An amatuer's questions

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Peach

I have an HP slimline computer, VISTA operating system. Today, I
"inherited" a G.Skills AMD Phenom 64 machine. I'd like to know how
this machine differs from my current machine, and the approximate
cost. (I see it has a DVD outlet.) I have no idea what value to list
on my insurance, and find little searching for info outside "gamers".
What does this machine do that my HP does not?
 
We don't know as you did not give any specs for either machine. .HP slimline
are sold in
various configurations and G>Skills AMD etc. .describes a Ram Module
manufacturer and a certain
"brand" of AMD chip but no speed nor motherboard nor accompanying
peripherals like Hard drives,CD/DVD player
Video card,how much Ram and the speed and name of the chip.
For all we know it could be in a Diamond encrusted case!!!
Value ??? educated guess would be 100 US $$ old machines lose their value
fast!!

peter
 
I have an HP slimline computer, VISTA operating system. Today, I
"inherited" a G.Skills AMD Phenom 64 machine. I'd like to know how
this machine differs from my current machine, and the approximate
cost. (I see it has a DVD outlet.) I have no idea what value to list
on my insurance, and find little searching for info outside "gamers".
What does this machine do that my HP does not?
Click to expand...

Hello, I see your spelling mistake, the correct should be "amateur"!
You should try an app called "Everest", which is used for detecting
the specifacation( or configuration) of your hardware(and even your
whole computer system) without the need of open the computer case.
Also try "CPU-Z" and "GPU-Z", the former tells you about your CPU and
your memory etc. as well as the latter tells you about your graphics
card. Then you may surf "newegg.com" to get the detail of your
hardware, such as the performance, the "birthday" and the old or new
price. As to the use of your machine, you can surf the website of the
manufacturer to read the introduction of those hardwares.
I wonder if you got the machine through a normal way anyway.
 
Peach said:
I have an HP slimline computer, VISTA operating system. Today, I
"inherited" a G.Skills AMD Phenom 64 machine. I'd like to know how
this machine differs from my current machine, and the approximate
cost. (I see it has a DVD outlet.) I have no idea what value to list
on my insurance, and find little searching for info outside "gamers".
What does this machine do that my HP does not?
Click to expand...

OK, if the new machine is a Phenom, then you likely have a MUCH more
powerful processor (CPU) than the one that is in your HP slimline computer.
HP anything tends to skimp (badly) on really important parts like video
cards and POWER SUPPLIES in particular. And as you mentioned a DVD outlet,
my best guess:

The new one has a REAL power supply, possibly even a good name brand.
The new one has a REAL video card, probably a good chipset to it, also.
And the new one (not a guess) has a MUCH more powerful CPU in it.

I doubt if you will care, seeing as you were previously getting by with an
HP slimline computer system. But the new system will likely play games much
better than the old one...if the old one will allow you to play games at
all. Oh, and the new system is likely to be much more stable and last
longer, too. I base that on, the new one seems to be a (custom built?)
clone, and any clone is going to be MUCH better quality than anything
branded HP.

As someone else hinted at though, this is not worth listing on your (I
assume Homeowner's) insurance. By the time you go to make a claim on a loss
of this system, you could buy a used replacement for about $50, maybe
ess. -Dave
 
Thank you for responding. My HP is a Pavilion, the G.Skills is 6
months old, plain black box, Vista Ultimate operating system, but
little written info on the outside. It does have multiple slots for
cards etc. I rarely need graphics, working mostly with the written
word (with or without spell check, as was noted) I have little use
for advanced graphics, and wanted to how best to use this new one.
Perhaps the manufacturer will indulge me.
 
Peach said:
Thank you for responding. My HP is a Pavilion, the G.Skills is 6
months old, plain black box, Vista Ultimate operating system, but
little written info on the outside. It does have multiple slots for
cards etc. I rarely need graphics, working mostly with the written
word (with or without spell check, as was noted) I have little use
for advanced graphics, and wanted to how best to use this new one.
Perhaps the manufacturer will indulge me.
Click to expand...

You could just think of your Pavilion as consumer grade - like a Toyota
Corolla. And think of your "G.Skills" as performance grade - like a Saab or
a BMW. The Pavilion will do all the things a regular user wants a computer
to do, but the "G.Skills" could do more and better/faster. You will probably
not ever need to use the performance features of the "G.Skills" just as you
would probably never take your Saab out for a rally race, but it is nice to
know you could if the opportunity ever came up. Use the new one just like
the old one. You will know when (and if) you need to do more.
 
Peach said:
Thank you for responding. My HP is a Pavilion, the G.Skills is 6
months old, plain black box, Vista Ultimate operating system, but
little written info on the outside. It does have multiple slots for
cards etc. I rarely need graphics, working mostly with the written
word (with or without spell check, as was noted) I have little use
for advanced graphics, and wanted to how best to use this new one.
Perhaps the manufacturer will indulge me.
Click to expand...

