By the way. I'm also a happy owner of an i7 2600K. It survived 3 MoBo and 4 GPU. Sometimes I feel compelled to upgrade, but soon I realize I don't really need to. I'm not a hardcore gamer, so, 11 years later, my CPU still runs smoothly everything I need.
I have just retired my FIRST Gen i5-750 (been overclocked at 3.3GHz from day one) and still have all the boxes!!! The only thing that died in it’s life was the hard drive so a 500GB SSD was combined with a 2TB hard drive and the AMD 4570 was changed to a GTX1660Super to improve performance for slicing on 3D printing. It ran everything I threw at it and is still very useable today. Yes my i7-12700K/B660 Tomahawk/32GB/RTX2050Super is massively faster in some tasks but not 70% of it’s normal workload (I think I am the limiting factor in photo editing 😂).
There is definitely a sizeable chunk of users who don't upgrade because they don't need to, and others who can't afford to. I consider myself to be in the first group. I am still using the system I built around 2013; FX-8350, 32GB 1866MHz, R7 360 2GB(not a big gamer, mostly retro emulated games), 240GB Samsung EVO boot SSD, LG Blu-Ray writer. Over the years I have added HDDs and SSDs because of all the torrenting and downloading from Usenet I do. I have to admit though that I really want to build a new Ryzen system, either Zen3 or 4, with 64GB of ram. With Etherium mining coming to an end very soon I expect a tsunami of used gfx cards on the market, so hopefully I could pick up a decent one that would last me many years since I don't need bleeding edge. A new build wouldn't cost very much if I could buy a used gfx card for cheap....
@@FullyBuffered but there's a prereq, which is to be as proactive as you are in aquiring new information so you know absolutely perfectly what you are missing out on
@@kwazhims3lf same here, with the exact same motherboard, I game on a 9600k or series x, but this sandy bridge, liquid cooled since 2011 is to date where I do work and it's amazingly (edited from insanely) faster than what most ppl use.
I had an i7 2600k for more than 5yrs, it was a great cpu for it's time. I've also had a Xeon socket1366 pc with a X5670 cpu for about 7yrs. Those older computers are still great for family members who only use pc's casually.
Dude! It´s amazing how we have a pretty much identical story with this hardware! I´m from Brazil and got everything exactly like you, also in 2011. The only difference is i had a 580, and then got another one for SLI when Crysis 3 came out. Still using the same PC, now with a 1070, and it´s still a pretty decent gaming and video editing experience like you said. I´m hoping it can last for another 2 years before upgrading to a whole new system. This is probably the greatest CPU of all time, I´m gonna put it into a frame on the wall hahahahahah
Even as someone who had a i7 960 for 7 years and is currently still in lurve with my 1st gen Ryzen 1700, I gotta admit that the 2600 is still probably better in terms of value.
Pretty much the same story here, haha! Started with two 560 Ti for BF3, now rocking a 1080 Ti. I'm going to keep this build around as long as I live. Been looking to start a whole new build, but then the chip shortage happened. What's a couple more years at this point, really?
i'm still using my i7-2600k today, i bought it in april 2012. Still running all games, of course some better than others. I remember back them when i used to say "i will build a pc that will last for 10 years". And look right now, really happy for this. And yeah, were much more cheaper back than.
I did the same with an Ivy Bridge system. I’ve just moved to the 12th gen. Previous machine served me well. Went through a 660Ti, a 980 and a 1080. I’ve reused the Noctua U-14S on my new system as well as all the storage and Noctua case fans.
I have almost the same hardware to this day. Still very happy about it and will keep using it as I don't play competitive games and upgrading gpu is so pricy these days. There's nowhere to rush 😅 Still thank you for paying homage to this great HW series :)
Recently found your channel and feel like telling my relatable story. I used a i7 2600 as my secondary PC for years on and off and had it paired with a GTX Titan X 12gb. It served me way better than I thought it would, even being able to get me through the likes of Star Citizen and 300-400 player FiveM servers and VR games. Recently replaced it with a Ryzen 7 1700 which has been leaps and bounds in performance and smooth operation of the system. But the 2600 hasn't been put away yet, it will be the heart of my mother gaming PC, she will likely be playing slow paced things and some VR so whatever she wants to do it be better than her laptop.
the sandy bridge/ivy bridge platform was without a doubt one of the best platfroms ever made and still to this date in term of price/performance they still amaze me how good they still performs on daily usage for an average user, my self living in third world country, i can't really afford going to the last intel platform aka 12th gen, as the country is pretty bad shape economically wise, only an h610 mobo cost as twice as what i paid for a whole i7 2600 kit (mobo+ram+cpu+passive gpu and a hdd) which is absolutely insane
Try to get this cpu, bro. You will be satisfied for some years. Know what? In primary school they told us how "good" neoliberal globalization would be (was in 1990). They lied to us, I hate neoliberalism, it made the poorer more poor and the rich more rich. I'm very sorry for your situation, I hope, elites will get what they deserve.
@@bjornna7767 Few weeks ago, i got a trade deal on a I7 4770 + H81 mobo in exchange of the i7 2600+h61 + 30-40 euros which is pretty decent i couldn't say no, my country stayed in somehow of a almost north korea like system, heavy tax on import, inflation... the availability of new stuff is nearly zero and if you try importing for over 250 euros they'll seize it, in other term a pretty archaic country, as a student i'm trying to survive to say the least, no wonder people escape it by sea using gofasts, the more the times go by we get poorer and simple essential things get their price multiplied x3-5 times like cars
I had pretty much the same experience, the only things I upgraded over 10 years was adding a SSD boot drive and going from a GTX 680 to a 980 ti in 2018. That same year I discovered how easy it was to get a stable overclock of nearly 50% on that CPU on the stock voltage. I was running 4.5Ghz stable at 70C
This is the most practical pc parts upgrade video I've encountered. I think this reflects what most of the general public is going for. It's not always about the latest and greatest.
This is an amazing video. In the same month of 2011, I bought pretty much the same components for 1250 Euro. Only the Psu is different. But other than it, I have the same computer and my trusty Sandy Bridge i7-2600K. This system will be 12 years old in November. I never used it for games, though... I remember that the 2600k was a pretty sought after processor at the time. Oh, and I still have all the boxes, too. Never thought I would still use it in 2023. It's been very good to me!
One reason i've kept my main PC for so long is although it was time for an upgrade off the 4570 to a 4770k to breathe some life into the haswell platform, and while it still struggles in newer games, its like a car that can't quite make it up the hill as fast as the others, but is always the friend to greet you when you need it most. They become components you or i could never sell, but hang up on a wall, framed in a bootable state for if i ever want to enjoy those times again and hang proudly in large respect rather than chucked away. I think those hanging on to older systems become a lot more appreciative of what they have and what the hardware can do. (Along with being shocked with expensive prices today :p). Can learn more about eachother as time goes on, over 4 builds now my 1060 3GB has been the component to live through each of them, sadly bottlenecked until it became the bottleneck. I could never chuck any of my computers away, the scuffs and scars, performance and certain stutters in a game are sparks lighting a brief memory of what that computer could do in its prime when it was once the latest and greatest. Sad to see this computer go, long live Sandy Bridge!
I'm a tech enthusiast, but I also develop a personal relationship with my computers, and respect for what an old equipment can still deliver, which leds me to keep my old machines -or at least their MB + CPU + memory - for a long time. And since I never use games, I don't miss the performance. Actually I still have all of them, somewhat bootable; from a 1993's 486DX50, and so on. A 2007 Core2Duo still has use in my workshop (replaced as main machine in 2020 by a 10gen i5).
Still loving my 2600K. 32GB Ram, Upgraded SSD capacity and also upgraded with a GTX 1080 years ago. In 2022 so far I have played GOW, Elden Ring and Spider-Man all playable to me! I even typically have UA-cam or netflix on my 2nd screen. I do not do any competitive FPS though. Plenty of games in my back catalogue if I start struggling with new stuff. I plan to keep using it until 2025 when Windows 10 is EOL. If only I could get some kind of TPM module I would probably keep going!
i'm still using my 3770k build too, i'll probably end up building a new system soon but this build is gonna replace my opnsense box and still run for many years to come. unbelievable value
Absolutely get why you kept using it so long. I've been doing that as well. My original main system which still is hooked up to an ultrawide in the study is a bright red-Dell Inspiron which had the power supply upgraded to accomodate a GTX 1660Ti fitted and the i7-2600 exchanged for an i7 3770 with 16Gb 1600Mhz CL9 memory. The cooler was also updated to a Cryorig C1 CPU cooler. It still works great for work, emulation and gaming. I am still using the original bright red computer case which is limited when it comes to upgrading the GPU. But the 1660Ti is good enough and fits nicely. Oh and the HD has been turned into 2 SSDs. Very stable system.
