Posts by Rachel Jones8

fadedorca66 said:Basically, we need a shot of what the inside of your rig looks like.

Look, just grab an external enclosure. You pop the hard drive in, plug it into a USB port, and call it a day. It looks way cleaner than spinning a bare drive around in your hands and messing with random adapters—especially if you aren't some hardcore PC tech geek:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/en/external-hard-drive-enclosures

You'll just need one that fits your specific SATA drives.

I get it now. Sounds pretty handy if I want to slowly sift through all this junk on my drive, move the important stuff over, and just wipe the rest.
Thanks so much for the help and the tips!
I posted a photo above, but I'm not sure if it's clear enough... can you actually see anything useful?
If it sucks, I'll try taking another one...
...and once I'm ready to buy, I'll head over to the right thread to get help picking out a setup for maybe $833, or up to $30 or so. (That includes the enclosure you suggested)

fadedorca66 said:Come on, that's already the ATX standard. If you want us to be 100% sure, just open it up and snap a photo? 🙂

Which part should I snap a photo of? I've already got one, but I'm not sure if it'll actually do the trick... first thing is I gotta figure out how to even upload an image here. I'm still getting the hang of this forum stuff. 😢

It’s not really a limitation. Most modern ATX boards come with those slots anyway, so it's not a big deal. Plus, I just got a new keyboard. $17 😁

I've got one of those ergonomic ones—it cost a bit more, but I'm pretty set in my ways. Is it even worth switching? 🙂

Nah, you'd just pop the drive into an external enclosure and use it like a standard portable hard drive. It looks way cleaner than having that bulky adapter cluttering up your desk, don't you think?

But... 😕 So then you’ve gotta find a way to plug it into a USB, right? But the drive doesn't even have a USB port—it just has those different slots. Won't you need an adapter for that too?
So you're telling me everything on my current PC is actually sitting on that old external hard drive?

Let me give this a shot... can you guys actually see anything here?
I can't see any images here. What am I looking at?

fadedorca66 said:How old is that case anyway? If it’s an ATX standard, then you’re probably golden. As for those USB ports acting up, who knows? Maybe whoever built the rig was just lazy and skipped the internal connections, or maybe they didn't even have a spare header to plug them into. You should probably pop the side panel off and see if they're even hooked up.

It’s nine years old. (Honestly, I’ve no clue what the ATX standard even is.) As for the USB ports, they used to work fine, but I'm not sure exactly when they died... maybe after some repair job? Even if they're totally shot, it's not a huge deal. Maybe I can just snag a few more from the back?

That purple circle is just the PS2 slot. It’s built right into the motherboard, not the case, so you'll need to make sure the board actually has one.

Can't we just use an adapter? Feels pretty limiting, right? Having to pick a motherboard based on some old relic I've got... plus, who knows if this keyboard is even going to last much longer. Don't newer ones just use USB or something else these days?

Yeah, you could just plug an HDD into that adapter and treat it like a giant USB drive. But honestly? You might be better off grabbing a case too. It’ll look way cleaner and actually be practical, don't you think?

So what does that mean? Like... the old HDD just stays sitting in the rig, or what?

fadedorca66 said:It’s pretty straightforward—if you like this case, just stick with it. No point changing things if it works for you.

Just swap out those loud fans. As for the LEDs that aren't working, they probably just didn't plug them into the motherboard correctly.

Got it, thanks for the tip.
Regarding the lights, it's not even my main headache. What's actually bothering me are these side USB ports that don't work either... but the big question is whether this case can actually hold all the new parts. Can I fit everything inside? Even though the case is old, I don't want to run into a situation where a part won't fit or just doesn't line up. I keep reading about how much internal space matters, but honestly, I have no clue what fits and what doesn't. (Making it quieter would be great, but the lights aren't a huge deal.)
Also, I need to make sure I can plug in my mouse, keyboard, and printer... for example, my keyboard doesn't use USB; it uses one of those old purple round plugs. The most important thing is that everything connects so I don't have to buy everything brand new... at least not the keyboard, mouse, or monitor if they still work.
If I take the case to a local shop and they build the new components inside for me (fingers crossed they can), everything should be fine, right? That way I save money on a new case and can put that extra $100$67 toward the actual parts.

