Should I Get a New PC?

It's getting to be about that time that I need to upgrade. My current PC is a pre-built Dell that's finally showing its age. I'm on the fence as to whether I should do some upgrading of my current PC or getting a new one as my current prebuilt has a Dell motherboard and it would be nice to have a motherboard that's not so locked down, but I'm not entirely sure I would like to drop that amount of money considering I really only use my computer for Logos and web browsing. It would be nice to do some video work on my PC, as my MacBook is also getting outdated… so I'm on the fence and could use some recommendations.

My current specs:
AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Quad-Core Processor, 3.10 GHz
16.0 GB Ram DDR4 3200MHz
AMD Radeon RX 560
M.2 SSD

I would venture to say I'm about due for a processor upgrade. I'm fine on storage, I have a 1TB SSD and multiple internal and external large HDDs, so I can take that off the table.

How would you spend ~$200 USD upgrading this PC, or would you just bite the bullet and get a new prebuilt that has a more compatible motherboard? I could use some guidance.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

xnman

Let's take a gander at this....

#1. The old adage, "If it works don't fix it" is a good adage to follow. There will come a time when your computer will not work because of the new programs demanding more than your computer can give them. So the question here is, "Does your computer work?"

#2. Many computers seem to be going to NVidia chips and veering away from Intel chips. I don't know why, but I do know that NVidia is into A.I. and that's why their stock has shot up through the roof so to speak. I am wondering if "new computers" are going to have A.I. built in somehow and demand these new chips that have A.I. in them. My guess is that they will....

That would mean that new computers, with the A.I. chips will demand something more than the older computers can give them and probably mean also that as more and more of the A.I. computers become popular, then computers, like yours and probably mine, will not be able to keep up with what is demanded of them when the new A.I. programs are installed.

Like I said, this is all a guess.. but it seems logical

#3. So, put all this together.... and it might be wise to wait until after 1st quarter of 2025 to see what will happen with all this....

But then there is another consideration.... I'm seeing where computer prices are pretty cheap right now (whatever cheap means).... so if #2 is wrong... then it might be wise to buy a new computer around the holiday season.

My issue .... I feel the urge to buy a new computer as mine is showing age also. I definitely would like more than the 12 gig of Ram that I have (probably 32 gig)... but I am stuck with waiting on what happens in #2. So, I'll just wait a while.... [8-|]

Maybe someone has more insight than I about all this... ?????

Justin Gatlin

What processors are compatible with your motherboard? I agree that it is the weakest link in your setup by far and if you can substantially upgrade it, you can extend the life of this machine almost as much as you would with a brand new machine.

John

How would you spend ~$200 USD upgrading this PC, or would you just bite the bullet and get a new prebuilt that has a more compatible motherboard? I could use some guidance.

are you already running windows 11? If not, are you planning to upgrade?

Veli Voipio

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323046#Comment_1323046

I bought a new laptop last summer (saying that if Taiwan will become occupied, the prices will go up - as an excuse of course [:)]).

The new one is Dell XPS 16 (9640) . It has 1 TB SSB, and 4060 video driver. Works very well with Logos, actually it is an overkill for that. It also has a NPU (Neural Processing Unit, plan to use it for electronics development, but also for Logos).

The old one is 7 years old; it has problems and limitations but I still use it for music.

Jack Hairston

If you decide to buy a new computer, consider getting one with a SSD (solid state disk) instead of a regular mechanical rotating disk.

An SSD is much faster and more rugged because it does not crash after being dropped on the ground. You will be amazed at its speed.

As always, get the biggest one you can afford because software keeps growing in size.

(Just my two cents...

Jack

Frank Hodges

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323018#Comment_1323018

So the question here is, "Does your computer work?"

I would say yes, and no... the frequency of me getting irritated that my computer isn't running how it used to is growing... It's definitely time for an upgrade of some type. Whether that's a full upgrade or component upgrade, I'm not sure yet.

it might be wise to wait until after 1st quarter of 2025 to see what will happen with all this

This (and yearly sales) are something I haven't considered... thanks, this gives me some food for thought.

Frank Hodges

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323021#Comment_1323021

What processors are compatible with your motherboard? I agree that it is the weakest link in your setup by far and if you can substantially upgrade it, you can extend the life of this machine almost as much as you would with a brand new machine.

Unfortunately, from what I've read on different forums, not many. Dell does some proprietary motherboard type deal and the BIOS for this specific model was never updated. I read that a few users were able to update to slightly better processors, but it seems hit and miss. If I go this route (which I think I probably will), I'll have to get a new case, mobo, and CPU... this kind of seems like the move. Though I found a decent build on FB marketplace for only $300 which would be not much more than the price of these couple upgrades.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323247#Comment_1323247

What processors are compatible with your motherboard? I agree that it is the weakest link in your setup by far and if you can substantially upgrade it, you can extend the life of this machine almost as much as you would with a brand new machine.
Unfortunately, from what I've read on different forums, not many. Dell does some proprietary motherboard type deal and the BIOS for this specific model was never updated. I read that a few users were able to update to slightly better processors, but it seems hit and miss. If I go this route (which I think I probably will), I'll have to get a new case, mobo, and CPU... this kind of seems like the move. Though I found a decent build on FB marketplace for only $300 which would be not much more than the price of these couple upgrades.

A 7 year old CPU means the motherboard is not equipped for an upgrade, especially when the BIOS is not updated (this is old old tech as UEFI is now used!).

If you are a builder, a new motherboard + components could work, but the external connectors in the case would have to be compatible e.g. for USB C as well as older USB A e.g. my case was able to support a motherboard upgrade but I had to use the faster USB 3.0 via an external cable from the rear.

danwdoo

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323018#Comment_1323018

#2. Many computers seem to be going to NVidia chips and veering away from Intel chips. I don't know why, but I do know that NVidia is into A.I. and that's why their stock has shot up through the roof so to speak. I am wondering if "new computers" are going to have A.I. built in somehow and demand these new chips that have A.I. in them. My guess is that they will....

For consumer systems, Intel and Nvidia are separate categories of chips. Intel offers general processors and Nvidia offers specialized chips used in graphics cards (and data centers). They are not chips that can be swapped out for one another in current systems like Intel Core and AMD Ryzen chips can be. Just about all the new CPUs from Intel, AMD, and ARM offer Neural Processing Units built into the chip that are designed specifically for AI type workloads. As an example, Windows Copilot PC's require chips that offers at least 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second) to qualify for their AI branding.

John

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1323018#Comment_1323018

I feel the urge to buy a new computer

Apple just released its new M4 iMac. The 24" model is only $1299 and comes standard with 16GB RAM [:)]

Advice to the OP: upgrading an old Dell sounds like a huge waste of money. upgrading a CPU on an old motherboard is not going to increase performance much as you still have slower memory and slower access to slower storage. If any factory built PC has lasted more than 5 years, you got your moneys worth out of it.