My family has an old hp media center PC 864n pic related and I wanted to know if anything was salvageable for a modern gaming PC like case or anything don't want to open it up unless I know that's the only option
>>909089
>don't want to open it up unless I know that's the only option
It doesn't sound like you know what you're doing.
>>909092
Well I'm trying to start
>>909095
There's nothing to be salvaged from that POS for a gaming PC, but what's stopping you from taking a screwdriver to that thing and removing 2 or 3 screws to see inside?
Just open it up and look.
>>909089
It is very old, not going to be much use to most people. Dont just rip it apart for fun though.
If it still works, install a light Linux on it, like Linux Mint.
With linux running, itll browse the web and play youtube videos safely.
Sell it on craigslist for 50$ to someone less fortunate.
>>909089
>Socket 478
No, completely worthless.
Pentium 4 was a dead-end technology, and mid-range P4s can't even run YouTube. Your PC has a slow, old-gen P4 2666, and DDR1 sockets which'll make upgrading to the amount of RAM a modern OS wants completely unviable. The only plus-point is the Geforce MX440, which despite being a budget card will at least be able to (on Windows) accelerate Flash Player and maybe YouTube.
If it were a late-775 P4, you could put a Core2 Xeon in and Windows 10 on it, but it isn't, so you can't.
There is literally nothing inside this PC you can use: its hard disk is PATA (not sata), its power supply will be 20-pin ATX (not 24-pin), even the case is missing modern conveniences like front-panel USB and audio.
If it works, do what >>909115 says. I doubt it'll play youtube without hardware acceleration though, and I can't find if that works on an MX440 under Linux. I'm guessing "no".
Stick the Windows XP it came with on it, do the POSReady hack*, let it update itself and give it to someone who literally can't afford anything better.
* http://www.extremetech.com/computing/183362-windows-xp-rises-from-the-grave-simple-hack-gives-you-five-more-years-of-updates
>>909089
You are not going to do modern gaming on it. But since you don't know anything about computers, use it to learn with. Take it apart, learn about the parts, terms (also learn the modern parts too since these parts are old), and put it back together. Install Linux on it and play around with it.
After you get done learn a few things. You can set it up as a Linux PC for internet use, typing, and learning some programming and/or web design/development.
Or reinstall Windows XP and use it for some old school gaming.
Or just dual boot both operating systems.
>>909132
>Flash Player and maybe YouTube
>Flash, YouTube
Light weight Linux with with a modern browser. Don't need flash when HTML5 can play videos. Fuck you can watch YouTube videos without fuckin flash.
>>909136
>Don't need flash when HTML5 can play videos
You done goofed. A 533/2666 Pentium 4 is nowhere near fast enough to do software decoding. Not even in the ballpark.
Nyan Cat in SD will stutter and peg the processor, whilst the fan tries to drive the PC into the nearest wall.
>>909132
>Core2 Xeon
Its just Xeon shit fuck.
>If it were a late-775 P4, you could put a
Depends on the BIOS unless you mod it.
>No, completely worthless.
Porn Box, Light Weight Linux, A Server (web dev server, nas, torrent server, etc), Emulator Box, Fucking your mom in the ass with it and making you watch, and other uses if you just think or looked online.
>>909139
Your mom done goofed when she had you. She should've swallowed you or your dad should've shot you in your sisters ass.
>>909140
>Its just Xeon shit fuck.
Xeon's the brand, Core2's the technology.
Unless you think a Xeon 400 and a Xeon E3 are interchangeable?
>Depends on the BIOS unless you mod it.
Doesn't depend on the BIOS, you just boot Intel's BITS before your OS and have it update and configure the processor.
I wouldn't salvage anything from it, just keep it well preserved.
>>909144
Core 2 is just the name for the intel desktop and laptop cpus that were Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad. The name was never used with Xeon.
Some computer and motherboard manufacturers will limit how much RAM and what CPU can be used on a motherboard. Some manufacturers will come out with BIO updates to support newer CPUs that came out at the time and somethings more RAM. Some manufacturers don't because they want you just to by a new system.
