What to do with this Pentium 233 MMX Rig...(Need suggestions)

aolforbroadband · May 25th, 2004

It works fine, and I was able to upgrade it somewhat so I could install Windows XP on it. Here are the full specs:

Intel Pentium With MMX Technology @233MHz
160MB of PC100 SDRAM @ PC66
Ensoniq Audio PCI (SB PCI)
6GB Maxtor + 4GB Quantum HD's (10GB total)
Number Nine Imagine 128 Series II 4MB VRAM(PCI)
12x10x32x CD-RW
ISA 3com Ethernet Adapter
ISA U.S. Robotics 56k Modem

I'm not sure what to do with it. It runs fine, but multimedia isn't the greatest on it. Windows Media Player runs CPU usage up into the 80% range which is insane. Is there another multimedia player that doesn't take up that much CPU power? This SB PCI used very little CPU power when I had it in my main machine.

I just wanted to hear what you guys think I should use this for, as I'm out of ideas besides these:

1. Scrap it and take the good parts(HD's, SDRAM, CD-RW)
2. Use it for something else
3. Eat it.

(Just kiddin'

)

I kinda don't wanna scrap it since it's in very good shape and does alot of simple tasks well for a P5 architecture CPU running XP Pro.

Anyway, fire away with suggestions. I'd also be willing to sell this to someone if they needed it, or maybe even the parts(CPU, etc).

__________________

Last edited by aolforbroadband; May 25th, 2004 at 02:23.

**Razor Blade** · May 25th, 2004

>>and I was able to upgrade it somewhat so I could install Windows XP on it.

First thing is first. Uninstall XP. For a computer that old XP is not a wise choice. Windows 98 would be ideal for it though. The coomplexity of the OS is gonna create sslowdowns also the drivers it comes with is meant for year 2000+ computers and also the fact that it was made for at least a 500Mhz (and that isn't fun to work on either)

If I were you I would keep it. I am using my 550 Mhz computer to post right now. As a spare to connect to the internet whether the other one is in use or broken it is a great backup and sometimes asking a question here or in a chat or a quick google search on a computer that works can save your ass and $$$. Keep it for a spare and also to do simple tasks.

__________________

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JanusX · May 25th, 2004

If you gave it a bigger hard drive you could use it as a fileserver

__________________
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RZetlin · May 25th, 2004

I have a 233 MHz with Windows XP Pro installed.

I used it as a test computer.

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dukenukem · May 25th, 2004

I would say keep it too but if you don't want the pc100 ram i'll gladly accept it

.

__________________

new pc=pentiumd 820 dualcore,250gb sata hdd,intel gma 950,19 inch lcd,lexmark printer,8in1 media card reader.
laptop=hp pavilion dv51099nr
core2 duot 5800,500gb wd 5400rpm hdd,512mb nvidia9600gt mobile gfxcard,15.4 inch 1280x800 screen,8x dvd burner.

aolforbroadband · May 25th, 2004

I'd keep 98SE on it but the drivers for some of the hardware are...Blah.

No bass boost options on the SB PCI mixer under 98, and it seems alot more sluggish under that OS anyway. XP Pro runs surprisingly well, and it does meet the minimum requirements by Microsoft(233 Pentium is the lowest recommended). The only problem is the media player is a big CPU usage problem. Can't I listen to some phat beats while surfing the web with this thing?

Duke: I'll trade rigs with ya.

LoL.

__________________

INCA · May 25th, 2004

I was running windows xp under p2 333megahertz with 128mb of ram. It was fine for me. I could run media player and one internet windows screen. Its good for simple tasks, but not multiple. Certain games like halflife ran great. The only problem i had was memory. Maybe you should get more memory. I think thats whats holding your system back.

__________________
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1.8ghz Centrino, 80gigs, Win XP Pro sp2, 1gig PC2700
Intel Graphics Card.

R.I.P. My Dreamcast 2000-2004

Genji · May 25th, 2004

Try Winamp 2 for audio and Global Divx player for video, both are very CPU friendly, especially compared to WMP. They are what I used to use on my 466 celeron, and still use on my 1.8 p4. The winamp I have, 2.91, can do video too, but I like GDivx better, plus it has the same winamp-style controls (ZXCVB).

caipirinha · May 25th, 2004

donate to a philantropic institution

**Razor Blade** · May 25th, 2004

Really XP ran good on your guys' systems. Hmm thats news to me. Anyways I havn't had much luck but if it workd better with XP than by all means stick with it.

