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gate1975mlm
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Philadelphia, PA

1 edit

gate1975mlm

Premium Member

Re: [Parts Check] Help with buying parts for a new computer?

Thanks for all the advice!

My current desktop has the Intel Core 2 Duo 6400 with a DG965WH Motherboard, AMD 6570, 4GB DDR2 Ram and a 7200 RPM Hard Drive.

Do you think if I just added a SSD Drive it would greatly improve the loading of apps and the OS as a whole? The computer is about 7 years old so I wonder if it would make sense adding a SSD Drive to a 7 year old pc vs just buying a new one.

kingdome74
Let's Go Orange
Premium Member
join:2002-03-27
Syracuse, NY

kingdome74

Premium Member

My guess it would be faster but not the way you think it might be. I have a SSD drive on a SATA II mobo and while it is faster it's not the bump I thought it would be. By changing everything over to SATA III is going to be a major operational speed upgrade.

From how you describe your needs I think you'll be disappointed by anything you could do with your current computer. Obviously you'll need a new mobo, CPU, RAM, SSD, and a PSU. Buying a prebuilt might be a bit cheaper but you get quality control if you do it yourself. Fortunately the prices for what you want are pretty cheap comparatively speaking.
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

1 recommendation

asdfdfdfdfdf to gate1975mlm

Premium Member

to gate1975mlm
For everyday use I don't see why a 6400 dual core should be inadequate.

If what you are primarily wanting is faster app loading time then an ssd might be a good investment. You don't need to get a big one and should be able to spend less than $100.
You can always install it in a new machine if you decide you want to go that direction, so it isn't like the money is thrown away if it doesn't give you the results you want.

If your system is becoming more sluggish your biggest problem may be OS bloat and/or malware. Your simplest and cheapest first option might be to back up personal data and reinstall the OS.

kingdome74
Let's Go Orange
Premium Member
join:2002-03-27
Syracuse, NY

kingdome74

Premium Member

Excellent advice as usual. I just want to add if you do purchase a SSD make sure it's for SATA III in case you build or buy a new one down the road.
SD6
join:2005-03-26
Pittsburgh, PA

SD6

Member

Will a SSD for SATA III require a low-voltage power connector which a 7 year old PSU is unlikely to have?
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

If the psu is too old to have the connections you can convert a power plug just as easily for a few dollars, otherwise a new psu wouldn't be a bad idea for being so old anyway.

With that said ssd will not make the processor, memory, or gpu run any faster. At the most the os will load a bit faster when installed to it, and programs will load a little faster. It's a luxury item. I've ran operating systems from a usb 2/3 drive, and they work fine, so it's just a matter of loading speed. Once programs are in memory the ssd isn't going to help anymore until more things need to be loaded from the drive.