I have an HP Pavilion 8655c. It's old -- four years. I can't afford a new PC, but I can afford to upgrade this one. I have my stock vid card, and 96 megs of RAM.
As it stands, this PC is crap. I can't play CS 1.4 maps. If I have more than three applications open at a time, BOOM, it crashes.
I'm not a computer person. Input would be welcome. Danke.
Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :
Well, the crashing is either Windows being Windows or is a hardware problem. Pick yourself up a copy of memtest86 to start....
If you have bad memory, go replace it. If not, it's just Windows being Windows. Nuke and pave. Don't use that stupid restore disk, as it probably contains part of the problem. Use a clean copy of Windows, or go grab a copy of XP (home, or if you can afford it Pro... or if you dislike XP, get 2k Pro, though some newer software is more stable on XP).
Most mass produced systems don't contain enough components that can be swapped out with new, generic components to make upgrading feasable.
It's an old Celeron on an old motherboard. While you could find a newer Celeron that might work with that chipset, there's no guarantee that it would work.
That means you'd probably have to replace the motherboard, which implies a new processor and memory, and possibly a number of additional things that might be built in to the existing motherboard, i.e. networking, base graphics...
Most new motherboards and CPUs require a more beefy power supply than the one shipped with most PCs. Again, do you know if you can put a new power supply in the case?
So, back to my original point. You can't really safely upgrade that machine, so you'd might as well build another.
What is your budget? You might not have enough to put together a whole new system now, but you can still slowly put together new components...
After my reliable old Celeron keeled over the other month, I had to put together a new system... It ended up being a mid/high end system for $1500. I could easily have made it just a mid level system for only around $1000....
If you don't mind not putting it together yourself ( ), you can get inexpensive base systems for around $500 from various sources...
For instance, I just put together a pretty decent system from Dell (that is moderately expandable) for $400, after a $100 rebate. Posted by Cartmaniac (Member # 256) on :
More input! Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Of course, if you're not a technical/mechanical-type person, how much is the time worth to save the money, when you've got to spend it first learning how to work things, then actually putting the new box together? Not trying to be difficult, just pointing out a possible advantage of paying the extra money.
And of course, Apple makes good computers for the non-technical people anyway...
(Okay, now I *am* being difficult. )
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
I know people who are good at computers -- a buddy of mine is the IT guy at Johns Hopkins University. It's just that I want to get an idea of how much money I'm going to need to spend. I'm planning on buying a new computer in December (with any luck) so I just need to get this one working okay for another six months or so.
Posted by Cartmaniac (Member # 256) on :
"And of course, Apple makes good computers for the non-technical people anyway..."
Man, attending one of Jobs' crazy-as-fuck presentations was bad enough...
Snay, how much you do or do not spend is your call entirely. Want a top of the line BEAST that'll trounce Doom III *and* crack 4096-bit RSA keys at the same time? Then you're looking at $1500 - $2000. A mid-end Jack of all Trades that can still walk over Counterstrike like Godzilla? Be prepared to fork out $1000 - $1500. Anything in the poor student range? $500 - $1000, minimum.
These are rough estimates. Depending on where, what, and when you buy you can either save a ton of dough or get ripped off royally. Caveat emptor.
It's hard to ascertain why your comp's acting up, BTW. How many programs do you have running in the background? Memory filled with junk & poor OS resource management WILL crash even the mightiest PC with a vengeance, so clean house once in a while... scan for spyware, defrag your harddrives, take out all the trash you can live without, update drivers, that sort of thing.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I've always found that using a registry cleaner on an old computer that's never had it done is a lot more useful than defragging the hard drive.
Of course, doing a clean Windows installation is going to be best, but it's almost certainly going to cost you the best part of a weekend as you reinstall and redownload everything. If you do do a Windows installation, make sure that you have every program you are going to want to reinstall to hand. The last thing you want is to get half way through and then find out you've misplaced your Office discs.
Thinking about it, can this computer take XP?
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
It's about time you upgraded.
There are ways to get a decent computer for less than $250 US. For one thing, invest in an Athlon XP. For another, you can get a Athlon XP motherboard and RAM combo for less than $100 US. Invest in a GeForce 4 MX440 (about $50 US). It's the cheapest video card you can get that is still widely used. Yes, you'll need a power supply and a case, but what you CAN do is cannabalize your HP, take your floppy drives and CD-ROM, use your old hard drive, reinstall your OS with all the new drivers and you'll get yourself a cruising new machine.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I wouldn't recommend getting a GeForce 4MX, if you have any interest in games at all. Spend the extra and get a proper GeForce 4, or even a GeForce 3 if you can't afford it. Or an ATI one, as they've gotten good now. The MX range was the biggest con-job ever.
