Generic PC (INTEL PENTIUM E2180 2.00GHz)

ID: PCD03

HISTORY

One of the first computers to be refurbished is a PC tower I build for a customer some years ago. Sadly, the customer passed away and her husband gave me the computer back as it was no longer required. This was a while ago so unfortunately some parts have been cannibalized and used elsewhere. However, the motherboard, processor and RAM are still present.


SPECIFICATIONS

Model: None (Generic Desktop PC)
Year of Manufacturer: 2008
Motherboard: Intel D945GCPE
Chipset: Intel 945GC
Processor: Intel Pentium E2180 2.00GHz Dual Core 64-Bit (Socket 775)
RAM: 2GB DDR2 (2x 1GB 240-Pin DIMM)
Hard Drive(s): Missing
Optical Drive(s): Missing
Graphics: Integrated  (Intel)
Audio: Integrated (Realtek)
Network: Integrated (1Gbps Ethernet)
Power Supply: Missing
Other Features: 1.44MB Floppy Drive, Dial-Up Modem
COA: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 


INITIAL INSPECTION

It's a fairly old computer, and the inclusion of a dial-up modem and floppy drive really shows its age. However, opening the case revealed a dual core processor and 2GB of RAM, which means it could probably run Windows 10. Unfortunately I was disappointed to also find several bad capacitors on the motherboard, which could be a source of major problems. Back when I was regularly building and selling computers, I remember switching to using Intel branded boards in the hope they would be more reliable but with hindsight ASUS may have been a better option. A bigger problem is the lack of hard drive, optical drive and power supply, but I have a lot of redundant parts and hopefully these missing items can be sourced relatively cheaply.

Blown capacitors next to RAM socket

REPAIRS & MODIFICATIONS

• The bad electrolytic capacitors were replaced with new low-ESR equivalents (Source: DM Components on eBay)
• I was recently tasked to erase a dozen or so hard drives from a suite of computers decommissioned by a school I work for. After confirming reliability with a read / write test using HDSentinel, I installed a 160GB SATA unit which should be enough capacity for general purpose use.
• I found a Cooler Master 500W PSU in my spare components pile which turned out to be working fine, so installed this in the case.
• I bought a cheap DVD-RW SATA drive from eBay to replace the missing one.

PREPARATION

With the new components fitted, I cleaned the processor fan and applied fresh thermal paste to the heatsink before putting everything back together. The computer turned on and displayed an image, which was a good start. Fortunately, diagnostic tests completed successfully so after flashing the latest BIOS I was ready to start installing an operating system.

SETUP

Windows 10 was installed successfully using an unofficial upgrade method and drivers for all the hardware were either included with the operating system or downloaded automatically from Windows Update. I added some office software, VLC player for playback of DVDs and Google Chrome to complete the installation. I also installed a cheap USB WiFi adapter to add extra value.

PERIPHERALS

I had a spare keyboard, mouse, 17" CRT monitor (Hansol 720E) and Brother all-in-one inprinter which had all been given to me by customers. CRT monitors take up a lot of room and have long been superseded by flat screen alternatives. However, they often offer superior colours, viewing angles and reliability compared to very cheap flat panels. This model from 2002 still works fine and I'm hoping that somebody might be able to get further use out of it.

CONCLUSION

Although performance was initially poor, it improved considerably once all the Windows updates had completely finished installing. It won't be a powerful computer for playing 3D games, but it should allow somebody to get online and send a few E-Mails. I posted the complete package on Freecycle and it was collected and off with its new owner within 24 hours.