Well a good browser system seems good to to me like I posted above.

__________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz ● NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS ● 2GB DDR2 RAM
Hitachi 120GB HD ● Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive ● Windows Vista Home
Premium ● Dell 2007WFP LCD ● Dell XPS M1330 Laptop ● 1TB Western
Digital MyBook External HD ● Logitech Z10 Speakers ● PLAYSTATION 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_E_** · May 25th, 2004

eh? win98 used to take 5 mins to start on my old Pentium II 333 Mhz , 32 Mb RAM and 6 Gb HDD rig. If there is anything helping winXP run decently on your rig, it would be because of the 160 Mb RAM you have.

Yours,
-Elly

__________________

-= Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always =-
the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
Margaret C. Smith

RF · May 25th, 2004

Linux rig =)

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HDD: 2x 150GB VelociRaptor R0 / PSU: Enermax Galaxy 850w / OS: Windows 7 x64

Esturk · May 25th, 2004

I'd put Windows NT4 Workstation on that rig. You would be able to find good solid drivers for all of that hardware on the internet. You would also be able to play all your music and most videos I'm sure (The video card sucks @ss though

). Internet Explorer 6.0 runs perfectly and is supported fully in NT4. Believe me NT4 is like rock solid and VERY fast. Unless you need USB support or Directx 5+ (which I doubt on that rig) use NT4.

Believe me I've had a lot of good experience using NT4 on a rig with a Pentium MMX 233Mhz and 48Mb of EDO ram even.

It ran totally quick with those specs running Winamp 5.0 (Classic Skin) and IE6. NT4 is a lot like Windows 95 without all the bull**** instability.

__________________
Necrosaro: Windows XP Pro x64 Edition SP2 | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2 Cache | Asus P5Q Deluxe, Intel P45 Chipset, Socket 775 | 4GB Kingston PC5300 DDR2 | Nvidia GeForce 8800GT, 1024MB | Creative SB X-Fi Fatality Edition | Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD, 150Gb, SATA, Western Digital WD5000AAKS, 500GB, SATA | LG 16x DVD-RWx2 SATA.

**hushypushy** · May 25th, 2004

dude....Media Player Classic in Overlay mode for video and Winamp 5 (like Esturk said) for audio. at least make sure you have drivers for video too (are there any XP drivers for your old ass videocard?

__________________
Dedicated to mediocrity and repetition since 1994.

Kazuya Mishima · May 25th, 2004

You coulod try bsplayer. Its very cpu friendly. Alternatively try mpc but it consumes more resources.

__________________

Visit my blog in Spanish: http://andreyirra.blogspot.com

Grv · May 25th, 2004

I would use it as Firewall/Router. Alternatively, a Linux or test rig.

__________________
Signed,
--"Not young enough to know everything."

KillerShots · May 25th, 2004

I'd slap slackware on it, software raid the two hard drives to 4 gigs mirrored, the other 6 to be ignored. Slap an ssh and ftp server on it, run samba, and put all my truly critical documents on it. Put it directly on the internet connection, run a firewall, and suddenly be able to access your most critical documents from anywhere with internet access (password protected, of course).

Should be able to handle the job with no problems (except maybe needs a 2nd ethernet card unless you actually use that modem).

__________________
Primary
CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Mobo: Biostar N4SLI-A9 RAM: 2G Crucial (DDR400) Video: eVGA GeForce 7900 GTX (512M) Audio: HDA X-Mystique HD(s): Maxtor 300G SATA2, Samsung 400G SATA2 OS(s): WinXP x64 Pro, Vista x32 Ultimate, Gentoo x64 Monitor(s): Primary - 19" Flat Panel (1280x1024) Secondary - 19" Flat Panel (1280x1024) Tertiary - Zenith 42" Plasma TV (1024x768 res)

Many other machines... sig too short

Badaro · May 25th, 2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor Blade

First thing is first. Uninstall XP. For a computer that old XP is not a wise choice. Windows 98 would be ideal for it though. The coomplexity of the OS is gonna create sslowdowns also the drivers it comes with is meant for year 2000+ computers and also the fact that it was made for at least a 500Mhz (and that isn't fun to work on either)

I'd recommend Windows 2000 or Linux for that machine, both should run fine considering he has a pretty nice amount of RAM. I use a similar setup for a file server, works very well.

