Strawberryland Forum

I acquired another old library computer that was destined for the recycling plant or dumpster, and I harvested it for parts. The PC in question contained an 80gb SATA hard disk and a PowerUp 550W PSU, model PU5500.

I gave Audrey the PSU since that will enable me to upgrade to a PCIe x16 graphics card. To be safe, I shall go with an AMD GPU since Audrey has an AMD A6-5200 APU and chipset. I would try an Nvidia chip, but I worry if I could run into issues. I have a Radeon HD5450 in mind since from early Googling, it works well with video editing and home theater. My version of Premiere is so ancient it will likely run fine.

In the end, a PCIe x16 GPU will free up all of Audrey's 6GB RAM and she will have faster performance overall. I also need to acquire an internal WiFi card since the metal USB cover on her little WiFi adapter has broken loose and barely stays on.

As for the 80gb HDD? I can't install it since Audrey's motherboard only has two SATA ports. :/

Well, the 550w PSU was a bust. It was powering Audrey properly, but the internal fan wasn't working at all. Turns out it's rather hard to move manually, so it's likely the fan has gone south. Technically I could still use it but the PSU was getting very warm to the touch as I continued to test it so I swapped it back out.

Turns out the Radeon HD5450's PSU requirement (at least according to Sapphire) is overshot by a bit as a video review on YouTube proved it can run well with only a 280w PSU as that GPU doesn't even pull in a heavy power load to start with. It's no gaming card, but if it can make my Adobe programs run better and free up system RAM, I won't mind.
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I'd say you should go for that card. It may not be a hotrod, as it appears to be of roughly the same performance as the Intel HD chip on my rig, but it should do the trick for your needs.

Well, it's time for me to pursue my computer upgrades. So far, I got the 8gb RAM order for Greta, which is from Crucial.

I was also able to get that KVM switch today from the local RadioShack. I was hoping to snap up a graphics card for Audrey, but they didn't have the Radeon HD5450. They had an MSI GeForce 210. The GeForce210 is probably a good entry level card, but since it's nVidia, I'm a bit unsure as if it will play nice with Audrey's chipset. So I had to go online for the Sapphire Radeon HD5450. The driver disk will be outated, but Sapphire does have Win8.1 drivers on their site.

I also have another project I'm attempting to start. I'm trying to make the Acer Veriton M410 useful. I was able to harvest a 80gb SATA drive from a junk P4 box and got my copy of Windows Vista Business 32bit installed. I might use it for a media PC, but I'm not entirely sure just yet.

cpd2009 Wrote:Well, it's time for me to pursue my computer upgrades. So far, I got the 8gb RAM order for Greta, which is from Crucial.

I was also able to get that KVM switch today from the local RadioShack. I was hoping to snap up a graphics card for Audrey, but they didn't have the Radeon HD5450. They had an MSI GeForce 210. The GeForce210 is probably a good entry level card, but since it's nVidia, I'm a bit unsure as if it will play nice with Audrey's chipset. So I had to go online for the Sapphire Radeon HD5450. The driver disk will be outated, but Sapphire does have Win8.1 drivers on their site.

I also have another project I'm attempting to start. I'm trying to make the Acer Veriton M410 useful. I was able to harvest a 80gb SATA drive from a junk P4 box and got my copy of Windows Vista Business 32bit installed. I might use it for a media PC, but I'm not entirely sure just yet.

The 210 should be nice, plus I've seen videos of Nvidias running OK on an AMD rig so I don't think that it would end up in anything serious.

To summarize, here is all the upgrades my family of PCs will soon get. Unless otherwise indicated, all parts have been ordered online.

-Greta will receive 8gb Crucial RAM for improved performance.
-Audrey will receive a Sapphire Radeon HD5450 graphics card along with a generic PCIe x1 WiFi card. Her old USB Wifi adapter is half broken; the metal USB cover is loose and can expose part of the internal PCB.
-KVM switch is acquired. Brand is "IOGEAR" model GCS22U. Currently it's used to switch between Timothy and that Acer Veriton I'm messing around with, but Audrey will soon take it's place.

Who's Timothy? Hmm... I haven't really formally introduced him. I need to work on that.

What was once an old library computer is now...


Meet Timothy, a Gateway E-2600S slim PC. He is going to be the successor to Jasper.


Here is a screenshot of Speccy and a few apps, showing what hardware he is equipped with. The GPU is an ATI Radeon Xpress 200. It's not meant for heavy gaming, but since Timothy is meant for older games that have trouble with Vista or higher, the Xpress 200 will do in most cases.

As for old Jasper... I plan on keeping him as a reminder of my friend who disappeared off the Internet several years back. He may not get much use nowadays, or perhaps ever, but I am not leaving him out in the rain somewhere like I did to old Daffodil. I still regret that.

Hello, Timothy!

Mentlegen, BEHOLD!

Operation: Fist of the South Moon: The 6r3y5n0w Project: The Silver Cyborg Pejorative!



Andrew. No number, because time machine.

RAMChYLD Wrote:Mentlegen, BEHOLD!

Operation: Fist of the South Moon: The 6r3y5n0w Project: The Silver Cyborg Pejorative!



Andrew. No number, because time machine.

Nice. ASUS laptops aren't for me since entry-level tech will do, but it sure does look nice with the aluminum casing, if I am not mistaken on that. Is that an AMD A6 or A8 sticker I see?

As for your older laptop, what are your plans for it? I forget the name and how old it is. Greta just turned three, and I believe her RAM upgrade is coming in the mail later today.