Hi guys,

I am currently using an Acer Aspire x1470 as my desktop. I have a question, am I able to upgrade this model? Like if I would like to add some RAM, add a graphic card or even change the processor to a better one, is it possible??

I am pretty bad with PC's so I was wondering if someone could give me a hand..Basically i would like to upgrade so I will have no problems playing games - I am looking to buy Call of duty, GTA, FIFA 14 and a few other new games...therefore i would like to upgrade some of the hardware in my PC. Below are my current PC specs. I will really appreciate it if you guys could tell me what i could upgrade, like maybe increase my RAM to 8GB or something. My friend advised me to get a new PC and build it from scratch instead of buying from a vendor...I get his point because since mine is vendor based, apparently I am restricted with the limitations of upgrading my hardware. I cant look to buy a new PC currently because I dont have the budget. Look forward to everyone's input! thanks

current PC specs:

Processor: AMD E2-3200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 2.40GHz
RAM: 4GB
Graphic card: none

The most important thing for pc gaming is having a decent dedicated GPU.
Your pc has a PCI-E x16 slot, but your casing is small so i doubt it will fit any decent GPU. Plus, i believe your pc have a really low power PSU.

What you have is an entry level PC set up, it does a good job running desktop applications, web browsing, watching videos and some very light gaming.
To play COD, GTA and FIFA, you need to buy a decent GPU that will fit in your case and you may also need to buy a new PSU to power your card.
Conclusion, it is not worth it. Just save some money from now on and build a new pc from scratch.

Personally, I'd just sell off the rig and build a new one... The CPU is pretty slow for modern games and your prebuilt is a small form factor case (i.e. you cannot have a standard sized card in the case and you will need a low-profile card. The most powerful low-profile card is the HD7750, though you can't get it here)

RAMs? Yes but they do little in games when you have enough capacity.

..and your CPU is a FM1 socket... not much upgrades can be done other than the A8-3870 (someone please correct me if I'm wrong)... The A8-3870 is an APU, with a decent integrated GPU compared to Intel counterparts. Though the problem is sourcing one and determining whether the CPU works as the board may impose a TDP limit for CPUs.

This service manual should give you an idea what to upgrade:
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/232903/Ac...0.html?page=105

thanks for the info guys...also thanks for the manual. I understand better now.

Just say I would like to upgrade to CPU AMD A8 3850 4M BX 2.9G, 100W,QUAD CORE. How much roughly will this processor cosst??

Also how about AMD Athlon II...can I upgrade my CPU to Athlon?

Not much use upgrading to this one either, especially if you are keen on gaming. Better build a brand new DIY PC from scratch (with a discrete graphic card), though can still salvage the DDR3 memory, HDD and CD/DVD drive from your current PC (for use with the new machine)...

This post has been edited by lex: Jan 12 2014, 06:24 PM

hmm...so no point in upgrading this one eh?

ok so i need to build a PC from scratch...What will you guys recommend? It will be great if you could list the hardware and total price for me....but I really dont have the budget to buy an expensive one. So perhaps I could build a simple one n later on upgrade?

the priority will be to play games but I am not fussy about having the best graphics. Infact I am currently playing Call of duty modern warfare on my Acer & I felt that the graphics already looks alright so that was the reason why i just wanted to upgrade my current ACER

Budget first?

hmm RM 1.5K

1.5k is a little too constraint to get a new rig (worsen with the recent price hike of memory). It is barely able to play new games at a decent settings. Try to save till at least RM2k budget for the rig alone if possible.

i3 4130 (369)
asrock h81m dgs (179)
8GB value ram (234)
WD Blue 1TB (189)
FSP Hexa 500w (149)
Case (99)

Subtotal = RM1219

A minimumly recommendable GPU for gaming is 7790, which at least cost RM399. If top up RM150 more, you can get a pretty decent and solid card, GTX650TI Boost.

This post has been edited by Human10: Jan 13 2014, 04:14 AM

A little tweak on Human10 build :

I3 4130 - Rm 369
Asrock H81M-DGS - RM 179
4gb Value Ram - RM 130
WD 1tb HDD - RM 189
FSP hexa 500 - RM 150
Cooler Master K380 - RM 150
Sapphire HD 7770 RM 370+-

This is the best setup you could get with that budget.
Though , I'm pretty sure that 7770 wont be easy to get now because of the new line-up from AMD.

But then , since you dont really care about in game graphic settings , I think the 7750 / 7770 will certainly serve you good.

Heck even the 7750 will give you a smooth gameplay if you play around with the settings.

If your current HDD is still in good condition, you can cut that from the proposed Build and add the sum to get a better GPU like the GTX 650 Ti Boost 2gb as suggested.

This post has been edited by laurelgt: Jan 13 2014, 05:06 AM

Note that TS can sell his parts off for recouping the cost...

I had figured out that those parts may be hard to sell.

