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paulsherwin · 6th Sep 2017, 11:08 am

Another vote for an oldish secondhand machine here. The reason to replace the P4 isn't that it's too slow - it's that it's noisy, runs very hot (a particular problem in Madrid I would think, though you may have A/C) and can't use modern hardware without modification. Any machine made from around 2005 onwards will be suitable and will run adequately fast for most jobs. In the UK a system unit with dual Core processor and 320G SATA drive can be had for £0-£50.

The only real drawback with a machine of that age is that it may be loaded with the truly awful Windows Vista, so you should try to find something with W7 (or install Linux).

A large case makes life easier in terms of adding hardware but obviously takes up more space. Cooling shouldn't be a problem with post-P4 processors.

6th Sep 2017, 11:08 am	#13
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,931	Re: New hard drive for Pentium IV Another vote for an oldish secondhand machine here. The reason to replace the P4 isn't that it's too slow - it's that it's noisy, runs very hot (a particular problem in Madrid I would think, though you may have A/C) and can't use modern hardware without modification. Any machine made from around 2005 onwards will be suitable and will run adequately fast for most jobs. In the UK a system unit with dual Core processor and 320G SATA drive can be had for £0-£50. The only real drawback with a machine of that age is that it may be loaded with the truly awful Windows Vista, so you should try to find something with W7 (or install Linux). A large case makes life easier in terms of adding hardware but obviously takes up more space. Cooling shouldn't be a problem with post-P4 processors.