What are Pentium 4 rigs good for anymore?

[mnewsham]

even an original core duo slaps the p4 around.

a p4 at 3.4ghz could probably eat the C2D at 1.8ghz in most single threaded tasks.

 

[lxskllr]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Optiplex-7...0644166560?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item19c2e7ffa0
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Optiplex-7...0506225200?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item20b6d2da30
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-745-DESKTO...0495373030?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item2c5a68b6e6
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Optiplex-7...0645014869?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item19c2f4f155

I didn't know the C2Ds were going so cheap now, but the point still remains. If you don't have much money, every dollar saved can go to something else. It doesn't matter how much better a C2D is, if the needs are met with a lesser/cheaper system. This 2.8ghz Northy does everything most people need. Hell, my netbook with a CeleronM 900mhz just about does everything needed. YouTube can be a little choppy, but it's still watchable.

 

[simonizor]

Surprisingly, a Counter Strike: Source server runs very well on a P4 with 1GB+ RAM. I would bet that a few other games from that time frame would have server software that runs well on a P4. If you have a good internet connection, you could set up your own server. If that doesn't interest you, you could just use it as a network attached storage server.

 

[0roo0roo]

I didn't know the C2Ds were going so cheap now, but the point still remains. If you don't have much money, every dollar saved can go to something else. It doesn't matter how much better a C2D is, if the needs are met with a lesser/cheaper system. This 2.8ghz Northy does everything most people need. Hell, my netbook with a CeleronM 900mhz just about does everything needed. YouTube can be a little choppy, but it's still watchable.

in theory the 2.8 does what is needed, assuming very limited use, in actuality that system is broken. malwared, bad harddrive, fans dust clogged, a total mess, i've seen it. the "most people" who don't know jack about computers and or are too old don't know whats going on when those systems stutter, whether its just being slow or failing. sure a few techies are cheap enough and know enough to keep em going, but that is a minority. otherwise it is a barely working system that makes the user afraid to use it for anything more than very lmited use. a general hinderance, it doesn't take much slowness to put many people off use.

 

[0roo0roo]

a p4 at 3.4ghz could probably eat the C2D at 1.8ghz in most single threaded tasks.

i dunno, benchmarks i remember show the p4 as pretty damned slow.
and desktop computing responsiveness is based on multithreading.
this is core duo 1 vs p4...never mind core 2
http://www.anandtech.com/show/1880/4
people get misled by the clockspeed..it looks like a fast number...

but the p4 is sooo slow...in general use it struggles to keep up with an original coreduo 1ghz lower in clock speed, and that is using a true dual core p4.


the older p4's drives and the rest are probably worse as well.

 

[fffblackmage]

a p4 at 3.4ghz could probably eat the C2D at 1.8ghz in most single threaded tasks.

You're too focused on just clock frequency. 1.8GHz C2Ds are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster than you think.

 

[0roo0roo]

You're too focused on just clock frequency. 1.8GHz C2Ds are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster than you think.

yea updated my post, annoying to dig up such old benchmarks.
core duo 1 face rapes a p4.

 

[mfenn]

a lot of organizations, perhaps out of ignorance, are pretty picky about the computer donations theyll accept. when i replaced older core 2 machines (in clean fully functional condition) in our office i tried to offer them to a local school that had one computer in each classroom and they rejected them. i cant believe it wouldnt have done them a lot of good to have more than one computer per classroom

A lot of the time, the actual hardware acquisition cost is a tiny fraction of what it costs to run a bunch of machines. Think of the extra software licensing costs, sysadmin man-hours, etc.

 

[0roo0roo]

A lot of the time, the actual hardware acquisition cost is a tiny fraction of what it costs to run a bunch of machines. Think of the extra software licensing costs, sysadmin man-hours, etc.

yup, esp now that machines are a few hundred rather than thousands.
having someone baby a p4 is fine if they work for free, and the users are very undemanding, and not on the clock wasting your money waiting on a slow machine.

people are expensive, lost productivity is expensive, machines are cheap.

 

[C1]

C2D without USB3, big deal,

I kicked butt today with my P4. Ripp'n while watch'n movies, generating posters & I helped the kid next door with his PhD thesis. Tonight (when I get some time) i'll be digital archiving some of the coasttocoast radio talk shows.

Actually, Id just wish for SATA controllers as that would much more support the multi-tasking that I do.

PS: Although the P4 is technically not as capable as C2D, the older software (which BTW is sooooooo interoperable) is noticeably leaner and cleaner and narrows the margins to C2D. I mean common, I barely notice the difference between the leaner P4 & my 2Ghz C2D Fujitsu. That difference in performance/processing capability is NOT where it's at. It is what you do with the stuff you got that matters.

 

[fffblackmage]

^Most of the time, it's the craptastically low amount of ram in those P4 machines holding them back. Or sometimes the server at school. Probably both.

Seriously... those old machines at my school would be great if they just had some more ram....

 

[Patrick Wolf]

You can breathe new life into those P4's with one of these and DDR2 memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138174

My dad's got a rig with that board, P4 2.8 w/ HT. 2GB, 8400 GS, win7 x32 and it cruises right along doing basic stuff. Surprisingly snappy.

 

[StinkyPinky]

You can breathe new life into those P4's with one of these and DDR2 memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138174

My dad's got a rig with that board, P4 2.8 w/ HT. 2GB, 8400 GS, win7 x32 and it cruises right along doing basic stuff. Surprisingly snappy.

I guess it comes down to tolerance. Some people can handle slower machines better than others. I just can't stand waiting on a machine crunching something simple like a service pack install. I remember installing SP3 on a bunch of 3.2Ghz P4's and 2.1Ghz Core2's (2gb ram on all pcs), and the Core2 utterly destroyed the P4. It wasn't even close.

