hardware compatablity

bigtrucks · Oct 27, 2009

I'm wanting to know if there is a link or if some one can tell me if Compaq and packer bell are compatible with my pc. E-MachineW2925

I have the two pc's that are just sitting collecting dust and god knows what else, and thought if I can use some of the hardware from them for my machine it would save a bundle seeing how I don't have quite the bundle to spare anymore. The packer has a bad video card. Everything else is good.The Compaq, I'm not 100% sure but I think I just had some little issues and my son convinced me to get another pc.
So any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

BT

plodr · Oct 27, 2009

You need to give models for the Packard Bell and Compaq so we can search for the hardware specs.
I suspect if you are in the US that the Packard Bell is quite old because that company hasn't sold computers in the US for more than 5, maybe 9 years.

bigtrucks · Oct 28, 2009

plodr said: ↑

You need to give models for the Packard Bell and Compaq so we can search for the hardware specs.
I suspect if you are in the US that the Packard Bell is quite old because that company hasn't sold computers in the US for more than 5, maybe 9 years.
Click to expand...

Forget the compaq, as I recalled last night to giving it to my daughter several yrs back and she shoved it in a metal shed that had roof leaks. I need not say more on that! :mad
The PB. You are right on that. I think it is almost 9 yrs now but as I said the only thing wrong was a bad video card. Tried to locate one yrs ago but really had no idea at the time what I was looking for and had people tell me Good luck finding one.
This is the only thing I got from the outside casing. Let me know if any of it helps.

Model A950-TWR
S/N P 184066785
P/N 890498
SER CD 13-04803
Descr.601 175710-05

If there is nothing compatible then if you know where I may find a video card for the PB. I'll fix it so the grand can play and do homework on it.(and may get my other half to start learning how to us a computer as he won't do anything here as he is afraid of messing it uprolleyes)

plodr · Oct 28, 2009

The model A950-TWR helps; unfortunately the guy who knows everything about Packard Bell's from the late 90's, Ray, seems to have disappeared.
His site was hosted at geocities www.geocities.com/sjg/
and has now disappeared. I have not been able to find it reposted anywhere.
He knew most of the models with motherboards, chips, speeds, etc. and I was counting on seeing what sort of slot you had for video or if there was a spare slot present.
I owned two PBs in '95 and '97. I remember putting in something that doubled the chip speed from 66MHz to 133MHz but I never moved from the onboard video to a card.

Open it up and measure the non-Ram slot(s) and mention the color. You probably have a slot for a PCI, though I don't know enough about video to know a) if the card works when the onboard chip is gone b) if cards for that vintage computer would even be for sale.

I found a posting from a few years ago

my computer is:
Packard bell A950 TWR
128mb ram
398 mhz cpu
20 gb drive
100 mb zip drive
128 mb tape drive
dvd drive
pci video card
usb card
windows 98 se
Click to expand...

So it looks like the computer will accept a PCI video card.

plodr · Oct 28, 2009

I found an archive of the site on the wayback machine.
http://web.archive.org/web/20080218015221/http://www.geocities.com/sjg/

This lists the motherboards, type of video chip and whether it is upgradeable or not.
http://web.archive.org/web/20020603134415/www.geocities.com/sjg/syschart.html

I haven't figured out from the numbers, which motherboard you have.

bigtrucks · Oct 28, 2009

Hey Thanks Plodr.
I'll check out the sites tonight and open it up tomorrow and take some pics of the insides . I think that may help a little more if you actually see them.
BT

sach2 · Oct 28, 2009

Here are a couple of links for an approximation of that motherboard: text and pic. It may not be your exact board check for numbers printed on the board that could be used to verify.

I would check to see how much RAM you have installed. There is a maximum of 128mb that might be OK for Win98. But if you don't have the full 128mb already installed finding two suitable 64mb modules might be a task in itself.

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hardware compatablity

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