Overkill! Windows XP Retro Classic Gaming PC GeForce 730

Description: The story of this system: This was a really fun machine to build and toy with. I was looking for a good use for the ASRock motherboard and this AM1 CPU I had. It wasn’t optimized for any sort of modern gaming but at seemed like a waste to just have it be a internet surfing PC. I noticed that it’s Windows XP compatible, and it’s a really small form factor, so I went to work building a very small Windows XP gaming machine. This machine has a very low profile Antec case which is powered by an external power brick via a pico power supply like setup that came from Antec. The next challenge was finding a good video card. Windows XP is compatible with anything up to 900 series GeForce cards. Cards at that age are generally way overkill. The card I found for this machine is a low-profile GeForce 730 which is actively cooled and is from an HP OEM workstation. Everything is completely XP compatible. I wanted it to boot fast, so I installed a relatively small SSD, and for game storage I installed a 2TB 2.5inch spinning drive. It still has room for a slimline Optical drive basically just like ones you would find in older laptops that still have optical drives. Computer Specifications: · Manufacturer: Custom PC · Model: Custom PC · Operating System: Windows XP Professional with all Updates · Processor: Sempron 2650 · RAM: DDR3 4GB · Video/GPU: Nvidia o Chipset: GeForce 730 o Memory: 2GB o PCI-E · Motherboard: Asrock AM1B-ITX · Chipset: AMD · Floppy Drive: 1.44 Floppy · Optical Drive: DVD-ROM DS-8D9SH · Storage: 60GB SSD, 2TB SATA Hard drive · Sound Adapter: Realtek ALC662 Audio (5.1 CH HD Audio) · Network Adapter: Realtek RTL8111GR 10/100/1000 · Other Software: o Alcohol 120% Retro Edition used for mounting CD Images for testing. o Any additional software installed is for demonstration purposes only. Includes the following: · PC as described. · Ghost Recovery Image (OS C drive only) · AC Adapter. · Motherboard packaging/manual Excludes the following: · Peripherals visible in the photos to demonstrate functionality are not included · You will need the following: · VGA Monitor · PS2/USB Keyboard · USB Mouse · Standard PC Speakers · USB Joystick or Game Controller (Optional) Games Tested: · Farcry · Return to Castle Wolfenstien Other Tests: · Stress Test completed over 24 hours without crashing. About Me: I am an IT professional with over 20 years’ experience. My passion with computers began as a child when my family bought our first PC in 1993 when I was 10 years old. As a pre-teen and teenager and dumpster dived old hardware and gained a lot of experience with hardware. I scored my first job fixing PCs when I was 17 while still in high school. Since then, I’ve had a whirlwind of a career till now where I work as a senior leader for a managed service provider. My passion remains with the hardware and software I grew up with and I am on a mission to save as much of that hardware from e-waste as I can especially now that it’s becoming harder and harder to find. You can be sure that I put as much effort into every system I sell on here that I would if I were keeping it for myself. Frequently Asked Questions: · Q: Why are your prices higher than other sellers I see on ebay? o A: I price my systems based on several factors. Ultimately you can expect that it will be more than a typical “Here is a thing don’t know if it works” type of auctions, but less than “This is SUPER rare OMG I know what these are worth” type of auctions. · Q: Why does shipping seem high? o A: Computers need adequate packaging in order to survive shipping. Many retro systems have become brittle over the years and are that much more prone to breakage. Shipping costs include the cost of appropriate shipping materials. · Q: How do you approach your builds? o A: In each auction I describe the machine. In that description I include the condition, of course, but also my intent around the work I’ve done around it. Some systems I refurbish with the intent of recreating the original experience which is nostalgic for many folks while other systems I build with the intent of optimizing the gaming experience for a particular operating system or time period, or something in between those two goals. · Q: Will this system play “insert game title here” game? o A: I generally test every system with a handful of period correct games and in some cases benchmarks. Of course, I can’t test every game, but if you have something in particular you are looking for a system to play, I’d be happy to take those requests on a case-by-case basis. I reserve the right to cease this if I get overwhelmed with requests, however. · Q: Will games work exactly the way I remember? o A: We all tend to look at the past sometimes through rose-colored glasses as they say. Keep in mind the 80s and 90s were a period of rapid technological advancement the games you played may have looked or sounded different on different hardware. If you want to reproduce a very specific experience, make sure you do your research, or feel free to contact me and I’ll provide what advice I can on if this or any other machine might fit your needs. · Q: I am having problems with the version of Windows that was installed on this machine. o A: Early versions of Windows were known to be more sensitive to problems. If you encounter problems while installing software remove the most recent software you installed and be sure to reboot after doing so. Also be sure to reboot each time you install something new. That way if you have a problem you’ll know what it was that caused the problem. If you still have issues you can e-mail me, but I do not warranty the software or hardware. I recommend shutting the machine down when not using it. The power management features of these early versions of Windows were also known to be problematic. Feel free to contact me through eBay for more questions.

Price: 399.99 USD

Location: Sullivan, Missouri

End Time: 2024-12-18T21:19:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD