Upgrading a PC(2)

fenwick458

viewing 2 cams seems to get the CPU up to 95-100%!
I think Ill just go for a new PC

pbartlett

Have a look at Dell UK..

fenwick458

think I've found a decent one:
Dell Optiplex i7 2600, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 240GB SSD and 500GB HDD, and an optical drive £249 , seller refurbished on ebay

Jeepers_Creepers

The Pentium in your PC looks like a soldered-in job, so no possibility of a quick upgrade.

2nd generation must be getting on now. It might be worth doing CPU comparisons between, say, a 4th-gen i5 and that 2nd i7 - you might find the former is better, I'm not sure. (Edit - they are about the same...)

£250 should get you a nicely swift PC. Are you happy to go second-user from a private buyer? If so, also check out your local Marketplace on Facebook. A quick glance at mine comes up with a little used Len Thinkcentre with an i3-4170 and 8GB for £125 ono. That's around twice your current performance for no money.

Useful site: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-J2900-vs-Intel-Core-i3-4170/m12727vsm28214

Jeepers_Creepers

Or this for £195 (previously £300); "Brand new case and power supply Brand new 120 SSD for Windows & two 250 hdd & 250 hdd Kingston Hyper beast ddr3 ram 8gb Intel I5 4460 socket 1150 lga Nvidia geforce GTX 950 graphics card Plays Minecraft and Fortnite Roblox and so on you can upgrade as well in the future with it as it can take i7 cpu"

That will urinate all over your Pentium. That is sooo powerful you won't even have to turn your cameras on - it will imagine what's out there and then construct visuals to suit. It is nigh-on sentient...

Jeepers_Creepers

Actually, the Dell you found on eBay doesn't seem bad at all. If it comes with a solid warranty, that's always good.

But, worth a look locally - you may be surprised.

fenwick458

I didn't realise I was looking at different generations to be honest! 
what about this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-7040-SFF-Core-i7-6th-Gen-8GB-RAM-256GB-512GB-SSD-Windows-10-Pro-PC/114544458769?var=414728110917

Jeepers_Creepers

A 6th-Gen i7?! 8GB?!! 250GB SSD?!!!

Lawdie, that seems incredible for the money. You'd need to transfer your optical drive to it from your old PC (I don't think there's one included) but that's straightforward and will be fun.

I'm not remotely an expert in this field, but that strikes me as impressive value - it'll be a cracking machine. Authorised Win10 too, so that saves having to ask MS to transfer your existing licence. And your current machine is still a decent internet/surfing/office/homework device, so should fetch you - I dunno - £50-£100?

I'd see what more clued-up folk on here say, but that certainly seems far superior to even the other Dell you looked at. Optical drives - even if you had to buy one - are cheap; brand new, top-makes, from around £17 at a quick glance.

Neil_Jones

There's a voucher code on that that expires today to knock another £39 off, so at £221 I'd say bite their hand off.  I'd still say it was good at £260, but at £221 you'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Re: the optical drive, that Dell uses a slimline drive.  If the previous machine from the OP isn't slimline (ie its a fatter 5.25" one) it can't be transferred (though you can put it in an external caddy, but by that price point it'll just as beneficial to get a USB one instead)

fenwick458

Decided I don't really need the optical drive anyway, so I don't think i'll bother swapping it. It probably won't fit anyway.
I'll just buy a USB one down the line if I really do need it for something, or use an old laptop maybe that still has one.
the useful site you linked to seems to reckon it's a mere 120% increase from my current processor. should do the trick then!