I done the deed...ordered new pc parts

[curiously undead]

$908 in parts after tax and shipping but i will get to subtract over $100 in rebates. all from newegg.

my main question is though as i bought no software and i'm holding onto my 2 ton monitor for now, can i simply ghost/clone my c: drive to the new harddrive. will windows not like that sort of thing? are their any other options. in the past i would reformat my hard drive every year or so but its been a few on this nearly 5year old machine, and i really don't want to set everything up all again especially our wireless as my wife would be bummed to have her laptop be down and out for the week it would probably take me to get it up and running again.

heres my specs--please tell me i did a decent job as this might be the last desktop i ever own, minus upgrades of course.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive -

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply -

MSI P7N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard -

EVGA 512-P3-N802-AR GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card -

RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WB Black 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

 

[Remus]

Those specs are very good.

I think a clean install would be best option to remove an obsolete files, old registry, temporary files, etc. It would ensure Windows stability and best performance. But it's up to you. Reinstall/reformat could be pretty quick for new hardwares with new OS (Vista), except if you still using older windows version on new hardwares (or vice versa) and run into finding driver or compatibility problems.

 

[Prime Junta]

I'm afraid you're looking at a fresh install. That's because your hardware configuration is different, and it needs different drivers. Just dropping your old hard disk in (either physically or logically) is asking for trouble -- it may not even boot, and if it does, you will certainly experience all kinds of flaky behavior.

Windows does have migration tools that let you move your settings and documents over.

 

[curiously undead]

thanks for the answers.
another question. i've heard that windows xp doesn't support sata drives during a clean install. i supposedly have to load them with a floppy. is this true? i might consider vista though i really don't want to as i'd prefer to hold out the year and half or so to windows 7, especially since my new workstation at work that is being built is also to be xp.
also i have a non oem version of windows xp home sp1. if i leave my old rig off and never connect to the internet at the same time, until i get my new one up and running, them reformat my old rig with possibly my old copy of win98 is microsoft going to say "uh-uh no sir"?

 

[shaf]

If you're using the same vendor of chipsets for the motherboard ie. nvidia to nvidia etc. then a full install may not be required. This link might be useful:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/77909774/m/1400925745/p/1

Cheers

Shaf

 

[Lucky Day]

I don't beleive that's the case with SATA. I have run SATA fine with XP. Its RAID drivers that are a problem and you have to use a floppy. The XP install disk will not accept any other device except a floppy and AFAIK there's no way to emulate a jump drive as a floppy disk. Its one of the complaints I have about XP getting long in the tooth.

Are you going with XP 64 edition? It would be a shame not to take advantage of your core duo by sticking with 32 bit.

That's a pretty small hard drive (these days). Did you get multiple drives? Are you going to go with a RAID 5 or 6 configuration?

I have to give many dittos to the fresh install option, otherwise you will be loaded with a lot of old hardware junk drivers intereferring with your config. For example sicne yoru old system is 5 years old I'll bet at some point your USB drives downgraded themselves to USB 1.0 to stay compatible.

I hope your not planning to use your old HD as likely by now its got bad sectors (the extra ones that are invisible) and its likely to crash.

What I did was get myself a portable USB HD and backed everything up there and put it in storage. You can get a 1/2TB for around $100 these days. Everytime I've done a reformat in the past I've regretted it and this last time I was glad I backed up what I had. I could have lost my resume or pictures. And that way I don't waste space by having old computers sitting around holding doors open.

 

[curiously undead]

thanks for all the opinions/help everyone. i've decided to take my luck and just by a new oem version of xp home with sp3 for $95 tax and shipping which means i hit the mark of 1000 my goal, and 6 months later ill get the 100 in rebates.

250 is more than large enough for my purpose i already have a 500gb usb drive that i can use as backup, plus i have older hard drives including my current 80gb c drive (FAT32).

hopefully i have no problems, though regardless i'll be sweating next weekend when i hopefully put it together.

i looked up migration software Prime Junta but it doesn't say anything about my network setup. for now i think i'll just keep my old rig setup up and run my interenet through the router to it. windows has they copy wireless network settings which i believe is not to difficult.

Lucky Day, does a 64 bit setup benifit gaming, because i really don't take any work home so i do nearly zero audio, video, image editing, or autocad. basically games, with some surfing, shopping, and ripping cds, which i have another 120 gb portable drive, and 2 zens (plus my wifes 1) that i'm constanly adding/subtracting stuff from.

 

[Prime Junta]

thanks for the answers.
another question. i've heard that windows xp doesn't support sata drives during a clean install.

Not true. I believe you're thinking of SATA RAID (you do need a floppy for that).

also i have a non oem version of windows xp home sp1. if i leave my old rig off and never connect to the internet at the same time, until i get my new one up and running, them reformat my old rig with possibly my old copy of win98 is microsoft going to say "uh-uh no sir"?

If your copy is non-OEM, you're allowed to transfer it to your new box. Automatic activation may or may not work; if it doesn't, you'll have to call Microsoft's customer service and explain what you're doing. It's happened to me on two occasions, and both times I had no trouble getting them to manually activate my copy. The same thing applies if you try to transfer your copy over with a disk image or just the disk -- Windows will notice that your hardware configuration has changed and will require re-activation; this is exactly the same thing as doing a clean re-install and activating that.

