Want to upgrade old server for new computer

[AlexK12]

okay here's the deal, i really need a new computer, my imac that i use is 4 years old now. the other thing is that we also have this

http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/proliant2500/index.html

... pretty old eh (its a pentium pro 200 mhz)? i'm thinking i can save money by just upgrading this for my new computer and using its ram/case and other stuff. heres what i think i'll need:

new mobo - possibly a msi kt333 ultra2?
new processor - amd 1600+ 1700+ xp
new hd - some western digital or something 40 gb or something
some more ram - 256 or 128 more to the 256mb already there...possibly pc2100 ddr ram?
new vid card - radeon 8500 or geforce4 ti 4200
cd burner - liteon 40 x cdrw

i like to play games on my computer, i want to play cs and war3..i also listen to lotsa mp3s and surf the net a lot and download stuff.

give me feedback, help me out. tell me if i'm insane. thanks!

 

[Snickle]

The memory on the Pentium Pro probably won't work on the new board, probably is 72-pin SIMMs. New ones are 168-pin DIMMs or 184-pin DDR DIMMs.

You are changing everything except the case and floppy drive. Your total saving is about $100.

The power supply may not be hefty enough for the AMD XP CPU and would need a new one. Total saving now about $50.

If the Pentium Pro case is an AT, you may need to get a new one, ATX, which means a new keyboard and mouse, PS/2 plugs and would include a new power supply. Total saving is now about $20-25, the cost of a new floppy drive.

While the Pentium Pro is a decent computer, upgrading it is not cost-effective.

 

[jimioz]

He's right. You can save the floppy, maybe the CD if you have one and if its not too slow. You can try adapters for your mouse and keybord, but after paying the $5 each only to find out they don't work, you'll be worse off...

What you should do is buy a whole new system. Even spend the extra $150 for a new monitor (17" ofcourse) and get a cross over cable and an extra network card. Put the extra network card in the old one, and now you have a network, which is great for playing games like WarCraftIII!

Also, as much as I would like to recomend using XP on your new system, if they are playing games together it might be better to have the same os on both.

 

[paparazi]

2700DDR would be better and price/availability not too bad now.go for CL2 if poss but otherwise CL2.5.
Geforce 4200Ti is marginally better than a Radeon 8500 and has better driver support (all the 3Dbenchmarks higher for GF4)
Don't rely on the generic PSU that comes with a new case, get branded 350watt minimum (Enermax rule) Martin Please let members know if there advice has helped any.

 

[SQLScholar]

Excuse me but i dont understand Berton comment

"If the Pentium Pro case is an AT, you may need to get a new one, ATX, which means a new keyboard and mouse, PS/2 plugs and would include a new power supply"

Why would if they got a ATX case whould they have to buy a new keyboard and mouse, ps2 plugs??

Generally a Pentium pro will be using a PS2 mouse and keyboard, likewise if you get a new ATX case/motherboard??

I am just completely baffled what you mean here??

Regards

Dan

 

[wolluf]

Dan,

AT motherboards generally don't use PS/2 mice & keyboards (they use serial mice & keyboards with big connector - don't know generic name for them). So, if you have to upgrade from AT to ATX you'll probably need new mouse & keyboard as Berton says.

 

[SQLScholar]

I have used/fixed/seen loads of pentium machines, the majority of which have PS2.... actually the only one i can think of which used serial mouse was a converted 486 made into a pentium (kept case)

Agree to differ

 

[paparazi]

Hi plank!
Sure there isn't any hard and fast rules as to when PS2 took over from the old serial conections but as a general rule the introduction of the Pentium 2 and ATX form factor usually means PS2.
Pre P2/ATX = Serial
So there are plenty of 60/75/100/133/166/200/233 pentium 1's , the majority of which are AT with serial mouse and keyboards.
But of course there is always the exception to the rule.
Martin Please let members know if there advice has helped any.

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Pentium Pro machines, on the whole are ATX, because Pentium Pro is the forerunner of the Pentium II - it's a completely different animal to regular Pentiums.

All PPro machines I've used are PS/2 all the way. Most also have USB and I/R headers.

You should be able to get any standard DDR ATX board in that machine (DDR boards are the only choice, IMO, but mean you can't use your old DIMMS - you CAN'T add DDR DIMMS to standard ECC DIMMS), but be careful with the mountings; PPro and server boards generally are bigger than regular ATX boards.

You could re-use the CD and HDD by purchasing a SCSI adapter, and make the upgrade process less of a budget hit by upgrading in a more piecemeal fashion.

IMO, you may as well add a case to the list you have, and be done with it - new PC!. Use the Compaq as a headless Linux-based web server, and you'll be able to use the MAC and PC to communicate with each other, share the internet connection and printer/scanner, you can also have a firewall that works (as opposed to WinXP's collander).

To save money, a GeForce 4 MX graphics card will give great gaming performance. You'd only want a 4400Ti or Radeon 8500 to get into the top 1000 on Mad Onion, IMO. Unless you're definitely going RAID, the Chaintech Apogee 7VJL is my board of the moment, since it has just about every feature you could want (and then some), and the performance of the SOYO Dragon (according to many benchmarks!) at a PC Chips price (well, nearly!).

That should save enough for the 350W PSU AND a CoolerMaster ATCS 201 (The case of choice, according to Ars Technica).

CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk