Upgrades

[elis]

I have an old Core 2 Duo machine. I just bought a thermal paste for it, but before I do that, I thought I might make a few question, both related and unrelated to the paste itself :

 - The paste is a Deep Cool Z3. Is it any good ? I'm just curious though, being that it was one of the only two options I could find in my city. The other one was a Gelid Extreme  for a way higher price.

 

 - My computer right now has a e6550, but I also have a e7500 chip. Should I go for higher speed on the e7500 and SSE4.1 or stick to higher cache (4 MB vs 3 MB) and Trusted Computing (no idea what it is)

 

 - I have 4 DRAM cards, 2 GB x 800 MHz, 2 x 1 GB x 800 MHz and 1 GB x 667 MHz. Is it better to run 5 GB at dual-channel 667 MHz or 4 GB at single-channel 800 MHz ? 

 

 - What is a good Llinux OS to run on it ? Ubuntu 14.04 doesn't seem to run very well. It would be nice to get an Android x86 version, but haven't seen anything good so far.

[Billy_Mays]

1 minute ago, elis said:

I have an old Core 2 Duo machine. I just bought a thermal paste for it, but before I do that, I thought I might make a few question, both related and unrelated to the paste itself :

 - The paste is a Deep Cool Z3. Is it any good ? I'm just curious though, being that it was one of the only two options I could find in my city. The other one was a Gelid Extreme  for a way higher price.

 

 - My computer right now has a e6550, but I also have a e7500 chip. Should I go for higher speed on the e7500 and SSE4.1 or stick to higher cache (4 MB vs 3 MB) and Trusted Computing (no idea what it is)

 

 - I have 4 DRAM cards, 2 GB x 800 MHz, 2 x 1 GB x 800 MHz and 1 GB x 667 MHz. Is it better to run 5 GB at dual-channel 667 MHz or 4 GB at single-channel 800 MHz ? 

 

 - What is a good Llinux OS to run on it ? Ubuntu 14.04 doesn't seem to run very well. It would be nice to get an Android x86 version, but haven't seen anything good so far.

that's all fine but I would run 4gb in single channel

[Jurrunio]

1. It's just a core 2 duo, how hot could that be?

 

2. E7500. little bit of extra cash (seriously, why cache and cash sound the same) doesn't differ its performance. As for trusted computing, just using a good antivirus program is enough

 

3. If your motherboard has 4 slots then put all of them in. Not for sake of speed, but memory size. 5GB is just enough for Google Chrome to run with multiple tabs.

 

BTW, if what's your motherboard model? Socket 775 boards can often tune their FSB value a bit, giving a bit more speed on everything.

[elis]

9 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

1. It's just a core 2 duo, how hot could that be?

 

2. E7500. little bit of extra cash (seriously, why cache and cash sound the same) doesn't differ its performance. As for trusted computing, just using a good antivirus program is enough

 

3. If your motherboard has 4 slots then put all of them in. Not for sake of speed, but memory size. 5GB is just enough for Google Chrome to run with multiple tabs.

 

BTW, if what's your motherboard model? Socket 775 boards can often tune their FSB value a bit, giving a bit more speed on everything.

1. I don't know  The chipset heatsink was quite hot though, almost burned my finger.

1,2,3. What would be a good program to diagnose/benchmark, without killing my PC totally (furmark lol)

 

I am on Ubuntu right now, will have to switch to Windows to check CPU-Z. The system though is a HP Compaq dc7800

 

[Gaurav S Rao]

1 hour ago, elis said:

I have an old Core 2 Duo machine. I just bought a thermal paste for it, but before I do that, I thought I might make a few question, both related and unrelated to the paste itself :

 - The paste is a Deep Cool Z3. Is it any good ? I'm just curious though, being that it was one of the only two options I could find in my city. The other one was a Gelid Extreme  for a way higher price.

 

 - My computer right now has a e6550, but I also have a e7500 chip. Should I go for higher speed on the e7500 and SSE4.1 or stick to higher cache (4 MB vs 3 MB) and Trusted Computing (no idea what it is)

 

 - I have 4 DRAM cards, 2 GB x 800 MHz, 2 x 1 GB x 800 MHz and 1 GB x 667 MHz. Is it better to run 5 GB at dual-channel 667 MHz or 4 GB at single-channel 800 MHz ? 

 

 - What is a good Llinux OS to run on it ? Ubuntu 14.04 doesn't seem to run very well. It would be nice to get an Android x86 version, but haven't seen anything good so far.

