Computers & Electronics

Worth putting money into this PC?

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  • Sep 13th, 2019 10:48 am
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Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
10212 posts
5525 upvotes
SW corner of the cou…

Worth putting money into this PC?

Picked up a PC essentially for free last weekend ($10 for 2 BDs (Reservoir Dogs + From Russia with Love unopened, + the PC). It has a 3-core AMD Phenom with just 2GB RAM. Drives have been pulled so it only has 2 ODs and a 1.44" floppy(!) It does boot past the BIOS stage but have not checked if it does more than that (short of HDs to test it).

The only thing I would use it for is a music server. It has a PCIe slot that the HP I'm currently using for a music server doesn't and it is also limited to 4GB RAM. The Asus MB can handle a max of 8 GB in 4 DDR2 sticks. Also not too bad as it has a 450W PSU (better than the 250W the two other C2D computers I have, though I needlessly UG'd the HP's PSU to a Bronze 450/550/650W Seasonic.

I can get another 4 GB of RAM for $18 or go for the full 8GB for $40.

Worth the investment or should I just keep it for parts?
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
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Deal Expert
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Oct 13, 2002
19368 posts
1071 upvotes
You can still find some AMD-only DDR2 4GB sticks on ebay ....
Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
10212 posts
5525 upvotes
SW corner of the cou…
willy wrote: You can still find some AMD-only DDR2 4GB sticks on ebay ....
I'm ignorant but are these stick limited to AMD CPUs only (so smaller market for the seller?) or are AMD CPUs limited to certain sticks (smaller market for the buyer i.e., me?)
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
Deal Fanatic
Nov 17, 2004
7311 posts
1672 upvotes
Toronto
It is probably a 95W or a 125W CPU, if you can get wake on lan working and the computer sleeps when not serving music to lower your electricity costs then it might be useful. If wake on lan does not work then i would not use it.

A years cost of electricity to run that CPU 24/7 would probably be in the $100-$200 range.
I workout to get big so I can pickup bricks and ****.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Oct 13, 2002
19368 posts
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thriftshopper wrote: I'm ignorant but are these stick limited to AMD CPUs only (so smaller market for the seller?) or are AMD CPUs limited to certain sticks (smaller market for the buyer i.e., me?)
Correct ... they are for AMD mobo only ... https://www.ebay.ca/itm/For-Samsung-8GB ... 3861832398

I used to have a Phenom II X3 with 8GB of these DDR2 ... I used it for HTPC purposes.
Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
10212 posts
5525 upvotes
SW corner of the cou…
Thanks. I found the manual for the MB and it appears it will only support max of 2GB DIMMs.
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China

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