Office PC upgrades for Beamng

So i picked up a dell optiplex 760 today for $25 with the intent to do a complete budget rebuild. I found instructions for a $400 build, BUT this PC works perfectly fine, and if i can save a few buck by just replacing essential parts it would be perfect. My question is, what what are the essentials i can put in this thing to run primarily Beamng. Ill quote the specs as they're written.

Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Sevice Pack 3

Intel core 2 duo CPU
E7300 @2.66 GHz
2.66GHz, 1.93 GB of RAM

Im not the best with computers (which is why im here) so i hope thats enough information.

Thanks.

 

You can use keyboard and mouse, except those were not mentioned being included.

Case is not really needed, so that is not much to be used, especially with Dell chances are it is incompatible.

You would need new everything, no point upgrading, as it would not run BeamNG no matter what you upgrade (it is not an upgrade if you buy new everything and run even without a case, that is new computer).

 

You might not be able to just do upgrades to that system as Dell cases are very difficult or near impossible to for instance upgrade the motherboard probably due to proprietary case layouts. As fufsgfen said, you would be better off just starting fresh with a custom setup.

 

better off upgrading the ram and using it to play old games

 

Also with RAM there is not much point going past 3GB with XP

 

Im definetly upgrading to either Windows 7 or 8.1 i am not sticking with XP from 2002

 

Replace the CPU with a Core2Quad Q6600, add a GTX 1050(Ti) & bit more DDR2 RAM (you'll need to look up online how much the motherboard supports), buy a cheap 1TB HDD & you're done. Eventually you can buy a 120/128GB SSD if you will have enough money

 

Agree here, but you have the 760. So you can go to Q9650. Or do BSEL mod on the Q6600.
Motherboard supports 8GB of DDR2.
GTX1050ti is ok, but remember that the Dell PSU hasn't got a PCIE power connector, I used a 750 back in the day (745).
And definitely ditch XP, Windows 7 is good, but 10 is alright too (more modern etc.).

 

Is the case slim, or full desktop sized? In my experience, the slim ones are EZ bake ovens. I mean, I'd assume that a slim 1050 TI with PCI-only power would not be an overheating problem, but you need to give it space.

 

AFAIK, the non-Ti 1050 is so low power that it doesn't need one

 

Even 1050 Ti does not need it, but some models have it, worth to look around as some models don't need power from the PSU.

It is worth to look how much used relatively recent i3 + mobo + ram would set you back, because that might give better performance close to same investment, but as always, first analyze, then jump into unknown and last hope for the best! >D

 

You're best off just building a new system. That system isnt worth upgrading, as the motherboard and power supply are probably complete garbage and will either die or short out and destroy some parts in the future. There are plenty of guides to budget PC builds that you can follow, and if you did build one yourself you will be very happy with how it turns out.

 

Trust me, the dell PSU is beasty. Its 305W but I'm definitely pulling more.

But yes the only thing here is no Overclock and you have maxed out the motherboard, a cheap Haswell rig will perform MUCH better. (optiplex 790 is Sandy Bridge, but it is way better than the Core 2 days, and not that much more really)

 

Core2Duo can handle beam ever so slightly. I used to have a core2duo e6600 and it worked with roughtly 20fps with a gtx 260

I say if you get smth used along the lines of a gtx 470 or 550, you can play beam on lower settings ok-ish

 

WARNING: keep in mind Dell mobo PCI-E x16 ports support 25w power not ATX standard 75w power. So a card wanting 75watt power from a dell pci-e slot that provides 25w of power only will result in no boot, or it failing to render 3d mode games properly.
So should get power supply to fit case that has pci-e power 6-pin.
Keep in mind dell mobo wont support all cpu's due to Dell not updating BIOS - look it up first. Clock speed = fps here.

Could buy Ryzen 2200G or 2400G + m-ATX mobo + RAM for what you'll spend fixing this up!
Ryzen G-series Has decent usable integrated gfx, too.

The dell will make a great office computer for years yet. Just find another 2gb of DDR2. If it's got 4 slots it will either hold 8gb (2gb x4) or 16gb (4gb x4). Make sure to look up what kind of RAM is compatible with it (dual rank, single rank, etc, it should say). I wouldn't bother updating it to put high-performance video in it, as it's not made for the task. It's just not made for it.


