The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    gateway laptop worth rebuilding

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by 71 gto, Jun 2, 2009.

  1. 71 gto

    71 gto Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    my brother has a laptop he got in 2005 for college. he is thinking about rebuilding it...it had major overheating issues but has recently been recalled for a battery that causes overheating (not sure if that was his laptops specific issue or not).

    the specs are as follows...
    Operating system: Windows XP home edition sp2
    Wireless networking: Built in high speed wireless LAN (802.11 b/g)
    screen: 15.4" WXGA widescreen TFT LCD with Ultrabright technology
    Processor Brand: mobile intel pentium 4 with Hyper-threading technology
    Processor speed: 3.06 GHz
    System Bus 533MHz
    Cache Memory: 1MB on die Level 2
    System Memory (RAM) 512MB
    RAM expandable to 1.5GB
    Hard drive size 80GB
    Video memory: up to 64MB (shared)
    Graphics:Intel Extreme 2 graphics with dynamic video memory technology (DVMT)
    Modem:56 Kbps ITU V.92 capable of receiving 56 kbps downloads

    he wants a laptop for playing games and wants to know if this is worth rebuilding? if yes, what kind of upgrades can he do?
     
    71 gto, Jun 2, 2009
    #1
  2. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

    Reputations:
    2,962
    Messages:
    8,231
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    216
    I'd say it's worthwhile to rebuild or repair... but only such that you can sell it and use the proceeds to get a newer machine.

    Given that you've got a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 in there, I'd say that and dust buildup is most likely the cause of your overheating issues, not the battery. In any case, overheating having been taken care of, you could upgrade the memory and hard drive, but there's no point in gaming on the thing when all you've got is integrated graphics.
     
    Commander Wolf, Jun 2, 2009
    #2
  3. 71 gto

    71 gto Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    and if it were rebuilt what do you think my brother could ask for such a computer?
     
    71 gto, Jun 2, 2009
    #3
  4. predatorramboxxx

    predatorramboxxx Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    29
    Messages:
    726
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    not much most likely 200 to 300
     
    predatorramboxxx, Jun 2, 2009
    #4
  5. 71 gto

    71 gto Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    wow...surprised its that low.

    always seems to amaze me how quickly computers become old...when he ordered the computer in 2005 it was supposed to be amazing, now he can only get $200-300 for it...
     
    71 gto, Jun 2, 2009
    #5
  6. predatorramboxxx

    predatorramboxxx Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    29
    Messages:
    726
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    its a pentium 4. now laptops are quad core. thats why. and a 64mb graphic card. i dont know if you will even get 300
     
    predatorramboxxx, Jun 2, 2009
    #6
  7. Tippey764

    Tippey764 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    377
    Messages:
    1,423
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Ebay it as it is right now and invest in a new computer/laptop.
     
    Tippey764, Jun 3, 2009
    #7