Update or buy new ??

[Guest]

Hi, I hope I am writing in the right section - feel free to move to wherever is correct =)

My problem is this: I have the following MB/Bios etc



Bios revision 0109
Date 05/08/2006.

Basically my PC is slow.
I do not play any games or watch films etc. etc.
I translate reference manuals - which means I have all the following programs open at the same time which occupy up to 60% of RAM
WORD
EXCEL
TRADOS - MULTITERM
GOOGLE CHROME (ABOUT 4 -6 WINDOWS OPEN)
plus many other glossaries etc.

When I look at what I could buy online - they seem to focus on ram and speed for gaming - so video ram etc ..
Something I do not need and I imagine I would be stupid to spend my money in that direction - when I need more power for standard programs all running contemporarily.

I realise that my BIOS is totally out of date - Will it improve my speed if I flash it ?

I am using WINDOWS 7 Premium and have turned off as many memory eating functions as possible.

Maybe that's enough info to start with?

I would really appreciate any input possible as I have no idea in which direction to go from here

Thanks in advance

Jennyxxx

 

[jaquith]

Welcome to Tom's Forums!

Assuming this is your MOBO ASUS M2NPV-VM -> http://usa.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2/M2NPVVM/#download

BIOS - Sempron 3200+ (35W) requires 0405 2006.08.31 minimum BIOS for your CPU, but the first release 0303 2006.06.30 is fine for the 62W. There's NO '0109' listed so in CPU-z refer to the MAINBOARD tab to double check.
Sempron 3200+ (CN),128K,rev.F2,35W,SocketAM2 ALL
0405
Sempron 3200+ (CN),128K,rev.F2,62W,SocketAM2 ALL
0303
Sempron 3200+ (CW),256K,rev.F2,62W,SocketAM2 ALL
0303

IF you indeed have the above MOBO and you BIOS is '0109' then yep that's a major problem, but verify the link, CPU and BIOS before taking any action.

As far as the Apps the equipment can run them just fine, but I have no experience with 'TRADOS' and it's demands. IMO running Windows 7 on your equipment won't be my first choice. You can disable Windows Aero -> http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/disable-aero-on-windows-vista/ and Turn-Off BOTH non Window Services by [x] Hide all Windows Services and uncheck the remaining items and Startup items; run MSCONFIG and look at those (2) tabs, make the changes and reboot.

As far as a NEW PC then obviously a new PC will run faster. IF you find yourself, after above, wasting time then look at this math:
12 Minutes/Day savings ; 5 working days/Week ; $25/hour:

Per Week 1 Hour X $25 = $25 per week or 50 weeks = $1,250/Year WASTED. Typical PC lasts 3+ years.

 

[Guest]

Thanks so much for answering - unfortunately the Mainboard in CPU-Z is
ASUS M2NPV-VM ACPI BIOS REVISION 0109
Excuse my ignorance - but does that mean I cannot update the BIOS ?
My sempron is 128K but I cannot seem to find whether it is 35 W o 62 W

Mine is actually bought from Italy I don't know if that makes a difference

If I do therefore decide to just buy a new whole product - is there anything you would recommend ???
- bearing in mind I do not play games or watch videos at all. I just need speed and lots of RAM I suppose.
I did what you mentioned about turning AERO off etc. I use the bare minimum of windows stuff.

Thanks in advance

Jenny

 

[Guest]

Sorry to be a pest - but would something like this be OK for me ??
I hope there is nothing in this copy that goes against forum regulations ....


