OT: 23 Ways to Speed Up Windows XP

[Thomas Rogers]

This topic comes up again and again, so I thought I would post this link:

 

[scott r]

"Drop it off a 20 story building" is a way to make Windows REALLY fly. Then go buy a mac.

 

[Wayne Foy]

Good info

 

[David Torres]

Thanks TJR definitely some useful info.

 

[Fer Echegaray]

I'm with Baron on this one

 

[A K]

I was about to say - when I use the laptop and the GPS receiver as a GPS unit, it really flies on the limit access highways!

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

I'm with Baron Too...I can't stand the two XP Machines I have. Next box is a Mac.

 

[Deleted deleted]

Thanks for that link. A Mac? hehe that's funny. We manage to run a multi-national company with Windows O/S



Reading over those tips, I would NOT recommend messing with the System BIOS on most computers. I ended hosing up systems doing BIOS updates.

 

[TomT]

I agree about not messing with bios if it's a ready built pc (Dell, HP, etc). But if you build your own and have a good MB then there's no problem. (As long as your not afraid to go into the bios. I updated my bios a week ago and the new bios switched my hd priority so I had to go into the bios and change it back to the SATA drive.)

 

[Michael Shipley]

Running two G-5 dual processor Macs and one G-4, all on OSX. Mac...The Sport-Trac of Computers

 

[Keith McElroy]

"The Sport-Trac of Computers"



Watch out for those transmission problems.

 

[Dre L]

Yep, macs are better. That's why they went to a unix base for the OS after all these years, and are now using Intel based hardware.

 

[Andy G]

and are now using Intel based hardware



woops.....Intel is getting their @$$ handed to them by AMD right now.





Mac vs. PC, meh......Just like Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge. Each have their quality points. Each have their gaping flaws.



I run electronics/physics simulations, and the only CPU I can deal with that doesn't start blowing smoke 10 mins into a complex simulation is an AMD Opteron. However my Mac sure looks good in my den at home. I think I am going to have to replace it however. Since I telecommute, I need to start running sims at home. For 1, the simulation software is Windows based, for 2 that AMD machine at work is crazy fast.



One nice thing about P4s and G5s is they double as space heaters. Usefull this time of year. My G5 keeps my living room nice and warm. I can't get enough heat out of my Dual CPU dual core (thats 4 CPUs folks) AMD box at work to take the chill off of my feet. And the exhaust fan is less than 6" away.



When it comes to beauty, elegance, style, and ease of use, Mac all the way. Technological advantage, AMD. Intel, well, they will heat your house and run up your electric bill rather effectively.

 

[Dre L]

Andy, all depends on the application being run. Some are better on AMD, some are better on Intel. AMD will still fall behind on apps that take advantage of the larger cpu cache intel provides, and it is possible for some dual cores to be slower than some single core.



MACs for style, ok. Ease of use is open for debate.



You are correct, there is no one size fits all.

 

[Andy G]

Good points nobleman, although I am not aware of any common application (or engineering app) that runs faster on an any Intel based system right now. Perhaps you do?



Not very technical, but here is a dual core (with some single core numbers as well) comparison with some eye opening results:



http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-10442_16-6389077-1.html?tag=promo2



And a related blog:



http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?p=2221

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

Darin and Google uses all UNIX accept for the desktop.

 

[Dave Gearhart]

I built my P4 XP machine 2 years ago and still no probs knock on wood, I would recommend more memory. 512 to a gig 1 gig to 2 gig. I do need to add another 1 gig stick of ram soon. And a better video card than my ATI 9500pro

 

[Travis Munday]

Those Intels sure do get hot...my laptop uses a P4 and even with the cooling set on "Max Performance Mode", you better not leave the area under the processors on your leg. The heat is so bad, that I at nite I have to leave the lid open, tape down the plunger to turn the screen off, and prop the whole thing up so air can circulate under it. Otherwise it'll overheat and shut-off. It's done that no less then twice during normal (non-CPU/HD intensive) operation. Dang thing doesn't even warn you...just shuts off.

 

[Tom Schindler]

I fell in love with AMD chips when my AMD PC blew away a friends Intel PC with a higher MHz then my AMD chip was. Since then, I have had two AMP XP chips and now Theresa is running an Athlon 64.



Been using them ever since. I have one Intel chip based PC. It is in my Laptop. I wanted an AMD based laptop, but for the price, I could not refuse the Intel one.



I tried a MAC a friend had. No thank you.





Tom

 

[TomT]

The 2 year old pc I have at home has an Intel because they were ahead of the game at the time with their hyper threading technology. I have built 3 computers over the last 6 months for myself here at work and for friends. Used AMD 64 for each. Right now AMD is definitely blowing away Intel. In fact recently for the first time AMD's market-share has exceeded Intel.

I learned to use a computer on a Mac, back when pc users where struggling with DOS. But I can build a pc that's faster then a Mac for half the price, so there's no comparison.