Gaming Bought a new destkop but i don't know if it is a good one

[stylow]

Today i have bought a Packard Bell Destkop ismart 2369 from a friend cause he doesn't use it anymore.
I wanted one because i'm going to upgrade it later and with my current laptop it is really hard to do that so with a destkop it is easier and my friend can do it with only Destkops.
I wanted to know if the destkop is worth upgrading here are the specs.
Operating System: Genuine Windows® Vista
Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 524
Memory: 1024MB DDR
Hard Disk Drive:80GB, 15GB 2nd Hard Drive
8 in 1 card reader
Optical drive: DVD+/-R9
Graphics: ATI Radeon™ Xpress 200Sound

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

You probably won't be able to play any games from the last 10 years.

EDIT: Also, it'd be cheaper to make a whole new PC than upgrade that. You'd need a new motherboard, new RAM, probably a bigger HDD if you'd want, new PSU, new graphics card etc.

 

[Bobbyloujo]

Yeah.... probably not worth trying to upgrade.

 

[Satangel]

You probably won't be able to play any games from the last 10 years.

Wouldn't rule out the allmighty Age of Empires 2 though

 

[stylow]

You probably won't be able to play any games from the last 10 years.

Than i will use it for surfing and downloading things but i won't play high end games but just games like call of duty 3 and Maybe after upgrading CoD WaW

 

[Berthenk]

It's not worth upgrading.

Ancient motherboard, CPU and RAM.
That's all really. Doesn't even have a dedicated GPU so you're pretty much fucked.
It's advertised to be able to run Vista but I really doubt that seeing as it's only got 1GB. It could be able to, but I don't think you'd be happy with the result.
My opinion? Money down the drain.

Edit: oi, 20 bucks? You might be able to sell some of the hardware.

 

[TheZoc]

Windows 7 is lighter than Windows Vista. Use it if you don't want to stick with Windows XP.

 

[Joe88]

you payed for that?

I find stuff like that in the trash all the time

It's advertised to be able to run Vista but I really doubt that seeing as it's only got 1GB. It could be able to, but I don't think you'd be happy with the result.

I ran vista ultimate on 512MB ram for over a year with no problems

 

[stylow]

It's not worth upgrading.

Ancient motherboard, CPU and RAM.
That's all really. Doesn't even have a dedicated GPU so you're pretty much fucked.
It's advertised to be able to run Vista but I really doubt that seeing as it's only got 1GB. It could be able to, but I don't think you'd be happy with the result.
My opinion? Money down the drain.

Edit: oi, 20 bucks? You might be able to sell some of the hardware.

Maybe i will but i gotta try playing with this thing like putting linux on it

 

[stylow]

You probably won't be able to play any games from the last 10 years.

EDIT: Also, it'd be cheaper to make a whole new PC than upgrade that. You'd need a new motherboard, new RAM, probably a bigger HDD if you'd want, new PSU, new graphics card etc.

Since i'm just 15 i first want to know more about computers than i will build one as we are going to learn that on school

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

It really isn't that hard to build your own PC, built my first when I was 14. You definitely don't need to "learn" about it in school. It is pretty simple and you could find guides online that will teach you with about 5 minutes of reading.

 

[stylow]

It really isn't that hard to build your own PC, built my first when I was 14. You definitely don't need to "learn" about it in school. It is pretty simple and you could find guides online that will teach you with about 5 minutes of reading.

Oke that sounds really good to me also knowing that it is not hard too is also cool but first i gotta know how many it wil cost but i don't want high end specs just average ones

 

[Originality]

There are any number of "let's build my first PC" clips on noobtoob (YouTube) that show you the basics - that building a PC is like playing with lego. You just prepare the pieces and put them together in the right order. I think I even saw a clip of a 6yo girl successfully building a PC following a guide and with a tiny bit of help from her dad. I know I've been building computers since the age of 8, and back then noobtoob was still a dream due to the limitations of 28k modems (mine was named "rocket").

As for the PC in the OP... well.... it's a lot better than my first 3 PCs.

 

[Majorami]

Its not worth upgrading in any way and here's why:

Any new part you buy, is in itself, worth more than the computer as a whole.

Maybe a gig of ram might be worth the $15

It also doesn't help much that computer parts have to be compatible with the motherboard, and older upgrade parts are hard to find for 7+year old machines. Infact, you may have a rare-ish type of ram that wasn't in circulation very long and would cost more than today's newer, better ram. My mother had an old PC with an uncommon ram that cost near $80 when others cost $40.

