Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and upgrade

6 GB of mixed-speed RAM better or worse than 4 GB of matched pair faster RAM?

suburbanrobot — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:55:27 -0800

I just picked up 4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM to upgrade my computer. It already has 2 GB of DDR2 533. Should I get rid of the old RAM and just use the new, or should I install all of it? Santa was good to me this year and I received two 2 GB sticks of DDR2 800 of RAM for Christmas. My current desktop already has two 1 GB sticks of DDR2 533 RAM. My motherboard has 4 slots for RAM and I'm running Win 7 x64, so if I'm not mistaken I could actually install the new sticks in addition to the old ones and have 6 GB of RAM total.

However, I seem to remember something about how installing faster RAM in addition to slower RAM will slow all of the memory down. Will this drag on my system performance? If so, would the trade-off be worth installing all 6 gigs anyway?

Help me find the most computer for my money

miratime — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:41:45 -0800

It's time to buy a new computer. I'm hoping that with the shopping season coming up I'll be able to snag a good deal somewhere. I would prefer to just order the complete package from somewhere, but with enough help I would be willing to purchase individual components and assemble. I need something that will let me game a little and without graphical snags, and something that will continue to perform well for several years. I've been considering this for a while, and after a mostly-successful build a couple of years ago for my husband, it's my turn to get the shiny new toy. I really want this purchase to last and I'm not an upgrade fiend. My current desktop is an old Dell Dimension 2600 which was a refurb when I got it back in 2004, so I can't really judge what current models are like. I would like to get something that will be "good" for a while; I'd rather aim a little higher (within affordability) than get the bare minimum of what will do what I want.

What do I want?

* I want to be able to play a couple of different MMOs (World of Warcraft and The Secret World) and The Sims 3 with max graphics settings and no problems multitasking in Firefox, running a music player (iTunes), etc.

My husband's computer already does this and it's a couple of years old; Intel quad core processor and 4GB of RAM, I believe. TSW isn't out yet but they've said that they want it to be accessible to players with laptops when it comes out, and even if that's a couple of years down the road I’m assuming that means that they don't intend to make it the most graphically-complex game ever or anything. I don't play first-person-shooters or any other type of game other than the ones listed (MMOs, I guess?) but if the games I do play look blocky, get low framerates, lag during play, or take forever to load, I find myself losing interest and right quick. Right now I'm running a 19" LCD but it is not widescreen; a monitor upgrade will go on the wishlist after the system is purchased.

* I want Windows 7. If it's some sort of deal from somewhere that's trying to clear out older models that still have XP/Vista, I need to be able to upgrade (though I've heard that this is a more complicated route).

* I want to spend up to $800-$900. Less is better but I don't have a very good idea of what that can get me. I'd like to be able to go another five years with this system without it being hopelessly outdated a year from now and trodding along until I can afford another new system for the next four years or more. Is this even a reasonable price range for my expectations? If it isn't, what compromises could I make to keep the system in this price range?

* I would like a smaller tower if possible but this is by no means a necessity. My current tower is plenty large and I have the space for it. However, if I can take advantage of the trend of technology shrinking as it becomes more advanced, I certainly wouldn't' t mind accommodating something smaller.

I know that there are new Core i5 and i7 processors that are getting a some attention, but I'm completely lost when it comes to judging which are good for what and comparing them to older models which may or may not perform better, be more affordable, or give more value for the price.

I'm willing to buy from either HP or Dell, but am leery of trusting the big box manufacturers to make something truly stable and long-lasting; the only reason I am considering these companies is because I do receive a company discount at these vendors. The HP discount varies but seems to be from about 20%-25% while the Dell discount is only about 7%-9%.

I'm also willing to go through Newegg, TigerDirect, or similar and purchase individual parts (or bundles, which I've seen a few of lately), but I don't feel confident about building the system myself. I can install the most basic of components (RAM, etc.) but don't trust myself to not blow up the power supply or something if I tried to DIY the whole thing. I've seen many sites lately referring to this guide, but being a complete novice I have no idea how accurate or helpful it might be to a true newbie. If MeFi thinks the guide is all right I might be willing to take a few steps in the build-your-own direction.

