New SSD and DCS (how too) Questions

[Andy1966]

Hello all,:helpsmilie::joystick:

Im Looking to upgrade my old system to make it through a half a year or so until I get all the components together to buld a new one. I bought a new graphics card a few months ago. as of now,it runs surprisingly well for what it is. mild stutters every once and a while, but in no way is it unflyable or unplayable

 

My system now is a gigabyte amd a-10 7850k @stock 3.7 Ghz, F2A88xm motherboard, 8 gb ram MSI GForce GTX 980 and generic TV for monitor. motherboard has 2 empty ram slots. TM Hotas x, no VR, I only run DCS and a few other small programs. I run DCS 1.5.6 only. (Viggen Rocks!) had a few issues with stutters with Viggen release, but they wernt that bad, and the hotfix fixed them,and the extreme load times on my part.

 

my questions are:

 

1. the ssd I have now is small.its only 110gb, and its full. I'm looking for a Samsung 850 evo 256gb ssd. that should be big enough for the time being shouldn't it? I can get it and the adapters to do it myself for about $125.00. so I would rather go that route if possible. Plus its the most critical at this point because its full.

 

2. Should I get more RAM? I know 8gb is only minimum spec, but will it matter that much?

 

Thanks any advice is appreiciated

[jvanhoog]

16gb ram made a difference for me, the thing is whenever ED release 2.5 even the caucasus map will be more ram hungry than it is now as its being redone in the new terrain engine.

[Spasticatedtoad]

Hello all,:helpsmilie::joystick:

Im Looking to upgrade my old system to make it through a half a year or so until I get all the components together to buld a new one. I bought a new graphics card a few months ago. as of now,it runs surprisingly well for what it is. mild stutters every once and a while, but in no way is it unflyable or unplayable

 

My system now is a gigabyte amd a-10 7850k @stock 3.7 Ghz, F2A88xm motherboard, 8 gb ram MSI GForce GTX 980 and generic TV for monitor. motherboard has 2 empty ram slots. TM Hotas x, no VR, I only run DCS and a few other small programs. I run DCS 1.5.6 only. (Viggen Rocks!) had a few issues with stutters with Viggen release, but they wernt that bad, and the hotfix fixed them,and the extreme load times on my part.

 

my questions are:

 

1. the ssd I have now is small.its only 110gb, and its full. I'm looking for a Samsung 850 evo 256gb ssd. that should be big enough for the time being shouldn't it? I can get it and the adapters to do it myself for about $125.00. so I would rather go that route if possible. Plus its the most critical at this point because its full.

 

2. Should I get more RAM? I know 8gb is only minimum spec, but will it matter that much?

 

Thanks any advice is appreiciated

 

 

I am also looking to upgrade my system at the moment and I have the same Samsung SSD as you mention. I am using mine as the boot disk with windows, DCS and nothing else installed on it directly. I install all my other games and software to a second HDD.

If possible, I would go for a larger SSD if you use it as your boot drive as mine only has around 48gig of free space left on it.

I don't save any pictures, videos or documents on that drive either, but of course, software does install stuff on there. This means that my drive does work at 100% quite often when I am working on projects, due to the low amount of free space remaining.

I am no expert, not by a long shot, but when researching the potential upgrade for my system, this is advice that is most frquently suggested to me. Hope that helps.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Spasticatedtoad
Used an iphone and Auto-Corrupt made a hash of my spelling

[dburne]

my questions are:

 

1. the ssd I have now is small.its only 110gb, and its full. I'm looking for a Samsung 850 evo 256gb ssd. that should be big enough for the time being shouldn't it? I can get it and the adapters to do it myself for about $125.00. so I would rather go that route if possible. Plus its the most critical at this point because its full.

 

Samsung would be a great choice. Considering the upcoming DCS 2.5 along with more maps, I would seriously consider a little larger - 512 GB drives are fairly reasonable at this time. You would be ok for the short term, but longer term you may end up wishing you had larger. I have all my games on a 256 GB, and will probably be adding another here in the near future.

 

 

2. Should I get more RAM? I know 8gb is only minimum spec, but will it matter that much?

 

 

Yes, I would definitely recommend adding another 8gb of ram for 16 total.

[BitMaster]

+1 for SSD ( Samsung is the way to go )

 

+1 for 16GB total, you will see a difference, hands down !

[Spasticatedtoad]

Hi All.

I am faced with a computer which is about to expire after 8 years of solid use. I was hoping to hold off updating the hardware until after the Merge of DCS 1.5 and 2.0, but I don't think it is going to survive that long.

