rebuild new from old puters? or trash them?

[jeepster4me]

OK, this will sound stupid, so let me have it!

I have a few old computers some family members donated to me,and wondered if it would be worth the time and energy to save one of them for a backup computer. I told them I doubted it,maybe take some of the hardware out to have on hand.

I already have a self build, Intel Quad 6600/500 HD/75 HD for apps/ and a 500 external HD/WinXP Pro. Which one of these, if any, would be a good candidate to keep. I don't know much about which platform would support a faster CPU,or just get a new Mo-board and start over. These are all stock and nothing added to them. I know I will have to reformat the HD and install new OS.

1) DELL Dimension 4300/ Pentium4/Win 2000
2) HP Pavillion XL918 /1.0 Cerleron /30 Ultra DMA HD/Win XP Home
3) HP Pavillion 8250 266 MHZ/ 4GB HD Win95

Thanks!

[Sterling_Aug]

Either #1 or #2 would make a good file server or media storage server.

#3 would make a good firewall/router with a small Linux distro such as Puppy or **** Small Linux.

[Midknyte]

The Dell 4300 should be decent if you have enough ram.

If you want a dedicated firewall box, check out Smoothwall.
http://www.smoothwall.org/

Those boxes are so old, that finding cpu upgrades is going to be difficult. If anything you could pop in a bigger HD and more ram.

[Sterling_Aug]

The problem with any system is that they are only upgradable for the short while during production and a short time afterwards.

As parts become scarce they get more expensive. If an old system stops working, then trash it and move on.

[Lgbpop]

I wouldn't even save the P4 to be honest. Dual-core is entry-level now. Donate them and take a tax deduction, maybe?

[Sterling_Aug]

If you have any local day care centers, churches, or senior citizen centers in your area, they would love the donation of free equipment to save on their budgets.

[jeepster4me]

I hear what you all are saying about how old these are, but I have some time to dabble,but don't want to spend any money upgrading, I just thought I could make a SUPER COMPUTER with all these parts from three othe old computers....yeah..right.

I I was told that either the DELL 4300,or the HP XL918 would be the one. I already have a new computer, but wanted to have a backup.

These are my choices......

*DELL 4300 / Intel P4 845 Chipset/IDE /40GB
*DELL XL918/ 1.0 CEL/ Intel 810 chipset/ 30GB
*HP Pavillion 8250/ 266MHz/ 4GB hard Drive /440LX chipset
*Compaq 5011CL /1.2 Cel. /80gb Ultra HD/ 256sdrm PC100.

As long as the hard drives are DMA IDE, does it matter if they are Ultra, as long as they are ATA100, and could I maybe put two hard drives together?.....The Compaq's 80Gb Ultra DMA and the Dell's 4300's 40 GB hard drive?

If I keep either the DELL 4300 or the HP XL918, would I have to do anything at all to the mobo to support both? Maybe find the highest Power supply from these units and use that one? or all I have to do is put the hard drives together slave/master,add the max memory of 512 of PC133,and install WinXP, and hope for the best?


OR should I just recycle them all? Thanks!

[t34b4g5]

If they work then set them up with folding@home and crunch some proteins :r

[Midknyte]

you can have multiple IDE drives in a system, assuming you have the physical space.

[Rocketmech]

You should keep the Dell, it has the fastest motherboard, cpu and ram. Swap the 40gb for the 80gb hard drive or keep both. Donate, ebay or toss the rest.