I was also hoping that my fellow Pittsburgh MeFites might be able to make recommendations for people who would be willing to put a build together, and give me an idea of how much that might cost if I went that route.

Is it a good time to be making a commitment to a new system? It feels like Windows 7 should be a factor, but I'm worried that as soon as I commit to one thing there will be something else that completely eclipses it on the horizon, or some huge price drop that makes me want to plant my face into my keyboard, but I think this might happen regardless of when I buy.

I know there are some folks on here who like to help create custom builds, so I'm hoping for your help, MeFi. I know I've asked a lot of questions, but any and all help is appreciated

Upgrading a neglected Mac computer.

wiretap — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:02:11 -0800

Upgrading Mac OS X 10.2 to at least 10.3 on a dual boot machine. I bought a dual boot mac (os 9.2 and os x 10.2) in the earlier part of this decade, and never bothered to do any upgrades as the years went on.

Now I'm finding reasons to restart my previous graphic design career but 10.2 is so out of date that I'm having trouble using some websites (netflix streaming requires at least 10.3) or playing games (WoW requires at least 10.3), or even upgrading to the latest version of Firefox (!!?).

I have little experience with upgrading computers, so I have a couple questions about upgrading:

1. How do I upgrade JUST the 10.2 "section" (sorry, I don't know the technical term) of my mac? I'm imagining that I'll plop a 10.3 disc in and it'll install over both OS's.

2. Will 10.3 still work with 9.2 (classic mode)? I'd like to keep 9.2 due to some ancient software that works only in 9.2.

Also, could I upgrade to an OS higher than 10.3 or would I need at least 10.3 to move to 10.4 to move to 10.5 etc?

Can I rebuild it? Better than it was before? Better, stronger, faster?

jammy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:54:17 -0800

iMacFilter: Upgrade or find something new? That is the question. But, as is often the case, there's a bit more... I have an iMac G5, 1.8 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB, OS 10.3.9 - capacity is 72GB, currently 8GB available. As you might expect, it runs a bit slowly, especially when multiple programs are running. Lately too, the fan has been running high, wheezing in a manner reminiscent of my even older car.

I'm hoping to use some upcoming time off from my job to improve my computer and web skills. Besides making my understandings of basic web design more systematic I'm going to begin looking into things like Content Management Systems (specifically Drupal). Maybe also start wading into Wordpress as well.

So, can I upgrade this old machine, enable it to deal with the new stuff I'm going to be throwing at it? And if so, what's best for the money? Add more memory, update the OS, upgrade the drive, get an extra drive to use in some clever way, some go-faster racing stripes?

Or should I sell/donate/use as a backup drive and bite the bullet and buy something newer? If so, what would be a wise choice? I have read in the news of folks buying models at the wrong time - how do you know when a given model isn't about to be outmoded? My pockets aren't all that deep (& mostly have lint in them) so stretching the dollar is what I'm looking for in terms of options.

Please note: I'm sure there are good options in the PC realm but I want to stick with Mac for now so I'm not having to learn too many new things at once. Also, my knowledge of computers and the web is still somewhat patchwork so beginner-ese is always appreciated.

(I did see this question and it provided some information but I'm hoping for a bit more specifics...)

Help me pimp my laptop?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:17:30 -0800

Dell has started to suck. I've owned several, both notebook and desktop, over the past 10 or so years. Now, after buying two power cords for my lemony Inspiron 1720 in less than 2 years, I'm going local. So what are some suggestions for beefing my machine up? Asking anon because I'd prefer to not parade my ignorance here.

