Just getting back into PC Gaming and wondering if this setup is a decent start.

[Bakeneko77]

Model: Stormtrooper
Operating System: Windows 10 64bit
Product Line: Gamer For Life
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 750
Memory: 8gb
Processor Speed: 3.4 up to 3.9GHZ Turbo
Processor: i7 4770 4th Generation
Hardware Connectivity: USB 2.0
HD Capacity: 2TB
Brand: GamePower

This is all the Information I have on it atm, as I just bought it on eBay and awaiting its arrival! Super excited to get gaming again!

 

[Zoid]

Congrats on getting back into PC gaming! If you already purchased this (used?) from an eBay seller then I won't suggest alternatives since it's already on its way to you. I will hope and assume that you paid a fair price for it.

My most important question: What games you are hoping to play?


Here are my observations and suggestions for how to take the best advantage of this rig in 2020:

Let's start with the CPU. The i7-4770 is still a relevant processor. It is 7 years old now, so it won't be able to keep up with the modern flagships, but it was fairly high-end when it was released and it should still give you solid performance in most games.

The GPU will have a tougher time in modern triple-A titles. The GTX 750 was a budget graphics card when it was released 6 years ago, and overall I would say it is the weak link of this system. In graphically intensive games you should expect to target 30fps at a mix of low settings, and potentially a drop in internal resolution to 720p. A GPU upgrade is certainly an option for this rig, but we'll need to know what power supply it has first.

8GB of DDR3 RAM is still suitable for many games, but not all. Luckily an upgrade to 16GB should be cheap and easy to do if you decide you need it.

One thing I would absolutely recommend doing right off the bat is buying an SSD. That will really help keep this system relevant. A clean Windows install on a new SATA SSD is something I would do first thing when you get it, or soon after. That 2TB HDD will be fine for bulk file storage but it will be sluggish in the OS and games.

Let us know how it does when it arrives!

 

[Bakeneko77]

Congrats on getting back into PC gaming! If you already purchased this (used?) from an eBay seller then I won't suggest alternatives since it's already on its way to you. I will hope and assume that you paid a fair price for it.

My most important question: What games you are hoping to play?


Here are my observations and suggestions for how to take the best advantage of this rig in 2020:

Let's start with the CPU. The i7-4770 is still a relevant processor. It is 7 years old now, so it won't be able to keep up with the modern flagships, but it was fairly high-end when it was released and it should still give you solid performance in most games.

The GPU will have a tougher time in modern triple-A titles. The GTX 750 was a budget graphics card when it was released 6 years ago, and overall I would say it is the weak link of this system. In graphically intensive games you should expect to target 30fps at a mix of low settings, and potentially a drop in internal resolution to 720p. A GPU upgrade is certainly an option for this rig, but we'll need to know what power supply it has first.

8GB of DDR3 RAM is still suitable for many games, but not all. Luckily an upgrade to 16GB should be cheap and easy to do if you decide you need it.

One thing I would absolutely recommend doing right off the bat is buying an SSD. That will really help keep this system relevant. A clean Windows install on a new SATA SSD is something I would do first thing when you get it, or soon after. That 2TB HDD will be fine for bulk file storage but it will be sluggish in the OS and games.

Let us know how it does when it arrives!

Mainly ill be looking to get back into world of warcraft and probably Diablo when Diablo 4 drops. Maybe some other titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield etc. Also I would like to think I got it at a decent price after taxes and shipping it came to about 530. And what would you recommend for the SATA SSD?

 

[Zoid]

Mainly ill be looking to get back into world of warcraft and probably Diablo when Diablo 4 drops. Maybe some other titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield etc. Also I would like to think I got it at a decent price after taxes and shipping it came to about 530. And what would you recommend for the SATA SSD?

Great! You can certainly take a crack at those with the GTX 750 and see how it does for you.

It depends on how much storage you want and how much you want to spend. If it was me, I'd get something like the Crucial MX500 1TB so that I had enough room for Windows and a good few large games. But if you don't want to spend that much on a 1TB drive you could get a cheap 500GB one like the SanDisk SSD Plus or the Kingston A400. They don't have blistering performance but they'll give you a better experience than a mechanical HDD.

 

[Bakeneko77]

Great! You can certainly take a crack at those with the GTX 750 and see how it does for you.

It depends on how much storage you want and how much you want to spend. If it was me, I'd get something like the Crucial MX500 1TB so that I had enough room for Windows and a good few large games. But if you don't want to spend that much on a 1TB drive you could get a cheap 500GB one like the SanDisk SSD Plus or the Kingston A400. They don't have blistering performance but they'll give you a better experience than a mechanical HDD.

Ok and your certain that this will be compatible with my motherboard. I'm assuming so since you are recommending it, but just want to be sure. So I'm not sure if I'm getting a disc with windows 10 64bit on it or if it's pre-installed and they aren't including the disc so if thats the case is there a way to transfer from the HDD to the SSD the fresh install of the Windows? And thanks so much for your feedback. I appreciate the help!

 

[Zoid]

Ok and your certain that this will be compatible with my motherboard. I'm assuming so since you are recommending it, but just want to be sure.

They will be. These SSDs use SATA connections just like your HDD does. Do you know your exact motherboard model? Depending on your motherboard you might also have the option of a faster M.2 SSD.

So I'm not sure if I'm getting a disc with windows 10 64bit on it or if it's pre-installed and they aren't including the disc so if thats the case is there a way to transfer from the HDD to the SSD the fresh install of the Windows? And thanks so much for your feedback. I appreciate the help!

There sure is. It's a pretty straightforward process!

