads) $103.99

https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_1326&item_id=138225
G.SKILL Aegis Series 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2666MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit $99.99

*Total: $299 CAD*









						PRIME H410M-E｜Motherboards｜ASUS USA
					






					www.asus.com


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Yes it was I that mentioned about the USB port and the Audio out jack failing on the rear on the motherboard


----------



## Shrek (May 18, 2021)

Why not spend the evening installing the SSD? and then deciding if you need more.


----------



## nanotech (May 18, 2021)

Will do
Thank you


----------



## QuietBob (May 18, 2021)

There is heaps of good advice in this thread and folks are genuinely interested in helping the OP. This is what you would expect from a knowledgeable and dedicated community. But it seems to me that not everyone has given enough priority to OP's needs and their intended computer use:



nanotech said:


> The system is slow and cranky
> Applications take too long to start and respond
> I use my computer a lot for business and surfing
> I DO use graphics software like Corel Draw and sometime Adobe graphics products to fix graphics files
> ...



It is clear that their main activity is office productivity. These scenarios rest on high IPC, not core count. Also the general "feel", or responsiveness, of the system will be largely influenced by higher IPC and clock speed - rather than taking advantage of multiple threads. While I wouldn't call the i7-3820 "sluggish" or "obsolete" for office use, it is plain that the OP would really benefit from having faster cores, not more of them. Even a contemporary 4c/8t CPU will fit the OP's needs perfectly.


----------



## bobbybluz (May 19, 2021)

QuietBob said:


> There is heaps of good advice in this thread and folks are genuinely interested in helping the OP. This is what you would expect from a knowledgeable and dedicated community. But it seems to me that not everyone has given enough priority to OP's needs and their intended computer use:
> 
> 
> 
> It is clear that their main activity is office productivity. These scenarios rest on high IPC, not core count. Also the general "feel", or responsiveness, of the system will be largely influenced by higher IPC and clock speed - rather than taking advantage of multiple threads. While I wouldn't call the i7-3820 "sluggish" or "obsolete" for office use, it is plain that the OP would really benefit from having faster cores, not more of them. Even a contemporary 4c/8t CPU will fit the OP's needs perfectly.


As one who has firsthand knowledge and years of experience with the X79 platform I've learned that more cores make a huge difference and do so at lower CPU temps. Also, replacing an 8 core 5960X in X99 with a 16 core Xeon E5 2683 V4 running at half the clock speed yielded things like A/V transcoding being much quicker at far lower operating temperatures. I'm currently in the process of replacing an ASRock Z87 Extreme6/4790K w/32GB of RAM with an Asus X79 Sabertooth/Xeon E5 1680 V2 w/64GB of RAM. I have an identical Sabertooth/1680 V2 in another rig and it blows away the Z87 in every aspect. 8 cores vs 4 at the same speed (4.5GHz) with the same cooling setup runs vastly cooler under load. The Xeons are better silicon than the i7's.

I've noticed it being stated that 8GB (2 x 4) of RAM is "enough". X79 is a quad channel memory platform and only using half of it is a huge waste of potential resources. 4 x 8GB is the minimum (32GB) for any type of production work. I've tried 4 x 4, 4 x 8 and finally found the best to be 8 x 8 (64GB). Faster clock speeds don't allow you to have more windows open, more system resources do. A 4c/8t CPU bottlenecks what the X79 is really capable of doing no matter what clock speed it's running at. I had a 3930K running at 5.02GHz in one of my X79's and a 1680 V2 at 4.5GHz absolutely killed it in benchmarks and actual use plus runs cooler. I had a 4960X in that same rig before the Xeon and I sold it as soon as I put the Xeon in.

I just looked on Ebay and the 1680 V2's start at $120 now, they were at $90 a few weeks ago. the 12 core 2697 V2's start at $135 at the moment, they were $120 a few weeks ago and there was one last night for $125. Lex's preferred 8 core locked E5-2667 V2 is at $119 to start with. There no way a 4c/8t CPU will come close to any of those no matter how fast it's clocked. On the extreme side of things I have a 22c/44t E5 2699 V4 w/128GB of RAM in another X99 and it beats my i9 9900K/Z390 Asus Maximus XI Hero Wi-Fi at 5.2GHz with 64GB of DDR4 3600 in transcoding and barely gets warm doing it. Less than half the clock speed but almost 3X the cores.


