I need to upgrade an existing machine. It is an ABIT MOBO running a Celeron
1.3 with old PC100 ram.
1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4, probably a
3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.
2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.
3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with it's
operating system..XP Pro...how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.
I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

thanks,

John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

"Blind Joni" wrote in message
I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I
just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

Why don't you go to your nearest computer store and ask them? If you're
going to have someone else do it for you why do you want us to explain it in
such detail?

I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I
just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

Why don't you go to your nearest computer store and ask them? If you're
going to have someone else do it for you why do you want us to explain it in
such detail?

I just said I need to price it out..I am very short on funds so I need to know
as close as possible what I am doing..plus the store guys know **** about
audio.


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

In article writes:

Why don't you go to your nearest computer store and ask them?

I just said I need to price it out..

You can go to a computer store and price it out without buying.

Maybe that's wishful thinking, though. We used to have a few shops
around here where you could sit down with someone and tell them what
you wanted the computer to do, what constraints you had (including
budget), and requirements (like no VIA chipset motherboard if you plan
to use certain audio hardware and believe what your read on the net)
and they'd come up with a list of parts that they'll make work if you
let them put it together. You can take it or leave it. Unfortunately I
think that most of those shops have gone the way of the ice cream
parlor.

However, nobody knows better than a computer shop what you'll need to
make a complete system and what at least the components that they sell
will cost. You can shave a few dollars by buying the same mother board
and memory and CPU and case and graphics board and disk drives for
half a dozen on-line services, but then where are you going to take it
to put it all together and make it work. You already said that you
would need help. Best to line up that help up front.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

However, nobody knows better than a computer shop what you'll need to
make a complete system and what at least the components that they sell
will cost. You can shave a few dollars by buying the same mother board
and memory and CPU and case and graphics board and disk drives for
half a dozen on-line services, but then where are you going to take it
to put it all together and make it work. You already said that you
would need help. Best to line up that help up front.



I have someone to put it together, I just want to find out what I need to work
with certain companies hardware based on my own and others first hand
experience. I have done this 3 times before...i want to be as educated as I can
so when the computer geek gets here and says "I can make this work better with
brand "X" so and so I know how and why to say "no" just do what I tell you
to...please!!!




John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

"Blind Joni" wrote in message

I need to upgrade an existing machine.

It is an ABIT MOBO running a Celeron 1.3 with old PC100 ram.

1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4,
probably a 3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.

The old motherboard should be an ATX-format motherboard - that's an industry
standard that just about everybody but people like Compaq adhere to quite
closely.

A new ATX-format motherboard should fit in the same ATX-format chassis. You
will probably need to swap out the thin metal plate where the keyboard and
port connectors are exposed, and you may need to add or subtract or move
some of the standoffs that the motherboard screws into. Some alterations of
the wiring to the front-panel switches and lights may be required.

2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.

At least 256 megs of whatever the new motherboard takes. If someone tries to
strong-arm you into 512 megs, and cash isn't excruciatingly tight, let him
have his way.

3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with
it's operating system..XP Pro...

You can't swap motherboards willy-nilly and expect XP to boot with the new
motherboard. There's a blue screen (BSOD) that is well-known to occur -
0x0000007B as I recall, if the new motherboard differs too much from the old
one.

What is "differs too much"? Well swapping in a AMD CPU on a VIA or NVIDIA
chipset motherboard for an old Intel chipset motherboard is IME often "too
much". YMMV. There are some workarounds that are possible and can work out
great, because I've done what I just said might be impossible, a number of
times.

You'll have to reactivate XP because it will detect the changes and throw a
hissy-fit. MS will let you reactivate as a matter of policy, but you may
have to make a phone call. The goal is to convince the person at MS that
this is a true upgrade, and not a clone of one OS license onto two PCs.

However, if you replace a fairly new (2-3 year old) Intel chipset
motherboard with a brand new Intel chipset motherboard, you have a pretty
good chance of the machine getting through its first boot. Similarly, if you
replace a fairly new (2-3 year old) VIA/AMD chipset motherboard with a
brand new VIA/AMD chipset motherboard, you have a pretty good chance of the
machine getting through its first boot, as well.

I recommend that going into the swap, apply all the latest MS XP patches
and XP SP1, if you haven't already done so. Also, do a full Chkdsk and
Defrag of the hard drive with the old motherboard, unless it has become very
unstable.

