Installing RAM and hard drive. Motherboard capabilities?
in [Hardware]
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From: Brian V on 20 Dec 2009 03:53 I read an article below about External Hard-drive purchase. I got aa lot out of it, and will read more later, but it is along the lines of what I need to ask. If you need any info from me, please ask and tell me where to find it. I plan on installing as much RAM and hard drive as I can in the shorter-term so I can archive my music collection and dvd's. I actually would like to install what I can internally instead of externally. I have 32-bit XP, 1GB ddr2 memory (RAM?), and AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ 2.01 GHz, 768 MB of RAM on an Acer ASE380-ED380M. I opened my computer up last weekend. I saw the SATA hard-drive and 3 other potential spots for more hard-drive. I want to fill 2 or 3 with SATA, but saw PATA drives. I don't know what PATA is, but it's bigger. Can my system handle it? I'm going to start getting 2 or 3 terabytes (or more). I have lots of music, dj for fun, but I also make music and need space. I noticed that there was a certain kind of small black plug connected to the hard-drive from the back of the computer with lots of wires comming out of that. It was split (connecting to the hard-drive there) and one is free for one spot (not the three like I want). I noticed on web-sites there are certain kinds of power cords for sale and in my computer tower it appeared that my dvd-drive was connected to a white plug (not the small black ones, but that bigger white connection went into the back of my computer too), on that white plug it connected to the dvd-drive and could be dissattached. But the dvd-drive connector did not block any more connections, it continued it (something else can be plugged in still). Can the small black plugs do this too (connect to each other and keep the chain going)? Or am I limited to the two connections for hard-drive? For the RAM There are 4 ports, in two there were 2 - 512 chips, the other two were empty. Do I have to have a specific kind of RAM? I know sometimes some computers can only handle some amount or kinds of it. What is in the back of my computer tower? It's where the plug-in for the electrical outlet goes, and everything in te tower connects to. Is this my ADM Dual Core Processor? Or is the processor the motherboard with all those diodes, and ports (it's on the side and covers it. It's the big thin piece). Can this thing in the back of the tower be replaced? Are they usually left alone? What can I put in the back of my computer where these PCI local Bus ports are? I have 4 slots. 2 large ones, one small and one square (I think, or two smaller ones). One has a modem in there I don't use (a line in can be seen), the other three are free. Can this make my system 64-bit, or is it needed to install stuff to accelerate my computer? Can I put more memory or a graphics care there or something? Lastly I figured I can fit a small drive and another dvd/hd burner/reader of some kind in front. But that can wait a bit. How can I find out the lmitation on what kind of computer I have (what the motherboard can handle, or the processor, etc. Eg: Some items cannot be installed into older computers (mainly due to not having the right connectors, ports, etc). I don't want to buy something that is too advanced for my computer to read or run with. I just want to learn and to install what I can myself.
From: Shenan Stanley on 20 Dec 2009 05:22 Brian V wrote: > I read an article below about External Hard-drive purchase. I got > aa lot out of it, and will read more later, but it is along the > lines of what I need to ask. > > If you need any info from me, please ask and tell me where to find > it. > > I plan on installing as much RAM and hard drive as I can in the > shorter-term so I can archive my music collection and dvd's. I > actually would like to install what I can internally instead of > externally. > > I have 32-bit XP, 1GB ddr2 memory (RAM?), and AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual > Core Processor 3800+ 2.01 GHz, 768 MB of RAM on an Acer > ASE380-ED380M. > > I opened my computer up last weekend. I saw the SATA hard-drive and > 3 other potential spots for more hard-drive. I want to fill 2 or 3 > with SATA, but saw PATA drives. I don't know what PATA is, but it's > bigger. Can my system handle it? I'm going to start getting 2 or 3 > terabytes (or more). I have lots of music, dj for fun, but I also > make music and need space. > > I noticed that there was a certain kind of small black plug > connected to the hard-drive from the back of the computer with lots > of wires comming out of that. It was split (connecting to the > hard-drive there) and one is free for one spot (not the three like > I want). I noticed on web-sites there are certain kinds of power > cords for sale and in my computer tower it appeared that my > dvd-drive was connected to a white plug (not the small black ones, > but that bigger white connection went into the back of my computer > too), on that white plug it connected to the dvd-drive and could be > dissattached. But the dvd-drive connector did not block any more > connections, it continued it (something else can be plugged in > still). Can the small black plugs do this too (connect to each > other and keep the chain going)? Or am I limited to the two > connections for hard-drive? > > For the RAM There are 4 ports, in two there were 2 - 512 chips, the > other two were empty. Do I have to have a specific kind of RAM? I > know sometimes some computers can only handle some amount or kinds > of it. > > What is in the back of my computer tower? It's where the plug-in > for the electrical outlet goes, and everything in te tower connects > to. Is this my ADM Dual Core Processor? Or is the processor the > motherboard with all those diodes, and ports (it's on the side and > covers it. It's the big thin piece). Can this thing in the back of > the tower be replaced? Are they usually left alone? > > What can I put in the back of my computer where these PCI local Bus > ports are? I have 4 slots. 2 large ones, one small and one square > (I think, or two smaller ones). One has a modem in there I don't > use (a line in can be seen), the other three are free. Can this > make my system 64-bit, or is it needed to install stuff to > accelerate my computer? Can I put more memory or a graphics care > there or something? > > Lastly I figured I can fit a small drive and another dvd/hd > burner/reader of some kind in front. But that can wait a bit. > > How can I find out the lmitation on what kind of computer I have > (what the motherboard can handle, or the processor, etc. Eg: Some > items cannot be installed into older computers (mainly due to not > having the right connectors, ports, etc). I don't want to buy > something that is too advanced for my computer to read or run with. > > I just want to learn and to install what I can myself. It is unlikely you need more RAM/system memory unless you plan to upgrade to another OS (given this is the third post I have seen from you lately - I bet that is on your mind merely because of your erratic way of gathering information.) Acer ASE380-ED380M - that's mainly what people needed. Looking around - I am betting that is an Acer Aspire E380. What you can do with it is *very* limited. That is a very proprietary system. Go to ACER's web page... Support. Look at the paperwork/CDs that came with the system. You can take it up to 4GB memory: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Aspire%20E380 But for most people - it is a waste. Even if you were to get Windows 7 x64 (which acer does have a red x next to Windows 7 support for this desktop - meaning they don't support that) and install a bunch of heavy programs (music/video editing, phot editing, etc) - it is unlikely you would go beyond 3GB used given the questions you have asked in the past/now. Memory/System Memory/RAM - that is not like hard disk drive space. I think you are better off just getting an external USB hard disk drive - using that for storage... Keeping whatever memory/RAM/system memory you have currently at its current level and cleaning up/properly maintaining it until you can spend $300-$750 on a new system that will make that system seem sad and slow. ;-) And if you were gettting ready to buy more memory and hard drive space for it - you may already be there. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
From: JS on 20 Dec 2009 15:19 PATA drives are old technology and you are likely to pay more $$ for a PATA than a SATA drive of the same storage capacity. Currently the new 2TB drives have a poor reputation for reliability so I would suggest adding an internal 1TB SATA and an external (with a brick/power module) 1TB USB drive. As for adding more memory usually 768MB of ram is more than enough, however if you do decide to add more to improve the performance of a "specific" application that can take advantage of the addition ram, then I would think 2GB would be more than enough for almost any application. That said be aware of the fact that you may need to remove your existing ram to free up slots for the new memory sticks. Also memory should be purchased in "Matched Pairs" for dual channel mode support. -- JS http://www.pagestart.com "Brian V" <BrianV(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9EDCF932-E9E4-4511-9DF9-7256873E316C(a)microsoft.com... >I read an article below about External Hard-drive purchase. I got aa lot >out > of it, and will read more later, but it is along the lines of what I need > to > ask. > > If you need any info from me, please ask and tell me where to find it. > > I plan on installing as much RAM and hard drive as I can in the > shorter-term > so I can archive my music collection and dvd's. I actually would