 

[Bakeneko77]

They will be. These SSDs use SATA connections just like your HDD does. Do you know your exact motherboard model? Depending on your motherboard you might also have the option of a faster M.2 SSD.

There sure is. It's a pretty straightforward process!

No I'm not quite sure on the exact motherboard model tried asking the seller but he has not responded to me yet, so may have to wait until I receive the tower to figure it out.

 

[Zoid]

No I'm not quite sure on the exact motherboard model tried asking the seller but he has not responded to me yet, so may have to wait until I receive the tower to figure it out.

That would be worth knowing before getting anything I'd say. If your motherboard has an M.2 slot then you could get a similarly cheap M.2 SSD that would perform better than SATA.

 

[Bakeneko77]

That would be worth knowing before getting anything I'd say. If your motherboard has an M.2 slot then you could get a similarly cheap M.2 SSD that would perform better than SATA.

Ok cool, yeah whenever I figure out what model it is I guess I'll have to make my decision based upon that. Thanks again for all your helpful insight! Appreciate it 😁

 

[Zoid]

Ok cool, yeah whenever I figure out what model it is I guess I'll have to make my decision based upon that. Thanks again for all your helpful insight! Appreciate it 😁

You bet! Post some updates when it arrives!

 

[Bakeneko77]

You bet! Post some updates when it arrives!

Well it hasn't arrived yet but I was able to get a response on a question about the model of the motherboard he said its most likely a gigabyte b85-hd3

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Sadly you won't have M.2 slot on this motherboard and any future upgrades will be probably limited to GPU only. Still it should work for you, at least for some time.

 

[Bakeneko77]

Sadly you won't have M.2 slot on this motherboard and any future upgrades will be probably limited to GPU only. Still it should work for you, at least for some time.

Starting to think I should have just waited a bit longer to purchase a tower.. kind of kicking myself in the ass right now.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Starting to think I should have just waited a bit longer to purchase a tower.. kind of kicking myself in the ass right now.

I don't know your budget and situation, but if you made the purchase in haste then it's a possibility you pulled the trigger too early. Honestly, the rig isn't bad - depends on what you plan to play, it may serve you for years. M.2 slot isn't that important, if you get even SATA SSD you'll probably be happy with the performance.

It's worth asking sometimes when you're not sure if something is a good deal or not. I am not judging of course.

 

[Bakeneko77]

I don't know your budget and situation, but if you made the purchase in haste then it's a possibility you pulled the trigger too early. Honestly, the rig isn't bad - depends on what you plan to play, it may serve you for years. M.2 slot isn't that important, if you get even SATA SSD you'll probably be happy with the performance.

It's worth asking sometimes when you're not sure if something is a good deal or not. I am not judging of course.

Basically just for World of Warcraft and Diablo

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Basically just for World of Warcraft and Diablo

You'll be fine. No point in worrying and kicking yourself now. When your PC arrives, check if everything is in order and happy gaming. If there's trouble, write here and somebody will surely try to help. :]

 

[Zoid]

Like @OsaX Nymloth said, don't worry about it. You can still get a SATA SSD which will be perfectly fine, and depending on your power supply you'd have a variety of GPUs to choose from if you decide to upgrade that as well.

This rig still has the potential for lots of fun game time ahead of it, so enjoy!

 

[Oussebon]

How much did you pay for it?

I saw it listed on Tiendamia for ~$500

 

[Bakeneko77]

How much did you pay for it?

I saw it listed on Tiendamia for ~$500

With tax and shipping i believe it came to like $535 or so.

 

[Oussebon]

I suppose you have it now, so might be bit late unless you feel like returning, but you can probably get complete PCs with more modern components for the same kind of price, especially factoring in the parts you may replace/add now or in the near future. It might be worth considering your options.

 

[Bakeneko77]

I suppose you have it now, so might be bit late unless you feel like returning, but you can probably get complete PCs with more modern components for the same kind of price, especially factoring in the parts you may replace/add now or in the near future. It might be worth considering your options.

No I haven't received it yet. Unfortunately I have no idea where it is. I was supplied a tracking number i believe on the 20th and haven't received any updates or anything FedEx says they haven't received the package from the seller yet and the seller is telling me that they shipped it. So I have no idea whats going on atm.

 

[Bakeneko77]

I suppose you have it now, so might be bit late unless you feel like returning, but you can probably get complete PCs with more modern components for the same kind of price, especially factoring in the parts you may replace/add now or in the near future. It might be worth considering your options.

Also I've been thinking of doing the same thing. I may as well just throw another 400$ towards one that's more modernized. Will be worth it in the long run.

 

[Oussebon]

Yes, though tbh you may not even need to spend quite that much more, especially if buying 2nd hand. But even if not.

 

[Bakeneko77]

Yes, though tbh you may not even need to spend quite that much more, especially if buying 2nd hand. But even if not.

Ok so if I just decide to stay with what I have i should put in a SATA SSD and what graphics card would mesh well with this setup?
Looking at this SATA SSD: Crucial MX500 2.5" 1TB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT1000M - im assuming that this is a compatible one since i kinda did some research, but just want to make sure.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Any SATA SSD will work - they're all compatible. Crucial is good brand, I am using one of their products myself and can recommend getting it. If you want to go deeper into the rabit's hole you can read about differencies about TLC/MLC etc. but in the end, even cheap TLC SSD will work well enough for you. IMHO.

As for GPU, depends on how much you would want to spend. No need to worry about compatibility or even having brand (like only getting AMD GPU to pair with AMD CPU etc.). If GeForce GTX 750 is not enough, then you could upgrade to GeForce 1660 Super (~230$), Radeon 580 (~160$) or maybe hunt some used gpu like GeForce 970 if you want to spent as little as possible.