On another thread, I found some info about hooking up an old hard drive to a new PC so I can slowly move my important files over.
It sounds like (if I understood correctly) I could use an adapter like this to plug the old drive into the "new" computer via USB and grab my stuff.
http://www.ambery.com/idesatousb20.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvom7l-jcKE

Does that mean I don't need to stress about backing up documents before swapping parts? Could I just wait until the end, plug the old drive in through USB, and transfer everything then?
(The computer doesn't have those red wires, just the wide, old-school ones)

Robert Rodriguez2 said:$800
So, you can grab something like this for around $2,500. You get a solid quad-core processor with integrated graphics that actually lets you play around a bit. For everyday stuff? It’s a killer machine. 🙂

Thanks for the help. Just to be clear, I'm not buying anything right now—I was just curious if that price was actually legit. Still, all this info helps; at least now I know what's what. Yeah. Would you actually drop that kind of cash on this?
People have finally started bugging me about this, so hopefully I’ll come up with something in the near future—maybe six months down the road? Once I actually make a call on it, I'll reach out with a new post.
Maybe this is a bit out of place to ask about the case, but it’s tied into my whole plan to refresh this PC for maybe $350 or $400? Fingers crossed it goes through. 😉
Is it actually worth sticking with my old case? Given all the different ports, slots, fans, and everything else that makes a build good or bad... should I just grab some cheap budget tower, or is it smarter to invest more in a solid case now? Even if my current components aren't exactly high-end, wouldn't it be better to go for something more durable? You know, just so upgrading parts later on isn't such a headache?

I don't know much about cases or any of that gear, but my PC sits in my den and it's way too loud. I really want to find something quieter. I'm a fan of the ones with doors, kind of like my old setup... plus, I love having USB ports right on the left side of the door (the kind that swing open to the right). My power and reset buttons used to light up, too, but they've quit on me.
Alright. Here’s what my rig looks like.
It’s not exactly the same thing, though. You know, since there aren't any side or top fans? Hey, what's up? People are talking about a card reader and "power buttons for the 2nd and 3rd hard drives," but I don't see those on mine... even though it looks exactly like the photo. It does have the temperature display, though.

If I'm putting together a build with a $2,000 budget— $833Would it be smart to just ditch this case and pick up something else for around a hundred bucks?$67 What do you think about using that Zelman one? $60Should I just shell out a few extra bucks to get a decent case? You know, something with actual thickness, better airflow, dust filters—whatever makes it premium. Is it worth paying a little more now for something that actually holds up later?
I'm not even gonna think about anything else until I settle on a case. New vs. old, high-end vs. budget... what's the point in stressing over it yet?

Timothy Kim60 said:You’ll have to open the case. You need to pull that old drive out of the old rig and put it in the new one, making sure it's hooked up to the motherboard and the power supply. Honestly, don't even stress about it—just grab that controller at whatever shop you're using to pick up the rest of your parts and let them handle the assembly for you.

Yeah, obviously I have to take it out of the old one... I just thought maybe I could plug it into the new setup "neatly" from the outside... just pop it in. 😁
So, did I get that right? If I buy everything, will they just leave both the old and new setups in a box (either my old one or a new one) so I can access both? Like having two partitions... just like how I have my C and D drives now? Can I just move files back and forth?

If you want to play handyman, check out YouTube.

I don't know... I wouldn't really dive into that myself (I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff)... but I'll look into it.
Thanks.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You can definitely build something for maybe $250-$300... but $150? I doubt it unless you're hunting for the absolute cheapest parts on the market.

Got it, thanks.
If I don't cave and go for that all-in-one Samsung setup—which might run me around $700 (though let's be real, I probably won't have the cash)—I'll get back to you guys once I figure out my next move. I'll have plenty of questions about how to put together a rig for roughly $250 $833 that actually feels like an upgrade from what I'm using now.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Just download and install Speccy. It'll list out all your computer parts for you.

Sorry for going off-topic... just a quick question about that software. I installed it and it found my hardware, but now I can't find where the app actually lives. It’s not showing up under All programs.
I have a shortcut on my desktop, but I'd rather get rid of it. I checked the C --> Program Files folder, but why isn't it listed under "All programs" when I click the Windows icon?

