Hey /g/uys, I found this old thing sitting in my basement and figured I could repurpose it as an entry level gaming rig for my nephew.
I don't do a whole lot of desktop maintenance, but I have a pretty general grasp on pc maintenance.
I'm picking up a modular power supply from a friend in a bit so it can support a better video card and possibly an SSD.
Swapping out the HHD for a larger one, and considering a new fan.
How badly will I be bottlenecked with the current processor? Because I can pick up a newer Nvidia gpu from the same friend for pretty cheap, but I don't want to get it if it won't preform that well with the current cpu.
Sorry if it seems too much like a /muh tech support/ post, but I'm hoping you guys can provide some feedback for my current process.
>>53642239
>Because I can pick up a newer Nvidia gpu from the same friend for pretty cheap
Which GPU?
>>53642257
He has a EVGA GTX 960 lying around, he's offering it to me for like $40.
>>53642239
Above all else it needs more RAM.
You'll be bottlenecked on anything more than a 750Ti, and you'll likely get stutter on modern games when things get busy.
>>53642275
You'll need a 6 pin PCI-e connector for that card. I doubt the PSU has one.
>>53642320
>more RAM
That won't be a problem, I can get two DDR2 4gb sticks soon.
>bottleneck in anything more than a 750ti
Should I get a new processor to accommodate the 960?
>You'll need a 6 pin PCI-e connector for that card
Yeah, I'm picking up a modular 650w power supply later today.
>>53642239
Buy a q6600. They are cheap nowadays and the 2 additional cores will give it the performance it needs.
>>53642404
A Q6600 or Q8200 (check which the mobo supports) will improve performance in multi threaded games.
However, the low single thread performance due to the age of the core2 line means it is likely to stutter (ie drop frames) in most modern games. Whether that makes the game unplayable or not is up to you.
Personally, looking at the stuff you're throwing at it, I'd just get a G3258, a cheap h81 board, and a modded BIOS to overclock it, that would completely remove any CPU bottlenecks for ~less than $100
>>53642239
>I could repurpose it as an entry level gaming rig for my nephew.
>for my nephew
That lucky fker. Get the best Core 2 Quad supported by the Mobo.
2 GB more of Ram.
GTX 750 Ti or 760
Get a small 120 GB SSD.
No need for a larger HDD. If needed get 500 GB more.
MAKE HIM HAVE FUN.
>>53642515
The q6600 can still play modern games. Just type any game and q6600 in youtube and you will find loads of videos of it running more or less smoothly.
>>53642567
I did something similar to OP.
It will run with decent average frame-rates of course, but in my experience the FPS tanked when things in the game got busy (lots on screen, physics calculations etc.). As said, it's up to the user if this is acceptable or not.
>>53642239
>core2duo
not a pentium D into the trash it goes
I got loads of these computers in my school, in pic related everything looks the same as my schools computers
OP, D E F I N I T E L Y get the 960 for $40. It'll be bottlenecked a bit due to the pci version probably but who gives a fuck. It's a solid deal. You literally cannot find a gpu that good at that price. Anyway get a modular power supply and be sure to get sata power cables. At least 3 of them. And be sure it has an 8pin (or 6pin) power connector as well. Any modern psu has both. Check the requirements for the 960. The cpu will be fine if the game uses mostly gpu processing. Even if not, p sure your cpu can handle it. Reapply thermal paste. The 960 is a once in a lifetime deal.
>>53642239
Hey OP, I've worked with Dells that are in this form factor. Before you get anything, did you realize that this case is a low-profile case? A normal ATX PSU won't fit in this thing and EVGA doesn't make half-height, low profile GTX 960s. $40 for a 960 is a really good idea, but you're gonna find out fast that the card isn't gonna fit in that case.
>>53644643
Thanks for the tip, I'm looking into cases right now.
>>53644702
Just use some old standard case. No need to buy something new or fancy for that hardware.
>>53644702
I'm amazed no one pointed it out yet. The low profile HD 2400 and that small PSU should have made it obvious that this is a small case. You can look up low-profile video cards. I think the GT 730 is the most powerful out there but it's not a gaming card.
Also, the screw holes on the motherboard won't line up with any case; it's a BTX motherboard, a dead standard, no case supports BTX anymore.
>>53644974
Just buy an old one.
>>53645006
An old BTX case? Those are hard to find and can fetch for $50 or more on eBay, amazingly. I thought the idea was to repurpose a machine for cheap? At that point, may as well as buy a new motherboard and CPU, and get a modern case instead.
>>53644702
OP do what this >>53642562 Anon said and go for a low profile GTX 750 ti. Many manufacturers make them and they go for $100 or so new. It's perfect for this case; it's a cheap gaming video card that will fit in this low profile case.
Here is one from MSI:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127836
Another from Gigabyte:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125680
Get one of these and be at peace.
