Memories without much Memory

Unless you feel nostalgic and want to take a ride down memory lane, stop reading now. This post is just reminiscing on old computers from the past.

So I ran across the receipts for computer builds previous to my cheap desktop upgrade and had a good laugh. This actually started in an effort to find details about my current PSU…which is almost the only detail missing.

To start with the recent desktop upgrade replaced an Abit KV8 Pro Socket 754 motherboard ($80) with an AMD Sempron 2800+ 1.6 GHz “Palermo” CPU ($87). Memory configuration was 1 GB of Corsair DDR400 (PC3200) CAS2.5 “value select” ($92). This looks like another build that was supposed to receive an upgrade and never did. These parts were ordered March 30, 2005. The graphics were provided by a Leaktek GeForce A6200 with 128 MB DDR ($125). According to notes it was unlocked to a 6600 with all eight pixel pipelines! Also at that time a 200 GB Ultra ATA/133 7200 RPM hard drive with 8 MB buffer cost $110 and an NEC ND-3520A 16x Double Layer DVD+-RW cost $66. Total cost $560 but that is missing case and power supply.

Before that was a build around the end of August 2000 which included an Abit KT7-RAID ($164) and AMD 700 Thunderbird Socket-A CPU ($146). A full ATX Apex case with 300 watt power supply for $62. 128 MB Mushkin “high performance” revision 2 PC133 RAM ($194). Buckle up it starts getting crazy! Creative 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 (video graphics) at $249 displaying to a 17” Viewsonic PF775 monitor ($314). Then a Creative Live Platinum 102 sound card ($165) pumping sound to Creative Fourpoint FPS2000 digital surround speakers ($117). Also at the time an IBM 30 GB ATA/100 cost $139 (multiply by two for RAID) and a Pioneer 16x DVD rang in at $122. Case fans and a CPU cooler added another $22. The staggering total (after $122 of separate shipping costs) was just $1955. Holy crap!

RAM prices fell by April of 2001 which led to an additional purchase of 256 MB (yes, it was up to 384 MB total) for $103. Also according to notes the included PSU failed in that same month leading to a replacement $76 Turbo-Cool 300 ATX. That “Thunder-bird” was up to $2134 by then. Makes computers seem cheap nowadays.

The very last receipt found was for a build at the end of October 1998. Oh joyous me. This technology is so old it will just be a quick run through. VIA VP-3 AGP P5 motherboard with AMD K6-²⁄₃₀₀ MMX CPU combo ($225). An astounding 64 MB of PC100 SDRAM ($89). Matrix Millennium G200 8MB AGP video card ($115) and a PCI sound card ($39). Brought together with a 10.1 GB IDE hard drive ($249) and a 1.44 MB floppy drive ($18). Remember those things? Oh the precious, expensive memories (no pun intended). Now officially digitized on my blog…these relics are heading for the recycle bin.