I used the same cpu as well for 5 years, served me well ....then I upgraded to an 8 core 16 threaded Ryzen laptop with DDR5 with a 45 watt TDP, it just blows me away how technology has come these days, extremely portable and very power efficient...not a gamer, just purely on photo video editing.
Still rocking my 2600K in 2023 🙂 Def time for an upgrade, but I'm shocked at prices for a high end PC today. Performance to cost really hasn't changed that much sadly. New computers are way faster but same goes for the prices.
Dude, your build was nearly identical to the one I put together all of those years ago. I didn't replace it until 2019, so not quite your 10 years but pretty close! Now I'm looking at replacing my now five year old i7-9700k. Truth is, I probably don't need to upgrade. I've been telling myself that I can finally put that dream build together - maybe waiting just a little longer for Arrow Lake and Blackwell is the play. Glad I found your channel, you do great work. Thank you for showcasing all of these fascinating time capsules!
I am so grateful... You kept your PC for 10 years, and now it's time to say goodbye. If I was in your place, I would cry on camera. Such an emotional PC video.
Excellent. I still use daily my i7-3770 on an Asus Z77 Deluxe, 32GB Corsair Vengeance, Evo 860 500GB ssd, originally 2 X EVGA 660 in SLI but now with an EVGA GTX1080, all in a CoolerMaster 690-II as well. Does all I need it to do on Win10 using Microsoft Teams, Office, NLE, and videoconferencing. Will wait till the PC industry calms down and makes components readily available. Will sit back and see what happens. Thanks for all of your videos, very well presented and educational/informative at that.
This is eerily familiar! I'm typing this on my i7-2600K, which is still slogging along. I got it in August/September 2011, and the 560Ti I got with it also had a VRAM failure that gave a graphics glitch like shown in the video, in my case in 2017, and I also replaced it with a 1060. I'll probably be replacing the whole system by the end of the year or next year, I just haven't played much in the way of shooters the last couple of years so I haven't been in a rush.
Great times to build a machine, the i5 2500k and i7 2600(k) aged quite well, making It worth the price if you consider that they can still play games nowadays with decent framerate, also, 1155 platforms offered Sata III, USB 3.0 and even PCI 3.0 on some MB, making It future proof, only lacking M.2 and USB C compared to newest ones. Sadly, GTX 500 and HD 6000 aged a bit badly, but if you waited up to 2012, you could end up with a 680 or even better, a 7970 that are still decent for 1080p
2600K aged way better as newer games benefit significantly from HT. I agree with HD 7970, I have that on my 2nd rig and it still plays games at 1080p with lower details.
I was blessed to get a discount on a 2600k when I built my big machine way back then, because the store had run out of i5's. Love it even now, with successively better SSD boot drives, a GPU upgrade, a modest overclock, and a USB 3.1 header card, it definitely pulls its weight, satisfies my 3D design needs and occasional gaming. Runs cooler and faster than when I bought it (old gpu must have been the main culprit). If it lasts, I'll probably use it to some capacity until Windows 11 forces a mobo upgrade.
The Chinese boards have m.2 and usb c there cheaper than trynna get an asus or asrock board for 1155 platform so 2012 remains good for entry level systems
crazy that you used a 2600k for so long, although about a year and a half ago i upgraded from a 4770k and it was still quite usable when i upgraded (used it with an rx 580). i hope i can get just half the life out of my 5900x that you got out of the 2600k
Hey I'm on an i7 2600k on the Asus evo board w/16gb corsair vengeance ram coolermaster 750 power I bought 11 years ago. While I have replaced graphic card & hard drives, all above equip still works & I play aaa games no problem. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
2600K is an interesting CPU as it's still usable. Can you guys imagine any other component except those X58 six-core Xeons and i7s which are still usable after a decade? My media PC has an Asus X58 board, Xeon X5650 @ 4.2GHz, 18GB RAM & HD 7970. Still plays games fine and I use it for media and as a "console".
Awesome setup! I have almost the exact same story and components, i used my 2600K for about ten years also, motherboard from ASUS, case from Fractal (since i'm Swedish, i have to 😉), 750W psu from Corsair, 16GB memory kit etc. The system is still going strong, but it now lives in the "museum" part of my computer section, along with ~15 other systems spanning from an awesome 486 up to that Sandy i7. Last year i bought the i9 12900K and hope to use it for a decade also, maybe changing out the system memory and gpu from time to time, you know how it is. Great video, all the best from Sweden ✌
Yep. I was up for a full computer upgrade but decided first to just put the old one in a new case, clean it up, see how it ran after some modest overclocking increase... It was beautiful. So I got a new GPU as the prices fell, and a USB 3.1 card (already made other small upgrades over the years), and that will probably serve me well for a few years more of 3D designing and modest gaming/retro emulation. It runs cooler and faster than ever. I'm absolutely floored.
@@rockstopsthetraffic And once Microsoft stops providing updates to windows 10 in 3 years then just install Ubuntu LTS with the latest Mesa PPAs. There is no reason why it couldn’t last for another 8 years from today or 5 years from when Microsoft ceased updates. I mention Linux because that is what I did for this PC. Valve has really done wonders with proton. Even the games which aren’t verified run on Linux through steam.. nearly my entire library of 500 games. The only few that don’t work have kernel level anticheat. Even then, EAC is supported so games like Apex Legends run great.
@@coleshores assuming that the TPU bypasses for Windows 11 stop working, then yeah, it may well become a linux machine. I'm quite versed in linux, have several ThinkPads that either dualboot or only boot into linux, and have done various Raspberry Pi projects over the years. It doesn't need to be sold to me, lol. It's not gaming I'm concerned about with linux, it's the ability to use my design software.
I still have my i7 2600k with the same ram and a similar motherboard. Still works today, I've had it for nearly 11 years now. I don't daily drive it anymore, but I'm impressed at how well it works still.
I did the same thing. Upgraded to an 5900X in dec 2021. That 2600k is now running @ stock in my dad's hobby studio. That was the reason I upgraded, to give away the 2600k with the P67 motherboard to my father as I realized he was using a one core Pentium 4 CPU to make his music. He thinks the 2600k is a monster! :)
Still using mine as my daily driver! The only upgrade I've done is replacing the NVidia GTX 580 with a GTX 980. I even added a i5-2500K to the collection with Windows XP to play some older games on.
I feel a lot related to that video, i have the same motherboard but mine is an i5 2500k with a GTX 960 until today, i'm impressed that you still have the boxes in perfect state.
I'm *still* on a similar-era i7 3930k (6 core Sandy-Bridge E CPU). It's been overclocked to 4.4ghz for that entire time though, and has a gtx1080ti and nvme drive (had to use a PCI-E adapter and mod the bios). Surprising how well it still runs, though if things weren't so expensive I'd have probably upgraded a couple of years ago.
My main PC I've had for 10 years now, with i7 2600s, 16GB DDR3, RX460 4GB, 120GB SSD, 2 x 1TB HDDs and of course Windows 7. Still plenty of performance for what I do daily.
I had pretty much the same system for the same reasons for the same 10yrs. Same cpu, motherboard and a 550Ti. Just last year upgraded to a Ryzen 9 5900X. Sandy Bridge was definitely a good processor that was very future proof and had great performance.
Pretty cool how many people in these comments are sharing similar well-aged builds. I'd like to share a slightly different take that my 8 year Z-97 Haswell machine is *not* getting retired, but rather turned into an overkill full-time bare metal Windows XP machine lol.
What a heartwarming video! I'm still on my i7-2600k. Started with two 560 Ti for BF3, ended up with a 1080 Ti. And of course packed it over the years with SSDs, max DDR3 RAM (before it went out of stock for good) and a hefty Noctua fan cooler. I'm keeping this build around forever. I was looking to make a whole new build, but didn't make the move because the chip shortage hit. Interested to see if the upcoming line of processors and graphics cards call to me in the same way. Hope to see BenQ come out with a 4K 240Hz monitor of their own, so I can build around that. I actually got their at-the-time revolutionary 120Hz monitor with my 2600k build, and that was another part of the setup that has lasted incredibly well into the future.
Discovered your channel today, really interesting overall! If i can give some analytics: I found your channel while researching what was the highest core to thread count that exist, then looked for similar pairing with a 5950x and thermals. I stayed for the content! the 64c64t build is very interesting! Literally bought a 5950x today, it will be shipped soon and this video really bring a tear to my eye, as I was as well still on sandy bridge platform, they have built them as tanks haha... Hope you'll make more computer related content, I'm super interested! Good Luck with your content!!!