Timothy Kim60 said:Just plug it into a SATA port on the new motherboard, then hook up that old hard drive. But honestly, just grab a new drive; that one is ancient, tiny, and probably slow as molasses.

Yeah, slow. 🙄
I feel like people don't even realize how bad "slow" can actually get. Like, what they call sluggish is actually lightning fast to me. 😁
Okay, I get what's being said above... more or less. So (that old one), does it need its own power supply, or is it totally fried from being so old... or do I need two complete setups, both plugged in?
And... how do I actually plug into a SATA port? Where even is that slot? Do I have to crack the case open to find it... or is it just something I plug in somewhere on the back?
(I'm definitely not doing this without doing my homework first, and it's not happening tomorrow or anytime soon, but the more info I have, the easier it'll be when I finally pull the trigger.)
So—thanks.😉

Timothy Kim60 said:Check out today's posts in this thread. There are a few builds suggested, mostly using Celerons up to $100
.
http://www.cnn.com/showthread.php?p...8#post49093058

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Forget about building anything with that budget. Just the motherboard, RAM, and CPU will eat up almost $333... then you still need an SSD, case, and power supply... don't even get me started.

On that thread mentioned above, guys suggested some stuff for around $533 (up to 2000)... and that's for the whole kit, since my gear is ancient.
I'm not committing to anything yet, just doing some research.
If $1000 goes toward just those two parts... does that mean you really can't build anything decent for that price?
I'm not looking for a specific build (not yet), I just want to know if it's possible to put together something for roughly $667 (up to 2.5k) for office work, web browsing, Zoom, Photoshop if possible, maybe some light gaming, and video/music... that's pretty much it.
For now, my keyboard, mouse, and monitor still work... though I'm not sure about the ports. My DVD drives work too, even though people say they're outdated—they run on some weird incompatible slots.
(There's a list of my parts on that "Best Buy Advice" thread)

Timothy Kim60 said:Check if your drive is SATA—if I remember correctly from my Google searches, it is. If so, you could just plug it into a new PC and browse through it...

Even maybe grab a controller and you're good to go.

Interesting, and doesn't seem too pricey either.
Where does it actually go? Do you put it in a new computer and then hook up the old one, or what?

Timothy Kim60 said:Exactly. You don't even need to mention it when buying a new PC since basically every drive and burner these days is SATA (that's been the standard for at least 7 or 8 years now). Plus, you won't be able to reuse your old parts on a new rig because modern motherboards just don't support those old slots anymore.
If you don't really need one, why bother buying a new burner? It's definitely not essential for running a computer today.

I use one, but not much.
So, my old stuff wouldn't work with new parts (like the motherboard)?
Man, what a bummer. I have two right now... and I'd probably have to grab a third. Even though these still work.
(though my PC occasionally fails to see one)

Just move your important files from the old PC to a USB stick, someone's external hard drive, or whatever. Or just burn them or upload them to OneDrive—then you can move them to the new PC whenever.

I have an external hard drive too (just a small one), but I was asking because over the years I've accumulated so much junk... who knows what's actually worth keeping. It would just be way easier if I could slowly browse through everything and then transfer it.
But hey, if I'm keeping the same case, none of that matters anyway... I kind of imagined I could just plug another computer into a USB port like any other thumb drive or external hard drive... then I could look through it and move what I need. (Sorry, I don't really get how this all works)

Timothy Kim60 said:Is this red cable from the photo the same thing as this flat wide one?

That’s (obviously?) somewhere inside.
When buying or putting things together, should I mention I need that "SATA" thing?🙂

based on what you posted above, you're gonna need a new burner too

Really? Why?
I don't even use it that much... just for some music here and there or cooking something up, it works fine.
Why wouldn't it work? Why do I need a new one? I have two... is neither of them good?
Thanks, guys...
...sorry if I asked something silly, but my friend's offer really caught my eye (plus that all-in-one looks awesome—Bluetooth, camera, touchscreen, card reader, TV tuner... whatever else you can imagine)... so I started daydreaming again... especially since my current setup is such a dinosaur.
Anyway... once I decide to actually do something, I'll be back. If I can buy parts for under $667 and maybe pay someone a few bucks to put it together, or if I could get a decent build for something like $350, I'd love some suggestions.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Look, if you were actually ready to buy a computer right now, you wouldn't have even bothered posting this question. You can't have your cake and eat it too, right? $533 It’ll be three times faster and won't lag at all. Plus, the price is dirt cheap. I bet you've got a phone that costs way more than that, right? 😉 Honestly, you should probably just offload that junk for like $200.$100..