[]s Badaro

__________________
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**Razor Blade** · May 25th, 2004

Forgot about Win 2000. That isa very stable OS that still has great support from Microsoft also.

__________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz ● NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS ● 2GB DDR2 RAM
Hitachi 120GB HD ● Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive ● Windows Vista Home
Premium ● Dell 2007WFP LCD ● Dell XPS M1330 Laptop ● 1TB Western
Digital MyBook External HD ● Logitech Z10 Speakers ● PLAYSTATION 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

aolforbroadband · May 25th, 2004

Thanks for the suggestions guys, and keep em coming.

I'm surprised no one suggested I eat it.

Anyway, I'm scared of Windows NT for some reason, probably because my older brother used it so much and had it on all his computers. I couldn't play my emulators under it, and that's what pissed me off.

Anyway, I'm gonna go try out Winamp with the classic skin and see how good Emulation works on it.

BTW, Anyone got a spare Geforce MX/ATI budget PCI card laying around?

__________________

May 25th, 2004	#1 (permalink)
aolforbroadband I am pro, lawl. Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Washington D.C. Area Posts: 1,836	What to do with this Pentium 233 MMX Rig...(Need suggestions) It works fine, and I was able to upgrade it somewhat so I could install Windows XP on it. Here are the full specs: Intel Pentium With MMX Technology @233MHz 160MB of PC100 SDRAM @ PC66 Ensoniq Audio PCI (SB PCI) 6GB Maxtor + 4GB Quantum HD's (10GB total) Number Nine Imagine 128 Series II 4MB VRAM(PCI) 12x10x32x CD-RW ISA 3com Ethernet Adapter ISA U.S. Robotics 56k Modem I'm not sure what to do with it. It runs fine, but multimedia isn't the greatest on it. Windows Media Player runs CPU usage up into the 80% range which is insane. Is there another multimedia player that doesn't take up that much CPU power? This SB PCI used very little CPU power when I had it in my main machine. I just wanted to hear what you guys think I should use this for, as I'm out of ideas besides these: 1. Scrap it and take the good parts(HD's, SDRAM, CD-RW) 2. Use it for something else 3. Eat it. (Just kiddin') I kinda don't wanna scrap it since it's in very good shape and does alot of simple tasks well for a P5 architecture CPU running XP Pro. Anyway, fire away with suggestions. I'd also be willing to sell this to someone if they needed it, or maybe even the parts(CPU, etc). __________________ Core 2 Duo E6600 \| 2GB Corsair XMS2 \| eVGA 7900GS 320GB SATAII \| Antec Sonata II \| Antec 450W Sony XBRITE 17" LCD \| Logitech G5 Mouse Last edited by aolforbroadband; May 25th, 2004 at 02:23.

May 25th, 2004	#5 (permalink)
dukenukem Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: tucson Posts: 1,778	I would say keep it too but if you don't want the pc100 ram i'll gladly accept it. __________________ new pc=pentiumd 820 dualcore,250gb sata hdd,intel gma 950,19 inch lcd,lexmark printer,8in1 media card reader. laptop=hp pavilion dv51099nr core2 duot 5800,500gb wd 5400rpm hdd,512mb nvidia9600gt mobile gfxcard,15.4 inch 1280x800 screen,8x dvd burner.

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May 25th, 2004	#2 (permalink)
Razor Blade Locked and Loaded Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I AM CANADIAN! Posts: 12,032	>>and I was able to upgrade it somewhat so I could install Windows XP on it. First thing is first. Uninstall XP. For a computer that old XP is not a wise choice. Windows 98 would be ideal for it though. The coomplexity of the OS is gonna create sslowdowns also the drivers it comes with is meant for year 2000+ computers and also the fact that it was made for at least a 500Mhz (and that isn't fun to work on either) If I were you I would keep it. I am using my 550 Mhz computer to post right now. As a spare to connect to the internet whether the other one is in use or broken it is a great backup and sometimes asking a question here or in a chat or a quick google search on a computer that works can save your ass and $$$. Keep it for a spare and also to do simple tasks. __________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz ● NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS ● 2GB DDR2 RAM Hitachi 120GB HD ● Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive ● Windows Vista Home Premium ● Dell 2007WFP LCD ● Dell XPS M1330 Laptop ● 1TB Western Digital MyBook External HD ● Logitech Z10 Speakers ● PLAYSTATION 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 25th, 2004	#3 (permalink)
JanusX Nu... Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: A small cluttered desk Posts: 472	If you gave it a bigger hard drive you could use it as a fileserver __________________ "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato

