Single core Dell Insp 6000, windows 10?

[jacksonjob0689]

I use my old Dell as a backup.. Windows wants to install 10 on it.. It barely runs Windows 7. Is 10 less resourceful, and will it run on it?

 

[LTC8K6]

I would be worried about drivers more so than the the single core CPU.

Check on Win10 driver availability.

Also, consider putting an SSD in it and as much ram as you can.

 

[mikeymikec]

I use my old Dell as a backup.. Windows wants to install 10 on it.. It barely runs Windows 7. Is 10 less resourceful, and will it run on it?

Win10 will run worse than Win7, given the overhead in processing updates (and the risk of a future feature update bricking Win10 due to driver/hardware support).

It looks like the max RAM that laptop will handle is 2GB. With Win7 or 10 you should definitely have at least 2GB, and absolutely the 32-bit version of Windows rather than 64-bit.

 

[Arshad Hussain]

If possible, increase ram size also add SSD if you can.

 

[sdifox]

Don't do it. Too many incompatibilities with old hardware.

 

[JackMDS]

I have one. SSD helps (provided you find IDE SSD) RAM max is very low.

The only thing it runs on with Good level is Win XP, and acceptable speed with Win 7 Starter.

I tried Win10 the main problem is the Graphic, Win 10 can not use the old Graphic chip of the 6000.

I have a Medical related software that was written many years ago for Win XP and never been updated.

The 6000 has a 17" screen, so with Win XP it is perfect for this software.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Don't do it. Too many incompatibilities with old hardware.

Single-core? Unless it's an AM2/AM3 AMD-platform chipset special laptop (owned one, from Walmart on BF one year, wasn't too bad, supported early H/W accell flash playback, helped with early Hulu full-screen video), then I would say that you're probably out of luck on the Win10 thing. I woudn't do it.

Win10 absolutely likes multi-core CPUs, and 4GB or more of RAM (for 64-bit), 32-bit can somehow shoe-horn into 2GB of RAM. (My Lenovo IdeaPad 100S has that config, with a quad-core Bay Trail Atom. With a non-bottom-of-the-barrel eMMC, it's actually quite bearable for browsing, although Skype can overwhelm it.)

I thought single-core machines died out with XP. Although, I think maybe my relative's CQ-50-WM is a single-core Celeron of some type. I put more RAM in, and an SSD, and put Win7 Pro on for them, and it was usable.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

good candidate for a linux distro

 

[PeterScott]

I use my old Dell as a backup.. Windows wants to install 10 on it.. It barely runs Windows 7. Is 10 less resourceful, and will it run on it?

I thought the free Windows 10 upgrades were over, certainly the nags are, unless you a massively behind on updates.

 

[Ketchup]

Is that one of those laptops with the Pentium M and tiny hard drives (60 to 80 GB)? As others have said, don't do it. Many issues:
1. Those processors were made for Windows XP. Windows Vista and above crush those CPUs.
2. There is too little storage for the Windows 10 update system. Once you select yes for the update, assuming there is enough space for the initial install, it will bug you like crazy when the next OS update rolls around and there isn't enough space left.
3. Assuming Windows 10 installs the first time, it will likely be only a semi-annual update or two before Windows says your system no longer meets the qualifications to run Windows 10.

 

[Ketchup]

I thought the free Windows 10 upgrades were over, certainly the nags are, unless you a massively behind on updates.

You can still install Windows 10 for free on any computer running Windows 7 or 8.1, or by fresh install using the Windows key that came with it.The "free update" promotion through Windows Update was only a tool used by Microsoft to boast about how people loved their new OS.

 

[SlowBox]

Give her to Salvation Army. thx

 

[VirtualLarry]

I may have the chance to work on, and hopefully, "Upgrade", an "older laptop" soon. I know nothing about it, other than someone I know wanted me to "Upgrade and speed it up, by putting Win10 on it".

I guess MS marketing is up to their old tricks,making claims that new OSes speed up old PCs. (Ok, sometimes they do, and sometimes, they don't.)

I just hope it's faster than a Brazos laptop. Those are painfully slow, and doubly-so when running 64-bit OSes.

I told them that just putting Win10 on it alone, might not speed it up, but that I could install an SSD, and that would speed it up.

Hopefully, it has an accessible HDD / SSD bay.