Or he could just use it without the sidepanel
>>53645703
He can get a 960 cheaper. Fuck the side panel and remove it
>>53646145
Maybe, but it's more likely that one of the video output connectors will get in the way of the frame of the case. Either get the 960 and test fit or go for the neat solution and get the 750 ti low profile model.
At what point did a "I found an old CORE 2 FUCKIN DUO DELL in the basement" post not become instant underage b&?
Are none of you old enough to see this as more than just technology before your time? This was a pretty decent, powerful machine when I started browsing this site. Finding an old computer in the basement was a Pentium II at best. Fuck.
>>53646613
The Core 2 Duo era coincides with the proliferation of accessible smart phones as well as the beginning of the decline of desktop usage among the majority (read: normies). It's also the beginning point where PCs were cheap enough to be considered disposable. So it's perfectly conceivable to me that someone would throw their Dell workstation PC in the basement once they got shiny new laptop or Iphone in 2008.
Besides, I'm only here to consul wisdom. If you don't want to hear it, I'll say no more...
>>53646473
Cut the case. Its shit anyway.
>>53642515
>G3258
far worse stuttering than with the setup he already has
>>53646613
The system has been down there for at least five or six years, was my brother's computer before he built his own.
>>53642239
DON'T JUST DON'T
I had one of these DELLs
The cooling setup is terrible!
The hot air from the Processor just stays in the case and blows directly over the caps / northbridge heatsink! It's a nightmare!
I had the SFF (small form factor) and turned the fan 180° so that the air gets sucked out through the CPU heatsink. It lowered the temperature by 10°C.
Use some program to measure your systems temperatures and post them!
>>53642632
>pentium D
But why?
>>53642632
>>53647223
>>53647124
> Pentium D
enjoy your house on fire! fags!
OP here, I'm back from doing more research and checking for local listings and I found a system that has an i5 6500, 6 GB RLM, and a 300 GB HDD for $120. With that price, is it worth just scrapping the hardware I have now and starting with this new system? I figure the 6500 won't bottleneck the 960 as bad as the core duo would have, so I'm almost completely convinced to invest in this system. Any thoughts?
>>53647912
>6GB RLM
RAM, Sorry
>>53645703
the gigabyte one probably won't fit, these cases only allow for single slot gpus
>>53647912
>skylake i5 + ram + hdd for $120
or did you mean i5-650
>>53646890
>>53645006
>>53644643
The SFF Optiplex case/motherboard I have uses weird ass proprietary connectors for everything, for example the ribbon cable in pic related connects to a small PCB with the front panel USB/power switch/status LEDs, etc so you're kind of fucked if trying to use a non-Dell BTX motherboard in a Dell case or a Dell motherboard in a random BTX case. Best case scenario is you find an optiplex mini tower case, which should have the same connectors as the motherboard.
>>53648099
oh gosh, yeah it's a 650. my mistake.
fuck off /v/
>>53648420
>/v/ builds their pcs
please anon
>>53648459
only gamertards build PCs anymore you tool
Ok OP go for the 650.
>>53644702
>>53645006
This >>53648207 Anon is right, Dells in this era use specialized front panel connectors; you won't find a non-Dell case that will support it. You could transplant that daughterboard somewhere and still use it, but fuck is that a lot of work for nothing.
>>53648018
You know what, now that I look at it, you might be right Anon. BTX boards mount cards upside up, as opposed to ATX boards that mount them upside down. You might still be able to fit the MSI GTX 750 low profile card, but the cooler might get in the way of those capacitors nearest to the PCI-E slot. You might need to cut down or modify the shroud over the cooling fan of the video card if you want to go this route. Again a lot of work.
>>53647912
> i5 6500, 6 GB RAM (Correction), and a 300 GB HDD for $120
What video card comes with it? Or is that price as-is and you're getting the 960 separately?
Either way, fuck yeah, that's a great deal. A modern system for low cost - snatch it up before someone else does!
Kind of a shame you'd have to put away the Dell again though. It's worth monkeying around with when you get the time. Modifying the cooler of a GTX 750 to fit in it would be a fun project, if you ask me.
>>53650116
>i5 6500
It's actually a 650, my mistake.
I may actually try getting a 750 in there and swapping out the PSU. Could probably hand that over to my youngest cousin for his birthday or something.
>>53651142
You mean swapping out the PSU in the Dell? That's hard considering that it's also a non-standard form factor. The best you can do, that I've found, is to get an SFX PSU like the Silverstone ST45SF-G and cut out a piece of sheet metal that lets you screw onto the PSU and then screw into the opening for the original PSU. I really don't think you need to do that, since the 750 ti doesn't need extra power and is efficient enough to run on the 300w-400w POS Dell gave you.
Either way, there is some modding you probably need to do. For a guy like me, that's a fun thing to figure out, but it could be a hassle for someone not used to cutting and drilling metals.