I am a former Intel employee and I purchased the i7-2600K back in 2011-2012 as well. Great CPU. I haven't run it for a decade, but I know for a fact that I have my old system in storage and it would be usable if I powered it on.
I have the same setup and used it for work every day. It's lasted 13 years, I've added a few upgrades like the GPU from a 580 o a 1050ti. Its been sold and the value for its productivity is now deep in the negatives. My newer laptop specs are now better then my desktop but with a full case I have lots of HDD space for projects.
The young man's way of thinking is very sympathetic and appealing to me. The config I bought from scratch in August of 2012 is: - Intel™ i7-3930k CPU - Scythe Ninja 3 SCNJ-3000 CPU cooler - ASUS ROG Rampage IV Extreme board - 2x4 GB G.Skill Trident 2500 MHz DDR3 RAM - Corsair HX 1500i power supply - Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-ray burner optical drive - Samsung 840 PRO 256GB SSD - Zalman Z11 PLUS HF1 midi tower case - ASUS VG278HR 27" 144 Hz 3D monitor - EVGA GTX 680 4GB Classified GPU I replaced the GPU to a EVGA GTX 980 Ti 6GB Classified in 2016 in order to be able to enjoy DooM(2016) on max settings and recently upgraded to a Samsung 870 QVO 8TB SSD. Apart from that GPU and hard drive swap, I still have the same 2012 config unchanged and it serves me well on a daly basis! 😊 ❤️
Most mid to high-end computer builds from 2010-2013 are criminally underrated. Even an old quad-cored Phenom with 8GB of RAM can be pretty usable. Consumers and early adopters are unable to appreciate what they have because they have a incredible tunnel vision.
I still keep my old rigs and they are still serving us well. One from 2012 with Phenom II, which recently upgraded to an "8 core" FX, 8GB RAM and R9 270X. One from 2014 with Core i5 4th gen, 16GB RAM and an R9 390. They are still functioning, all of them equipped with SSDs and running fast. They are also ok for esports gaming. Daily driver is 3800X, 1080 Ti, 32 gigs of RAM.
Very similar to my old Sandy Bridge build w/ the 2.5gb 570s in SLI. One of mine also failed after several years. We're basically twins! :D Other than upgrading to a gtx1060, the system is still running as my VR rig.
I ran a i7 3820 on a Asus Sabretooth X79 with 32gb of ram (I forget which exactly, sadly), a original Titan then later a 680 (4gb) when the titan died and a early SSD at first from Samsung at a woppig 20gb, that was a obvious upgrade as time went on and got a Force 3 512gb for cheap. Ran that system for 10 years, then I started gaming more and a upgrade made sense. The i7 3820? Yeah that's still kicking around as a NAS/TorrentBox, aswell as small local services and my son and his buddies Minecraft server, which his friends thinks is super cool so added bonus it's gotten my 7yo some street cred
Sandy Bridge was really the best generational upgrade that Intel ever released. The fact that it has stood the test of time since 2011 is amazing. My first build was initially going to feature the i5 2500K, and a GTX 560 Ti, but I waited out and got the AMD Bulldozer (FX-8120) instead, which in retrospect was a bad idea. I also went with the Radeon HD 6950 2GB, since it was way cheaper than the Geforce model at the time. I paid the equivalent of $246 today for it. I also had the same Corsair Vengeance DDR3 kit, but I had 4 DIMM's for a total of 16 GB (which was a lot in 2011 - early 2012). I kept the system as it was until 2013, when I learned about the crazy budget performance you could get from running the Geforce GTX 650 Ti Boost in SLI. These tiny GPU's did outperform the much faster GTX 680 models and even the powerful Radeon HD 7970 Matrix Platinum model. This upgrade (when adjusted for inflation) cost me the equivalent of $360 today, especially when considering that the GTX 680 would easily cost around 60% more, and the Matrix Platinum would cost around double the amount. Later on in 2014, I did go for an Intel platform, and got myself the i7 4790K on a Asus TUF Z97 board. This CPU was a beast when it came out, and I ran it for 5 consecutive years overclocked at 4.5 GHz on all cores. A year later, I bought a GTX 980 Ti, since SLI was being phased out, and I really needed something with more "oomph". This configuration lasted for 4 years until the power supply I had suddenly died, and it took the graphics card with it. Then I got a slightly used 1080 Ti (which I still have to this day). In November 2019, I finally retired the old PC, and built a brand new one. This PC is Asus ROG themed, and features the ROG Helios case, ROG Strix motherboard (X570-E), 32GB of RAM (G-Skill Trident-Z), AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, and my old GTX 1080 Ti, as well as the ROG Thor 850 PSU, which has a display that shows real-time power usage
I had the 2600k and I'm watching this video for the 5th time now. So interesting, that you stuck so long with the CPU. It was so overpowered back in the day.
my 2500K built in november 2011 with p67 pro3 asrock mobo - best investment and value ever! (used it until january 2022 when i bought 12600k.) 2500K still works PERFECTLY! 4.5ghz stable oc, perfect pc, really. best value ever
After a decade, I also upgraded my Sandy Bridge PC, right now it has an i5 3570 and 8GB of DDR3 Ram at 1600mhz and and Asus p8h61 mobo, I was a kid when we got this PC (it was actually from my dad) and was by my side during my school days, university and now recently, at work I upgraded to a Ryzen 5 4650G, 16 GB JUHOR 3200mhz and a A320 S2H V2, and while I'm happy with my new set up and similar to you I also grow a little emotional to the old set up itself so much that I decided to keep it and my dad told me to create a "new home set up" with it, because it was technically still his PC lol and I said yes! so now we have two PCs at home and this old Sandy Bridge PC is still with my family, but I also plan to do a final upgrade with an I7 2600 and 12 gb of ram (not for gaming of course but for everyday normal stuff)
I managed to get by with a Phenom II x4, 16 GB Corsair RAM, a GTX 650 1GB and an Antec 400 watt PSU for almost 9 years, ripping CDs, DVDs playing various COD games, various graphics and photos stuff. Hats off to you for keeping the faith. I have an Intel 9700k main system now, plan on keeping it until the electrons all fall out of it. Also have an Optiplex with a i7 2600s in for a secondary system too. Keep 'em running!
Until April of this year I got by on an old fx4350 with an r9 270x I acquired in 2012. It did what I needed to do. Until it didn't. That ol'pc has now been replaced as my main computer, however it's also since been personally refurbished from top to bottom and now serves as my bedroom pc. I also got it a used rx580 8gb red devil upgrade for $100 off ebay along with a load of other inexpensive upgrades. Very personally attached to that ol'tank. My new main now runs an i5 11400f and an rx6800. It was a noticeable upgrade. I figure I should be able to get 10 years out of this new rig, too. You have to make your stuff last. Nicely done. Great channel.
Very similar story here. HAF932, 2600k @4.4, single 560ti then SLI, 120GB ssd and a few WD black 1tb. Upgraded ram to 16gb and to a gtx 1080. One psu failed but she still takes prime95 torture test like a champ! Best build ever for me, now looking to do a complete build on 13th gen
Good to see others still using older but viable tech. I have been using my I7 970 and it runs well still. Windows 11 may put an end to it mind you. Also using the old ROG mobo from same time period and 24 gigs of ram. The only thing that's been updated are the video card and the HDD. I updated to a Nvidia 2060 not too long ago, and was pleased, I had been using a 770, and before that the original 580. All good cards, if you are fine with mid level graphics. All still running along with no problems.
I'm still using i7 2600 no-K version of that. Few years ago i can't be able to obtain one of those Z68 chipset but now, after roughly 6 years i bought Z77 MSI board and get straight in to overclocking. My best is 4.45GHz, 10MHz above is unstable after some time. Very good for gaming, even a GTX 1080Ti can push itself to the 100% utilization. Well balanced for the 1000 series gpus. And that is only 4.4, K version can go up to 5. With RTX 2070 and i7 2600K clocked to 5GHz it will be a goooood gaming PC BUT i will buy an i7 3770K with even better single core performance rather than pusing the poor 2600K to its limits
I have the same setup as you. MSI board with auto overlock 2600 none K to 4,45Ghz. Also running 1080Ti on a 3440x1440p 100hz ultrawide. :) 11 and a half years ago still rocking on.
