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Seeing as I cantget an answer from you elsewhere, what are the system requirments?
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Posted: 2005-03-30 23:18:04
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@Govi
I thought about this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/[....]br_lf_ce_6/026-6855950-1602834
(For Wap users, it's a pretty standard Hauppage PCI TV Tuner card that retails for around about £40 GB)
Until I read the negative comment regarding XP compatibility! See what I mean about different manufacturers using the same chipsets?
It's a tough call really, but if your fairly sure that the pinnacle card will work ok with your OS without you having to get updated drivers or patches then I'd say go for it! Like I said all TV cards use pretty much the same components anyway, it's just that some seem to last longer than others.
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Posted: 2005-03-30 23:19:45
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Sorry djpowelly!
The official minimum specs for Mandrake version 10 are:
500Mhz Processor (PII MMX / AMD k6 with 3dnow! or above)
64 Mb RAM
Minimum of around 500Mb free hard disk space (but realistically you'll need well over 1 GB if you want to run a GUI, i.e. a desktop and a few basic apps with it)
But as I said in your free OS thread, you can streamline mandrake to work pretty well on machines that don't quite meet the specs. A graphics card helps in the same way as it helps windows; it prevents the OS from having to use the main memory as much, hence freeing up system RAM and therefore reducing the need for virtual memory usage.
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'He who laughs last, laughs longest. Or didn't get the joke...'
[ This Message was edited by: Cycovision on 2005-03-30 22:44 ]
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Posted: 2005-03-30 23:35:38
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cheers cyco
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Posted: 2005-03-30 23:41:48
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I think Ill give it a go when i've got a free sunday!
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Posted: 2005-03-30 23:46:23
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Hi Cyco,
I need your opinion about this one.
I have an old AMD K7 600Mhz that i wanted to put to work again as a local webserver, but it's giving me an headache.
Problems:
- It refuses to boot (and i mean not every the memory test is performed), the CRT won't turn on, it will stay in stand by mode. Only after a few tries i can get it to boot.
- I could only install XP after 4 or 5 tries. It would hang in the middle of the installation at random points, would it be either formating the drive, or finalizing the instalation.
- I instaled a PCI Network card which XP didn't detect.
- If i turn it off, the problems booting appear again.
Now. What could be the problem?
- VGA card? since it doesn't activate the CRT.
- Board?
- Bios Battery?
I want to put it to work, but i'm not sure where should i put the money.
Any tip?
TIA
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Posted: 2005-03-31 01:24:03
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I'd say it's unlikely to be the CMOS battery because normally, you'd get the POST screen up and then an error saying something like 'Cant load standard defaults'.
What could give you a clue here is 'beep codes'. All BIOS venders integrate a diagnostic system into their software whereby certain conditions cause the pc's speaker to produce a series of 'beeps', rather like morse code. If you go to the website for your PC's particular make of BIOS (phoenix, AmiBIOS etc.) or look them up on google, you could try the following:
1. Remove all memory sticks from the motherboard and power on. If you get the beep code for 'no memory', then the motherboard is likely to be ok and it might be one or more of your memory sticks at fault.
2. Put the memory back and remove the graphics card. Likewise, if you get the code for 'No VGA', then the motherboard's probably alright, and it might be worth trying a cheap card.
If you don't get any beep codes at all, then it could either be the motherboard or possibly the power supply. ATX power supplies are not easy to test without simply trying a new one, unfortunately, but If you have a multimeter, you might be able to check the 12v and 5v outputs from one of the four pin connectors for the hard drive / cd drives or floppy drive.
What worries me here is that XP didn't detect your Network card. I'm afraid that sounds rather like a dodgy motherboard to me
It's difficult to diagnose a fault like this without a 'POST Probe'. This is a card that fits into a spare PCI or ISA slot and provides diagnostic code numbers on a display that helps you to pinpoint the problem. You can get them cheap from Ebay, but bear in mind that they are pretty much useless without the instruction book so if anyone decides to buy one, make sure that the seller includes the documention with the probe!
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Posted: 2005-03-31 10:18:44
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Thanks Cyco.
About the beep codes, i thought of that, but the only beep i hear is when it boots ok (just a one time quick beep).
I'll try removing the SIMM's and the VGA card, and see what happens.
(I suspect that nothing will happen)
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Posted: 2005-03-31 11:01:59
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Does it beep normally when the CRT fails to switch on? If so, I think there's a good chance that you're right about it being the VGA card
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Posted: 2005-03-31 11:37:35
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Nop. I said it only beeps when it boots normally.
If the CRT doesn't power up i also can't hear any beep (or vice-versa).
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Posted: 2005-03-31 11:39:50
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