You're usually coasting down hill after you get to the desktop on the first
boot. XP will then automatically tailor itself for the new motherboard. You
may have to use the new motherboard's driver disk to get complete support
for all the peripherals on the new motherboard. I can think of cases where
you might be able to smooth the process by loading all the drivers for the
new motherboard while the system is still running on the old motherboard,
but there are cases where the driver setup program won't allow this. Check
the new motherboard's documentation carefully.

how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.

XP will handle most of it automatically. It will probably handle enough
automatically so that you have enough of a working system to manually load
any drivers that XP doesn't handle automatically.

I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not
qualified to do..I just want to get an idea what I need so I can
price out the upgrade.

If there is good planning and reasonable compatibility between the new and
old motherboards, a motherboard/CPU upgrade is no big deal - maybe an hour's
work. If things go wrong, the job may never be able to be completed *right*
and you're back down to doing a clean install. Always backup everything of
value before you touch the screwdriver the first time.

In summary, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle if you simply back up
your documents, reformat your hard drive, and re-install a fresh coat
of Windows XP.

ulysses

In article , Arny Krueger
wrote:

"Blind Joni" wrote in message

I need to upgrade an existing machine.

It is an ABIT MOBO running a Celeron 1.3 with old PC100 ram.

1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4,
probably a 3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.

The old motherboard should be an ATX-format motherboard - that's an industry
standard that just about everybody but people like Compaq adhere to quite
closely.

A new ATX-format motherboard should fit in the same ATX-format chassis. You
will probably need to swap out the thin metal plate where the keyboard and
port connectors are exposed, and you may need to add or subtract or move
some of the standoffs that the motherboard screws into. Some alterations of
the wiring to the front-panel switches and lights may be required.

2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.

At least 256 megs of whatever the new motherboard takes. If someone tries to
strong-arm you into 512 megs, and cash isn't excruciatingly tight, let him
have his way.

3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with
it's operating system..XP Pro...

You can't swap motherboards willy-nilly and expect XP to boot with the new
motherboard. There's a blue screen (BSOD) that is well-known to occur -
0x0000007B as I recall, if the new motherboard differs too much from the old
one.

What is "differs too much"? Well swapping in a AMD CPU on a VIA or NVIDIA
chipset motherboard for an old Intel chipset motherboard is IME often "too
much". YMMV. There are some workarounds that are possible and can work out
great, because I've done what I just said might be impossible, a number of
times.

You'll have to reactivate XP because it will detect the changes and throw a
hissy-fit. MS will let you reactivate as a matter of policy, but you may
have to make a phone call. The goal is to convince the person at MS that
this is a true upgrade, and not a clone of one OS license onto two PCs.

However, if you replace a fairly new (2-3 year old) Intel chipset
motherboard with a brand new Intel chipset motherboard, you have a pretty
good chance of the machine getting through its first boot. Similarly, if you
replace a fairly new (2-3 year old) VIA/AMD chipset motherboard with a
brand new VIA/AMD chipset motherboard, you have a pretty good chance of the
machine getting through its first boot, as well.

I recommend that going into the swap, apply all the latest MS XP patches
and XP SP1, if you haven't already done so. Also, do a full Chkdsk and
Defrag of the hard drive with the old motherboard, unless it has become very
unstable.

You're usually coasting down hill after you get to the desktop on the first
boot. XP will then automatically tailor itself for the new motherboard. You
may have to use the new motherboard's driver disk to get complete support
for all the peripherals on the new motherboard. I can think of cases where
you might be able to smooth the process by loading all the drivers for the
new motherboard while the system is still running on the old motherboard,
but there are cases where the driver setup program won't allow this. Check
the new motherboard's documentation carefully.

how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.

XP will handle most of it automatically. It will probably handle enough
automatically so that you have enough of a working system to manually load
any drivers that XP doesn't handle automatically.

I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not
qualified to do..I just want to get an idea what I need so I can
price out the upgrade.

If there is good planning and reasonable compatibility between the new and
old motherboards, a motherboard/CPU upgrade is no big deal - maybe an hour's
work. If things go wrong, the job may never be able to be completed *right*
and you're back down to doing a clean install. Always backup everything of
value before you touch the screwdriver the first time.

In article writes:

In summary, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle if you simply back up
your documents, reformat your hard drive, and re-install a fresh coat
of Windows XP.

