Getting that new hardware itch...

[Net Llama!]

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005, Leon Goldstein wrote:
> Net Llama! wrote:
>
> >>For less than $200 you can possibly* replace your K6-2 with a K6-III+
> >>> and get an add-on Promise ATA100/133 IDE interface card and get a very
> >>> substantial and noticeable performance boost.
> >>>
> >>> *http://www.upgradeability.com/K6plus/index.htm?source=AdWords1
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Sorry Leon, but I really have to vigorously disagree with this
> >suggestion.  I wouldn't call a substantial or noticeable performance
> >boost upgrading from one ancient CPU, to one slightly less ancient CPU.
> >  On top of that, for around $400 he could get a low end modern system
> >that would outperform that K6-III by several orders of magnitude.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> I am speaking from experience.

I wasn't implying that you didn't know what you were talking about.  Just
that your recommendation really is only applicable to someone who has
limited needs when it comes to a desktop system, as well as a limited
budget.  Since Alan was clearly willing to spend about $1700, the upgrade
you recommended is clearly not in Alan's best interest.

>
> Last year I replaced the K6-2 350 CPU in an old Compaq Presario with a
> K6-III+ 450.
> The Presario mobo can be jumpered to 550 mHz, but I am running the
> K6-III+ slightly overclocked at 500 mHz since there is only a passive
> heatsink on this system.  The heatsink does not get  hot even after
> recompiling a kernel.  Since the brain transplant was successful, I then
> added a Promise ATA100 IDE PCI card.  The combined upgrades, plus maxing
> the system memory out to 384 MB (the Presario will not use DIMM's
> greater than 128 MB) cost less than $200 and yielded a "lab rat" system
> that runs Linux 2.6 kernel and FreeBSD with more than acceptable
> alacrity.  It is also almost silent in operation and that was my design
> goal: a silent desktop with performance.

Can you play DVD's on this system?  Is it capable of playing games
released in the past 2 years?  My point is, is it capable of doing
anything other than light office suite work and basic web surfing?

>
> My comment was to illustrate that the original poster's old K6-2 system
> has potential for extension of its serviceable life.  I am certainly not
> suggesting he refrain from building a new system.

Sure, but not as a replacement for the system that he wishes to get rid
of.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lonni J Friedman                        netllama at linux-sxs.org
LlamaLand				http://netllama.linux-sxs.org