Jamesemt

Hi all, I've been roped into upgrading my parent's old 400MHZ PC but I'm a bit clueless with hardware.

The motherboard is a PC Chips M570 with 256MB PC 133 RAM. In order to turn the PC off, you have to use the start button and wait until windows tells you to switch off - does this mean it's an AT case as opposed to an ATX? If that is the case, I'll need an ATX power supply and new case??

I am looking for a motherboard which will support Windows XP - will I need a different type of memory or can I just add another 256MB RAM to my current setup? The PC will only be used for internet access...

Reason for upgrading is that I am sick of trying to sort out problems for a Windows system which I am now unfamiliar with (W98).

Any help would be greatfully appreciated

MJW

It's not really worth upgrading, you may just as well scrap it (or give to a local school / charity) All new motherboards will mean you'll have to run DDR ram (although I do myself have a motherboard which has both 133mhz SDRAM and PC2700 DDR slots, but they're hard to come by now) It'll end up costing you more for bits for it than will to get a cheap deal at Dell or something. Probably the only thing worth salvaging will be the modem card (if your parents use dialup).

Jamesemt

lol that's the one thing that's causing the problems...the motherboard won't detect the new modem...

douglasb

Seconding MJW. It's as cheap and less hassle to buy a new PC from Dell. What they have is effectively unupgradeable.

I've recently upgraded my own PC and reckoned that I could use the cast-off bits to build a first system for the parents. If everything had worked first time it might have been a bit cheaper than a new Dell, but with the time I've had to put into building the thing and replacing the old processor when it blew on being installed in the new m/b, a new Dell would have been so much easier and cheaper (and with a better warranty)

jfrf

your computer is low spec but for surfing its fine.
watse of money upgrading really

just install windows 2000.
or buy another modem

GaryCat

Ebuyer have a PC for £200 (no monitor) special offer for this weekend. See the ebuyer.com home page.

Daz34

Windows 2000 or XP would give it a heart attack.