Calling ALL Computer Geniuses

[PHXLavaVibe]

I want to upgrade my old Pentium II PC into a really good gaming computer. It has been in storage for a while due to a nasty virus it was infected with last year. I took it out yesterday and formated it so now I am starting fresh. I don't really feel up to buying a new computer right now but I would love to modify this one into a sweet little system.The processor is extreamily slow and doesn't support any of the newer games and etc. As I mentioned above it is a Pentium II. It is an old Gateway PC that I got for free a while back from my company. Before it was infected with the virus, I had put in a brand new 3D Graffics card, Sound card, and a 40 Gig HD. The CPU is so slow right now that I can't enjoy the upgraded stuff I put in it. I have been told that my best option is to get a new Motherboard, Processor, and as much Memory as the Board allows. That's all fine and dandy with me but I don't know what to get/look for in a Motherboard/Processor. I am an idiot when it comes to all the computer jargan and I don't know what would classify as a crappy setup or an outstanding system.please help me with whatever information/help you may be albe to give me.If someone could explain it all to me would be eternally gratefull.Thanks

[northvibe]

although i really hate dell and think they are pieces of crap. a cheap dell setup with warranty can usually be cheaper than buying it and building it your self. BUT the only problem with that is they usually have crappy video cards or processor, but thats always an option. If you build your own, you would be replacing pretty much all parts except the hard drive, dvd/cdrom and maybe the case... You would need a new motherboard, processor, memory and power supply, maybe even a new video card depending on which one you bought before. (ie. AGP 2x will not fit in 8x)How much are you willing to spend, anything with that many parts your looking at $400 maybe.motherboard $60-80processor $100-200power supply $40-60Memory $100-150the stuff adds up quick so just a little more info would help us help you a little more

[SeattleJeremy]

What kinds of things do you want to do on the computer? To make a "really good gaming computer" you will need a new motherboard, processor, ram, video card, and Power Supply. You might want to check http://www.newegg.com for bare bones computers.If you want to make this machine a little faster, you could get a PIII 600 processor on ebay, and slap it in. Like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/INTEL-CPU-...wItemBut that won't do much for any of the new games.

[northvibe]

a new p2 depends because some are slot and some are socket type. in all reality a p2 isnt going to do much but surf and type now days well and really old games. he also needs a new power supply because the old style psu's dont have the P4 connector.newegg is where i shop for parts though!

[ragingfish]

i have a massive box of spare computer parts including motherboards and processors...if you're interested in getting some at a low cost...im me...

[northvibe]

raging if you have a xeon or amd 64 for cheap holla! hahah jk im poor*whispers* mod the G6 *end whispers*

[PHXLavaVibe]

Okay, well I have a budget of around $1000 if that helps any.I want to be able to play just about any game out there without lagging and etc. I have a basic barebones computer now...just need to know what to look for in terms of speed and capabilities. I read something about chipsets on the motherboard and them basically being divided into two catagories 1. Intel CPUs and 2. AMD processorsWhich is better? What is the difference?What classifies the speed of the processor?What is the best kind of Memory?Should I get something with an integrated Video/sound card?What does RAID support do?What is a LAN PortWhat is the difference between my current USB ports vs the USB 2.0?

[northvibe]

MUAHAHHA 1000? yes...YES! thats enough money to make a mad evil gaming machine!AMD uses xxxx+ to equal what a pentium's mhz equal so a pentium running 3ghz or 3000 mhz to amd is a amd athlon 3000+.Now AMD makes a athlon 64bit chip, i have one and love it, although i still run windows in 32bit (which is windows xp pro). I like that amd is usually cheaper than intel and the 64 bit helps even though the OS isnt 64 it still speeds things up.Memory will depend onthe motherboard you get.Integrated video is a no no if you want to game, sound on the other hand is okay, I have like 6.1 surround sound built into my asus board and it works great.RAID - depending on which setup will allow you to have "mirror" hard drives for back up puroses or you can stripe them so the data is spread to many, thus making your computer faster. If you dont have critial data that needs to be mirrored raid you do not need. Althouth i would suggest a SATA hard drive as they are pretty smoking fast. install windows xp only takes 10 min with one!Lan port is the ehternet jack to allow you onto a network or broadband internet, its a must and by now the motherboard you choose you want a gigabit ethernet port.usb- the old usb is v1.1 which only runs at a max of 11mbps the new usb 2.0 runs at 480mbps. You might also want firewire (400mbps) incase you get a camera or external hdd/dvdrom etc. oh yea its not megabytes per second its megabits just fyi.I say a AMD 64 bit athlon chip, Asus motherboard, Enermax power supply, whatever ram the motherboard supports, try to get DDR2 if you can. for video cards im not up to snuff on them, but a high end Nvidia always works (ati sometimes has compatibility issues with some motherboards...i ran into that too many times but i like ati better).oh yea for ram NEVER i mean NEVER get the value stuff...the stuff sucks and almost never works in high end systems. good brands are crucial, kingmax, mushkin, geil to name a few.

