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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
 
| Built an XP Pro 32 bit machine for gaming.
It's a s775 using an Asus P5Q-SE board with a C2Q 9550. It runs a mild overclock to 3Ghz.
4Gig of Corsair Dominator DDR2 1086.
Corsair radiator cooler thing. It works, as I never see more than 45C on the cpu.
ATI Radeon HD4870 512MB Graphics with a Zalman cooler. A real monster using DDR5 ram.
Sound blaster Audigy 2 ZS for EAX 4.
120GB Kingston SSD for OS and 2x 500 Sata HDD for games
USB 3 Pcie card with front headers.
Dell 20" 1600 x 1200 LCD
All in a funky Cooler Master case with a side window!
I run the current version of Macrium Reflect on this machine. I use this to image my Win 98se machine as it has USB and esata to connect SSD's or HDD's for rapid transfers.
I run a cracked Steam install on here too, so I still have access to my PAID FOR games, at least for now. Arseholes.
Anyway, it's a fantastic machine for mid to late 2K gaming.
Dusty, shitty picture attached....
 (xp.jpg)
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 xp.jpg (112KB - 476 downloads)
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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
| Put a C2D E8400 in this as it works better. Left at its default 3GHz and of course the ram speed is 1066Mhz and not 1086, doh!
That cooler keeps it under 40C too. |
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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
| Forgot I started this thread.
I have to say this machine is my favourite "retro-ish" machine. It runs games so well. In fact it plays everything that my 98SE machine does, only better and at a higher resolution.
I've got a mild overclock on the cpu, bringing it up to 3.3 GHz and the ram at 1100 odd, I can't remember exactly. All at stock volts though so the temps are 32c at idle and about 50c under load.
That cooler in the picture must be from 2008 or so, maybe earlier, I forget? Anyway, I changed the coolant in it yesterday. Just unscrew the many tiny screws from the copper cold-plate. Remove it and pour out the coolant. I got about a 1/4 of a pint out of it along with a few flakes of crap.
I gave the cold-plate a good rinse, under the tap, it was remarkably clean anyway.
I refilled the cooler with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and blue glycol car anti-freeze. This has lubricant and anti-corrosion inhibitors built in. It's also poisonous enough to kill off any bugs that would form. However, seeing as there is no light getting into the loop that's probably not a concern.
Anyway, don't use the PINK "OAT" car antifreeze as that stuff eats brass and copper. Always use the glycol based blue stuff. Unless you want to pay through the nose for the "proper" stuff the water cooler shops sell.
The old Corsair H-50 powered right up and after a few gurgles settled back down to normal operation. There's just one 120mm fan exhausting through the radiator and out of the case. Performance is pretty good really. |
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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
| I had another one of those Corsair coolers in the hoard. A H70 model, pretty much the same as the one above but with a different shaped cpu/pump and a radiator which is twice as thick!
So that got the refill treatment this morning and it got pressed into service. Doesn't seem much different really but it passed an hour. The H70 was as clean as a whistle inside too. The fins on the cold plate were pristine. So good job Corsair, I got a bit more coolant in than I got out but not much.
Edited by tedster 2021-01-25 10:36 AM
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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
| So tonight's foolery involved seeing if 2 cores are better than 4 for XP retro gaming!
Using a C2D (E8400) and a C2Q (Q9550) at the same clock speed (3.4 GHz) the C2D wins by a few FPS every time. Plus less heat and less power draw, so sometimes, less really is more!
I have 2 E8400's, the one I've left in, happily runs at 3.6GHz @ default volts, It's a real screamer, I'm sure it'd do plenty more! I don't know if it's the one I bought retail, back in the day. Or the one I bought for £5 posted, off the 'bay! I bet it's the latter! Anyway, it was a bit of fun. |
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Rise MP6
Posts: 263
| An old heat sink got cut up in to suitably sized strips. To go on the VRM's on my cheap arse Asus P5Q-SE motherboard which left them bare. Stuck on with thermal tape along with an old AMD cpu fan stuck on to the NB heat sink. That provides some much needed airflow around that area and you can't hear it anyway with all the other fans! 
An hour of Prime 95 now gives me 29C for the MB and 45C for the CPU. The board gives it 1.2v set on auto.
Brilliant really, kinda tempted to see how far that chip would go. But it kills all the games I play, and I don't want to over stress old hardware. So I'm happy enough and it's been a bit of fun tinkering! |
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XP Gamer
