I'm looking to build a new PC in the near future, but I have an old PowerSpec G431 prebuilt from August 2018 sitting at my parent's house. It has some decent specs: an i7-8700k, ASrock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6 motherboard, GTX 1070 GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, a 256GB SSD, a 1TB hard drive, a 24x DVD drive, a Wi-Fi chip, and a proprietary power supply. I'm considering salvaging some components to save money, possibly the RAM, DVD drive, power supply, case, and a custom CPU cooler. What do you think I should keep or let go?
5 Answers
What kind of specs are you aiming for? If you're planning on sticking with 1080p, you might want to look at a newer GPU instead of the existing GTX 1070. But if you're thinking about upgrading to higher resolutions later, hold onto that GPU for now.
Consider keeping the SATA SSD for storage. Your RAM might not be fast enough for high-end DDR4 CPUs, so I'd suggest starting fresh. The case could work, but you need to check its airflow quality.
I'd be cautious with most of the old parts. If you do decide to take the RAM, make sure you're going for a DDR4 build. The CPU cooler might not be compatible with a newer motherboard, and remember that water coolers don’t have the best lifespan. The SSD could be connected if it’s a SATA model, but keep in mind the size is pretty limited.
You mentioned you want to keep the DVD drive for burning CDs, but how often do you really use that? Most people don't use optical drives much these days. If you need one occasionally, consider getting a USB external enclosure for it. This way, you can use it when needed without sacrificing your case options.
Using the RAM might lock you into DDR4, limiting your CPU options later. Most modern motherboards have integrated Wi-Fi, so you might not need that chip. And be cautious with that proprietary power supply—make sure it’ll fit your new setup before using it.
I'm currently using 1080p but I'm considering an upgrade to 1440p or even 4K in the future.