I have this E-machine, whitch I didnt use until work and everything went south.

it

Need more details on the machine.  Considering hardware prices currently, it should be reasonable to do a cheap 100 upgrade for it.

100 bucks?

You can barely buy a descent graphics card from that

If it some kind of 3+ year old dell company PC, I would advise to buy a new

A new graphics card might work if you got onboard graphics card now but it will probably still be slow.

It all depends. E-machines are not known for being very upgradable. I would be shocked if it had a PCI-E slot, so that cuts most of the video cards on the market out. It is very possible that it doesn't have an APG slot, leaving you with only the option of getting a PCI video card, which is going to be bottom of the barrel crap. And that is IF it has a spare slot. The motherboard, depending on age, might not be capable of adding any sort of decent processor. It might not have any spare RAM slots either, or worse, already be capped/near capped. MB's have a max amount of RAM they will address, and on lower end boards, it is not much. Another factor for the RAM will be the age of the rig. If it is fairly old (5-6 years) you will more than likely only be able to use DDR1 RAM, and if that is the case, you can count out just about any sort of upgrades without replacing the MB first.

Ok this is weird you guys answered my question before I posted it. Or attempted to I pasted all the specs but dont see them

And yes if I wasnt in bad condition money wise, I would ofcours get a new machine

Originally posted by mudstuck

Ok this is weird you guys answered my question before I posted it. Or attempted to I pasted all the specs but dont see them

And yes if I wasnt in bad condition money wise, I would ofcours get a new machine

 

Type Intel Pentium 4 631 / 3.0 GHz 64-bit processor
Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology Cache Memory
Type L2 cache Installed Size 2.0 MB Cache Per Processor 2 MB Mainboard
Chipset type Intel 945G Express Data bus speed 800.0 MHz
RAM Installed Size 512.0 MB / 2.0 GB (max)
Technology DDR2 SDRAM Memory speed 533.0 MHz
Memory specification compliance PC2-4200 RAM form factor DIMM 240-pin RAM features
Two DDR channels RAM configuration features 1 x 512 MB Upgrade rule (RAM) Max 2 x 1 GB module Storage Controller
Type 1.0 x Serial ATA - Integrated Controller interface type Serial ATA-300 Storage Controller (2nd)
Type 1 x IDE - Integrated Storage
Hard Drive 1.0 x 160.0 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-300 - 7200.0 rpm Hard Drive
Optical Storage Type DVD±RW (+R DL) - IDE CD / DVD read speed 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD) CD / DVD write speed 40x (CD)
/ 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL) CD / DVD rewrite speed 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW)
Type Integrated Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 950 Video Memory 224.0 MB (max)
Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0 Max Allocated RAM Size 224.0 MB Audio Output
Type Sound card - Integrated Sound output mode 5.1 channel surround Speaker
(s) 2.0 x Right / left channel Input Device
Modem Fax / modem Max transfer rate 56.0 Kbps Protocols & Specifications ITU V.92 Audio Input
Networking
Networking Network adapter - Integrated Data Link Protocol Fast Ethernet , Ethernet Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Bays Total (Free) Internal - 3.5" x 1/3H , Front accessible - 5.25" x 1/2H ,
Front accessible - 3.5" x 1/3H Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2.0 ( 1.0 ) x Memory - LGA775 Socket ,
1.0 ( 1.0 ) x Processor - DIMM 240-pin , 1.0 ( 0.0 ) x PCI Express x16
Interfaces 1.0 x Modem - Output - 25 pin D-Sub (DB-25) ( 1 in front ) ,
1.0 x Audio - Generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style) ( 1 in front ) ,
6.0 x Keyboard - VGA - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style) ( 2 in front ) , 1.0 x Parallel -
Generic - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) , 1.0 x Display / video - RS-232 - 4 pin USB Type A ,
1.0 x Mouse - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , 1.0 x Serial - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP) -
Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , 1.0 x Hi-Speed USB - Phone line - 9 pin D-Sub (DB-9) ,
1.0 x Headphones - Input - RJ-45 , 1.0 x Audio - Line-out - Mini-phone mono 3.5 mm ,
1.0 x Microphone - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , 2.0 x Network - RJ-11 Printer
 

Two gigs max for ram sucks, but at least it is something. And it is DDR2. Also, it has a single PCI-E x16 slot, which means you have a shot at upgrading the graphics card. My suggestion would be to find some cheap ram, and a cheap video card, and call it good.

Crap the rest of what I wrote is gone, anyway I put an old 8600gts 256 in it last year and 2 gigs of ram, it works, but barely, the power supply is 350 watts, I learned, the missing post explains why I want to.

