Computer Mods
The Starting Point:
Case: ATX Mid-Tower - AMD 1.2 Ghz Processor - 512 RAM - 1.44 Floppy Drive A - 6 Gig Western Digital Drive C - CDRW as Drive D - 2 Gig Western Digital Drive E in a mobile rack - 32 Meg Nivada Video Card - Star-logic V92 modem - Link-Sys Network Card - Sound-Blaster 16 Card
I use the machine mostly for internet and a few apps like Excel and Word, ect . Sadly it will never run newest games like DOOM3 or Far Cry without a new motherboard, the buss too limited for the task. However it can run a whole lot better and the vast majority of games out there. I want to strengthen it's multimedia capabilities focusing mostly on upgrades can take with me to a new MB when that day comes.
Adding fans are cheap easy modifications that extend the life of the computer. The more drives and cards you add, the more you need cooling. Fans can be bought in a variety of sizes. For my first Mod I installed 2 led illuminated fans. One fan blows into the case, the other blows across the RAM and keeps it cooler.
Cost - 20 Bucks from Best Buy
The round, grounded and shielded cables don't just look better. They reduce resends of data between the drives and bus resulting in faster file transfers and loading. They also don't block airflow like flat cables. I paid more for these cables because they are grounded to the chassis. No static surprises for me!
Cost - 30 Bucks from Circuit City
If you ever painted a plastic model you can do this. The keys are cleanliness and patience. I used Testors spray enamel, the same as used on plastic models as it came in the color I wanted, 1214, the exact color of a Checker Cab. Carefully remove the outer panels. Wash them with 409, rinse with hot water, cloth towel dry. Using 91% rubbing alcohol wipe your hands and the parts with a clean old cloth rag. Lay the panels flat and spray light coats, 20 minutes between coats until the item is finished. Wait 24 hours before you reassemble so the paint can harden.
Cost: 16 Bucks at Walmart
What's the use of lighted fans if you can't see them? You can buy window kits online or make your own. For this job you do need a drill, a jigsaw and a little tape. The clear panel and 3M two sided sticky tape came from the local hardware store. The chrome around the window edge is a car door guard from the local car parts place. Technically this doesn't add performance, it's just looks nice. Remember, measure twice, cut once.
Cost - 25 Bucks from the local hardware store
My old mobile drive bay didn't support 80 pin Ultra ATA Drives so it had to be replaced. I ordered 3 and one extra tray. Two installed and spares. If you play with other Operating Systems these are the real deal. If you want to keep a lot of data backed up and or easily accessed on old drives. Hot swappable in Win98. Lockable and you can even turn the drive off while it's left in place.
Cost - 58 Bucks from auction on Ebay
This brings the HD speed a long way. A new 120 Gig UltraATA Western Digital HD installed as C Drive on the same cable as the CDRW, now D Drive. The 6 Gig is set alone as F Drive. After living with 6 Gigs of ATA-33 for so long it's like living large. There is a noticeable increase in speed.
Cost - 102 Bucks from Best Buy
A blowhole is my latest cooling mod. A 120 MM Blue LED fan pops heat straight out the top and drops the interior temperature as low as can be gained without resorting to water cooling. If your only going to install one fan, this is the one.
Cost - 5 Bucks from Ebay
Wireless keyboards have dropped in price, now anyone can afford them. This is really a neat and worthwhile upgrade. I also spent some time under the desk organizing the wiring, now I can vacuum all the dust bunnies formerly hidden beneath wiring.
Cost - 30 Bucks from Wal-Mart
After the death of my 2 Gig a new 120 Gig UltraATA Western Digital HD installed as E: Drive on the same cable as the CDRW, now D Drive. The 6 Gig is set as F Drive. Again there is a noticeable increase in speed.
Cost - 102 Bucks from Best Buy minus 60 Bucks in rebates!
My old GeForce2 MX 200 card was acceptable in 2D apps but had no game. it only had 4X AGP support and 32 Megs RAM, no Direct Draw support. Out it comes for a new GeForce 440 8X AGP with 128 Megs RAM, Direct Draw, Direct X and Open GL support. While it didn't make sense to install a high end card for a box that can't run Doom 3, I got a noticeable increase in speed.
Cost - 40 Bucks from Ebay
A additional 512 Meg Ram Chip lightens the load. In theory you can run XP on 128 megs of RAM, just like in theory you can kill a 1400 pound bear with a 22 caliber rifle, you don't want to try either one. More RAM makes for a smaller swap file and less swap file writes. That means faster loading and running of programs. With just a few apps open I can tell the difference.
Cost - 100 Bucks from Tiger Direct
A fan adaptor allows you to replace that tiny 60 MM fan with a larger 80 MM fan. The fan is quieter as it has a slower speed but moves more air. This cheap easy Mod will allow you push the CPU voltage higher without overheating the chip. A 3 degree Celsius drop in CPU temperature, YEA!
Cost - 7 Bucks for adaptor from Tiger Direct - Fan 4 Bucks from Best Buy
My case had those cheap thin plastic feet that had the sides almost touching the ground. Worse dust was seeping in. These are appliance rollers that I shortened the stem on and bolted right in place. it moved the box up about a inch and now glides out with ease.
Cost - 11 bucks from Hardware Store
My CD-R + RW works great but I want to watch movies too. A NEC ND354A is just the ticket and even burns CDs faster than my old drive.
Cost - 42 bucks from TigerDirect.
I had a weak old Sound Blaster 16, replaced with a Creative Labs sound Blaster Audigy 5.1, giving THX 5.1 for movies and games. Now even my CD's sound sharper.
Cost - 30 bucks from TigerDirect.
Let me tell you speakers make a large difference. I changed out two tiny Labtech speakers for the Logitech X530. A armature musician friend bought them and they sound great. 140 watts Peak Power and 70 watts RMS these are the bomb.
Cost - 50 bucks from TigerDirect.
USB 1.1 is good enough for keyboards but most devices on the market now call for USB 2. This computer didn't have Firewire support either, virtually a requirement if you have a digital camera. A Zonet card changes all that and put things current.
Cost - 25 bucks from TigerDirect
A new SeaSonic S12 power supply with 430 watts replaces the aging 300 watt (maybe, at best) unit. With dual rail and SATA ready connections it's also about 80% efficient, compared to the usual 55% to 65% of the standard cheap power supplies. Costly, yes, but how much will that cheap power supply be worth when if takes out 3 HDs, a DVD-RW and all the new cards I've installed?
Cost - 92 bucks from EBay
My GeForce 440 upgrade put a lot of performance back into the box. I wanted more and went for a new NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500 256MB DDR AGP8X DVI & TV-OUT Dual Head that will handle all my internet and apps needs and will fully support a HDTV card, my next expensive upgrade goal.
Cost - 64 bucks from Ebay
With the 2 fans blowing out of the case 120MM each I'm starting to suck dust inside the computer. This 3 fan cooler ought to restore proper airflow. I'll mount it between the mobile drives to give them extra cooling too.
Cost - 11 bucks from Ebay
It's mostly for looks but less loose wiring also adds to air flow and makes working on the innards easier. A tool can disassemble the moldex connectors with ease. Heat Shrink tubing can be bought at most auto parts places, hardware stores or online. I'm using colored vacuum hose, it's tough enough to work under your hood and more than a match for your computer.
Cost - 3 bucks for moldex tool from Ebay