 

[whm1974]

I may have the chance to work on, and hopefully, "Upgrade", an "older laptop" soon. I know nothing about it, other than someone I know wanted me to "Upgrade and speed it up, by putting Win10 on it".

I guess MS marketing is up to their old tricks,making claims that new OSes speed up old PCs. (Ok, sometimes they do, and sometimes, they don't.)

I just hope it's faster than a Brazos laptop. Those are painfully slow, and doubly-so when running 64-bit OSes.

I told them that just putting Win10 on it alone, might not speed it up, but that I could install an SSD, and that would speed it up.

Hopefully, it has an accessible HDD / SSD bay.

Did they tell how long ago they brought that old notebook? IMHO, computers older then 5 or 6 years are not really worth it to bother upgrading. And even that is depending on the CPU is.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Did they tell how long ago they brought that old notebook? IMHO, computers older then 5 or 6 years are not really worth it to bother upgrading. And even that is depending on the CPU is.

As far as my personal laptops go, I bought a 386SX monochromre "lunchbox style" Compaq for $20 at a flea one time, about 8-10 (20?) years ago. I also purchased a 486SX color Thinkpad a long time ago too.

My Dad bought me my first "Real" laptop, a brand-new HP with XP and an ATI X300 chipset iGPU (could play UT99!), DVD-RW (was a new thing for "budget" laptops at the time), it was glorious. I wish now that I hadn't gotten rid of it, I liked having a portable XP machine, that could play and burn DVDs.

I forget what it had for a processor, I think it was an Intel, but maybe it was an AMD. Been so long I don't remember. (Edit: I think it was an Athlon XP-era Mobile Sempron.)

Oldest working laptop in my stable, is probably my MSI A5000, with a dual-core Celeron T3100. (Core2-class CPU.)

And thanks to Intel's product segmentation, Celeron CPUs back in the day, intentionally had their power-saving features disabled, so that Celeron-based laptops intentionally had less battery life than the "proper" Pentium Mobile CPUs. (Cue @moonbogg 's Intel hate theme music.)

But even that one ran Windows 7. (Even better when I upgraded to an SSD.)

So, unless this mystery laptop is somehow seriously old, like 2.5" IDE HDD old or older, then I feel I can probably shoe-horn Win10 on there somehow.

 

[bacillus]

I have an old Dell Inspiron 6000 that my wife uses solely for writing letters, web browsing and emails that's running Win10 1709 32 bit. It works ok once everything is up and running (that takes a few minutes). I can't seem to upgrade to version 1803 atm as I get an error.

Specs are Intel Pentium 1.86GHz cpu, ATI X300 videocard, 64GB pata ssd and 2GB of ram. If you don't have the ATI x300 videcard then forget about it as it won't work.

 

[mikeymikec]

good candidate for a linux distro

I was thinking of suggesting it Lubuntu 32-bit uses about 150MB RAM when idle. Easily enough room for the basic/average uses on a machine with little RAM.

 

[sdifox]

As far as my personal laptops go, I bought a 386SX monochromre "lunchbox style" Compaq for $20 at a flea one time, about 8-10 (20?) years ago. I also purchased a 486SX color Thinkpad a long time ago too.

My Dad bought me my first "Real" laptop, a brand-new HP with XP and an ATI X300 chipset iGPU (could play UT99!), DVD-RW (was a new thing for "budget" laptops at the time), it was glorious. I wish now that I hadn't gotten rid of it, I liked having a portable XP machine, that could play and burn DVDs.

I forget what it had for a processor, I think it was an Intel, but maybe it was an AMD. Been so long I don't remember. (Edit: I think it was an Athlon XP-era Mobile Sempron.)

Oldest working laptop in my stable, is probably my MSI A5000, with a dual-core Celeron T3100. (Core2-class CPU.)

And thanks to Intel's product segmentation, Celeron CPUs back in the day, intentionally had their power-saving features disabled, so that Celeron-based laptops intentionally had less battery life than the "proper" Pentium Mobile CPUs. (Cue @moonbogg 's Intel hate theme music.)

But even that one ran Windows 7. (Even better when I upgraded to an SSD.)

So, unless this mystery laptop is somehow seriously old, like 2.5" IDE HDD old or older, then I feel I can probably shoe-horn Win10 on there somehow.