May 25th, 2004	#4 (permalink)
RZetlin General of Tangerines Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Defending the Sea Posts: 3,913	I have a 233 MHz with Windows XP Pro installed. I used it as a test computer. __________________ AMD Athlon 64 3700+ \| 2 GB RAM \| XFX Nvidia 6800 GS 256 MB XXX Edition \| Win XP Pro SP3 "Asu no Egao no Tame ni!" - So We Can Smile Tomorrow! Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/RZetlin

May 25th, 2004	#6 (permalink)
aolforbroadband I am pro, lawl. Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Washington D.C. Area Posts: 1,836	I'd keep 98SE on it but the drivers for some of the hardware are...Blah. No bass boost options on the SB PCI mixer under 98, and it seems alot more sluggish under that OS anyway. XP Pro runs surprisingly well, and it does meet the minimum requirements by Microsoft(233 Pentium is the lowest recommended). The only problem is the media player is a big CPU usage problem. Can't I listen to some phat beats while surfing the web with this thing? Duke: I'll trade rigs with ya. LoL. __________________ Core 2 Duo E6600 \| 2GB Corsair XMS2 \| eVGA 7900GS 320GB SATAII \| Antec Sonata II \| Antec 450W Sony XBRITE 17" LCD \| Logitech G5 Mouse

May 25th, 2004	#7 (permalink)
INCA Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Cali Posts: 773	I was running windows xp under p2 333megahertz with 128mb of ram. It was fine for me. I could run media player and one internet windows screen. Its good for simple tasks, but not multiple. Certain games like halflife ran great. The only problem i had was memory. Maybe you should get more memory. I think thats whats holding your system back. __________________ My Laptop: Dell 700m 1.8ghz Centrino, 80gigs, Win XP Pro sp2, 1gig PC2700 Intel Graphics Card. R.I.P. My Dreamcast 2000-2004

May 25th, 2004	#8 (permalink)
Genji Count Chocula Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 35	Try Winamp 2 for audio and Global Divx player for video, both are very CPU friendly, especially compared to WMP. They are what I used to use on my 466 celeron, and still use on my 1.8 p4. The winamp I have, 2.91, can do video too, but I like GDivx better, plus it has the same winamp-style controls (ZXCVB).

May 25th, 2004	#9 (permalink)
caipirinha Change your heart Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Brazil Posts: 1,989	donate to a philantropic institution

May 25th, 2004	#10 (permalink)
Razor Blade Locked and Loaded Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I AM CANADIAN! Posts: 12,032	Really XP ran good on your guys' systems. Hmm thats news to me. Anyways I havn't had much luck but if it workd better with XP than by all means stick with it. Well a good browser system seems good to to me like I posted above. __________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz ● NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS ● 2GB DDR2 RAM Hitachi 120GB HD ● Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive ● Windows Vista Home Premium ● Dell 2007WFP LCD ● Dell XPS M1330 Laptop ● 1TB Western Digital MyBook External HD ● Logitech Z10 Speakers ● PLAYSTATION 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 25th, 2004	#11 (permalink)
_E_ Lurking Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gone Posts: 8,958	eh? win98 used to take 5 mins to start on my old Pentium II 333 Mhz , 32 Mb RAM and 6 Gb HDD rig. If there is anything helping winXP run decently on your rig, it would be because of the 160 Mb RAM you have. Yours, -Elly __________________ -= Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always =- the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character. Margaret C. Smith

May 25th, 2004	#12 (permalink)
RF Canadian Spaceman Join Date: May 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 8,743	Linux rig =) __________________ CPU: Core i7 920 \ MB: EVGA X58 \ RAM: 12GB OCZ DDR3-1600 \ GPU: SLI 8800GTX HDD: 2x 150GB VelociRaptor R0 / PSU: Enermax Galaxy 850w / OS: Windows 7 x64

