Kajper's Info Corner

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?

You could definitely put together a decent PC for those tasks within $667. But regarding your current setup—you haven't really given me any specifics to work with, have you? Why don't you try downloading and running CPU-Z? It’ll give you a full breakdown of all your hardware components. Once you've got that, just copy over the info 🙂—who knows, maybe we can salvage a few parts from the old machine to save some cash.

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.

Well, that’s all pretty old news 🙂 It might be time to just start fresh... Regarding the case, maybe some of the connectors on the motherboard aren't plugged in right? That could be why you've lost those functions—but honestly, you can pick up a decent case for maybe 100-$67 bucks. If you're buying everything else new anyway, it probably makes sense to grab a new case too. Here is my suggestion for an Intel-based build...

Intel Celeron G1820 Processor
ASUS H81M-E Motherboard (S1150, DDR3, SATA II, SATA III, PS/2, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, LAN, audio Line-In, Audi
Adata DDR3 4GB 1600MHz, AD3U1600C2G11-R
Chicony Active 400W ATX PSU, CHI-HPA-400W
Western Digital hard drive Desktop Caviar Blue (3.5", 500GB, 16MB, SATA III-600) WD5000AAKX
Samsung SATA Bulk Black Optical Drive

= $542 (CNN.com) but without the case... Now, whether you want to stick with your old case is really up to you. Anyway, I put together a solid Intel option for you—it has integrated graphics built right in, so you'll just connect through the motherboard. You've got 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive; hopefully, that's enough storage for what you need? And there's still some extra room in the budget $127 for a case. Do you want me to aim for something more expensive, should I look for something cheaper, or are you planning to just stick with your old one?

Best way to go all new on a budget:

ASUS H61M-P20 motherboard (Socket 1155, DDR3, SATA II, PS/2, USB 2.0, VGA, DVI, LAN, audio Line-In, Audio
Intel Celeron G1610 processor
Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 3.5''
Chicony Active 350W ATX PSU, CHI-HPA-350W
LG DVDRW 24x GH24NS95 SATA black bulk
Midi ATX Case Akyga AKY309BK without PSU
Kingston DDR3 4GB 1600MHz KVR16N11S8/4

Total: $514+$13 shipping, plus you get free assembly from CNN.com

It's more than doable even for $333
You can just reuse your current case and DVD-RW (assuming it's a SATA drive), and potentially the power supply too.

http://www.cnn.com/details_product...ron-g1610.aspx
http://www.cnn.com/details_product...-in-audio.aspx
http://www.cnn.com/details_product...16n11s8-4.aspx
http://www.cnn.com/details_product...500gb-3-5.aspx - for about $27, you could actually get one twice as large (1TB)

She could probably stick with the old power supply because, in terms of raw wattage, you don't need anything special; the only reason to swap it would be if the unit is just getting too old.
http://www.cnn.com/details_product...-hpa-400w.aspx

As for the rest, you might want to throw in a faster drive (an SSD) to make the computer feel much snappier http://www.cnn.com/details_product...s37a-120g.aspx plus a mounting bracket

If you happen to be in New York City, if you took those parts over to them, they would likely put it all together for you for free.

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?

Look, if you weren't actually ready to pull the trigger on a new PC right now, there probably wasn't much point in even asking. I mean, you can't have your cake and eat it too, right? $533 And honestly, what's the big deal? If it runs three times faster and stops lagging, that's a tiny price to pay... You likely have a smartphone worth way more than that difference anyway 😉 As for that old junk you're running currently, just sell it for maybe $200-$100..

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.

Rachel Jones8 said:Actually, if I understood correctly, they assemble it for free if you buy the parts from them, right?
Besides that, what would they even do with this old junk of mine?

Well, you could bring your current case to them and have them install the parts inside (assuming you aren't buying a new case). They provide assembly if you purchase everything brand new. You can find the cheapest ones starting around $80$33, but they'll definitely be lower quality than yours based on your description.

The red cable in the photo below is SATA, and that wide flat one at the top is IDE:



Based on what you posted earlier from CPU-Z, you're going to need a new power supply too.

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.

Rachel Jones8 said:It’s built right into the hardware.
When you're buying or building a system, you should probably specify if you need that "SATA" connection... 🙂

Yes, it's internal. You don't even need to mention it when buying a new PC because SATA has been the industry standard for at least 7 or 8 years now. Your old components won't work in a modern build because current motherboards simply don't support those legacy slots anymore.

If you don't have a specific use for it, there's no reason to buy a new optical drive; they aren't even necessary for running a computer these days. Just move your important documents from the old machine onto a USB stick, an external hard drive, or similar—or just burn them to a disc or upload them to OneDrive, then transfer them to the new PC whenever you're ready.

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)

Rachel Jones8 said:I’ve got one of those external hard drives myself—nothing huge, though. I was mostly asking because, let’s face it, over the years you just end up accumulating so much digital junk. It’s a total guessing game trying to figure out what’s actually worth saving and what can be tossed. It would definitely be a lot easier if I could just slowly sift through everything and move it over at my own pace.
Look, if I'm sticking with this same old tower, then none of that really matters. In my head, I just pictured being able to plug a second computer into a USB port, exactly like you would with a thumb drive, a digital camera, or an external hard drive. You'd just browse through the files and drag over whatever you actually need. Sorry, I don't really know much about how this stuff works!

Listen, if that drive uses a SATA connection—which, from what I’ve gathered through a quick search, it should—you could easily plug it into a new PC and just browse through your files like normal.

You might be able to pick one up eventually. Controller. Then we're good to go.

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: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)

If you want to get this running, you should plug the old hard drive directly into the motherboard of the new PC. That said, you really ought to grab a brand-new drive. That old one is ancient, way too small, and it’s going to be about as fast as a snail in molasses.

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.😉

Rachel Jones8 said:On the thread mentioned above, guys suggested some stuff for about $533 (up to $200)... and that was for all the parts, since my gear is ancient.
I'm not committing to anything right now, just looking for info.
If it turns out I need $1000 just for those two things... then you can't really build anything decent for that kind of money?
I'm not asking for a specific build (yet), I just want to know if it's possible to put something together for roughly $667 (up to $250) for office work, web browsing, Zoom, Photoshop would be nice, maybe some simple games, video/music... that's basically it.
My keyboard, mouse, and monitor still work... though I'm not sure about the ports. My DVD drives work too, even though people said they're outdated because of incompatible slots.
(There's a list of my parts in that Best Buy advice thread)

You can pull something together for $200-$250... but for $150? I doubt it... unless you're picking the absolute cheapest junk available.

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?