I have the exact same CPU and type of memory and very similar case but from Corsair and also very similar powersupply from Corsair (silent pro also i think). I do have a Gigabyte motherboard , a big Noctua cooler and Samsung SSD though and i use the built in graphic card since i dont play games. I built it in early 2012 and its still going strong and works perfectly even the SSD as i write this comment using it. I use it a lot for recording and mixing music since i am a musician and of course for general use as well and its the longest i have had a computer, i remember in the 90´s and early 2000´s when you had to buy a new computer every 4- 5 years and those were more expensive than this one even if im not counting inflation. A truly great buy that i have had tons and tons of good use of every day and i have never even overclocked it.
I ordered the i7-2600 within the week it was released. Ran it for over 10 years till I retired it bit still habe the build. The Intel Motherboard I used got recalled after it shipped out. The effects of that recall appeared around 7 or 8 years of constant use.
with that voice, you have better chances as a narrator for a paranormal or horror youtube channel . the calmness in your voice gave me goosebumps, lol.
Have a 4770k pc I'm using as a secondary, which is still running great. I don't really get the mentality of needing to upgrade every generation especially when your current hardware is perfectly fine.
Great video. I had my i7 4400 when it first came out in 2013. I just upgraded to a new processor this year. It ran really good. I only added 2 SSD's, changed out my graphics card twice over the life span that I had it and added a new power supply to handled my final graphics card. One graphics card went out, and I got a great deal on a 1660ti (which I use in my new build) so switched out my second graphics card for it. Toward the end you could tell the processor just couldn't handle things anymore no matter what I tried to do. Even did a fresh install. It just didn't have the power to handle things that I wanted it too. It still was an ok PC just for normal stuff, but not higher end game stuff. One thing I did not change out was my ram, so makes me wonder if that was the cause of the issues toward the end. I sold it so no clue if the ram was the problem as I bought all new stuff for my new build I did other than my power supply and graphics card.
Just retired my 4790k to a 2nd PC duties, Found a great price on a 12700k with z690 32GB DDR4 3600. Carried over a GTX1070TI with it. Playing Forza Horizon 5 I am now seeing no stuttering and way faster load times. Stuck using an old CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo until a lga1700 kit is available for my Scythe Mugen 5 :(
I did the same thing. I kept my Phenom II x4 965 since 2009 and am in the process of upgrading to a 5800X. Just need a motherboard. Taking me months. The AM2 790FX-GD Something or other motherboard is functional except for the Ethernet ports, and the CMOS battery needs replacing.
I run the same i7 with a gtx 1650 LP in my "take to friends houses to play" tiny PC it plays everything at 1080p 60 except like 3 titles. I love this thing, perfect for borderlands, rocket league, halo, world war z and so many more multiplayer games.
I still have an I7-920 that I bought brand new, with an Asus P6T-Deluxe motherboard. Throughout the years, I had swapped the PSU because I was afraid of it failing, added 24gb of ram from Amazon, 6 dimm kit (triple channel era), originally I had an Evga GTX 285 installed, but it was swapped with an RTX 2080, and the CPU was swapped with an X5690 I got from Aliexpress for like $50 or so. It's a great machine, with all the PCIe lanes I got, I installed a WiFi 6 module, and NVMe to PCIe add-on cards. The only dumb thing I did was to BCLK OC (locked multiplier) while forgetting I was using the add-on cards, and fried an NVMe SSD (got it replaced under warranty, though). Fantastic machine, still have it, but it isn't my main anymore. Upgraded to a Ryzen when 4C\8T were no longer the mainstream, god bless AMD.
since 2015 for 6 years my CPU has been my i7-6700T and it still is to this day. The only PC hardware change I made was in 2019 when I upgraded the GPU from a GTX 960 to a GTX 1660 Ti. Also I recently upgraded to windows 11 even though it doesn't support my hardware. Despite my older hardware and lack of support, my PC has excellent overall performance and I actually feel like my system is performing better and utilizing system resources more efficiently with windows 11.
About 15 years on my Asus G50VT laptops with dual-core X9100 slightly overclocked to 3.3GHZ. It just will not die despite the years of distributed computing i have run on it
Proof that you don't need to always have the latest tech, nor need to upgrade every generation. I made my first build (Skylake) in 2016, then: - added 1050Ti in 2017 - upgraded boot drive to a better SATA SSD in 2019 - upgraded boot drive to Gen3 NVMe SSD in 2021 - changed out mobo, RAM and CPU to 12th Gen in early 2022 - hopefully I can upgrade to a more recent 1080p GPU in a month or so My use case is very different from yours, but I believe our main thread is that we're both gamers.
I used this psu for like 8-9 years and then it saved my rig from a lightning. Multiple other devices in my home were struck, but everything in the pc case survived (except psu ofc).
Still using a 2500K at 4.5 GHz all core, just past its 11th anniversary. Bought it in mid 2011 expecting to replace it after around four years which was the upgrade cycle I grew used to in the 2000s, but only had to replace the GTX 560 Ti with a GTX 970 (and the system HDD with an SSD) when the time came because CPU development had stagnated so much with AMD being uncompetitive and Intel becoming lazy, and then the next upgrade point simply never arose as I grew disinterested in keeping up with the latest games and gimmicks. I can play games up until a few years ago fine and I'm currently busy revisiting older PC games and emulating PS1 games anyway, so I could theoretically stretch it further, although I'm currently building a Xeon 1650v2 (4930K) and GTX 970 SLI rig with Nvidia 3D Vision just out of curiosity and so I can say I've had quad channel RAM, SLI and 3D Vision at some point.
My ACTUAL best PC is a Core i3 2120 with 8GB ram, GTX 750, SSD Kingston 240GB and a cheap MSI motherboard. Actualization: Got a Core i7 2600k and the same motherboard show in the video. Rock solid at 4.6Ghz.
What impressed me the most is the fact that 10 years later you still have the boxes of all the components.
I've built my gaming pc 5 years ago and i still have all of the boxes intact in my room
By the way. I'm also a happy owner of an i7 2600K. It survived 3 MoBo and 4 GPU. Sometimes I feel compelled to upgrade, but soon I realize I don't really need to. I'm not a hardcore gamer, so, 11 years later, my CPU still runs smoothly everything I need.
you should always keep those in case of RMA or service.
@@leovmr still running it? whats your entire PC specs?
I have just retired my FIRST Gen i5-750 (been overclocked at 3.3GHz from day one) and still have all the boxes!!!
The only thing that died in it’s life was the hard drive so a 500GB SSD was combined with a 2TB hard drive and the AMD 4570 was changed to a GTX1660Super to improve performance for slicing on 3D printing.
It ran everything I threw at it and is still very useable today.
Yes my i7-12700K/B660 Tomahawk/32GB/RTX2050Super is massively faster in some tasks but not 70% of it’s normal workload (I think I am the limiting factor in photo editing 😂).
I see we share the same philosophy: no need to upgrade, if it's still doing what it needs to do.
Absolutely. For me I’d feel like needlessly spent money otherwise.
Also think: “Would it be significantly better if I upgraded, or just a marginal improvement?”
There is definitely a sizeable chunk of users who don't upgrade because they don't need to, and others who can't afford to. I consider myself to be in the first group. I am still using the system I built around 2013; FX-8350, 32GB 1866MHz, R7 360 2GB(not a big gamer, mostly retro emulated games), 240GB Samsung EVO boot SSD, LG Blu-Ray writer. Over the years I have added HDDs and SSDs because of all the torrenting and downloading from Usenet I do.
I have to admit though that I really want to build a new Ryzen system, either Zen3 or 4, with 64GB of ram. With Etherium mining coming to an end very soon I expect a tsunami of used gfx cards on the market, so hopefully I could pick up a decent one that would last me many years since I don't need bleeding edge. A new build wouldn't cost very much if I could buy a used gfx card for cheap....
With a new processor and gfx cards every year , i have also accepted to not upgrade needlessly.
@@FullyBuffered but there's a prereq, which is to be as proactive as you are in aquiring new information so you know absolutely perfectly what you are missing out on
Impressive you managed to keep it so long. The value for money on that pc is insane.
Thanks! Yeah I definitely got my money’s worth out of it haha
@@FullyBuffered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gen Intel Core are really good :D
still using mine
intel was drunk the day they let the 2600k go for only $320CAD in 2011
i wish i bought 2 more for other builds
@@kwazhims3lf same here, with the exact same motherboard, I game on a 9600k or series x, but this sandy bridge, liquid cooled since 2011 is to date where I do work and it's amazingly (edited from insanely) faster than what most ppl use.
Id say its sane value for the money. Insane would be to spend a lot and have it be useless the next year.
I had an i7 2600k for more than 5yrs, it was a great cpu for it's time. I've also had a Xeon socket1366 pc with a X5670 cpu for about 7yrs. Those older computers are still great for family members who only use pc's casually.
