AMD desktop and graphics card

[dedndave]

if it has SATA cables, it may require a SATA drive to boot up on
the PATA (IDE) cables are then typically used for optical drives
you can probably use them to connect an IDE drive, but you may not be able to boot on it
you might try it - tell the BIOS to boot on a CD   :P

perhaps just as well
it sounds like a reasonably decent machine
you may want a 500 GB to 2 TB drive - something larger than 160 GB
it's likely a little faster than the one i use - and i'm quite happy with it

[Magnum]

I am currently using 36 Gb on a 250 Gb hard drive on a laptop.

So far, I found this with a starting bid of $ 30 for a new Western Digital 160 GB,Internal,5400 RPM,2.5" (WD1600BEVT-22ZCT0) Hard Drive.

Andy

I am wondering about the benefits of a SATA versus IDE drive.

[dedndave]

i haven't had the best of luck with WD, in recent years
i try to buy hitachi, nowdays

but - it changes like seasons
one year, mfg A will be better - the next year it will be mfg B
i think there are groups of engineers that move from company to company - lol
one group makes good stuff
then, another group fills the hole they leave
they make it cheaper
so, it's hard to know what the best brand is

[Magnum]

You are right.

Companies buy others out but retain the name because they don't want to lose customers who were loyal to the former brand name.

And then there are some companies that have what I call the "big head" syndrome.
They are so big, they can afford to lose customers.

And there are there are good companies like an El Lago Coffee shop that I went into for the 1st time yesterday.

The owner and his wife are pleasant and humble folks.

The owner sails once a year to South America in a sailboat to pick up 18,000 lbs. of coffee.

He roasts his own coffee using a barrel type roaster that rotates inside a gas grill.

Their coffee and antiques are very reasonably priced.

Take care,
                  Andy

[Magnum]

I got a keyboard and power cord.

It has internal graphics, so I hooked up an external monitor.

I thought I should be able to see the BIOS screens. ?

When booting up there is no beep and nothing on the monitor.

I haven't got the SATA drive yet.

All the fans are working O.K.

??

Learning experience fer sure.  :t

Andy

[japheth]

Might still be ok.

The BIOS may have given a previous installed external graphics adapter a higher priority - and it's a bit sluggish at learning.

The speaker might be simply missing - or is not attached to the MB.

What are the keyboard LEDs doing?

If the keyboard LEDs show no signs of living, and the speaker is ensured to be attached properly, the first thing I would try is another power supply.

[sinsi]

1. Clear the CMOS RAM, this might make the onboard graphics the first choice
2. If the speaker is connected, remove all RAM and it should beep endlessly
3. As japheth said, change the PSU

[dedndave]

not so sure i'd jump on the power supply
they may have had another graphics card plugged in there for a reason
it could be the one on the mother board is dead
it may also be disabled with a jumper

what about the fans ?
if the power supply is dead, there won't be any sign of life at all, usually

[Magnum]

I had one cable not attached.

It is telling me "boot disk failure, insert system disk."

Someone told me they would give me a SATA hard drive.

Andy

[dedndave]

F1, F2, Esc keys are common to get into the bios setup
sometimes - with the Shft key

[FORTRANS]

Hi,

   The most common key to get into the BIOS is the delete key in
my experience.  Others were F2, F12, and F10(?).  Unfortunately,
what most of the more complicated actions actually do is not
documented with the help key.

Regards,

Steve N.

[dedndave]

ah yes - Del - and i have even seen Ins

[Magnum]

I got into the BIOS.

It's Phoenix dated 2007.

Did not see any option to boot from USB drive, so I guess a pen drive is out.

I reset it to use on board video.

It has no CD/DVD burner.

I will work on getting the SATA hard drive.

So far, everything I have gotten for it has been Pro Bono.

Andy

[dedndave]

newer than the machine i am using   :P
the hard part may be getting a validated OS on there

[Magnum]

That should be easier, since I will be installing Puppy Linux.

I will have to increase the small 2 Gb of RAM that it has now.

Andy