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09-12-2010, 08:55 PM
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#1
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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upgrade desktop or buy new?
1.60GHz Pentium Dual Core Processor
It includes 1GB ram
Its capacity 80Gb
It has 16x DVD-ROM
Windows XP Home
My family's computer is piss slow. It wouldn't open a word document just now. Above are the specs as far as my searching could find. It just needs to be able to do regular web surfing and word processing and itunes of course. The problem is my dad is hard-pressed on opening every email he gets, and downloads every attachment. Therefore, I have two antiviruses running. Even without them. it stinks how slow it is. My question is this, should I just reinstall Windows (probably 7) and get more memory, or just suck it up and get a new computer?
Thanks guys.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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09-12-2010, 09:03 PM
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#2
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,476
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hard to tell how upgradable it is without knowing a little more about it. Is this a store bought desktop like an HP or something? If so, what's the brand / model number?
- Justin
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1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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09-12-2010, 09:06 PM
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#3
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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It's a Dell Vostro 200. Is it possible that the inners are just wore out? Like, does a computer just get tired after a while?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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Last edited by qwikz28; 09-12-2010 at 09:06 PM.
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09-12-2010, 09:11 PM
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#4
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 929
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dell for some reason just gets slow after a while. my brothers 2ghz p4 is slower than my p3 1ghz which was home built. i guess it comes to the money you want to spend. as far as i know dells really arent that upgradable. I think you can put more ram in there but thats it i think.
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1986 IROC-Z - 305- .030 over, Voodoo cam, 113 vette heads, tpi, hedman torque steps, GMMG 3in catback, custom chip, t56, 3.27s 9 bolt, rest of the car is stock.
2011 Camaro - 2lt/rs red jewel tincoat, m6 - SOLD
2014 Camaro SS - bolt ons
1998 Jimmy - the beater
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09-12-2010, 09:16 PM
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#5
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,476
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qwikz28
It's a Dell Vostro 200. Is it possible that the inners are just wore out? Like, does a computer just get tired after a while?
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Can you post the Service tag?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iroc-z86
dell for some reason just gets slow after a while. my brothers 2ghz p4 is slower than my p3 1ghz which was home built. i guess it comes to the money you want to spend. as far as i know dells really arent that upgradable. I think you can put more ram in there but thats it i think.
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The hardware itself won't slow down - the issue that the OP and your brother are likely seeing is software related. But both computers are relatively slow by today's standards, and would likely benefit from a hardware upgrade. And while Dell often uses proprietary components, there is usually a fair amount of upgrades that can be done to make improvements.
- Justin
__________________
1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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09-12-2010, 09:18 PM
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#6
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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wrong one!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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Last edited by qwikz28; 09-12-2010 at 09:23 PM.
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09-12-2010, 09:20 PM
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#7
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NNJ
Posts: 1,489
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what kind of antivirus programs you got running on there ?
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1997 Camaro Z28 - 355 LT1, T56, CC503, LTs, ORY, Bald Eagle-back exhaust, !emissions, Lingenfelter CAI, EWP, !CAGS, BMR LCAs, UMI PHB, Koni Str.t/Koni SA, C5 Z06 front / LS1 F-body rear brake swap, factory hurst with short stick 
2014 2LT Cruze 2.0 Turbo Diesel
Last edited by FlyingDutchman; 09-12-2010 at 09:20 PM.
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09-12-2010, 09:23 PM
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#8
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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sorry, that is BZCB3F1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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09-12-2010, 09:23 PM
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#9
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 97camaro
what kind of antivirus programs you got running on there ?
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AVG free, and Microsoft Essentials.
Microsoft Essentials is great by the way!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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09-12-2010, 09:31 PM
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#10
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,476
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qwikz28
sorry, that is BZCB3F1
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Ok, I was just about to post up that it actually seemed to be a pretty decent machine and just needed some more memory.
While yours certainly isn't a speed demon (Intel E2104 - 1.6GHz dual core cpu, 2x512 RAM), it's capable enough to handle what you are asking it to do. In your shoes, I would do a memory upgrade and then backup your important data and start over from scratch. Chances are the mix of software and useless crap that has built up in the almost 3 years you have had it are what is really dragging the machine down.
- Justin
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1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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09-12-2010, 09:34 PM
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#11
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NNJ
Posts: 1,489
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qwikz28
AVG free, and Microsoft Essentials.
Microsoft Essentials is great by the way!
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Yeah Microsoft Essentials is def FTW IMO, AVG free can burn though, its slow and didn't protect my comp.
