PC upgrade question

[Psychoclops]

Many moons ago (beginning of 2012 to be precise) I bought a PC. I still have and use said PC but Microsoft have decided it's not compatible with Windows 11. Due to it's age it probably needs replacing anyway however I had a thought:

Can I upgrade it bit by bit? The main issue I'm guessing is the mobo, and to upgrade that I'd need to change the processor and the ram at the same time right? Here's what I currently have:

Asus PX79 Pro mobo
i7 3930k processor
32gb DDR3 RAM
2x 250gb SSD HDD (running in raid to read as a single 500gb HDD) - this is because back then SSD's weren't as big as they are now.
GTX980 Graphics (was originally a GTX580)
Corsair modular Gold 750W PSU (a few years old, replaced original PSU that died)

So can I upgrade the mobo/ram/processor and keep the rest? The intention being to upgrade each as money becomes available... oh and it's in an InWin Dragon Rider case so it's a decent size.

Extra storage is dealt with via an external 1gb HDD (photos, music etc)

Would I hit any issues with the operating system thinking it's in a different PC (licensing issues?). Would a modern mobo take the 980?

I'm not imminently looking to do this, will get the funds together first but any possible 'issues' to know about before hand would be great.

[CBJ]

I sincerely hope you mean 1TB rather than 1GB for that external drive.

A new motherboard shouldn't have any problems with the older graphics card, but you will almost certainly have less luck with the CPU and RAM. However, since graphics cards currently represent the single biggest chunk of expenditure on a new system, that may still help spread the cost at least a little. On the plus side, if your PSU is a replacement and not too old, that should be fine to re-use. And although the SSDs aren't huge capacity-wise, you can probably use them again too, at least until you have the funds to add a decent-sized m.2 drive to the new system.

[Psychoclops]

Oh yes, 1TB

I didn't think of an m.2 drive, definitely something to consider down the line!

[Vertigo 7]

As far as licensing for windows, it depends. If your version of windows is retail (you bought a retail boxed copy or direct from MS), its transferrable. if its OEM (shipped with your PC or bought from ebay or something), its not.

You also may run into problems on new hardware depending on chipset/drivers required. It's usually not a good idea to just drop a hard drive with windows already installed into a different pc. Best thing to do is backup anything important to you and reinstall clean.

[Redvers Ganderpoke]

I think OEM licences are transferable if you updated from 7 to 10 (to 11) and it's linked to MS account.

[Psychoclops]

It originally came with Win7 Ultimate (then free upgrade to Win10). It came with the windows CD-ROM but I doubt it would work now? But if the upgrades successfully installed I suppose it would happily upgrade to Win11 with no issues. But I see how dumping the hard drives into new components could cause me issues, another thing I didn't consider.

I'd backup everything to the external hard drive before I did anything anyway. Most of it is already there by default.

[linolafett]

The other question would be: Whats your budget?

Most of your hardware (aside of PSU) has aged a lot and wont give you the performance or compatibility for a future pc.
For windows 11 you might need a new mainboard and cpu. I think it requires a certain encryption module not available on your hardware (tpm? module)

[alt3rn1ty]

~ (tpm? module) ~

Yep, Trusted Platform Module v2.0 - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 6b0c90645c

[burger1]

I would wait and upgrade your pc all at once.

Might need a new cpu cooler or to buy a mounting bracket for the new cpu/mainboard. Depends on the cooler, the cooler mounting parts you kept, the cpu you buy and to an extent the mainboard you buy due to some having 2 sets of mounting holes.

SSD storage is getting much cheaper now.

For the win 7 if you have the key still try entering it after installing the operating system vs during the install. Not sure what win 7 ultimate would upgrade to (pro or home? Try pro first?)

You can also buy a win 10 key for about $16 or less (should be codes on youtube from tech yes city or greg salazars channels (25% off might be the highest discount?)). They are basically resold Asian region keys and they are cheap to try to combat piracy. Don't buy off ebay etc...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm3mLBJWBhc

[YaliSmith]

Your question about upgrading bit by bit is a solid approach, especially if you're trying to be budget-conscious. Let's break it down:

Mobo/RAM/Processor: Yes, you're correct. Upgrading one usually necessitates upgrading the others. Modern motherboards will require DDR4 (or newer) RAM and compatible processors.

Graphics Card: Your GTX980 should still be compatible with a modern motherboard, as long as it has a PCIe slot, which most do.

Speaking of Windows licenses, if you're considering upgrading to Windows 11, there's actually a windows keys reddit thread that provides some cost-effective options for genuine keys. As always, do some research to make sure you're getting a legit key.