----------



## Colddecked (May 19, 2021)

You don't need to get a new version of Windows, it will download automatically.  Just do a fresh install on that new SSD you found. 

For 300, go 4x4 ram for quad channel (you don't even need to find super fast memory, 1600 quad channel will be ok), and scrounge ebay/local parts boards for a xeon 1650 or 1680


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

Thank you Colddecked


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

Hey, on the upside the cryptocoin market is crashing hardcore. So tech prices are about to drop like a stone...








						Coinranking | Cryptocurrency Price List - Top 50 Coins Today
					

View the list with all cryptocurrency prices of today. View live values of Bitcoin, Ethereum and thousands more.




					coinranking.com
				




So GPU prices are likely to come down a lot very soon.


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

What caused this crash? or was it just due?


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> What caused this crash? or was it just due?


Your guess is as good as mine. Might have been a number of factors working together for all we know. It's too early to tell for sure.


----------



## n-ster (May 19, 2021)

Make sure to do a clean install of windows on your new SSD. How much would 4X2GB be on your local Kijiji? (Kijiji is much more popular than craigslist in eastern Canada)


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

n-ster said:


> Make sure to do a clean install of windows on your new SSD. How much would 4X2GB be on your local Kijiji? (Kijiji is much more popular than craigslist in eastern Canada)


I just looked up going prices, the OP should be able to get $35 to $45CND for his 4x2GB.


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

I recently (April) got 2 x 4GB Micron Crucial DDR3 used on ebay for $25 with shipping and tax, but remain of the opinion that what he has may be enough.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> I recently (April) got 2 x 4GB Micron Crucial used on ebay for $25 with shipping and tax, but remain of the opinion that what he has may be enough.


8GB is a good base. 16GB would just be a good boost for a bit of future-proofing. I personally think the CPU upgrade is more important. A Xeon E5-1650V2 or E5-1660V2 would be a good sweet-spot in performance boost VS cost.


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

He told us late in the game that a USB port was broken... this sort of changes things a bit for me.


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

I saw 16 GB ( 2 X 8 )  for CDN $100 at newegg.ca









						HyperX FURY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model HX316C10FK2/16 - Newegg.com
					

Buy HyperX FURY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model HX316C10FK2/16 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!




					www.newegg.ca
				




sorry about the delayed info about the USB and rear Audio port


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

nanotech said:


> I saw 16 GB ( 2 X 8 ) for CDN $100 at newegg.ca


You want to go for 4x4GB. The reason is memory bandwidth. You have a quad-channel memory system. If you only use 2x8GB the system will only run in dual channel mode cutting you RAM bandwidth in half. Not what you want to do. Look for a kit of 4 to get the most from your system.



nanotech said:


> sorry about the delayed info about the USB and rear Audio port


No worries. Are you thinking of a sound card to replace the onboard sound?


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

Thanks for the bandwidth tip
I think the smaller modules are also a bit cheaper
I did not think of a sound card - maybe I should - right now I use the front port - very messy with wires  : (


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

nanotech said:


> sorry about the delayed info about the USB and rear Audio port


Have you tried silicone oil on the connectors? has solved a lot of issues for me.

And I agree, a CPU upgrade will get you more than a RAM upgrade, given you already have 8GB


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

No I did not
I did not know that silicone oil can help
What exactly does the oil do ?  I am interested to know


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

It protects against corrosion and is like the silicone grease used on car connectors; but use sparingly.

I would be reluctant to sink money into a damaged mother-board, but have been known to replace the USB connector on a mother-board; not easy as all the ground planes make soldering hard (they conduct away the heat).


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Thanks for the bandwidth tip
> I think the smaller modules are also a bit cheaper
> I did not think of a sound card - maybe I should - right now I use the front port - very messy with wires  : (


Try looking up a Sound Blaster Audigy FX 5.1 PCIe. 





						Amazon.com: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX PCIe 5.1 Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp: Computers & Accessories
					

Buy Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX PCIe 5.1 Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp: Internal Sound Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com
				



Canada Amazon should have that card for a similar price. You can then disable the onboard.