Yep someting like 2600k still is good for casual web browsing and stuff like that
This is under selling them a tad, they’re still good for AAA gaming as long as you don’t expect max settings
@@boydsterling3193 And is probably still perfect for all games if you're doing 4k, as generally the GPU becomes the bottleneck in that instance.
I still have my Dell Precision M4800 with the i7-4800MQ. Even to this day, it still kicks ass with whatever program I throw at it.
I been using some of my computers for soon 30 years now, And they are still going!!
Dude! It´s amazing how we have a pretty much identical story with this hardware! I´m from Brazil and got everything exactly like you, also in 2011. The only difference is i had a 580, and then got another one for SLI when Crysis 3 came out. Still using the same PC, now with a 1070, and it´s still a pretty decent gaming and video editing experience like you said. I´m hoping it can last for another 2 years before upgrading to a whole new system. This is probably the greatest CPU of all time, I´m gonna put it into a frame on the wall hahahahahah
Even as someone who had a i7 960 for 7 years and is currently still in lurve with my 1st gen Ryzen 1700, I gotta admit that the 2600 is still probably better in terms of value.
@@remo27 I'm still using my '09 i7 950 lol, swear these things last forever
holy shit, thats an idea
when my 2600k finally dies, im going to mount, frame, hang it
its been chugging since 2011, she deserves the reverence
Pretty much the same story here, haha! Started with two 560 Ti for BF3, now rocking a 1080 Ti. I'm going to keep this build around as long as I live. Been looking to start a whole new build, but then the chip shortage happened. What's a couple more years at this point, really?
Have you upgraded yet?
i'm still using my i7-2600k today, i bought it in april 2012. Still running all games, of course some better than others. I remember back them when i used to say "i will build a pc that will last for 10 years". And look right now, really happy for this. And yeah, were much more cheaper back than.
I did the same with an Ivy Bridge system. I’ve just moved to the 12th gen. Previous machine served me well. Went through a 660Ti, a 980 and a 1080. I’ve reused the Noctua U-14S on my new system as well as all the storage and Noctua case fans.
I have almost the same hardware to this day. Still very happy about it and will keep using it as I don't play competitive games and upgrading gpu is so pricy these days. There's nowhere to rush 😅
Still thank you for paying homage to this great HW series :)
ah man what a nostalgia ,u throw me back at time when core i3,i5,i7 was new thing ,and last montage at end was cherry on top
I have the same cpu, also bought in 2011..still going strong now 😊
Recently found your channel and feel like telling my relatable story.
I used a i7 2600 as my secondary PC for years on and off and had it paired with a GTX Titan X 12gb.
It served me way better than I thought it would, even being able to get me through the likes of Star Citizen and 300-400 player FiveM servers and VR games.
Recently replaced it with a Ryzen 7 1700 which has been leaps and bounds in performance and smooth operation of the system.
But the 2600 hasn't been put away yet, it will be the heart of my mother gaming PC, she will likely be playing slow paced things and some VR so whatever she wants to do it be better than her laptop.
I have an almost identical system, except overclocked to 4.7. Knock on wood, still runs great. Premium components pay off in the long haul.
the sandy bridge/ivy bridge platform was without a doubt one of the best platfroms ever made and still to this date in term of price/performance they still amaze me how good they still performs on daily usage for an average user, my self living in third world country, i can't really afford going to the last intel platform aka 12th gen, as the country is pretty bad shape economically wise, only an h610 mobo cost as twice as what i paid for a whole i7 2600 kit (mobo+ram+cpu+passive gpu and a hdd) which is absolutely insane
Try to get this cpu, bro. You will be satisfied for some years. Know what? In primary school they told us how "good" neoliberal globalization would be (was in 1990). They lied to us, I hate neoliberalism, it made the poorer more poor and the rich more rich. I'm very sorry for your situation, I hope, elites will get what they deserve.
@@bjornna7767 Few weeks ago, i got a trade deal on a I7 4770 + H81 mobo in exchange of the i7 2600+h61 + 30-40 euros which is pretty decent i couldn't say no, my country stayed in somehow of a almost north korea like system, heavy tax on import, inflation... the availability of new stuff is nearly zero and if you try importing for over 250 euros they'll seize it, in other term a pretty archaic country, as a student i'm trying to survive to say the least, no wonder people escape it by sea using gofasts, the more the times go by we get poorer and simple essential things get their price multiplied x3-5 times like cars
I'm using a 10 year old i5 3450 in my living room, added a SSD to it some years ago, for browsing and office work there's no need to upgrade.
@@AlbertWeijers Fun fact i had one with an h61 mobo it served me well for 5 years, i sold it few months ago when i upgraded
Just like x79 it was so good especially Xeon 1680v2 amazing cpu
i7-2600K for me is still a top system.
I had pretty much the same experience, the only things I upgraded over 10 years was adding a SSD boot drive and going from a GTX 680 to a 980 ti in 2018. That same year I discovered how easy it was to get a stable overclock of nearly 50% on that CPU on the stock voltage. I was running 4.5Ghz stable at 70C
I've had mine going @ 4.5GHz since new - no problems whatsoever. Still using the same Corsair H100 water cooler from the day it was new.
Did 5GHZ (5001Mhz) stable on my 2600K with a XSPC water block, XSPC dual bay 5.25in reservoir/pump, on a AsRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3.
This is the most practical pc parts upgrade video I've encountered. I think this reflects what most of the general public is going for. It's not always about the latest and greatest.
It's nice how long this setup has been reliable and helped you out!
Hopefully the new pc last a good while too!
Thank you, I hope so too!
This is an amazing video. In the same month of 2011, I bought pretty much the same components for 1250 Euro. Only the Psu is different. But other than it, I have the same computer and my trusty Sandy Bridge i7-2600K. This system will be 12 years old in November. I never used it for games, though... I remember that the 2600k was a pretty sought after processor at the time. Oh, and I still have all the boxes, too. Never thought I would still use it in 2023. It's been very good to me!
One reason i've kept my main PC for so long is although it was time for an upgrade off the 4570 to a 4770k to breathe some life into the haswell platform, and while it still struggles in newer games, its like a car that can't quite make it up the hill as fast as the others, but is always the friend to greet you when you need it most. They become components you or i could never sell, but hang up on a wall, framed in a bootable state for if i ever want to enjoy those times again and hang proudly in large respect rather than chucked away.
I think those hanging on to older systems become a lot more appreciative of what they have and what the hardware can do. (Along with being shocked with expensive prices today :p). Can learn more about eachother as time goes on, over 4 builds now my 1060 3GB has been the component to live through each of them, sadly bottlenecked until it became the bottleneck. I could never chuck any of my computers away, the scuffs and scars, performance and certain stutters in a game are sparks lighting a brief memory of what that computer could do in its prime when it was once the latest and greatest. Sad to see this computer go, long live Sandy Bridge!
Thanks for the comment - I can relate to that. Even though the parts will be upgraded, I definitely won’t be selling them.
I'm a tech enthusiast, but I also develop a personal relationship with my computers, and respect for what an old equipment can still deliver, which leds me to keep my old machines -or at least their MB + CPU + memory - for a long time. And since I never use games, I don't miss the performance. Actually I still have all of them, somewhat bootable; from a 1993's 486DX50, and so on. A 2007 Core2Duo still has use in my workshop (replaced as main machine in 2020 by a 10gen i5).
A great comment!
Hardware prices are ludicrous now. That really was the golden era of price for relative performance.
@Lurch7861 he does the math in the video, did you not see the adjusted for inflation and % increase prices. It’s hundreds of %
I too replaced my 2600k recently after 10 years with a Ryzen 5600X. Insane value on that 2011 build, I hope the Ryzen lasts just as long
I like how you respect and appreciate your hardware... Cheers!
Still loving my 2600K. 32GB Ram, Upgraded SSD capacity and also upgraded with a GTX 1080 years ago. In 2022 so far I have played GOW, Elden Ring and Spider-Man all playable to me! I even typically have UA-cam or netflix on my 2nd screen. I do not do any competitive FPS though. Plenty of games in my back catalogue if I start struggling with new stuff. I plan to keep using it until 2025 when Windows 10 is EOL. If only I could get some kind of TPM module I would probably keep going!
You can install Windows 11 as well without the TPM stuff.
i'm still using my 3770k build too, i'll probably end up building a new system soon but this build is gonna replace my opnsense box and still run for many years to come. unbelievable value
Absolutely get why you kept using it so long. I've been doing that as well.