like to > install what I can internally instead of externally. > > I have 32-bit XP, 1GB ddr2 memory (RAM?), and AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core > Processor 3800+ 2.01 GHz, 768 MB of RAM on an Acer ASE380-ED380M. > > I opened my computer up last weekend. I saw the SATA hard-drive and 3 > other > potential spots for more hard-drive. I want to fill 2 or 3 with SATA, but > saw > PATA drives. I don't know what PATA is, but it's bigger. Can my system > handle > it? I'm going to start getting 2 or 3 terabytes (or more). I have lots of > music, dj for fun, but I also make music and need space. > > I noticed that there was a certain kind of small black plug connected to > the > hard-drive from the back of the computer with lots of wires comming out of > that. It was split (connecting to the hard-drive there) and one is free > for > one spot (not the three like I want). I noticed on web-sites there are > certain kinds of power cords for sale and in my computer tower it appeared > that my dvd-drive was connected to a white plug (not the small black ones, > but that bigger white connection went into the back of my computer too), > on > that white plug it connected to the dvd-drive and could be dissattached. > But > the dvd-drive connector did not block any more connections, it continued > it > (something else can be plugged in still). Can the small black plugs do > this > too (connect to each other and keep the chain going)? Or am I limited to > the > two connections for hard-drive? > > For the RAM There are 4 ports, in two there were 2 - 512 chips, the other > two were empty. Do I have to have a specific kind of RAM? I know sometimes > some computers can only handle some amount or kinds of it. > > What is in the back of my computer tower? It's where the plug-in for the > electrical outlet goes, and everything in te tower connects to. Is this my > ADM Dual Core Processor? Or is the processor the motherboard with all > those > diodes, and ports (it's on the side and covers it. It's the big thin > piece). > Can this thing in the back of the tower be replaced? Are they usually left > alone? > > What can I put in the back of my computer where these PCI local Bus ports > are? I have 4 slots. 2 large ones, one small and one square (I think, or > two > smaller ones). One has a modem in there I don't use (a line in can be > seen), > the other three are free. Can this make my system 64-bit, or is it needed > to > install stuff to accelerate my computer? Can I put more memory or a > graphics > care there or something? > > Lastly I figured I can fit a small drive and another dvd/hd burner/reader > of > some kind in front. But that can wait a bit. > > How can I find out the lmitation on what kind of computer I have (what the > motherboard can handle, or the processor, etc. Eg: Some items cannot be > installed into older computers (mainly due to not having the right > connectors, ports, etc). I don't want to buy something that is too > advanced > for my computer to read or run with. > > I just want to learn and to install what I can myself.
From: Adrian C on 20 Dec 2009 18:29 JS wrote: > PATA drives are old technology > and you are likely to pay more $$ for a PATA > than a SATA drive of the same storage capacity. > > Currently the new 2TB drives have a poor reputation > for reliability so I would suggest adding an internal 1TB > SATA and an external (with a brick/power module) 1TB > USB drive. > I'd suggest the above, but using the external drive as a mirror to media data on the PC - i.e. purely as a backup. Whenever ya machine is on the way to shutdown ye can run a script to copy music files to the external drive. Good backup for music which may take many, many hours of ripping to replace on disk failure. Also, this external hard drive can then be taken with ya to parties, and used with a laptop, where ye can become DJ God... -- Adrian C
From: Brian V on 24 Dec 2009 08:18
All the information is helpful. Thank you very much. This is what I needed. I was going to contact Acer. Just havn't yet. Thank you everyone. "Adrian C" wrote: > JS wrote: > > PATA drives are old technology > > and you are likely to pay more $$ for a PATA > > than a SATA drive of the same storage capacity. > > > > Currently the new 2TB drives have a poor reputation > > for reliability so I would suggest adding an internal 1TB > > SATA and an external (with a brick/power module) 1TB > > USB drive. > > > > I'd suggest the above, but using the external drive as a mirror to media > data on the PC - i.e. purely as a backup. Whenever ya machine is on the > way to shutdown ye can run a script to copy music files to the external > drive. Good backup for music which may take many, many hours of ripping > to replace on disk failure. > > Also, this external hard drive can then be taken with ya to parties, and > used with a laptop, where ye can become DJ God... > > -- > Adrian C > . > |