Sorry I didn't go through with that question earlier...
Nah, if I can find a way to justify it... I've been wanting to ask something like this for ages (once I finally pull the trigger on buying one), but now that I actually have the chance to grab this one, why not? Samsung With about $5,500 on the table, I was stuck deciding whether to pull the trigger on something new or just fix up my old rig. If I can refresh the old one for around $2,000 and actually get something decent out of it, maybe that’s better? Or am I looking at spending $3,000 plus labor costs just to stay afloat? It made choosing between that Samsung or sticking to the upgrade plan pretty tough, even if the deal seemed good. I think I'll hold off on the purchase for now and just ask for some advice once I'm ready to dive into the upgrade details.
I wasn't even looking for a full spec list (though thanks for that), I was just wondering if someone could pull together something decent for around $150 plus a little extra for labor? Is that even doable?
I don't exactly have a fancy phone, you know? 😉

I could really use some answers before I make my next move... what actually makes this new case better than the old one? Is it even possible to swap out the backplate—you know, the number and type of slots—to keep everything the same, or am I stuck buying a whole new unit if I want things to work right?
Do they offer free assembly if I buy the parts through them, even if I'm using an old case like this?
That’s actually my biggest concern—if I grab a new case, can I just hook up the old rig to the new one and migrate everything bit by bit? Or am I stuck wiping everything clean and starting from scratch on the new setup?
I'm not talking about software here... I mean things like documents, folders, and all that stuff you can just slowly sift through to grab only what actually matters.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Yeah, that's old news. 🙂 Time to start fresh. Maybe some connectors on the motherboard just aren't plugged in right? That would explain why those features aren't working, but hey, you can always grab a new case for like a hundred bucks.$67 Honestly, if you're going all out and buying everything brand new anyway, why not just grab a decent case too? Makes sense, right? Here’s what I’m thinking for that Intel build...

Thanks for the tip, but why bother with a new case? Isn't that just fancy packaging?
I'm actually really digging this thing... It’s got the front door, the temp display, those little indicator lights (even if they don't actually work), and those two extra USB ports right up front. Pretty sweet, right?
And a fan I can actually control?
So, does a new case actually give you better options? What's even the point of switching cases anyway?

Regarding buying anything... I wasn't actually planning on picking up something new right now since the cash I'd set aside basically vanished. But honestly, a buddy's offer for a brand-new all-in-one PC for around $850 kind of caught my attention. Should I?
Man, I definitely need to do something about this. Everything is just lagging, stuttering, and freezing up on me...

= $542 Just checking in via CNN.com... look, it doesn't come with a case. Whether you want to hang onto that old chassis is really up to you. Anyway, I popped in a solid Intel processor with integrated graphics for you. You just plug it straight into the motherboard, which has 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 3.5 hard drive. Hopefully, that’s enough storage for what you need? You've still got some breathing room left. $127 So, about that case... You want to go big spender on a fancy one, or should I look for something a bit more budget-friendly? Or are you just sticking with the old one?

That pricey? Seriously, can we actually find a better deal than that? 😕
That’s not exactly pocket change to me, but hey... I'm not being totally unrealistic here. I honestly figured I wouldn't be able to pick up anything new and decent for under 2,000 or 2,500 bucks.
Thanks for the suggestions... honestly, don't go looking for anything right now because I have no clue if I'd even want to do it. Everything's just changing day by day, you know?
Ugh, I had such a bad experience with CNN.com that I told myself I’d never buy anything from them again. But... if they're really my only shot at getting this done, I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet.

crimsonstag84 said:Go with all new stuff—it’s honestly the cheapest way to go. Why bother?

