Curiosity - Impact of a PCI-E 1.0 x16 Radeon X1300 512MB on an eMachine T3612?

[TheDarkKnight]

I have just re-installed Vista with SP2 on an old eMachine T3612 with Intel integrated graphics. I've quadrupled the memory from the stock 512MB to 4GB. The performance is still horrible when loading up a browser and surfing the web. The CPU usage flatlines at 100% in the task manager screens and tray icons.

Out of nothing more than curiosity I'd like to try to buying an old PCI-E 1.0 x16 graphics card and putting it in this old clunker just to see what the impact would be on the system.

But my first line of action was to come here and look for someone who might have already done this and has firsthand knowledge of the impact it would have on this (or a similar) system.

Even any general thoughts for this situation would help I'm sure.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Even any general thoughts for this situation would help I'm sure.

Good -deity-. A quick googling showed it is using a Celeron-D. Nothing you do is going to help there. They are dog slow whatever you do.

You can try a modern cheap graphics card to help with HW acceleration in the browser. A GT710 or similar, I think those have Vista drivers.

Also install Firefox with NoScript, or Chrome with SafeScript. That'll cut down JavaScript processing requirement by letting you chose what to run. Be aware some sites do not like this.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It might help. Probably couldn't hurt. See, systems that old, lost a sometimes not-insignificant amount of CPU performance, when using Integrated Graphics, because memory technology back in the day wasn't so great, and the IGP stole a portion of not just the RAM size, but also the RAM bandwidth, from the CPU.

So, you could see maybe a 10-15% improvement in CPU benchmarks, with a discrete GPU and IGP disabled.

That said, it would still be a dog-slow system, so even that slight improvement, might not help much in the real world performance of that system, running more modern software.

 

[Sheep221]

Steps:

1. Update BIOS
2. Core II Quad
3. Windows 7 or 10
4. Buy used GPU for 20 bucks, any card will be far beyond PCI E 1.0 specs.
5. SSD
6. Win Win
7. Give Celeron D to local technical museum, this vintage stuff does not deserve to be smashed in the backyard.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Uhh, I wouldn't bother upgrading that machine, Sheep, I would just hop on ebay and buy a 2nd/3rd-gen Core i5 machine, a quad-core, for $150-200, WITH Windows 7,8.1,or 10.

 

[Sheep221]

Uhh, I wouldn't bother upgrading that machine, Sheep, I would just hop on ebay and buy a 2nd/3rd-gen Core i5 machine, a quad-core, for $150-200, WITH Windows 7,8.1,or 10.

I know, I would not do it either but I have bashed so many vintage threads lately that if OP really wants to do it, GPU will be last thing he needs to upgrade. I know that basically any refurb i5 will be cheaper and 30x faster. This computer stuff really has no value at all.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If that rig will take a Core2Quad (Q6600) with a BIOS update, then yes, OP should do that immediately.

I didn't look up that emachines model number, so I don't know what the available upgrades are.

 

[Smoblikat]

Just checked, and it looks like the native FSB of a Q6600 is 1066mhz, your board runs stock at 533mhz, half the frequency it needs. I dont know if there are any quads with an FBS that low. But you could try doing the pin mod to dial the speed back. You might lose a bit of performance compared to stock quad, but it should be significantly faster than what you have. I did that to an old machine once, go to your local auto parts store and buy some of that liquid copper stuff they use to fix defrosters on rear windows.

EDIT - This may or may not be your board:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/boards-and-kits/desktop-boards/000005820.html

Looks like it supports 800mhz FSB processors, 65nm only.

 

[sm625]

An SSD would help more than a video card. But I think you're going to be SoL trying to play videos no matter what you do. Even if offloading to a video card I think the CPU overhead still kills you. What you got is basically a single core atom. Just buy a E8600 system off ebay for $90.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Just buy a E8600 system off ebay for $90.

Basically, this. Sorry, OP.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Thanks for all the replies. My hopes have been shattered though. And to think at one time this system was considered top of the line. Well kinda anyway. Sad but true! Maybe I'll give this system away to the poor and needy. They won't turn their nose up against it *fingers crossed*. Hehehehe.

Wouldn't that be hilarious. Trying to give this PC to a homeless person and he's all smiles as I'm handing it over to him. And then he pauses, as he looks at the model number. Looks back up at me and spits in my face. LOL! Ah, I can see it now.

 

[shortylickens]

Umm, I'm sorry but no. That system was NEVER considered top of the line.
It uses a Celeron and onboard graphics. It was slow the day it shipped from the factory.
Having said all that, a new video card actually would help it play games faster, but as everyone else said you probably just wanna get a new one. And I admire your dedication to keep it running.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Umm, I'm sorry but no. That system was NEVER considered top of the line.
It uses a Celeron and onboard graphics. It was slow the day it shipped from the factory.
Having said all that, a new video card actually would help it play games faster, but as everyone else said you probably just wanna get a new one. And I admire your dedication to keep it running.

I...I...I guess my point was that it was more superior in the past than it is today.

The back story is that I just recently sold my IvyBridge-based system because I built a new SkyLake based system. But it's at another location which I have yet to get to. So, the reason I fired this one up. Basically, prepping it for sale and using as a placeholder at the same time. I'm sure it's sufficient for someone's needs out in the real world. A mom n pop business or a Red Cross organization. Just not sufficient for my needs anymore.

And you say onboard graphics like it's a bad thing. Of course it was back in the day. But now it's a different story.

I think another reason this computer seems worse off now than when it was released is because of the Windows Vista updating the native Internet Explorer from 7 (at release time) to Internet Explorer 9 through Windows update service. But I need to use that as a bullet point for the sale.

 

[Shawn]

I have put Radeon HD series GPUs in very old Dell Optiplex (as old as Pentium 4) rigs with massive performance increases in Windows 7. Maxing out the ram is also usually a necessity for anything newer than WinXP.

You can even find Radeon HDs in old PCI format. Is it worth the money? Probably not, but it makes them somewhat usable for an internet / word processing only pc. Most web content gets offloaded to the GPU and I have gotten Netflix and Youtube working in HD even on Pentium 4 rigs. Without a somewhat modern GPU though most webpages will max out a CPU that old.

Pentium D processors (which are basically dual core Pentium 4s) are probably the oldest I'd consider usable though unless you want to pull your hair out.

 

[sm625]

Thanks for all the replies. My hopes have been shattered though. And to think at one time this system was considered top of the line. Well kinda anyway. Sad but true! Maybe I'll give this system away to the poor and needy. They won't turn their nose up against it *fingers crossed*. Hehehehe.

Sadly I dont think it is even worth giving away. A $10 smartphone with a snapdragon 4xx is going to be more useful to a poor person, and most poor people already have such phones.