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What do with old P3 667MHz system?

StrangerGuy

StrangerGuy

Diamond Member
Bought a entire P3 system from a friend for just $10. 😉

Specifications:

Pentium 3 667EB
VIA 133A mobo
64MB PC100 SDRAM <---- serious bottleneck
TNT2 32MB AGP
20GB WD hard drive

What to do with it? I am thinking a Linux server here.
 
Unless you can scrounge some additional RAM from other old systems or you feel like coughing up some dough, you would probably be best served running Linux on that box. However, for about 30 bucks and some change you could slap 256MB of PC133 RAM in there and it should run XP reasonably well (albeit a little stripped down) as a spare computer for backup, file sharing, print server, etc. Be careful about checking mobo compatibility with RAM if you go this route.
 
I'd say Linux as well. I need to get around to reformatting my 700mhz 32mb Gateway for Linux, dang thing came with WinME, and it's so bogged down it's not even funny.
 
Don't go for XP, put 2k on that box if you go Windows.
I have a P3 600MHz with 384MB of RAM, and 2k is fairly slow 🙁
 
Use it as a print server/firewall for the internet.

that way - you save cpu cycles on your machine by not having to load a firewall
 
384mb of ram is the min for XP to run without chugging.
Have any relatives who need a computer, like mom or dad?
My dad is running my old P3-600 on Win98 and it does everything he needs.
 
anything over 256mb of ram with that system will be fine for xp, expecially if you arnt using onboard video. surf net, word, run games ok up to maybe 2002-era stuff?
 
unless you really need a server its just going to sit around wasting electricity. as for firewall.. just use a router.
 
I have a gateway 486 that I have been using for a printserver at work for the last 5 years. Thing just runs 24/7 365 days. I dont even have a monitor on it anymore. It runs win98 which does what I want it too for now. I dont think the machine would be good for much else but hey keeps my design system from doing print spooling.
 
I ran a computer worse that that (but with 128 MB SDRAM) with WinXP for years with no problem. That includes running Word with a 200+ page document full of picutures, 5 MB Excel file(s), Mathcad, 20 MB Powerpoint file, and Internet Explorer open all at the same time. Sure there are occasional 0.5 sec pauses when you switch programs, but everything was certainly operational with no bothersome lag. People here really exaggerate WinXPs memory requirements. If you know what you are doing, you can turn off all the eye candy and useless memory hogs (especially the fast user switching) and get WinXP to use next to nothing.

I'd personally put 256 MB in that, install WinXP, and give it to a relative who has a much older computer (almost everyone has at least one relative who is running a ~200 MHz machine).
 
Originally posted by: DrMoe
Unless you can scrounge some additional RAM from other old systems or you feel like coughing up some dough, you would probably be best served running Linux on that box. However, for about 30 bucks and some change you could slap 256MB of PC133 RAM in there and it should run XP reasonably well (albeit a little stripped down) as a spare computer for backup, file sharing, print server, etc. Be careful about checking mobo compatibility with RAM if you go this route.
Click to expand...

WTF is wrong with you guys..... If he adds 256MB of ram, Windows XP will run perfectly. You gotta make sure you have the bx chipset because those were the best. I had a dell XPS R450 system with 384MB of ram and windows xp and it was very smooth. I was able to even play games on that machine but later realized it was showing age (last year) so I did a system overhaul to the system in my sig.
 
Originally posted by: StrangerGuy
Bought a entire P3 system from a friend for just $10. 😉

Specifications:

Pentium 3 667EB
VIA 133A mobo
64MB PC100 SDRAM <---- serious bottleneck
TNT2 32MB AGP
20GB WD hard drive

What to do with it? I am thinking a Linux server here.
Click to expand...


That would be good for a server
Get yourself a couple of nice nics and get smoothwall

Smoothwall

Get at least 3 of these
Intel Pro/1000 MT Desktop Network Adapter - Retail Box
 
WTF is wrong with you guys..... If he adds 256MB of ram, Windows XP will run perfectly. You gotta make sure you have the bx chipset because those were the best. I had a dell XPS R450 system with 384MB of ram and windows xp and it was very smooth. I was able to even play games on that machine but later realized it was showing age (last year) so I did a system overhaul to the system in my sig.
Click to expand...

Ok, what is wrong with Linux? Why buy a license for an OS to do stuff that a decent linux box can do for free. I run Gentoo on an old compaq laptop, P3 500, 256 MB ram, and it runs pretty good, even in gnome. It took a while to do a stage one build, but it's worth the small amount of time. Even if you are running linux, I would still say upgrade your ram to 256 MB.
 
You have yourself a cheap and effective file server. Slap a couple of HDDs in there and a tape unit and you have yourself a great network storage solution.
 
You guys think that this computer is so old that it it's only function is to be a file server, I mean c'mon. A pentium II is still pretty good, a pentium III is even better. The only machine I can consider a file server would be a 486 and up. A pentium III is plenty fast and shouldn't not be considered "severely" dated..
 
Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
You guys think that this computer is so old that it it's only function is to be a file server, I mean c'mon. A pentium II is still pretty good, a pentium III is even better. The only machine I can consider a file server would be a 486 and up. A pentium III is plenty fast and shouldn't not be considered "severely" dated..
Click to expand...

For those who don't recall the thread, I played Doom 3 on a P3/733 with a gF4MX.

This is way above "firewall/server" level.

Oh, and nice deal. Your friend got any more? 😀

- M4H
 
Print/file/storage server are all good suggestions. I have also read somewhere that older computers like yours can be put to use in home entertainment systems, primarily TV(TIVO type activities and video storage (not video manipulation).

I cannot find that thread now.

Deskstar
 
Use it as a linux Router / Firewall / Network Storage / Printserver. That is always a neat project, all you need is two Networkports.
 
If you're planning to build a linux server but aren't sure what to use it for, Ampache is a very powerful streaming MP3 server. I run one from a debian install that actually runs under VMware on my windows server, and it's only a Athlon 900 but even running under VMware it easily can downsample multiple MP3 streams in real time and not chug. The DB is pretty huge too, it's serving some 22,000 songs that are actually hosted on the same machine but in the windows layer, so it is mounting them via SMB. 😀 It was a fun project and is nice to listen to while at work.
 
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