[NUBlackshirts]

What classifies the speed of the processor?Intel tends to rate the speed of their CPU's based on the actual MHZ/GHZ of the processor. AMD rates their's on the "relative" speed of the processor. So an Athlon 64 3000 actually only runs at 1.8 GHZ, but provides performance on par with a 3.0 GHZ Intel CPU. Confusing? You bet.What is the best kind of Memory?The only answer for this is "it depends on what type of RAM your motherboard uses". Most still use DDR SDRAM, but the newer boards for both AMD and Intel support the newer DDRII. As far as quality goes? Any of the major brands will do the job nicely.Should I get something with an integrated Video/sound card?Integrated sound is included on just about any motherboard you can find. And sound quality depends on the chipset used. The integrated sound in today's world is miles ahead of where it was a few years ago. But for the best sound, it's still better to go with a separate sound card.Integrated video sucks....no two ways around it. Yeah, it will display e-mail from your favorite Aunt, but it won't hold up in today's games. Also, that video card you bought for your PII? Probably won't work with a newer motherboard as the standard is now PCI-E....not AGP. Although you can still find AGP motherboards.What does RAID support do?Essentially, RAID allows you to combine two or more disks together so the PC thinks it's one big drive. One of the biggest advantages of having a RAID setup is faster read/write of data. And with hard drives as cheap as they are, a RAID setup is a nice way to improve system performance. ANd, most newer motherboards already have RAID functionality built-in.What is a LAN Port?That is the network connection you would use to attach your PC to a network, or to your broadband internet access.What is the difference between my current USB ports vs the USB 2.0?The biggest difference with USB 2.0 and your old USB 1.1 is speed....2.0 is quite a bit faster. Your old USB 1.1 devices will still work though.Hope that answers most of your questions.

[NUBlackshirts]

Bah! Northvibe beat me!!!

[NUBlackshirts]

One more thing.....I agree with Northvibe that AMD rocks for gaming! I built an Athlon 64 3200 for me, an Athlon 64 3000 for the Wife, an older Atlhon XP 3200 for my daughter, and an Athlon XP 2400 for my Media PC. I also have another Athlon XP 3200 w/motherboard and 1GB of RAM just sitting around gathering dust. May use it to upgrade the Media PC sometime.

[NaNC3]

I'm not a gamer but I would advise you to not sink any more money into the old system. Do you have an elderly relative that might want a computer for email?One thing I didn't see mentioned is the operating system. You want Windows XP (Home or Pro) and I would think your old system is probably Windows 98. You probably also need a new monitor.$1000 buys quite a bit these days. I would think any current processor would be plenty fast. As for RAM, get at least 512MB, preferably 1GB. Separate graphics and sound cards (not integrated) should be requirements for you.

[northvibe]

hrm...depending on how long you can wait..windows vista is supposed to be out by the end of the year. now i am not sure if it will get pushed back AGAIN, but buying a OS ok...buying Windows is expensive so if your getting the computer later in the year wait for vista. Ive used the beta and its neat, but does not really warrant a new OS. it should of just been Windows XP pro service pack 3.On the other hand if you want, i have a tip if you get the computer now. Windows Xp home is just pro but with some features blocked, they can be unlocked though. Also the "Upgrade" version is actually the Full version of the OS but all you have to do is during install verify you have an older OS like windows 98, ME or 2k by putting a disk in saying yes and then ejecting it. so if you have a older OS cd then just get the upgrade version heres a link to make home -> prohttp://www.petri.co.il/forums/...=6868The two main features in pro over home is, the home version has problems releasing the dns if you switch networks alot so you need to run winsock to release and get you network up. On home the (crap i fogot the name) but you login from a different pc and can use your home one over the internet is only in pro.

[GMJAP]

I wouldn't use anything in that old PC. You won't gain anything by doing it. Get a new case with USB and audio ports on the front. ( only $50)For $1000, you can build yourself a very nice completely new system. 2 years ago I built a quite nice machine for about $500. Easily plays any games out today.$1000 will even buy you a very nice off-the-shelf system.

