hiya guys;

I know which end is the working end of a screwdriver....and just about enough information to get me in trouble. If anybody can point me in the right direction I'd be much obliged....

I bought an HP desktop from Circuit City in 2006. FSX resides on it now,along with a variety of add-ons.

The OS that came with it is Vista Home Premium 64bit ,which is on a Hitachi 750gb SATA 7200rpm internal HD.

I have already begun to assemble a new box with a new Asus MB,and new RAM. I plan on moving the PSU,Optical drive,Nvidia card and HD to the new build from the old HP.

 

Here's where I'm stumped. The Asus MB requires that the OS be Win 7,and I'm confused as to how best to go about saving all my FSX gear.I've read that reformatting is the best (?) way to put on a new OS, Should I do that now,before swapping the HD....or after when it's installed on the new MB ??

Or would it be best to just get a new HD and go from there ??

I've been Googling everything I can think of....and now I'm really confused !!

I'm appealing to you guys,because I have used your opinions in the past with great results,and I know the information you give WON"T get me in trouble !!!

Thanks in advance for any help

Skip D

Fredericksburg,Va

You're saying the motherboard requires the OS to be win7? I've never seen that. WinXP through Win8 should run on any new board. To do a new install I prefer to backup my data and format the drive. Especially in your case - the old drivers from your old mobo will conflict with the new required drivers.

 

The only issue with a format is - if you keep Vista you'll need an OEM disc ("system builders" DVD you can get on newegg.com) or a retail version.

 

Then I wonder about the PSU. If it was a quality brand (doubtful since it's a store bought PC) moving it should be ok. But if you're buying new main components I prefer to back that up with a quality PSU. (Corsair, Antec, Seasonic etc). Wattage isn't really the concern, it's quality build, and, if later you decide you want a powerful video card you need to check the amperage on the 12V rail (sticker on side of PSU might say +12V 54A depending on the watts. Most high end video cards need like 40A).

 

To answer your question about when to format the HDD - backup your data, and when you have the new build ready, insert the Windows dvd and the PC will boot from the disc (might have to change boot order on the bios so PC boots from DVD first and not hard drive) and then you'll have the option to wipe any partitions , format the drive (quick format is fine), and install Windows.

I'd echo what Ryan said re PSU. There are plenty of PSU calculators out there that will advise regarding an acceptable voltage. I like to add a little extra to be on the safe side.

 

http://www.corsair.com/us/learn_n_explore/?psu=yes

Thanx for the quick replies......Ryan I will definetly heed your advice.

Yeah you could easily have a superb quality PSU and be completely safe with 400w (as long as you didn't have a lot of sata drives or a monstrous video card).  It's just that such a low number scares people and companies put out 1000w PSU's because they know people will buy them.

 

I have a little unit called kill-a-watt - it measures the wattage I'm actually using.  I've tested it (without my LED monitor and printer) during a heavily loaded CPU/GPU benchmark and my system peaked at 360w.  On average it used about 290w.  I have a 750w psu - I bought into the overkill and hype.  Oddly enough I think my PSU is giving me issues.  With my single gpu system I'd look at a 550 or 650w next time.  For you that amount will be plenty.

 

I have a Seasonic but I'm not so sure I'd go with them next time.  I've heard great things about Corsair's AX and TX lineup.  The main factor for choosing a PSU is quality (usually from reading reviews or internet reviews at sites you can learn), then check your video card and see what amperage is requires.

 

You could theoretically be within the required parameters at 400 watts, especially if the PSU generates enough amps on the 12v rail, for your GPU's requirements. However, if you intend to keep a PSU for some time, you should always consider capacitor degradation. Capacitors do degrade, and when they do the PSU's output suffers.

 

For the above reason, and in order to take into consideration future upgrades to the system, I would never drop below 650 watts. In fact most of the PSU calculators will suggest 650 watts minimum for a reasonably high end system, adding a reasonable percentage for capacitor degradation.

 

My choice for a high end, modern system, would be 750 watts minimum, the difference in price between the two isn't substantial.

 

The other point to remember, is that higher wattage units, generate less heat at the lower required wattage, so the PSU fans tend to run slower, thus generating less noise.