So I was hoping someone may be able to offer a little advise as to which would be the best approach.

I currently have Windows 7 Pro and DCS world 1.5 on a 256gig Samsung SSD and all my other games and software on a second drive, which is a standard HDD.

 

Upon seeking parts to upgrade my system, it was advised to me to clone the 256gig Samsung SSD to a 512 Samsung SSD. And keeping Windows 7 Pro 64bit

 

The concerns I have at this point in time, is that with my PC hardware being replaced next week ( Motherboard, CPU and RAM ) plus the SSD being cloned to a new SSD, this will require me to deactivate my modules and activate again after the PC upgrade? Not to mention, could open a whole bucket of worms with other registered software installed on the second HDD.

 

What I was hoping to do, was hold off on the hardware upgrade and start with a fresh install after the DCS 1.5 and 2.0 merge. Going that route, it would just mean 1 lot of deactivation and activations. But if I upgrade my system next week, I could be looking at 2 deactivations and activations if I choose a clean install.

 

What I would like to know, is what would be the best route to travel. If I update my system hardware next week, should I hold off on cloning my drive over to the 512gig Samsung SSD and just make do with the 256gig Samsung SSD as it stands, until after the merge. This would mean staying with Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

 

Or, would I be better off starting with a clean system that will require me to install all of my software all over again? It's a lot of hassle and I may have to re-purchase some of my software, but at least I would have a clean system that is almost brand new and I could maybe install Windows 10. I don't have the budget to replace anything that is not necessary and I don't have any current issues with Windows 7 Pro 64bit, so don't really want to move to Windows 10.

 

But I have read there is quite an advantage to having a Windows 10 system.

 

My current system is:-

 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit

AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition CPU 3400mhz

12gig 1600mhz 12800 Ripjaw

Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P Motherboard

Samsung SSD 830 Series 256Gig

Western Digital 2TB HDD

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3 Gig Video Card

Seasonic 620W Power Supply

 

My Upgraded System will be:-

 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit ( possible upgrade to Windows 10 64bit )

AMD Ryzen 7 1700 CPU

16gig DDR4-3000C15D GSkill

MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon Motherboard

Samsung SSD 512gig

Western Digital 2TB HDD

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3 Gig Video Card ( will upgrade at a later date )

Coolmaster EX2 725W Power Supply

 

Which leaves my Samsung 256gig SSD able to be wiped and used as another internal drive once upgraded.

 

If anyone has some advice on what would be the best way to approach this, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I do know that the GPU may end up being a bit of a let down in the beginning for use with DCS , but due to my budget, I am unable to upgrade it at this point in time. But if it is an absolute 'No-Go' with the hardware I am upgrading to, I may have to wait a few more weeks. I would prefer not to do that as no working PC is killing my work with so much downtime, it's been 2 weeks so far and I really don't want to have another 2-3 weeks of sitting on my hands.

 

Please forgive me if this is not the most appropriate place to post this. I felt as it was mostly about SSD's and How to..., this would be better than starting a new thread.

[Rudel_chw]

The concerns I have at this point in time, is that with my PC hardware being replaced next week ( Motherboard, CPU and RAM ) plus the SSD being cloned to a new SSD, this will require me to deactivate my modules and activate again after the PC upgrade?

 

Yes, the copy protection requires you to do a deactivation of all your purchased DCS aircrafts, Campaigns and terrains; each time that you do a significant hardware or software change.

 

The following are the "points" that the protection assigns to each change:

 

Change of processor: 13

Reinstall of Windows: 3

Change of Computer Name (yeah ... really) : 3

Hard drive (I assume that it refers to the boot drive): 3

Change of motherboard: 6

RAM amount: 6

 

Whenever the changes reach 12 points, you will need to deactivate all of DCS BEFORE doing the upgrade.

 

These hardware changes dont have to be simultaneous; you can reinstall windows a couple of times (not unusual if the first install gives you trouble) and then a month later add more RAM ... and then Bingo!, you loose an activation.

 

What I was hoping to do, was hold off on the hardware upgrade and start with a fresh install after the DCS 1.5 and 2.0 merge. Going that route, it would just mean 1 lot of deactivation and activations. But if I upgrade my system next week, I could be looking at 2 deactivations and activations if I choose a clean install.

 

Like I said, you really have to do the deactivate/reactivate dance every time ... unless you keep an accurate tally of all the changes that I described above ... something almost no one does. I prefer to err on the safe side and deactivate before every hardware change ... it just takes a little over 5 minutes depending on how many modules you have.