So entirely, yeah, buy a Ryzen G-series CPU, a motherboard with the B350 or A320 chipset, some 8GB of RAM (2x4gb), and you won't need a GPU especially with the 2400G cpu as it's pretty good.
Have an ATX or m-ATX case and a decent brand 350 watt or better power supply (the system won't be terribly power hungry without a discrete video card, and without overclocking it, which you *could* do with B350 chipset if the board is made for it).
Often some retailers provide bundles. So yes, go for those if you can. Do try to get something close to 2800~3200mhz RAM though as your on-chip video speed is limited by RAM speed.
The 2400G would be *close* to the regular 1050 in performance (please look it up!), and the CPU portion would be worlds faster than the old dell's cpu, even a 9650 quad-core (especially in Beam Physics, more than 2x here!).
You would also have warranty on the parts. So yeah. Save up some dough and buy some nice stuff for yourself.

RAM = 75~100$ for 8gb of decent stuff, look for something 'Ryzen Compatible'
CPU = 99$ Ryzen 2200G (okay gfx, 4 cores 4 threads), 169$ Ryzen 2400G (good graphics, 4 cores 8 threads)
Motherboard = 50~150$ use discretion,
some old boards might (not support the cpu out-of-box and) need you to get the 'boot kit' from AMD (free but they'll reserve a small bit of money on your card until you return it) to update BIOS, but ASUS motherboards can update BIOS without a working cpu even installed in the motherboard, by powering it up with one stick of RAM and a USB stick in the flashback port, saving you waiting and other steps.

Power supply and case, you can use one you have laying around, just don't use one of those junk 20$ power supplies that come with a dell or cheapo pre-built PC. Use a known-good brand like SeaSonic or even a Corsair or EVGA (they have a great deal for 25$ shipped you get like a 400w power supply).
If you get a m-ATX motherboard, you can choose an ATX or m-ATX case,
if you get a full ATX or just plain 'ATX' motherboard, you must get an ATX (not m-ATX) case to go with it.
If in a pinch, any old cheapy case will do, but Fractal, Corsair, Lian-Li and Case-Labs cases are the best (increasing price ordered as listed). I have a Fractal here, and it shames my Antec cases I used to have and makes the Cooler-Master HAF series look like a dust-vacuum.

You can opt to buy a 120gb SSD for 35~55$, or a 500gb crucial mx500 for 120$ (as listed on Amazon).

Hard drives are mundane, a relic of a bygone era, but if you are cutting corners, cut out the SSD for a hard drive, and get more space. Usually 1tb HGST or Western Disposable is around 40$ shipped, 2tb is around 50~75$, higher price is 3~4tb territory or higher. Don't you DARE buy a *SEAGATE* They're awful (improving, but awful!).
No really, Seagate has made some drives they have 30+ % failure rate in the 1st year with some models being considerably worse. Seagate is trash. I can't say it enough. I still have a years-old 7200.11 1tb, and it's clicking it's way to the grave hiding in my bottom drawer (the only good place for HDD's is in a desk drawer for backup).

HINT: If you have like 150~200$, wait a month or two until the B450 motherboards come out. Get one of those and the Ryzen G-series 2200G/2400G CPU. Grab some RAM then too as price is going DOWN on RAM *not* UP. It's been expensive for a while. For-sure wait a month or two if you can. It might save you 40$.

You'll need a copy of Windows 10. Sometimes you can find it on discount but usually Windows 10 is fairly MSRP these days. You can sometimes buy a key off kinguin dot net but you take chances of it not working at some point or going bad (or you pay 5~6$ extra for a guarantee on it). If you do go the buy-just-a-key route, Just save your receipt and print it out, and put it under your PC tower, in-case you need the key later or need to show proof-of-purchase. If you buy a copy you won't have to download the Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft and put it on a USB stick. That's a good use for the dell though, a backup while you build the new one (it is a fine office or email machine though).

Or skip all the FAHLDEERAHL of trying to do it yourself and buy a pre-built gaming machine with a Ryzen 2200G or 2400G CPU and 8gb~16gb of RAM in it, and hopefully a 120GB or 240GB SSD (you can add it yourself with some knowledge). It should do you fine for Beamng. If you get one of those CPUs in the machine you should be able to get by for BeamNG on at-least medium settings with decent FPS. No dynamic reflections though.

Go buy this, it even has a 256gb NVME SSD in it!
https://www.amazon.com/DTA-Computers-Fusion-LT-DGX7500-Desktop/dp/B079Z5HF7C/

429.99$ and it will last you years, you can upgrade the RAM as needed or add a larger video card when needed. There's room to add hard drives internal or external, and it's got all the latest interfaces.
Spend another 100$ and you can get a model with a 2400G for 25~40% more performance in-game.

