HDD upgrade on old desktop

Happy_Harry

I have a 6 years old Packard Bell i3 (first gen I am sure) that is still ok for what I want it to do:

Plex server
VPN hub
File storage
GIMP
and just the usual browsing incl flash games, website building and a limited amount of burning CDs.

Last year I upgraded RAM to 7Gb, I added a few USB 3.0 ports and put in a larger (2TB) HDD in order to store more videos.
Then this year I upgraded to win 10. I have since had issues with memory warnings, slight delays with keyboard inputs when playing flash games and some issues with network adapters, nothing major, but still annoying.

As I have never done a clean re-install of windows, I thought now would be a good time, as I am sure windows is clogged up with programs I don't use anymore and generally it needs a deep clean.

I don't necessarily want to spend a lot more money on upgrades, but I also don't want to fork out 6/700 euro for a new one, as it still does what it needs to do. The case and motherboard also don't really invite upgrades.
However I would like to add an SSD for the OS. The whirring of this drive, drives me crazy, and I think I would see a noticeable improvement for a relatively small investment.

In relation to that I have one dilemma and one question

I have only 2 SATA ports on the motherboard and I would need a third to add the SSD. I could get a PCI card, but most cheap ones seem to have a 32 bit limitation, I have 64 bit and I want to limit further spend on this machine.
So, I could work around as follows:
Remove the optical drive or remove the current hard drive and put it in a usb 3.0 dock.
Would I see a degradation in for example plex when playing videos from the hard drive in the dock ?
I have an old usb 2.0 external hard disk enclosure that I could connect the optical drive to.. Is the usb 2.0 a serious limitation for an external CD/DVD drive ? Will I actually miss the optical drive at all ? I used to burn DVDs and CDs a lot , but it feels that that is pre-historical these days.

I remember having issues with windows activation (at the time it was 7) when I changed the hard drive last year. Will I see these again if I want to do a clean install on the SSD ?
Maybe do the clean install on current HDD and then clone to SSD straight after ?

Some insights are very welcome..

Johnboy1951

I would remove the optical drive.
If necessary buy an external USB connected optical drive.
Optical media is slooooow, so connecting to USB 2 is not going to impact on performance.

Buy an SSD of suitable size for the OS, and use the HDD for storage of large files and data.

You might even consider using Linux on that machine or use a dual boot set up.

Happy_Harry

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I would remove the optical drive.
If necessary buy an external USB connected optical drive.
Optical media is slooooow, so connecting to USB 2 is not going to impact on performance.

Buy an SSD of suitable size for the OS, and use the HDD for storage of large files and data.

You might even consider using Linux on that machine or use a dual boot set up.

I will then get rid of the optical drive, decision made...
I feel too old to start messing with Linux at this stage, but thanks for the suggestion.

Johnboy1951

Happy_Harry wrote: »

I will then get rid of the optical drive, decision made...
I feel too old to start messing with Linux at this stage, but thanks for the suggestion.

Age is no barrier

TerrorFirmer

7GB of ram is a bizarre number and it not going to help your PC either given that it's probably a mix of old and new ram, and thus running at the slowest speed (probably 1066mhz going by the original ram).

I'd take it all out and just stick with 2x2GB of whatever the fastest ram is in dual channel mode (matching slots on the motherboard).

Also agree that the optical drive can definitely go.

Happy_Harry

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

7GB of ram is a bizarre number and it not going to help your PC either given that it's probably a mix of old and new ram, and thus running at the slowest speed (probably 1066mhz going by the original ram).

I'd take it all out and just stick with 2x2GB of whatever the fastest ram is in dual channel mode (matching slots on the motherboard).

Also agree that the optical drive can definitely go.

Yes, it is a strange number, I agree, so you think that 2x2 would make it faster than what I have now ? Anyway I can actually test that ?
I am not at home right now, but I think it is 2,2,2,1. I have 4 slots that support 2Gb each only..

K.O.Kiki

Replace the optical drive with this gadget and make that bay useful again! :pac:

(I have one, it's great)

Happy_Harry

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Age is no barrier

Well, maybe I will let my 7 year old have a go with a Linux install, I am sure she'll grasp it better than I do..

Johnboy1951

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Replace the optical drive with this gadget and make that bay useful again! :pac:

(I have one, it's great)

What a great idea ..... never before saw one of those.
Pity it costs as much as an optical drive!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-GH24NSD0-DVDRW-Internal-Burner/dp/B0157ABXV2/ref=sr_1_5?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1480592267&sr=1-5&keywords=CD+drive

frozenfrozen

another contender for what to do with the 5.25" bay..

