Recycling an Older Computer for a Windows XP Upgrade
Published: March 11, 2002
By Jerry Honeycutt, Windows XP Expert Zone Community Columnist
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A friend recently asked me to fix up an old computer his kids are using that's not running well anymore. He asked me to upgrade the hardware so that it could run Windows XP and give the kids a better experience when playing games and using e-mail.
His budget is a meager $300, so I have to be frugal. In part one of this two-part story, I'll tell you what kind of equipment he dumped in my lap. In part two, I'll tell you how I spent his money on replacement components.
PC with Whiskers
When I say that he dumped a computer in my lap, I use the word computer loosely. It's a heavy, beige paperweight; but I'd never tell him that.
First I flipped the case around, looked for the now ubiquitous ATX connectors, and saw none, as shown in the figure below. In fact, the keyboard connecter was the old, large connector that requires a PS/2 adapter for new keyboards.
Figure 1
The case was an AT case and when I popped it open, I saw an old baby AT mainboard. I wasn't able to identify the mainboard at all. The processor is an older Intel Pentium processor, however. Obviously, the mainboard has no USB ports and isn't likely to support Windows XP very well. Neither will the CPU or the 32 MB of memory that's on the mainboard.
Surprisingly, the remaining components aren't as bad as the mainboard, processor, and memory. The hard disk, while not the latest and greatest, will suffice. The CD-ROM is slow but usable, as is the floppy disk drive. The keyboard, mouse, and monitor are definitely usable. The computer contains a video adapter that is usable only if necessary; and the modem and soundcard are OK.
When I started the computer, I expected it to load Windows 95 and was looking forward to a blast from the past. Instead, Windows 98 started. It looked like an OEM version with all the add-ons that OEMs like to add to their computers. Much of it won't be compatible with Windows XP, and that includes the antivirus software that my buddy hasn't updated in three years.
Replacing the Key Components
Keep in mind my friend's goals. The first is to get Windows XP on to the computer. The second is to give the kids a better game-playing and e-mail experience. Simple goals that are well within reach for $300.
You can lead a computer to the fountain of youth, but you can't make it drink. Instead, I'm tossing the key components in the trash bin. In line for replacement are the mainboard, processor, and memory. If I replace the mainboard, I'm going to have to replace the case. The remaining parts are still usable, and the computer gets new USB ports from a new mainboard.
The trick is doing all of this for less than $300. I'm budgeting $100 for the mainboard, $125 for the processor, $50 for memory, and $25 for the case. The remaining components I'm reusing from the old computer. Here's my shopping list:
| • | Mainboard—A mainboard for $100 is not hard to find. A good one requires careful comparison shopping. I'm looking for an ATX board with two USB ports, and all the rest. A USB header that I can use to put two USB ports in the front of the computer would be good, since the kids use joysticks and similar devices often. Another plus is a mainboard that has a video adapter build in to it. Of all the components that I'm reusing, the video adapter is the weakest. |
| • | Processor—For $125, my friend isn't going to get a Pentium 4. He's not even getting a good Pentium III. What he is getting is likely to be a 1-GHz Pentium Celeron processor, which I priced just above $100. For the types of games his kids play, this is fine. Most of the time they're on America Online chatting up their friends anyway. |
| • | Memory—Windows XP will play well on the processor I'm looking at as long as I pack the machine with memory. That's why I've budgeted $50 for 256 MB of memory. The kids will have no complaints here. |
| • | Case—I'd love to have more money to spend on the case, because $25 just isn't going to buy anything glamorous. I'm not likely to find a case that has USB ports in the front. Inexpensive cases also tend to be the clam shell variety and have little room inside, meaning that my temper is going to rise and my knuckles are going to get sore. If you can spare a bit more on a good case, I'd do that. |
Last, I'm not following conventional advice and upgrading from Windows 98 to Windows XP. Between all of the unused software that the OEM put on the computer and the stuff that my friend's kids have scattered about, an upgrade isn't going to be nice. Besides, there's something about seeing four different American Online folders at the root of drive C that bugs me. Instead, I'm going to wipe the hard disk clean and install Windows XP from scratch.
Heading to the Store
With my list in hand, I'm heading out to the store. I'm not ordering parts online, because my buddy is looking for instant material gratification, and I like to play at the computer store.
In my next column, I'll tell you which models I chose and how the whole thing fits together. I'm going to turn the computer you see below into a kid's playroom power toy.
Figure 2
I'll also describe how I installed Windows XP cleanly, erasing three years of neglect with a single MS-DOS command. His kids will be thrilled that they get a new computer to entertain themselves, and his wallet gets a break.
Expert Zone Columnist Jerry Honeycutt is a writer, speaker, and technologist who has written over 25 books, including Microsoft Windows XP Registry Guide (Microsoft Press, 2002). He frequently writes about customizing and deploying Windows XP.
