Upgrade time..
Discussion
Bit of a computer numptie here.. Managed to bolt together the system I have here but only as a mate told me which bits to buy to add on to the basics.. 
Have an XP1500, (runs at about 1300MHz IIRC), 256 MB of clockwork RAM, decent HDD and CD/CDRW but no decent graphics or sound.
Looking to spend a couple of hundred upgrading something, wondering whats best. Its not going to be a high end gaming machine so the latest graphics and sound would be wasted here. Any ideas? Chip? MBoard? Just more memory?
Have an XP1500, (runs at about 1300MHz IIRC), 256 MB of clockwork RAM, decent HDD and CD/CDRW but no decent graphics or sound.
Looking to spend a couple of hundred upgrading something, wondering whats best. Its not going to be a high end gaming machine so the latest graphics and sound would be wasted here. Any ideas? Chip? MBoard? Just more memory?
docevi1 said:
Why are you wanting to upgrade?
Why? Curious question. Its a piece of technology and I've not tweaked it for a while..
OK, seriously now. Its slow to boot up and switch off and struggles with doing more than 1 thing at once. Its ok, but hwoing its age, (about late 2000/early 2001 I think I specced and built it)..
Probably just needs more memory..
The reason I say "why" is that many of my mates say they need to upgrade when in actual fact all they need to do is fine-tune their machine. For instance if Windows hasn't been re-installed in a while do that, defrag the discs, fiddle with the settings to make it run optimally...
I'm running a 1.4Thunderbird, with 512Mb's PC133 Ram, 2*5,400rpm Maxtor HDD's and a GF4 Ti4400, under Windows XP Pro and I play all the latest games (albeit not at full detail but at a minimum of 1024*768), compile java code and run any manor of different programs with ease... (the reason I give you this example is it's all a generation before yours and what I do is much more strenous than the average multimedia tasks.)
I don't know your specific case (you may look after your machine) but in most cases doing a defrag, running spybot/ad-aware, stopping some stuff running on startup & fettling some of the services that are running will increase your machines ability.
>> Edited by docevi1 on Tuesday 31st August 19:54
I'm running a 1.4Thunderbird, with 512Mb's PC133 Ram, 2*5,400rpm Maxtor HDD's and a GF4 Ti4400, under Windows XP Pro and I play all the latest games (albeit not at full detail but at a minimum of 1024*768), compile java code and run any manor of different programs with ease... (the reason I give you this example is it's all a generation before yours and what I do is much more strenous than the average multimedia tasks.)
I don't know your specific case (you may look after your machine) but in most cases doing a defrag, running spybot/ad-aware, stopping some stuff running on startup & fettling some of the services that are running will increase your machines ability.
>> Edited by docevi1 on Tuesday 31st August 19:54
docevi1 said:
The reason I say "why" is that many of my mates say they need to upgrade when in actual fact all they need to do is fine-tune their machine. For instance if Windows hasn't been re-installed in a while do that, defrag the discs, fiddle with the settings to make it run optimally...
OK, fair cop.. I really ought to do that first.. I've ended up gradually adding more and more junk and never quite got around to getting rid of it all.
I'm pretty good at getting rid of spyware etc, but a quick look at my system tray reveals a fair few things I don't really need there.. TIme for a strip down and rebuild of the OS + software in general I think.
Save my money for shiny bits to add onto the car instead..
Exactly my logic and why I'm sitting here with a dodgy old pc which keeps crashing as my hardware is dying 
PetrolTed said:
Surprised you manage to run anything with 256MB of memory though. That could be a very cheap way of speeding things up.
One of the reasons for thinking about the upgrade is that my main board seems to like frying memory sticks.. I've got 2 dead 256 sticks sat on my desk now.. Extra memory does help, but something in here is cursed..
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