 

The dell motherboard does output 75W, i had a 750 in there and that was drawing well over 25w. I think you might mean the x1 slots. They have lower power capability.
You are correct about BIOS, i had to upgrade mine to support quad core CPUs and 8GB of RAM.
--- Post updated ---
ahh i see, it's an Optiplex 760.
Upgrade your BIOS!! Go on the dell website and check you have the latest.
Here is the top specs:
CPU:BSEL Mod a Q6600 or go for Q9650. $60-70 (for Q9650) or $20-30 (Q6600)
GPU:Nvidia GTX 750ti/950ti/1050ti $80 (750ti recommended, you will be bottlenecked by CPU)
RAM:8GB DDR2 @ 800MHz $40
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver $4
Total: 184$ (154$ if you BSEL mod)

Original cooler should be OK.
Bear in mind that you will not be able to use any other motherboard due to it being a BTX chassis.

 

No, for quite some time now, it was common for DELL pc's to only throw 25w to the pci-e x16 slot so they didn't have to put a larger, more expensive power supply in the machine. The Optiplex machines are hit or miss with that, many of them you can add a 75w card in there and be fine, but the majority of middle to lower end Dimension PC's had 25w ports (and sometimes this transferred over to Optiplex and sometimes not). Just posting word of warning.

BSEL modding a CPU can increase it's power draw (and heat output, but Dell, to their credit, usually puts a large aluminum or aluminum with copper heat pipe block on the CPU since the Pentium 4 days). This doesn't necessarily cause so much of a heat issue (as air is drawn out of the case through negative pressure by the exhaust fan for the CPU and power supply), as it does cause an overworking of the VRM's around the CPU area, which don't get cooled nearly as well as they would with a downdraft style (OEM style) cooler. Downdraft coolers push air down through the fins on the cooler, which causes it to exit sideways over the VRM's on the mainboard. If you have a motherboard with large heatsinks on the VRM's then you don't use to always use a downdraft style, or require additional cooling for them. However, I do know while OEM coolers from intel are the worst bunch of garbage (I recently put a q6600 in a core2 machine to replace an e6600 cpu), I tried putting the stock cooler back on... threw it across the room. Tried a second one that was brand new, smashed that one too. Sat at my PC and ordered a few 10$ bolt-down down-draft coolers. 2 days later finished it up and such... man I forgot how much I hated those hard-to-mount OEM style coolers. The Dells are much nicer to work on in this respect when it comes to cpu upgrade. No more wondering if 'is that on there or not?'...

So what I was trying to say, is you could smoke the VRM's off the board if you try to BSEL mod it (you can do it, it might live for 6 hours, 6 months, or a year or two). They're only specced just very slightly over what is needed, unlike 'overclocking capable motherboards'.

That being said I wish all well. Sure you could spend 150~200$ on fixing up the old PC, which can be fun, but you are only pushing back the inevitable. Or you could buy a pre-built Ryzen with LOTS more power and have lots of FPS, and be done with it. I've put out more than one computer fire due to Dell VRM's going up in smoke. Not fun!

--Cheers!

 

ahh i see, it's an Optiplex 760.
Upgrade your BIOS!! Go on the dell website and check you have the latest.
Here is the top specs:
CPU:BSEL Mod a Q6600 or go for Q9650. $60-70 (for Q9650) or $20-30 (Q6600)
GPU:Nvidia GTX 750ti/950ti/1050ti $80 (750ti recommended, you will be bottlenecked by CPU)
RAM:8GB DDR2 @ 800MHz $40
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver $4
Total:

Original cooler should be OK.
Bear in mind that you will not be able to use any other motherboard due to it being a BTX chassis.

i just realised, but all the information i am thinking of is to do with the full fat desktop optiplexes, the SFF might have power limits.
Sorry to argue, but the BSEL mod increases the clockspeed, but not the voltage. So in effect, some of it is free power. It's not like throwing voltage at the mix and hoping for the best. The PCIE ports definetly get 75W on this Optiplex 760, but you might be right with the older ones (P4- early PCIE). These optiplex 745-765 series were built like tanks, they truly survived everything.
A Core 2 Quad Q6600 has a TDP of 105W, and Q9650 has one of 95W. Yes it might be hot, but remember that these machines had, in the early runs, to deal with Pentuim 4. TDP's of 115W were put into these beasts.

 

Yes the 760 is a pretty decent machine for Dell standards. Not nearly as bad as the rubbish they put out for Pentium 4 days, which were throw-away machines.

The VRM will heat up the faster the processor goes. The VRM has to keep up with the CPU, and can't always do it (CRASH, or worse, smoke/FIRE). Many folks can't even take a 2.4ghz q6600 G0 SLACR cpu (I had one back in 2008 when new, bought another for a core2 machine last month, for 15$ shipped), up to 3.0ghz in raising bus clock without a voltage bump. Your returns are very limited on a Dell board. Some chips will give you a free 400~600mhz and some are a pig and won't budge. There's also a closely related q6700 cpu that is just as good if not better (likely pretty much the same yield) that will be a lowly 11% faster out of the gate if you were to try for overclocking it on an OEM board.