The PC is less than two years old, but in addition to buying a (third) power cord, what are good ways to turbo my computer? I'm not a gamer, but I teach and travel pretty widely, and I'm thinking of upgrading from 2 gigs to 4, and 250 RAM to maybe 700? I have Vista, so I have less speed and ease of use than I did with the Windows 95. I want lots of ample storage, and blink-of-an-eye speed. I'll be in Asia, so the Internet connection I'll tap into will be blazing. I am, obviously, clueless. Do I need an external hard drive? Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
And finally, in the Baltimore area, about what can I expect to shell out monetarily for this? Is $350 to optimistic? Or overkill?

Dell Inspiron 1720 w/ Vista. I'm sure I'm leaving some vital info out, so ask away (fatbackncollards@gmail.com), and be amused at my inability to articulate a coherent reply.

Can I upgrade my ram to 2GB?

twelve — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:33:08 -0800

Can I upgrade my ram to 2GB? I have a Fujitsu Siemens D1675 motherboard. It currently has two 512mb sticks of ram and the third slot is free. Can I add a 1GB stick to the third slot or do the sticks all have to be the same size? I came across this page but I am still a little confused.

Incompatible RAM chips: the mystery of the memory

mjklin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:46:24 -0800

To my dear friends of the hive mind: Yours truly is trying to upgrade RAM memory and running into problems with incompatible chips, slots, or both. Here's what I'm working with:

Computer:
Acer Aspire ASI180, AMD Athlon 64 X 2 Dual Core Processor 4000+
Windows Vista Home Premium

Original RAM chip:
512 MB, DD2 DIMM, F
64TFT PO 132144.3
Made in: TAIWAN

Chip I'm trying to add:
Samsung, 1GB 2Rx8 PC2-6400U-666-12-E3
Made in China
M378T2953EZ3-CF7 0804
806080

There was another Samsung chip also, but it hasn't worked in any configuration and I figure it's bad. When I put these two chips in the motherboard in various configurations of the 4 slots, I get these results:

[512MB] - [ ] - [ ] - [ ] = Shows 512 MB in Windows

[ ] - [512MB] - [ ] - [ ] = Shows 512 MB in Windows

[1.0GB] - [ ] - [ ] - [ ] = Continued beeps on startup (memory problem)

[ ] - [1.0GB] - [ ] - [ ] = Continued beeps on startup (memory problem)

[1.0GB] - [ ] - [ ] - [512GB] = Continued beeps on startup (memory problem)

[ ] - [512MB] - [1.0GB] - [ ] = Continued beeps on startup (memory problem)

[512MB] - [ ] - [ ] - [1.0GB] = Shows 512 MB in Windows

[ ] - [ ] - [512MB] - [1.0GB] = Shows 512 MB in Windows

[ ] - [ ] - [1.0GB] - [512GB] = Continued beeps on startup (memory problem)

[ ] - [ ] - [ ] - [1.0GB] = Shows 1 GB in Windows

[ ] - [ ] - [1.0GB] - [ ] = Shows 1 GB in Windows

What I glean from this is that the 512MB and the 1GB chip do not play well together. Only in some configurations does the computer start at all with both chips in, and then it only detects the 512 MB chip. The only way to get it to see the 1GB chip at all is for it to be alone in one of the back two slots.

Here are my questions: Is there something wrong with the 1GB chip? If I get another 1GB chip, is it going to work with its brother (in one of the back slots)? And why don't they work in the front slots?

San Q very much.

Dual core processor question

SpacemanStix — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:49:26 -0800

If I have a dual core processor at 2.40GHz that is running software that isn't designed to utilize both cores (such as some older games), would this be equivalent to running it on a single core processor at that speed (all other things being equal)? I'm thinking about upgrading my computer, and I currently have a 2.54GHz single core processor. I'm trying to figure out if the above mentioned would be a worthy upgrade at face value, or if I'd need to figure out if a particular piece of software would make good use of two processors. A newer computer would have faster memory type and I'd also upgrade the video card significantly; but in the above case would the processor speed actually be slower, if an individual game wasn't designed to utilize both cores? Or are there additional advantages to the newer chips, besides splitting up the processing time, that would create a speed advantage?