Except may be the 4GB RAM can be re-used (provided that the RAM is AMD exclusive RAM).

Thanks for all your input guys.

Now I have a better idea on building a PC...I just need some clarifications before I move on to purchasing one.

1. If I build my own PC from scratch, what I would like to know is that just say in 2 years I decide to upgrade the graphic card or processor, will I be able to do it without any constraints? I dont want to go through the problem I am having now with my Acer because even though I have a PCI-E x16 slot, Unleashed said my casing is small therefore he doubts any decent GPU can fit into it. So if I build my PC from scratch, in the future is it possible for me to have problems like this?

2. Human10 suggested that my processor should be i3 4130 (based on my budget of course). I was told by a friend that AMD processor serves better for gaming purposes instead of Intel. This I believe is very subjective so I hope I am not offending anyone. However, I would like to get your feedback on this. Is this true?

3. I got a pc specs quote from a friend with the price. What do you guys think about the specs and will it serve well as a gaming pc? Also is the price he stated accurate?

Asus motherboard: rm500-700
processor AMD X3: rm300
ram DDR5: 380
Power supply 600-650 watt - rm300
Graphic card: ATI radeon 400
I am not worried bout hardisk because i plan to take it from my acer
of course the budget is more than 1.5k for the specs above...scratching my head now if I should increase my budget to 1.8k

This post has been edited by jasbaros: Jan 14 2014, 06:29 AM

1. Just keep in mind that there will always be a new hardware/technology coming out. So yeah , upgrading will be quite subjective. If you get a decent casing , most of it will definitely be able to accomodate even the longest GPU.

2. Generally , I'll go with what is the best I could get within my budget.

3. I am sorry to say this , but what your friend have susggested are not worth it. Here's what you can get with 1.8K :-

I3 4130 - Rm 369
Asrock H81M-DGS - RM 179
4gb Value Ram - RM 130
FSP hexa 500 - RM 150
Cooler Master K380 - RM 150
GTX 760 - RM850

This post has been edited by laurelgt: Jan 14 2014, 08:28 AM

Using generic ATX casing means you can use any off-the-shelf generic ATX motherboard, graphic cards, ATX power supply and other peripjerals to your desire. That s unlike branded (customised) PCs like your current Acer Aspire X1470 which is very limited in terms of expandability (e.g. limited to using small low profile only low-end graphic cards) and upgrades (e.g. the power supply on this unit is only 220W plus small form factor type only)...

Unfortunately that is very wrong and pretty outdated. Nowadays for gaming builds, the most recommended processor would be Intel Core i5 (and followed by Intel Core i3) as can be seen by most of the recommendations listed here.

Whoah! This is what I call waste of budget (especially motherboard). Your friend specifications are just not worth it at all. AMD X3 (triple core) sounds like an old already EOL'ed AM2/AM3 processor, in other words could be second hand item...

With 1.8K and some modifications from laurelgt's, build plus re-using the DDR3 memory (since the Acer machine was FM1 platform then should be using DDR3 memory), HDD and CD/DVD drive...

Intel Core i5 4440 - RM579
ASRock H81M-DGS - RM179
FSP Hexa 500W ATX PSU - RM 149
Cooler Master Elite 344 - RM 109 (this micro-ATX casing can fit a very long graphic card)
Leadtek Winfast GTX760 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express - RM849

Total: RM1865

To lower the cost, can also opt for cheaper graphic cards such as AMD Radeon 7790, AMD Radeon 7870 or GTX660. Thus so many options there...

Good point about re-using the ram.

That i5-4440 will certainly be a better choice.

1. For custom built, you can get a large size case. That way you will never be restricted dimensionally any more.

2. Your friend probably still stuck in the Pentium 4 era... Generally, Intel will be more powerful compared to AMD (but AMD will be having more cores) at a similar price range, especially if you are not going to overclock. i3 4130 is powerful enough for gaming. The only drawback is that it is only a dual core, which may start loosing out in the future.

3. If you are going to budget RM500-700 down to CPU alone, might as well consider i5 or Xeon. They will be more powerful and cheaper compared to AMD counterpart.
ohmaigod, just saw that the budget is actually RM500-700 for mobo while 300 for CPU...
That is so wrong, and completely the opposite of how it should be done...
Typical budget is like 500-700 for CPU (i5) and another RM200-300 for mobo.


TL;DR - Forgo your plan for AMD and grab an i5 for peace of mind.

This post has been edited by Human10: Jan 14 2014, 01:45 PM

I didn't suggest the reuse of old ram for two reasons:
1. he might want to keep his old rig still useable
2. not sure whether his old ram is those AMD exclusive type of RAM, which not going to be compatible with intel.
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r....&id=13727416471
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r....&id=35859279776

Regarding GPU, R9 270 seems to be a good choice if want something cheaper than 760, but not too much weaker.

This post has been edited by Human10: Jan 14 2014, 01:50 PM