First one to laugh gets it...

Guys just to clarify, my first post about the torrent was light hearted, and making fun of the illegal torrent world that exists. Didnt mean to imply that the OP was d/l illegally or anything like that. As stated I was just miffed to the method of release\download, although its been made clear to me now :)


Big huggzzzz to all!! :love:
 
No worries :) :) Most people aren't aware of all the legal uses for bit-torrent.

Keep away from Eve-Online, I got totally addicted but sold my accounts before my son was born. Had to cut it off completely, lol
 
Yup, no wurriz here either - the response was, in hindsight, understandable - but torrent's getting more and more respectable these days. Just the old bad-boy-pirate image lingers on!

Arthur
 
OK people, since I have had such good advice so far, here's another!

Looking back at this thread, right at the start Steep suggested more RAM and a clean up... The original PC is running an xp2400 Athlon, speedtesting around 1500Mhz. Fastest processor I can fit in the socket is a Barton xp3200+ Athlon... around £40. Now, assuming another £35 for another 1Gb to bring the board up to the max it can take - am I going to get £65-worth of difference?

Why, I hear you ask? Well, kids school stuff really, and they play games too!



Arthur
 
Actually, the more I think about it the more I realise what a dumb question that is... really it's up to me to answer I think :D

So, I will do it. Subjective or not, running at 2.2 from 1.5 will make a noticeable difference and that's what matters here...

Arthur
 
Start with the clean up and the memory, the processor will help but not as much as you'd think. As a matter of interest, what kind of memory chip does it take? I have some older stuff lying around (184 pin 1gb ddr pc2700 333mhz) if it suits it's yours for free.
 
Just ran a registry cleaner and ditched over 1000 keys and so on... my speed index is now 174 whereas before it was 156 so some omprovement!

Right now it has ddr400 PC3200, thanks very much for the kind offer but I would need to match it - I have found a seller with 2x1Gb Kingston up for sale for £35 so as a matched pair I think I will go for them in this case. I'll hold off on the processor then - I may find one a bit cheaper :D

Arthur
 
No probs, what I have would be a bit slow.
 
What I have now is too...

:D Here's to speed!
 
Here's odd. Managed to get that 2x1Gb Kingston RAM (£34), and also (pretty much instantly) managed to sell my 2x512Mb Kingston RAM for £18... so today I removed the 2x512Mb (to pack and post) and put the old Hynix 2x256Mb back in. Being of the nosey inquisitive sort I re-ran the speed tests and it's faster with less RAM :bang:

OK, slower in some things but overall it gets a 183.5 speed rating, both are DDR400. Ideas anyone?
 
Yep, stop running speed tests, all they do is make you want to spend more money. The only test that's worthwhile is daily use, if your machine is running more smoothly than it used to then it's a plus.
 
I know I should, it's instinct though, can't help myself :D

Case arrived today anyway, and Mike has posted the RAM, and Skipper posted me the board and more RAM already... all coming together, slowly but surely :cool:

Arthur
 
Ambermile said:
Just ran a registry cleaner and ditched over 1000 keys and so on... my speed index is now 174 whereas before it was 156 so some omprovement!

Right now it has ddr400 PC3200, thanks very much for the kind offer but I would need to match it - I have found a seller with 2x1Gb Kingston up for sale for £35 so as a matched pair I think I will go for them in this case. I'll hold off on the processor then - I may find one a bit cheaper :D

Arthur
Click to expand...

Aren't you doing a fresh install of Windows?

I wouldn't bother with the upgrade on the CPU, small improvement which won't justify the money.
 
John, this is the old PC, it's got stuff on it that I want so I am leaving it as is but giving it to the kids.

Arthur

PS - W7HP is on Amazon for £50 atm... full install not upgrade version.
 
Ambermile said:
John, this is the old PC, it's got stuff on it that I want so I am leaving it as is but giving it to the kids.

Arthur

PS - W7HP is on Amazon for £50 atm... full install not upgrade version.
Click to expand...

Hey Arthur,
By far the best improvement you will see on the PC is a fresh install of Windows. Back up the old stuff you want to keep and put it back on after the fresh install.

I had a look on Amazon, their OEM Windows Home Premium is £73 (same as Ebuyer), the person selling at £50 is a marketplace seller.... Amazon don't take any responsibility for these sellers, not too sure how its so cheap especially as he says its the full retail version (which is £92 on Amazon) :shrug:
 
Well, it's there so it must be available I guess, and Tesco did have it for even less?

Backup - the work of the devil :D I think I am going to have to transfer the lot to the new PC when It's ready, I understand W7 makes this reasonably painless? there's stuff on here that I have long ago lost serials and even CD's for!

Anyway... the new system will be RAID 1, don't need no backup...
whistle.gif


Arthur
 
Yes, I am joking. Raid 0 is backup :D

Actually, if I do a complete backup of everything, then wipe, reformat and re-install XP, will the restore make it the same as before? i.e. clogged up, or will it restore everything defragged?
 
Ambermile said:
Yes, I am joking. Raid 0 is backup :D
Click to expand...

:bat:

Actually, if I do a complete backup of everything, then wipe, reformat and re-install XP, will the restore make it the same as before? i.e. clogged up, or will it restore everything defragged?
Click to expand...

edit - im going to retype this bit.. backing up your documents and restoring them will have no bearing on system "clogged-up-ness". it should just re-write the files to the next available location on the disk. however that is not guaranteed.
 
Ambermile said:
there's stuff on here that I have long ago lost serials and even CD's for!
Click to expand...