XPSP3AMD6440003GBetc.

boosh — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:20:38 -0800

Games PC CPUFilter: Is it worth upgrading from an Athlon64 3500+ Venice to a 4000+ San Diego? (plus a bonus question on 3GB RAM in XP and dual channel memory). I'm considering upgrading my games machine. The current guts:

Abit AN8 Socket 939 motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice
2 x 1GB PC3200 CAS3.0 DDR
Radeon X1950 Pro 512MB (PCI-E)

And the upgrade that I'm considering:

Swap CPU for an Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego
Add an extra 1GB of RAM

I can't justify splashing out on a whole new mobo/CPU/RAM bundle anytime soon, nor spending silly money on a used FX-55/60 chip dredged from the depths of eBay, so it's pretty much this or nothing I think. But is it a worthwhile upgrade - will I see a noticeable performance boost? Really I've got three questions, and I can't seem to Google up anything approaching a definitive answer:

1: Is it worth going from 3500+ Venice to 4000+ San Diego (with its extra cache and extra 200mhz)?
2: Is it worth going from 2GB RAM to 3GB on an XP machine used for gaming?
3: If I add the extra gig, should I add 2x512GB or a single stick of 1GB? Currently I've got the 2x1GB memory running in dual channel and I've got two ports free.

Some additional info:
1: The OS is WinXPSP3, with the fat stripped away, running on a 36gb WD Raptor. I don't think I can make any performance improvements on the software/disk side.
2: This machine is only used for games - nothing else at all. I don't do any multi-tasking (there isn't even an AV program running).
3: I won't be upgrading to Vista for DX10. I don't play that many games and the ones I do play tend to be a few years old (Rome Total War, Oblivion).

So would one or both of these upgrades give the PC an extra lease of life, or would I be throwing money away for no real benefit?

Help me Geek Squad these laptops!

whiskey point — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:00:37 -0800

2 used laptops: what to do with them? One will be new to me (from my wonderful girlfriend), one will be new to my grandma (from me) Part 1:
I'll be getting a ~2 year old Toshiba Satellite laptop, a pretty basic model with probably 512 mb of RAM and a smallish hard drive (no big deal, I have a My Book and am willing to upgrade RAM). What would you do with this machine, that has been taken care of very well - no downloads, etc., and only used for typing papers and surfing the web? I'm down for anything-I just want to make sure I optimize this computer as soon as possible. I'm into web surfing (generally 10-15 Firefox tabs open at a time), watching DVDs, and typing papers on the go (I have MS office). I'm also into photography, burning DVDs, and listening to a ton of music on itunes-but I deal with all of that on my high(er) performance desktop. Would Photoshop kill this machine? What are some of the applications you can't live with out? This will basically be a backup, take to school, and travel computer for me.
Part 2:
I'm going to give my grandma my 4.5 year old Compaq 2100. It's not in the best shape (I can no longer watch movies on it, probably a software problem I haven't taken the time to fix) and it runs slow. I'm thinking I'll re-install XP and start over from scratch-but what should I do after that? Does your grandma have a computer? She's kind of wary, but she's willing to give it a try. I'd like to make this as simple for her as possible: a gmail account, something to play DVDs, maybe something to help her with recipes-either looking them up or storing them, and any other suggestions you guys can throw out for me.

I'm sure some creeping on the MeFi archives would have helped a little, but I wanted to kill two birds with one stone and get both of these computers working to the best of their abilities.

Upgrading a video card vs. upgrading a CPU for gaming?

joshrholloway — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:06:31 -0800

I just got a relatively new PC secondhand. What should I upgrade first in order to most successfully play games? I just inherited a custom-built box that's got some really decent parts in it. Basically I'm wanting to play some of the more current games out there and try to do it as cheaply as possible. I don't necessarily need to run these games at the highest settings, but I'd like some eye candy along with a good clip.

