t3025 upgrades..not getting new mobo..

[logain721]

I am looking to upgrade my pc, it currently can play most games on low setting and quite a few older ones on high settings but I would like to increase this performance. However I have no intentions of buying a new pc or upgradeing my cpu to 64bit which would require I purchase a new mobo.

Current specs:
Amd athlon xp 3000+
512mb of ddr sdram
Nvidia geforce 4 mx
160gb Hd
Mobo is a FIC AU31 oem with modded bios ofcourse.. lol

The rest of the specs really dont matter nor does the HD IMO but I listed it as some peeps seem to insist upon it. I also would like to add that the PSU will need to be upgraded and I would like some suguestions as far as what psu I should use...

Im thinking of getting the agp bfg GeForce 7800 gs oc, if you guys know somthing better I would be willing to reconsider. I also intend to max out my ram at 2 gigs 2x1gig sticks.

Another thing that concerns me is the cooling, now I have a emachines t3025 case and I have no intentions of upgrading to a new case..

[saphalline]

Those eMachines cases are cramped, stunted, and stuffy. I doubt you could get a 7800 GS to work in there without modding something or leaving the side panel completely off. I also doubt a standard high quality 400W+ ATX 3.0 PSU could fit in there. There are definitely some upgrades you can do to improve your gaming performance. But there is a limit to what you can do with a stock OEM machine, regardless of how much money you throw at it.

Take a look at this thread (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=52968) to see what I recommended for another system with very similar specs. Any modern upgrade to that piece of junk GF4 MX will be astounding. Don't shoot for the monstrous 7800 GS just because it's AGP. There are many other considerations than just the slot type when fitting a vid card into an OEM machine.

[logain721]

Those eMachines cases are cramped, stunted, and stuffy. I doubt you could get a 7800 GS to work in there without modding something or leaving the side panel completely off. I also doubt a standard high quality 400W+ ATX 3.0 PSU could fit in there. There are definitely some upgrades you can do to improve your gaming performance. But there is a limit to what you can do with a stock OEM machine, regardless of how much money you throw at it.

Take a look at this thread (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=52968) to see what I recommended for another system with very similar specs. Any modern upgrade to that piece of junk GF4 MX will be astounding. Don't shoot for the monstrous 7800 GS just because it's AGP. There are many other considerations than just the slot type when fitting a vid card into an OEM machine.

I know the case is very small, now at first I was considering modifying it, however I managed to find this case, Thermaltake Armor Black ATX Full Tower Case with Clear Side, Fron USB, FireWire and Audio Ports and Built-in Liquid Cooling. Now I know very little about setting up a liquid cooled case so I need to know how easy would this be to set up with my current mobo, a Fic Au31 oem of course? Would I need to buy a new mobo to use this case and if so which?

Another thing that has me stomped is would I be able to use my current Hard drive with a new mobo without reformating it, if not then why? This has been somthing that I have wanted to understand for a while but have yet to find someone able to give me a good logical reason. I would assume there may be problems with the drivers but I doubt this would effect its ability to boot to windows to correct the issue but then again I would assume the Cmos holds most of the driver info??

Thanks again..

[david eaton]

Another thing that has me stomped is would I be able to use my current Hard drive with a new mobo without reformating it, if not then why? This has been somthing that I have wanted to understand for a while but have yet to find someone able to give me a good logical reason. I would assume there may be problems with the drivers but I doubt this would effect its ability to boot to windows to correct the issue but then again I would assume the Cmos holds most of the driver info??

The problem is that you have an OEM install that is not only tied to the original hardware, but also that while a Windows CD is the same for everyone, the actual installation files on the hard drive are tailored to the hardware the are installed on. The Motherboard needs different files that are installed by the Windows installer along with the necessary registry entries.
Imagine that you went to sleep, and awoke in a different bed, in a different house. That is what happens to windows, when you move a hard drive, and reboot. Usually, the install just cries for it's mommy!

The other point is that you have a "tailored" restore disk, not a full copy of Windows. This restore disk will only work on the hardware it came with. It is not possible to use it on any other hardware.

[mjc]

Another thing that has me stomped is would I be able to use my current Hard drive with a new mobo without reformating it, if not then why? This has been somthing that I have wanted to understand for a while but have yet to find someone able to give me a good logical reason. I would assume there may be problems with the drivers but I doubt this would effect its ability to boot to windows to correct the issue but then again I would assume the Cmos holds most of the driver info??


Another reason...Windows XP was specifically designed NOT to allow this (or not to allow it to easily be done). That is part of the reason for the whole 'Activation' process...like david said, XP is configured to the original installed hardware, much more so than any previous version of Windows, so far, in fact, that part of the activation process uses hardware id numbers to generate a hash that locks it to that configuration.

Plus, by it being a non-retail version of Windows, the license does not transfer from that original config, so legally, it is only good for that original system.

What it boils down to, is this...if you buy a machine with XP pre-installed, the it is only good on that machine...period. Because by buying it bundled, you bought it at a discount and what you gave up to get that discount was the rights a user of the full retail version has...namely the ability to transfer to an upgraded system.

[SufferWell1396]

The FIC AU31.... i have that same board, mines smoked. though i am still using the case for my Compaq because i find it a very nice case as compaired to the original Compaq case, which sucked... really bad...

The FIC AU31 was in my eMachines T2865, and only lasted about a year, because of the bad parts used on it, i still got the board, and the processor laying on the table next to me, eMachines cuts every corner they can, and they call themselves a maker of the "people computer"...

[Ichabod325]

Where could i find a 400W+ ATX 3.0 PSU that would fit in a t3025? Could you send a link or somthing?

[mjc]

You probably can't...you will most likely need to swap everything over to a larger case (or at least one that will hold a full sized power supply).

[Ichabod325]

Is it possible to use a micro atx?

[mjc]

If you can find one that has enough power...most microATX power supplies (at least those worth buying) are in the sub 350 W range...that is one of the major problems with pre-built machines, barely adequate power supplies.

[Ichabod325]

http://accessories.gateway.com/AccessoryStore/PC+Accessories_316441/PC+Components_316805/Power+Supplies_316811/12926815_ProdDetail would this work?

[Ichabod325]

Anyone? I'm still wondering.