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Jorenne · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 109

OK, so some of you know how my old PC got stolen, and if you didn't know, well it did and boy am I ever still miffed about that.

So I picked up a second hand one, best I could afford at the time (heehee, even if this was only a couple of months ago)

You all know I'm Sim Addicted and now have TS2, which runs - just about, my machine barely scrapes through the minimum specs for the game, but I lose a lot of the better graphics functions, like shadowing and reflection, can only run on medium lighting settings and can't enable the special events cinematics (which in all honesty I probably only want to watch once anyway LOL)

So here's my current system specs, what I'd like to know is what would be the best and most cost effective order to upgrade in, to get the best performance in game, baring in mind I am a single mom on a very limited budget and can probably only afford to spend maybe £40 or £50 in any month.

Compaq Deskpro P3 866
Nvidia GeForce2 MX 400 graphics card with 64 meg video memory
256meg RAM
9 Gig hard-drive
Windows 98SE

Um, if there's anything else you need to know, ask and I'll try and figure it out.

Eddy · Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 714

RAM first. You'll see a definite improvement and it is fairly cheap anymore.

Brf · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:30 am Post subject:

I agree. You should be able to double that RAM pretty cheaply. The processor is abit slow, but that is proly harder and more expensive to upgrade.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Wow, a P3 machine.

Going to be hard updating anything more than your RAM, HD, and OS.

Most P4 processors will have trouble with that motherboard.

And that limits buying a new sound or video card.

You would almost do better buying a cheap new P4 machine and upgrading it.

My advice is like the others for now.

Plug in some more RAM and see if that helps.

If that doesn't do much then save your pennies for a new machine as you really don't want to invest more into a legacy machine like yours is.

Jorenne · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 109

OK, so with the money I got for christmas from people too lazy to bother finding out what I'd actually like I was planning on getting that much needed RAM upgrade.

However my brother said Windows 98 can only take advantage of 256MB of Ram, which is what I already have, and that I would be wasting my money.

I've never heard that before, and I'm not completely PC illiterate. What's the deal here?

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

My last computer was a Pentium 2 with windows 98.

It started with 128meg of RAM.

It had 512meg after upgrades over time.

Two 256meg chips should work fine for you.

RAM is just your "current use" memory. What you can use now without having to store it on your harddrive.

Most programs that run on Win98 don't need all that RAM.

But some do, especially graphics heavy programs. Like games.

So for most of what you do, that extra RAM is wasted (underutilized), but those game programs will gobble it up.

Then start a fund setting aside a little every month and try to have around $500 (US) by next Christmas. When the computers go on sale for the holidays, buy you a new one and let your kid have the old one for school work.

Robbo · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2004 4:45 pm Post subject:

The best, most cost effective upgrade, is to buy a new PC. For such a system in the long term (you mentioned to me previousely that the Uni xpac brings increased system specs, though I saw no mention of this in my search) you'd be paying double or even triple, to bring your current system up to the new PC 'standard'. You can't really change much in there, without getting a new motherboard, and once you start doing that, new PC is the only way to go.

I don't know about the british markets, but the down here, the major OEM (Dell, HP, Packard Bell) all have reasonable PC's out here now, at around the 400 pound price point. Which means your local computer store would be cheaper still (50-80 pounds).

The best option in these case, is always to go barebones (which you can't do with the big OEM, but your local store will). You don't need a monitor, a video card, speakers, mouse/keyboard, modem, etc - you already have them.

I just built a barebones PC at my local stores website, for 274 pounds (531 USD).

Sempron 2400+
KINGMAX 512MB PC3200
Gigabyte 7VM400M/-RZ (AGP)
40Gb 7200
LG 16xDVD 52x32x52
Codegen Case w/ 350W PSU
Windows XP Home OEM

Obviousely you can't get that exact system, but it shows that reasonable PC's these days, are dirt cheap, so you should be able to get something similar, for around the same cost. And its not too prohibitive with your income (and that jar you put money into) to be able to afford it with a bit of saving.

As every respondant to this thread has said, RAM is the only upgrade which will be worthwhile for you - and maybe not even that. Anything more than RAM, my recommendation would be for a new PC - but I am only one person remember :P

Quote: However my brother said Windows 98 can only take advantage of 256MB of Ram, which is what I already have, and that I would be wasting my money.

Actually its 512MB.

The Robbo Solution (TM) to this problem is simple - go buy XP 8) (If your interested, you can run the XP Update Advisor to test your system)

Anything more than 512, and your doing things which the 9x core isn't designed to handle, and the results may not be pretty.

But if you want to run 9x with more than 512, this link will be of use to you:

Use of Memory Configurations Greater than 512MB in Windows 95, 98 and Windows Millennium Edition

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Sounds like we are in general agreement.

Add RAM or get a new pc. Or do both with a savings plan.

So Jorenne, the question is whether you want a boost now or use the cash as a shortcut in a savings plan.

Given your budget, you would be waiting most of a year for a new pc if you added RAM now. Or you could get a new one around late summer if you limped along with what you already have.

Frankly, this is the kind of question that you must decide for yourself.

DrJoshuaFalken · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2004 6:39 pm Post subject:

If your comfortable with it I can mail you an illegal copy of Windows XP pro

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Couple of things here, Doc.

She's in England. That's a fair bit of postage.

Second, sending anything but a fully licensed new copy to her violates several felony laws in both countries. The illegal transfer of patented technology between countries is a pretty serious offense.

