Help I need a new computer.

[jwillifixit]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

... in my shop.

Oh, and by "shop" I mean my 2 car garage that is to full of computers to use as a garage.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

The memory and expansion slots should be standard (not sure how "picky" the board may be with memory, but the slots themselves are standard). The PSU and Motherboard are both proprietary as is the entire power harness, you may have noted the PSU only has connectors for the motherboard, the harness for the drives plugs into the motherboard (but the drive-end connectors are standard SATA).

With the old skool Compaqs, it appears that even the RAM is proprietary, lmao...

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Ok I finally got around to buying a rebuilt Dell Optiplex 7010 with win 10 pro.

Computer came with no papers or product key label so done know what to do.

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

I screwed up the setup process guess the computer will be going back.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

if your budget is 1k, why not get something new?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...86&ignorebbr=1

nothing is future proof but at least this will perform pretty well for the next few years

[ratdude747]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

if your budget is 1k, why not get something new?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...86&ignorebbr=1

nothing is future proof but at least this will perform pretty well for the next few years

...and run for the next few years too. After that, who knows

Just saying... but I'm a builder more than I am a buyer.

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Just kidding I sorted it out but I can’t find any thing in Windows 10. No wonder you guys don’t like Windows 10.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

old enough refurbs are going to usually be 7.

if you want I can build a skylake system for you here and ship it to you. Antec PSU, MSI Pro-class motherboard, 8GB, SSD, i3-6100 (more then enough for email and browsing). Under 1k.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

I get $474 for parts. Sucks skylake is going into the low supply, kaby lake is win7 capable only with a few hacks

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Uranium-235 thank you for the offer but I am stuck with this Dell.

Optiplex 7010 Mini Tower Windows 10 Pro
I5-3570 Processor
16GB DDR3
2TB Hitachi HD

[tmcw]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Uranium-235 thank you for the offer but I am stuck with this Dell.

Optiplex 7010 Mini Tower Windows 10 Pro
I5-3570 Processor
16GB DDR3
2TB Hitachi HD

That's a fine spec PC for what you said you need it for.

We use 10+ year old PCs here (Dell OptiPlex 745/755 vintage) with Q9400's and E6600's CPUs (and less on laptops) with 3-4 GB DDR2, and Win7, which work as well as we need them to (office/internet/media playing)

A nice upgrade we recently made with a couple of PCs was to switch to solid state drives with the OS and main applications on it, and leave the spinning disk for storage, docs, vids, etc. We went with a Kingston A400 which you can probably find for about $25 now.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Uranium-235 thank you for the offer but I am stuck with this Dell.

Optiplex 7010 Mini Tower Windows 10 Pro
I5-3570 Processor
16GB DDR3
2TB Hitachi HD

It's ivy bridge (3rd gen) but still pretty good specs.

Did yours come with a video card? (non intel integrated graphics)

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

No it did not come with a video card the 4 expansion card slots are empty.

For now I need to find out the best way to connect to cable I can’t get a straight answer out of the cable company. The cable company said something like they will lease any required equipment.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

No it did not come with a video card the 4 expansion card slots are empty.

For now I need to find out the best way to connect to cable I can’t get a straight answer out of the cable company. The cable company said something like they will lease any required equipment.

do you already have a router? what about your old computer? was it connected directly to the router with an ethernet cable?

edit: also, if you have the full-sized atx case, you can get a good card in there and turn it into a gaming box. and ivy-bridge i5 and 16gb of ram are more then sufficient for many games

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

I am using dialup and have never had cable. I was given a Linksys WRT160N Router but it is probably too old to be of use.

No Gaming here I am an old man with bad eyesight.

[Curious.George]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

I am using dialup and have never had cable. I was given a Linksys WRT160N Router but it is probably too old to be of use.

No Gaming here I am an old man with bad eyesight.

Your cable company will provide (or require you to lease) a "cable modem" to interface to THEIR network (via the actual "cable"). One side will be a connection to the "(TV) cable"; the other side will be an ethernet connector.

Your computer will also need to have an ethernet connector.

You can connect the computer to the modem with a "network cable"/"CAT5 cable"/"patch cord", etc. -- call it what you like.

[Technically, you need a crossover cable -- one that swaps the transmit and receive wires so "transmit" on one end of the cable becomes "receive" on the other end. Most CAT5 cables are "straight through" and don't have this "twist" built into them (like a "crossover" cable). However, the cable modem will have the ability to automatically "twist" the wiring connections so you can use a "straight through" cable.]

The cable modem will "issue" an IP (internet protocol) address to your computer (if you configure the computer to accept one). Thereafter, any time your computer wants to "talk to The Internet", it will send messages to the cable modem and the cable modem will (eventually) pass them along to The Internet, as you intended.

A router can be inserted between the cable modem and your PC. The router gives you some additional capabilities:

• typically includes a small "network switch" to allow multiple computers to be connected to that cable modem as well as TO EACH OTHER (think in terms of adding a printer, etc.)
• often adds support for wireless clients in addition to the "wired" ones, above
• usually includes some sort of firewall to reduce risk of hacking (though routers can also be hacked!)
• traffic monitoring (so you can see how much data is moving across the network)
• diagnostics

(There are other advantages but they start to get technical)

The functions provided by a router are largely timeless -- an old router doesn't simply "stop working". But, it may be more prone to being hacked. Or, may have throughput limitations. Or, be limited to older technology (e.g., esp for the wireless clients).

At the very least, it gives you the ability to control your own little "internet" (not to be confused with The Internet) isolated from the rest of the world (you can always unplug your cable modem and still have this little private internet)

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

CG hank you for all that information I printed it.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

I am using dialup and have never had cable. I was given a Linksys WRT160N Router but it is probably too old to be of use.

No Gaming here I am an old man with bad eyesight.

Are you going to continue using dial up? Or have you subscribed to something faster?

if you are going to continue using, you need a 56k modem of any kind. Even USB.

[Curious.George]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

CG hank you for all that information I printed it.

I apologize if I misunderstood -- I was under the assumption that you NOW had cable (and were at a loss as to how to connect with it).

Note that the router comments apply in any case. Replace "cable modem" with the phrase "DSL modem" if you end up with DSL.

[I use a microwave link, here, but the same arrangement of wiring and router]

If your only choice is dialup, then you will typically have to connect that modem directly to a computer and have that computer command it to dial out. OTOH, once you have done so, that computer can act as a "beach-head" to provide access to the internet (via that dialup modem) using "connection sharing".

[ron350]

Re: Help I need a new computer.

Yep I have PCI slot modems but what I end up with depends on price.

I an currently paying AT&T $65 a month + $8 for Frys dialup service.
Spectrum cable will cost at least $70 to $80 per month.
There is a neighbor who claims she is only paying AT&T $60 for DSL and they include some kind of phone service. If my neighbor is telling the truth that deal might be worth trying but I don’t trust AT&T.