My Windows XP battlestation rebuild project
Posted by theresmoretolife2@reddit | retrobattlestations | View on Reddit | 30 comments
About a month or so ago I had a sudden interest to take out my old PC that was built in 2007 and do a rebuild/restoration on it so I can play old games that were from the early to mid-2000s. The interest probably got sparked after I acquired a hand-me-down Windows 10 gaming PC from the in-laws.
The goal here was to source new in box old parts or old parts that were gently used but complete with the box for this rebuild. The things I kept from the original build are the PSU, 2 IDE hard drives, sound card, and case. Those parts I happened to have kept the instruction manual and accessories with it.
Here’s the specifications now based on what I could find and buy: I’ve put NOS in front of all the parts that I brought new old stock.
(NOS) Pentium 4 with HT 541 processor (NOS) Zalman CNPS9500AT CPU cooler Cooler Master Centurion 5 case (NOS) Intel D915PGN motherboard (NOS) 2GB Kingston ValueRAM PC3200 (NOS) BFG nVidia GeForce 7800GT 256MB video card Lite-On SATA Blu-ray disc drive (this is temporary till I get a Sony SATA DVD burner drive) Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE soundcard Western Digital Caviar 250GB C drive on IDE cable Antec Basiq 550W power supply (NOS) Antec TriCool blue LED front and rear case fans
Smooth-Midnight-9561@reddit
If you don't mind, i have a few questions?
Are you running 32 or 64 bit XP? Is the machine capable of playing a Blu-ray disc? If so, what media player are you running? How much ram are you running?
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
I believe this hardware is only compatible with x86 (32-bit) Windows XP. I have an original retail copy of Windows XP SP2 from 2006 I used to do a clean re-install. I don’t intend to play Blu-rays as the drive is there temporary till I can get a more period correct NOS DVD burner from 2008-2009 years. However, I kept the software disc that came with the Blu-ray drive from 2011 that is compatible with Windows XP and Vista. The packaged software is “Cyberlink BD Solution”.
Smooth-Midnight-9561@reddit
Thank you, I have heard that 6-8Gb of ram is required to play Blu-ray videos. I have not had the need to try to figure it out for myself.
23027@reddit
Awesome looking system! Great specs too!! Currently on the same path rebuilding my 05 rig I wish I kept!
DiscoRage@reddit
I had the Centurion 5. The wording on the box was funny:
Armed With "Honor"
Why is honor in quotes?
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
Poor English translation is my guess haha.
CJ_Guns@reddit
But can it run Crysis?
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
It probably could. It meets the minimum system requirements. That game I don’t own though.
Wittyname0@reddit
What software do you use to play blu rays, I've had trouble finding xp software that gets the keys
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
I didn’t set anything up for Blu-ray playback on this clean re-install of Windows XP. I do still have the software disc that came with the Lite-on drive when I replaced it in 2011 but I want to go more retro and get a DVD burner that’s more period correct for 2005-2009 era.
manuelink64@reddit
I have the same Zalman! My i7-4790 @4GHz run smoothly under 40°C, amazing and beautiful cooler
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
My CPU idle temp is between 38-41C. This is with moderate overall noise with the rear case fan set to medium speed and the 7800GT card’s stock cooler still being audible at 50% speed.
Tyr_Kukulkan@reddit
Zalman CNPS flower coolers were amazing.
randylush@reddit
they still are. I think they still manufacture them.
My next build is going to be modern parts with an old school Zalman cooler
Tyr_Kukulkan@reddit
I haven't seen any new in almost 20 years. They don't perform as well as modern air cookers but we're the best at the time. The S754 and S939 ones can still be mounted on AM4 and AM5 too!
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
I actually wanted the blue LED version of this CPU cooler. The one with the frosted clear plastic blades. What stopped me from buying one is the fan wasn’t PMW. Seemed like back then, and I can remember it too, there weren’t any PWM coolers with LEDs in them. It was usually a black plastic fan to get the PWM function.
randylush@reddit
I ordered one of these in February this year - Zalman CNPS9900-MAX Blue Ultra Aero Flower - but now it's out of stock.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046Y79HS/
randylush@reddit
nice clean build
hrf3420@reddit
The zalman! A classic!
a_mandrill@reddit
That's a great looking rig, love the case and cooler. There's some ideas for games to run on it at https://vsrecommendedgames.fandom.com/wiki/PC/Windows_XP
2jznat@reddit
That Zalman CPU cooler was my dream back then LOL 😁
BtotheVV86@reddit
Always nice to boot up and revisit an old system. Sold most of my original systems, but rebuilt a couple of them, only decided to upgrade everything in the process.
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
I wanted to rebuild it with better parts of its era and still maintain its period correct authenticity. I believe I had a strong preference to the Pentium 4 processor even though Core 2 Duo was already out for a whole year back then.
BtotheVV86@reddit
I remember working in a computer shop around the time the Core 2 series launched, and there were (more than a few) customers who refused to buy a Core 2 because they wanted to wait on the Pentium 5… I guess they’re still waiting
annihilatorg@reddit
Maybe they held out for the 5000?
Intel® Pentium® Silver N5000 Processor
gen_angry@reddit
I had that case too :) Cooler Master Centurion 5, mine had blue highlights.
It really is a nice case for it's time.
UsefulChicken8642@reddit
Why do I find older heat sinks so damn beautiful ?
absurd_nerd_repair@reddit
Beautiful
annihilatorg@reddit
Cool build. You'll be clicking heads all day in CS and Farcry for sure.
Was the 541 the best you could find NOS?
theresmoretolife2@reddit (OP)
I’ll be playing Counter Strike Condition Zero single player on this bad boy. The first plan was to use the Pentium 541 to upgrade the Pentium 524 that was there originally with a MSI motherboard. Things changed and now I have the NOS Intel board.