Anyways... think of upgrading computers as like upgrading car parts...Would you buy car parts that cost more than the car you're putting them into?

If you're computer-brainy enough, you can optimize your PC settings to atleast be able to play games in the 2003-2005 era on low-settings. I believe I also was able to run Tomb Raider Legend on a Pent4, 1GB Ram. Also did Psychonauts and Halo. Also Final Fantasy VIII PC edition.

 

[stylow]

Its not worth upgrading in any way and here's why:

Any new part you buy, is in itself, worth more than the computer as a whole.

Maybe a gig of ram might be worth the $15

It also doesn't help much that computer parts have to be compatible with the motherboard, and older upgrade parts are hard to find for 7+year old machines. Infact, you may have a rare-ish type of ram that wasn't in circulation very long and would cost more than today's newer, better ram. My mother had an old PC with an uncommon ram that cost near $80 when others cost $40.

Anyways... think of upgrading computers as like upgrading car parts...Would you buy car parts that cost more than the car you're putting them into?

If you're computer-brainy enough, you can optimize your PC settings to atleast be able to play games in the 2003-2005 era on low-settings. I believe I also was able to run Tomb Raider Legend on a Pent4, 1GB Ram. Also did Psychonauts and Halo. Also Final Fantasy VIII PC edition.

Guys after hearing this i decided to return it to my friend but how should i begin making my own pc as i don't have the money yet to buy all the parts now so i thought let me first get the really basic things first like a chassis and motherboard

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Guys after hearing this i decided to return it to my friend but how should i begin making my own pc as i don't have the money yet to buy all the parts now so i thought let me first get the really basic things first like a chassis and motherboard

There are various ways really. You should shop around Newegg for their DIY deals, select and pick the parts you want and put it together that way, or shop around your local shops for good deals. Although I would suggest shopping around Newegg as I managed to build a cheap gaming rig for about $400, can play all newer games on max settings.

 

[Originality]

Here's a little guide to selecting parts:

Case: Any case will do, but for modern systems you want at least one intake fan at the front/bottom and one exhaust fan at the back/top. This creates circulation. You also need to be aware of how much space is available for the power supply and graphics card, but for that just looking at reviews should tell you all you need to know.

CPU/motherboard: Either go for AMD or Intel. AMD are cheaper, Intel are stronger/faster. AMD Llano CPUs have half decent integrated graphics, so that can save you the cost of a graphics card until you save up some more. Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs also have integrated graphics, but there are many games that are incompatible with Intel graphics so if your intention is gaming, then you won't be able to depend on it. For everything else (if you need CPU power at least) go for Intel. Once you've decided on the CPU, then look for a motherboard that supports it. For AMD, look for an AM3 motherboard. For Intel, look for a 1155 motherboard (like the H61 chipset).

Power supply: First rule, don't get a cheap/unbranded PSU (they explode). Second rule, get one that's 20-30% stronger than you need. For budget systems, you only need 450W, so look for a 550-650W PSU. Antec, Corsair, Enermax and Tagan are some very good brands to look out for. Also it is easier to work with a modular power supply (because there are less wires to get in the way), but they tend to be a little bit more expensive.

Hard Drive: Do not get a Seagate HDD. Get a Samsung or Western Digital HDD. Unfortunately the prices for HDDs have doubled or tripled (depending on the model/market) due to flooding in Thailand, so look at what's available and what capacity/prices you can afford.
DVD Drive/RAM: Get the cheapest you can find. I think you can get a DVD-RW drive for €18 and 8GB of DDR3 RAM for €40. They're very cheap.
Operating System: Get Windows 7. If you can afford it, buy a legit copy. To save money, pirate it. That's all I'll say.
Peripherals: I won't give any advice on monitors, keyboards, mice, webcams, speakers or microphones. That you should be able to work out on your own.
Cooling: All CPUs will come with a stock heatsink/fan. If you get an after-market heatsink/fan, it will make your system run cooler and quieter. Arctic Freezer 13 is a good one with a fairly low cost (around €23 is my guess). This is entirely optional.

As for putting them together... refer to noobtoob.