Here are the current machine specs:

-Celeron D 3.06 GHz
-nVidia GeForce 7300 GS (PCIe)
-1GB DDR2 SDRAM
-Generic Intel motherboard (sorry, don't have the exact model right in front of me...)

So I'm looking around online and I found a pretty sweet deal on a GeForce 8600GT (256MB GDDR3), which from what I can tell is a pretty good card.

Then, of course, we're dealing with that Celeron processor. I'd like to get a Core 2 Duo in there, but it would cost me almost twice what the video card would to get the one I want.

I'm going to be able to upgrade both relatively quickly, but my question is this: which of those two components is going to be the best option to upgrade first in order to see the biggest performance boost for gaming? I'm thinking the video card, but some friends are convincing me that whatever video card I get above what I have is going to be severely bottlenecked by the Celeron.

Help me, AskMeFi!

(P.S. Suggestions on components and/or deals are also welcome.)

possible upgrades for an old computer

baphomet — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:21:10 -0800

Potential upgrades to my aging desktop system- some advice from geeks would be greatly appreciated. I'm planning to do a few upgrades to my 2002-ish Dell Dimension desktop system. The processor is a P4 2.0gHZ, and the system has 512MB of PC3200 RAM with a Radeon 9200 for a video card. I can provide an update on system specs later tonight if anybody has questions about something.

Now my primary use for this system is for playing World of Warcraft, which is not especially system intensive. Nonetheless, the game does run sub-optimally on my sub-optimal system- I don't need the graphics to look jaw dropping, but as you might imagine getting 2-5 FPS in Shattrath is brutal and slows me down a lot. My network connection is fine, so I think it's the RAM/video card that is having the biggest impact at this point, so that's what I intend to upgrade.

I'm probably going to buy a new computer at some point in the next year, but I can comfortably spend around $100 on upgrades just to get me over the hump.

First question: A co-worker has offered to give me some old DDR RAM sticks he has no use for, but they're PC2700 instead of PC3200. He's offering to give me 1GB of RAM, though- is the 1GB of PC2700 going to be faster than 512k of 3200? I imagine it would, but I really have no idea. Also, can I mix chips with different speeds, or will putting a PC2700 chip in my board make the 3200 run at 2700?

Second question: My Radeon 9200 video card is an antiquated joke at best. I'm looking at 512MB video cards on eBay and it looks like I can get one for about $60- the thing is, given that my system is somewhat older, I'm not sure if I'd be able to take full advantage of a 512MB video card. If I upgrade my RAM to 1GB will I be able to take advantage of the 512MB card, or is my comp too old/underpowered to utilize one, making it more efficient to buy a 256MB card?

Thanks!

dual-display & more RAM vs. new iMac?

blastrid — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:58:23 -0800

Which would be more beneficial for a Photoshop user: dual-display + more RAM, or a new iMac with a faster processor? At work, I am due for a computing upgrade. I use my current 17" iMac 1.83 GHz Core Duo w/1.5 GB RAM mostly for Photoshop, Illustrator, and Firefox.

Here are my upgrade options:
-Add a 20" cinema display, and upgrade RAM to 3GB total (<$1000)
-Get a new 24" iMac with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, and 2GB RAM (<$2000)

Price is a strong factor. Obviously, screen real estate is a huge bonus. In either option, CS3 and Leopard would be used.

My ultimate broader question is this: For graphical work, is it better to spend your money on more RAM or a faster processor?

How to get my Thinkpad into workable condition?

alona — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:36:54 -0800

I've got an old IBM Thinkpad G40 circa something like 1998 that runs Pentium II and I want to get it running as fast as possible while spending as little money as possible. I don't have much computer experience, although my knowledge is pretty fair, and I'd like to take it on as my personal project. I'm obviously going to format the hard-drive and I'm thinking of going with Xubuntu because I have Ubuntu experience. Any tips on what to do, as well as sites/resources that actually explain how to do it, are appreciated.

'Network' management improvements for a small business needed.

wylde21 — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:28:55 -0800

Suggestions to improve 'Network' management for a small business? See for more details. I just started working for a small company and need some input on better system/equipment for the company "network". Everyone is using Windows XP operating system.

