I'm a broke student who picked up a used PC from Facebook Marketplace last year. It's been performing well overall, but I'm facing some issues. My components are outdated, preventing me from upgrading to Windows 11, and during resource-heavy tasks like gaming, my PC crashes and restarts. The Windows PC health check shows that my Intel Core i7-4790 CPU isn't supported for the upgrade.
Here are my specs:
- Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790 CPU @ 3.60GHz
- Installed RAM: 16.0 GB
- Storage: 932 GB HDD (TOSHIBA MQ01ABD100), 238 GB SSD (ADATA SX900)
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon (TM) R9 380 Series (4 GB)
- System Type: 64-bit operating system
I'm looking for any budget-friendly upgrade recommendations, keeping in mind that I've got about $300 NZD to spend. My monitor and storage setup are fine, but I'm not very familiar with PC building, so please keep the suggestions simple!
3 Answers
You might be able to bypass Windows 11's requirements, but keep in mind that your system doesn’t support TPM 2.0, which complicates things. Another tip is to replace the thermal paste on your CPU; overheating could be causing the shutdowns during heavy use.
Your CPU is definitely an old model. It’s a bottleneck and that's why Windows 11 won't work. It might be a good idea to start saving for a whole new system. In the meantime, consider taking on side gigs; that could help boost your budget!
Honestly, upgrading this PC doesn’t make much sense since it's pretty old. The best advice would be to consider replacing the power supply; it might help with the crashing issues, though it’s not guaranteed to solve the problem. But if you really love this setup, that’s a starting point!
I get that—it’s tough to part with a system you enjoy, especially when you’re short on cash.
I feel you! I work two jobs plus I have loans to pay off, and the situation keeps getting tougher.