Looking to upgrade my computer, need input/help

[jtcstrat]

well hourang you are very close to me, if i bought parts would you help? i can drop it off

 

[Stalker]

yup reinstalling xp and using your gateway driver disk should solve the problem.

you have an 80gb internal hard drive (if your specs are right) with a 1Tb external drive why in the heck would you need more internal space? even if you did a lot of gaming where they install big program files you should still be good (which you dont do gaming).

Internal drive will run a lot faster. As old as his machine is, I doubt he's running USB 2.0. You know how long it would take to pull up even 500 gigs of data via usb 1.0?

 

[hourang]

my guess is so i can work off the 500gb internal and it would be faster? idk they looked cheap for the amount of extra space it would give me.

My internal is got 76gb filled..

What would be my working "live" hd then? my internal

well unless your motherboard supports SATA which i dont think it does, you will need to get an IDE drive which will be the same speed you have now. if you can get SATA then yeah it will be faster. im sure they sell SATA addon cards to support it but you probably wouldnt notice the speed difference. most computer guys that recommend the faster drives do a lot more speed intensive things like gaming.

its filled with your music and other files that you would be storing in the external. after the files are copied over to the external, the old drive will be formatted and be 100% free.

for normal things the working hdd would be the internal, but for any downloads, music, movies, pictures, etc, you will save them to the external instead.

just to give you an example. my computer at work, which i use every single day, download all kinds of programs, work with excel and word files all day, have a huge email file with thousands of file attachments is only a 150gb SATA drive. i have 115gb free. music and movies take up a LOT of space which is best left for an external anyway so you can bring it wherever you want.

 

[hourang]

Internal drive will run a lot faster. As old as his machine is, I doubt he's running USB 2.0. You know how long it would take to pull up even 500 gigs of data via usb 1.0?

that is true usb 1.0 is slow as ballz. didnt think of that.

 

[jtcstrat]

eh...so now what lol

 

[hourang]

you might be better off with this unless your motherboard has SATA:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136110

 

[dave89iroc]

eh...so now what lol

external is still a good idea, just so you can have backups and your music on a drive that you can move between computers, a clean 80 gig drive should be plenty,

 

[jtcstrat]

so back to having a new 500gb internal, 1tb external (using 1.0usb?) memory, reinstalling os and fixing the sound.


Whats the reason for a 500gb internal and not my 80gb internal?

 

[hourang]

well hourang you are very close to me, if i bought parts would you help? i can drop it off

im more than willing to help but it depends on when my baby comes which could be any day now. i might be a little busy with a newborn

 

[hourang]

so back to having a new 500gb internal, 1tb external (using 1.0usb?) memory, reinstalling os and fixing the sound.


Whats the reason for a 500gb internal and not my 80gb internal?

your 80gb is full and since the external with usb 1.0 will take forever to transfer files from you are better off storing your usable files internal and using an external device as a backup device only.

 

[jtcstrat]

SO:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136110

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136321

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141308

and re install OS?

 

[hourang]

you can use the old 80gig as your backup device by buying a external case for like $15. you would be limited to how much you can backup but its cheaper than buying a huge external drive and better than nothing.

 

[nmcgrawj]

DIdnt think of usb 1.0 vs 2.0 either. Good call.

My 2.0 runs fine.

 

[hourang]

SO:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136110

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136321

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141308

and re install OS?

yes or substitute the external drive for:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182153

 

[jtcstrat]

Ok, but if i have the money is it still a good idea to get a large external for backup just in case?

How can i check to see if its 2.0 or 1.0? And is there a way to upgrade that?


Last, i dont know if i have my original cd for my os, is there a way to still re-install my os for free?

 

[jtcstrat]

Thanks for the help, +1 to all help.

 

[hourang]

Ok, but if i have the money is it still a good idea to get a large external for backup just in case?

How can i check to see if its 2.0 or 1.0? And is there a way to upgrade that?


Last, i dont know if i have my original cd for my os, is there a way to still re-install my os for free?

yes

your computer only supports 1.1. the hard drive will work in either 2.0 or 1.1

yes, xp pro? or home? does the pc have the os key on it?

 

[jtcstrat]

ok so from those specs you know it only has 1.1?

Its xp home, and i dont know? how do i find that out?

 

[jtcstrat]

Are all those things listed compatible with my computer? I mean like buying mustang parts for a mustang, not a gm...

lol i know its a noob question

 

[dave89iroc]

ok so from those specs you know it only has 1.1?

Its xp home, and i dont know? how do i find that out?

is there one of those microsoft stickers on the case somewhere(usually on the back, sometimes on the side