Current hardware:
- One wall-wart CAT cable highspeed internet connection into the office.
- One D-Link wireless router with the CAT connection inputed. The router is then CAT cable connected to (a) a ‘network’ printer (which is then shared by all the workers via wireless router), (b) a stand alone enclosed 250GB Netdisk harddrive (which is then shared by all the workers via wireless router), and (c) the older desktop computer described below.
- One older (Pentium 3) desktop system that is ‘hardwired’ into the D-Link wireless router. This system is the extra computer that is used as backup if someone leaves their laptop at home.
- Five newer (all Centrino) laptops that each worker brings home every night. Some of the workers wirelessly occasionally backup key files to the 250GB Netdisk harddrive, but the connection is so slow that it is done infrequently.

Current shared network:
- The above mentioned wireless connection to the 250GB Netdisk harddrive
- The above mentioned wireless connection to a shared printer
- The company has a service that hosts the company’s website, operates the email service, and also provides some drive space to store files. The service is a couple cities over, and those stored files are accessed via SharePoint. Unfortunately, SharePoint over our connection is horribly slow and does not seem to be a real option for common use.

How things currently work:
- Each worker maintains all current work on their individual laptops, with rare backups to the 250GB Netdisk harddrive (if in the office), or through SharePoint (if on the road).
- The in office wireless connection speed is slow. I am not sure if this is a limitation of the wireless (newer D-Link system), the number of connected laptops (up to 5), some combination, or something else.
- The way the 250GB Netdisk harddrive is set up (via wireless) is such that it hs to be mounted everytime the computer is turned of or leaves the office. This mount is often lost (not sure why), so the drive has to be remounted several times a day. The connection to the Netdisk harddrive is also slow….but this may be a fuction of the wireless connection, as opposed to the drive itself, being slow.

What I would like to have:
- Fast connection to the internet for all the office computers. Does this mean we have to run CAT cables all around the office and manually plug-in?
- A common drive(s) that everyone in the office can read/write to and have fast (as fast as connection to individual computer harddrives) connection to. Do I need to add a server to the office to do this, or can the current 250GB Netdisk harddrive somehow be hardwired to do this?
- I want to insure security of the system. I’m not sure if the current wireless arrangement does that. Can people outside the office pick up the signal, and if so, how do I secure it?
- I want to insure that all work is backed up on a regular basis, but to get everyone to do that will require making it simple (software suggestions?) and easy (faster network connection).

I appreciate your suggestions. Being a small company, costs are an issue. But to get the right system I am willing to push for needed improvements.

How to find the case wire pinout arangement for an old MoBo?

Four Flavors — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 10:53:36 -0800

What's the spec for the pinouts to the case switches/LEDs on an ATX motherboard? I have a board form an old HP Pavilion (X)775c that I'm putting into a new case. I took off the old connectors without noting them (thinking that they'd be printed on the board like my new ASUS), but they're not.

In case it helps, I have a note that says it's a "Xenon GLA", socket 478 board, but I haven't been able to find anything online with that name.

Is there any way for me to tell, either for sure or best guess, what the layout is? I would assume that it's the same as the new ASUS board, but they don't have anything close to the same number of pins

The HP site has many boards listed that might be the right one, and none of them detail the pinouts on that section of the board.

It's 2 rows: 4 above 5.

Heck, if you could even tell me what that section of pins is called so I could search for it on http://pinouts.ru or allpinouts.com, that'd be helpful.

Help me trick out my PC far beyond any reasonable need.

jbickers — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:23:18 -0800

What's the next upgrade I should perform on my PC? I've got a pretty nice WinXP desktop that I'm itching to upgrade. It's a Pentium 4 3.0 ghz with 1 gig of RAM. 160 gig hard drive.

My geek-meter has just counted down to zero, and I'm dying to do an upgrade of some sort. It's not that the thing runs slow, and it's not that I'm playing Halflife - I'm mainly using it for web browsing and Office. I've just got the itching to trick it out a little bit.