I have a E6550 based System,so i can suggest>

1.I dont think a Core 2 Duo even needs thermal paste,i have seen people running them with out heatsinks/cooler and seem to post,any thermal paste should be good whatever you are using ( my e6550 system has overheating issues,but i think it is motherboard,cpu cooler related jazz )

2.I think the E7500,cache doesnt make a whole lot of a difference,id rather go for the 45nm Core 2 Duo E7500,since the higher speed the better (atleast in the Core 2 Duo Lineup) though the E7500 is a 1066 MHz FSB while the E6550 is 1333 MHz.I myself dont know what Intel TET does (Trusted Execution Technonlgy if im right) and i think it will prevent from any execution malfunctioN?,idk though i dont see it useful at all

3.I dont see the config running too well,what motherboard do you have,i can tell which is the best config then?

4.Lubuntu is awesome,my E6550 used to run it and ran so quick! Especially if its a SSD in the System,though Lubuntu is ment for old hardware,it is basically (actually,totally) Ubuntu under the hood with the LXDE Desktop environment and it's own default applications (though normal Ubuntu default software can be installed),Lubuntu,even being half the size based on the ISO size,and can run full Ubuntu applications,just a different Desktop Environment and defualt applications (which you might be able to change to Unity since i dont like the plain-Windows 2000 Like Desktop environment) and is most lightweight version based on Ubuntu.

[elis]

2 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

1.I dont think a Core 2 Duo even needs thermal paste,i have seen people running them with out heatsinks/cooler and seem to post,any thermal paste should be good whatever you are using ( my e6550 system has overheating issues,but i think it is motherboard,cpu cooler related jazz )

 

That's how I am using it right now, but anyway a little paste should be good. 

4 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

the E7500 is a 1066 MHz FSB while the E6550 is 1333 MHz

I guess not a huge difference being that the max supported RAM on this board is 800 MHz (DDR2).

 

4 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

SSD in the System

Thanks for reminding me of that. Would this system accept SSD only with SATA 2 ? And should I decide to turn it into a NAS unit in the future, is it possible to put a PCIe SSD ?

 

 

By the way, any idea on how to do / would there by any advantage on overclocking this CPU ?

[Gaurav S Rao]

8 minutes ago, elis said:

That's how I am using it right now, but anyway a little paste should be good. 

I guess not a huge difference being that the max supported RAM on this board is 800 MHz (DDR2).

 

Thanks for reminding me of that. Would this system accept SSD only with SATA 2 ? And should I decide to turn it into a NAS unit in the future, is it possible to put a PCIe SSD ?

 

 

By the way, any idea on how to do / would there by any advantage on overclocking this CPU ?

1.Fine

2.Its good enough,i think the 965 boards can go upto 8 GB Ram or more,the config you are running is too odd,use all matching 800MHz Sticks

3.Yes,my previous laptop with SATA 1 took a ssd no problem,SATA II is going to work if your board is based on Intel chipsets (Generic boards seem to support SSD's,mine has a Generic Board) not really sure,but waste of money,my guess,get like 3/4 SSD's Which are SATA and put a RAID card (if your board doesnt have Onboard RAID controller)
4.Probably,though if i were to overclock,i would get a E8500,E8600,since i can have a open overlcok,though if you dont want to spend more money,overclocking is fine since any Core 2 series Desktop CPU can be overclocked.Overclocking can have advantages and disadvantages

 

Advantage:The speeds get faster and help it in many task's that are CPU demanding

Disadvantage:CPU runs HOTTER

 

Also:Try The BSEL Mod if you dont care about the rig..Try It at your own rish and dont blame me if your computer blows up (literally)

[Jurrunio]

48 minutes ago, elis said:

1. I don't know  The chipset heatsink was quite hot though, almost burned my finger.

1,2,3. What would be a good program to diagnose/benchmark, without killing my PC totally (furmark lol)

 

I am on Ubuntu right now, will have to switch to Windows to check CPU-Z. The system though is a HP Compaq dc7800

 

Prebuilt system, so probably no overclocking. Just try searching for FSB tuning options. In case you find one though, try going up 5 by 5, then stress test (I use Prime95). Furmark is for GPUs only if I remembered right

 

11 minutes ago, elis said:

I guess not a huge difference being that the max supported RAM on this board is 800 MHz (DDR2).

