Afternoon all,
My computer has been running strangely slow as of late, and Im looking for some help in fixing that. In particular, many of the guts are old and could use an upgrade; Im willing to spend circa $500 to spruce things up (more on that below).
Here are the specifications of the computer:
Motherboard: Asus M2N-SLI deluxe
CPU: Athlon 64 X2 6400+
CPU fan: Zalman CNPS 9700
GPU: VisionTek 4870 (512/1gb? The invoice looks like 512mb, though when I run dxdiag on the computer now, it shows 244mb graphics memory in the Display tab.)
Primary HD: Seagate 250gb Sata2
Secondary HD: Seagate 160gb Sata2
PSU: Enermax ELT620AWT 620W
Case: Lian-Li (like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112100)
Chronology of events:
- 2 weeks ago, the computer froze unexpectedly and wouldnt restart properly for a while. I just unplugged it and came back later; it seemed to have fixed itself except that the secondary hard drive was no longer recognized.
- One week ago, I boxed the computer up and shipped it cross country to school. I made sure everything inside was are secure and packed the computer in layers of bubble wrap, foam, extra cardboard, etc., but I didnt remove any internal components. (I know, thats not how youre supposed to do it. I was in a hurry and I knew that most of the internals are cheap to replace, given their age).
- A few days ago the computer arrived. I opened it up and everything inside was still secure and seemingly undamaged, though a few fins on the heatsink were bent.
- However, when I tried to boot the computer up, it first was stuck in boot for ~15 minutes before I gave up. Second time it went into safe mode, though that took about ~15 minutes. Third time successfully booted normally (but still slowly). Second hard drive (unsurprisingly) still not recognized. I saved needed data and shut it down.
- Yesterday I did a clean install of Win7 x64 Ultimate. The OS copy is legal: I downloaded a disk image through the university and used my laptop to burn that to a blank DVD.
The install itself took much longer than I remember; in particular, there were several times during the settings input where everything froze for a few minutes.
- Since the clean install, the machine has still been slow and buggy as hell. Startup takes ~5 minutes, Google Chrome crashes more often than not (when loading google.com), trying to install Windows updates takes hours, and so forth. Lots of intermittent freezing. Something inside has recently started emitting an occasional high-pitched squeak.
So. I know my box is old, but its nonetheless good enough for my needs. If theres a cheap way to get things up and running decently, Ill go for that and save my money for when it buys me more. Right now, I don't need the very best...just something workable. If this isn't salvageable, Ill want to upgrade/build asap. Mandatory questions answered below:
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- In order of most common to least: web browsing/LaTeX, etc (with plenty of multitasking), gaming, light programming, heavy programming (and/or numerical simulations, etc.)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- Id say around $500. If need be I can go up, though no way more than $700. If possible, less would also be nice. Less money spent on computer now = more to spend when it buys more and/or more dinners out with the girlfriend.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
I live in Claremont, California, USA. If it matters, the billing address is Georgia.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
- Definitely motherboard and CPU. I assume RAM and PSU as well. Possibly a newer GPU, though this one hasnt slowed me down yet. If theres $50 left over, a bigger hard drive. (I dont need a lot of space or have lots of media, but 250gb is still a bit small for a primary).
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- Willing to reuse any of the above, as appropriate. Dont see why I wouldnt keep the case, DVD burner, cpu fan, etc.
6) Will you be overclocking?
- Minimally if at all. Not a priority for me.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- I have a 20 1680x1050 Acer AL2051W. In the future, if I can justify the cost I may add a second monitor - such a setup is nice for programming. It'd probably be same size/resolution. I'm not particularly interested in dual-monitor gaming.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- ASAP, though if theres a hugely compelling reason to wait, I have a serviceable laptop.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
- Nothing fancy, though futureproofing is nice. As shown by the specs above, I dont upgrade much.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
- Yes, Win7 x64. See above.
Concerning Microcenter: The university is about an hour away from one. I dont own a car, so any savings from a combo would need to be large enough to offset about $25 of Zipcar bill + make it worth my time.
Concerning Amazon: I have free shipping.
One other note: The computer as currently configured is *loud.* I certainly dont need a whisper silent computer, but something that doesnt sound like a desk fan on top speed would be nice.
All else being equal, I'd prefer AMD over Intel. But all else not being equal, I'll take the best value any day.
Thanks for your help, gentlemen. Hopefully in a few days Ill have either a working computer or a box full of new components nothing like a new build.