My first inclination is a better video card - I'm using the onboard video port on the motherboard, which has 96 mb. Will I see a big performance jump if I, say, add an AGP card with 512 mb? Or do those things only benefit gamers?

Better sound card? I'm about to run the line out to a component stereo system with nice speakers. Would a top-line soundcard be worthwhile, or is there a point of diminishing audio returns when you're playing mp3s?

Should I channel this urge into a larger monitor? Still using a 15-inch LCD.

Or should I channel it into improving the laptop that's networked to it? (Toshiba Satellite, no empty SIMM slots, so I'm kinda at a loss on how to improve it)

Upgrade from W2K to XP

samstarling — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:37:21 -0800

I want to upgrade my laptop from Windows 2000 to XP. How can I preserve my Outlook settings between the upgrade? I ask because I connect to an Exchange Server with settings on Outlook which have been tweaked heavily over time. Also, will the XP install give me an option to preserve my previous system? In case everything goes pear-shaped, I'd like to be able to roll back to my previous state. If it goes right, can I delete all the data needed to roll-back after to optimise disk space? Thanks in advance.

Please help a friend choose the right laptop

hamster — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:45:59 -0800

Please help recommend a solid, mid-range laptop for a friend with excellent tech support options and good longevity. A friend is considering buying a laptop; his price range is around $450-750, and he'll likely purchase from Best Buy. He's heard that Dell laptops have the best support. He'll need a computer that won't require costly upgrades or become obsolete in the next few years. He needs the Microsoft Office suite included and will mostly use the laptop for Internet research, word processing, and possibly music storage.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Upgrade, re-load, or toss?

ObscureReferenceMan — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:50:45 -0800

What is the best OS for my old (650MHz Dell with 128MB RAM, 25GB hard drive) PC that I plan to give to my friend's parents? I plan on completely wiping the hard drive, and starting from scratch, but... Should I load the original Windows 98 OS on it? I've got the original CD, but I wonder if 98 would be worthwhile. Are there security issues to be concerned with? What about reliability? It performed well for me, but still...

I also have the Windows XP system disk that came with my new computer. I checked the Microsoft site, and it seems the old system might just squeak by with Windows XP. But will they be able to do anything else? (Dang! 128MB is a lot for the OS!) A few friends with more tech experience than I say that even the minimum system requirements aren't really enough. Is that true?

A little about the recipients of my charititude... They are an older couple, in their 60's or 70's. Not very tech-savvy. This will be their first computer. They plan on using it for basic stuff - email and web surfing. Also, I plan to load Firefox for them, in an effort to thwart any spyware, adware, etc.

Oh, and one final word, I'd like to do this as inexpensively as possible (i.e. free). Thanks, all!!

Am I making a motherboard mistake?

pinespree — Mon, 29 May 2006 21:23:21 -0800

I'm going to swap the motherboard and CPU on my computer, please help me not screw it up! Due to persistent overheating of the CPU in my 4-year-old system (P4/2.0 on an Abit IT7), and due to the fact that it's worse in the summer and it's very, very hot today, I am planning to replace them with a new motherboard and a reasonable Athlon 64. I used to know about hardware, but in the last 4-6 years I haven't cared, and now I'm pretty ignorant.

But I would like to make this motherboard (possibly with a later CPU upgrade) work for 3 or 4 more years, so I don't want to mess it up. An Athlon 64 3000+ seems like a fine choice for me, although in a year or two I might buy a faster one (possibly dual core) when they're cheaper (I don't have a ton to spend now). I will be transferring my three PATA hard drives to the new system, and my cheap AGP video card (The video card I'm trying not to re-buy is only a $40 card (bought solely for the DVI port), but $40 is $40.).

My application use is normal business desktop stuff, with some occasional photo processing and music tracker stuff (FLStudio) thrown in, but what I'm planning for is tabbed web browsing with background stuff. A decent number of apps running at once, most of them mostly idle. I use Windows XP Pro and Debian.

