Old P4 Re-build

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[mac124]

Download this and install cpuz (extract the files, you will know what i mean when you run it) then run the extracted cpuz exe, this should tell you what you need to know mate.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

[Belso]

Check the case for a model number/serial number? Must be a model number or something on the case.

Deep check the Motherboard for any code or anything?

Processor = Socket 478


Basically its going to be hard without the Motherboard model.

RAM - Anything from 512mb- 1GB is suffice.
GCard - Find the latest drivers from (www.nvidia.com) Its Suffice
HDD - Seagate is fine.
PSU = Fine
CD/RW - If she wants to burn DVD's going to need an upgrade.
Processor - Fine for the job at hand.

I recommend a format and reinstall of Windows XP, Keep away from resource hogging programs like Norton, Mcrapee.

[matt_2k34]

I agree those specs should be fine for 'light' duties, however on that graphics card you might wanna make sure you got good airflow past it - because its probably passivlely cooled (no fan)- and if its like the one we had you could fry an egg on it (altho it was obstructed) :lol:


Its nvidia so should last ya another 5 years easy :)

Although 512mb ram is not necessary, it would be a good idea, 1gb is excessive tho for what its used for,

Also if you look closely on the mobo, (look at the orientation in the case,) so when the case is upright, the mobo should hopefully have printed on it the model number / make at some point - unless your replacing this ??

And yes its quite an old intel, so much be an early/mid P4 as its under 2ghz...

So you might want to look at some more modern thermal paste & new Heatsink for it (should be cheap as its old chip) :)


Also if you bought a relatively cheap yet reasonable Soundcard, it would take the load of the mobo when shes listening to music.. :) So you wont need as much Ram, and should take alot of the strain off the processor too :P marvellous

Matt

*edit* and having looked, seems like it *Should* be a 478, but dont hold me to that :)

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[pbest1]

Check the memory before you go buying too as it could be RAMBUS rather than DDR

PB

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Freudianslip]

Dont let the rambus issue stop you upgrading - I had to do something similar recenlty for one of my customers - on a *very* tight budget. I managed to locate some 2nd user memory on ebay for a few pennies more than new DDR (but a lot cheaper than new rambus). It all worked a treat, he was happy, I had a new (and happy) customer and his machine went like a train.

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Razor1984]

This tool told me every thing i needed about my systems and all of its components dude take a try its very detailed but easy as anything to read.

http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

Hope it helps 8)

[Freudianslip]

[quote:ac6a739e35=\"PrivatePyle\"]
cheers for the pointer dude, might have to look into it again now :D incidentally, how much RAM did u install to initiate trainlike status? :)[/quote:ac6a739e35]

I think he went from 128mb (might have even been 64 - memory cells not firing on all cylinders yet) to 512mb under Windoze XP. His startup times were massively reduced and after a good old defrag (80 odd percent fragmented) his system was better than new.

[Belso]

I still have tons of that Rambus memory i think.....

[Razor1984]

Dude i still got like 20 or so strips of the old EDO ram lmao and some 486 cpu's lol :lol: :twisted:

[maul]

you said it took 9 mins to boot up windoze lol !!!!!
sounds like registry is heavily loaded with uselessness an errors.
i would try cleaning up hard drives defragging and using a regcleaner. before i took to opening it up could save yourself a load of hassel.
btw i just checked how long it took to boot an old amd k2 300 with windows xp on it i am sorting out for a mate and it took 2mins 30s to get to desktop so that thing you got should do it much quicker if its all working as it should

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Qdos]

If you don't want to lose your system drivers, yet want to reload XP, then use a driver extraction and backup tool before reformatting and running Windows setup afresh. Any drivers Windows setup doesn't install can be added from your backed up driver files.

I fix PC's for people for a living and often revert to this because tons of people lose their driver disks.

Recently installed XP for people on a number of 'older than your sisters' Pentium III machines with fairly crippled mainboards and SD-RAM in place of DDR dimms, and was seeing boot time of under a minute once all the unnecessary Windows background services had been turned off.

Recommend Abexco as a good registry cleaner and compacter, and for real defragging power I would suggest Raxo Perfectdisk above everything else available :wink: