Since most of you guys can't turn on Aero, you can get a cheap 9200 PCI or 9550 AGP from Dealextreme.
You can also get a HD3650 AGP from there for $60 free shipping world wide nVidia cards are also available in dealextreme.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
I found myself another 512MB stick so i'm gonna put that in as well:) The W7 upgrade advisor said the hardware was fine. I'm gonna get myself a cheap HDD(160GB is enough for me) and toss it on there to see if it works. If it doesn't i can just put my other drive back in:) The safe solution.Download and run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and see what it tells you.
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - Download - Microsoft Windows
I think it may work but I would look for drivers on Packard Bell site. If it does I would add more RAM.
Jerry
Good article from MS for recycling Old Systems
11 new lives for that old PC
I said it once and I will say it again - nothing can persuade me to change the OS on my old machine. My 11-year-old Dell is happily running Windows 2000 and there is absolutely no need to "upgrade" it to Windows 7 or anything else. Besides all compatibility problems and drivers for the old hardware, why waste money on the old machine when new ones are really cheap? Even the cheapest available machine would be light years ahead of the old one, so if one needs to upgrade, why waste money on the old, just buy new.
Good advice but you need a 400-450w power supply to run the thing and they run hot & use loads of power.
An Agp 4670/4650 is much cooler/quieter (with lots of other chip advances built in by ati)
Total computer components = Full power around 312w idle, 364w full pelt (so puta ran on my antec 380w PSU ok short-term)
2gb(3gb with nvidia card+tweak) memory, 3650/4670 graphic, fast caviar black hard drive really helps (had to find updated bios (diy tweaked) for two boards - to enable motherboard/chip to see 1TB hard drives!!)
I can even run Crysis game fine with a 3000 Barton (which is below their 'minimum' spec as far as I remember!) cos of the massive boost given by the modern graphic card helping the cpu (just turn down 'physX' setting to low)
Personally, I didn't think you couldn't run Windows 7 on an old computer without it lagging or crashing... but I guess I am wrong. :P
I wonder how it would fare on my old computer...
I recently switched from Xp on my older "common household" machine.
It runs better, smoother than Xp ever did, could be because it is not using any DELL hacked drivers :)
Dell XPS-400 Model DX051
Only Upgraded Bios, Ram, Video and Wireless network, and here are the basic hardware specs:
MS Windows 7 Home 64-bit SP1
Intel Pentium i945P D 820, Bus Speed: 200Mhz (775 Chipset)
4.0GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 332MHz
ATI Radeon HD 4550 (VISIONTEK) 1GB RAM DDR3
244GB SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SP2504C
D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N Wireless Network Card
Samsung 19" Monitor running 1280x1024
Windows Rating Numbers as follow:
Base score determined by lowest score: 4.6
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz 4.6
Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB 5.3
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 4550 4.9
Gaming graphics 2047 MB Total available graphics memory 6.2
Primary hard disk 192GB Free (233GB Total) 5.5
Its a great "re-used" Machine that sat down in a corner, until I did that and put it in the family room, the kids and visitors often use it, and I can still play Warcrak on it while watching hockey (grins)
Next "win7 projects" include a Sony Viao Laptop (single processor) and a Tablet Dual Core Lappy. I will keep you appraised of the results later on
I'd like to install Win 7 32 bit on two Dell XP machines (Dimensions B110 & 4400) if possible (both of which have virus-trashed HDs); If anyone has upgraded these machines successfully, and if there is anything special that needs to be done, I would like to know. Their specifications are below.
The upgraded Dells would share a network raid 1 array for synched data storage with 2 new machines in my new Win 7 home premium 64 bit network.
I can either try to reinstall XP (no restoration CD), then a Win7 upgrade, or buy and install 32 bit Win 7. This will have to be done at a shop, as I don't have the time and expertise. I was quoted $80 for wiping the disk and reinstalling XP.
If they are incompatible with Win 7, I would consider networking them as XP machines; however, I read all over this forum that XP network with Win 7 is extremely iffy, in spite of tutorials how to do it, and I expect it would be expensive to have a shop attempt it.
Strangely, I have seen no reference to Windows Upgrade Adviser in this thread, which makes me think it is regarded with disfavor. I ran it on the B110; the other is not functioning at all) and no significant problems were found except it did not recognize the video driver.
My questions are:
1) are these two XP>Win7 upgrades likely to be feasible/worthwhile without going to extremes? (These machines will only be used for light duty browsing/email/writing).
2.
The newer machine is a Dell Dimension B110
CPU Celeron 2.53GHz; RAM 512, upgradable to 2 gig DDR SDRAM
Chipset Intel 865 GV
A/V /Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Full specs are here:
Documentation
Upgrade Advisor does not flag any significant incompatibilities except it had no info on the integrated Intel 82865G graphics controller.
The second machine is a Dell Dimension 4400, probably Celeron, speed unknown. Max memory 2 GIG.
A/V Integrated ADI 1885/AGP 4X
Documentation
Both Dells sound capable, but get the official word by running Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.
You would want to maximize the RAM, although it will run on 512 sufficiently to install. On various 512mb test machines I have had hesitant performance, with bogs occurring when trying even to run a lightweight AV.
Heh, Gregrocker, I was in the middle of editing my post (prematurely posted) when you replied. Thanks for the encouraging words.
Here is the gist of the planned edit:
Dell says not possible to upgrade either machine. I ran MS Upgrade Adviser on the B110 (the 4400 is not functioning at all) and no significant problems were found except Advisor did not recognize the video driver. I have a feeling I'll need a new graphics card. Quote "I installed Windows 7 on a Dimension B110. Games took forever to run, so I installed a 256Mb GeForce video card. Everything runs fine now." I agree on max RAM.
Quote "I recently installed Win7 on a Dell Dimension 4400 running WinXP (max 1 gig memory). It's up and running fine." In this case new network and audio drivers were needed from Dell.
So it looks pretty promising for both machines, depending on the actual cost.
Anyone know what graphics card will suffice for the B110 - GeForce prices are all over the place? I don't game, so don't need super high performance.
Charlie
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