I spent the last four hours or so trying to figure all of this out, and I got most of it, but I have a big question left:

Am I shooting myself in the foot as far as the next few years go by choosing a (presumably older) motherboard with AGP support? It looks like my northbridge choices are nForce3, Uli M1689 and VIA K8?800. Is any of these better than the others? Is it worth re-buying the video card to get a newer chipset? Will these work well with the kind of dual core CPUs that are out now?

Oh, also I can verify that the overheating problem is not fixable. This problem appeared over two years ago, I spent a long time trying to fix it, and I have been enduring not letting my cpu load stay over 75% since then - it's time for a change!

Upgrading My Athlon System

wintermute2_0 — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 17:47:46 -0800

I received a decent tax refund and I'm thinking about doing a computer upgrade. The last time I rebuilt my system was in 2003. I don't need to be able to play the hottest new FPS (although I do game occasionally), but I want to be able to comfortably run Windows Vista when it's released. Here are my current specs: Athlon 2500+ Barton
ABit NF7-M Motherboard
512 MB Crucial 2700 DDR SDRAM
ATI All-in-Wonder 9600
Samsung DVD Burner
Maxtor DiamondMax 200 GB 7200 RPM IDE HD
Maxtor DiamondMax 120 GB 7200 RPM IDE HD

I'd also like to upgrade my 19" CRT to an LCD monitor, but that can wait. What upgrades will give me the most bang for my buck?

Looking for a new AMD motherboard with good Linux support.

odinsdream — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:23:15 -0800

Please recommend a motherboard for an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor that is completely supported by Linux. I recently purchased an MSI RS482M4/RX480M4 Series motherboard and a new AMD chip. Unfortunately, I didn't do my research well enough, and I'm having a difficult time getting Linux to recognize the onboard USB and Realtek NIC.

I could spend weeks working on fixing this problem by researching the intricacies of the board, but honestly, I'm not that attached - so what I'd like are some personal recommendations for boards that support this processor (and the RAM) that have excellent support from the Linux community for any onboard chipsets they include.

I'd like the board to have TV-Out with onboard video, and at least two free PCI slots. If there's an online resource for picking out such a board, that would be wonderful.

What needs to be upgraded in this computer?

Who_Am_I — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:39:06 -0800

I am building a computer, and I would like to know what I need to upgrade in order to have a passable gaming machine. Specs inside. So far this is what I have:
MSi 845 Ultra motherboard
1.6 GHz Pentium 4
512 MB DDR266 RAM
1 40GB 7400rpm IDE HDD

I'm running into a couple of thing here. First, the motherboard has only normal PCI and AGP 4x slots. Is there a video card that I can buy that will make this setup run games such as Civ 4 and The Sims 2 at a rate that won't be frustrating?
Second, the memory seems like the next obvious bottle-neck. I was going to upgrade to 1 GB of DDR400 RAM, but the board's manual says that it only supports DDR200/DDR266. If I buy another 512MB of DDR266, is it still going to suck compared to DDR400?
Does the fact that the hard drive is IDE and not SATA need to be a consideration? The motherboard does not support SATA.
Is 1.6GHz enough on the processor? I know that more work is shifted to the GPU these days for video games, but is this still going to be a problem?
Now, as much as I would love to just drop $800 on parts and have a killer rig, that's not possible right now. What's your take?

Processor Install?

ewkpates — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 08:39:21 -0800

Why can't I get my new processor to work? I have a Dell Dimension XPS T Series. I bought one of these: Intel Pentium III 933/256/133/1.7v s1 7108a716.

I put it in. I upgraded the BIOS to A11. I adjusted the jumper to boot to BIOS. With the new processor in, there are some beeps that don't meaning anything according to the beep codes, and the computer won't boot to BIOS. The old processor still works.

What have I missed? I tried flashing the BIOS with an Intel version, but it gave me an error message...