My original main system which still is hooked up to an ultrawide in the study is a bright red-Dell Inspiron which had the power supply upgraded to accomodate a GTX 1660Ti fitted and the i7-2600 exchanged for an i7 3770 with 16Gb 1600Mhz CL9 memory. The cooler was also updated to a Cryorig C1 CPU cooler. It still works great for work, emulation and gaming.
I am still using the original bright red computer case which is limited when it comes to upgrading the GPU. But the 1660Ti is good enough and fits nicely.
Oh and the HD has been turned into 2 SSDs.
Very stable system.
I used the same cpu as well for 5 years, served me well ....then I upgraded to an 8 core 16 threaded Ryzen laptop with DDR5 with a 45 watt TDP, it just blows me away how technology has come these days, extremely portable and very power efficient...not a gamer, just purely on photo video editing.
Still rocking my 2600K in 2023 🙂 Def time for an upgrade, but I'm shocked at prices for a high end PC today. Performance to cost really hasn't changed that much sadly. New computers are way faster but same goes for the prices.
Dude, your build was nearly identical to the one I put together all of those years ago. I didn't replace it until 2019, so not quite your 10 years but pretty close! Now I'm looking at replacing my now five year old i7-9700k.
Truth is, I probably don't need to upgrade. I've been telling myself that I can finally put that dream build together - maybe waiting just a little longer for Arrow Lake and Blackwell is the play.
Glad I found your channel, you do great work. Thank you for showcasing all of these fascinating time capsules!
I am so grateful... You kept your PC for 10 years, and now it's time to say goodbye. If I was in your place, I would cry on camera. Such an emotional PC video.
My I7-2600k build has been passed down to 3 different friends and is still going strong.
I m still using E3-1230V2. almost 10 years, still working like a champ
Me too the sandy bridge CPUs with good components are the best. I'm about to upgrade but the sandy bridge will still be in use as a home server
Excellent. I still use daily my i7-3770 on an Asus Z77 Deluxe, 32GB Corsair Vengeance, Evo 860 500GB ssd, originally 2 X EVGA 660 in SLI but now with an EVGA GTX1080, all in a CoolerMaster 690-II as well. Does all I need it to do on Win10 using Microsoft Teams, Office, NLE, and videoconferencing. Will wait till the PC industry calms down and makes components readily available. Will sit back and see what happens.
Thanks for all of your videos, very well presented and educational/informative at that.
Thanks for your comment! :)
This is eerily familiar! I'm typing this on my i7-2600K, which is still slogging along. I got it in August/September 2011, and the 560Ti I got with it also had a VRAM failure that gave a graphics glitch like shown in the video, in my case in 2017, and I also replaced it with a 1060.
I'll probably be replacing the whole system by the end of the year or next year, I just haven't played much in the way of shooters the last couple of years so I haven't been in a rush.
Your PC is truly a legend for it's years of service and still kicking
Great times to build a machine, the i5 2500k and i7 2600(k) aged quite well, making It worth the price if you consider that they can still play games nowadays with decent framerate, also, 1155 platforms offered Sata III, USB 3.0 and even PCI 3.0 on some MB, making It future proof, only lacking M.2 and USB C compared to newest ones. Sadly, GTX 500 and HD 6000 aged a bit badly, but if you waited up to 2012, you could end up with a 680 or even better, a 7970 that are still decent for 1080p
2600K aged way better as newer games benefit significantly from HT. I agree with HD 7970, I have that on my 2nd rig and it still plays games at 1080p with lower details.
Thanks for the comment - and I agree! I did consider the PCIe gen 3 variant of the P8Z68-V iirc…
Im currently looking to upgrade from a i7 2600k and my Radeon HD 7950
I was blessed to get a discount on a 2600k when I built my big machine way back then, because the store had run out of i5's.
Love it even now, with successively better SSD boot drives, a GPU upgrade, a modest overclock, and a USB 3.1 header card, it definitely pulls its weight, satisfies my 3D design needs and occasional gaming. Runs cooler and faster than when I bought it (old gpu must have been the main culprit). If it lasts, I'll probably use it to some capacity until Windows 11 forces a mobo upgrade.
The Chinese boards have m.2 and usb c there cheaper than trynna get an asus or asrock board for 1155 platform so 2012 remains good for entry level systems
crazy that you used a 2600k for so long, although about a year and a half ago i upgraded from a 4770k and it was still quite usable when i upgraded (used it with an rx 580). i hope i can get just half the life out of my 5900x that you got out of the 2600k
Hey I'm on an i7 2600k on the Asus evo board w/16gb corsair vengeance ram coolermaster 750 power I bought 11 years ago. While I have replaced graphic card & hard drives, all above equip still works & I play aaa games no problem. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Similar setup, very true. It just keeps chugging.
2600K is an interesting CPU as it's still usable. Can you guys imagine any other component except those X58 six-core Xeons and i7s which are still usable after a decade?
My media PC has an Asus X58 board, Xeon X5650 @ 4.2GHz, 18GB RAM & HD 7970. Still plays games fine and I use it for media and as a "console".
There definitely aren’t many CPU that remain usable for that long. I can see the 8700K sticking around for a long time.
the q6600 was and same whith phenom II 4 cores and 6 cores
I do own an e3-1270v2 and it's actually really good.
Yes, X99 is almost there
@@CatSovietski X79 first gen xeons are two especially the 2690 and the 2689
Awesome setup! I have almost the exact same story and components, i used my 2600K for about ten years also, motherboard from ASUS, case from Fractal (since i'm Swedish, i have to 😉), 750W psu from Corsair, 16GB memory kit etc.
The system is still going strong, but it now lives in the "museum" part of my computer section, along with ~15 other systems spanning from an awesome 486 up to that Sandy i7. Last year i bought the i9 12900K and hope to use it for a decade also, maybe changing out the system memory and gpu from time to time, you know how it is.
Great video, all the best from Sweden ✌
Don't ever get rid of those parts!
Amazing you kept them for so long. Glad you upgraded your rig!
Thanks!
What’s funny is that there is still plenty of horsepower in those Sandy Bridge chip for years to come as long as one is not expecting AAA titles.
Yep. I was up for a full computer upgrade but decided first to just put the old one in a new case, clean it up, see how it ran after some modest overclocking increase... It was beautiful. So I got a new GPU as the prices fell, and a USB 3.1 card (already made other small upgrades over the years), and that will probably serve me well for a few years more of 3D designing and modest gaming/retro emulation.
It runs cooler and faster than ever. I'm absolutely floored.
@@rockstopsthetraffic And once Microsoft stops providing updates to windows 10 in 3 years then just install Ubuntu LTS with the latest Mesa PPAs. There is no reason why it couldn’t last for another 8 years from today or 5 years from when Microsoft ceased updates.
I mention Linux because that is what I did for this PC. Valve has really done wonders with proton. Even the games which aren’t verified run on Linux through steam.. nearly my entire library of 500 games. The only few that don’t work have kernel level anticheat. Even then, EAC is supported so games like Apex Legends run great.
@@coleshores assuming that the TPU bypasses for Windows 11 stop working, then yeah, it may well become a linux machine. I'm quite versed in linux, have several ThinkPads that either dualboot or only boot into linux, and have done various Raspberry Pi projects over the years. It doesn't need to be sold to me, lol.
It's not gaming I'm concerned about with linux, it's the ability to use my design software.
weird how technology updates, top of the line a decade ago, vintage but useful today, but never obsolete.
I still have my i7 2600k with the same ram and a similar motherboard. Still works today, I've had it for nearly 11 years now. I don't daily drive it anymore, but I'm impressed at how well it works still.
I did the same thing. Upgraded to an 5900X in dec 2021. That 2600k is now running @ stock in my dad's hobby studio. That was the reason I upgraded, to give away the 2600k with the P67 motherboard to my father as I realized he was using a one core Pentium 4 CPU to make his music. He thinks the 2600k is a monster! :)
Still using mine as my daily driver! The only upgrade I've done is replacing the NVidia GTX 580 with a GTX 980. I even added a i5-2500K to the collection with Windows XP to play some older games on.
I feel a lot related to that video, i have the same motherboard but mine is an i5 2500k with a GTX 960 until today, i'm impressed that you still have the boxes in perfect state.
I'm *still* on a similar-era i7 3930k (6 core Sandy-Bridge E CPU). It's been overclocked to 4.4ghz for that entire time though, and has a gtx1080ti and nvme drive (had to use a PCI-E adapter and mod the bios). Surprising how well it still runs, though if things weren't so expensive I'd have probably upgraded a couple of years ago.
My main PC I've had for 10 years now, with i7 2600s, 16GB DDR3, RX460 4GB, 120GB SSD, 2 x 1TB HDDs and of course Windows 7. Still plenty of performance for what I do daily.