Im sure I will find some gainfull employment and build a new machine, but for now just need to help this one cope.

any new parts I put in it will go towards the new build when that happens. Thankyou

I read that going to 450 watts would be doable and allow a beter card.

have no idea which power supply to buy, and have seen many good cards with respectable ram for 150 bucks.

Here we go:

Two gigs of DDR2 533, which is the standard for your board. Not a known brand, but with your budget... Yeah...: 39 bucks.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141199

Then for the graphics card... This is really a tough one with only 61 dollars left. However, lets assume you could go 5-10 bucks higher. You could get a 9500GT with 1gig of vram. The extra vram is fluff and useless, and the card is not very impressive. But it is cheap. 67 bucks-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162022

That brings your total up to 106 dollars. That is the best you are going to manage I am afraid.

Originally posted by mudstuck

I read that going to 450 watts would be doable and allow a beter card.

have no idea which power supply to buy, and have seen many good cards with respectable ram for 150 bucks.

You don't need a new power supply if you don;t buy a high end graphics card or go SLI/XF

Besides, with a new graphics card, his cpu is still old

It doesn't matter much if you have a PC with a slow cpu AND a slow gpu

or a PC with only a slow cpu.

If you already upgraded to 2gigs of ram, and have an upgraded video card as well... Sorry. You wont get any upgrade for 100 bucks, unless it is a keyboard or mouse.

Ok well thanks guys. In the original post I was talking about a 4870 card for 150 and a beter power supply, which put me at like 190 or so, and I can do, but I didnt know that, it would be of no use having a gig on a card with this cpu. Kinda thought maybe I could cool it beter and be able to post stuff, lol, but a cat walking on the keyboard diesnt help either.

anyway thanks.

So you have an 800mhz FSB LGA 775 system with 350w supply and a PCI-e x16 slot and only $100 to spend.  Hmmm....

How about a new processor.

Sure , if that will help, you bet. Thats why I came to you guys. I have very good mechanical skills, but know squat about this stuff.

And thinking the way I do 3.0 is faster, but, from reading and reading, Im guessing that really is my lack of understanding , yes?

So I need that, and do I need the special grease? Ive read both ways before, they come with it, and they dont.

And I can go over 100,  maybe as far as 200, but, not if it cant be re used down the line.

I probably come back again and again asking as I get lil money here and lil money there, till it's not an e-machine anymore.lol

But I'll learn, as I go. With good guidance. Thankyou again.

The difference between a Pentium D, and a Wolfdale Intel CPU is in efficiency.  The last Pentium's were designed to get high ghz as a selling point instead of being efficient.  Your 3.0 ghz get outperformed by 1.6 ghz processors of the current generation.  I chose the retail version.  Retail versions come with a heatsink that has a heatpad on it.  You just have to stick the heatsink on instead of spreading some gunk, and it provides good enough thermal transfer if it isn't overclocked which your mobo can't do anyway.

At $200, the recommendation is different.  I would need to rethink that considering at $200 you can get a new Mobo, PSU, and CPU.

Yes, I read more at the link you gave me, and was just beginning to see that there are many more options, bundles etc.

And thinking toward the furture, that plays in also. I doubt I'll ever need two cards, but Im sure that more ram , will one day

be great, a mobo with 4 slots, able to handle up to 16 gigs, who knows, in a year, things may be very different, money wise, for me. Yeah going closer to 200 may be money in the bank now.

Ive got an old old machine, with a scuzzi and a 550 watt power supply in it, but it doesnt have the same harnesses that I can tell. I wanna say it a hitachi ,supply, I'll open it up and see what I can see, if ya think it may be usefull, and dont mind me picking your brain.

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Originally posted by Cleffy
So you have an 800mhz FSB LGA 775 system with 350w supply and a PCI-e x16 slot and only $100 to spend.  Hmmm....
How about a new processor.

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Yea the difference between the dual core and old single core CPU's is huge, this is probably your best bet.

However, I know the specs posted say 800Mhz FSB but the 945G chipset should support up to 1066 FSB regardless - I have a feeling the spec just says 800Mhz because that's what it's clocked at for the current CPU. If this is the case you would probably want to get a E6300 Wolfsdale for a little bit more, ~$80.

Without knowing the mobo model number it's hard to say for sure though. Anyway your 2GB ram is perfectly serviceable, so if you do upgrade the CPU the next step would be to upgrade the video card.