You can run Belarc Advisor, to get an inventory of the hardware in
your G.Skills box. It will not give the computer an overall
make and model number, but it will list the hardware components,
including the graphics solution (cheap integrated graphics
or an expensive graphics card). Based on a list of the hardware
in the computer, it is easier to assign a value to it.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Do *not* copy the entire Belarc contents, into a USENET posting,
without first examining it for privacy issues. The license key for
your OS is listed there, and you don't want to give that key away
to the USENET community. Just copy the bits of the Belarc, important
to its valuation.

This is some of the selected output for my current system

*******
System Model: Enclosure Type: Desktop <--- Not usable info
Processor: 2.60 gigahertz Intel Core2 Duo
Main Circuit Board: 4CoreDual-SATA2
Drives: 121.92 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
MSI CD-RW CR52 [CD-ROM drive]
Memory Modules: Slot 'DIMM0' has 1024 MB
Slot 'DIMM1' has 1024 MB
Display:
RADEON 9800 PRO (Microsoft Corporation) [Display adapter]
NEC LCD1765 [Monitor] (17.1")

Multimedia: CMI8738/C3DX PCI Audio Device ($7 sound card!)
*******

The Belarc report doesn't say how ugly the case looks, but if a
buyer didn't like the case, they're pretty easy to replace.

Also, Belarc doesn't know the size or quality of the power supply.
Really good power supplies can go for as much as $250.00, while
cheesy ones go for $20.00 . Take the size cover off the box, and
copy the stuff printed on the label, if you want to identify it.

If you dump selected parts of the Belarc report, into a posting,
then someone may be able to give you a value. Due to depreciation,
and the amount of old systems of a certain vintage kicking around,
some older systems aren't worth much at all (market is saturated).
For example, a computer with a 3GHz Pentium 4 (P4), is still
perfectly usable for general work, and yet in some places,
might not have that high a value. In some other country, it might
have a much higher asking price.

Paul
 
Thanks again, this explained it well.
********************************************************

You could just think of your Pavilion as consumer grade - like a
Toyota
Corolla. And think of your "G.Skills" as performance grade - like a
Saab or
a BMW. The Pavilion will do all the things a regular user wants a
computer
to do, but the "G.Skills" could do more and better/faster. You will
probably
not ever need to use the performance features of the "G.Skills" just
as you
would probably never take your Saab out for a rally race, but it is
nice to
know you could if the opportunity ever came up. Use the new one just
like
the old one. You will know when (and if) you need to do more.
 
TVeblen said:
You could just think of your Pavilion as consumer grade - like a Toyota
Corolla. And think of your "G.Skills" as performance grade - like a Saab or
a BMW. The Pavilion will do all the things a regular user wants a computer
to do, but the "G.Skills" could do more and better/faster. You will probably
not ever need to use the performance features of the "G.Skills" just as you
would probably never take your Saab out for a rally race, but it is nice to
know you could if the opportunity ever came up. Use the new one just like
the old one. You will know when (and if) you need to do more.
Click to expand...

I don't see that G.Skill makes computers. You would make these assumptions
based upon a sticker?

www.gskill.com
www.techpowerup.com/reviews/GSkill/F2-8800CL5D-4GBPI/images/contents.jpg
 
Thank you for responding. My HP is a Pavilion, the G.Skills is 6
months old, plain black box, Vista Ultimate operating system, but
little written info on the outside. It does have multiple slots for
cards etc. I rarely need graphics, working mostly with the written
word (with or without spell check, as was noted)  I have little use
for advanced graphics, and wanted to how best to use this new one.
Perhaps the manufacturer will indulge me.
Click to expand...

an entry on System profiler:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_profiler
Everest's official website:
http://www.lavalys.com/
an entry on CPU-Z:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU-Z
CPU-Z's official website:
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
GPU-Z's official website:
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

"Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital
Cameras and more!":
http://www.newegg.com/

you may also read these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3DMark
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Computer_benchmarks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(computing)
or try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMark
the software concerned above could "mark" your machine, as well as "A
+", "A", "B", "C" etc. and read the rank among other ranked computers.

Sometimes I don't think we need to check the specification of the
power supply. Just "mark" the computer, and see how much strength(or
computational complexity as well as how much temperature when it runs
at full load) the machine could run under, then we would get an
approximate impression about our machines.
 
Thank you for responding. My HP is a Pavilion, the G.Skills is 6
months old, plain black box, Vista Ultimate operating system, but
little written info on the outside. It does have multiple slots for
cards etc. I rarely need graphics, working mostly with the written
word (with or without spell check, as was noted) I have little use
for advanced graphics, and wanted to how best to use this new one.
Perhaps the manufacturer will indulge me.
Click to expand...