Man you showcased why i dont want to sell my current semi old pc like it was a beast back when i got it and still is one cause its all i need.
I had pretty much the same system for the same reasons for the same 10yrs. Same cpu, motherboard and a 550Ti. Just last year upgraded to a Ryzen 9 5900X. Sandy Bridge was definitely a good processor that was very future proof and had great performance.
I also have a decade PC. It has served me well until end of college as my main and is continually serving me well as a server.
Pretty cool how many people in these comments are sharing similar well-aged builds.
I'd like to share a slightly different take that my 8 year Z-97 Haswell machine is *not* getting retired, but rather turned into an overkill full-time bare metal Windows XP machine lol.
What a heartwarming video! I'm still on my i7-2600k. Started with two 560 Ti for BF3, ended up with a 1080 Ti. And of course packed it over the years with SSDs, max DDR3 RAM (before it went out of stock for good) and a hefty Noctua fan cooler. I'm keeping this build around forever. I was looking to make a whole new build, but didn't make the move because the chip shortage hit.
Interested to see if the upcoming line of processors and graphics cards call to me in the same way. Hope to see BenQ come out with a 4K 240Hz monitor of their own, so I can build around that. I actually got their at-the-time revolutionary 120Hz monitor with my 2600k build, and that was another part of the setup that has lasted incredibly well into the future.
Discovered your channel today, really interesting overall!
If i can give some analytics:
I found your channel while researching what was the highest core to thread count that exist, then looked for similar pairing with a 5950x and thermals.
I stayed for the content! the 64c64t build is very interesting!
Literally bought a 5950x today, it will be shipped soon and this video really bring a tear to my eye, as I was as well still on sandy bridge platform, they have built them as tanks haha...
Hope you'll make more computer related content, I'm super interested! Good Luck with your content!!!
Many thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it!! More content is on its way :)
Respect!
I am a former Intel employee and I purchased the i7-2600K back in 2011-2012 as well. Great CPU. I haven't run it for a decade, but I know for a fact that I have my old system in storage and it would be usable if I powered it on.
I'm impressed that you still have all those boxes
I used a 4790k PC i built back in 2014 up until recently. Ran well till the end.
I have the same setup and used it for work every day. It's lasted 13 years, I've added a few upgrades like the GPU from a 580 o a 1050ti. Its been sold and the value for its productivity is now deep in the negatives. My newer laptop specs are now better then my desktop but with a full case I have lots of HDD space for projects.
The young man's way of thinking is very sympathetic and appealing to me. The config I bought from scratch in August of 2012 is:
- Intel™ i7-3930k CPU
- Scythe Ninja 3 SCNJ-3000 CPU cooler
- ASUS ROG Rampage IV Extreme board
- 2x4 GB G.Skill Trident 2500 MHz DDR3 RAM
- Corsair HX 1500i power supply
- Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-ray burner optical drive
- Samsung 840 PRO 256GB SSD
- Zalman Z11 PLUS HF1 midi tower case
- ASUS VG278HR 27" 144 Hz 3D monitor
- EVGA GTX 680 4GB Classified GPU
I replaced the GPU to a EVGA GTX 980 Ti 6GB Classified in 2016 in order to be able to enjoy DooM(2016) on max settings and recently upgraded to a Samsung 870 QVO 8TB SSD.
Apart from that GPU and hard drive swap, I still have the same 2012 config unchanged and it serves me well on a daly basis! 😊 ❤️
Thanks for the comment - that is good to hear!
I’m running a rig with same processor to this day as well. It does the job without a doubt.
Most mid to high-end computer builds from 2010-2013 are criminally underrated. Even an old quad-cored Phenom with 8GB of RAM can be pretty usable. Consumers and early adopters are unable to appreciate what they have because they have a incredible tunnel vision.
I still keep my old rigs and they are still serving us well.
One from 2012 with Phenom II, which recently upgraded to an "8 core" FX, 8GB RAM and R9 270X.
One from 2014 with Core i5 4th gen, 16GB RAM and an R9 390.
They are still functioning, all of them equipped with SSDs and running fast. They are also ok for esports gaming.
Daily driver is 3800X, 1080 Ti, 32 gigs of RAM.
Very similar to my old Sandy Bridge build w/ the 2.5gb 570s in SLI. One of mine also failed after several years. We're basically twins! :D
Other than upgrading to a gtx1060, the system is still running as my VR rig.
you have all my respect, you took maximum advantage from that system.
I ran a i7 3820 on a Asus Sabretooth X79 with 32gb of ram (I forget which exactly, sadly), a original Titan then later a 680 (4gb) when the titan died and a early SSD at first from Samsung at a woppig 20gb, that was a obvious upgrade as time went on and got a Force 3 512gb for cheap. Ran that system for 10 years, then I started gaming more and a upgrade made sense. The i7 3820? Yeah that's still kicking around as a NAS/TorrentBox, aswell as small local services and my son and his buddies Minecraft server, which his friends thinks is super cool so added bonus it's gotten my 7yo some street cred
Sandy Bridge was really the best generational upgrade that Intel ever released. The fact that it has stood the test of time since 2011 is amazing.
My first build was initially going to feature the i5 2500K, and a GTX 560 Ti, but I waited out and got the AMD Bulldozer (FX-8120) instead, which in retrospect was a bad idea. I also went with the Radeon HD 6950 2GB, since it was way cheaper than the Geforce model at the time. I paid the equivalent of $246 today for it. I also had the same Corsair Vengeance DDR3 kit, but I had 4 DIMM's for a total of 16 GB (which was a lot in 2011 - early 2012).
I kept the system as it was until 2013, when I learned about the crazy budget performance you could get from running the Geforce GTX 650 Ti Boost in SLI. These tiny GPU's did outperform the much faster GTX 680 models and even the powerful Radeon HD 7970 Matrix Platinum model. This upgrade (when adjusted for inflation) cost me the equivalent of $360 today, especially when considering that the GTX 680 would easily cost around 60% more, and the Matrix Platinum would cost around double the amount.
Later on in 2014, I did go for an Intel platform, and got myself the i7 4790K on a Asus TUF Z97 board. This CPU was a beast when it came out, and I ran it for 5 consecutive years overclocked at 4.5 GHz on all cores. A year later, I bought a GTX 980 Ti, since SLI was being phased out, and I really needed something with more "oomph". This configuration lasted for 4 years until the power supply I had suddenly died, and it took the graphics card with it. Then I got a slightly used 1080 Ti (which I still have to this day). In November 2019, I finally retired the old PC, and built a brand new one. This PC is Asus ROG themed, and features the ROG Helios case, ROG Strix motherboard (X570-E), 32GB of RAM (G-Skill Trident-Z), AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, and my old GTX 1080 Ti, as well as the ROG Thor 850 PSU, which has a display that shows real-time power usage
I had the 2600k and I'm watching this video for the 5th time now. So interesting, that you stuck so long with the CPU. It was so overpowered back in the day.
my 2500K built in november 2011 with p67 pro3 asrock mobo - best investment and value ever! (used it until january 2022 when i bought 12600k.) 2500K still works PERFECTLY! 4.5ghz stable oc, perfect pc, really. best value ever
After a decade, I also upgraded my Sandy Bridge PC, right now it has an i5 3570 and 8GB of DDR3 Ram at 1600mhz and and Asus p8h61 mobo, I was a kid when we got this PC (it was actually from my dad) and was by my side during my school days, university and now recently, at work
I upgraded to a Ryzen 5 4650G, 16 GB JUHOR 3200mhz and a A320 S2H V2, and while I'm happy with my new set up and similar to you I also grow a little emotional to the old set up itself so much that I decided to keep it and my dad told me to create a "new home set up" with it, because it was technically still his PC lol and I said yes! so now we have two PCs at home and this old Sandy Bridge PC is still with my family, but I also plan to do a final upgrade with an I7 2600 and 12 gb of ram (not for gaming of course but for everyday normal stuff)
im still using the 2600k..works great
Watching this on PC with i7-2600k :) Still works fine for my daily usage and some light gaming :)
Sad thing is, I might need upgrade soon, my motherboard is probably starting to go, random bluescreens and USB ports randomly die, reboot fixes that.
Some of us are now looking to upgrade our old i3 to an i7-2600k. Even that is a huge improvement!
I managed to get by with a Phenom II x4, 16 GB Corsair RAM, a GTX 650 1GB and an Antec 400 watt PSU for almost 9 years, ripping CDs, DVDs playing various COD games, various graphics and photos stuff. Hats off to you for keeping the faith. I have an Intel 9700k main system now, plan on keeping it until the electrons all fall out of it. Also have an Optiplex with a i7 2600s in for a secondary system too. Keep 'em running!