Processor
AMD Athlon II X3 Processor 445 (3.1 GHz, 1.5 MB L2 cache)
Operating system
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64
Chipset
AMD 785G
Form factor
Microtower
Memory
Memory, standard
3 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Memory slots
4 DIMM
Storage
Internal drive bays
Two 8,9 cm (3.5")
External drive bays
One 8,9 cm (3.5")
Two 13,3 cm (5.25")
Hard drive description
500 GB 7200 rpm SATA 3.0 Gb/s
Optical drive
SATA SuperMulti DVD writer
Graphics
Graphics
Integrated ATI Radeon 4200
Expansion features
Ports
6 USB 2.0
1 VGA
1 DVI-D
1 RJ-45
1 SPDIF coaxial output
1 audio in
1 audio out
1 microphone in
Slots
1 full-height PCIe x16
3 full-height PCIe x1
1 mini PCIe
1 22-in-1 Media Card Reader
Media devices
Audio
Realtek ALC888S High Definition audio codec
Communication features
Network interface
Integrated Realtek RTL8105E 10/100 Ethernet
Power and operating requirements
Power
300W aPFC power supply
Operating temperature range
5 to 35° C
Dimensions and weight
Weight
Starting at 7.58 kg
Dimensions (W x D x H)
18.5 x 41.6 x 38.5 cm
What's included
Software included
Microsoft Office Starter 2010
Microsoft Office 2010 Preloaded (purchase of a Product Key required to activate a full Office 2010 suite)
Microsoft Office 2010 Professional
Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010
Microsoft Windows Virtual PC – XP
Roxio Creator Business 10 HD
Corel WinDVD 8
Norton Internet Security 2011 (60-day trial)
HP Power Assistant
HP ProtectTools Suite SMB
Warranty
Protected by HP Services, including a 1-1-1 standard warranty. Terms and conditions vary by country and/or Business Model.

 

[jaquith]

Here's the problem IF the BIOS lacks the CPUID info it's like lobotomy to the CPU; it's can run but since the BIOS doesn't know how to run it it runs at safe + slow.

See note the release dates and your BIOS date -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Sempron_microprocessors

Cheap but good Intel Sandy Bridge LGA 1155:
$120 MOBO ASRock Z68 PRO3
$125~$220 CPU i5-2500K 4core & OC <OR> i3-2100 2 core + 2 Hyper-Thread
See list -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge#Desktop_processors
$60 RAM 2x4GB DDR3 1333 CAS 8/9 MHz F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
$50 HDD 1TB SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB
$50 PSU CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W {you need a 450W+}; a low load will last longer.
====
$405~$500 USD

Less the cost of GPU
Builder Guide $500 {$356} -> http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/diy-gaming-pc,2970.html
Builder Guide $1000 {$660} -> http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-pc,2969.html ; NOTE you'll need either a H67 or preferably a Z68 MOBO since only they have a iGPU. Some Z68's don't have iGPU ports so ALWAYS double-check - most Gigabyte's do not.

The Z68 allows the CPU's iGPU to work as a good 'Desktop' alternative to purchasing a separate discrete GPU. That configuration will last you for years. If your HDD >3 years old then it's time to replace; you can use the old HDD as a backup until it fails.

 

[DXRick]

Sorry to be a pest - but would something like this be OK for me ??
I hope there is nothing in this copy that goes against forum regulations ....


Processor
AMD Athlon II X3 Processor 445 (3.1 GHz, 1.5 MB L2 cache)
Operating system
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64
Chipset
AMD 785G
Form factor
Microtower
Memory
Memory, standard
3 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
...

Whoa!!!! If you are thinking of buying a new PC, let us know your budget and where you will be buying it (are you still in Italy?). In general, you should try to get a system with at least 4GB RAM.

 

[Guest]

Thank you both for your answers!
Yeah I live in Italy so I will be getting it here
I wasn't planning on spending over 500 euro ..... but I don't want to skimp and save 100 euro and end up with a PC that it not good enough.
It is my job - I work on it 12 hours a day.
And yes my 2 HD are 80 gg each and over 3 years old now.
How time flies !!!!!!!!!

Have a nice evening all

Jen

 

[casualbuilder]

For 500e you can get a ton of upgrades! especially since you dont need top end graphics or high power supply, you can even skimp on the case if yours is in good shape. Im a new builder, but im pure muscle and EXTREMELY hard on systems. My last pc lasted 7 years (ASUS AMD build) and is actually still very good. It has a 320Gb HD and could easily run what you are using as it is equipped with an OC 2.6 (2.96 stable) Athlon II Processor and 4Gb of RAM. If it is just for work, i would say it is more than adequate, however a new processor would be cheaply upgradable. If you are an intel only person, i am not familiar, but would always look forward to research for you and learn new things! Hope im not "soliciting" as it is not my intention, just wanted to let you know there are very cheap upgrades well inside your budget.

Good Luck!