full image - Repost: 10-year UPDATE: my first gaming PC // What worked, what didn't. (from Reddit.com, 10-year UPDATE: my first gaming PC // What worked, what didn't.)
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PART 1 - ORIGIN STORYSkip to part 2 if you're only interested in the build, or what's left of it.Ten years ago, I scraped up all my savings from birthday cards and odd jobs to build my first gaming PC 🎉 Probably one of the best days of my life.A few years earlier, my dad had gotten us a Dell XPS 9000 desktop, claiming it would be “great for gaming” based on his colleague’s advice. It had a decent CPU at the time (the legendary i7 920) but a terrible GPU (Radeon 5450 HD) and couldn’t handle modern games like Skyrim, which crushed me. I needed a real gaming PC.Also, like most teenagers at the time, I dreamt of a YouTube career, which was obviously only held back by my lack of a decent machine (😂).My parents, worried I’d waste money on a quickly obsolete PC, kept saying, “In 2 years, it’ll feel outdated and you’ll regret wasting your money on such an expensive PC!” Also, "You've never built a computer before, what if it breaks? You'll be out your money and no warranty to cover your mistake!" Well, I still went and bought it, and it has been one of the best purchases of my life.It’s been 10 years, and I’m still using that same PC with no major performance upgrades. Sure, it can’t run new titles, but it runs all the games I do want to play just fine! PART 2 - THE BUILDPC Part ListTypeItemPriceStatusReason/ExplanationCPUIntel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor$358.89In UseCPU CoolerCorsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler$106.98UpgradedStock AIO fan bearings were loud, replaced them with a pair of Noctua F12s.MotherboardAsus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard$154.79In UseMemoryCorsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory$106.28In UseStorageSandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive$67.50UpgradedGot a larger SSD (512GB 850 EVO) a few years later once they were cheaper.StorageWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive$54.99RemovedTook out the HDD, didn't need that much storage and the noise was annoying.Video CardAsus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card$396.95In UseCaseFractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case$94.99In UsePower SupplyCorsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply$89.98ReplacedThe power supply failed after 7 years when maintenance staff flipped the breakers on and off quickly. Replaced with Corsair RM850x.Optical DriveAsus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer$19.95RemovedIt's still in the PC but unplugged; I used it to burn mixtapes onto CDs for an older car.Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)$104.98UpgradedUpgraded to Windows 10, now the PC doesn't meet the minimum specs for Windows 11.MonitorAsus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor$159.75In UseUpgraded to a 165Hz Asus gaming monitor (VG248QG). Initially very happy, but now half the screen has vertical streaks. Still usable but annoying.Wireless Network AdapterTP-Link TL-WN722N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter$13.50RemovedSwitched to wired Ethernet, but still use the adapter for LAN sometimes.KeyboardCorsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard$128.98ReplacedSurvived 2 spills, a whole teardown and reassembly, but a few keys became sticky and others broke. Replaced with an Asus ROG Strix Flare.MouseCorsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse$61.27Replaced & UpgradedMiddle button stopped working. Replaced with a MX Master 3. Easily the best peripheral upgrade, can't recommend enough.Mouse PadCorsair MM200 Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad — Extended$40In UseSpeakersEdifier R1700BT Bluetooth Speakers$220In UseSo that's it! The core performance parts (CPU, GPU, RAM) have received no upgrades, but the build is a lot nicer now with the new peripherals and QOL upgrades. I'm worried now that the AIO is reaching end of life, but at the same time impressed that it managed to keep on pressing for nearly 10 years with zero maintenance. What do you guys suggest I upgrade next while staying on the same platform?
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