Andy and I agree that the CPU upgrade is the more important point. Sound card should be next.


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

Sounds like a good plan  : )


----------



## n-ster (May 19, 2021)

You could buy this 4x2gb kit to up your ram https://www.kijiji.ca/v-computer-co...rsair-dominator-dd3-4x2gb-for-sale/1567186377 , combined with that SSD, and honestly I think you should keep it at that. Save up money for a newer build later on. I know you have that upgrade itch, but considering you're on a tight budget, probably best to avoid spending anything and just make things work better with the current PC with as little money as possible. You'll end up with fast storage and 16GB of RAM, which should give you a big jump in performance from what you have currently


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

I am just talking with someone who has 4 sticks of 1600 Kingston RAM  so that I can use more channels to get more bandwidth
but i will consider this Cosair - hopefully it is not too tall for my cooler


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

Use Speccy or Task manager to see your RAM usage (with all those Tabs open); if you don't hit near 8GB, more RAM is probably not going to be of much benefit.

There is also very little benefit to dual and quad channel (i.e. you won't even notice it)
Single Channel vs. Dual Channel vs. Quad Channel Memory (techguided.com)

If I were you I'd install the SSD you have.

Does anyone know how much change the Windows 10 license will allow? I went from a dual to a quad without issue.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> Does anyone know how much change the Windows 10 license will allow?


3 main components in a given 12 month period, or a motherboard at any time unless replaced by an identical model.


----------



## docnorth (May 19, 2021)

It’s a rare occasion to have such consensus, a 2,5” SSD could change your PC, especially the load speed and responsiveness of your applications. Personally I would opt for 1TB (or minimum 500GB).


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> I went from a dual to a quad without issue.


You'll be fine.


----------



## Shrek (May 19, 2021)

He already has a boxed 640GB SSD but for some reason is not trying it out.

It might be all he needs.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 19, 2021)

docnorth said:


> It’s a rare occasion to have such consensus


Yeah, it's really rather cool when everyone comes together to help someone do an upgrade and/or solve a problem.


----------



## nanotech (May 19, 2021)

Just a matter of time
I will give it a shot this long weekend
I have to make sure I can have the files from the HDD copied for safety and then replace the drive and then install the OS and then the software

I can only do this with confidence when I have the office work halted which is over he weekend

We cannot afford to not have our system up and running during regular business days



And I really wish I had you alls confidence and knowledge

You guys are awesome


----------



## Shrek (May 20, 2021)

If your business depends on this PC, you really, really need a backup machine; so I don't see you have much choice but to get a new PC and relegate what you have now to a backup role.


----------



## Why_Me (May 20, 2021)

Andy Shiekh said:


> If your business depends on this PC, you really, really need a backup machine; so I don't see you have much choice but to get a new PC and relegate what you have now to a backup role.





Why_Me said:


> https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1842_1960&item_id=169093
> ASUS PRIME H410M-E $94.99
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Shrek (May 20, 2021)

I'd say he also needs a case if the old machine is to stay intact; that or just get an off-the-shelf PC


----------



## n-ster (May 20, 2021)

Whoa if that kind of reliability is required for your business, I'd suggest not cheaping out. There is something to be said for going with a big name's (ie Dell, Lenovo...) office/business prebuilt and purchase the on-site warranty for example. Considering you are intimidated by this kind of stuff, don't try to assemble or upgrade this PC, instead keep it as a working backup, that way if you have issues setting up your new PC or forgot a file etc, you can go get it easily.

What kind of business?


----------



## thesmokingman (May 20, 2021)

bobbybluz said:


> I still have two X79 rigs, one in daily use for A/V production work. A used Xeon 8 core E5 1680 V2 (overclockable) or 12 core E5 2697 V2 (locked multiplier) will give a huge boost in performance in addition to a SSD and more RAM. The prices on those two Xeons have been in the area of $90-130 on Ebay recently. My two E5 1680 V2's @4.5GHz are very close to my 5960X in a X99 mobo at the same speed. That being said I recently replaced the 5960X with a 16 core E5 2683 V4 Xeon and while having lower clock speeds the extra cores more than make up for it plus it runs a lot cooler.
> 
> We all have our own opinions. The biggest performance gain for the least amount of $$$ spent would be a Xeon CPU, SSD and more RAM. Your X79 is quad channel memory. Both of my X79's have 64GB each in them. With some bargain hunting everything is easily doable in the $200-300 range. X79 still has life in it with the correct components.