[coldmm803]

I attached a screenshot of a system i threw together as a possibility for you, stuff can be upgraded if you want. it still needs a case and a heatsink. the case i leave to your taste of appearence, as long as the case supports ATX boards you will be fine. here are a few heatsinks, they need a fan and the thermalright brand ones need one of the retension brackets which depends on the heatsink.http://www.xoxide.com/amdsocketam2.htmli am using the SI-97A on my comp

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[northvibe]

thats a decent build, onlything i recommened is a seagate or western digital hdd, ive never seen a maxtor do anything but click real loud. Also since he wants to game the video card could be upgraded.

[PHXLavaVibe]

Sorry to take so long to respond to all of you. Thank you Very Much for the Techi Lessons!!! I have a little more understanding as to what I need to do here. It's gonna cost me a little more than I was hoping but this is the system I have in mind:MotherBoard=ASUS ATX Delux/Wireless Edition Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64x2/orGigabyte Tech. ATX Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64x2CPU=AMD A64 3800+AM2Video=ATI Radeon X 1900 XTX (Maybe 2 of these)Power Supply= Extreme Power 600WMemory=At least 2GB DDR2 but more like 4 to 8GB Depending on what my wife will let me spend and how much the MB allows...I think the first one listed can hold up to 8GB?As for the Tower/Power Supply...I'm not really sure but I liked this one: MGE Company XG Viper 2ATX & Micro ATX Mid Tower Case. It was black and Chrome and looked like something out of "Aliens".As for all the other stuff....I have no clue, but I'll probably find something. I pretty much decided to build this PC from the ground up over the next few months doing it one or two pieces at a time.So what do you guys think? From what I've learned this is a pretty sweet and dominating system. Although probably just a pipe dream!

[Herb]

Looks good to me.I also concur with Seagate recommendation for hard drives, if nothing else they offer a 5 year warantee

[northvibe]

just make sure to get name brand, specially for the power supply. even if some generic brand says oh 1000watt's does not make it good. it will deliver dirty electricity which you will see by windows erroring out and your system acting flaky. I have used Enermax since i started building pc's and have never ONCE had to replace one, they are quiet and deliver quality electricty to your pc.i have a 3200+ amd 64, with 2 hdd's (soon to be 3), 2 dvd burners, ati 9600xt, floppy and my enermax psu is onl 350watt and it is sweetness. As long as your 400watt or above on a quality unit your fine. Same goes for ram get quality ram or you'll be sorry later on. Oh yea, I like asus boards you really cant go wrong with the right asus board. Depending on price just get a NEC or pioneer dvd burner, some models are actually the same one between those two brands. my pionneer has been chugging for a couple years no with no issue.

[SeattleJeremy]

Last I checked dual video cards aren't necessary, because no video games are able to take advantage of them. It's nice to have that ability for later though A64-3800 + 2GB sounds real nice.

[coldmm803]

i just threw that sys together to start off discussions. i agree a quality psu is very important, i found out the hard way (first one was flaky, after a few months voltages started to bounce around). i'm running 2 Gb of ram and havent felt that i need more, i've heard if you run 4 Gb windows(if thats the operating system you use) will steal 2Gb just to run its processes even if it doesnt need it. i havent followed ATI so i dont know anything about their cards (but now that AMD has bought them that will have to change). if you wish to run 2 ATI cards you will/may (i could be wrong on that)? need a board that supports crossfiremy current system (first build which i did november last yr):processor - AMD x2 4200 (socket 939)board - asus A8N32 SLI Deluxehard drives - 2 western digital 120 Gbram - corsair 2 Gbvideo - nvidia 6800psu - ocz 600W (i love it rock stable)dvd burner - nec

[northvibe]

cold you got a nice system!Mines aprocessor - AMD althon 64 3200+Board - Asus ktn? im not at my house so im not sure but know its asusHard drives - 180gb WD 8mb cache and 160gb seagate 8mb cache and 80gb WD 8mb cache SATAram - Kingmax DDR pc 3200 (400mhz) 1gbvideo - ATi 9600xt (came with HL2 for free...yea its old) 128mbpsu - Enermax 350wattdvd - Pioneer A107 16x dvd burner and some dvdromWhen you choose a motherboard, the manufacture will on their site for that motherboard list ram that has been 100% tested working with it. for sure check that before buying any ram. Yeah dual video cards is cool but i think over priced and not needed, nvidia calls is SLi doesnt it? crap i havent had to buy a video card in 3 yrs so i have no idea whats new with them besides pci express is good.

[coldmm803]

yes, nvidia calls it SLI and ATI calls it crossfire