The MB looks to have a serious problem in my wife's system, due to a faulty AGP clamp. It needs a new MB. Since I can't find a Shuttle AK31 like it, I'm looking at MB's on eBay. I thought I would score a hit with a combo, using a 64 bit AMD processor. However, my son tells me that a lot of older software won't even run on a 64 bit machine. I have a lot of old software, and I'm comfortable with it. Am I stuck with using something older, like a 2000+ CPU? or is there a workaround available?

Thanks.

Bob

A positive attitude won't solve all your problems, but it will annoy just enough people to be worth the effort.

Your son was probably thinking about IA64-based processors like the Itanium, which ran 32-bit software in emulation (very slow).

But an x86-64 desktop-oriented 64-bit processor such as the Athlon 64 or Core 2 will run your older software just fine. In fact, you'll probably notice it running faster than it did on your old 32-bit processor-based system. :-)

Make sure that you use your existing 32-bit operating system to ensure compatibility with your old apps. Yes, 32-bit operating systems also run just fine on Athlon 64 processors.

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AMD 64 bit processors are fully 32bit software compliant, without degradation. I think Intel may have had issues initially, not sure if this still halds true.

If you are using the software with WinXPsp2 then you can use it with a 64 bit AMD processor.

I would recommend NOT buying hardware off eBay unless that is the only resource.

Think about this for a minute. Online stores like Newegg.com sell millions of dollars a year of hardware. What eBay seller can buy hardware from the manufacturer cheaper than a site like that.

If you intend to find a used board to reuse the CPU, RAM and video card you have, then by all means use eBay.

What are your graphics requirements? Post a link to the eBay hardware you are considering.

Thanks, jackbomb and OtheHill. That is good information to know. My son's HP Laptop was new last year, but he said it tells him he can't run the old stuff. I haven't looked at it, tho.

I was planning on getting an older, used replacement MB but noticed these newer boards, with processors and sometimes RAM, for pretty decent prices. None specifically, yet. I do use Newegg for most new stuff (or sometimes, Walmart. Yee gads!) The wife does wordprocessing and web crawling so she doesn't have any critical video needs, etc.

As for buying stuff off of ebay, I HAVE done it, usually with pretty good results. You just have to make sure of what you are bidding on, and know what you want. New stuff, yeah, Newegg. Used stuff, well watch their warranty/return policy.

I bought one MB guaranteed to be 'like new', which was DOA. The guy refused to exchange, even though his auction said he would. I ended up buying a new CPU, somewhere else, that worked just fine. I contacted eBay and he no longer sells on eBay. Serves him right, I figure. He told me that he wasn't in business to pay for me learning to build computers! I told him that I have been building computers since 1980, and I certainly know what I am doing! Jeez! LOL

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it.

Bob

A positive attitude won't solve all your problems, but it will annoy just enough people to be worth the effort.

Thanks for getting back to us. Sounds like you have a handle on how eBay works. RAM off eBay is the biggest issue here. Folks buy crappy RAM off eBay and then want to know why it doesn't work right, if at all.

"The MB looks to have a serious problem in my wife's system, due to a faulty AGP clamp"

What seems to be the problem? the "clamp" isn't really necessary.

Hi jam. I should have explained more. The clamp on the Shuttle MB is non-existant. It must have been an early model and they just didn't include it. Not knowing this, when I sat down to refurb her PC, I moved the case around here and there, to get it all set up. The monitor cable, being heavy, put pressure on the rear of the video board, which caused another problem.

Most cases use the rear rail to let you put a screw in the metal bracket, holding the rear of the video board in place. This case does not. It had a plastic arrangement, with a sliding lock, that was supposed to hold everything in place. Well, naturally the plastic thing broke. Now the video board was free to flop around. I didn't discover this until I opened the case and saw the video board half in the slot and half out. Instant short! Nuts! I hope this explains a little better what I meant by faulty AGP clamp.

A positive attitude won't solve all your problems, but it will annoy just enough people to be worth the effort.

If that is the only reason to scrap this rig I would jury rig the card somehow. Early AGP slots didn't have that lock nor did PCI cards before. Got to be some way to retain the card.