• Can this salvaged laptop handle 2 monitors? Back to the past.
    53 replies, posted
Hey, so getting my amd cpu sent away for replacement, basically few days to weeks with no PC, unbearable, I only have tablet, phone and PC, nothing else. Decided to look around my house for all shit I used to find on streets in skips (utility bins, not trash that smells like shit but a bin that contains furniture and stuff), so I found old laptop, Dell Latitude D430. Took it apart fully to every screw and every wire, found a SIM card slot in it, so cleaned it nice and well. Turned on and it works. As bios says: CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo - 1.2 Ghz, Cache: 2MB, 2 Cores (Says Processor id is 06F2, not sure what that means specifically) RAM: 2 GB (though service label on RAM stick says 1 GB, not sure what's the story with that) HDD: 100 GB - Ubuntu Installed Video card: Intel 945GMS Graphics (8 MB memory, sorry wat?, is that possible?) Also has docking station which gave it DVD-RW drive + DVI and VGA ports for display, bios states I can use docking station GPU (but doesn't say what memory it has) Question: 1) It's a long shot but - if it has two video output ports, it should handle two monitors right? 2) What is Sim card port for? 3) Will it handle Windows 7? P.S - obviously I am not planning on playing games on it (not that it can ever handle flash games probably), just internet browsing and typing PHP code in Notepad++.
If you already have the stuff, try it. It won't kill it.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;47062160']If you already have the stuff, try it. It won't kill it.[/QUOTE] Yeah trying to figure out how to bypass password right now, I've never used Ubuntu before. [editline]2nd February 2015[/editline] Just tried, monitors don't get detected, both VGA and DVI. Gonna try Windows XP.
As an owner of a D430, the SIM is for the 3G cellular card that's installed in the laptop itself. Mine has a Vodafone one, but I don't have a working sim but I might unlock it somehow. As for Windows 7, mine runs 7 Pro 32bit due to the RAM it can only hold. The maximum's 2GB, so there's one already "installed" as Dell integrated one module while having another module free for an optional upgrade from 1GB to 2GB. It's an okay little machine except it gets hot, so I kinda thought it isn't a good idea for a college laptop as I didn't own a ThinkPad X230 at the time. It's always worth trying different OSes, however I don't own a docking station for that, regardless of the monitors I have I don't think it'd handle 2 at once. Does it work through one monitor?
[QUOTE=Digimutant;47062624]As an owner of a D430, the SIM is for the 3G cellular card that's installed in the laptop itself. Mine has a Vodafone one, but I don't have a working sim but I might unlock it somehow. As for Windows 7, mine runs 7 Pro 32bit due to the RAM it can only hold. The maximum's 2GB, so there's one already "installed" as Dell integrated one module while having another module free for an optional upgrade from 1GB to 2GB. It's an okay little machine except it gets hot, so I kinda thought it isn't a good idea for a college laptop as I didn't own a ThinkPad X230 at the time. It's always worth trying different OSes, however I don't own a docking station for that, regardless of the monitors I have I don't think it'd handle 2 at once. Does it work through one monitor?[/QUOTE] Nope, not even one. I am currently installing Windows 2000 on it, will try then. What vram does it have? 8 MB?
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47062207]Yeah trying to figure out how to bypass password right now, I've never used Ubuntu before.[/QUOTE] Boot into single user mode (edit the command line in grub and add a 1 to the end), then just passwd root
So you are saying that motherboard has 1 RAM already in it? damn that's kinda awesome. Also I noticed when taking apart laptop that it has a slot for another wifi card or something? It says WWAN instead of WLAN, so it can have two different wifi connections? I've never seen such old-ish laptop packed with so many features. [editline]2nd February 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Flapadar;47062763]Boot into single user mode (edit the command line in grub and add a 1 to the end), then just passwd root[/QUOTE] Yeah I followed some tutorial and got it done, I formatted HDD however and installing Win 2000, I am okay with using linux for servers but not for every day, I am windows guys unfortunately.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47062715]Nope, not even one. I am currently installing Windows 2000 on it, will try then. What vram does it have? 8 MB?[/QUOTE] Mine is 64MB but I don't think something's right with yours. My only gripe with these laptops is that they're complete shit. Slow, not 100% upgradeable or reliable. Uses terrible 1.8in drives that weren't even up for daily use, these are the same drives in iPod Classics.
the VRAM is just part of the main system RAM being sectioned off, it's adjustable in the BIOS. I'd try get windows 7 going on the thing, it'll run pretty nicely so long as you go easy on the machine.
Well I literally just need: 1) Windows 2) Internet 3) Two monitors (too used to make websites on two monitors to adopt to one again) So I assume Win 2000 requires less resources than Win 7, so I am installing it, and I assume it will run faster than Win 7 (I hope really).
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47062879]Well I literally just need: 1) Windows 2) Internet 3) Two monitors (too used to make websites on two monitors to adopt to one again) So I assume Win 2000 requires less resources than Win 7, so I am installing it, and I assume it will run faster than Win 7 (I hope really).[/QUOTE] Not really worth the sacrifice of security and compatibility imo Windows 7 is pretty damn usable on some really shit hardware, my atom n280 netbook with 2GB RAM is one of my daily drivers, can do a few tabs just fine.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;47062902']Not really worth the sacrifice of compatibility imo[/QUOTE] You mean for software? For software I just need: Chrome/Firefox and Notepad++ (or even Notepad if that's the case), I don't plan on using photoshop or anything on it. I just wish there was an easy way to sync my PC to some online service which would allow me to use any laptop, login and get all my stuff on it without need to manually move shit around via hard drives.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47062918]You mean for software? For software I just need: Chrome/Firefox and Notepad++ (or even Notepad if that's the case), I don't plan on using photoshop or anything on it. I just wish there was an easy way to sync my PC to some online service which would allow me to use any laptop, login and get all my stuff on it without need to manually move shit around via hard drives.[/QUOTE] firefox dropped support a while ago.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;47062932']firefox dropped support a while ago.[/QUOTE] Chrome?