TerrorFirmer

Happy_Harry wrote: »

Yes, it is a strange number, I agree, so you think that 2x2 would make it faster than what I have now ? Anyway I can actually test that ?
I am not at home right now, but I think it is 2,2,2,1. I have 4 slots that support 2Gb each only..

Yes, now I don't obviously know what ram you have in there, but for the uses you're describing, 2x1600mhz 2GB in dual channel would be far more preferable than a mix-match of random sized sticks ranging from 1066 to 1600mhz (they'll all then run at the slowest speed) and can sometimes cause issues.

Johnboy1951

frozenfrozen wrote: »

[IMG]http: //www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=402850&stc=1&d=1480592466[/IMG]

another contender for what to do with the 5.25" bay..

I've no idea what that is

Happy_Harry

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Yes, now I don't obviously know what ram you have in there, but for the uses you're describing, 2x1600mhz 2GB in dual channel would be far more preferable than a mix-match of random sized sticks ranging from 1066 to 1600mhz (they'll all then run at the slowest speed) and can sometimes cause issues.

I will have a look tonight and report back, but I am fairly sure that I tried to match the Mhz @1600, but I would like to know if there is a tool that can test the memory to see if there is an issue. Does that exist ?

frozenfrozen

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I've no idea what that is

it's just a 3.5" to 5.25" adapter with a hdd in it because I've run out of space inside

frozenfrozen

Happy_Harry wrote: »

I will have a look tonight and report back, but I am fairly sure that I tried to match the Mhz @1600, but I would like to know if there is a tool that can test the memory to see if there is an issue. Does that exist ?

if you get cpuZ it will tell you the speed the ram is running at

the number shows up as half, so my 1600mhz ram is currently showing as 780mhz (should be 800..)



so you'll be able to see fairly quickly what speed all your ram is running at

Happy_Harry

OK, so I checked... 1 and 2 GB of 1033 MHz, 2 x2 GB of 1600 Mhz

Screenshot of cpu-z attached..

Is this is good or bad , will taking out the 3GB be an improvement or will it make no difference, would changing the 3GB to 2 additional 2GB ( and same as the 2x2GB existing )sticks make a significant improvement, or could there be another bottleneck that makes any memory upgrade a waste of resource ?

TerrorFirmer

I would personally take out the slower sticks and keep the 2x2gb in matching slots. Most of your uses would be perfectly fine with 4GB, perhaps GIMP would require more ram at times depending on your uses. But an extra 2x2GB 1600mhz to bring it to 8GB of the same speed would be around €15 2nd hand.

Happy_Harry

Would these sticks be a good match for the existing ones

Looking at the specs I can't see no difference, but just wondering why they have completely different type numbers. Reason I am asking is I can get that set of 2 rather cheaply on amazon

K.O.Kiki

Happy_Harry wrote: »

Would these sticks be a good match for the existing ones

Looking at the specs I can't see no difference, but just wondering why they have completely different type numbers. Reason I am asking is I can get that set of 2 rather cheaply on amazon

Looks fine to me.

Is your Windows 10 install 64-bit?

32-bit OS can only read max 8Gb RAM.

Johnboy1951

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Looks fine to me.

Is your Windows 10 install 64-bit?

32-bit OS can only read max 8Gb RAM.

Thought that was 4GB unless a pae kernel is used, which MS provided in some of the professional OS releases.

Happy_Harry

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Looks fine to me.

Is your Windows 10 install 64-bit?

32-bit OS can only read max 8Gb RAM.

Yes, I have 64 bit Windows 10

TerrorFirmer

The sticks are fine but they're really expensive. You don't need to buy from Crucial, just buy a set from Amazon. Like these.

If you're willing to spend a bit more you can just outright get a set of 2x4GB for around €50.

Happy_Harry

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

The sticks are fine but they're really expensive. You don't need to buy from Crucial, just buy a set from Amazon. Like these.

If you're willing to spend a bit more you can just outright get a set of 2x4GB for around €50.

If they are so expensive, amazon has a good deal on them then I guess, the 2 sticks are £21 or 19.50 on a warehouse deal ( -20% = £15.50) ...
Unfortunately the motherboard only supports 2GB per slot. I will install windows 10 now on the SSD, see how I get on with my 4GB of memory, play a bit with GIMP and see how I fare.. Thanks for the help, advice and patience