Maximum PC

it was my very first build when i started out...

it currently has an old DOS PC case, for those extra large old school motherboards

Intel single-core P4 @3.2GHz
2GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM
IDE HDD 320GB
IDE CD Drive
ECS Motherboard Pro800-M i think
No Stock Cooler, cause it broke a few years back when i transferred it over to another PC
Radeon x1600 PRO

Worth maybe sub 100$ at this point, if anything.

i wanted to do something to keep it going - to be used for something, i am just not sure what. if i upgraded it, it definitely will be the MOBO and CPU cooler first, and maybe switch to a SATA optical drive. Then a nice video card if i don't end up bottlenecking the system with today's plethora of parts.

maybe a good question for the doctor segment on the podcast?

Make a home server? Put a Linux Distro on it? Pretty much whatever trips your trigger.

I have an old P4 that I set up a dual boot of Windows XP and Suse Linux 9.3 on and I use it. My old workstation with dual Xeons (about 8 years old now) will eventually get loaded with drives and a SATA controller card to be a home server.

I also do a lot with data acquisition and use old systems I have for running mundane task.

Last but not least, if it runs, clean it up and give it to someone who can't afford a computer and does little more than web surfing and wants email.

That brings us full circle to whatever trips your trigger.



Ron

I think you posted in the wrong section this is better suited for help me build/help me buy.

I should have caught that. Damn, getting old sucks. Thus we shall move it. Not sure that Help Me Build/Buy is right but I can't see it in the Modder's area either.

Ron

Get it folding, use it as HTPC - the joys of siting on the couch while surfing the net are endless. Or make it into a server to stream content/download media.

I've got an old Soyo P4 board as my server...

I added two of these.

I used 6 of the older Seagate 1Tb but you could use these.

And created a server massive enough to hold the whole household's stuff.

I did two RAID-5 arrays - one for my music (I'm a DJ) and the other for all of the other stuff.

You don't need to use 6 drives, but it's nice.

I used a Dell that had a hard drive failure. I replaced the drive and downloaded the software. It's free to non-commercial users.


The software is at smoothwall.org.

Agreed. That would make a decent single-core folder.





Ted

Let me fix Ron's take..

Put Linux on it (even trying something like a stage 1 install of Gentoo)...then make a home server out of it.

This: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/featur ... ld_pc_pics

If you're really ambitious, I'm sure you can add a couple hard drives in there and it can do double or triple duty as a home server and F@H rig.

I don't know, I started with a Suse distro and it works for me as ancient as 9.3 is. I have a 10.0 version here I never did install.

On another note this thread hits home because today I resurrected an old Intel 875 PBZ socket 478 board. My brother destroyed the old P4 3.0 GHz chip making it a socket 477 board if you get the drift.

Before the holidays a friend sent me a 3.2 GHz P4 chip so I finally got around to putting things together in the wife's old Antec Plus View case. I shoved a few old PATA HDDs in and some RAM and the thing booted. Currently loading XP SP3 for updates but the damn thing works.

As to folding? I have folded on any and everything, however, using an old P4 isn't exactly a productive way to go. Then too, every WU helps the cause.

I like using old systems like this for server applications. Hell you don't need the latest and greatest as a home server.

Ron

..unless it is also a folder (linux is good for folding)





Ted

Do you know what socket type the cpu is? We need to know that in order to recommend a heatsink/motherboard.

The socket size is LGA775. The specific model of the current MOBO is actually a ECS P4M800PRO-M. i am looking with a MOBO that has everything this one has, plus some more fan ports and better drive connector placement, with the FDD on the side near the drive bays/cages.

however...

i was thinking of turning it into maybe an PC that is for show: kind of like to remind me of how far my PC's have come along since i started building PCs way back when, like the time line section of the dinosaur bone collection - just something to reflect on, really. it would be nice to get it in a working condition, just in case i want to go back to play DOS games. i thought of this because i don't really have anything from this PC to transfer over. otherwise, i would use it for spare parts.

if i decide i keep it as a showpiece, i shouldn't really spend any money right, to keep it vintage in the years to come?

at the moment i am just tearing apart the PC to clean the parts, and assessing condition of parts. i thought about a small form factor case to house the old parts in, but maybe i should just clean it up first.

would the Antec Skeleton (mATX form factor version) be a decent case for a showpiece? it would defeat the purpose of keeping it old school . i do have my old dynex case, but wouldn't it make more noise because the sound would just bounce around in it? the PSU in this case is an ANTEC 400W SL400

heh..I hear ya..when I said that I was thinking of gentoo in mind, which IMO is probably the best learning tool out there, but not one of the better experiences one would have (heck, took me 4 or 5 whacks at it before I got it right...but hey, that why you're supposed to learn from mistakes)