A new computer out of two computers
I've been busy lately. The past four days have been full of various parties and other social functions so I haven't had time to update, and I don't feel like writing about it all right now as I'm pondering about computer stuff right now so I'll write about that. Feel free to skip the nerdy stuff. I just need a place to organize my thoughts on the matter.
One of Orasi's friends is buying a new computer and would like to sell his old one for me for 50-100e. It should be working just fine. He just wants a better computer as games need more processing power etc. The comp's about as old as my current one and seems to be pretty compatible, so I could compile something new out of the parts of the two computers. Maybe I'll just post the specs first.
My computer's current specs:
Processor: Amd Athlon XP 2000+ bulk 0.18 266MHz
Motherboard: Asus A7S333 audio ddr motherboard socket-a
Memory: Verkkokauppa.com memory 512MB DDR 266MHz
Video Card: Gainward Geforce4 TI-4200 Ultra/650 XP Golden
Hard Disk Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 80GB
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200GB
DVD Burner: LG GSA-H22LR +18x6x DL+12x-10X RAM12x, LightScribe
DVD Station: LG DRD816B-B 16/48X DVD-station
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
Network Card: D-Link DFE-538TX 10/100Base-T PCI-väyläinen
Power Supply: Antec NeoPower HE High Efficiency 430W
Specs of the computer that I'd buy:
Processor: Intel P4 2,8GHz HT 512KB
Motherboard: SiS648FX/963 ATX
SoundAC97 LAN/Realtek
Memory: 2xDDR 256MB PC400
Video Card: Radeon9600XT 256MB ViVo DVI
Hard Disk Drive:160GB + 320GB IDE 7200U/min HD
DVD Burner: DVD+RW+R: 16x10x40x12x4x2,4
DVD Station: DVD: DVD16x IDE
MOD: DATA/Fax Modem 56kbps
CR: Card Reader USB2.0
I don't quite get what the last two are. The last one is probably a memory card reader and the one before that is a modem? Who uses modems in this time and age. Weird. I'll have to ask my brother about that.
I bought my computer in February 2003. The 200GB HD and sound card were bought a year or two after that. I bought the DVD burner about a year ago and the power supply last Fall, so it's the newest component. The computer that I'd buy was bought in February 2004 so the main components are a year younger than mine. Other than that I don't really understand enough about computer hardware to tell, which ones are better. Mainly I mean that I don't know which set of motherboard-processor-videocard is better. My motherboard doesn't support Intel processors and so forth so I can't mix and match these. I'll have to ask some people who are wiser than me in this stuff.
Mainly I just want to get more memory and HD space on my computer. If I read my motherboard's manual correctly it has three memory slots and supports up to 3GB of memory so my DDR 512MB and the other's 2xDDR 256MB should all fit and then I'd have about 1GB of DDR memory. I'd been meaning to buy some new memory anyway so that would work out okey. Both motherboards use ATX 12V power supplies, so my new power supply should work with both. I'd like to use my own sound card as I think that it's better than the one integrated in the other comp's motherboard. (I'd just finally need to fix my speakers. They've been busted for over a year now...) I also think that my DVD station and burner are probably better, at least my DVD burner is pretty new and it has lightscribe, which I've never used. xp
It's the hard disks that might prove to be a problem. First of all I suspect that one or both of my HDs are somehow damaged. I don't really get what else could cause the system to freeze so often and make those awful noises when it does it. But I'm not sure, if the problem is with the HDs. If I'd like to have all four HDs in my new computer, then I don't think that I could use my old case as it only has like six slots, if I remember correctly. With two HDs, two DVD stations and a flobby drive, there would be space for one new HD but not two. But the other computer has a high case, if my memory serves me right from when it's been at our LAN parties. I dunno, if it'd be too high to fit where my case is right now on my computer desk. It's so handy when it's off the ground a bit. I'd just have to put it on the floor, if it'd be too big. I'm not sure if the motherboards support four HDs. The manuals seem to indicate that both motherboards have two IDE connectors and when one IDE cable can be connected to two devices, it meanst that they support up to four IDE devices. With two DVD drives, that only leaves space for two HDs. Is there some way to connect more than four IDE devices? I don't think that I actually need the DVD station as the DVD burner reads DVDs just as fine, so that'd free up one slot.