Plus the price of real GeForce 4's will drop now that the FX chip is out.
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
Getting a GeForce 4MX is like having sex with your Grandma.
Uh. Because, It's old, and slow and sucks. And has no teeth.
PLUS IT'S ICKY.
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
It will play Counterstrike, yes, that's why I recommended it.
Most other vid cards are going to cost at least $100. But with the GeF4MX, you get some decent graphics.
I really gotta chuck my GeF4MX and get a Radeon 9000 Pro. Con Job indeed. Sucks to be me to find out AFTER I get my card.
Posted by leuckinc (Member # 729) on :
Oh this is interesting. I have a question that you guys should be able to answer.
I am planning on building a computer now that the semester has ended and I can spend time playing games. I have about 2000$ saved up, and I want the TOP OF THE LINE that I can get. I dont plan on using anything from this computer, so everything will have to be new.
What should I get? THX! Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
Hmmmmm, assuming "everything has to be new", including the monitor. (which will definitely hurt) Lets have some fun with PC Quote This is the place I normally shop at.
Lesse...
quote: Lian Li PC-60USB Aluminum Case w/o Power Supply $184.99 AMD Athlon� XP 2700+ @ 333Mhz FSB (Socket A) 256k OEM $234.99 Thermaltake� Volcano 6 Cu+ Heat Sink & Fan $14.99 Asus� A7N8X-DX, Socket A, NVidia� nFORCE2 w/ 8X AGP and Serial ATA (ATX) $184.99 512Mb DDR SDRAM Ram Module, PC3200 $229.98 60 GB Maxtor Diamond Max� Plus 9 UDMA-133 7200RPM 2048k 8.5ms OEM $109.99 Panasonic 3� in (1.44Mb) Floppy Disk Drive, Black $14.99 ATI� Radeon� 9700 Pro 128Mb DDR AGP TV-Out DVI (OEM) $444.99 Sony 16X DVD-ROM Drive (Black) OEM $64.99 On-Board PCI Sound built-into motherboard $0.01 On-Board 10/100Mb Lan built-into motherboard $0.01 Mitsumi 104 Enhanced Softtouch Keyboard $19.99 Viewsonic� E220 21in SVGA 0.25dp N.I. 1600x1200 MPR-II Energy 2000 $679.99 Creative Labs Inspire� 6.1 - 6600 - 6 Point Surround Speaker System $124.99 Microsoft� WheelMouse Optical PS/2 (Retail) $39.99 Panasonic 40/12/48 CD-RW w/ Burn Proof OEM $69.99 Epson Stylus� C62 Color Inkjet Printer $99.99 Enermax 465W ATX Power Supply $109.99 Arctic Silver Thermal Compound (3g Tube - multiple applications) $9.99 Leadtek� WinFast � TV 2000 XP Deluxe- (PCI) Retail Box $84.99 Regular Price: $2724.83 Special Total: $2779.59
Doing the math $2779.59 x .72 (Canadian exchange rate) comes out to $2001.3048. Eh close enough Granted, I only did that in 5 minutes, and I assumed you wanted nearly everything new (monitor, printer, harddrives, TV tuner card, etc.) However, IMHO thats a reasonably balanced system for $2000 and a good basis for discussion.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
Heh, just for discussion. Here's a system with less emphasis on performance and expandibility. However, it does have a really nice LCD monitor and one of those groovy Shuttle cases (SN41G2) I would get if I had....muchu more money.
quote: Shuttle SN41G2 Athlon� Barebone System {Invis:2570} $449.99 x $449.99 Samsung 171P 17in, 1280x1024 Active Matrix TFT LCD {Invis:2185} *Special Order* $944.99 x $944.99 AMD Athlon� XP 2500+ Barton @ 333Mhz FSB (Socket A) 512k (Retail Box) w/ Heatsink and Fan {Invis:2738} $174.99 x $174.99 512Mb DDR SDRAM Ram Module, PC2700 {Invis:2109} $79.99 x $159.98 ATI� Radeon� 9500 - 128Mb DDR AGP TV-Out DVI (OEM) {Invis:2549} $214.99 x $214.99 40 GB Maxtor Diamond Max� Plus UDMA-133 7200RPM 2048k 8.5ms OEM {Invis:1279} $94.99 x $94.99 Samsung Combo Drive, 48X- CD-R / 24X- CD-RW / 48X- CD-ROM / 16X- DVD-ROM {Invis:2592} $99.99 x $99.99 Creative Labs Inspire� 5.1 - 5200 - 5 Point Surround Speaker System {Invis:2439} $94.99 x $94.99 Epson Stylus� C62 Color Inkjet Printer {Invis:2298} *Special Order* $99.99 x $99.99 KeyTronic� 6101 Keyboard w/ Windows keys {Invis:822} $24.99 x $24.99 Microsoft� WheelMouse Optical PS/2 (Retail) {Invis:1532} $39.99 x $39.99 SubTotal: $2399.88 GST: $167.99 PST: $191.99 Total: $2759.86
Comes out to $1987.0992 American. Hmmmm, this system also includes tax since I had to use the shopping basket instead of the quotes page...so its actually quite a bit cheaper as well as much swankier. (Note the numbers beside each item make less sense than they should since I did a straight cut and paste)
Posted by leuckinc (Member # 729) on :
Hum.. Ok. I just priced out one from American Computech.