A good approach if all you have on the drive is the OS and some
documents, but if you have three DAW programs, a bunch of plug-ins, a
web browser, a mail program, an Office program (with associated
directories where they expect to find stuff), and a pile of utilities
that you never remember you had until you need one, there's a mighty
good argument for not having to re-install and re-configure
everything.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

A good approach if all you have on the drive is the OS and some
documents, but if you have three DAW programs, a bunch of plug-ins, a
web browser, a mail program, an Office program (with associated
directories where they expect to find stuff), and a pile of utilities
that you never remember you had until you need one, there's a mighty
good argument for not having to re-install and re-configure
everything.

This was my thought also.


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

You'll need a p4 compatible PSU though - I doubt the old one is.


How can I tell if it is compatable..I installed a new one not long ago?


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

Hi,

In message znr1069169736k@trad, Mike Rivers
writes

In article
writes:

In summary, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle if you simply back up
your documents, reformat your hard drive, and re-install a fresh coat
of Windows XP.

A good approach if all you have on the drive is the OS and some
documents, but if you have three DAW programs, a bunch of plug-ins, a
web browser, a mail program, an Office program (with associated
directories where they expect to find stuff), and a pile of utilities
that you never remember you had until you need one, there's a mighty
good argument for not having to re-install and re-configure
everything.

I don't know if it's common knowledge, but the XP CD has a buried option
called "File and settings transfer wizard" that can be of some help with
this. The idea is that you put the CD in the drive on your existing
system, fire up the wizard, and it creates a file that contains your
Operating System settings and your files (along with their locations on
the drive(s) ). You then run it again on your shiny new install of XP,
and it reinstalls the backup data. It's far from perfect, but it works
okay once you learn how to drive it.

The downside is that it wants to backup *all* your files (i.e. every
drive), so you have to remove or otherwise disable any non-O/S drives
that you don't want it to touch (data drives, and so on). You can't
specify which files to backup by drive letter, which is a serious
omission in my view.

Also, if you have any applications with corrupt or dodgy settings on
your existing drive, it will happily copy these same dodgy settings to
your new drive, which can defeat the object.

The option is in the 'perform other tasks' section of the XP Pro CD. I
don't use XP home, but I believe it works the same way.
--
Glenn Booth

In article writes:

I don't know if it's common knowledge, but the XP CD has a buried option
called "File and settings transfer wizard" that can be of some help with
this. The idea is that you put the CD in the drive on your existing
system, fire up the wizard, and it creates a file that contains your
Operating System settings and your files (along with their locations on
the drive(s) ). You then run it again on your shiny new install of XP,
and it reinstalls the backup data. It's far from perfect, but it works
okay once you learn how to drive it.

The downside is that it wants to backup *all* your files

How does it do that? Does it keep asking you to feed it CDs? That
sounds like an all day project.

I don't know all the pitfalls, but I think what I'd be inclined to do
is to temporarily install the drive intended for the new computer in
the old computer, and use the utility that comes with just about ever
new disk drive to copy everything from the old drive to the new one
(including the OS and all the settings). Then, I'd put that clone in
the new computer, boot it up, and do an OS upgrade (if that's what I
wanted). This is what I did when I upgraded a computer (but didn't
change any hardware other than the disk drive) from Win95 to Win98 and
it worked fine. It was comforting to know that in case something
didn't work and I needed to use the "old" computer, I could stick the
original drive in it and be back to where I started.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article writes:

I need to upgrade an existing machine. It is an ABIT MOBO running a Celeron
1.3 with old PC100 ram.
1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4, probably a
3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.

You can replace the motherboard as long as your power supply can
handle the load. A faster processor (and probalby the additional
memory that you'll add at the same time) will draw more current. This
is something that you can't usually predict because there are too many
variables, so be prepared to also replace the power supply if
necessary.

2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.

Whatever the mother board takes. It may or may not be the same as you
already have. My bet is that you'll need different RAM also. You may
find that you'll want to upgrade the graphics card while you're at it,
and maybe put in a DVD writing drive, and a little this and that.

What kind of barrier are you running into with your 1.3 GHz system
now? I'd think that would be good enough for most work. If I had a
system running at that speed, I think I'd be inclined to hold out a
little longer, and then just replace the whole computer. That's what
I've been saying about the 266 MHz system I have.

3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with it's
operating system..XP Pro...

Windows XP keeps track of all the hardware that's running under it.
Chances are that when you boot up with your new hardware, it will
think that you've installed that copy on another computer (which,
essentially you have) and will want to be re-authorized. I think that
Microsoft is pretty liberal about this and you may need to go to the
web site or use the phone to get a new authorization code. Just
another Windows annoyance, but I guess one that they found necessary
since in the old days, people would somehow obtain one copy of an
operating system and install it on every computer they have.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

What kind of barrier are you running into with your 1.3 GHz system
now? I'd think that would be good enough for most work. If I had a
system running at that speed, I think I'd be inclined to hold out a
little longer, and then just replace the whole computer. That's what
I've been saying about the 266 MHz system I have.