First thing I did with my laptop was see what programs and processes come up on startup. Theres a lot of programs that tend to turn themselves on when you boot up that take up valuable processing power (IE aim, itunes, limewire ... etc) By disabling a few here and there my comp is still running strong (hp dv5t w/ vista home pre)
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1997 Camaro Z28 - 355 LT1, T56, CC503, LTs, ORY, Bald Eagle-back exhaust, !emissions, Lingenfelter CAI, EWP, !CAGS, BMR LCAs, UMI PHB, Koni Str.t/Koni SA, C5 Z06 front / LS1 F-body rear brake swap, factory hurst with short stick
2014 2LT Cruze 2.0 Turbo Diesel
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09-12-2010, 09:37 PM
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#12
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy
Ok, I was just about to post up that it actually seemed to be a pretty decent machine and just needed some more memory.
While yours certainly isn't a speed demon (Intel E2104 - 1.6GHz dual core cpu, 2x512 RAM), it's capable enough to handle what you are asking it to do. In your shoes, I would do a memory upgrade and then backup your important data and start over from scratch. Chances are the mix of software and useless crap that has built up in the almost 3 years you have had it are what is really dragging the machine down.
- Justin
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Thanks! While I'm at it, I'm gonna read up on how to overclock that bad boy! I'll post up an update once I get the memory in there.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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09-12-2010, 09:38 PM
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#13
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Point Pleasant
Posts: 1,809
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Format and reinstall windows.
You should have 3gigs of ram to top out that computers capability. Theres no reason that that computer running well wont serve perfectly fine as an email reader and internet browser.
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-Vinnie
94 2wd SBSC Gmt400. 330CI LSX, Fast 102, Trickflow 205s, close ratio nv3500, 4.30/trutrac.
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09-13-2010, 10:20 AM
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#14
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Ayatollah of Rock N Rolla / Admin
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 12,573
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Quote:
Originally Posted by r0nin89
Format and reinstall windows.
You should have 3gigs of ram to top out that computers capability. Theres no reason that that computer running well wont serve perfectly fine as an email reader and internet browser.
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Absolutely. My old compy from 2001 performs those tasks flawlessly. You do not need a hot rod computer for basic things.
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09-13-2010, 11:36 AM
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#15
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13 Second Club
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing/Galloway, NJ
Posts: 3,904
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do a good system cleaning too...
adaware/spybot
ccleaner
regscrub xp
system mechanic
ultimate defrag
should help out tremendously and will establish where the comp really stands
__________________
EB
99 Riviera, Bone stock, 14.34 @ 96 "Walking 5.0's in luxury" RIP
95 Cherokee, Bone stock 16.2 @ 83 "Treeing your 3rd gen and beating it to the line despite trapping less....and looking better"
93 TA, Bone stock, 13.8 @ 100 "Beating ****** drivers in ****** LS1's"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/285090241699967/
R.I.P. Tia 
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09-13-2010, 01:00 PM
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#16
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13 Second Club / Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Posts: 8,694
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thanks guys. The computer was once a pretty sharp. It just has a ton of junk on it now.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by LS1ow
Except Jersey mike, great kid, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like im in danger
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09-13-2010, 01:11 PM
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#17
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,165
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open the case and blow all the dust out. funny how things get hot fast and stop working.
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Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
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09-15-2010, 12:37 PM
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#18
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2007 Member of the Year
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Seabrook, TX
Posts: 14,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iroc-z86
as far as i know dells really arent that upgradable. I think you can put more ram in there but thats it i think.
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Tell that to my XPS... things made with upgrading and expanding in mind
__________________
WF=DF
Kommandant of the ACL (Anti Canadian League)
Quote:
Originally Posted by LTb1ow
Junk the pos, spend the money on beer, acquire headache.
Same result cept this headache doesnt last months.
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09-15-2010, 06:17 PM
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#19
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13 Second Club
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing/Galloway, NJ
Posts: 3,904
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Savage_Messiah
Tell that to my XPS... things made with upgrading and expanding in mind
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__________________
EB
99 Riviera, Bone stock, 14.34 @ 96 "Walking 5.0's in luxury" RIP
95 Cherokee, Bone stock 16.2 @ 83 "Treeing your 3rd gen and beating it to the line despite trapping less....and looking better"
93 TA, Bone stock, 13.8 @ 100 "Beating ****** drivers in ****** LS1's"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/285090241699967/
R.I.P. Tia
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09-16-2010, 11:37 AM
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#20
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Point Pleasant
Posts: 1,809
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
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I miss those commercials....
__________________
-Vinnie
94 2wd SBSC Gmt400. 330CI LSX, Fast 102, Trickflow 205s, close ratio nv3500, 4.30/trutrac.
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09-17-2010, 05:20 PM
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#21
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mays Landing area NJ
Posts: 438
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craigslist is great if you don't want to spend money on a new one!
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