May 25th, 2004	#13 (permalink)
Esturk Registered User Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 6,958	I'd put Windows NT4 Workstation on that rig. You would be able to find good solid drivers for all of that hardware on the internet. You would also be able to play all your music and most videos I'm sure (The video card sucks @ss though ). Internet Explorer 6.0 runs perfectly and is supported fully in NT4. Believe me NT4 is like rock solid and VERY fast. Unless you need USB support or Directx 5+ (which I doubt on that rig) use NT4. Believe me I've had a lot of good experience using NT4 on a rig with a Pentium MMX 233Mhz and 48Mb of EDO ram even. It ran totally quick with those specs running Winamp 5.0 (Classic Skin) and IE6. NT4 is a lot like Windows 95 without all the bull** instability. __________________ Necrosaro:** Windows XP Pro x64 Edition SP2 \| Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2 Cache \| Asus P5Q Deluxe, Intel P45 Chipset, Socket 775 \| 4GB Kingston PC5300 DDR2 \| Nvidia GeForce 8800GT, 1024MB \| Creative SB X-Fi Fatality Edition \| Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD, 150Gb, SATA, Western Digital WD5000AAKS, 500GB, SATA \| LG 16x DVD-RWx2 SATA.

May 25th, 2004	#14 (permalink)
hushypushy the only one you've ever SEEN Join Date: May 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 21,978	dude....Media Player Classic in Overlay mode for video and Winamp 5 (like Esturk said) for audio. at least make sure you have drivers for video too (are there any XP drivers for your old ass videocard? __________________ Dedicated to mediocrity and repetition since 1994.

May 25th, 2004	#15 (permalink)
Kazuya Mishima The seeker of perfection Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Suing somebody Posts: 3,146	You coulod try bsplayer. Its very cpu friendly. Alternatively try mpc but it consumes more resources. __________________ Visit my blog in Spanish: http://andreyirra.blogspot.com

May 25th, 2004	#16 (permalink)
Grv Translator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Холандија Posts: 1,521	I would use it as Firewall/Router. Alternatively, a Linux or test rig. __________________ Signed, --"Not young enough to know everything."

May 25th, 2004	#17 (permalink)
KillerShots War Games coder Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Florida Posts: 1,926	I'd slap slackware on it, software raid the two hard drives to 4 gigs mirrored, the other 6 to be ignored. Slap an ssh and ftp server on it, run samba, and put all my truly critical documents on it. Put it directly on the internet connection, run a firewall, and suddenly be able to access your most critical documents from anywhere with internet access (password protected, of course). Should be able to handle the job with no problems (except maybe needs a 2nd ethernet card unless you actually use that modem). __________________ Primary CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Mobo: Biostar N4SLI-A9 RAM: 2G Crucial (DDR400) Video: eVGA GeForce 7900 GTX (512M) Audio: HDA X-Mystique HD(s): Maxtor 300G SATA2, Samsung 400G SATA2 OS(s): WinXP x64 Pro, Vista x32 Ultimate, Gentoo x64 Monitor(s): Primary - 19" Flat Panel (1280x1024) Secondary - 19" Flat Panel (1280x1024) Tertiary - Zenith 42" Plasma TV (1024x768 res) Many other machines... sig too short

May 25th, 2004	#19 (permalink)
Razor Blade Locked and Loaded Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I AM CANADIAN! Posts: 12,032	Forgot about Win 2000. That isa very stable OS that still has great support from Microsoft also. __________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 GHz ● NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS ● 2GB DDR2 RAM Hitachi 120GB HD ● Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive ● Windows Vista Home Premium ● Dell 2007WFP LCD ● Dell XPS M1330 Laptop ● 1TB Western Digital MyBook External HD ● Logitech Z10 Speakers ● PLAYSTATION 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 25th, 2004	#20 (permalink)
aolforbroadband I am pro, lawl. Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Washington D.C. Area Posts: 1,836	Thanks for the suggestions guys, and keep em coming. I'm surprised no one suggested I eat it. Anyway, I'm scared of Windows NT for some reason, probably because my older brother used it so much and had it on all his computers. I couldn't play my emulators under it, and that's what pissed me off. Anyway, I'm gonna go try out Winamp with the classic skin and see how good Emulation works on it. BTW, Anyone got a spare Geforce MX/ATI budget PCI card laying around? __________________ Core 2 Duo E6600 \| 2GB Corsair XMS2 \| eVGA 7900GS 320GB SATAII \| Antec Sonata II \| Antec 450W Sony XBRITE 17" LCD \| Logitech G5 Mouse