Parts : Motherboards : ECS L7S7A2 Socket A DDR Retail Box Parts : Processors : AMD Athlon� XP 3000+ Barton 640K 333FSB OEM Parts : Cooling Devices : Thermaltake Volcano 9 Socket A Variable Fan Speed Control Parts : Memory : 2x 1Gb DDR266 PC2100 (2Gb Total) Parts : Floppy Drives : 1.44Mb 3.5 Samsung Floppy Drive OEM Parts : Hard Drives : 80Gb ATA100 WD800JB 8Mb 7200rpm Parts : Video Cards : AGP (8x) ATI RADEON� 9800 PRO 128Mb DDR Dual Head/TV/DVI *PRE-ORDER* Parts : CD / DVD / RW Drives : Samsung 52x24x52 CDRW IDE OEM Parts : CD / DVD / RW Drives : Toshiba SD-R5002 DVD-R/RW IDE Retail Box Parts : Sound Cards more info : Creative Labs Sound Blaster� Live! DE 5.1 OEM Parts : Modems : Internal Modems : PCI 56K V.92 Voice Fax Modem Retail Box Parts : Networking : 10/100Base T Network Card Parts : Cases : Tower Cases : ATX Deluxe MidTower 400W P.S. w/2 Front USB Parts : Cases : Case Accessories : 2x Case Cooling Fans Parts : Keyboards : PS2 Windows Keyboard Parts : Mice : Microsoft PS2 IntelliMouse Optical Parts : Speakers : Creative Inspire 5.1 5200 Subwoofer Speakers Software : Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Pro Monitor : 19" 0.22hdpi 1600x1200 KDS VS-190P
What am I missing? The total price is only 1985.40 (that is excluding shipping or taxes.) It also looks like a fast computer to me, but I know I do not know all the little things about the motherboards and stuff...
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
If you're comparing with the first system, the changes are really minimal. The only glaring problem is the fact that your RAM speed doesn't match the FSB of your CPU, making the extra money you're investing for the 333FSB useless.
You also have a really icky combination of an ECS board and a SiS motherboard chipset. I'm an ATI fan, but Nvidia really does make kickass motherboard chipsets....combine that with Asus and booyah!
The rest is just personal taste, you've skimped on the monitor (getting once 2 inches smaller) and dropped the printer, tv tuner card, and the stylish aluminum case All of that is transferred into the processor and video card. *shrug*
The rest of the difference is probably higher Canadian taxes.
My second quote is really more of a novelty act with a mini-PC case and LCD monitor.
PS: I might also note that the onboard sound on the Asus A7N8X is probably better than your card, or any Creative Labs card lower than an Audigy 2. Plus it has two onboard NICs. More to the point, they both come with the board potentially saving you $120 or more...which is good for a student budget.
Posted by leuckinc (Member # 729) on :
Hum... Ok. Thanks for the input. I will have to do some more research before I go shopping. THX!
Posted by MaGiC (Member # 59) on :
Just going back a bit...for info
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: Thinking about it, can this computer take XP?
I run xp pro on an old Pentium 200 with mmx and 128MB of ram... It takes up a third of the hard drive...but it works fine. I needed to learn how to support xp over a weekend and it was the only machine I had available. Its a very reliable little beastie.
Posted by MaGiC (Member # 59) on :
Oh..and i'm selling it if anyone wants it! *g*
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
Good Luck!!!
Beastie? More like "dying wimp". Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
quote:Originally posted by Saltah'na: Beastie? More like "dying wimp".
I still remember when I was working at the videogame company and they got all us level designers top-of-the-line Pentium 200s (w/MMX) and we were incredibly stoked because they were SO kickass! Dating myself here, aren't I?
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
All of that is transferred into the processor and video card. *shrug*