Check out this ASUS H61M-P20. It's got Socket 1155, DDR3, SATA II, PS/2, USB 2.0, VGA, DVI, LAN, and audio Line-In. Pretty standard stuff, right?
Just an Intel Celeron G1610. Simple enough?
Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 3.5
Chicony Active 350W ATX PSU, CHI-HPA-350W
LG DVDRW 24x GH24NS95 SATA black bulk
ATX Mid Tower Case by Akyga, model AKY309BK. Doesn't come with a power supply.
Kingston DDR3 4GB 1600MHz KVR16N11S8/4 RAM. Anyone else running this?

All in all: $514+$13 Free delivery plus they'll put it together for you for free? Not bad, right? CNN.com

Is that really all I need for my build?
That's it? Is that all there is to it?
Would they even fit in the old case?
My DVDs are working fine... except for this one that keeps disappearing from my computer for no reason. Honestly, sticking with the old case seems like a solid move since those two discs are already tucked away in there. I just need to figure out why one keeps vanishing on me.

Timothy Kim60 said:It’s more than doable, honestly. Why wouldn't it be? $333
Just keep the case and the DVD-RW—assuming there's a SATA slot—and maybe the power supply too.

I have no clue what a slot actually is or how I'm supposed to find one. Any ideas?

She could honestly just stick with the old power supply. I mean, you don't really need anything fancy in terms of wattage, right? Only reason to swap it would be if the thing is getting too old.

I honestly think so. Is there anything else? Time to swap it out. There was some issue with the connectors—they were all warped or something—so one of the guys helped me patch it up a bit. Still, it’s definitely old enough to call it quits on, right?

Maybe I could swap in a faster SSD later to make the whole thing snappier? Just gotta find the right bracket, too.

Man, I wish this thing would pick up the pace just a little. It gets pretty sluggish sometimes, you know? ☕ I could probably knit a sweater (if I actually knew how) by the time this thing finally opens. And don't even get me started on videos—they just stutter and freeze constantly. Is it just me?
What exactly is a "bracket"?

If you were from Chicago, I’d probably just put these parts together for you for free.

So, if I'm getting this right, they throw in the assembly for free if you buy the parts from them, right? Or what?
Besides that, what are they even going to do with this piece of junk?

Larry Ortiz5 said:For $1933 you'd probably get a better deal putting together a desktop and a monitor separately..

I know these all-in-ones usually end up costing more, but given the price, it feels like a steal, so I figured... might as well see what the pros think. (It's not like I'm loaded, but... money talks, right?)

Just pulled this report up... not sure if anyone actually needs this, but maybe it'll work as a starting point.

OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Pentium 4
Barton 0.13um technology
RAM
2.00GB dual-channel DDR @ 167MHz (2.5-3-3-7)
Motherboard
nVidia-nForce (Socket A) 56 °C
Graphics
SyncMaster (1280x1024@60Hz)
256MB NVIDIA GeForce FX series (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (C.P. Technology)
NVIDIA GeForce FX series Secondary (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (C.P. Technology)
CrossFire is disabled
Storage
149GB Western Digital hard drive (ATA) 37 °C
111GB Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 3.5 (ATA) 35 °C
Optical Drives
HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH22NP20 ATA Device
DVD RW DVR-MCC ATA Device
Audio
Realtek AC'97 Audio

Regarding the build—basically, I used to have lights on the power and reset buttons (they don't work now) and two USB ports on the side near those buttons (those are dead too)... plus a fan where I can adjust the speed. If I ever decide to go through with building this thing, I'd really love to get those bits working again.
Is that even doable? Like, could I fix up this old case, or am I looking at buying a whole new one?
Not sure what the case model is. Maybe I'll dig through some paperwork if that helps anyone.

A buddy’s offering me a new Apple MacBook Air.
Since that’s way too much cash for me right now, I’m wondering if I can just spruce up my old desktop instead. It probably doesn't have anything useful in it, but could I get it into decent shape for about $667? (Keep in mind, that's without a keyboard, mouse, monitor, or any disc drives).
So, basically, what kind of setup can I get for those $667 plus a little extra for some help? (Because honestly, I have no clue how to put this stuff together myself).
It's just for basic work—Office, nothing heavy, browsing, music, videos... nothing crazy.
Is that even doable for that kind of money?

I’m a bit lost here, so I wanted to get your take on this Microsoft Surface Pro
Think it’d be a solid move to grab that
for $1933, maybe even saving a few bucks.
It's brand new.

Rachel Jones8 said:just testing some stuff out

Like this?