Computers

[kalthalior]

What kinds of systems do you guys and gals play SE on? Tell us what you use, CPU type and speed, chip set, and ram? What OS do you run and did you build it or buy it?

Hmmm....since we are dredging up the dark ages, the first PC I loaded SE3 on was my first system -- Cyrix 200 mhz MMX (yes, CYRIX) , 64(later 96) mb EDO ram, 3.2 gb WD disk, 4 mb video card with W95 (later 98) OS, bought from vendor but did upgrading/reconfiguration myself (lost HD 2-3 months after purchase, so had to reload everything from scratch). Still running to this day, almost original config, Mom uses it today for email and word processing.
If I recall correctly, it ran SE4 briefly until I built my next (& still current) system.
Athlon 650 (clocked 110%), Epox EP-7KXA system board, 128 mb PC133 SDRAM (now 384) 20 GB ATA66 WD disk, 4x AGP 32mb nVidia TNT2 M64 video, running W98SE with (now) DVD-RW.
When I originally built it (early 00?), the best CPU you could get was 800 mhz and I was real proud of putting it together for under $800.
Recently got a 1.8 ghz, 512 RDram, 20 gb disk (XP)
at work, first time ever I can say my work system is better than one at home. That may have to change real soon...

EDIT: I recently saw a pic of a system that had a dead snake in it. Woman smelled something burning and sent it in for repair.

[ July 08, 2003, 19:20: Message edited by: kalthalior ]

[deccan]

Originally posted by Loser:
There are other problems that can cause the heat-sinks to fail to dissipate heat. Smoking around a computer deposits gunk on everything inside, and this can eventually have a significant impact on the heat sink's ability to pass heat into the passing air. I've also seen ashy paraffin (from candles like) all over the inside of a computer with a heat issue.

But it is probably a fan.

And any hole-in-the-wall computer shop should be able to take care of just about any possible reason for your heat issue.

Thanks for all the advice. An additional symptom that I forgot to add: when it was new, the air coming out of the side exhaust vent was really hot, now it's barely tepid. The volume of air doesn't seem to have changed, but I realize that this is hard to say. This suggests to me that something is clogging the insides and diverting the airflow.

I must say that with the size of the air intakes on these things these days, you'd expect them to come with air filters on them.

Also, when you're talking about hole-in-the-wall computer shops, you're speaking the literal truth here, since I'm in the Solomon Islands. I mean, this is a country where Australia is currently planning Iraq-style armed intervention and regime change.

[Baron Grazic]

That is not what the public is told is Oz.
We are just helping out a neighbour that is having some troubles.
But then again, no-one ever believes what the Government or media tells peoples

[Suicide Junkie]

I originally played SE3 on a 486 66Mhz PC with Windows 3.1, well below the minimum requirements.

Ran surprisingly well, actually.

[Q]

I might very well have the oldest hardware here (5 years old!):

Pentium II, 233MHz
Windows 98 (1. edition)
288MB RAM (I used to have only 32MB until I added 256MB Last year)
4 GB harddisk (added a external harddisk for back-up Last year)

But I play happily SE IV and browse the internet with this system.

[mottlee]

Originally posted by Q:
I might very well have the oldest hardware here (5 years old!):

Pentium II, 233MHz
Windows 98 (1. edition)
288MB RAM (I used to have only 32MB until I added 256MB Last year)
4 GB harddisk (added a external harddisk for back-up Last year)

But I play happily SE IV and browse the internet with this system.

Nope! About 8 or 9 Yrs, 200MMX, 128 Meg Ram, 4.3 Gig Hard Drive, Win 95, 16 Meg Video and a 33.6 modem

[ July 09, 2003, 20:03: Message edited by: mottlee ]

[Mudshark]

My old system;
PII 400
384 meg ram
2 10 gig hard drives
16 meg video card

The new system;
P4 3.0 gig
1 gig ram
120 gig hard drive
128 meg video card

[Gryphin]

I have a friend with long hair cats. Her fans die about every 9 months.