 

What I would like to know, is what would be the best route to travel. If I update my system hardware next week, should I hold off on cloning my drive over to the 512gig Samsung SSD and just make do with the 256gig Samsung SSD as it stands, until after the merge. This would mean staying with Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

 

I can understand wanting to keep the old OS; I feel the same in regards of my own Windows 8.1 ... however, Microsoft is trying to force the issue and the updates for your Windows 7 stopped a while ago (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet).

 

Also, you will now be on the category of "user with newer hardware" that can be quite hard to get Windows 7 to recognize fully ... see this:

 

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake

 

So, on my opinion it will probably be better to take the bullet now and install Windows 10 clean on your new SSD (deactivate DCS first).

 

By the way, you dont need to purchase Windows 10, you can use the install key of your current Windows and upgrade your license. The ISO of Windows 10 can be downloaded from Microsoft:

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

 

:)

[BitMaster]

It's not that simple anymore if you havent reserved your Win10 license already but there is still a backdoor open, legally.

 

On your 7, go this website: ​

https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/accessibility/windows10upgrade

and activater your upgrade.

Meanwhile, in order to get the lic reserved you HAVE TO INSTALL it right away. The former reservation & install later is not available anymore, so do this when you say goodbye to 7.

 

Once 10 has downloaded and installed itself you really should bind that lic to your hotmail account, so you can change HW and keep the 10 lic ( given you have a copy of 7 that is retail or SB, not OEM from Dell or HP etc... that wont allow HW change ! ).

 

So make a hotmail account if you dont have one already and in control panel, user, enable MS account as login option...DONE...now your 10 license is bind to the email and can be used on different HW as well if you upgrade and re-activate. The lic is lost otherwise after HW change, there is no other way to move the lic around afaik.

 

When you then do the HW upgrade, reinstall or use old Win10 ( I did and I see no reason to fresh install 10, one of the features its got is THIS ) it will NOT activate by itself. Upon installing, bypass the key entry and install without key, then, when done and logged in on desktop, activate MS account on that new HW and WIn10 again, once that is done, reboot.

 

After reboot, activate your copy and upon failing to do so, click Troubleshoot and then click "I changed my HW recently", then follow the guide and choose 1 of your Lics stored in the linked MS account, pick your old HW lic, say THIS IS NO THE HW its used on and DONE.

 

If it fails to accept, disregard it. Reboot a few times, try an hour later, its a VERY BUGGY process from MS. Half of the time the servers dont respond, so be patient and try several times if it fails, IT DOES WORK.

 

I have multiple 10 copies and not always I see all of them, sometime these are missing, sometimes those are missing...it is not very user friendly but gets the job done finally.

 

 

 

If nothing works, you have to call MS.

 

 

All this only works with NON_OEM copies of 7 or 8, copies that came with your Del, HP, Asus etc. wont apply for HW upgrades.

 

 

If you still dont like it, REVERT to 7 !

 

But now, you have a copy of 10 reserved that waits for you, for free.

 

Once you are sure were you settle, 7 or 10, clean your OS drive !!!! There are now many Gigabytes you can safely delete if you do NOT plan to revert to 7 anymore or have reverted to 7, in either way, delete those 20-40GB data. Rightclick your OS drive, CLEAN ( mine is german, hope that is correct in engl. version )..click delete system files or what that is called so it includes obsolete old OS's and Update files...quickly you have checked 25+GB of files.

 

Let it clean it and enjoy 10...or 7...whatever

 

 

:)

[Rudel_chw]

It's not that simple anymore if you havent reserved your Win10 license already but there is still a backdoor open, legally

...

Meanwhile, in order to get the lic reserved you HAVE TO INSTALL it right away. The former reservation & install later is not available anymore, so do this when you say goodbye to 7.

 

The reservation that you mention isn't really needed ... last month I installed Windows 10 and used the key of my Windows 7 Pro to activate with absolutely no problem at all .... I documented the process on this Forum (sorry, in spanish):

 

http://www.capa9.net/foro/tema/2017-todav%C3%ADa-es-posible-actualizar-gratis-a-windows-10.1118866/

 

Once 10 has downloaded and installed itself you really should bind that lic to your hotmail account, so you can change HW and keep the 10 lic ( given you have a copy of 7 that is retail or SB, not OEM from Dell or HP etc... that wont allow HW change ! ).

 

He says that he has Windows 7 Pro ... so I dont think it could be an OEM version.

