Create a new guide for upgrading to a system with an i7 930 processor
Create a new guide for upgrading to a system with an i7 930 processor
Greetings all,
Approximate Purchase Date:
August, 2010
Budget Range:
< 1000 after rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important:
Practicing and recording music with Audacity, Pro Tools and MUseScore with a Focusrite 2i2, while watching instructional videos, Microsoft Office products, surfing the internet.
Are you buying a monitor:
No
Parts to Upgrade:
Motherboard
CPU & a cooler
Video card
Memory
HDD (if I am building, I would like to go SSD)
Do you need to buy OS:
Yes
Preferred Website(s) for Parts:
Amazon
Newegg
Location:
Montana
Parts Preferences:
I have had good luck with the current Asus Motherboard, so I am partial.
Overclocking:
No
SLI or Crossfire:
No
Your Monitor Resolution:
1920 x 1080
Additional Comments:
My current system is very quiet. I would like to keep it that way.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:
I built a system in 2010 for Photoshop, casual gaming, watching videos, and surfing the internet. It has performed flawlessly, in fact it handled Photoshop like a dream.
But, times change. I have changed careers. I no longer use Photoshop, and I don’t game on it anymore. For several years, I only used it for casual surfing, banking, and keeping photos.
For the last couple years, I have been using it primarily for playing and recording music via Audacity and Pro Tools. This is just a hobby. I am learning to play bass guitar. This system allows me to watch instructional videos and record what I play for later review. For that, I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to input audio. It is operating smoothly and handling the workload just fine.
However, I am getting the warning that I need to upgrade to Win11, but cannot because the motherboard\CPU don’t comply.
This computer has served\is serving me very well. It has plenty of processor to do what I need. The best case scenario would be to just somehow get Win11 to work on it. But since it is 14 years old, I wouldn’t mind replacing it.
I am stuck between buying an off the shelf system (note: I am laptop-opposed) or upgrading what I have. The system I built was with the thought of potentially upgrading as necessary, hence the nice full tower case and big PSU.
I hate the thought of an off the shelf system. I like building systems because it is fun, though this one was the last one I did.
I love my HAF X case. It is huge, but not taking up much-needed space. It was super easy to build my current system in it. I have had several other mid-tower cases over the years, but they all had drawbacks. My biggest complaint is that the current system will heat my office. In the summer, that can be a pain. But with A/C, I can keep the room at 77° or so.
Current system:
Case:
Coolermaster HAF X
Motherboard:
Asus P6X58D Premium
Power Supply:
Zalman ZM750-HP 750w
CPU:
Intel core i7 930 2.8 GHz quad core
Memory:
2Gx3|CORSAIR CMP6GX3M3A1600C8
I have since replaced this with (3) G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) Desktop Memory, 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
CPU cooler:
ZALMAN|CNPS10X
Video card:
ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB
This was replaced by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti that a friend gave me
Monitors:
(2) - Asus VH236H via DVI
Primary HDD:
WD Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0
Secondary HDD:
WDC WD10EZEX-08WN4A0 ATA 1 TB
Tertiary HDD
External Seagate 2 TB SSD USB I use as a backup drive.
CD/DVD:
ASUS 24x DRW-24B1ST SATA CD\DVD Burner
I would like to reuse my case, power supply (unless it is suggested I replace it due to age), CD\DVD burner, external SSD HD, and monitors\keyboard\mouse.
I am thinking I could probably sell the mobo\CPU\HDDs to someone locally that is into building systems and doesn't mind it cannot run Win11.
Yes, the new power supply is good.
HAF X remains a solid case.
X58 motherboards still have value for enthusiasts who want working boards. There are Chinese refurb boards available that include modern upgrades such as NVMe.
I believe a RTX 3060 paired with a reliable 8-core CPU would be sufficient.
