Hiya,

I plan on sorting out a couple of machines, I have three at the moment - one works perfectly (except I'll stick a second HDD in) and then there are the other two.

PC #2 - Packard Bell, XP Home, 128MB DDR RAM. Needs the master CDs and a new PSU.

PC # 3 - Gateway - 98SE, 128MB DDR RAM, needs a graphics card and PSU.

Now No. 3 is a Mini-Tower, and looks to be an ATX Case (how do I know if it is an ATX Case) just guess ? and have found this PSU (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=1998867240&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=20083) along with this graphics card. (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=1982454625&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=66315)
In the blurb, it claims it needs minimum, 250 W PSU - the one that is in there at the moment is a 200 W :loopy: . I always thought that the minimum they shove in *modern* PCs these days is 300W, no? Anyways, it looks as if that PSU will fit that machine, stick in the PCI Graphics card in and away we go. (can't find any AGP ports on the 98SE).
Then we go back to Packard #2, which also has a 200W PSU - and is knackered - I have checked all of the connections on the Mobo and nothing - iit doesen't power up(!) However the PSU link I gave earlier, I doubt will fit, as I took the one out of the gateway and tried sticking it in Packard #2 and nope it wouldn't fit as a) the Packards one has a curve and b) the Gateway one has a peice of plastic covering the fan.

My question is - where can I get the PSU for the Packard, as it looks like from the FSP Groups website (the makers of the Packards PSU) that the model that was in the Packard isn't any longer existing.

Cheers :help:

Alex :)

My advice on this would be to but yourself a new case for around £18 or so from ebuyer... It'll be cheap and cheerful but it'll give you the expansion room and a PSU with it...

Lot less hassle all round..

Originally posted by Martin_s
My advice on this would be to buy yourself a new case for around £18 or so from ebuyer... It'll be cheap and cheerful but it'll give you the expansion room and a PSU with it...

Lot less hassle all round..

Cheers for the info there Martin

Something like: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...oduct_uid=33823
or http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...oduct_uid=50988
be surfice? Can I physically pick the other mobo up and screw in in the other case?

Cheers
Alex

Alex

Any of the standard cheap cases with PSU from Ebuyer will accomodate the motherboard from a PB machine, which I think are all are all Micro ATX format these days. but it might have a different connector shield. Easy job to swap this out of the PB machine into the new case..they usually just pop out with the gentle aid of a screwdriver.

PSU overall power ratings don't mean much really - it's the rating of each voltage line that can be critical. AMD CPUs generally need more power on the 5V line than Intel do.

How do you know the PB PSU is knackered and not the mobo ? PSU won't fire up without feedback from the board so the only way to tell without a voltmeter is by using a known good PSU.

Sorry but I've no experiene of Gateway machines.

Originally posted by Greybeard
Alex

Any of the standard cheap cases with PSU from Ebuyer will accomodate the motherboard from a PB machine, which I think are all are all Micro ATX format these days. but it might have a different connector shield. Easy job to swap this out of the PB machine into the new case..they usually just pop out with the gentle aid of a screwdriver.

PSU overall power ratings don't mean much really - it's the rating of each voltage line that can be critical. AMD CPUs generally need more power on the 5V line than Intel do.

How do you know the PB PSU is knackered and not the mobo ? PSU won't fire up without feedback from the board so the only way to tell without a voltmeter is by using a known good PSU.

Sorry but I've no experiene of Gateway machines.

Hiya,
Well, the PB only sometimes turns on, and you have to pull the cord out of the mains end of the PSU, and then wait 30 secs. I am presuming it's the PSU. If I shove the PSU from this PB into the other PB, and if it fires up, then it's not the mobo.

Cheers
Alex

Alex

Sorry not to come back sooner.

Yes it does sound as if the PSU is faulty. PSUs are usually a standard size and fitting, even in PB machines, so you should be able to get a replacement easily enough, but I wouldn't recommend one of those £5.00 jobs from Ebuyer.

Best bet is to try a local PC shop and take the faulty PSU with you to check for size and mounting holes etc. A decent 300 watt PSU shouldn't cost more than £20-25.

Excellent news - both my NICs came, (one for PB 2 one for the Gateway) Ebay - £3.20 and £1.46 or something. bargain - they both look as if they'll work.
The PSU came for Packard 2 (£6) EBuyer.

Next is the GFX card for the Gateway, and then I need to get the master CDs for Packard 2 . Plus a couple of CDRWs are to come too.

So, here are my couple of questions this time around:

1) Anyone got PBs number?

2)What's the cheapest burning software as Nero 5 WILL NOT work on this Toshiba burner on Packard 1 - this one - however it worked in my old HP/Compaq 98SE - but it did come with the burner, and I think it was one of those "for LG Burners only". However, if i bought it on EBuyer or whatever then it should work on everything.

3) The Packard 2 has a Win XP key - so i can just put my XP CD in and type in the key that is typed on the side. However, the gateway was a 98SE, but i want it as an XP (s'ppose I could have it as a 98) but if i pop in the key that is on my Packard , will it work out that that key is already used, and will i get the SPs?
There again , i could just burn SP2 to CD.

Cheers
Alex

Originally posted by Greybeard
Alex

Sorry not to come back sooner.

Yes it does sound as if the PSU is faulty. PSUs are usually a standard size and fitting, even in PB machines, so you should be able to get a replacement easily enough, but I wouldn't recommend one of those £5.00 jobs from Ebuyer.

Best bet is to try a local PC shop and take the faulty PSU with you to check for size and mounting holes etc. A decent 300 watt PSU shouldn't cost more than £20-25.

Hi Greybeard,

Didn't read your post before jumping the gun and buying... ... guess what I got ? £6 out of Ebuyer - seems to be OK, I'll see how it goes - if it sounds as it's going to pack up, I'll get a better one.

Alex :)

Hi,

Right at the beginning of this thread I mentioned about getting master CDs. Well, I went into the BIOS and got it so it detected CD rom first, so i put the xp cd in and reinstalled the O/S. But what would i have got if i'd installed the PB Cds too? Just the extra s/w that comes?

I'm better off with just XP. Even though I still get PB in the POST Screens

Alex