Upgrading my pc - Where do I start?

Lil306

DazedAndConfuzed wrote: »

It was a full retail version with code so should be ok, just got the fun of getting all the updates, installs, etc.

Slipstreaming is your friend

I did it with my XP OEM, got sick of downloading all the updates again so I just took the ISO from my OEM and Slipstreamed it with nLite.

Now have a installer CD of Windows XP with SP3 already integrated. I'm going to put it on a USB pen when I get around to it, I'm always losing my CD's and I hate trying to find them. So a nice 32Gb Sandisk Cruzer will do the job just fine. Plus I've never tried installing an O/S from a USB pen, shouldn't be too hard.

DazedAndConfuzed

I prefer the old-school method of rummaging around in cupboards, drawers and old CD wallets to find that 1 CD that seems to have vanished!

Got them all kept in a safe place now though, just got to make sure I dont forget where that safe place is!

Lil306

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've got loads of CD's though, luckily I keep them in a wallet, but they always seem to vanish when I want them. USB is the way forward I've got a portable 250gb hard drive too which comes in useful

I've also had bad experiences with CD's, had one explode in my drive reinstalling XP. Cost me about £160, bought a new copy of the CD to replace the one I broke from my friend, and purchased one for me so I didn't happen again lol

ddoris

Well, I hope that you read the specs on the novatech bundle -only 2 sata connects.
Maybe a sole lunatic will think that that is ok but even the novatech fanboys must realise that most bundles are sold to get rid of stock and not be a "bargain"
Try pricelover who charge del. but are v. reasonable

Lil306

DazedAndConfuzed wrote: »

- Intel Celeron (E3200) 2.4GHz Processor with 1024KB L2 Cache and 800MHz FSB
- Kingston KVR800D2N6/2G - Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 800MHz DDR2
- MSI S775 INTEL G31 2XDDRII-800 1333FSB X3100 GRAPHICS GBE LAN MICRO-ATX MOTHERBOARD
- MSI ATI R 4770-T2D512 PCI-E

Comes in at £206.24.Will then use my old pc parts to make up the rest

Thoughts please?

Quite a good board, haven't looked at it much but that board looks like it's using PCI-e if it has you'd need a new card if it's not compatible. If it had onboard VGA it would at least get you around the issue

ddoris wrote: »

Well, I hope that you read the specs on the novatech bundle -only 2 sata connects.
Maybe a sole lunatic will think that that is ok but even the novatech fanboys must realise that most bundles are sold to get rid of stock and not be a "bargain"
Try pricelover who charge del. but are v. reasonable

Ofcourse, but the budget is only £200. You can't really argue and it's not really a problem to find a sata PCI card for another 4-ports. He'd only be connecting a HDD anyway so there's still room for expansion

JasX

ddoris wrote: »

Well, I hope that you read the specs on the novatech bundle -only 2 sata connects.
Maybe a sole lunatic will think that that is ok but even the novatech fanboys must realise that most bundles are sold to get rid of stock and not be a "bargain"
Try pricelover who charge del. but are v. reasonable

he can add an extra Sata I/O card later if he likes later.... they're quite cheap (from £10)

DazedAndConfuzed

In an ideal world I'll be wanting to upgrade it bit by bit (well, bit by payday!), so a motherboard that can get additional RAM, etc in the future would be good.

[Deleted User]

Lil306 wrote: »

I never remember Microsoft licensing policy, I know when it's either OEM or Retail (one of them) it has to ship with a piece of Hardware to comply with Microsoft.

That's a myth that surrounds OEM versions of Windows. It's not simply just a case of buying hardware, the terms of the licence are quite straight forward. To use OEM software you have to be a registered in the Microsoft System Builder (not just somebody who puts machines together) scheme and deploy the OEM software through the OPK (OEM Pre-installation Kit) which isn't available through any other channels.

Do you think the average Joe Bloggs who buys a PC is going to spend another £70 to buy a copy of Windows just to reinstall it on his computer (with a wiped HDD) when he already has an OEM version which is exactly the same SW and Drivers and a COA sticker to use as the license code

The installation is always going to be on limited time before it doesn't pass validation, so whether you buy it now or later is really irrelevant.

OEM isn't transferrable, but RETAIL is. So when you sell a PC with Windows installed via an OEM disk, you are supposed to format the HDD with no O/S and keep the OEM CD. The purchaser than has to buy OEM / Retail and reinstall themselves. I don't see the difference, if you sell a PC with RETAIL, it can be transferred with Windows installed, except you still need to give away the Installation CD.

That's not correct, the licence can be transferred to a third party with the machine. There is more flexibility with what you are permitted to do with a retail version, which is one of the reasons it costs more.

ddoris

Jasx - are you recommending that someone buys a motherboard in 2010 with only 2 sata connections?
Memory prices have gone mad the last few months so try 2 x 1gb -I don't think you'll notice any difference with more.

Lil306

anewhope wrote: »

That's a myth that surrounds OEM versions of Windows. It's not simply just a case of buying hardware, the terms of the licence are quite straight forward. To use OEM software you have to be a registered in the Microsoft System Builder (not just somebody who puts machines together) scheme and deploy the OEM software through the OPK (OEM Pre-installation Kit) which isn't available through any other channels.

The installation is always going to be on limited time before it doesn't pass validation, so whether you buy it now or later is really irrelevant.

That's not correct, the licence can be transferred to a third party with the machine. There is more flexibility with what you are permitted to do with a retail version, which is one of the reasons it costs more.

We could argue this all day. I've already said I don't know much regarding licensing of Microsoft etc.

Regarding deployment of Windows using the System Builder installation, if it's what I'm thinking of that's just repacking it with sysprep or something similar, which it is already done when you install it

Anyway, not sure what you meant on my third remark, but basically you can transfer the license providing you give the original person you are selling it to the CD (if it's retail), but if you keep the CD you still have to uninstall the operating system before you sell it or the person is using an illegal copy of the O/S imo

In the end, do I care? No

I'm going to stay on topic for Dazed and not wonder about licensing or debating it. It's an open forum so all posts can be made and Dazed can choose whatever advice they want

ddoris wrote: »

Jasx - are you recommending that someone buys a motherboard in 2010 with only 2 sata connections?
Memory prices have gone mad the last few months so try 2 x 1gb -I don't think you'll notice any difference with more.

Have you read the entire post, the person has a limited budget. We are discussing the best solutions available as per their requirements

The fact of the matter is 2 SATA ports are not an issue. You easily can add another expansion card and get an instant 3-6 more ports.