Tarrosion
My computer has been running strangely slow as of late, and Im looking for some help in fixing that. In particular, many of the guts are old and could use an upgrade; Im willing to spend circa $500 to spruce things up (more on that below).
Here are the specifications of the computer:
Motherboard: Asus M2N-SLI deluxe
CPU: Athlon 64 X2 6400+
CPU fan: Zalman CNPS 9700
GPU: VisionTek 4870 (512/1gb? The invoice looks like 512mb, though when I run dxdiag on the computer now, it shows 244mb graphics memory in the Display tab.)
Primary HD: Seagate 250gb Sata2
Secondary HD: Seagate 160gb Sata2
PSU: Enermax ELT620AWT 620W
Case: Lian-Li (like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112100)
Chronology of events:
- 2 weeks ago, the computer froze unexpectedly and wouldnt restart properly for a while. I just unplugged it and came back later; it seemed to have fixed itself except that the secondary hard drive was no longer recognized.
- One week ago, I boxed the computer up and shipped it cross country to school. I made sure everything inside was are secure and packed the computer in layers of bubble wrap, foam, extra cardboard, etc., but I didnt remove any internal components. (I know, thats not how youre supposed to do it. I was in a hurry and I knew that most of the internals are cheap to replace, given their age).
- A few days ago the computer arrived. I opened it up and everything inside was still secure and seemingly undamaged, though a few fins on the heatsink were bent.
- However, when I tried to boot the computer up, it first was stuck in boot for ~15 minutes before I gave up. Second time it went into safe mode, though that took about ~15 minutes. Third time successfully booted normally (but still slowly). Second hard drive (unsurprisingly) still not recognized. I saved needed data and shut it down.
- Yesterday I did a clean install of Win7 x64 Ultimate. The OS copy is legal: I downloaded a disk image through the university and used my laptop to burn that to a blank DVD.
The install itself took much longer than I remember; in particular, there were several times during the settings input where everything froze for a few minutes.
- Since the clean install, the machine has still been slow and buggy as hell. Startup takes ~5 minutes, Google Chrome crashes more often than not (when loading google.com), trying to install Windows updates takes hours, and so forth. Lots of intermittent freezing. Something inside has recently started emitting an occasional high-pitched squeak.
So. I know my box is old, but its nonetheless good enough for my needs. If theres a cheap way to get things up and running decently, Ill go for that and save my money for when it buys me more. Right now, I don't need the very best...just something workable. If this isn't salvageable, Ill want to upgrade/build asap. Mandatory questions answered below:
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- In order of most common to least: web browsing/LaTeX, etc (with plenty of multitasking), gaming, light programming, heavy programming (and/or numerical simulations, etc.)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- Id say around $500. If need be I can go up, though no way more than $700. If possible, less would also be nice. Less money spent on computer now = more to spend when it buys more and/or more dinners out with the girlfriend.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
I live in Claremont, California, USA. If it matters, the billing address is Georgia.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
- Definitely motherboard and CPU. I assume RAM and PSU as well. Possibly a newer GPU, though this one hasnt slowed me down yet. If theres $50 left over, a bigger hard drive. (I dont need a lot of space or have lots of media, but 250gb is still a bit small for a primary).
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- Willing to reuse any of the above, as appropriate. Dont see why I wouldnt keep the case, DVD burner, cpu fan, etc.
6) Will you be overclocking?
- Minimally if at all. Not a priority for me.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- I have a 20 1680x1050 Acer AL2051W. In the future, if I can justify the cost I may add a second monitor - such a setup is nice for programming. It'd probably be same size/resolution. I'm not particularly interested in dual-monitor gaming.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- ASAP, though if theres a hugely compelling reason to wait, I have a serviceable laptop.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
- Nothing fancy, though futureproofing is nice. As shown by the specs above, I dont upgrade much.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
- Yes, Win7 x64. See above.
Concerning Microcenter: The university is about an hour away from one. I dont own a car, so any savings from a combo would need to be large enough to offset about $25 of Zipcar bill + make it worth my time.
Concerning Amazon: I have free shipping.
One other note: The computer as currently configured is *loud.* I certainly dont need a whisper silent computer, but something that doesnt sound like a desk fan on top speed would be nice.
All else being equal, I'd prefer AMD over Intel. But all else not being equal, I'll take the best value any day.
Thanks for your help, gentlemen. Hopefully in a few days Ill have either a working computer or a box full of new components nothing like a new build.
Tarrosion