PCPartPicker List of Components
CPU:
Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor
($203.08 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
MSI PRO Z790-S WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
Silicon Power Value Gaming 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
($79.98 @ Amazon)
Storage:
Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($84.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC Rev 2.0 GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card
($279.99 @ Amazon)
Case:
Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply:
Corsair RM650 (2023) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($79.99 @ Corsair)
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit
($119.99 @ Adorama)
Total:
$1033.91
Prices cover shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2025-01-16 16:52 EST-0500
PCPartPicker List of Components
CPU:
*
Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor
($109.04 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
*
ID-COOLING FROZN A410 BLACK 78.25 CFM CPU Cooler
($26.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
*
Gigabyte Z790 S WIFI DDR4 (rev. 1.0) ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
($123.18 @ Amazon)
Memory:
*
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
($51.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:
*
Acer Predator GM7000 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($132.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
*
Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC Rev 2.0 GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card
($279.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
*
Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 (2024) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($84.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System:
*
Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit
($119.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $929.16
Costs cover shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected lowest prices based on criteria*
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-01-17 05:19 EST-0500
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-1...tions.html
https://www.idcooling.com/product/detail...name=FROZN A410 BLACK
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z79...-rev-10#kf
https://www.predatorstorage.com/products...4-ssd.html
https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/G...-rev-20#kf
Back in the day when I set up my current system, most people agreed to keep a dedicated HDD just for the operating system, then another HDD for all your other programs. I went even further and used a third one just for storage—photos, music, documents, etc.
Is that still common? With SSD HDDs becoming so affordable now, I wouldn’t hesitate to stick with that approach. I appreciate the Gigabyte board having three M.2 slots. I was considering using only 500 MB for the main drive and a 1 TB as a backup.
(Note, I didn’t realize the SSD drives were mounted directly on the board. That’s impressive—this is what happens when you ignore the tech trends for a decade, lol)
It simplifies backup processes. Both options work well. The ones you rely on often can be placed on the OS disk. I think a 1TB minimum is ideal. 512GB units are significantly cheaper than before. A bigger storage capacity generally leads to improved speed and durability. SATA SSDs remain solid for backups, while 6-8TB hard drives are now reasonably priced.
Separating the operating system and apps across different drives doesn't provide significant advantages.
Having the OS and applications on one drive while using other drives for storage.
Games such as Steam content can also be placed on alternative drives.
However, the Steam client and all your other programs remain on the same drive alongside the OS.
I would consider using a separate SSD for the operating system and another for storage/games. Since you're not focused on gaming, a 3060 wouldn't be essential either. Even if gaming were a priority, the RX 6600 offers better performance and lower cost.
I opted for an APU with AM5, which is still significantly improved over current options. It provides room for future upgrades, especially if your requirements evolve in the next few years. That's because AM5 support extends through 2027, and possibly beyond.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 7 8700G 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor
($254.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
ASRock B850 Pro RS ATX AM5 Motherboard
($179.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:
G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
Inland Performance Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($69.98 @ Amazon)
Storage:
Inland Performance Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($129.99 @ Amazon)
Case:
Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply:
Corsair RM650 (2023) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($79.99 @ Corsair)
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit
($119.99 @ Amazon)
Total:
$967.81
Prices cover shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2025-01-17 11:05 EST-0500
Ten years ahead it seems an RTX 3060 could still work, acting as a budget-friendly workstation card. The main upgrade would be simple, making an RX6600 a decent alternative too. I wouldn't suggest Intel right now for such tasks.
I also considered an AM5 model, but a 7700 would have been expensive. With the time passing, the motherboard's upgrade options aren't as important.
Examining the IGP of the non-APU chips suggests it meets their current needs. GPU upgrades seem straightforward later on. Considering their long system lifespan, a 12-core model would be more suitable. I excluded Windows from the selection to enhance performance. They may still use their existing license key if linked to a Microsoft account, enabling access on the new system. Otherwise, I’d run Windows without a license until funds allow acquiring one, which would eliminate the annoying watermark and unlock customization options.