Lastly, this site doesn't promote pirate copies of software.

Now, I am not accusing you of said idea. First, you haven't done it yet. Second, you didn't actually say that it wasn't a brand new copy. So no harm, no foul. But I figured not many people pick up a few spare copies of $300 business software and keep it on the shelf. So I figured the warning seemed appropriate.

Or we could just say it was the thought that counts. :wink:

Jorenne · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 109

I guess the sensible option is to hold off and get a new PC, I'm just impatient, meh, what woman isn't :P

Thanks for all your input guys, I'll have a look around and see what I can get and report back :)

*hugs and kisses*

Brf · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 7:32 am Post subject:

JuntaJoe wrote: The illegal transfer of patented technology between countries is a pretty serious offense.

Yup... There are several regulations involving Windows... For instance, until a year or two ago, it was illegal to use copies of IExplore with 128-bit encription technology outside of the US and Canada.

When you activate Windows, the only question you have to answer is the country you are using it in....

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Yep, I wasn't just refering to piracy issues when I mentioned that sending technology outside the US was a crime. The US is concerned that rogue governments could get their hands on sophisticated technology. Don't try mailing an Xbox to the Middle East or you could end up in the slammer fast. A copy of XP pro can run some serious software on it and the government knows that. You can be sure they ordered Microsoft to limit and control distribution. A person sending such a copy could get themselves running afoul of the Patriot Act! That would be very bad mojo for sure.

Ok, Jorenne, I wasn't hinting that you should wait and buy a pc. Only that holding off on the RAM would speed up the savings. You still have a fair waiting period while saving up. But if you are planning on saving for a pc then do what I did when I bought my new one. Become informed. I spent almost a year reading magazine articles on pc's and doing ghost shopping. I even had the money ready a couple months before I bought it as I hadn't found that perfect combination of features and price. You could say that I "nerdified" myself before buying. And so should you. At first most of what I read seemed like Greek to me, but it began to sink in slowly. So just keep reading and shopping until things click. For ghost shopping, I recommend using my thread here on the subject for all the links you might need. And I would recommend visiting your local bookstore and reading the monthly pc mags. Most bookstores don't mind you spending an hour digesting the magazines as long as you make some kind of purchase. I would read all the pc mags and then buy myself a novel to tide myself over.

DrJoshuaFalken · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject:

Brf wrote: JuntaJoe wrote: The illegal transfer of patented technology between countries is a pretty serious offense.

Yup... There are several regulations involving Windows... For instance, until a year or two ago, it was illegal to use copies of IExplore with 128-bit encription technology outside of the US and Canada.

When you activate Windows, the only question you have to answer is the country you are using it in....

The disk I would send doesnt ask for activation. :wink:
Its good ol build 2600 (hehehe)

Anyway, meh, that means I dont need to skulk around getting the required postage and it shipped.

Jorenne · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 109

OK, A little update for you all

Ohhh My Goodness, you would not believe the PC trouble I have had the last two days.

Following all your advice I decided to save my money and wait, but did manage to scrounge a few bits a pieces from friends who were getting rid of most of their old PC.

So now I have an AMD Duron 900 CPU but transferred the rest of my old components to the new MoBo as they were keeping most of what else was in their machine.

I also upgraded to XP, and added a 4 gig slave drive.

It's taken me two head-banging days to get XP to recognise all the hardware and still have a sound problem, but I'm working on it (thanks for all your help on that last night Robbo, Mwah!)

Still saving and adding to that kitty, but I'm running a little better now at zero cost :)

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Good job!

That was a great idea. It's always amazing what people have laying around.

As for sound card issues, join the herd.

Sound cards always seem like they cause trouble.

I recommend going to the manufacturer's site and getting all new drivers. That seems to solve a lot of those issues.

And it also reminds me that when you finally buy a new pc that you should decide if it will be your primary music system. If not then save a bit of cash and buy a pc with an integrated sound card. It might not be a sound cranker, but they are cheap and very stable. You rarely will have a sound card issue when it is integrated on the mobo. Actually, it's hard to find low end systems that do not have this feature. It tends to irritate audiophiles who feel stupid having two sound cards in their pc. Even my high end pc had a generic sound card built into it. I wanted a Soundblaster and got it. Now I have two sound cards in my pc whether I like it or not. But for the person using another system for music then it's quite the money saver.

Brf · Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject:

JuntaJoe wrote: You rarely will have a sound card issue when it is integrated on the mobo.

LOL! Whenever I decide to play Diablo-2 I generally have to reboot 2 or 3-times to get my integrated sound card to boot up with all of its voices. Otherwise the music and sometimes the sound-effects will play, but the NPC voices will not work and they will not give the quests.

Robbo · Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:30 pm Post subject:

The problem with getting new drivers, is working out which mobo she has installed - having the wrong drivers for a device can be worse than having none. Based off the name of the soundcard, its a built in job though.

Especially when I only learned today about the new mobo - she never mentioned that :P :P I'm beginning to worry about the job I've applied for, which has bullet point 2 as 'Provide technical support to clients'.

Quote: (thanks for all your help on that last night Robbo, Mwah!)
Not a problem - just remember to have a cricket bat to whack on the mouse hand of the person, next time they try to remove 98 as they did ;)

Eddy · Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 714

Just remember Robbo, 90% of windows problems can be solved by telling them to reboot.

Robbo · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:

LOL! Ain't that the truth :lol:

She did reboot about 8 times while I was talking to her though, so hopefully we can eliminate that. I think 8)