FSB doesn't limit RAM speed at all, though it does affect it to some extent

 

12 minutes ago, elis said:

Thanks for reminding me of that. Would this system accept SSD only with SATA 2 ? And should I decide to turn it into a NAS unit in the future, is it possible to put a PCIe SSD ?

SSD improives speed on newer systems, but I don't suggest buying one for this system unless you have another PC that can use it. New tech doesn't work with old prebuilt stuff very well.

[elis]

6 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

upto 8 GB Ram or more

Yup, 8 is the top for me.

 

6 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

e config you are running is too odd,use all matching 800MHz Sticks

I thought about that too  but the problem is that I don't think it's a good idea to spend money on a machine whose motherboards could die a couple of months later, and even if not that, it is way too old. The sticks I have came from several other dead machines. I got this PC for around 40 $ a few months ago mainly because it had a AMD/ATI HD5450 GPU with a HDMI output, so that I could use it to stream live football/soccer matches (now using a cheap android box). By the way, I tried using a 2 GB 800 MHz stick I had in the previous build, but it wouldn't even work in this machine (while it works in the other one). Another 2 GB 800 MHz from my cousin's PC would run but only at 667 MHz. Both cards have been running for a long time on 667 MHz mobos. So, that's it. Found a 2 x 4 GB kit for 40 $ online, but not sure if it's worth it.

 

12 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

SATA II is going to work

Yes, but only at Sata 2 speeds. Is there any improvement compared to the 7200 RPM HDDs I have ?

 

15 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

my guess,get like 3/4 SSD's Which are SATA and put a RAID card (if your board doesnt have Onboard RAID controller)

Maybe could put two HDDs in RAID, but no experience whatsoever with RAID, and I doubt this board supports it at all. Btw, do the drives have to be identical ? Right now I have 160 + 320 GB.

 

13 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

SSD improives speed on newer systems, but I don't suggest buying one for this system unless you have another PC that can use it. New tech doesn't work with old prebuilt stuff very well.

What I meant is using the PCIe slot to put a PCIe SSD, is it supported at all in older systems ? If yes, I

could turn this machine into a NAS in the future.

[MEC-777]

Try Lununtu. Much lighter version of Ubuntu that runs pretty good on older hardware like this. Have used this personally on very similar hardware. 

[elis]

All right. I tried putting the e7500 but it was not recognized. I did a BIOS update and it worked well. Applied the thermal paste and turned the PC on. It would boot into Windows and soon as it did that it would restart. Now it seems it upgraded itself to GraveyardOS. I tried removing the BIOS battery and also removing extra devices like CD rom and extra RAM but it wouldn't even post.

Any ideas ?

[Gaurav S Rao]

12 hours ago, elis said:

Yup, 8 is the top for me.

 

I thought about that too  but the problem is that I don't think it's a good idea to spend money on a machine whose motherboards could die a couple of months later, and even if not that, it is way too old. The sticks I have came from several other dead machines. I got this PC for around 40 $ a few months ago mainly because it had a AMD/ATI HD5450 GPU with a HDMI output, so that I could use it to stream live football/soccer matches (now using a cheap android box). By the way, I tried using a 2 GB 800 MHz stick I had in the previous build, but it wouldn't even work in this machine (while it works in the other one). Another 2 GB 800 MHz from my cousin's PC would run but only at 667 MHz. Both cards have been running for a long time on 667 MHz mobos. So, that's it. Found a 2 x 4 GB kit for 40 $ online, but not sure if it's worth it.

 

Yes, but only at Sata 2 speeds. Is there any improvement compared to the 7200 RPM HDDs I have ?

 

Maybe could put two HDDs in RAID, but no experience whatsoever with RAID, and I doubt this board supports it at all. Btw, do the drives have to be identical ? Right now I have 160 + 320 GB.

 

What I meant is using the PCIe slot to put a PCIe SSD, is it supported at all in older systems ? If yes, I

could turn this machine into a NAS in the future.

