Processor Upgrade Help Req Pls

[snow]

I've nearly been stung buying second-hand hardware, so a few points to make sure of:

• First, get him to open it up so you can look inside.
  
• Make sure it is relatively clean, no clogs of dust on the fans, etc.
  
• Make sure none of the cards are bent, warped, damaged etc.
  
• Look at how many fans are installed, there should be at least one on the case, and one over the CPU.
  
• Make sure everything is installed, no extra bags of hardware laying about for you to take with you, and that everything he said is there, is there.
  
• Close it back up, then connect a monitor, mouse, and keyboard to the computer.
  
• Power it up, and let it load windows if it has it.
  
• Check the size of the local disk(s) to make sure they are as advertised.
  
• Ask the owner to show you it browsing the web.
  

You can check the temperature it is running at in the BIOS, buy pressing 'Del' or 'F2' during startup, and going to the 'PC health' section, or equivalent. Make sure the CPU is under 65 degrees.

 

If it is hotter, then chances are it has been running hot for allot of it's life, and the CPU may be damaged, or not last all that long. Pentium 4's don't like running hot for long periods of time, and they can start to throttle incorrectly, severely impacting system performance.

[Tootech]

I'd like to add one more thing to Snow's list that has just come to mind.

 

Make sure you are not going to have to buy another copy of Windows. Check that there is at least a Windows licence, either in a packet or stuck on the side of the PC, and hopefully a CD.

 

Alot of units that age may have been wiped and a pirate copy of XP Pro installed.

[hypnosis75]

Thanks for the advice, ill print this off and take it with me as a checklist when i go to pick it up ;)

[Plastic Nev]

I will add to Tootechs advice, if you intend installing a larger hard drive, it is most important that the computer comes with a fully legal copy of windows installed and hopefully a disk with it as well.

You cannot use any other copy of Windows that has been installed on another computer, only the one that comes with the computer.

If that isn't there, you will have to buy a new copy for it.

Nev.

[hypnosis75]

Right, i now have the replacement tower....where to start???

[snow]

Does the new tower start up and run OK?

 

Does it have a hard disk with windows installed on it, or do you need to install windows?

 

Are you planning on fitting a new hard disk, or keeping the original one?

[hypnosis75]

Does the new tower start up and run OK?

 

Does it have a hard disk with windows installed on it, or do you need to install windows?

 

Are you planning on fitting a new hard disk, or keeping the original one?

 

Hi, starts up and runs as it should, has a 80GB hard drive already installed which will do for the time being as i have a 250gb external

 

May well fit a new hard disk at a later stage tho once i get my head around the re-install of operating software and which version to go for.

 

Only glitch ive found so far is ive installed my wireless card which works fine (im using the tower now!!) but being a smaller computer the wireless card is insecure as the metal back plate thingy is about 2 inches too long

[snow]

That's great, glad you got it in good working order.

 

Did they give you the Windows install disk with the computer?

 

The PCI slot bays may be low-profile ones. This means that they are designed to take PCI cards that are half the height of conventional PCI cards. If your wireless card is small enough to fit in, then it may have come with a smaller low-profile metal end plate that you can fit to it.

[hypnosis75]

There isn't a windows disc with it, it came with nero software, win dvd & microsoft works 8.5 (all original discs) but no windows disc.

 

yes the metal cover plates are around half the size of the previous tower but there wasnt a low profile metal plate in the box that the wireless card came in but i suppose its not a major issue to get hold of a low profile frame for it to be secured properly.

 

What else should i be doing/looking for??

 

Ive already been on crucials test thingy and i have 4 ram slots capable of 1GB each, currently there is 512MB in so an upgrade there is an absolute must, its DDR2 PC2-5300- PC2-6400 which ive seen for around £22 a pair and apparently i have to fit in matching pairs.

 

The motherboard is INTEL D945GCZ, where can i find out about future upgrade of the processor??

[Tootech]

Here's the CPU suport list

 

Intel® Desktop Board D945GCZ - Supported Processors

[hypnosis75]

Super,enough room for future improvements with the processor then!

 

With regards to RAM im considering some a 4GB Corsair XMS2 kit which comprises of 4 1GB sticks (dual channel i believe) are they half decent quality and will the pc recognise the full 4gb even though its currently running xp home edition

[Tootech]

will the pc recognise the full 4gb even though its currently running xp home edition

 

No!

 

XP will only see about 3.2GB.

 

XP doesn't need that much RAM to run well. Most XP PC's I have worked on don't need more than 1GB to run well. Even running a security suite and browsing the net won't use a full 1GB on XP

 

The only caveat is if you doing video or heavy image editing. Perhaps 2GB would be a good comromise, enough for future upgrades.

 

Be interesting to hear other views on this :)

[Plastic Nev]

I would agree that for video work 2GB is better, I have only 1.25,GB after installing 1GB to upgrade from the original 250MB the machine first came with.

If I try using one of the faster video editing programs, the quality of the finished video suffers, especially sound gets clipped. I assume this is because I could still do with more RAM.

It takes its time, but I now use the program that came with the video camera, "Motion Studio", and get superb results.

Tootech is correct about Windows not being able to use more than 3GB, and in some cases more memory than that actually can slow things down a little I believe.

[hypnosis75]

Is there so some of test software i can run to see how far a can sensibly go with ram then??

 

According to crucial i can go dual channel up to 4gb but surely i could buy 2 matching pairs of dual channel memory & as long as there installed in the correct slots it would be dual channel wouldnt it?? Dual channel is better yes???