[CLUE-Tech] Hardware Questions

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Jeffery Cann wrote:

> Greetings.
>
> <disclaimer> I typically build a new box every 3-4 years, so I am rarely
> up-to-date on the specs of x86 hardware. </disclaimer>
>
> I have a PII / 350 with about 384 MB of RAM.  It just turned four and it is
> feeling a bit sluggish.
>
> If I purchase a new processor (maybe an Athalon), will my memory be unusable?
>  Probably not a big deal, given the cheap RAM prices.  Can folks give me some
> impressions / recommendations on what you are running?

Yes. The Athlons are using a few different flavors of RAM, depending on
which processor/motherboard you buy.

I have several machines, but one of them is an Socket A Athlon running at
1GHz. For price/performance, I highly recommend buying AMD. I prefer ASUS
boards, but they're a little higher-priced.

> I think I will I have to buy a new motherboard because my PII is a slot 1
> interface.  I suspect that slot 1 died with PII and the 'standard' went back
> to pins.

Yup. Dead and gone... Slot 1 lasted longer than a lot of Intel's designs,
though.

> I have no problem swapping a board out of my machine, so can folks recommend
> a good, local (cheap) computer shop (not like CompUSA), that sells components?

I'd recommend you buy online, I haven't had much luck finding a shop in
the Denver area that has good prices or much variety in stock. (I realize
it's expensive to keep stock on hand, but when I take the time to drive
to a store with cash in hand I want to leave with something, not order it.)

If you're willing to buy slighly older but much cheaper equipment, try
Computergeeks.com, they rock.

I've also had pretty good luck with Total Computer Warehouse.
(http://www.tcwo.com/).

> Finally, can folks recommend web sites where I can get up-to-date on x86
> specs?  Google searches produce way too many results.  I am looking to filter
> out the chaff.

Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/) is a nice one, but I honesly
haven't been going out of my way to keep up.

Good luck. BTW, are you going to get rid of the old CPU/MB/RAM? I'll make
you an offer if you want to sell it once your new system is finished. I'm
always on the lookout for slighly older hardware for my little brothers...

Take care,

Zonker
--
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier -=- jbrockmeier at earthlink.net
http://www.DissociatedPress.net/
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Ishmael said, "It is your culture's deep-seated perception that
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reveals. You know how to build marvelous electronic gadgets, you
know how to send ships into space, you know how to peer into
the depths of atoms. But the simplest and most needful knowledge of
all, the knowledge of how to live, simply doesn't exist among you."