Try Checking The Manufacturer's website,sometimes they can tell the max for even these old boards,is it a OEM Board,if it is,check what ram manufacturer is on one of the sticks,check on their website and they list the ram speed,type,i dont see how manufacturers really depened,try putting matching sticks of ram (Manufacturers might not matter,though type,speed definately will) and see if it helps,then find another pair of matching ram (can be different than the ones than the ones you have,though i'd recommend another pair of matching sticks,and if you dont have matching sticks at all,you can go to ebay,there are 2 GB DDR2 667 MHz Sticks (i know only PC2-5300,but for $3.90,cant complain),HP's Parts manual for the DC7800 has a list for C2Q Q6700 is the best it can take (neither im sure).Yes,any ssd is going to be faster than a 7200 RPM Hdd at sata 2,i'd rather go for 1 SSD (Though the thing is,a good bidget 120 GB SSD,like the Kingston SSDNow UV400 is like $50 New,more than the cost of the entire system,but worth it).I dont see a use of using $1000 to waste on a PCIe SSD's,its a waste since this is a old system and you might have to give up your GPU for that,since i dont see how it can have 2 PCIe Slots,if it does,i dont recommend it.The Ram solution is,HP's manual (again) says 800 MHz for PC2-6400 which is gaming ram,you might be using ram not supported.If you dont know Raid,just go to wikipedia is the answer,that doesnt seem like a good no of drives,since if you do RAID 0,the drive data is gone... and you will be able to only use 160 GB of the 320 GB drive.. Not worth it with mismatching drives...If The BIOS Doesnt support raid,buy a cheep RAID card for like $10

 

Parts i can find on EBAY to max that PC out (I dont know if it will work OR be a scam,you double check before buying)

 

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700-$11

8 GB DDR2 PC2-5300 667 MHz=2GBx4 Sticks=$15.60 ($3.90 Each)

HD 6670 1GB GDDR5-$10 BID

Kingston SV300 60 GB=$39

[Gaurav S Rao]

When does it restart,Press F8 and try the following options:

Safe Mode (Try all Safe Mode options)

Last Good Known Configuration

640x480 Video Mode (not sure which option it is)

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Repair your computer

 

What did you do that it would'nt post,i think the RAM caused it

Compatible ram on HP's Site is

 

DDR2 Ofcourse

DDR2 PC2-5300 667 MHz (512 MB,1 and 2 GB Sticks)

DDR2 PC2-6400 800 MHz (512MB,1 GB)

 

 

Check this list

[elis]

2 hours ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

When does it restart,Press F8 and try the following options:

Safe Mode (Try all Safe Mode options)

Last Good Known Configuration

640x480 Video Mode (not sure which option it is)

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Repair your computer

 

What did you do that it would'nt post,i think the RAM caused it

Compatible ram on HP's Site is

 

DDR2 Ofcourse

DDR2 PC2-5300 667 MHz (512 MB,1 and 2 GB Sticks)

DDR2 PC2-6400 800 MHz (512MB,1 GB)

 

 

Check this list

RAM didn't cause it because I didn't move RAM at all. It also couldn't have been the BIOS update, because it did work first after doing that. My suspicions are :

 

 1 - The chipset temperature was quite high. First noticed that physically then also noticed while running Aida64. The motherboard was way higher than the CPU (e6550), even though I was using the CPU without thermal paste. I did apply paste to the chipset too, but maybe it was already going that way. By the way, the GPU temperature (with a passive heatsink) was also higher than the CPU's, but still lower than the motherboard's.

 

 2 - The e7500 may have killed the system. It may be a malfunctioning chip, being that it came from a dead system.

 

 3 - 1 and 2

 

 4 - The system is not dead, but the PSU doesn't have enough power to power all the devices. Even though this doesn't seem quite right, being that I tried to remove many of those devices, like 3 RAM cards and the CD-Rom.

 

 

By the way, the fans spin but there is no image whatsoever.

[Gaurav S Rao]

1.Put some cheep old fan on the Chipset heatsink,something as small as a Pentium III or older System would have

2.A malfuntioning chip cannot kill the system,there is no way,and a CPU that comes out of a dead system doesnt necessarily mean it is a malfunctioning chip,did you try the E6550 from the dead machine you pulled out the E7500 from? Maxxarcade back in 2010 had pulled a Pentium Dual-Core E2160 out of a dead system,and the chip totally worked and was able to oc to 2.4 GHz.

3- /\

     |

4.Which one is the PSU? i'd rather say a 300W (most oem system's from back in the day had that) if it is not a propritery HP PSU (i mean standard ATX)then just fit in a 450-500W PSU,it should be more than enough.And if you want to see if the Less wattage PSU is the problem,strip the system down to the bare minimals to post,that is  going to provide sufficient power like:

 

1 Stick of slow/any ram

2.One of your Low Power CPU's (like Celeron's if you have any,if not,use the E7500 since it is a slower FSB chip,if that doesnt post,use the E6550

3.The Motherboard ofcourse,no drives/add-in card (No GPU if the board has OnBoard Graphics,if not,use a low power,slow GPU

4.Coolers and PSU

[elis]

6 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

if it is not a propritery HP PSU

I think it is a proprietary one indeed. Well, at least it does have a strange shape (I mean the plugin side). Still though, I don't think the e7500 should use way more power than the e6550.