480GB of new space would be pretty sweet, if I could get all HDs attached. I'd probably need to compine the partitions on my 200GB hard disk, as it's in 2-3 parts right now. The stuff that I have on my computer could use some reorganizing. Right now I have my music collection on two HDs as it didn't fit all in one. My pictures are scattered across three different partitions and my texts are on two different partitions. The other comp has a Windows XP installed on it so I could turn my new comp into a dual-boot, but I don't know what use I'd get out of that. I've been using Linux for the past three years, Ubuntu currently. What would I do with Windows? I could play Sims 2. xp I can't really think of any other use that I'd get out of Windows, so I'll probably just format it. Besides, I've become such an advocate of Linux - I'm always defending Linux when Windows people are bashing it - that it feels wrong to use Winblows. :p
Hey, I can compile something out of the spare parts that are left over after I compile my new computer from the two computers. I could finally make that DDR-computer. I don't think that Orasi's ever getting the current DDR-comp compiled. If you want something done, do it yourself. I'd need to compile the DDR-comp after getting my own comp working, install Windows on it (I haven't been able to get DDR to work on Linux), install Stepmania on it and download the songs on it and then move it downstairs and see, if it'd work with our television.
All this tech talk pleases my inner geek. xp If someone has some comments about how to make a good computer out of all those parts, feel free to comment. I don't really understand enough about the hardware side of computers. I'm such a geek that I'm actually looking forward to compiling a new computer out of the two. Sounds like fun. :p
[EDIT]
I talked with Orasi and there indeed seems to be a way to add additional IDE devices to the motherboard. You just need an extension card (ohjainkortti), which cost about 20e and up. He didn't have anything to say about which processor-motherboard-videocard combo to use. I don't do gaming, so the marginal difference doesn't really matter to me. I'm probably going to go with the set from the other comp, just in case the problems that I've been having have something to do with something else than my HDs. The space problem can be solved by taking out the flobby drive that I don't really use for anything.
One of Orasi's friends is buying a new computer and would like to sell his old one for me for 50-100e. It should be working just fine. He just wants a better computer as games need more processing power etc. The comp's about as old as my current one and seems to be pretty compatible, so I could compile something new out of the parts of the two computers. Maybe I'll just post the specs first.
My computer's current specs:
Processor: Amd Athlon XP 2000+ bulk 0.18 266MHz
Motherboard: Asus A7S333 audio ddr motherboard socket-a
Memory: Verkkokauppa.com memory 512MB DDR 266MHz
Video Card: Gainward Geforce4 TI-4200 Ultra/650 XP Golden
Hard Disk Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 80GB
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200GB
DVD Burner: LG GSA-H22LR +18x6x DL+12x-10X RAM12x, LightScribe
DVD Station: LG DRD816B-B 16/48X DVD-station
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
Network Card: D-Link DFE-538TX 10/100Base-T PCI-väyläinen
Power Supply: Antec NeoPower HE High Efficiency 430W
Specs of the computer that I'd buy:
Processor: Intel P4 2,8GHz HT 512KB
Motherboard: SiS648FX/963 ATX
SoundAC97 LAN/Realtek
Memory: 2xDDR 256MB PC400
Video Card: Radeon9600XT 256MB ViVo DVI
Hard Disk Drive:160GB + 320GB IDE 7200U/min HD
DVD Burner: DVD+RW+R: 16x10x40x12x4x2,4
DVD Station: DVD: DVD16x IDE
MOD: DATA/Fax Modem 56kbps
CR: Card Reader USB2.0
I don't quite get what the last two are. The last one is probably a memory card reader and the one before that is a modem? Who uses modems in this time and age. Weird. I'll have to ask my brother about that.