 

[Majorami]

Guys after hearing this i decided to return it to my friend but how should i begin making my own pc as i don't have the money yet to buy all the parts now so i thought let me first get the really basic things first like a chassis and motherboard

I'm just an amateur, but I stand by my opinion about not bothering with updating old systems.
If you're set on building your own unit, I would argue that you should decide on your processor or motherboard 1st. The motherboard is picky on which processor and RAM it will use. For example, there are a few dozen types of RAM that are sold at a best buy or similar retail store, my motherboard, only accepts two of those kind. Even if the RAM fits in the slot, my PC won't power on if it has anything other than PC 4200 or PC2 5300 DDR2. And it will only accept the processors AMD Athlon, Athlon 64X2 up to 5000, or AMD Sempron.

So you either choose the processer you want, and then choose the compatible motherboard, or you choose the motherboard, and then choose the processor it can support.

If it were me, I'd choose my processor 1st, and then choose the motherboard that likes it, and worry about the rest later. Course my agenda is PS2 emulation, where processor is the influencing factor.

 

[stylow]

Guys after hearing this i decided to return it to my friend but how should i begin making my own pc as i don't have the money yet to buy all the parts now so i thought let me first get the really basic things first like a chassis and motherboard

I'm just an amateur, but I stand by my opinion about not bothering with updating old systems.
If you're set on building your own unit, I would argue that you should decide on your processor or motherboard 1st. The motherboard is picky on which processor and RAM it will use. For example, there are a few dozen types of RAM that are sold at a best buy or similar retail store, my motherboard, only accepts two of those kind. Even if the RAM fits in the slot, my PC won't power on if it has anything other than PC 4200 or PC2 5300 DDR2. And it will only accept the processors AMD Athlon, Athlon 64X2 up to 5000, or AMD Sempron.

So you either choose the processer you want, and then choose the compatible motherboard, or you choose the motherboard, and then choose the processor it can support.

If it were me, I'd choose my processor 1st, and then choose the motherboard that likes it, and worry about the rest later. Course my agenda is PS2 emulation, where processor is the influencing factor.

So if i understand this right can i replace the current processor from the destkop i buyed and than as you say replace the motherboard with a motherboard it likes and than replace all the other things like the videocard

 

[Majorami]

Guys after hearing this i decided to return it to my friend but how should i begin making my own pc as i don't have the money yet to buy all the parts now so i thought let me first get the really basic things first like a chassis and motherboard

I'm just an amateur, but I stand by my opinion about not bothering with updating old systems.
If you're set on building your own unit, I would argue that you should decide on your processor or motherboard 1st. The motherboard is picky on which processor and RAM it will use. For example, there are a few dozen types of RAM that are sold at a best buy or similar retail store, my motherboard, only accepts two of those kind. Even if the RAM fits in the slot, my PC won't power on if it has anything other than PC 4200 or PC2 5300 DDR2. And it will only accept the processors AMD Athlon, Athlon 64X2 up to 5000, or AMD Sempron.

So you either choose the processer you want, and then choose the compatible motherboard, or you choose the motherboard, and then choose the processor it can support.

If it were me, I'd choose my processor 1st, and then choose the motherboard that likes it, and worry about the rest later. Course my agenda is PS2 emulation, where processor is the influencing factor.

So if i understand this right can i replace the current processor from the destkop i buyed and than as you say replace the motherboard with a motherboard it likes and than replace all the other things like the videocard

You can replace any part you want/have to just so as long as the motherboard was built for them. You can pick an excellent motherboard, and an ok-processor just as long as they are compatible, and then when you get more money, choose to replace that processor for a better one. Note that the processor will still have to be compatible... so theres no garuntee that a motherboard you buy in 2012, will work with newer processors you might want to buy in 2017. Even if you buy an Intel motherboard, theres a high-chance that in 5 years from now, the Intel i7's that are all the rage now, will be replaced by Intel ZZZZZmadeupfuturechipZZX1

But yeah... you can switch out and swap cheap parts with newer parts just as long as they''re compatible. Most motherboards do support multiple-types of processors of the same brand. That "compatibility" word I keep throwing around is exactly the reason why you can't/shouldn't upgrade your Packard Bell. Its Pentium 4. Its not like it has the hardware to allow you to upgrade to a Core Duo, or an i3. You can get processors fairly cheap, but it won't do you any good putting it in an older machine that won't even accept it. If you wanted to upgrade your friend's Packard, you'll have to hunt down most-likely used parts that were made 5, 6 years ago. But back to the main thing, you can switch and swap parts and blah blah compatibility blah.