Windows XP Speed

[Russell Spicer]

Guys & Gals

One quick question.

How well do you think Windows XP Pro will perform on the following system
configuration:
PII 450
384Mb RAM
16Mb Matrox G450 Graphics card
60Gb 7200rpm IDE HDD

Your thoughts will be appreciated.

Thanks

Russell

 

[purplehaz]

Speed is relative. For me, that computer would be too slow and xp would seem
to run like a dog. But it should run xp ok for most people, just not fast
enough for me. But it will run and may be acceptable to you.

 

[R. McCarty]

Should be fine - But check for ACPI compliant BIOS. If
any updates are available you might consider installing it to
make sure that the XP install uses the ACPI HAL.

Post install, I would turn off all the "Eye Candy" features.
Open My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Settings,
Visual Effects and change the setting to "Optimize for
Performance." Be sure to download the latest drivers,
especially Chipset and Video.

 

[Russell Spicer]

Thanks R. McCarty for your thoughts

I will make sure I have the correct drivers, although most will probably be
picked up during installation, as it is a standard Compaq workstation that I
shall be installing it onto.

Russell

 

[T.C.]

It should run fine. Don't forget to go to:

http://www.matrox.com/mga/support/drivers/home.cfm

and download the Windows XP compatible drivers for your Matrox card. If
you're upgrading, I recommend a clean install. You haven't mentioned your
sound card, modem, printer, scanner etc.. To be sure that you won't be
surprised by any software/hardware incompatibility, run the Upgrade Advisor
on the Windows XP CD before upgrading.

 

[Ed]

-----Original Message-----
Should be fine - But check for ACPI compliant BIOS. If
any updates are available you might consider installing it to
make sure that the XP install uses the ACPI HAL.

Post install, I would turn off all the "Eye Candy" features.
Open My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Settings,
Visual Effects and change the setting to "Optimize for
Performance." Be sure to download the latest drivers,
especially Chipset and Video.


Agreed, I am running on a PII 400 MHZ machine with only

256MB ram and a ATI 9000 video card, it does run slow, but
for my needs just fine, and I did have to turn off all of
the "Eye Candy"

 

[Ken Blake]

In

How well do you think Windows XP Pro will perform on the following
system configuration:
PII 450
384Mb RAM
16Mb Matrox G450 Graphics card
60Gb 7200rpm IDE HDD

It certainly won't be a speed demon, but it should be fine. My
wife runs XP on even less--a 256MB PII-400--and she's happy with
performance (although she doesn't run anything very demanding).

 

[Box134]

Woof! Woof! Actually, my portable is 650 MHz, 96 MB RAM and it runs fine for
e-mail, browsing, word processing, etc. Only problem is slow startup time.
I'm boosting this baby to 256 MB RAM so I'm excited to see what difference
it will make.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Slowly.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[cbcb52]

My kids have a :
P II 350
128 MB RAM
4 MB ATI card
10 MB seagate HD 5200 RPM
Win XP Home
It's not the state of the art of course , but "light" games are OK
If you aren't working with heavy apps , it will run fine enough.

 

[cbcb52]

Should be fine - But check for ACPI compliant BIOS. If
any updates are available you might consider installing it to
make sure that the XP install uses the ACPI HAL.

How do I t install using ACPI HAL ??

 

[R. McCarty]

Windows XP utilizes different Hardware Abstraction Layers. These
are core components that determine how the operating system deals
with Power Savings and the configuration of devices. Older PC's use
APM or Advanced Power Management. Newer PC's employ a new
method called "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface". XP
determines which HAL to use by quizzing the BIOS. If the BIOS tells
XP it is ACPI Compliant, then that HAL is installed. On some PC's
the BIOS will tell XP it is compliant when it really is not. This can lead
to problems using the computer. Normally, the manufacturer of the MB
releases new BIOS flash code to address problems and enhancements.
You should visit your Motherboard mfg website and check your model
for newer BIOS flash updates. You can determine the hardware of your
PC by downloading and running a program called the Belarc Advisor.
NOTE: Bios flashing is somewhat risky and should not be undertaken
by someone not familiar with the process and it's pitfalls.