I'm getting rid of my digital mixer and outboard gear and mixing "in the
box"..I've done this a few times in the last few months and it is easier, and
sounds better I think.
I do HipHOp but also rock band demos and full projects using Samplitude 7.12.
With the freeze function in Samplitude there is really no overhead if I do
things a certain way..I really love the realtime room simulator reverb and need
to run 2 or more instances live until I get the mix tweaked and I just want to
give myself some breathing room and be stable for 6 months to a year...got a
lot of other outside work to do and want to streamline the process as much as
possible.
I need to keep my older drives as I have current projects on them ..trying to
do as simple a swap as I can. I need to add a DVD drive right away so I figured
a partial upgrade was worth the investment.


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

In article writes:

What kind of barrier are you running into with your 1.3 GHz system
now?

I'm getting rid of my digital mixer and outboard gear and mixing "in the
box"..

Ah. Well you'd better get the fastest board and CPU you can find,
install the software and plug-ins that you expect to need. Wring it
out good, and then resist, really really resist adding more to it.

I need to keep my older drives as I have current projects on them ..trying to
do as simple a swap as I can.

You might consider a removable drive bay in your new computer. This
way you can swap "project" drives in and you won't have to keep all of
your projects on a single drive. Alternately, you can (should) have a
second drive just for projects. This will not only let the computer
run smoother, but will make backup easier.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Wring it
out good, and then resist, really really resist adding more to it.

Learned mynlesson on this long ago..you're right.

You might consider a removable drive bay in your new computer.

I have had this for years..works great and saves a bunch of time. that's why I
want to keep as much as I can.




John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

I don't think you need to worry John. Any Intel based mobo will probably do
fine, but the new SiS chipsets seem to kick some butt as far as bus
throughtput. Check out www.tomshardware.com and read some of the newer
information on the P4 Extended Edition chip which is supposed (seemingly it
does) with the Athlong 64 bit chip. Hell, I'm even considering switching
back to an Intel so I don't have to worry about VIA chipset problems with my
MOTU.

But as far as RAM, etc., you'll find out on the website. And there are some
interesting downloadable videos of systems being tested on the site. Yank
the fan, most Athlons fry. Yank the fan on an Intel and it politely cuts
off without burning out.

And I'm an Athlon guy! g

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio
Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net.
See how far $20 really goes.




"Blind Joni" wrote in message
...
I need to upgrade an existing machine. It is an ABIT MOBO running a
Celeron
1.3 with old PC100 ram.
1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4,
probably a
3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.
2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.
3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with it's
operating system..XP Pro...how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.
I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I
just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

thanks,

John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

And oh yeah, I think I don't have to tell you about power supplies and such.
You know how to make a new one work. Have you talked to Jim Roseberry
)? He might have something for you.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio
Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net.
See how far $20 really goes.




"Blind Joni" wrote in message
...
I need to upgrade an existing machine. It is an ABIT MOBO running a
Celeron
1.3 with old PC100 ram.
1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4,
probably a
3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.
2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.
3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with it's
operating system..XP Pro...how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.
I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I
just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

thanks,

John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

A year ago or so I had a couple of lengthy telephone conversations
with a fellow in NYC named Yoshi Kobari on exactly this topic. His
website is www.kobaristudio.com. He was very polite and helpful, and
went way out of his way to brainstorm with me on how to upgrade an
existing machine as cheaply as possible. He builds and sells DAW
computers professionally. Maybe give him a call. I ended up just
living with what I had, so I cannot say how his service is, but his
phone advice was very useful.

best of luck,

d


(Blind Joni) wrote in message ...
I need to upgrade an existing machine. It is an ABIT MOBO running a Celeron
1.3 with old PC100 ram.
1. Can I replace the MOBO and Processor with a new one running a P4, probably a
3.0 or so..it needs to be an Intel processor.
2. What kind of RAM do I need for this combo.
3. Can I use the same "C" drive meaning leave the old drive in with it's
operating system..XP Pro...how do I have to reset for the new MOBO/CPU.
I know I need to get someone to do the work I'm not qualified to do..I just
want to get an idea what I need so I can price out the upgrade.

thanks,

John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637