Computer death

[Will]

My computer, the one I had for the past eight years and had ressurected Primus only knows how many times from the dead, has finally passed byond my abilities to fix without dumping so much in that I might as well start over.

I know recycling is the msot enviromentally friendly method of disposal, but I wish I could've given him a viking funeral pyre as a send-off.

Parts Salvaged:

256MB sd ram(2x 128mb sticks)
64mb sd ram
Linksys Wireless G PCI wifi card
ATI Radeon9250 pci graphics card(128mbvram, vga, dvi, and s-video ports)
4x cdrom drive


Motherboard was on the edge of burnout and the harddrives were both thrashing.

[easuter]

My computer, the one I had for the past eight years and had ressurected Primus only knows how many times from the dead, has finally passed byond my abilities to fix without dumping so much in that I might as well start over.

Sorry to hear that... 
Funny though, this is what happened to me only a couple of days ago...

[Will]

You have my sympathy as its hard to lose somethign that's served faithfully(albeit tempermentally) over the years. s'like losing a dog.

what I want out of a replacement:


I don't want the latest and greatest since, lets face it, that tends to give you a machine that sucks down power like there's no tomorrow and breaks after the warentee runs out. I just want something solid and dependable that will last as long as Laz did.

[nubcnubdo]

RIP? Hold on. That 'puter aint dead. Not unless the motherboard has got bulging caps. Sounds like you just need a new (replacement) hard drive.

I have a computer with a motherboard that has one light out on the onboard NIC, and the onboard sound is gone too. Other than this, it works great, for over a year now.

Your computer might need a good cleaning, especially the processor and cooler.. Unless something is broken on the motherboard, it's probably still serviceable. A motherboard either works or it doesn't, usually.

Latest acquisition: Northgate STAX2517C2 tower ($45 USD)
http://www0.epinions.com/Northgate_STAX2517C2_Desktop_PC_w_AMD_Athlon_XP_2500_1_83GHz_Processor

[hata_ph]

can't you find a replacement motherboard and HDD?
is the processor ok?

[Colonel Panic]

You have my sympathy as its hard to lose somethign that's served faithfully(albeit tempermentally) over the years. s'like losing a dog.

what I want out of a replacement:

I don't want the latest and greatest since, lets face it, that tends to give you a machine that sucks down power like there's no tomorrow and breaks after the warentee runs out. I just want something solid and dependable that will last as long as Laz did.

Agreed. Personally I like ex-corporate machines (I've got a Compaq at the moment) because they'd otherwise be destined for the scrapheap, the build and parts quality is at least acceptable (and has to be) and I don't mind beige.

[BlueMage]

What's really fun about ex-corporate is seeing what they've still got on 'em first.  I had four to make workable for BioAust - one worked, and even then its CMOS battery was stuffing up.  The other three ... one refused to post, another had Novell Client for Windows, and the third was running 98 (that was painful)

[Will]

RIP? Hold on. That 'puter aint dead. Not unless the motherboard has got bulging caps. Sounds like you just need a new (replacement) hard drive.

I have a computer with a motherboard that has one light out on the onboard NIC, and the onboard sound is gone too. Other than this, it works great, for over a year now.

Your computer might need a good cleaning, especially the processor and cooler.. Unless something is broken on the motherboard, it's probably still serviceable. A motherboard either works or it doesn't, usually.

Latest acquisition: Northgate STAX2517C2 tower ($45 USD)
http://www0.epinions.com/Northgate_STAX2517C2_Desktop_PC_w_AMD_Athlon_XP_2500_1_83GHz_Processor

It's already been given to the recyclers so even if it was salvagable, its out of my hands. As for the rest, you think I didn't already try a good thorough cleaning and component check?  I've had to do essentially a bit of everything to this computer to keep it going, and while I'd have loved to sit and try more on it, it just isn't financially practical.


So it's being recycled. I know, shame really since tht little voice in my head keeps going on about how I could've stripepd this or that off, but I don't have the kind of space to do anything on that order, as simply sending it of, case n all, just felt le-sigh.


Newegg for a barebone I could add and adapt more on later?

[GrannyGeek]

I think you all need to admit that sometimes it's not worth bothering. Replacing parts can get expensive unless you have a source of really cheap stuff that still works. And you're still left with a very obsolete computer that any new one, even the cheapest, will run rings around. There's a strong tendency to throw good money after bad--"if I just buy a little more RAM for $50, it'll run better; if I just buy a new hard drive, I won't have to fight for space; that noisy fan is getting too annoying--I'll buy a new one." But it's still a 500 MHz antique.

I have a history of that kind of thinking and doing, but I think I've finally learned my lesson. Now when a computer gets too slow for me, I give it to some organization or person who wants it and spare myself the suffering.

That said, my oldest computer, a 1.3 GHz desktop, runs admirably with VectorLinux despite being years behind the curve and definitely doesn't need replacement.
--GrannyGeek

[Will]

Indeed. Mine's due mainly to the fact momentary fixes for what I had were simpler to do than justify buying a whole new box.

Reguardless, on the bright side all I need is a new tower as I've the perrifiries, moniter, and OSs(windows and vector, yes I keep my install cds). Still, your advice is first rate as the money I'd sunk into my box  all said and done(extra ram, the video card, ect) could've bought me a fairly decent little box that's newer.