 

:)

[Spasticatedtoad]

@ Rudel_chw and @ Bitmaster Thank you for your advice. I appreciate your help very much. I have never trusted Upgrading from one O.S to another as I am not very computer savvy and worry about updating an O.S in case something goes wrong. In the past, I have had problems updating some software ( although, not for some time ) and hate the thought of spending so much money on upgrading my HW, only to not be able to use it anyway cause i mucked it up.

It seems that for someone like myself, with limited brain power, I may be better off biting the bullet and buying Windows 10 and starting from scratch.

I will give your advice serious consideration though as I really don't have the money right now to Buy Windows 10, but would like the Changeover to go as smoothly as possible.

Deactivating DCS is a must in my opinion and will definitely do that as priority number one. Of all my software, DCS is one that would hurt the most to not be able to use it. And with the system I am setting up, that would be a terrible waste. I have plenty of activation's left, so I am lucky in that case.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to help me with this. I really appreciate your advice. Hopefully in a few weeks, I am back up and running and all of this concern will be for nothing. But its best to ask before assuming it will be ok and ruining the whole thing.

[BitMaster]

I have had several non working 10 upgrades on customer machines, all of them reverted back to 7 without any user input needed. It just didnt work and it went back to 7.

 

It is that dead simple, save those 140€ or $. It has a 99% chance of not going dead wrong !

[Art-J]

 

What I was hoping to do, was hold off on the hardware upgrade and start with a fresh install after the DCS 1.5 and 2.0 merge. Going that route, it would just mean 1 lot of deactivation and activations. But if I upgrade my system next week, I could be looking at 2 deactivations and activations if I choose a clean install.

 

 

I don't quite understand this part. The way I see it, whatever You do next week, You're still going to go through only one re-activation process. Module license keys are written in Win registry once, so later You can install/reinstall as many copies and versions of DCS on the same system&PC config as You want, without loosing further activations.

 

Unless by "clean install" after the merge You mean both system and DCS 2.5 (Your post is not clear enough), then yes, 2 re-activations total will be spent.

[BitMaster]

The reservation that you mention isn't really needed ... last month I installed Windows 10 and used the key of my Windows 7 Pro to activate with absolutely no problem at all .... I documented the process on this Forum (sorry, in spanish):

 

http://www.capa9.net/foro/tema/2017-todav%C3%ADa-es-posible-actualizar-gratis-a-windows-10.1118866/

 

 

 

He says that he has Windows 7 Pro ... so I dont think it could be an OEM version.

 

:)

 

 

You are hopefully right with what you say that a 7 key is sufficient. Never tried that way actually.

 

The other thing that you say is not correct, definitely. You can have a Win7 Pro or even Ultimate ( like I had ) from Dell, that came with your laptop and upgrade to 10, but you can NEVER take that license for a any other CPU or motherboard, only the same type and model so that it allows hardware failure replacements. OEM is not bound to Home or Pro or Enterprise, OEM just means Original End Manufacturer, which in my case was Dell and Asus for the laptops. Those 10's can nver be taken over to other hardware. I have other 7 Ultimates, SB ( SystemBuilder ), those and retail ( boxed ) are HW independant and can be used on any hardware through your MS account management.

 

If you now only use the Win7 key to install 10, that is OK and it may work as you say.

The difference will come when you change HW and still use the same key !

Then, you have to tell MS somehow that the old HW is Offline and free your key.

If you dont have that done before your HW dies and cant boot anymore you have lost a 10 license if you cant convince the guy on the phone to activate it manually again.

That is how I understood the new way of dealing with lic keys.

[Rudel_chw]

... I may be better off biting the bullet and buying Windows 10 and starting from scratch.

 

Before buying a new Windows, you can try first to download the Windows 10 Pro ISO from the link I gave on my prior post; make a bootable pendrive with a copy of the ISO (you might want to use a Utility like Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie/) to create the pendrive)

 

Then you can install a fresh Windows 10 on the new SSD drive, and then see if you are able to activate it with your Windows 7 Pro key .... You have nothing to loose except a bit of time and can save the US$100 of a new license.

 

:)

[Spasticatedtoad]

I don't quite understand this part. The way I see it, whatever You do next week, You're still going to go through only one re-activation process. Module license keys are written in Win registry once, so later You can install/reinstall as many copies and versions of DCS on the same system&PC config as You want, without loosing further activation's.

 

Unless by "clean install" after the merge You mean both system and DCS 2.5 (Your post is not clear enough), then yes, 2 re-activation's total will be spent.

