Is this old desktop PC powerful enough?

spannerzone

GQ you deserve a medal for putting up with dial up for so long, you're either incredibly determined and patient or errm, slightly essentric with too much time on your hands to wait while pages load up.

On a serious note, your PC will need to have an ethernet RJ45 network socket to allow your PC to connect to the new adsl modem router that your ISP will provide, so check you have one of these (or a wireless card is another option)



Here's a typical setup guide for Plusnet adsl (most broadband providers are much the same in regard to connection setup)

Enjoy your new speed!

robmar0se

GreyQueen wrote: »

I haven't a clue. It was done by a techie pal who suddenly-decided to see if another chip would fit on the motherboard and I just let him get on with it. He's a freelance IT gypsy so might be anywhere in the world right now. I shall email him and see if he can remember- it was nearly 2 years ago.

Re anti-virus; I'm using Microsoft Essentials, would the opinion up here be that this is inadequate if you have a broadband connection? I had Norton until about 18 months ago but got p'ed off that it was using up to 100% of the CPU at times. Any advice welcome.

Whilst laying the fire - it occurred to me as you have had dial up, in all probablility you may not have the latest Windows XP updates - please make sure you have SP3 (service pack 3) and IE8.

You can check the former by clicking on the control panel and system option; re IE8, in internet explorer and click on help the "about etc".

Re: virtual memory, you can check this yourself as in this MS guide:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sysdm_advancd_perform_change_vmpagefile.mspx?mfr=true


Re AV, Norton used to be terrible, but the new version is as good as any other, except you have to pay for it - the free ones are just as good really, it really depends how good/fast they are in identifying new threats and updating their system - there is very little info on this - all the stats say is, on this day X or Y was better - not really very helpful. So read some of the posts on MSE and choose one that you like, if its free so much the better.

Good luck, I'm sure you will enjoy the broadband experience

spannerzone

Probably still on XP SP1 or earlier I suspect

GreyQueen

spannerzone wrote: »

GQ you deserve a medal for putting up with dial up for so long, you're either incredibly determined and patient or errm, slightly essentric with too much time on your hands to wait while pages load up.

On a serious note, your PC will need to have an ethernet RJ45 network socket to allow your PC to connect to the new adsl modem router that your ISP will provide, so check you have one of these (or a wireless card is another option)



Here's a typical setup guide for Plusnet adsl (most broadband providers are much the same in regard to connection setup)

Enjoy your new speed!

Eccentric is my middle name. I'm also afflicted with a degree of technophobia and put up with the dial-up because it was only £6 a month and mostly sufficed for what little I do with the internet.

I've been snouting around the back of the tower and cannot see anything like the above picture. I know the USB port sign, would I be right in assuming that the symbol in this picture of interlinked rectangles likewise identifies an Ethernet port? If so, I am lacking one of those.

Next simple-minded question; what's this about a wireless card and where to they get attached.........please assume I'm clueless because I am.

ETA have got SP3 but IE7. How do I get IE8 please? The virtual memory is set at 2000 MB.

m5rcc

GreyQueen wrote: »

Eccentric is my middle name. I'm also afflicted with a degree of technophobia and put up with the dial-up because it was only £6 a month and mostly sufficed for what little I do with the internet.

I've been snouting around the back of the tower and cannot see anything like the above picture. I know the USB port sign, would I be right in assuming that the symbol in this picture of interlinked rectangles likewise identifies an Ethernet port? If so, I am lacking one of those.

Next simple-minded question; what's this about a wireless card and where to they get attached.........please assume I'm clueless because I am.

ETA have got SP3 but IE7. How do I get IE8 please?

Why would you want IE8? Avoid like the plague: it's always seems behind the times compared to every other browser in existence. Unless it's the only browser that can load a specific webapp, it's not worth your time. Use IE to download a more extensible, feature-filled browser, like Chrome or Firefox, and forget about it.

robmar0se

IE8 here http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=43

Ethernet slots are as cheap as chips - see here for a more expensive version ! £8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DFE-530TX-100Mbps-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B00004SYNX

robmar0se

m5rcc wrote: »

Why would you want IE8? Avoid like the plague: it's always seems behind the times compared to every other browser in existence. Unless it's the only browser that can load a specific webapp, it's not worth your time. Use IE to download a more extensible, feature-filled browser, like Chrome or Firefox, and forget about it.

Thats just an opinion - just like the AV debate - its a matter of personal choice - I would never criticise anyone for what they're used to. If the OP is used to and is comfortable with IE then why not - one hears all sorts of arguments for other browsers, but very little quantified fact. However i would gainsay what i said in regard to Chrome, as I do not like Googles' policy in regard to privacy - you may say the same about MS, but on the other hand I prefer to spread it around as little as possible.

Its great to have a choice, in the end its what you're happy with.

poppellerant

Your machine will be more than capable of broadband - much older machines can, too.

The basic requirement for broadband used to be a either a USB or network connection. But as broadband speeds increased, and the USB bus became over saturated, people wanted to be able to easily share the broadband connection with multiple devices. Hene when you get broadband installed these days, you will likely end up with a wireless router.

For the sake of both reliability and security, I would advise that you use a wired network connection. This will connect to the router using the network port shown by spannerzone. If it is simply easier for you to use a wireless connection, then make sure you use the strongest encryption offered by the router - these days it ought it be WPA2, but if the router can't support that then use WPA.

When you start using the broadband connection, you will wonder how you manage to wait for some sites to load. After about a month of using your broadband, I challenge you to go back to dialup. :eek:;)

SteveJH200

poppellerant wrote: »

When you start using the broadband connection, you will wonder how you manage to wait for some sites to load. After about a month of using your broadband, I challenge you to go back to dialup. :eek:;)

..and what's more is that the OP is spitting distance from the BT exchange - what a bonus:j

macman

Plusnet Value at £6.49 will be 100 times faster than dial up at £6.