Worth upgrading my computer?

debitcardmayhem

Crucial MX series at amazon or elsewhere
Edit: but you need SATA not m2
Edited again I would go for 500GB though not too much difference in price, and more useful going forward, and you may also need a 2.5-->3.5 "cage/caddy" and another sata cable. Since you could re-use you your existing 500GB HDD in the same chassis, you could get away with 120GB ssd for windows system drive and the other for data

capital0ne

Just getting rid of windows would bring your machine back to life! Then an SSD, then more memeory and finally upgrade the processor.

debitcardmayhem

capital0ne wrote: »

Just getting rid of windows would bring your machine back to life! Then an SSD, then more memeory and finally upgrade the processor.

Huh ? care to elaborate

EveryWhere

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Huh ? care to elaborate

Don't encourage them....

EveryWhere

Sue_S wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your input it's much appreciated! Next question: any recommendations for SSD drive? 256 would be fine.

And thanks to brilliant previous posts I know how to install it, you're a great crowd!

https://www.7dayshop.com/products/patriot-memory-burst-ssd-solid-state-drive-2-5-sata-iii-internal-120gb-pbu120gs25ssdr
https://www.7dayshop.com/products/patriot-memory-burst-ssd-solid-state-drive-2-5-sata-iii-internal-240gb-pbu240gs25ssdr

are inexpensive options for a Windows Boot drive.

Use the GenuineTicket method to activate the clean install of Windows 10 to the SSD.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/23354-clean-install-windows-10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html Scroll down to "Here's how.."

A CPU upgrade is simple enough, though the fitting of the SSD and clean install of Windows 10 to it will likely be enough for you.

The "maxxing out" of RAM is a good idea as the modules are relatively inexpensive;

https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=smem8bxd x 4 equals £8. Though you'll need just three more, so £6.

£6 to take it to 8GB of RAM and £24 for the 240 GB capacity SSD.
£30 a worthwhile investment

capital0ne

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Huh ? care to elaborate

Linux of course - pick from distrowatch.com and it's all free, and you can try it from a usb stick without affecting your pc/laptop, what's not to like.

A.Penny.Saved

capital0ne wrote: »

Linux of course - pick from distrowatch.com and it's all free, and you can try it from a usb stick without affecting your pc/laptop, what's not to like.

The crap slow speed for one.

I was using Quirky linux on a USB flash drive earlier to test out which flash drives were working as they were and it is mind numbingly slow. Not even loading programs from my hard drive sped it up. I started Firefox and got so fed up with waiting that I kept going out of the room to make a drink hoping that it had finished when I got back, which it frequently hadn't. It's a joke. No one would leave Windows for Linux unless they had some inbred masochistic tendencies. It's a joke and only for nerds and people with no social life.

mksysb

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

The crap slow speed for one.

I was using Quirky linux on a USB flash drive earlier to test out which flash drives were working as they were and it is mind numbingly slow. Not even loading programs from my hard drive sped it up. I started Firefox and got so fed up with waiting that I kept going out of the room to make a drink hoping that it had finished when I got back, which it frequently hadn't. It's a joke. No one would leave Windows for Linux unless they had some inbred masochistic tendencies. It's a joke and only for nerds and people with no social life.

What a ridiculous post, of course linux is going to be slow running from a usb stick. Windows would be even slower running that way. The purpose of the live distro on usb is just to make sure that everything work, network cards, sound cards etc., and that you like the look of the desktop. When you find a distro you like and that works well with your hardware, you install it, and it will be fast.

Sue_S

Hi, I’m back for more help please.

I downloaded windows 10 to a usb, installed a new ssd and some more RAM. I’m now trying to boot from the usb but cannot seem to get the F12 key to work so the PC is just sitting there showing the Dell logo and saying press F2 or F12. (I’m pressing F12 continuously from when I power on the desktop.)


This is a usb keyboard (I haven’t got a wired one) could this be the problem or should I have changed the boot order in the bios before disconnecting the HDD?


Incidentally, I’ve left the disconnected HDD in the desktop, just reused the connectors for the SDD.

Sue_S

Latest update: I disconnected the SDD and reconnected the HDD planning to change the bios and then reconnect the SSD. However it wouldn’t load!!! So I took out the new RAM and tried again and it worked...

Currently loading the fresh Windows install onto the new drive from the usb. I have no idea what’s wrong with the RAM...