Sure, these are fun projects (to upgrade old machines), but in a realistic sense, it's best to just get a cheap new pre-built with good video out of the gate, and have the warranty, and peace of mind (like the Ryzen G-series, it's good for an entry level BeamNG machine). I mean, maybe I'm not on enough of a limited income to appreciate doing this, (I am retired, in my mid-to-late 30s, but I worked my butt off while I could) but it's not to say that it isn't 'fun'. You just won't get a very good experience in this game from doing so (upgrading a clearly outdated computer for gaming), to bother spending that much money on. Updating it to 4~6gb or even 8gb of ram and putting a quad core in it, would make a nice web browsing or email machine surely, but a BeamNG machine, no, absolutely would be a sub-par experience. If you're poor, sure, go for it... but next time in another two years when you have to do it again and spend that much, you could have had a nice machine that would still be good for a while more. It's decisions like this, life-choices, that often entrap cash-strapped people into their lifestyle.

The best way to go about it is to buy (or build) a computer that will surely meet your current needs, and if money isn't that tight, to pad a little extra 'insurance' in there by getting a little more RAM or CPU or GPU in the box when you first do it. I built a 4790k machine 3.5 years ago, still using it with nary an issue - even the same Windows 7 (yes, 7!). Will likely use it for many more years until it doesn't do what I need it to.

You can only spend money once. Spending 200$ now, nothing will be worth anything in another 3 years, you'd be lucky to get 100$ out of the machine. So say you spend 25~50$ for the used PC, and put 150~175$ into it. Use it for a year or two, sell it for 100$, you're 100 bucks down, for a machine with poor or less than desirable game performance. Spending 429.99$ and you could likely get 200~250$ or more for the machine in a year or two should you want (but are very unlikely to need) to get a better one... you'd be 229~179$ down.
The new machine would also use considerably less power as newer machines are more efficient, so you'd likely earn another 50$ or more back each year or two you own it (my power bill compared to my old AMD FX 6300 machine, which did half the work this one does, dropped by 20~30$ a month, and the room stayed MUCH cooler which saved additional not-included money on cooling - not to mention comfort!!!).

Please keep in mind with old hardware, driver support can be a pain in the butt, especially old Video or Sound cards with new OS'es like Windows 10 (you should include Windows license in your cost as XP is not able to run BeamNG, that adds another 100$ not included above), unless you risque purchase a key from a re-seller site. Pirating the OS is not recommended, as it's designed to covertly fail to stop spyware/viruses and also will not allow you to have updates properly, leaving you wide-open in the end.

So yes, while it is extremely fun as a side-project to see how fast you can make the machine go... it could end up blowing up anyways in short term, then you have to buy a 40~65$ mainboard for the thing, and hope it didn't smoke the CPU also (sometimes it does, sometimes it does not). For side projects they are fun, for your main source of gaming/entertainment, no, it would not be a wise investment unless you're exceptionally poor, or a kid with few options (I am not knocking poor people; I have been poor, I have been rich, I have been in-between).

Take my 2¢ with a grain of salt folks. Please, that's all I ask. You don't have to learn anything, you don't have to argue, but just read what I said, if it makes sense, great, if not, well hey, I've done my duties.
A Q6600/Q6700 cpu with 4~8gb of ram will do fine for an email, websurfing etc machine.

Source of info: You can easily look up what I've said with Google, I've been doing this about 6 months shy of 25 years or so (and been inside of pc's roughly 24 years, I first overclocked a machine in Feb 97 to get quake to run better, back then we did it like much else, with JUMPERS, Go little Cyrix 6x86!).
Either way, best of luck!!!
--Cheers

 

For easy windows access you can go to https://www.kinguin.net/catalogsearch/result/index/?q=windows and buy a windows key and then download a copy of that windows version onto a flash drive and follow a windows installtion guide.

 

There is no 'free' speed, even without increasing voltage, higher frequency ticks more juice as cpu ticks more per time unit, amount of heat increases too.

Whatever that is meaningless and whatever it is meaningless increase in practical computing speed, is subjective I guess.

With any Core2Duo, I would consider tinkering being a hobby more than practical value, capacitors alone starts to be old in those, giving random multiplier to 'how long game will play' -variable.

Used i3 machine can be had quite cheap and there could be some longer lasting upgrade path too, i3 of almost any kind (desktop cpus) is going to be fine with 60fps 1-2 vehicles in BeamNG when coupled with GPU, with integrated GPU some i3 has it is possible to play, but mostly gridmap and forgetting 60fps or anything over lowest details.

Modern AMD pieces are good to keep in mind of course for budget computing, but for BeamNG computing 100 or less, used might be only option.