Man… I am having flashbacks. I still remember those golden days when I was checking “can I run it” site before buying a cheap GPU.
Until April of this year I got by on an old fx4350 with an r9 270x I acquired in 2012. It did what I needed to do. Until it didn't.
That ol'pc has now been replaced as my main computer, however it's also since been personally refurbished from top to bottom and now serves as my bedroom pc. I also got it a used rx580 8gb red devil upgrade for $100 off ebay along with a load of other inexpensive upgrades. Very personally attached to that ol'tank.
My new main now runs an i5 11400f and an rx6800. It was a noticeable upgrade. I figure I should be able to get 10 years out of this new rig, too. You have to make your stuff last.
Nicely done. Great channel.
I still use a 2600k in my home desktop. All other components were purchased in 2011. Works great.
Very similar story here. HAF932, 2600k @4.4, single 560ti then SLI, 120GB ssd and a few WD black 1tb. Upgraded ram to 16gb and to a gtx 1080. One psu failed but she still takes prime95 torture test like a champ! Best build ever for me, now looking to do a complete build on 13th gen
A really nice video with amazing memories on it, thanks for sharing, greetings from Brazil
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m about to hit 6 years with my current pc and oh man it’s showing it’s age. I couldn’t imagine 10, especially 2011 hardware
You reminded me of how the prices were. So sad to see things get 5 times their prices. Thank you for an interesting video.
Good to see others still using older but viable tech. I have been using my I7 970 and it runs well still. Windows 11 may put an end to it mind you. Also using the old ROG mobo from same time period and 24 gigs of ram. The only thing that's been updated are the video card and the HDD.
I updated to a Nvidia 2060 not too long ago, and was pleased, I had been using a 770, and before that the original 580. All good cards, if you are fine with mid level graphics.
All still running along with no problems.
I'm still using i7 2600 no-K version of that. Few years ago i can't be able to obtain one of those Z68 chipset but now, after roughly 6 years i bought Z77 MSI board and get straight in to overclocking. My best is 4.45GHz, 10MHz above is unstable after some time. Very good for gaming, even a GTX 1080Ti can push itself to the 100% utilization. Well balanced for the 1000 series gpus. And that is only 4.4, K version can go up to 5. With RTX 2070 and i7 2600K clocked to 5GHz it will be a goooood gaming PC BUT i will buy an i7 3770K with even better single core performance rather than pusing the poor 2600K to its limits
I have the same setup as you. MSI board with auto overlock 2600 none K to 4,45Ghz. Also running 1080Ti on a 3440x1440p 100hz ultrawide. :) 11 and a half years ago still rocking on.
I have the exact same CPU and type of memory and very similar case but from Corsair and also very similar powersupply from Corsair (silent pro also i think). I do have a Gigabyte motherboard , a big Noctua cooler and Samsung SSD though and i use the built in graphic card since i dont play games. I built it in early 2012 and its still going strong and works perfectly even the SSD as i write this comment using it. I use it a lot for recording and mixing music since i am a musician and of course for general use as well and its the longest i have had a computer, i remember in the 90´s and early 2000´s when you had to buy a new computer every 4- 5 years and those were more expensive than this one even if im not counting inflation. A truly great buy that i have had tons and tons of good use of every day and i have never even overclocked it.
I ordered the i7-2600 within the week it was released. Ran it for over 10 years till I retired it bit still habe the build. The Intel Motherboard I used got recalled after it shipped out. The effects of that recall appeared around 7 or 8 years of constant use.
with that voice, you have better chances as a narrator for a paranormal or horror youtube channel . the calmness in your voice gave me goosebumps, lol.
Have a 4770k pc I'm using as a secondary, which is still running great. I don't really get the mentality of needing to upgrade every generation especially when your current hardware is perfectly fine.
Great video. I had my i7 4400 when it first came out in 2013. I just upgraded to a new processor this year. It ran really good. I only added 2 SSD's, changed out my graphics card twice over the life span that I had it and added a new power supply to handled my final graphics card. One graphics card went out, and I got a great deal on a 1660ti (which I use in my new build) so switched out my second graphics card for it. Toward the end you could tell the processor just couldn't handle things anymore no matter what I tried to do. Even did a fresh install. It just didn't have the power to handle things that I wanted it too. It still was an ok PC just for normal stuff, but not higher end game stuff. One thing I did not change out was my ram, so makes me wonder if that was the cause of the issues toward the end. I sold it so no clue if the ram was the problem as I bought all new stuff for my new build I did other than my power supply and graphics card.
Just retired my 4790k to a 2nd PC duties, Found a great price on a 12700k with z690 32GB DDR4 3600. Carried over a GTX1070TI with it. Playing Forza Horizon 5 I am now seeing no stuttering and way faster load times. Stuck using an old CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo until a lga1700 kit is available for my Scythe Mugen 5 :(
I did the same thing. I kept my Phenom II x4 965 since 2009 and am in the process of upgrading to a 5800X. Just need a motherboard. Taking me months. The AM2 790FX-GD Something or other motherboard is functional except for the Ethernet ports, and the CMOS battery needs replacing.
I run the same i7 with a gtx 1650 LP in my "take to friends houses to play" tiny PC it plays everything at 1080p 60 except like 3 titles. I love this thing, perfect for borderlands, rocket league, halo, world war z and so many more multiplayer games.
I still have an I7-920 that I bought brand new, with an Asus P6T-Deluxe motherboard.
Throughout the years, I had swapped the PSU because I was afraid of it failing, added 24gb of ram from Amazon, 6 dimm kit (triple channel era), originally I had an Evga GTX 285 installed, but it was swapped with an RTX 2080, and the CPU was swapped with an X5690 I got from Aliexpress for like $50 or so.
It's a great machine, with all the PCIe lanes I got, I installed a WiFi 6 module, and NVMe to PCIe add-on cards.
The only dumb thing I did was to BCLK OC (locked multiplier) while forgetting I was using the add-on cards, and fried an NVMe SSD (got it replaced under warranty, though).
Fantastic machine, still have it, but it isn't my main anymore. Upgraded to a Ryzen when 4C\8T were no longer the mainstream, god bless AMD.
since 2015 for 6 years my CPU has been my i7-6700T and it still is to this day. The only PC hardware change I made was in 2019 when I upgraded the GPU from a GTX 960 to a GTX 1660 Ti. Also I recently upgraded to windows 11 even though it doesn't support my hardware. Despite my older hardware and lack of support, my PC has excellent overall performance and I actually feel like my system is performing better and utilizing system resources more efficiently with windows 11.
had a 3770k for 9 years. the jump to modern tech was astronomical from that time frame.
About 15 years on my Asus G50VT laptops with dual-core X9100 slightly overclocked to 3.3GHZ. It just will not die despite the years of distributed computing i have run on it
Proof that you don't need to always have the latest tech, nor need to upgrade every generation.
I made my first build (Skylake) in 2016, then:
- added 1050Ti in 2017
- upgraded boot drive to a better SATA SSD in 2019
- upgraded boot drive to Gen3 NVMe SSD in 2021
- changed out mobo, RAM and CPU to 12th Gen in early 2022
- hopefully I can upgrade to a more recent 1080p GPU in a month or so
My use case is very different from yours, but I believe our main thread is that we're both gamers.
Thanks for sharing!
I used this psu for like 8-9 years and then it saved my rig from a lightning. Multiple other devices in my home were struck, but everything in the pc case survived (except psu ofc).
Still using a 2500K at 4.5 GHz all core, just past its 11th anniversary. Bought it in mid 2011 expecting to replace it after around four years which was the upgrade cycle I grew used to in the 2000s, but only had to replace the GTX 560 Ti with a GTX 970 (and the system HDD with an SSD) when the time came because CPU development had stagnated so much with AMD being uncompetitive and Intel becoming lazy, and then the next upgrade point simply never arose as I grew disinterested in keeping up with the latest games and gimmicks. I can play games up until a few years ago fine and I'm currently busy revisiting older PC games and emulating PS1 games anyway, so I could theoretically stretch it further, although I'm currently building a Xeon 1650v2 (4930K) and GTX 970 SLI rig with Nvidia 3D Vision just out of curiosity and so I can say I've had quad channel RAM, SLI and 3D Vision at some point.
My ACTUAL best PC is a Core i3 2120 with 8GB ram, GTX 750, SSD Kingston 240GB and a cheap MSI motherboard.
Actualization: Got a Core i7 2600k and the same motherboard show in the video.
Rock solid at 4.6Ghz.