Modernizing a outdated computer.
Modernizing a outdated computer.
I have an HP Compact PC from 2007 with an Athlon 64 X2. I upgraded to a Ryzen 5 2600, an RX 580 GPU, and an 8GB RAM stick. I’m unsure what to do with the old HP now that I have a better machine. I was thinking about upgrading by adding DDR2 memory to 8GB and getting a GPU that doesn’t need an external PSU, since the HP’s PSU and motherboard can’t be removed. Should I do this? Comparing the cost of DDR2 memory to my 8GB Ryzen PC, I think these games should run fine. My advice: yes, it could be a good idea to pass it along to your cousin during quarantine—it might be his only fun source.
Not ideal for a media center in the living room with a budget used GPU, though it might work for retro games. For gaming, the CPU is largely outdated.
You're focusing on just boosting the HP Compaq to meet Dota 2 and CS:GO specs. Would starting with a basic build be more practical given your budget and current setup? The main driver for the upgrade seems to be the cheapest DDR2 RAM, which likely isn't the biggest performance issue.
It's fine, it really is a mess and overclocking isn't an option. It gets hot even when idle, and you can't change the coolers due to the design. Maybe I'm just too attached since this machine has been reliable for me.
Don't go for it. The price you pay isn't worth it. If you really want to improve it, replace everything—mainboard, CPU, RAM, GPU, and possibly the PSU if it's not power-efficient. It adds a bit more cost but greatly boosts performance and responsiveness.
It will likely run extremely slowly. My system uses an Athlon II x2, which is outdated and already struggles with many games in my Steam collection. Most of them won’t work, partly because my GPU isn’t powerful enough. Plus, newer programs often require specific instruction sets that this CPU doesn’t support. A lot of amd64 extensions have been added since it was released, but not all applications use them. Those that do may function poorly or run much slower due to outdated methods. I’m considering giving it away or selling it. (Note: If anyone wants to buy an Athlon II x2 220, I’m not ready to sell yet.) Edited May 22, 2020 by fordy_rounds "might be as fast" should have been "could run slowly."