 

Sorry for the confusion, you are correct, I did not explain that bit very clearly.

 

I was hoping, that if the Merge of 1.5 and 2.0 occurred before my PC died, and I had to go for Windows 10, then I would only lose 1 activation when I upgrade my system HW.

 

What I was concerned about, was if I took the more cost effective route and kept Windows 7 Pro, Upgraded my HW ( 1 activation ) then found Windows 7 Pro was not working as well as I had hoped and needed to move to Windows 10, that would cost another activation. And on top of that ( this part I am not sure of ) if the Merge of 1.5 and 2.0 was going to require modules to be de-activated again, I would be up to 3 Activation's within a very short period of time.

 

As I mentioned before, I'm not very computer Savvy and I am just trying to weigh up the Pro's and Con's of this HW Upgrade, and I am trying to work out which path would cost me the least amount of Activation's and has the greatest chance of success. Balanced against a clean install of windows and the loss of many software packages that have no Spare Product Keys left and would need to be re-purchased.

 

If I was able to clone my 256Gig SSD over to a 512gig SSD, I would ( in theory ) be able to keep the activated software I already own, upgrade my HW , carry on business as usual and still only lose 1 activation.

 

But the more I looked into the HW Upgrade I was going to make, the more it seemed like I would ( in effect ) hobble my system by keeping Windows 7, which would be a waste of money. In that case, it would be pointless to upgrade so far, if I could not take advantage of many new features my New HW would have to offer. And could not run DCS better than I can now.

 

I am trying to keep the cost of this HW upgrade to a minimum, both with regards to DCS and other software, as well as get the best bang for my buck that I can. The more I can keep from my existing system, the better, but not at the cost of performance or my budget later on. After this upgrade, I will not be able to afford to replace my GPU ( for instance ) for another 6-12 months, maybe even more. And that is as long as everything goes smoothly.

 

I am on a Disability Pension which is not a lot of money. The last time I was able to afford to upgrade my system, was 8 years ago. Then my GPU 4 years later. If I make a mistake on this upgrade, I have to live with that mistake for a long, long time.

 

And also, after this upgrade, if there are any teething problems and I end up using more Activation's than expected, I will lose a lot of money in DCS modules as well which I would not be able to replace them all for 6-12 months minimum. Which would hurt a lot.

 

I was just trying to cover as many bases as I can to ensure that such an expensive decision, went as smoothly as I could, whilst still allowing for unexpected problems which could arise from my built-in stupidity, or unexpected errors on behalf of the Computer Tech who would be upgrading my system HW. :doh:

 

If this process was going to risk too many Activations, then I would have to find some way of delaying this HW upgrade until I was certain that I would not lose everything I have. If I am going to lose a lot of software on my system, there is no way I am going to risk having to purchase any of my modules again as well.

 

As I am building my own business that relies on this same computer, I have to work out the best time to upgrade it, with the least amount of disruption or risk of it expiring before being able to upgrade it. :thumbup:

[Spasticatedtoad]

Before buying a new Windows, you can try first to download the Windows 10 Pro ISO from the link I gave on my prior post; make a bootable pendrive with a copy of the ISO (you might want to use a Utility like Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie/) to create the pendrive)

 

Then you can install a fresh Windows 10 on the new SSD drive, and then see if you are able to activate it with your Windows 7 Pro key .... You have nothing to loose except a bit of time and can save the US$100 of a new license.

 

:)

 

Thank you for the handy links and advice. But that is one of things that make me cringe. As that is something I have never done before, it opens up avenues for me to make mistakes , and I would not know what to do if something did not go as expected.

 

I will look into it though, and I really do appreciate you taking the time to help me keep costs down. If I find that is something I can confidently do, I will be all over it, because it would save me extra cash I do not have.

 

Thank you all very much. I don't have anyone local who is computer savvy, except for the people in the place where my PC would be getting upgraded. One speaks with a very heavy Russian accent, and the other has a very heavy Asian Accent. And I have never been really good at understanding people with a heavy accent. Its not their fault, it is totally my fault, but no matter how much I try, some days I walk away from there feeling like I understand less than when I walked in.

