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Author Upgrading my PC
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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15th Oct 08 at 17:58   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
I've had my home PC for about 3years now, and its full of crap, gone slow and probably lost all the valuable parts on it

Its a HP A1338.

Heres the spec : http://www.ciao.co.uk/HP_Pavilion_A1338_uk__6478026

What can i do to make it quicker, run better etc. For not many pennies!

Ram?
Memory?
Fan?
Case?
willay
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Organiser: South East, National Events
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Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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16th Oct 08 at 07:39   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Still seems like an OK spec, quite possibly that you've filled it with so much crap it doesn't. If the RAM is indeed 1GB then the only thing I could suggest which may well be over kill for you is upgrade to 2GB?

What operation system are you running?

What do you use the PC for?

In them 3 years, have you ever rebuild the OS so its back to factory settings? - if so then when?

With that sort of specification and depending on your requirements in terms of PC use I'd probably backup your files, format&reinstall.

edit - format and put XP on it, I've downgraded a couple of Vista laptops lately

[Edited on 16-10-2008 by willay]
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 15:38   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Im running XP Pro on it.

The PC is/will be used for aquiring/watching films and aquiring/listening to music. So it will probably be on a say a couple of days at a time.

With it being on for so long i want it to stay quite nippy when i need to things on it and as quite as possible when im in bed.

How do you mean rebuilt OS?

I've took my actually PC to peices a couple times to clean all the dust and crap out.

I was going to reinstall the whole thing anyways, i just want it to be top notch for when i do so.
willay
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Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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16th Oct 08 at 15:53   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
right well its probably just fucked from so much use, stuff running in the background, probably loads of spyware churning away from all the dodgy porn sites you visit.

I'd suggest backing up all your documents, naughty photos of your girlfriend and shit and formating it, installing xp pro from fresh, update, and reinstall shit you need from scratch.
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 15:57   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
So you dont think theres much point in buying new parts for inside the PC, like more memory or quieter fans?
willay
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16th Oct 08 at 15:57   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
quiter fans wont make it run better mate, ram will help the applications run faster in some instances. But try a nice free format first
Jakey
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Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 16:15   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Will do, cheers buddy
pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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16th Oct 08 at 16:29   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Bit o' RAM would help, other than that a wipe clean and start again
Jakey
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Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 16:33   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Any good sites to buy some decent RAM?
pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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16th Oct 08 at 16:40   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Dabs boyo, dirty cheap on there, almost as dirty as your GF...

[Edited on 16-10-2008 by pow]
Jakey
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Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 16:40   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Cheers babe x
pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
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16th Oct 08 at 16:41   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Mwahh

Actually, before you order, let me see if I have any old strips kocking about at work xx
dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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16th Oct 08 at 16:42   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Also you could try Crucial, I always find they are pretty competitive for good quality stuff

edit - and if its running 'noisy' open the case up and get the hoover nozzle in there all about the place, or if you are doing it properly a few cans of compressed air to blow all the shit out, but then youve got to hoover anyway so your choice

[Edited on 16-10-2008 by dannymccann]
Jakey
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16th Oct 08 at 16:42   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote


I don't really know what im looking for either tbh
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 16:43   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Cheers Danny, ill keep that in mind if David can't find me anything
dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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16th Oct 08 at 16:44   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Thats the thing with Crucial they have a tool for finding what memory is compatible, as from what you have said its some crap 'off the shelf' desktop (HP / Packard etc) so just plug the model number in and away it goes
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 16:50   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
2GB kit (1GBx2), 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-4200 memory module
CT855834
£18.99 ex. VAT
£22.31 inc. VAT*
pow
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Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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16th Oct 08 at 16:59   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Nice price tbh
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 17:04   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
What i thought.

When/if i put new memory in, do i just put old out, put new in and turn on? Or do i get sent a CD or anything?
dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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16th Oct 08 at 17:09   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
The memory should just slot in the where it came out, there will be a notch in the ram stick which will line up, so it will only go in one way so dont force it, but do make sure it clicks as it goes in and you push the stoppers in place
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 17:09   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
And what when i switch the PC on? Will it recognise it automatically?
dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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16th Oct 08 at 17:11   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Yup you dont need drivers for memory
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 17:16   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
willay
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Organiser: South East, National Events
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Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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16th Oct 08 at 19:44   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
crucial for memory!
Jakey
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Registered: 4th Jun 07
Location: Sandbach
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16th Oct 08 at 19:58   View Garage View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote
Brand new 2gb for £22

 
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