The longest you've ever used a single system?

[Topcat]

I've been considering replacing my old P4 Xeon system recently. In the course of planning, I realized just how old this thing was....

I built it in late 2003, as follows:
Supermicro X5DAL-TG2
2x Xeon CPU's @ 3.06/533 1mb L2, 1mb L3
2gb reg/ecc ram
adaptec 2100S SCSI raid controller
2x 36gb 15,000RPM drives in a mirror for OS and progs
2x 150gb 10,000RPM drives in a mirror for all my crap
ATI X1900 AGP video (512mb)
audigy2 sound
Zippy 600W redundant PSU's

This system has ran 24/7 for over 6 years now, I never shut it off. Theres nothing wrong with it, it still does everything I need of it, and 100% stable. It is getting old though, which made me realize something.... This is the LONGEST I've ever used a single system. I used to replace them atleast once a year, but this thing just keeps on chugging along!!! I guess I should salute Sanyo WG series caps (thats what came on the board), they're still in fine working condition after all these years... The original video card in it was an ATI 8500 AIW 128mb (upgrade from the usual 64mb version). I upgraded to the x1900 in 05 I think. Other than the video, the system is still original.

This system cost a bunch to build back then, and I can honestly say its earned its keep, it owes me nothing....

So....what's the longest run some of you have used a system?

[c_hegge]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

The longest I ever stuck with a PC was an old toshiba satellite pro 400CS laptop. Specs:
Pentium 75MHz
16MB RAM
770MB HDD
Windows 95

I had this for .... Hmmm, maybe 5 or 6 years? Maybe a bit longer? Maybe a bit less? It was a while ago that I got rid of it.

[delaware74b]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I'd say my current system is 5 years old. Completely stable, although it's starting to show its age. I know about antec's p/s problems and i've opened and inspected it. No bulgers yet although i have list ready for full recap. I've recently upgraded the HDD and video card.
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe, AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Barton socket 939
1 GB Kingston KVR DDR 400, Asus/nvidia geforce 9400gt 512MB
Asus CD/RW, Memorex DL DVD Burner.
Maxtor 250GB PATA and WD Black 640GB SATA
Hauppauge PVR150 TV tuner/recorder
Antec TP2-550[YIKES] NZXT Nemesis case

[tj2]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I built my home system, which I still use, in 1996. It's a Supermicro P6SNE with 333 MHz PII overdrive, 256 MB RAM. The Sanyo caps are still going strong. I just recapped the PSU, which was filled with Fuhjyyus, though it appeared to still be working OK. The system has an ISA Ensoniq Soundscape card that is supported on all three OSes that the system runs. I just got finished testing the new ALSA driver under Linux for it. The system is nearly 14 years old, but the software and hard drive have been upgraded a few times. It should last as long as my first car did: 22 years.

[NxB]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

IBM Aptiva
P133
128mb of ram
Win95->win98
2gb hd
I used it from like 95-2001
I finally got a Celeron 500 to replace it.

I got it in grammar school so I didn't have money to replace it. I think I only upgraded the ram since it came with 32mb.

[Topcat]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I built my home system, which I still use, in 1996. It's a Supermicro P6SNE with 333 MHz PII overdrive, 256 MB RAM. The Sanyo caps are still going strong. I just recapped the PSU, which was filled with Fuhjyyus, though it appeared to still be working OK. The system has an ISA Ensoniq Soundscape card that is supported on all three OSes that the system runs. I just got finished testing the new ALSA driver under Linux for it. The system is nearly 14 years old, but the software and hard drive have been upgraded a few times. It should last as long as my first car did: 22 years.

Wow, winner! That was the cat's meow back in 96. I believe I was still on my 233MMX back then.....I don't remember, but the timing seems right.

[washu]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

Longest of anything was an Apple IIc. 1984 to 1991 when I got my first x86.

Longest I used a PC system was my work computer. A GX270 from 2003 to 2009. Maxed out with 4 GB of RAM. Just recently was I able to get a HP DC5800 to replace it.