 

12 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

ip the system down to the bare minimals

Did that already

 

 

By the way, I also tried clearing CMOS by clicking the small button in the board, but nothing.

The thing is that I wanna try all options before issuing the death certificate (which I kinda did ), but if nothing, I will just get the barebones for around 20 $. Another cousin of mine has 4 or 5 of these laying around (he had a small gaming center).

[Gaurav S Rao]

Just now, elis said:

I think it is a proprietary one indeed. Well, at least it does have a strange shape (I mean the plugin side). Still though, I don't think the e7500 should use way more power than the e6550.

 

Did that already

 

 

By the way, I also tried clearing CMOS by clicking the small button in the board, but nothing.

The thing is that I wanna try all options before issuing the death certificate (which I kinda did ), but if nothing, I will just get the barebones for around 20 $. Another cousin of mine has 4 or 5 of these laying around (he had a small gaming center).

What happened to the system before it would not post?

[elis]

1 minute ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

What happened to the system before it would not post?

It turned on, I put the heatsink on, it turned off. I loosened the screws of the heatsink a little, it turned on again but as soon as it would boot into windows it would turn off and restart.

[Gaurav S Rao]

Just now, elis said:

It turned on, I put the heatsink on, it turned off. I loosened the screws of the heatsink a little, it turned on again but as soon as it would boot into windows it would turn off and restart.

If it was still posting,you could have done "Disable Automatic restart after system failure"

 

Seems to be a dead board after all.It could have bent pins on the socket,i had a Board die to that (not really die,but while diagnosing the pins broken off) if the pins are bent,it could be a really good chance to save the board before by bending the pins back how they are supposed to be the pins just break off and make the board useless (except if you're that guy who liquid flux'es new sockets to boards)

[Gaurav S Rao]

Try the orignial CPU ( E6550)

Try original RAM

Try w/GPU and No GPU (iGPU)

 

EDIT:Could be the chipset overheating or the part that gave up since it was overheating before as you said

[elis]

Just now, Gaurav S Rao said:

Try the orignial CPU ( E6550)

Try original RAM

Try w/GPU and No GPU (iGPU)

I did those.

The only thing that's left for me to test is with another PSU. I have a 450 W in the house, even though it will be a PITA to put that in that case, should it work. Will do that later, when I go home.

Tbh, I am getting sick of having to deal with old boards. It's just that I was planning to get a laptop (need that portability).

[Gaurav S Rao]

I see Q6600 DC7800's for $40 and 4 GB DDR2

[elis]

1 minute ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

I see Q6600 DC7800's for $40 and 4 GB DDR2

It's more convenient for me to get the barebones from my cousin and order a chip for like 10$ or so. Otherwise I would either have to wait a couple of months or pay over 30$ just for the shipping. Who knows, maybe I could find a quad-core2extreme for a low price.

[Gaurav S Rao]

13 minutes ago, elis said:

It's more convenient for me to get the barebones from my cousin and order a chip for like 10$ or so. Otherwise I would either have to wait a couple of months or pay over 30$ just for the shipping. Who knows, maybe I could find a quad-core2extreme for a low price.

There is a Asus Rampage Formula+Qx6700 Combo on ebay for $99 or if cheeper,a $58 Gigabyte motherboard + a $24 Core 2 Extreme Qx6700 or a Qx9650 for $82 (not Q9650)

 

EDIT=A Qx9770 for a around $150-$250 on ebay,the best C2Extreme for LGA 775 but not worth it

 

[elis]

2 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

There is a Asus Rampage Formula+Qx6700 Comboon ebay for $99 or if cheeper,a $58 Gigabyte motherboard + a $24 Core 2 Extreme Qx6700 or a Qx9650 for $82 (not Q9650)

24$ for a good CPU could be acceptable, even though I am looking more to the 10$ price (Core 2 Quad is acceptable too). And I don't think it's a good idea to spend over 40-50$ on old motherboards. Beside that, by buying one of those systems from my cousin I also help him get rid of those.