Issues with new computer

Quetesh

Well Known GateFan
i would always rather do a refurb with higher built in specs. I used to buy from Tiger Direct for the business. The company I work with now, and the car dealerships I worked for also bought their computers as refurbs.

If you are careful, you can get really good deals. My last one was my Sony was as much as I bitched about it before it died, it lasted me over six years.

I will also admit, that I live and breathe for my computer, so I care about what is under that hood.
 
Last edited:

Lord Ba'al

Well Known GateFan
Thanks for posting the specs @yongjin02, there is more than enough information there.

I would say the processor is very much at the bottom end of the spectrum. PassMark has it scoring 1158 on average during benchmark tests, which needless to say is quite low considering an i5 processor (which is a mid range Intel processor) would generally score around 3500 to 4000 and an i7 can easily go above 7000 or even 8000. The numbers don't indicate anything in particular but can be used to compare with each other.

4GB RAM is doable, but again at the low end. I wouldn't go any lower than that, in fact you probably won't even be able to find a machine for sale with less RAM than that. You should consider that an OS like Windows will easily absorb 2GB of RAM just for itself and that means half the memory is basically already gone before you're even doing anything with the computer. If I were to look for a new machine for myself, 8GB would be the bare minimum I would go for if I'm really in a pinch, but really I would try to get at least 16GB and preferably 32GB or 64GB. That way I would know that i have something I'll be able to use for a long long time to come no matter what I plan to do with it. A point of interest I wish to note is that when looking at RAM you should consider expandability for the future. I saw somebody else note that you could think about plugging in another 4GB, but what you should know is that this is often not possible, especially on lower end machines. The reason is that they contain cheap ass motherboards which can only take very little RAM. If you have a motherboard which has two strips of 2GB each of RAM hooked up, that doesn't mean that you can replace it with two strips of 4GB each or more. Anyway, I'm digressing.

For what you do with the computer you really don't require anything special. If you don't take on any new computer hobbies I don't foresee much trouble. Over time, updates to the OS and to other software you may have installed will cause more resources to be used. I imagine that at some point in the future this computer will not be able to keep up with even the most simple tasks, but I think that would be years from now, maybe 5, maybe 8, maybe even 10 years. It is more likely that some part of your computer will stop working altogether before that happens though. So I guess you're good for now and if at some point your computer dies you could just opt for another basic model for cheap.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
For what you do with the computer you really don't require anything special. If you don't take on any new computer hobbies I don't foresee much trouble.

well thanks!!

you know, we are-I think-all here fairly close in age, +/- 15 yrs or so? But for all my trying, I just cannot think of anything else to do on a computer!

I am not saying there is nothing there, because obv many ppl do find enjoyable distraction and even ways to make money on the internet-I am just not one of them!

I have tried on line games like SWTOR and some other MMORPG game that I can't remember, I just found NO ATTRACTION to it. For me playing a simple game of Mahjong is awesome!!! sometimes chess.

I would really love if there were some kind of "tv guide" styled directory of online sites organized by category--kind of like a phonebook. I know this would be a big ask due to so much content on the net and would probably never happen. And searches usually bring up either the most popular or the paid for sites. I am someone who likes oddball info or remotely discussed history.

Anyhow--do you think I should use Linux Mint? I found the download site and should I choose the 'serena cinnamon' version? what 'mirror' do i pick?

if i load it successfully, how do i get windows off of the machine? is it just going to 'uninstall programs' or something more?
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
Investigation shows it does have upgradable RAM (Hynix RAM to be exact).
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Investigation shows it does have upgradable RAM (Hynix RAM to be exact).

is that a plug in type of thing (believe it or not, a long time ago, in the age of what was it 256k? I actually cracked open the tower and plugged in more memory!!! shocking I know :) )

thx
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
so anyone---i get how to download and install linux

but as i asked above--is the serena cinnamon choice the one

what 'mirror' should i select?

to remove windows, do i just go to uninstall programs and remove everything that says microsoft?
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
and, it is a laptop, so i have low expectations (i have never liked laptops)
It's pretty straightforward. Choose to install Linux "alongside" Windows which preserves Windows and your Windows files and programs (files can be accessed from the Linux side). That will create a dual boot for you. Or, choose "use entire drive" and Linux will remove Windows for you and set up Mint. Choosing that will effectively blow away your Windows completely.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
downloaded it, got this. what next?

View attachment 33402

You got the latest Mint 18? It will do, but I would have gone with Mint 17 LTR for that machine. Either is ok I guess.

Burn that disk and turn the computer off then boot into the disk. Or, use Rufus to make a bootable USB stick and install it that way. Linux will walk you through the process step by step. It's goof proof.
 
Last edited:

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
after this box, i get nothing...should i just shut down and restart or use one of the icons in the box?

there is a 'virtual disc' icon

Your screenshot shows that you are still in Windows 10. You do not install Linux from inside Windows. You have to make a disk or bootable USB stick, turn the computer off then boot into the stick or USB drive. Windows is not involved in this process at all.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Your screenshot shows that you are still in Windows 10. You do not install Linux from inside Windows. You have to make a disk or bootable USB stick, turn the computer off then boot into the stick or USB drive. Windows is not involved in this process at all.

will that 'virtual disc' it offers work--i'll give it a try
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
thats what it called it...tried it, restarted and nothing

i do not have a writable disc right now...what is the diff between any mem stick and a bootable stick?

You have to go into your BIOS and tell it to boot to removable media first. It will usually allow you to choose disk or USB boot as the first boot device. You can usually get into BIOS by hitting F2 or Del when first booting. A bootable USB will have a boot sector on it. Download Rufus and then tell it to make the ISO you downloaded of Linux as it's media. Get it here:

https://rufus.akeo.ie/
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
This is good for a laugh . Who in hell would buy one of these from all places , Walmart .
Good review of walmart gaming PC .
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
Excellent!
 
Top