So I am very grateful for the time you have taken to help me with this. It makes it a lot easier for me, when I can sit and read, then re-read what you have written, until I understand it.:thumbup:

 

As an example of how tight my budget is right now, I have $1200 for the Upgrade which is going to cost around $1,489 without the 512gig SSD , Labour , or anything else that may go wrong. I have to make sure I eliminate as many chances of mistakes or further expense as much as I can, or I cant do any of it.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Spasticatedtoad

[Rudel_chw]

What I was concerned about, was if I took the more cost effective route and kept Windows 7 Pro, Upgraded my HW ( 1 activation ) then found Windows 7 Pro was not working as well as I had hoped and needed to move to Windows 10, that would cost another activation. And on top of that ( this part I am not sure of ) if the Merge of 1.5 and 2.0 was going to require modules to be de-activated again, I would be up to 3 Activation's within a very short period of time.

 

The activation/deactivation process of DCS modules is not like that. Lets say you install a new DCS module, it cames initially with 10 activations. When you activate it for the first time, the installer will tell you "9 activations left".

 

But then, you want to upgrade hardware, so you deactivate the module ... the process will tell you that you are now with "10 activations left" ... after the upgrade you activate the module again and you ara back to 9 left ... see? you dont really lose activations.

 

The only way to loose an activation happens when you dont deactivate the modules, then do the hardware upgrade and when you activate the modules again it will tell you "8 activations left".

 

Balanced against a clean install of windows and the loss of many software packages that have no Spare Product Keys left and would need to be re-purchased.

 

Most softwares have a license key that allows you to reinstall them as many times as you wish ... for example Microsoft Office, most products from Adobe, etc. Only a few are like DCS, that require a deactivation in order to keep the license current.

 

But of course, if you have a lot of software installed for which you didnt keep a record of their keys .. then I'd say that just cloning your SSD would be the less expensive way to go (assuming that your old Windows doesnt have trouble to start on the new motherboard).

 

As I am building my own business that relies on this same computer, I have to work out the best time to upgrade it, with the least amount of disruption or risk of it expiring before being able to upgrade it. :thumbup:

 

I'm almost on your same situation ... may I suggest that you keep the old computer almost as it is, as your "work" machine ... I wouldnt risk to disrupt your business if something goes wrong with the upgrade.

 

From your current PC you are replacing SSD, motherboard, processor, memory and power supply ... the only parts that you would need to build a second PC to use as a "gaming" PC is a case, maybe an HDD, a Windows license, and a device for sharing the keyboard, mouse & monitor between both PCs (work and gaming) ... one like this:

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817107417

 

Even your current monitor may have several inputs, in that case you would need a device just for sharing the keyboard & mouse

 

You would also need a cheap vga card (even a used one would do) for your "work" PC, as its current motherboard doesnt have built in video.

 

Thank you for the handy links and advice. But that is one of things that make me cringe. As that is something I have never done before, it opens up avenues for me to make mistakes , and I would not know what to do if something did not go as expected.

 

I will look into it though, and I really do appreciate you taking the time to help me keep costs down. If I find that is something I can confidently do, I will be all over it, because it would save me extra cash I do not have.

 

Well, build a second PC would allow you to install your fresh Windows 10 with confidence that whatever you do, you can still fall back on your current PC for your work needs

 

Best regards.

[dburne]

Well, build a second PC would allow you to install your fresh Windows 10 with confidence that whatever you do, you can still fall back on your current PC for your work needs

 

 

Agreed, when I do a new PC build I almost always do a complete new system build ( including case), so I have my existing build still running and able to fall back on for use if things do not go as smoothly as anticipated. The only exception would be if I happen to have the most current video card at the time of the new build and not need to buy another one. Usually though the way I time it I am ready for a new video card anyway.

[Demon_]

Spasticatedtoad

I don't suggest the Cooler Master EX, it's a Tier 4 with an annoying note: (only use 75% of labeled wattage).

https://www.thetechgame.com/Archives/t=5613293/power-supply-guide-the-good-and-the-bad.html

 

http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/psu_manufacturers

Edited February 28, 2017 by Demon_

[BitMaster]

This sounds like too much for the user to do.

 

If you feel uncomfortable doing such things then don't. Ihave many pals which are good gamers but couldnt do this either. In that casem, ask a friend to stop by and help you or Teamviewer.

 

Win10 can be upgraded fully via remote access, done this myself many times, most times I do it this way actually. The newer builds work seemless in remote when upgrading.

 

So if you know somebody who would help you to do the upgrade, the system allows full remote control on this.

 

 

If you cant find somebody locally, send me a PM and we can set up a time and have a look if you like :)

 

Save those bucks man !

 

Invest them in a good digital PSU ! Seasonic, Corsair have good ones..SunFlower...etc..

[Demon_]

Yes Bit, power supply made by Seasonic (the best), Flextronics and Super Flower (They really need to europeanise their naming scheme).

