Question to computer/hardware geeks

[karohemd]

The fan of the PSU in my PC is now finally on its last legs. Previously I had to hand start it and it was a bit noisy but now it's just rattling slowly at times and not doing its job anymore.

1) If I simply buy a new PSU, what do I have to know about my computer so I get the right one?
Everything else is working fine.

2) Having looked at prices for cases/motherboards, I could spend a bit more, get a new case and a new motherboard. Can I just plug in my existing hard and CD drives and cards or will I have to reinstall Windows etc? The system (W98 SE) is stable enough, a bit faster would be nice, though.

3) Expanding with option 1), what can I do to my PC to make it faster apart from adding RAM? It's currently a PIII 450 on a motherboard that was new at the time, what sort of processor will it take? I have to dig out the specs but maybe someone can give me a rough idea.

Update: Thanks for all your comments.
I think I'll just replace the PSU for now as the comp is fine for what I need it for and I still have my laptop, anyway. I'll have a proper system upgrade when I have a long, free weekend in a couple of months or so. :o)

Comments

[eddyfate.livejournal.com]

2) Getting a new motherboard means a reformat of your hard drive, since the motherboard has its own distinct drivers.

3) You'll probably have to get a new processor (which, if you get a new motherboard, might solve all of your problems at once).

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Reformatting the hard drive is exactly what I want to avoid. OK, a new clean install would probably help as well but I don't want to spend ages setting everything up again.
Option 2) is out then for the time being.

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

2) not necessarily - some hds are plug/play. I've swapped one between a couple different computers without trouble before.

[eddyfate.livejournal.com]

Really? My drive must just suck, then - I had to reformat both times I upgraded my motherboard.

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

probably a driver issue rather than a physical hardware issue.

I should add the caveat that I haven't tried this with win 98 in probably 4 years, and am completely spoiled by the fact that I use 2000 at work and XP pro at home.

[toxicpixie.livejournal.com]

If you're going for a new processor, at that age you might as well get a new motherboard as well I think.

If you want a new PSU, check how much power you're various bits are drawing and get something comfetably larger :)

On that note, what you running?

Nathan, The Toxic Pixie

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*nods* Thought that might be the case.
I think I'm going to wait until I can comfortably afford a full system upgrade. Only need 500 quid max for what I'm looking for. However, I currently saving for a D70 with at least one good zoom lens, so the PC upgrade can wait for a bit longer.

So for the PSU, type of motherboard etc. isn't important, just power consumption? Cool.
I'm running two hard drives, CD drive and a CD-R/DVD combo drive.

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

a normal power supply will work for that need (I don't even know how much power that is). physical dims, etc are the next thing. also, be very careful if you're replacing it yourself, because they can electrocute you if you're extremely un-careful.

[toxicpixie.livejournal.com]

Yup - what she says!

A bog standard 300 or 350 watt PSU will do you fine, I would think.

But be careful, and make sure you don't end up frying yourself or your machine!

Nathan, The Toxic Pixie

answers, totally out of order

[susanofstohelit.livejournal.com]

3) there's been a generation change since the pentium 450 (I think that's a P2, not a P3, but I might be wrong) came out, so if you're talking replacing the processor you almost certainly have to replace everything if you want new. I think the change happened at 600, but I can't remember now.

1) if you're buying hardware on the right kind of website or from a decent store, there'll be a list of what's compatable with what. you need to know the brand, size & model of the case, plus your power needs.

2) I've found windows hard drives to be more-or-less plug and play, because they have a huge number of drivers on them. that's relatively easy to check - ask a friend if you can stick your hard drive in their computer and see if it boots. if you know what hardware you're going to be getting, you can also download all the drivers your going to need before you put it in the new comp. what should happen is windows will auto-detect all the new hardware and use the drivers.

[duncanneko.livejournal.com]

Throwing my oar in too.. ;-)

1) Case size/type (ATX is by far the most common), and power consumption (check your current one, add a bit more if you feel like it to be on the safe side) are the main ones. Any decent quality PSU will have enough leads to cover your assorted drives anyway. You may also want to consider getting a super-quiet fan if that's an issue for you.

2) You *might* get away with just swapping the Motherboard etc out, but it's unlikely. I've never managed to pull it off, Windows has always required a full reinstall when I change motherboard. Judicious use of CD-Rs can make a full reinstall less painful than it would otherwise be.. it usually takes me an afternoon at most, using network backups etc. Burning important software to CD can also help a lot (I have an "install source" folder on one of my machines that contains pretty much every app I've downloaded, very handy for reinstalls)

3) You'd have to check the motherboard specs, but basically you won't get anything but a P3 on there.. clock speed will depend on the motherboard mostly. Athlon/P4 motherboards aren't too expensive anyway, though, so if you go for a new processor then upgrading there won't be too hard.

[duncanneko.livejournal.com]

I just noticed you mentioned two HDs too - reinstalling should be pretty close to trivial if you can just dump everything important to drive #2 and reformat drive #1 for a clean reinstall (incidentally, holler if you want Win2k instead of 98)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep them in mind when I actually get round to it.

[deliberateblank.livejournal.com]

You'll lose application/OS settings if you completely reformat/reinstall. (Win2k has an 'upgrade' option which will turn even a later version/service pack into a working install on that mobo/system.)

If you just want to upgrade the PSU then most newer ones are backwards compatible. If it fits the case then it probably has the same connections, possibly a few more but you can ignore those. Just check the case drillings for where you want to attach it and the mobo sockets against the one you're about to buy - it'll probably have the same fixtures and will definitely work if it does.