Ah what I've mentioned about the "hardware" part should be
comprehended as "computer parts", such as CPU, memories, HDD, video
card, sound card, ethernet interface, optical drive, motherboard. And
the some of the "manufacturers" should be comprehended as "chip
manufacturers", such CPU chip, north and south bridge chip(on the
motherboard), video card chip, sound card chip etc.
 
Ah what I've mentioned about the "hardware" part should be
comprehended as "computer parts", such as CPU, memories, HDD, video
card, sound card, ethernet interface, optical drive, motherboard. And
the some of the "manufacturers" should be comprehended as "chip
manufacturers", such CPU chip, north and south bridge chip(on the
motherboard), video card chip, sound card chip etc.
Click to expand...

http://www.51orders.com/
 
TVeblen said:
I was talking to the OP. Note the "" marks.
Click to expand...

Oh, well, then. That just magically fixes everything. Maybe if I put one
of those G.Skill stickers on my Toyota, it will turn into a BMW or Saab.
Of course, then I'd need to join an automobile club. By that I mean the
Automobile Club of America, which provides roadside assistance...
 
Fishface said:
Oh, well, then. That just magically fixes everything. Maybe if I put one
of those G.Skill stickers on my Toyota, it will turn into a BMW or Saab.
Of course, then I'd need to join an automobile club. By that I mean the
Automobile Club of America, which provides roadside assistance...
Click to expand...

Dude
The OP is calling the computer a "GSkills" because that was what she read on
a sticker. But it doesn't matter. I just answered her question and ignored
the shocking error. She could call it Daisy or Susan and I will reply using
the name she used. Why don't you post her a lecture about the importance of
properly describing her computer even though it is obvious she does not care
about impressing anyone with her vast computer knowledge.
 
The "she" in question is an attorney, and concentrated in US history
when in college. I did not start using computers until Westlaw
emerged, and accept that I need to learn about the tool instead of
just clicking the icons. I have appreciated ALL the comments; I wanted
to know more about the machine before it was installed. The G.Skill
logo isn't a sticker however, it appears to be raised metallic print.
"Powered by Asus" also appears, along with the Microsoft info. I
noticed G.Skills seems to be a memory chip company, when they
responded to my email, little additional information was provided. I
regret "shocking" anyone with my lack of knowledge & suggest such
delicate individuals refrain from wandering outside their residences
alone.
 
Peach said:
The "she" in question is an attorney, and concentrated in US history
when in college. I did not start using computers until Westlaw
emerged, and accept that I need to learn about the tool instead of
just clicking the icons. I have appreciated ALL the comments; I wanted
to know more about the machine before it was installed. The G.Skill
logo isn't a sticker however, it appears to be raised metallic print.
"Powered by Asus" also appears, along with the Microsoft info. I
noticed G.Skills seems to be a memory chip company, when they
responded to my email, little additional information was provided. I
regret "shocking" anyone with my lack of knowledge & suggest such
delicate individuals refrain from wandering outside their residences
alone.
Click to expand...

Hey Peach- I did not mean to disparage you- just trying to tone down the
tech speak and avert a flame war. This is a enthusiasts group and the
denizens here can get quite enthusiastic!
You have a homebuilt or built-to-order computer so it will not have a brand
name or model name. So you did not do anything 'wrong' other than show a
lack of knowledge about the minutia of computer hardware and design. I'm
sure that any post I made in a legal forum would sound equally green to the
regulars there!

Asus makes motherboards, so now we know that you have an Asus motherboard
and GSkills memory!
The free programs that others have mentioned are great for compiling the
information you need to properly ask for help if you had a computer hardware
problem (not software in this group - usually). In order to get good answers
you should always describe the machine's configuration (parts) and the
symptoms.
This is a good place to learn about building and repairing computers.And it
can be fun too - if you have any extra time from your studies!
 
TVeblen said:
The OP is calling the computer a "GSkills" because that was what she read on
a sticker. But it doesn't matter. I just answered her question and ignored
the shocking error.
Click to expand...

No, you made assumptions about the quality of the build based upon a sticker,
and I called you on it. I'm glad to see you are thinking more logically in your
latest post.
She could call it Daisy or Susan and I will reply using the name she used. Why
don't you post her a lecture about the importance of properly describing her
computer even though it is obvious she does not care about impressing
anyone with her vast computer knowledge.
Click to expand...

I am not and never was concerned about the name that it was called.
 
Thank you for this information, now I know why the G.Skill company
suggested insuring "it" for $100.00; I thought it might be custom
built. The individual who gave it to me is out of the US right now. I
recognize that those who post here are knowledgeable about computers.
As I wrote, I need to learn more myself. As much as I use them for my
work, and enjoyment, I should take the time to learn about them. I'll
continue reading.
 
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