I’ve been working on a Presario SR2011WM. It’s a basic, low-end, single-core Celeron D system from 2006 or so. It can take up to 2 GB of RAM, runs Windows XP adequately, and has SATA ports, so you can put an SSD in it if you want. But don’t be fooled by the name–the Celeron [...]
All posts tagged ATX
Notes on the Compaq Presario SR2011WM
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 12, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/notes-on-the-compaq-presario-sr2011wm/
A cheap upgrade for obsolete computer cases
The ATX standard has changed very little in the last 15 years, which means some rather old computer cases can still accept new motherboards, as long as you also replace the power supply. The bad news, as I stare at the case that once housed a Micron Client Pro 766 Xi (a 266 MHz Pentium [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 31, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/a-cheap-upgrade-for-obsolete-computer-cases/
Bargain potential for AMD Socket FM1s
Anandtech has an interesting overview of building HTPCs using AMD’s dead-end Socket FM1. I think it has interesting implications for anyplace you’re looking for value, not just in HTPC applications. Yes, it’s a dead end, because Socket FM1 will be going away in favor of Socket FM2 in the coming months. But that’s one reason [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on June 8, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/06/bargain-potential-for-amd-socket-fm1s/
Micro Center’s 18-minute pickup works spectacularly
It was like ordering Chinese takeout. I wrote yesterday about how I needed a motherboard to try to solve my ongoing webserver issue. I don’t live or work anywhere near Micro Center. The computer store near my house closed, and I don’t like the one near my workplace anymore since they jerked my friend around. [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 28, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/01/micro-centers-18-minute-pickup-works-spectacularly/
My Socket 775 adventures, Chapter 1
So I bought an Intel Socket 775 board to support a crash webserver rebuild project. I present the story in hopes that it might be useful, or entertaining, or both. I don’t know the ultimate outcome of it yet, but all of the decisions made sense at the time.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 27, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/01/my-socket-775-adventures-chapter-1/
PC Magazine’s sub-$200 PC
PC Magazine has reprised its sub-$200 PC. I think it’s a good guide, and a savvy shopper can potentially do a little bit better with some care and some luck. At that price, it’s running Linux, but it also serves as a good guide for upgraders looking to upgrade an existing PC inexpensively. If you [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on September 5, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/09/pc-magazines-sub-200-pc/
Used dual-cores are coming! Used dual-cores are coming!
All this talk about new computers got me looking to see what’s out there in the channel. And it looks like the glut of Pentium 4s is finally clearing, making way for the 2-core revolution. Prices are low–I’m seeing dual-core systems, both Intel and AMD, with Windows licenses, for anywhere from $180 to $280 depending [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 7, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/08/used-dual-cores-are-coming-used-dual-cores-are-coming/
Farquhar discovers power-sipping AMD Fusion motherboards
AMD just announced its next-generation Fusion CPU/GPU combo. I’m not quite comfortable with AMD’s APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) moniker, because CPU-GPU integration isn’t about speed so much as it’s about reducing price and power consumption. This version of Fusion is intended to compete with mainstream Intel CPUs. Pricing isn’t available yet. And that reminded me [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on June 14, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/06/farquhar-discovers-power-sipping-amd-fusion-motherboards/
Who made that power supply?
I found a cross-reference for power supply brands and OEM manufacturers. It’s a couple of years old, but still useful. Way back when, I knew that Sparkle Power actually made PC Power & Cooling Silencer power supplies. Since Sparkle units were cheaper, I bought those, and got good, reliable power from them for years until [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 31, 2010
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/12/who-made-that-power-supply/
Thrift-store PCs
In the comments of a recent post I did, reader Glaurung Quena brought up a good topic: secondhand PCs, acquired cheaply, strictly as rebuild fodder. I like the idea, of course, because I’ve been doing it for years. In the 1990s I built a lot of 486s and Pentiums into former IBM PC/ATs, basically until [...]
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/12/thrift-store-pcs/