I bought my computer in February 2003. The 200GB HD and sound card were bought a year or two after that. I bought the DVD burner about a year ago and the power supply last Fall, so it's the newest component. The computer that I'd buy was bought in February 2004 so the main components are a year younger than mine. Other than that I don't really understand enough about computer hardware to tell, which ones are better. Mainly I mean that I don't know which set of motherboard-processor-videocard is better. My motherboard doesn't support Intel processors and so forth so I can't mix and match these. I'll have to ask some people who are wiser than me in this stuff.
Mainly I just want to get more memory and HD space on my computer. If I read my motherboard's manual correctly it has three memory slots and supports up to 3GB of memory so my DDR 512MB and the other's 2xDDR 256MB should all fit and then I'd have about 1GB of DDR memory. I'd been meaning to buy some new memory anyway so that would work out okey. Both motherboards use ATX 12V power supplies, so my new power supply should work with both. I'd like to use my own sound card as I think that it's better than the one integrated in the other comp's motherboard. (I'd just finally need to fix my speakers. They've been busted for over a year now...) I also think that my DVD station and burner are probably better, at least my DVD burner is pretty new and it has lightscribe, which I've never used. xp
It's the hard disks that might prove to be a problem. First of all I suspect that one or both of my HDs are somehow damaged. I don't really get what else could cause the system to freeze so often and make those awful noises when it does it. But I'm not sure, if the problem is with the HDs. If I'd like to have all four HDs in my new computer, then I don't think that I could use my old case as it only has like six slots, if I remember correctly. With two HDs, two DVD stations and a flobby drive, there would be space for one new HD but not two. But the other computer has a high case, if my memory serves me right from when it's been at our LAN parties. I dunno, if it'd be too high to fit where my case is right now on my computer desk. It's so handy when it's off the ground a bit. I'd just have to put it on the floor, if it'd be too big. I'm not sure if the motherboards support four HDs. The manuals seem to indicate that both motherboards have two IDE connectors and when one IDE cable can be connected to two devices, it meanst that they support up to four IDE devices. With two DVD drives, that only leaves space for two HDs. Is there some way to connect more than four IDE devices? I don't think that I actually need the DVD station as the DVD burner reads DVDs just as fine, so that'd free up one slot.
480GB of new space would be pretty sweet, if I could get all HDs attached. I'd probably need to compine the partitions on my 200GB hard disk, as it's in 2-3 parts right now. The stuff that I have on my computer could use some reorganizing. Right now I have my music collection on two HDs as it didn't fit all in one. My pictures are scattered across three different partitions and my texts are on two different partitions. The other comp has a Windows XP installed on it so I could turn my new comp into a dual-boot, but I don't know what use I'd get out of that. I've been using Linux for the past three years, Ubuntu currently. What would I do with Windows? I could play Sims 2. xp I can't really think of any other use that I'd get out of Windows, so I'll probably just format it. Besides, I've become such an advocate of Linux - I'm always defending Linux when Windows people are bashing it - that it feels wrong to use Winblows. :p
Hey, I can compile something out of the spare parts that are left over after I compile my new computer from the two computers. I could finally make that DDR-computer. I don't think that Orasi's ever getting the current DDR-comp compiled. If you want something done, do it yourself. I'd need to compile the DDR-comp after getting my own comp working, install Windows on it (I haven't been able to get DDR to work on Linux), install Stepmania on it and download the songs on it and then move it downstairs and see, if it'd work with our television.
All this tech talk pleases my inner geek. xp If someone has some comments about how to make a good computer out of all those parts, feel free to comment. I don't really understand enough about the hardware side of computers. I'm such a geek that I'm actually looking forward to compiling a new computer out of the two. Sounds like fun. :p
[EDIT]
I talked with Orasi and there indeed seems to be a way to add additional IDE devices to the motherboard. You just need an extension card (ohjainkortti), which cost about 20e and up. He didn't have anything to say about which processor-motherboard-videocard combo to use. I don't do gaming, so the marginal difference doesn't really matter to me. I'm probably going to go with the set from the other comp, just in case the problems that I've been having have something to do with something else than my HDs. The space problem can be solved by taking out the flobby drive that I don't really use for anything.