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47062960]Chrome?[/QUOTE] I don't think Chrome [I]ever[/I] supported W2k. Plus with security issues I wouldn't do it. Honestly I'd just go with a lightweight linux distro. It seems capable of what you need it for.
Derp, I am fucked. Installing Win 2000 from USB, once it got to GUI part it can't find file required because there is no drivers. I am screwed.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47063036]Derp, I am fucked. Installing Win 2000 from USB, once it got to GUI part it can't find file required because there is no drivers. I am screwed.[/QUOTE] Dude, we are telling you, its not worth it. Just stick Linux or a newer Windows OS on it. Its not worth the hassle of dealing with an old OS. Windows 7 or 8 will probably be fine on it.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47063036]Derp, I am fucked. Installing Win 2000 from USB, once it got to GUI part it can't find file required because there is no drivers. I am screwed.[/QUOTE] Yeah with that you'll also need to put the proper driver on a flash drive. Often you need to extract the chipset drivers.
[QUOTE=Demache;47063100]Dude, we are telling you, its not worth it. Just stick Linux or a newer Windows OS on it. Its not worth the hassle of dealing with an old OS. Windows 7 or 8 will probably be fine on it.[/QUOTE] Oh, I just thought right now that Win 7 will face same issue? Drivers wont be found on final part? Or will it work if I try with Win 7?
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47063111]Oh, I just thought right now that Win 7 will face same issue? Drivers wont be found on final part? Or will it work if I try with Win 7?[/QUOTE] Windows 7 is newer than the PC itself, so it shouldn't have any big issues with drivers, as there doesn't seem to be any exotic parts. At most you may have to install a wireless driver or something, which isn't a big deal.
[QUOTE=Demache;47063143]Windows 7 is newer than the PC itself, so it shouldn't have any big issues with drivers. At most you may have to install a wireless driver or something, which isn't a big deal.[/QUOTE] Sorry for so many questions, but: [url]http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/HVW143J/drivers?DCP=DndTag[/url] That doesn't have Win 7 option, will Vista drivers work ?
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47063148]Sorry for so many questions, but: [url]http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/HVW143J/drivers?DCP=DndTag[/url] That doesn't have Win 7 option, will Vista drivers work ?[/QUOTE] Usually.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47063148]Sorry for so many questions, but: [url]http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/HVW143J/drivers?DCP=DndTag[/url] That doesn't have Win 7 option, will Vista drivers work ?[/QUOTE] 99% of the time Vista drivers are okay. In the case of some hardware, like the Intel Graphics or Wireless Card, you can go to the Intel site and download the official Windows 7 ones (although Vista and 7 tend to share the same driver anyway). Just make sure you install Windows 7 32 bit. Little lighter on memory usage and a better guarantee you won't have driver issues.
[QUOTE=Demache;47063170]99% of the time Vista drivers are okay. In the case of some hardware, like the Intel Graphics or Wireless Card, you can go to the Intel site and download the official Windows 7 ones (although Vista and 7 tend to share the same driver anyway). Just make sure you install Windows 7 32 bit. Little lighter on memory usage and a better guarantee you won't have driver issues.[/QUOTE] Okay I will try that now.
Well what can I say, it runs nice. And I actually got two monitors working on Docking station, one monitor being perfect 1080, while other being some shit resolution. My monitors: 1920x1080 = Works great, nice resolution, barely any lag. 1366x768 = 1024xsome weird shit res. It treats DVI monitor as Panel and VGA monitor as "Monitor" with old CRT type icon. First I thought for 1080: DVI Adapter -> HDMI -> Dvi Adapter wont work or cause some problems for old laptop, but that worked. But still, that's better than nothing, works well. So happy, now I can send off my FX8350 for replacement and stay online (thank god). Thank You guys. [t]http://oi57.tinypic.com/2z6wo79.jpg[/t]
Just realized it can't handle any videos above 720p (not even 720p) Oh well.
[QUOTE=KinderBueno;47066553]Just realized it can't handle any videos above 720p (not even 720p) Oh well.[/QUOTE] It probably can, just not with YouTube's shitty player.
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47066623]It went HTML5. Make sure your browser is up to date. My Laptops 865GM can handle 720P 30 fps video just fine. 60 FPS however no way.[/QUOTE] That may explain why 60 fps 720p didn't work. Yeah I just installed Chrome so it's latest. So for this laptop optimization I: 1) Switched powermode to Performance. 2) Switched to classical theme. What else can I do to optimize it?
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47066673]Nothing else really except for don't run other shit in the background.[/QUOTE] Is steam considered heavy for background?
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47066695]Na. It shouldn't be that bad.[/QUOTE] I am gonna try running 3DMark, just curious if it will even handle lowest test. I did test on my phone, wanna see if phone is more powerful than this laptop. [editline]3rd February 2015[/editline] Trying to download 3D Mark is hell on steam, it keeps saying busy writing to disk. I wonder which is faster: USB 2.0 - External Sata HDD -> 7200rpm for laptop. or 1.8" - ATA100 - 4200rpm HDD that it has.
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