 

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page330.htm

[BitMaster]

Mind you, many excellent PSU's are done by companies you have never heard of. Like for servers and such.

 

A bad PSU...and you pull your hair :(

[Spasticatedtoad]

Hi Folks. Sorry for taking so long to reply. My internet dropped out last night and my service was only reinstated a short while ago. I have had a good read of the Information and advice you have offered and really appreciate your experienced help.

 

The activation/deactivation process of DCS modules is not like that. Lets say you install a new DCS module, it cames initially with 10 activations. When you activate it for the first time, the installer will tell you "9 activations left".

 

But then, you want to upgrade hardware, so you deactivate the module ... the process will tell you that you are now with "10 activations left" ... after the upgrade you activate the module again and you ara back to 9 left ... see? you dont really lose activations.

 

The only way to loose an activation happens when you dont deactivate the modules, then do the hardware upgrade and when you activate the modules again it will tell you "8 activations left".

 

 

 

Most softwares have a license key that allows you to reinstall them as many times as you wish ... for example Microsoft Office, most products from Adobe, etc. Only a few are like DCS, that require a deactivation in order to keep the license current.

 

But of course, if you have a lot of software installed for which you didnt keep a record of their keys .. then I'd say that just cloning your SSD would be the less expensive way to go (assuming that your old Windows doesnt have trouble to start on the new motherboard).

 

 

 

I'm almost on your same situation ... may I suggest that you keep the old computer almost as it is, as your "work" machine ... I wouldnt risk to disrupt your business if something goes wrong with the upgrade.

 

From your current PC you are replacing SSD, motherboard, processor, memory and power supply ... the only parts that you would need to build a second PC to use as a "gaming" PC is a case, maybe an HDD, a Windows license, and a device for sharing the keyboard, mouse & monitor between both PCs (work and gaming) ... one like this:

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817107417

 

Even your current monitor may have several inputs, in that case you would need a device just for sharing the keyboard & mouse

 

You would also need a cheap vga card (even a used one would do) for your "work" PC, as its current motherboard doesnt have built in video.

 

 

 

Well, build a second PC would allow you to install your fresh Windows 10 with confidence that whatever you do, you can still fall back on your current PC for your work needs

 

Best regards.

 

 

Thank you so much for this reminder. I have been overthinking this process far too much and had myself convinced I was going to lose activations. As soon as I read you Post I realised what a dope I was to think that.

 

 

I had considered keeping my current PC to keep what I have intact so far, but it is really starting to suffer and is not seeming to be like it will last much longer. And most of the upgrade I was looking at, was to actually be my main work PC and this system would be the Entertainment PC.

 

As I am working to be a photographer, I process a massive number of images and the demand for some of them has increased beyond expectations. This PC was doing ok, up until I started working on it for around 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. As time passes, I am finding it is starting to suffer and misbehave, which seems to be getting worse.

 

 

 

Spasticatedtoad

I don't suggest the Cooler Master EX, it's a Tier 4 with an annoying note: (only use 75% of labeled wattage).

https://www.thetechgame.com/Archives/t=5613293/power-supply-guide-the-good-and-the-bad.html

 

http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/psu_manufacturers

 

Thank you so much for this piece of information. I was not aware it had such a bad reputation. I originally bought that PSU about 12 months ago, to put into my current system but never got around to installing it in my tower.

 

I was hoping I could use it in my HW upgrade to save a few dollars, but after reading your post, I now know I would be better of putting the PSU from my current system in the New system as I would get a lot more Watts of available power.

 

 

This sounds like too much for the user to do.

 

If you feel uncomfortable doing such things then don't. Ihave many pals which are good gamers but couldnt do this either. In that casem, ask a friend to stop by and help you or Teamviewer.

 

Win10 can be upgraded fully via remote access, done this myself many times, most times I do it this way actually. The newer builds work seemless in remote when upgrading.

 

So if you know somebody who would help you to do the upgrade, the system allows full remote control on this.

 

 

If you cant find somebody locally, send me a PM and we can set up a time and have a look if you like :)

 

Save those bucks man !

 

Invest them in a good digital PSU ! Seasonic, Corsair have good ones..SunFlower...etc..

 

Thank you Bitmaster for your generous offer to help. At this point, after reading all of the advise everyone has offered, I have found that I am not going to be able to afford to upgrade my HW for some time yet.

I think I would be best looking at a total rebuild and a clean start with Windows 10. As much as that is not the Path I would have preferred, I have to face facts and admit defeat on this one. My budget will not carry me as far as I had hoped at this point and I may have to wait a few more months until I have a healthier sum of money behind me. I dont know what I will do in the mean time as any money I spend keeping my current build going, will severely impact on my ability to upgrade to a more current build, which is what I ultimately need. Thank you again for your kind offer to help set it up for me though. I very much appreciate that.

 

Mind you, many excellent PSU's are done by companies you have never heard of. Like for servers and such.

 

A bad PSU...and you pull your hair :(

 

 

I agree 100% with this. There is no point building a great system to carry my entertainment and business into the future at the cost of stability. An underpowered PSU would no doubt just add a constant pain in the backside, which I was hoping to avoid.

 

 

Thank you all for your fantastic advice. As much as I was hoping for a magic solution that would allow me to move forward on this upgrade, I think I am just going to have to pull the plug and try to find a temporary solution that will carry me a little further first. Not really the news I was hoping to hear, but I really do appreciate you experienced advice and help. You have all helped me far more in 24 hours, than I have been able to get for a few months now.

 

I have been stressing about my PC for a while and as I have been watching it degrade over time, I was hoping to bite the bullet and solve my problems all in one go. But without proper funding it deserves, I would just end up wasting what little money I have. At least now, I can keep what I have and hopefully build on it, to do the job right.

 

Thank you all.

[BitMaster]

If you intend to do video editing and image processing...man..this RYZEN is maybe the CPU you're looking for.

 

I just did 23 videos of about 1-3.5GB each from MP4 to MKV @ 5GHz on my rig and I bet any Ryzen would have beaten me BIG TIME with this.

 

 

Right now, I would wait 4-6 weeks anyway as the market is as wild as it hasnt been since AMD dropped out.

Now that Phoenix is about to RISE AGAIN things look totally different..WE HAVE OPTIONS NOW :P

 

 

I think, I would not build an Intel now, if I had another RMA ( HOPE NOT !!! ) I would 100% take an AMD and oc that sucker until it meets my needs in IPC :)

 

 

Wait & Save the money so you get what you need and hope for. Cutting corners now wont be a good decision and the market cries for a reorientation this coming week. IT HAS ARRIVED !!

 

Still, once you build the new one, use your OLD WIN7 and make iut a FREE 10 !!!!

You will not loose anything ! Just before you put it away, fire it up one more time, apply for 10, match the license with MS account or key as Demon says ( do both to be sure ! ) and then reuse that 10 lic on your new rig. 150€ you wont have to put down ! :)

 

My Teamviewer offer is stillvalid, just gimme a beep via PM and I will assisst you.

[Spasticatedtoad]

If you intend to do video editing and image processing...man..this RYZEN is maybe the CPU you're looking for.

 

I just did 23 videos of about 1-3.5GB each from MP4 to MKV @ 5GHz on my rig and I bet any Ryzen would have beaten me BIG TIME with this.

 

 

Right now, I would wait 4-6 weeks anyway as the market is as wild as it hasnt been since AMD dropped out.

Now that Phoenix is about to RISE AGAIN things look totally different..WE HAVE OPTIONS NOW :P

 

 

I think, I would not build an Intel now, if I had another RMA ( HOPE NOT !!! ) I would 100% take an AMD and oc that sucker until it meets my needs in IPC :)

 

 

Wait & Save the money so you get what you need and hope for. Cutting corners now wont be a good decision and the market cries for a reorientation this coming week. IT HAS ARRIVED !!

 

Still, once you build the new one, use your OLD WIN7 and make iut a FREE 10 !!!!

You will not loose anything ! Just before you put it away, fire it up one more time, apply for 10, match the license with MS account or key as Demon says ( do both to be sure ! ) and then reuse that 10 lic on your new rig. 150€ you wont have to put down ! :)

 

My Teamviewer offer is stillvalid, just gimme a beep via PM and I will assisst you.

 

Thank you so much Bitmaster for your wonderful offer. I would really like to be able to go back to making some DCS videos again. I really enjoyed it when I made all of the others I posted on YouTube. And with the path that DCS is taking, it would be magic to be able to make some more videos and spread the love for DCS.

 

I am really hoping that the new build will be good for both videos and image processing, but will have to wait quite a while to find out now :(

 

Until yesterday, it was looking like I may be able to get my HW upgraded before the weekend, but now it is looking like it will be around 6-8 weeks away. I only get paid every 2 weeks and its not a lot.

 

If I do decided to do the Windows 7 upgrade, I would really appreciate your help. Thank you so much for such a kind offer. :D