Even to this day a 2.1Ghz Core2 is a capable CPU. That's a testament to that generation of chips. Core2 were brilliant.

 

[fffblackmage]

I guess it comes down to tolerance. Some people can handle slower machines better than others. I just can't stand waiting on a machine crunching something simple like a service pack install. I remember installing SP3 on a bunch of 3.2Ghz P4's and 2.1Ghz Core2's (2gb ram on all pcs), and the Core2 utterly destroyed the P4. It wasn't even close.

Even to this day a 2.1Ghz Core2 is a capable CPU. That's a testament to that generation of chips. Core2 were brilliant.

You're forgetting the difference in HDDs.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Dont blame hardware for bloated software. Its the software making us buy faster machines that we dont even use to their full potential before moving on again. Microsoft can county their lucky stars games didnt take off on Linux

 

[Slammy1]

Yeah, PCs are a fine example of consumerism. We're frequently forced to upgrade just to run operating systems, but the age of the enthusiast is kinda passing. Most people have PCs now and most software is designed to run (w/o bells and whistles) on older systems.

I have a C2D laptop but I built my main system in 2003. No video card on the lappy means my P4C system runs the things I want it to faster. My car is a 1995 with 250k+ miles, am I thrifty or cheap? Well, I'd have built a new system if it wasn't for the SB issues.

Too often people get confused on needs vs wants. The first PC I built was at a time when the 1 GB HDD we installed was HUGE (we built a number of them to help a friend on a sales order). But we're not turning over the tech like we did back then. 2 years meant at least twice the PC (I used to upgrade when clocks ran 3x faster than what I had).

It's been a long time since I've seen a BSOD on my system. While I cannot run Blu-Ray I can and do upconvert 480i DVDs to my 1080p display. When I do upgrade and I transfer this system to a friend they'll be really happy to get it.

 

[Texashiker]

There are a lot of older games out there that run just fine on a pentium 4 - half-life, counter-strike:source, the original left 4 dead, diablo II, quake 3 arena, painkiller, titan quest,,,,,,,,, only to name a few.

Up until May 2010, my daughter was running a Dell machine with an old pentium 4. In May 2010 she got a dual core upgrade. We played all kinds of games over the lan, and she did her facebook, and youtube stuff just fine.

 

[JackMDS]

If you need a secondary computer, and do need it for hardcore new games.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a SOHO computer that does not use super tasking applications.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a humble Server.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you need few computers to form a network and experiment with Networking.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you ego is Not displayed through your computer hardware.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you do not need it, you can donate it to good cause.



😎

 

[AnitaPeterson]

If you need a secondary computer, and do need it for hardcore new games.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a SOHO computer that does not use super tasking applications.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a humble Server.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you need few computers to form a network and experiment with Networking.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you ego is Not displayed through your computer hardware.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you do not need it, you can donate it to good cause.



😎

Quoted for truth.

 

[piasabird]

Brick
Door Stop

 

[Patrick Wolf]

I guess it comes down to tolerance. Some people can handle slower machines better than others. I just can't stand waiting on a machine crunching something simple like a service pack install. I remember installing SP3 on a bunch of 3.2Ghz P4's and 2.1Ghz Core2's (2gb ram on all pcs), and the Core2 utterly destroyed the P4. It wasn't even close.

Even to this day a 2.1Ghz Core2 is a capable CPU. That's a testament to that generation of chips. Core2 were brilliant.

Forget to mention my dad's P4 rig is also using a decent sata drive. True it's slow to unpack and install, which sucks. But I should mention it's a 2nd rig. His main rig has an Athlon II X4 620. 🙂

 

[Insomniator]

While I agree P4's CAN be perfectly fine for office use they have one issue for me.

As soon as people load their machine up with itunes/websmileys/toolbars/malware/viruses etc the single core p4 slows to a snails pace. Our one step newer dual core 1.6 celerons handle the garbage much better and the brand new e5700's w/4gb ram are great.

The point is if someone that knows what they are doing and can keep a machine clean the P4 is plenty fast. I support about 250 users at my company though and the P4's are just a pain to work on once loaded with crap.

Ideally symantec would help all of this but that program just adds to the bloat. P4's with a gig of ram become quite slow when users are allowed to do whatever they want on their computer (something I don't have the authority to fix). I just order new computers instead.

 

[0roo0roo]

If you need a secondary computer, and do need it for hardcore new games.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a SOHO computer that does not use super tasking applications.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you run a humble Server.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you need few computers to form a network and experiment with Networking.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you ego is Not displayed through your computer hardware.

Then P-4 is still good for you.

If you do not need it, you can donate it to good cause.



😎

all assuming it is free.
i wouldn't pay for a p4 thats for sure.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

While P4s are good for basic tasks (Office/productivity, email, managing mp3s, SD video, most websites), there are several now-common tasks they choke on:

Script-heavy websites
Google Maps (satellite and Street View)
Watching HD Youtube videos

Also, I've tried loading HTML-5 demo websites on my C2D desktop - it handles those sites, but it practically maxes out the CPU usage to do so. The same sites on a P4 would be very laggy, if they work at all. With the web moving towards HTML-5, P4s will soon be nearly obsolete.

In short, if you have a lot of patience and you only perform very basic tasks, P4s are still ok. I would only use one if I couldn't afford a better machine - they're best suited to be donated to charitable organizations.

 

[JackMDS]

all assuming it is free.
i wouldn't pay for a p4 thats for sure.

Yeah, but I am a strange guy 😱. I try to stick with the OP.

OP did not ask whether he should buy P-4. 🙄

He indicated that he has few P-4 and ask what to do with them.


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