I still "use" my Inspiron 4100 from 2002, but it's long since been replaced as my primary home machine.

tj2: Not saying that your system longevity isn't impressive, but you could not have had such a system in 1996. The PII 333 came out in Jan 1998. The P1 233 MMX didn't even come out until mid 1997

[etnietering]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I built a computer in 2003 that was in use until this past summer, although not all the time by me. It was a P4 2.0 with a microATX intel board, 256MB -> 512MB -> 768MB of PC133 RAM, I used it for about 3 years until I upgraded, and gave it to my brother, who used it until this past summer when I upgraded again and he got my new old stuff. I believe all the caps were nichicons, with a couple of the yellow fujitsu polymers on the CPU VRM. It was still going strong, but was decommissioned due to age and waning usefulness...I might use it for a NAS box or something sometime, it's more than speedy enough for that.

I also have an ancient Gateway Solo 2650 I think that somebody gave me. I used it for a couple years, but stopped because it got dropped and smashed my wireless card. The specs are thus (I think): PII 333, 192MB PC100, 4GB hard drive, DVD ROM drive, 12.1 inch 800x600 screen. It originally had win98, but I dumped that soon after I got it for linux mint, and when i got fed up that that was too slow I switched to Xubuntu. I replaced the 25mm fan in it after I burned it out with canned air...and now I'm too lazy to take it apart to dig out the remains of the wireless card for something so slow and not particularly useful...

Just last week, from some old guy at church I got a Gateway something with a 486. The stickers said 1993. He said he hasn't used it in a long time, but I'm pretty sure it still would have worked. The thing was in pristine condition, barely even dusty! My parents were taking stuff to an electronics recycling place, and they wanted it. So I stole the CPU cooler (for the 40mm fan, to put in my switch), and the power supply. Interesting to see something that's only a few months younger than my little brother....and less useful than my graphing calculator.
Oh yeah - he also gave me an Apple IIe, but I didn't have time to see if that works (I saved it from recycling).

[i4004]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>I just recapped the PSU, which was filled with Fuhjyyus

now let somebody tell me fuhyu is crap, look at them go 14 years!
<wink>

---------------------
hardware is not as important as my files...that said, i try to keep the hardware cost(s) as low as possible...
buying something new every year makes lil sense to me...

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I had an HP Pavilion 753n that I used from March 2003 until February of 2008.

HP-version MSI motherboard
Pentium 4 2.53ghz, 533fsb
80GB HDD, upgraded to 320GB
512mb of RAM upgraded to 1GB
ATI 9600 added to replace the onboard video

All the upgrades happened sometime in 2007. That machine is the downstairs family computer now, still running with its original Bestec PSU and Teapo/Chemicon KZG on the motherboard. Most reliable machine I have ever had. Solid as a rock. Never any hardware failures, random BSODs, etc. etc.

Hopefully my new machine (August 2009 build) runs as long as tj2's machine has been running. It's got a Gigabyte motherboard with ALL Nichicon polys and a Delta PSU, so save for shitty RoHS soldering, I see no reason why it shouldn't. Only point of weakness is the graphics card, which runs at a toasty 48C, can't be good for all the BGA stuff on it.

[Topcat]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

tj2: Not saying that your system longevity isn't impressive, but you could not have had such a system in 1996. The PII 333 came out in Jan 1998. The P1 233 MMX didn't even come out until mid 1997

You are correct with your timings. I got my 233mmx the week it was released, and that was in mid 1997. I had to really think back on this one, but you're right. I changed over to a slot1 cellie in late 1998 (300A overclocked to 450/100 on an asus P2B).

[i4004]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>tj2: Not saying that your system longevity isn't impressive, but you could not have had such a system in 1996. The PII 333 came out in Jan 1998. The P1 233 MMX didn't even come out until mid 1997

perhaps he upgraded to faster cpu a bit later?

[washu]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>perhaps he upgraded to faster cpu a bit later?

The first PIIs (233, 266, 300) came out in May 1997, so no CPU upgrade from 1996. Would take a MB swap at least.

[Krankshaft]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>I just recapped the PSU, which was filled with Fuhjyyus

now let somebody tell me fuhyu is crap, look at them go 14 years!