We are talking Athlon Pentium 4 age computer here.

 

[JackMDS]

Circa 2005 goes on eBay for $35 to $50 with 512MB RAM and slow IDE 80GB HD.

 

[whm1974]

We are talking Athlon Pentium 4 age computer here.

Circa 2005 goes on eBay for $35 to $50 with 512MB RAM and slow IDE 80GB HD.

I highly doubt that any modern Linux distro will even be usable with only 512MB RAM and a single core CPU unless the use does everything from the command line or use a carefully configured Window Manager.

 

[PeterScott]

I highly doubt that any modern Linux distro will even be usable with only 512MB RAM and a single core CPU unless the use does everything from the command line or use a carefully configured Window Manager.

Agreed. It's not worth the bother.

Last year I tried to get Linux working on my old C2Q/8800GT. I tried about half a dozen distros, and the GPU drivers were extremely problematic. Massive screen tearing, and slow performance. I got grief from Linux advocates claiming it was my fault for expecting Modern Linux to support "ancient HW" (That Windows supports just fine).

So I take these, "your ancient computer will run better with Linux" claims with a huge grain of salt.

Note: I am not a Linux Newbie. I started installing Linux on my home PC in the mid 90's with a stack of Slackware floppies I built on my Universities net connection, and have installed in multiple iterations since, and I have set up Linux Web servers from scratch at work.

 

[whm1974]

Agreed. It's not worth the bother.

Last year I tried to get Linux working on my old C2Q/8800GT. I tried about half a dozen distros, and the GPU drivers were extremely problematic. Massive screen tearing, and slow performance. I got grief from Linux advocates claiming it was my fault for expecting Modern Linux to support "ancient HW" (That Windows supports just fine).

So I take these, "your ancient computer will run better with Linux" claims with a huge grain of salt.

Note: I am not a Linux Newbie. I started installing Linux on my home PC in the mid 90's with a stack of Slackware floppies I built on my Universities net connection, and have installed in multiple iterations since, and I have set up Linux Web servers from scratch at work.

Given that modern refurbished systems with decent specs can had for under $300 and we can build decent spec desktops for not really that much, I really don't see any point with messing with really old hardware.

 

[JackMDS]

I have a Dell 1525

Intel Core 2 Duo (Merom) 5550 @ 1.83GHz

Runs Well Win 10 Pro with 4GB RAM

I consider it to the Lowest possible Laptop to Run Win 10 with No quirks.
----------------------
The Dell 6000 memory was pushed to 2 GB the HD is 80GB Seagate
Intel Pentium M (Dothan) 1.60GHz
---------------------------
Using the same simple Bench Mark for all three.

____________Dell 1525______ Dell 6000______I5 2500 K

General Score 87000 __________27000 ________290000

Mem _________9500 ___________3700_________41000

HD/SSD SSD-II 30000 ______HD 5500 ___SSD-II 35000

GDI _____________5500__________2300 _________16000
----------------------

 

[VirtualLarry]

That puts it in perspective, thanks Jack!

In other news, the contact person for that "older laptop" forgot it this morning, but they said they thought it had Windows 7. So, assuming that the GPU or iGPU has drivers, should be modern enough for me to throw Win10 on for them.

Thinking, clone Win7 install to SSD using USB cloning cable, then install SSD physically, do the upgrade, using MCT, then verify activation, and optionally (if they want), wipe and do a fresh install, now that activation on that
PC was taken care of.

Depends, I guess, if they have files to keep on there, or if their current OS HDD partion is empty enough to clone onto a 120GB SSD.

 

[sdifox]

I have a Dell 1525

Intel Core 2 Duo (Merom) 5550 @ 1.83GHz

Runs Well Win 10 Pro with 4GB RAM

I consider it to the Lowest possible Laptop to Run Win 10 with No quirks.
----------------------
The Dell 6000 memory was pushed to 2 GB the HD is 80GB Seagate
Intel Pentium M (Dothan) 1.60GHz
---------------------------
Using the same simple Bench Mark for all three.

____________Dell 1525______ Dell 6000______I5 2500 K

General Score 87000 __________27000 ________290000

Mem _________9500 ___________3700_________41000

HD/SSD SSD-II 30000 ______HD 5500 ___SSD-II 35000

GDI _____________5500__________2300 _________16000
----------------------

Dual core...