Lower Spec PC

Namsnik

Namsnik

Namsnik

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Joined
27 Jan 2007
Posts
249
Location
Bucks
I want to replace my current second PC with something that will see me through the next 3 years though don't mind doing odd upgrade during that time - eg graphics card.

I currently have as the "Family" PC a Duron running at 1MHz and 768MB Ram. It has a PCI slot GeForce 6200 card and XP OEM.
The PC stutters a bit, even after clean install of XP - this goes back, I think, to the CPU Fan failing and me not noticing! Hard drive has started reporting smart errors (all my data but not software settings is saved on a different PC). All in all time to start again. I will retain keyboard, mouse, graphics card and, for now the screen. I don't reckon I stand much chance of convincing MS that this is a repair and to re-activate XP but could retain HD if it helped that quest (advice/experience welcome).

Currently aside from the stuttering and general slowness it will run adequately the games we through at it (e.g. SIMS, Guildwars, CivIV). Mostly it is used for Office and emails. So I would plan to retain the graphics card until the kids (16,13) or I find something that requires better.

I will need a case and power supply though am thinking of buying these for my main PC (see signature) and installing the new bits into that case.

So I need:
For PC in the signature with capacity for 4 hard drives:
Case
Power Supply
For New PC
Motherboard
Processor
RAM
HDrive - 250 GB?
DVD Writer - SATA
Operating System - assuming I can't transfer existing XP
Already have - Case with Jeantech JNP-500AP power supply, Mouse, Keyboard, screen, PCI slot GeForce 6200 graphics card

Or would a barebones based system be adequate and much cheaper? (Saving for a Laptop)
 
for the spec in you're sig i'd maybe look at a corsair 520w psu and lian li pc-7 plus case.

for the new pc, included a cheap pci-e gfx card which can be taken out the spec to save some money if needs be, long as XP is only going to run on 1 pc i'd use you're current version and save some money:

Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770 (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £49.99 (£58.74)

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHz (Socket AM2) - Retail £34.99
(£41.11)

OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2 (OCZ2P800R22GK) £24.99 (£29.36)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3250410AS) £34.99 (£41.11)

Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
(£17.61)

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition inc. SP2 - OEM - 1Pk (N09-01991) £47.99 (£56.39)

Asus ATI Radeon EAH3450/HTP/256M 256MB DDR2 TV-Out/DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail £27.99 (£32.89)

Sub Total : £235.93
Shipping : £8.95
VAT : £42.85
Total : £287.73
 
Thanks for your thoughts. A few questions:

Is AMD the way to go at this price point? Would I be better going Intel and leaving an upgrade path to a better C2D?

Would I need to do anything special to persuade Microsoft to allow me to re-use the licence on what is effectively a new PC?

Looked at cases with my son. Can't really understand why I would pay nearly £25 more for a Lian-Li PC-7 than for this Gigabyte GZ-X2 Black Midi Case No PSU . Not really bothered about looks as it will be hidden under a desk / table. One problem I have had in the past iis working out how to connect up the panel at the front - had loads of very unclearly labelled firewire and audio leads.

How about this power supply? **B Grade** Antec Basiq BP500P £29.99 inc VAT

Decided to go for a 500GB drive. Choice of Maxtor (this week only) or Baracuda. Any views?

My order so far:
Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770 (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £58.74
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHz (Socket AM2) - Retail £41.11
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2 (OCZ2P800R22GK) £29.36

Gigabyte GZ-X2 Black Midi Case No PSU £34.06
OR Lian-Li PC-7 PLUS II Aluminium Midi-Tower Case - Black for extra: £24.68

**B Grade** Antec Basiq BP500P £35.24
OR Corsair HX 520W ATX2.2 Modular SLI Compliant PSU (CMPSU-520HXUK) for extra £35.25

Maxtor Diamondmax 22 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (STM3500320AS) £52.86
OR Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (ST3500320AS) for extra £10.58

Post £12.87
Total ex VAT £334.75
Or if I take all the cheaper options £251.38
 
Hello Namsnik, to answer your Windows question. An OEM license is tied to the motherboard it was originally installed on, you cannot transfer the license from one machine to another. :)

mp260767 said:
long as XP is only going to run on 1 pc i'd use you're current version and save some money:
Click to expand...

Hello mp260767, the above only applies to the Retail license and not the OEM license. :)
 
Windows XP Activation

Thanks Fire Wizard. You probably know this but in case anyone else sees the thread. There are actually two types of OEM XP. One used by big manufacturers is tied to the bios. The other that I have got is purchased separately, with qualifying subsidiary hardware, and installed with that hardware to an existing machine, to which it becomes bound. The software may be reinstalled and reactivated indefinitely as with a retail system as long as it is still on the original machine. It may not be transferred to a different computer. It is activated as described above, but if it were installed to hardware seen as not substantially the same, the activation would be refused as falling outside the license. I have a little utility (google "XPINFO") that checks out how you are doing on points. Effectively if I change the motherboard I will indeed need to re-activate. HOWEVER, I have seen posts over the years that say things like this:
Just tell them your motherboard died or something and they'll activate it. But as xxxxx said, they rarely ask. ...... when they asked, i just told them it was a reinstall, and they let it be done. It was moving it from one machine to another, but the other machine was broken anyway.
Click to expand...
I can at the point of activation make sure that I have my original hard drive installed etc so the machine is as similar as possible (I regret not temporarily installing a separate network and graphics card when I first activated.)

So really I was wondering if others here had had that sort of success and could give advice. I know that what I am doing is close to the wire but I was the original system builder. I am replacing motherboard/CPU because they are faulty......

Is it a lost cause?
 
Intel or AMD?

OK - spent last night choosing a new laptop rather than buying this. I am now looking at:
Prices Inc VAT
Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770 (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £58.74
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHz (Socket AM2) - Retail £41.11
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2 (OCZ2P800R22GK) £29.36
Antec Sonata III Piano Black Quiet Case - EarthWatts 500W PSU £78.71
Samsung SH-S203D 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - OEM 17.61
Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (ST3500320AS) £63.44
Post £12.87
Total £301.85
Click to expand...
However, should I consider going the Intel route instead? From another thread:
Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L Intel P31 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard 46.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E2160 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.80GHz (800FSB) - Retail 44.64
Click to expand...

And is there an easy way to put links into these posts? I have them in my Excel document and want to just copy and paste.
 
i'd go with the p31/2160 if you're happy to overclock a little as both of them seem to do well from posts on here.
 
And I will have greater potential for swapping components (for upgrade or fault diagnosis) around if I run two C2D systems.

Is the memory I am looking at ok with that board/CPU?
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2 (OCZ2P800R22GK) £29.36
 
i'd double check the mobo forum tbh, few people have that board so i'd think i few would have that memory if it works ok.
 
Namsnik said:
I am replacing motherboard/CPU because they are faulty......
Click to expand...

For the licence to be valid it must be kept on the same machine as you well know. It seems you are doing a total rebuild not fixing your current machine.

It's a grey area at best, but in my view, you need a new licence.

Burnsy
 
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