The TP 2.0 on my server in the cold basement had Fukyuus in it it lasted for 3 years until I opened and checked it not a single bulger probably would have gone longer. Once I discovered it though I immediately recapped it.

The one on the first floor though a SP 2.0 only lasted about a year and a half before they began to bulge. Although that system was more heavily loaded it was my gaming PC.

The longest I've used a single system has to be my custom built 3.0 Ghz P4 1 GB ram rig I just replaced a few weeks ago.

Built in 05 so 5 years. It's gone from a Maxtor 250 GB PATA to a WD 500 GB Sata (died) to a Seagate 1 TB Sata (transplanted to my current rig). Graphics card wise it originally had an ATI X700 (Vram died) then a Sapphire 3850 (transplanted to my new rig). The PSU was a recapped Antec SP 2.0 it had to stay in the old PC because my new mobo wanted a 6 pin 12V connector an Earthwatts 650 took it's place.

All that time gaming wise I was suffering with that pathetic 1 gig of ram.

Took forever for anything to load.

[tj2]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>tj2: Not saying that your system longevity isn't impressive, but you could not have had such a system in 1996. The PII 333 came out in Jan 1998. The P1 233 MMX didn't even come out until mid 1997

perhaps he upgraded to faster cpu a bit later?

Yes, the original CPU was a Pentium Pro 200. I got the motherboard in 96 (I think! I certainly had gotten the case, video card, scsi card, PSU, etc, then.) and put in the overdrive when it came out.

[kaniki]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

I still have 5 computers that still get used. 2 get used every day and the other 3 get used a bit, but not every day.

My main one has had a bit of updating.. i used it for about 5 or so years i believe when my power supply died a year ago and took out my motherboard. I replaced the motherboard with a comparable on and still use it. It is a AMD athlon 2200+ processor. I have upgraded both my roms.. both died on me. and upgraded my video. It had a 64MB Nvidia geforce4 when i first built it and now has a Nvidia FX 6200 card. Everything else is pretty much the same.

My other main computer (mom uses) is about the same specs as mine but an 1800+ processor and upgraded to a FX 5200 vid card, but same roms in hers. I have 2 computers like this one.

My oldest is a AMD athlon 800MHz computer. still has a GForce2 video card in it. was originally a 550MHz but when my friends motherboard friend, they just bought new and gave me her old processor so i upgraded my PC a little.

Pretty much, all my computers usually last me at least 5 years before i do anything about replacing them. If i do anything, it is usually upgrading my roms or video cards. I have replaced more roms then all other parts combined in my computers over the years..

[i4004]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

>I have replaced more roms then all other parts combined in my computers over the years..

ram?
cd-rom?

>It's gone from a Maxtor 250 GB PATA to a WD 500 GB Sata (died)

caviar blue wd500 aaks? lasted for how long?

[tj2]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

... Would take a MB swap at least.

Actually, Intel made a Pentium II 333 MHz overdrive for the socket 8. It required a BIOS upgrade on most boards.

There was another company, PowerLeap, that made Pentium III adapters for the socket 8, though with such a fast processor, the bottleneck is the system bus running at 66 MHz. Also, FPM RAM and even EDO, are quite a bit slower than SDRAM.

Since the main OS, NEXTSTEP 3.3, on that machine was released in 94 for the 486, it is quite speedy on a PII 333. KDE under Linux, on the other hand, is really too slow.

[washu]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

Actually, Intel made a Pentium II 333 MHz overdrive for the socket 8. It required a BIOS upgrade on most boards.

I completely forgot about those. I've never heard of anyone actually using them until now. I've come across lots of P-Pro systems in my days but never any with the overdrive chips. They were so expensive when new that most people avoided them and just upgraded the MB. Hope you got a good deal on them.

[Wizard]

Re: The longest you've ever used a single system?

Pentium 233mmx using baby AT mainboard machine in use since 2002 the year I begun working for tv shop, still is. Chugging along. with JTS 1GB HD running 98, 64MB IIRC, PSU same ditto. Only one task for one simple text application, that is all. Only maintaince is rarely blow dust out.

If that PC dies, not a big deal since the data is served from another machine on the network.

Cheers, Wizard