Got a new computer

[bobhegf]

It is a Gateway, haven`t set it up yet but it does have Vista Home 32 bit only as an op systum. I did find the receipt and the unit is three years old.I can`t say anything about the price because it was free. I am not sure yet what hardware it has but when I find out I will post it.The mainthing I am going to use it for is CFS2. I am going to use my old pc for online work.

[Jagdflieger]

Can't argue with the price Bob. I hope it really smokes CFS 2 for ya.

[bobhegf]

Anyone have an openion about gateway pcs?

[mariereid]

Bob; I went through 3 pc (not counting this one). Started with HP, then Gateway and another HP. Either I screwed them up real bad or I got three lemons. Where I buy my pc, if they cannot fix it, they give ya a new one. The great thing about this place is that they cannot fix anything and you get a new machine, always a step up from the one you brought back. So.....I was able to destroy 2 HP and only I Gateway, if that tells ya anything. I have 2 HP now, this one and my CFS2 machine which is not online. We have a dinky little Gateway at work (64 bit), and it seems to be working quite well. :ernae:

[Rami]

I can't speak for desktops, but I have a Gateway laptop that has been as steady and reliable as the sun.

[Dirtman]

Anyone have an opinion about gateway pcs?

Yo Bob;

Congrats on the new box Bob. I think you are one of the last 10 people in the world to use still Win98 on a daily basis. Nothing wrong with that ... it's a good & stable o/s; but it's seriously dated in ability and has many security issues. (only because it's no longer supported by MS and does not get regular security & operational updates)

Upgrading from Win98 to VISTA is a big leap. I'm sure you've noticed many differences .. but don't worry Bro ... it will just take some time for you to adjust to it. Keep working with it and try not to get frustrated ... it's fundamentally similar to Win98 - but looks different and has enhanced functions & abilities.

Yer an "old dog" and Vista is a "new trick" ... so just "go with the flow" and you'll have it down cold in a few weeks. Also; many people say Vista is a crappy o/s; but they are incorrect. If you ask them exactly what is wrong with it; 99.9% can't say ... why? .. because they are simply repeating something that someone else said or something they read or heard in the media. Vista is a stable o/s, one of the few problems is that it is rather "resource heavy" as it requires more RAM and faster internal data speed to run properly. This means that older (slower) PC's are unable to run it efficiently (if at all). Also when Vista was first released the biggest complaint was the lack of drivers available; this is no longer an issue.



Gateway is like any other brand of PC: If it works properly ... then it's a good one!

All manufacturers produce PC's in different levels. ie: economy, regular & premium. This is a clue as to the quality of the internal components.


To learn more about your new toy, lets start with the basic info.
We know it's made by Gateway ... what is the Model number?

example: My main PC is a HP Pavilion a250n - an elderly unit but has many upgraded components - bigger harddrive, more RAM, 512MB video card, etc.


Next; give us some system details:
Right click on "My Computer", then Left click on "Properties", now take a screenshot of the "General" tab and post it here.

It should look something like this:

..Attachment 7337



Once we've got the basic info, I'll help you find a spec sheet and service manual for it so you can learn more.

Does this sound like a plan???


.. Attachment 7339

[bobhegf]

A relative of mine about my age died that my sister and I help take care of when he got sick, that was where I got the pc. He bought it in 2007. I haven`t had a chance to completely put it togeather yet because I don`t have all the parts. We have been moving things around and cleaning out his apartment but I am going to try to get all the pc stuff today. When I do I sure am going to need help.I will post here when I have it up and running.

[MaskRider]

I can't speak for desktops, but I have a Gateway laptop that has been as steady and reliable as the sun.

Same here Rami. I have no complaints with Gateway. I've owned three over the years- two PCs and one Laptop.

My current PC is a custom built to order no brand name PC.

[JETninja]

If it's a budget one then no Video Cart most likely and then it wont run games worth a darn. Go to their website and plug in the service tag number, they can tell you exactly whats in the box and have manuals that show you how to open it up to add things like memory and video cards etc....

[bobhegf]

OK fellows here it is. I found the info in one of the folders for it.It is a GT5464 with an Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2140. Each core operates at 1.6GHz 1 MB shared, 1.2 cache ,800 MHz FSB. It has an Intel Graphics Media accelerator 950, with a PCI-Express slot availiable. It also has an Optical Drive-DVD-RW Multi Drive with Dual-Layer capability.The hard drive is a 320 GB Sata II.The memeroy is a Memory-Dual Channel 1024 MB DDR2 with a menory card Reader-15-in-1. It also has a Network 10/100 Mbps Lan and a Gateway portable media drive bay.Well fellows that is what I found comments wellcome please.

[JETninja]

Intel is a Video chip on the Motherboard. You need to add a Video card and it'll run good, and up the Ram from 1GB to 4GB.

Ram is cheap these days...check out Newegg.com

Video, I'd put in a 4XXX or 5XXX (DX11) ATI card - you can find the 5770 for like $100 and be rocking. Might need to upgrade the Power Supply since most decent video cards need their own power cable. (and most low cost pc's come with a minimal PS...500W should be good.)