 

[Prime Junta]

i looked up migration software Prime Junta but it doesn't say anything about my network setup. for now i think i'll just keep my old rig setup up and run my interenet through the router to it. windows has they copy wireless network settings which i believe is not to difficult.

What's so tricky about your network setup that you can't just manually reconfigure it?

Lucky Day, does a 64 bit setup benifit gaming, because i really don't take any work home so i do nearly zero audio, video, image editing, or autocad. basically games, with some surfing, shopping, and ripping cds, which i have another 120 gb portable drive, and 2 zens (plus my wifes 1) that i'm constanly adding/subtracting stuff from.

On some games, certainly. Generally an x64 system will run even 32-bit programs slightly faster; Vista x64 is more stable, and you'll be able to use 4+GB RAM, which makes a difference on certain memory-hog games (e.g. The Witcher). IMO there aren't any really good reasons not to go with x64 if you're going with Vista; if you're going with XP, stick with 32-bit.

 

[Guest]

IIRC - the 64-bit vista has some compatibility problems with older games. And I'm not talking dos games. Those older windows games with 16-bit installers. I read somewhere that those cannot be run at all with 64bit vista.

Now, obviously some people don't give a fudge - But for me it's a very big thing, as most of the stuff I play is pre 2000. This 32bit vs 64bit is very troublesome for me I'm postponing the decision. Still on Win2k and I'm playing DOW: Soulstorm and a truckload of older windows games

 

[Prime Junta]

IIRC - the 64-bit vista has some compatibility problems with older games. And I'm not talking dos games. Those older windows games with 16-bit installers. I read somewhere that those cannot be run at all with 64bit vista.

I read that too, but it doesn't appear to be the case. I've been able to run Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and Baldur's Gate 2 just fine; to my knowledge they have 16-bit installers.

Now, obviously some people don't give a fudge - But for me it's a very big thing, as most of the stuff I play is pre 2000. This 32bit vs 64bit is very troublesome for me I'm postponing the decision. Still on Win2k and I'm playing DOW: Soulstorm and a truckload of older windows games

That's one reason I'm kinda thinking my next box will be virtualized. I have an unused Win2k license knocking around some drawer somewhere; I figure I'll be able to run just about any old game on that, then run my Vista Ultimate license in another virtual box, and have Ubuntu or OS X as my host OS. Gotta catch 'em all!

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM

It's said to be a very good model with a very good correction. I bought I think exactly the same model on May, 29th.
Yes, I think it's exactly the same model.

Samsung offers an firmware updating program that downloads the stuff, then tries to update this drive. I hope you know how critical programming firmware is, so be careful when running this program and shut down almost every other program when doing this !

The program is offered via samsungoms, not the usual samsung web site.
http://www.samsungoms.com/

 

[Gorath]

Who manufactures the Samsung drives?

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Well, I don't really know.

My hardware manager speaks of a "TSSTcorp". I don't know anything more.

Edit : I think I found something : http://www.tsstorage.com/korea/en/product/info.php

TSST then means "Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology". Seems to be kind of an joint venture.

Second edit : Found it : http://www.tsstorage.com/korea/en/product/info_view.php?category=56&pid=15
This is "our" drive, I assume.

 

[Lucky Day]

Its probably Samsung using Toshiba's chips. Sony is another player.

How is the speed difference between SATA and IDE DVD Drives? Are more MB's coming without IDE these days?

I have to ditto PJ on not having problems with Vista-64 and older Windows programs.

Vista-64 is said to speed a machine about 10% faster. I can't say I've checked the benchmarks but I've definitely noticed a difference when running 32bit and 64.

 

[Prime Junta]

How is the speed difference between SATA and IDE DVD Drives? Are more MB's coming without IDE these days?

Zero. DVD drives can't work at anywhere near IDE bandwidth limits, so they derive no benefit from the added bandwidth of SATA. (The same goes for almost all HDD's, too, although this might change once SSD's seriously hit the market.) The benefit of SATA is convenience, not speed -- the cables are skinnier, you don't have to worry about setting jumpers for the master/slave thing or which bus and position you should plug each drive into for the best performance, they're hot-swappable, they're pin-compatible with eSATA, they scale up to SATA-2 and so on.

 

[Remus]

Indeed the SATA drive improves cable management considerably. I have 2 SATA hard drives, one IDE hard drive, and with one SATA DVD drive. My case will be crammed and badly ventilated with those big and flat IDE cables.

 

[Gorath]

Now I´m a bit surprised. I was quite sure that none of the big guys - except Toshiba - still manufacturs optical drives, but I hadn´t expected Samsung to go into a joint venture with Toshiba. More typical for such a big name would have been to ship LiteOn or Ricoh OEM drives.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I bought it as an SATA drive because I still have a few slots in there, but my IDE slot is occupied by my CD-burner.

 

[Zaleukos]

Not true. I believe you're thinking of SATA RAID (you do need a floppy for that).

Does that go for early XP versions as well? My XP disc was bought before the service packs, and I vaguely recall having to some fiddling before it recognised the SATA drive...