>>909139
Minumum specs for youtube are 500mhz CPU with 128mb Ram, 64MB video Card.
Running lightweight linux it will run youtube perfectly fine.
It wouldnt if you were running XP though.
If you're really determined to salvage something from this computer, you may be able to reuse the case and PSU. However, the case will have a lot of proprietary crap on it, and look like hell, and the PSU will require a slew of adapters to hook it up to modern SATA devices, and even then you'll have to worry about exceeding its rated wattage.
I've done this before, and I can tell you, if you're going to spend the cash on nice new gaming components, you'll have an overall higher quality, better looking build if you start from the ground up.
>>909151
Jesus christ, the autism.
Everyone knows that he is talking about a Xeon of the same generation as the early Core 2 processors. As opposed to an earlier or newer generation. Go polish your mood badges.
>>909151
>The name was never used with Xeon.
Sure. But every single Allendale, Conroe, Woodcrest, Wolfdale, Kentsfield, Yorkfield, Clovertown and Harpertown "Xeon" die was also packaged as some form of Core2 so collectively they're the "Core 2" Xeons.
Because they're just rebranded high-performing Core2s, you can drop them straight in a Core2 motherboard; at most you'll have to use a $1 adapter to swap two pins over.
>>909153
You think Windows XP injects some kind of "Windows Gunk" into the processor that stops it executing a tight video-decode loop? So when you run the exact same video decoder under Linux, it'll go twice as fast, because Windows isn't being a dick to it?
I've got a 500mhz K6-III kicking about somewhere, and I absolutely guarantee you YouTube won't work on it, whatever OS it's running.
>>909164
You can't hack it to run on windows.
It's easy to hack it to run on linux.
Maybe not 500Mhz, but if it was over clocked 750, it should be able to manage.
I know windows XP injects windows gunk.
>>909132
>Stick the Windows XP it came with on it
...and turn it into an emulation/DOSBox machine. I'm sure it could handle the likes of ZSNES.
>>909155
> the case and PSU.
>PSU
This is terrible advice.
Never ever try and salvage a PSU that is years old.
OEM PSUs usually suck, as well.
The PSU is the most important component of the entire computer.
If the PSU is faulty, it has a very high chance of blowing out other random components.
I can almost guarantee you that if you do that you'll be asking yourself why your hard drives keep failing after 2 years for no apparent reason, or why the whole rig becomes unstable under heavy load.
>>909089
The on!y thing salvageable is the PSU for building a diy bench supply.
Personally I'd use it to experiment with Linux. Any of them.
Take the little RAM it has and cooling unit. Have everything else recycled.
nothing about it worth carrying over to a new computer. If you're super cheap, you could use the case, and if you had a IDE to SATA adapter you could use the crapshoot hard drive, but the rest is useless.
>>909089
Take it apart. Save the sheet metal for projects and project boxes. Salvage the capacitors, inductors, torrids, LEDs, switches, wires, and heatsinks from the motherboard. Take the PSU and turn it into a resistance solderer or just a project power supply for 5VDC and 12VDC. Take the hardrive(s) apart. Melt their aluminum down and make ingots, use for later metalcasting or machining projects. Use the HDD platters for a variety of things from a Tesla turbine to flywheels to Parallels for machining. You can even slap some sandpaper on them while still mounted to the motor and use as a sanding wheel. Use the HDD magnets for making a generator (hand crank, wind turbine, etc) or string instrument pickups like an electric guitar. Use the Head/actuator arms+magnets of the HDD to make a dynamometer or ribbon generator. Use the motor from the HDD to do various projects. If there's other types of drives you can do tons of things with them. CDs/DVDs have lasers and all have small motors and sensors.
I mean really, who needs an old shitty PC?
Whenever you post a thread like this, you're gonna always get a mix of people who either will tell you to take certain things, or try their hardest to convince you that it's worthless. Ultimately it comes down to what you'd want out of it.