A Radeon 4670 or Nvidia 9600GT are the minimum investment and are probably twice as fast as the 8600GSO. You could possibly handle up to a Radeon 4850 or Geforce 250 on that power supply, both of which can run pretty much anything at 1280x1024 if that's your resolution, but even with those cards you might start running into trouble with a generic PSU like the e-machines use.

Model number on the Mobo is

D945GCL   AAD75361-201

I would stick with the E5300 because it would only be a 0.2 ghz bump with no other added benefits for $10 on a part he won't be able to upgrade in the future.

With $200 I recommend a power supply which could be used in the future.  After you factor in the processor and power supply, there isn't enough left to buy a video card that has a big enough jump from an 8600GTS.

Here is the one I recommend.

Thanks Cleffy, looks like plenty O cables with it too.

Originally posted by Cleffy

I would stick with the E5300 because it would only be a 0.2 ghz bump with no other added benefits for $10 on a part he won't be able to upgrade in the future.

With $200 I recommend a power supply which could be used in the future.  After you factor in the processor and power supply, there isn't enough left to buy a video card that has a big enough jump from an 8600GTS.

Here is the one I recommend.

Ok I have it, that one you recommended, and I'm now going to attempt the install. Can you give me some pointers on procedure, I am sure by looking, and the reading I have done since this original post date. I feel confident about this, however, Im now wondering , when I take out the old processor, it may have the old grease there, and can I clean that with rubbing alcohol, or should I use a solution specifically for that.

The old proc is the original that came with the machine.

nothing to do!buy a nintendo wii!

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Originally posted by mudstuck

Ok I have it, that one you recommended, and I'm now going to attempt the install. Can you give me some pointers on procedure, I am sure by looking, and the reading I have done since this original post date. I feel confident about this, however, Im now wondering , when I take out the old processor, it may have the old grease there, and can I clean that with rubbing alcohol, or should I use a solution specifically for that.
The old proc is the original that came with the machine.

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You should do all this with clean hands and either ground yourself on the case before you touch anything or wear an anti-static wrist band.

First undo the plastic pegs or whatever retention is holding the heatsink down. Then lift the heatsink off the CPU, sometimes a little twist helps loosen up the thermal grease. If the grease is holding it on like glue it may help to warm up the CPU for a bit first.

Once the CPU is exposed lift the lever up that locks it down, and lift out the CPU.

You won't need to clean off the old CPU or heatsink since you won't be using them again.

Align the new CPU by the holes on the socket (one corner is notched) and drop it in, lock it down with the lever. Take the new heatsink it came with and peel off the tape covering the thermal pad then set it in place and go to work on the retention system. Make sure to plug in the heatsink to the same spot on the mobo as the old one, should be labeled CPU_FAN1

If you were to reuse the old cpu+heatsink for something, I scrape the old grease off with an old credit card, then use q-tip and rubbing alcohol to get as much of the rest off as I can.

Originally posted by noquarter

 

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Originally posted by mudstuck

Ok I have it, that one you recommended, and I'm now going to attempt the install. Can you give me some pointers on procedure, I am sure by looking, and the reading I have done since this original post date. I feel confident about this, however, Im now wondering , when I take out the old processor, it may have the old grease there, and can I clean that with rubbing alcohol, or should I use a solution specifically for that.
The old proc is the original that came with the machine.

---

 

You should do all this with clean hands and either ground yourself on the case before you touch anything or wear an anti-static wrist band.

First undo the plastic pegs or whatever retention is holding the heatsink down. Then lift the heatsink off the CPU, sometimes a little twist helps loosen up the thermal grease. If the grease is holding it on like glue it may help to warm up the CPU for a bit first.

Once the CPU is exposed lift the lever up that locks it down, and lift out the CPU.

You won't need to clean off the old CPU or heatsink since you won't be using them again.

Align the new CPU by the holes on the socket (one corner is notched) and drop it in, lock it down with the lever. Take the new heatsink it came with and peel off the tape covering the thermal pad then set it in place and go to work on the retention system. Make sure to plug in the heatsink to the same spot on the mobo as the old one, should be labeled CPU_FAN1

If you were to reuse the old cpu+heatsink for something, I scrape the old grease off with an old credit card, then use q-tip and rubbing alcohol to get as much of the rest off as I can.

Thanks buddy, mission accomplished. I did re-use the old heating as the new one had a different retainer system. So i got some grease, cleaned with alcohol, and re installed it . Found out to use the new one, I would need to take out the mother board and remove the old backing plate for the new ones twist clip system. I will one day get a better heat sink, with the screws like the old one. Any way Thank you.