I have a friend that was using that era xeons doing production work in LA. He finally broke down and came to me to help him cut his render times which typically ran 5 hours to days. He makes his living on that machine. After much discussion, he was leaving a lot of bread on the table because he couldn't bill more work because he's waiting hours to days for the rendering to finish... only to find mistakes, errors or other issues which meant that he'd have to go through that all over again. Threadripper 3's just released and so it was decided to throw money at the problem. Also, his rig could not handle his dual sandwiched and aircooled 2080ti, obviously not many can on air. Fast forward and 10K later, he's running a 3970x and his 2080ti are under water. Jobs that took 5 hours now take an hour. Needless to say his ability to make more profit in the same time frame has increased exponetially to the point that he's considering a second TR station.


----------



## nanotech (May 20, 2021)

Hello

Will this work on my system

G.SKILL DDR3-1866 PC3-14900 16G RAM

I am being offered 4 X 4 sticks for CDN $65 = USD $ 55

I like to try this and the SSD over the weekend

Thanks

​


----------



## X71200 (May 20, 2021)

Yeah, those sticks should work.

On the sound card, I wouldn't bother with that Ghetto Blaster. It's an antic sound card and a waste of money.

Look for cheap DACs from FiiO and such, even the meh ones are a lot better than that ancient card.


----------



## Shrek (May 21, 2021)

Do the SSD and RAM upgrades separately as I suspect you won't notice any benefit from the RAM upgrade.


----------



## nanotech (May 21, 2021)

Will try that 
Thank you


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 21, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Hello
> 
> Will this work on my system
> 
> ...


Should be just fine. Seems like a good deal too!



Andy Shiekh said:


> Do the SSD and RAM upgrades separately as I suspect you won't notice any benefit from the RAM upgrade.


Not in the context of initial system snappiness, but in apps that have a large memory footprint, yes. As apps fill up RAM during use the system will have to swap to the main storage A LOT less with 16gb VS the 8GB they have now.


----------



## thebluebumblebee (May 21, 2021)

lexluthermiester said:


> Not in the context of initial system snappiness, but in apps that have a large memory footprint, yes. As apps fill up RAM during use the system will have to swap to the main storage A LOT less with 16gb VS the 8GB they have now.


OP will be going to 24 GB.  No need to remove the 4 x 2GBs that are installed.


----------



## nanotech (May 21, 2021)

I read this online ..................................  
Is it correct ?

All 6GB/s drives on the X79

Plug your SSD in one of them - as close as possible to the RAM

PS remember if you are installing windows onto the SSD do not have the mechanical drives connected until windows is done installing

Having them connected while installing windows can screw up the installation as windows doesn't recognise SSDs as standard

Also remember to have AHCI enabled in the BIOS.



thebluebumblebee said:


> OP will be going to 24 GB.  No need to remove the 4 x 2GBs that are installed.


I am not entirely sure if I can use all the RAM slots because of the Cooler

I will have to check

I was actually thinking of removing the 4X2 GB sticks and installing the 4X4 sticks because of the space issue

But I will open the system and see if I can have the RAM sit directly under the CPU Cooler - it seems pretty tight at first glance


----------



## Radu Steven (May 21, 2021)

nanotech said:


> Hello
> I currently have a Full size Cooler Master HAF X  case with the following build components
> ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard
> Intel i7 3820 3.6 GHz. CPU - Socket 2011 LGA
> ...


Buy a 250 or 500gb ssd from a reputable brand, ssd's have come down in price a lot and it's an great way to speed up your computer.
Also get faster memory since 800 is really slow for ddr3 and even get a 16gb of ram since you mentioned that you have a lot of tabs open
Get rid of crappy apps and get Malwarebites or bit defender, maybe even do a Windows 10 for workstation install
And lastly update at least the graphics card and network drivers


----------