If you look at each program, they should show the serial number (Usually under Help > About....)

Almost all software programs can be downloaded from the website too.

Incidentally, I was wondering about the Linux thing since I mentioned it, and downloaded Ubuntu 9.10, its surprisingly good!
 
Well, I think I will just have to write down what I got on the drive (with teh serials if I can wriggle them out of the programs as suggested above) and see about re-installing them all after I guess. How about, say, putting W7 over the top - do I still get a mess left behind? No, I cannot afford to buy the damned os twice, just interested to know is all really.
 
Ambermile said:
Well, I think I will just have to write down what I got on the drive (with teh serials if I can wriggle them out of the programs as suggested above) and see about re-installing them all after I guess. How about, say, putting W7 over the top - do I still get a mess left behind? No, I cannot afford to buy the damned os twice, just interested to know is all really.
Click to expand...

when you install you should get the option to format, take it providing youve got all your data off.
 
I know that, but if I just upgrade the OS I meant. Doesn't matter though, it's hypothetical anyway.

Arthur
 
ah right sorry misunderstood.. personally id never do an upgrade install, like you say it can get a little messy. you can do a clean install from an upgrade disk but youll need your old disk and possibly product key to hand.
 
Decisions then, the current PC will get a new wiped install once the new pc is up and running, that way I get a bit more back up than just the RAID stuff... :D


Processor just arrived today special delivery, waiting on the Sony Optiarc DVD drive and then I am good to start assembling - all bar one thing. No damned sata cables! Ordered them but still no arrivals yet, no postman yet though either so there's hope that both may arrive today. Frustrating though when all the big stuff's here but the little stuff holds you back :(


How does one initialise a RAID array, as in, make sure from the start that the computer sees the two drives as a pair? Is it in the BIOS settings? I know I can find in on the net but so far the answers here have been much easier to take in for an old git :D




Arthur


**Edit - seems I have to install everything then do the RAID thing (create the 64-bit driver) once the OS is up and running? Does that mean I only plug the first drive in until I am ready to do the RAID stuff so I install OS with a single drive?
 
Ambermile said:
Decisions then, the current PC will get a new wiped install once the new pc is up and running, that way I get a bit more back up than just the RAID stuff... :D


Processor just arrived today special delivery, waiting on the Sony Optiarc DVD drive and then I am good to start assembling - all bar one thing. No damned sata cables! Ordered them but still no arrivals yet, no postman yet though either so there's hope that both may arrive today. Frustrating though when all the big stuff's here but the little stuff holds you back :(


How does one initialise a RAID array, as in, make sure from the start that the computer sees the two drives as a pair? Is it in the BIOS settings? I know I can find in on the net but so far the answers here have been much easier to take in for an old git :D




Arthur


**Edit - seems I have to install everything then do the RAID thing (create the 64-bit driver) once the OS is up and running? Does that mean I only plug the first drive in until I am ready to do the RAID stuff so I install OS with a single drive?
Click to expand...

providing you have told the BIOS you want to use RAID you should get the option to press a key during boot up to enter RAID config. if you do it within windows then chances are its software RAID (bad).
 
That was the thing you see, couldn't find it in the bios manual - maybe I better go back and have another read. DVD drive did indeed arrive, as did some more RAM (6Gb now) and the new keyboard too. Still no sata cables though, maybe tomorrow. Incidentally, I am officially sad - I spent ages today getting the little AMD Phenom 64 sticker in just the right place on the front of tha case :D
 
neil_g said:
providing you have told the BIOS you want to use RAID you should get the option to press a key during boot up to enter RAID config. if you do it within windows then chances are its software RAID (bad).
Click to expand...

yes, get it done in BIOS. Your motherboard manual comes in handy here
 
Well, after looking at every line in the manual I did find something... it does at one point say "click here for RAID setup" ... and nothing else. I shall have to wait untill I fire it up I guess!

Arthur
 
Leads are here, no OS yet :(

Will try and fire it up in Linux - at the very least I will get to play around with the BIOS and maybe get the RAID set up. Correct me if I am wrong, but with two drives I can only go RAID 0 (pointless?) or RAID 1? Pretty sure for RAID 2 I need three drives? And RAID 1 is a drive mirror but without the error checking, so simultaneous writing to both drives? Tell me again why it's good, just data security?


Arthur
 
So. DVD drive no working. One of the 250Gb drives noisy, like a hissy noise - like head resting on surface! Bad day :(

Oh, psu toast as well :(
 
Umm - I thought RAID 1 is the highest I can go with just two drives?
 
I was just stating the hierarchy Neil, sorry...

If anyone else reads this thread, I just this morning upgraded the BIOS and clocked the Athlon XP2400 up to 2Ghz (from 1.5Ghz). Speedtest leaps up to 243 from 174... however, still seems the same in use so I guess the processor upgrade to a 3200+ Barton won't happen! I have a pair of 1Gb RAM coming for it, those and the re-install of the OS when PC #2 is up and running should do for this one if the advice here is anything to go by (and so far, spot on). Please form the "I told you so" queue over there... :D

Will have to return the new case as the PSU popped, and the DVD drive too (noisy), so this is all back on hold again for a while - at least getting the new PC up and running is) :(

Arthur
 
I am completely ignorant in the ways of the computer and most of the chat on this thread (while very interesting) made no sense to me at all.
However, I am keen to find out what you spent in relation to what you got, just to close out really and for nothing more than noseyness.
 
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