What spec client machines do you have...

[_Bat_]

I'm in the process of replacing all of the computers in one of my schools as the old ones were all tinys and all inbetween 300MHz and 900MHz processors with between 64mb and 256mb RAM.

 

I'm going to keep all the computers that have 900MHz processors and 256MB RAM as they can be re-disributed around the school and expand the network slightly.

 

The new PCs all have 512MB RAM and have either a 1.7GHz processor and a 30GB Hard Disk (classroom PCs) or a 3GHz processor and a 120GB Hard Disk (ICT Suite).

 

We also have 16 old student laptops with a 2.8 GHz processor, 256MB RAM and a 40GB Hard Disk, which are also going to be used in our ICT Suite as well as the PCs.

 

So, out of interest (and to see how much more work I need to do to catch up to the rest of you) what do you all have?

[localzuk]

Well the speed also depends on what type of processor it is - a 1.7Ghz Core 2 Duo is a huge jump ahead of a 2.8Ghz P4.

 

I'd recommend going for machines with spec the same as these:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/sm/WF06b/35123-968421-968421-968421-12736496-12736604-80073353.html

minimum. They have to survive the next 3 - 5 years so go for as beefy as you can afford. Don't skimp on RAM either. 1GB minimum. I'd say hard disk isn't that big an issue, assuming you do things in a standard 'centralised' way. Minimum size of 80GB though, as then they'd support Vista and a good raft of applications at the same time.

 

Now, that is what I'd recommend. What we have is different - as we're not buying any more fat clients for around school except for specific heavy usage needs. We are instead making use of 'ChipPC' thin clients and nice beefy servers for terminal services.

[CyberNerd]

I say keep em, we still have PII 350MHz Acers that are going strong and don't expect to replace for at least another couple of years as they hardly ever fail - infact the wiring sockets/cables has lasted worse than those machines. They are thin clients of course and we do have the beefy servers to run them.

Also have a room of XP machines and some Macs for 'heavy' work. 3Ghz AMD 1GB RAM.

[Geoff]

The worst machine we have is a 400mhz P3 with 32mb of ram. It's on my desk and it's a Thin Client test machine.

[netadmin]

Our slowest desktop machine in use right now is 2.6GHz, 512MB, 80GB hard drive, XP Pro, cd burner. (We used to have 500MHz pcs, but finally phased those out this year).

 

All new desktops have the basic spec of Celeron 3.0GHz+, 1GB ram, 80GB hard drive, XP Pro, digital camera card reader, dvd burner. I know Celeron is not ideal, but it's the best we can afford right now.

[sidewinder]

Best machines are 1.83Ghz Core 2 Duos, 2GB RAM, which are for the IT Staff

No Core 2 Duos yet for students, next new machines will be

 

After that the best we have are Pentium D 3Ghz, 1GB RAM.

 

Worst we have are 1.7Ghz P4, 256 RAM, although there may be the odd laptop left running 2000 with only 128MB

[_Bat_]

Yeah, forgot to mention, mine are all P4's.

 

I would have gone for a better spec but it's all we could afford for now. It's a great big step compared to what we had before.

 

We won't be migrating to vista for a long time and certainly not on our current PCs. I think we'll only ever get vista when it comes with new machines.

 

The classroom PCs came in at £80 each, including windows XP. For that price, those PCs are a bargin, we desperately needed better PCs and we had a very limited budget, so I thought, what the heck . RAM is easy and cheap enough to upgrade though. I may do that soonish.

[StewartKnight]

The worst we have are 2.6cels with 256mb.

The best is a 2.4 E6600 core 2 duo with 2gb ram and a 19"tft.....

gues who has that on his desk!

[webman]

Oldest: 1.8GHz P4; 256MB RAM; 20GB harddisk (4200rpm) We also have other various configurations of these with either 40GB harddisks or with 512MB RAM.

 

Old-ish: 2.6GHz P4; 512MB RAM; 80GB harddisk

 

Newest: 3.6GHz P4; 1GB RAM; 250GB harddisk (7200rpm)

 

Oldest ones are RM boxes, all others are from The IT Support Centre. We have a couple of medium-spec Elonex machines which aren't too bad - I think they're P4s as well with 512MB RAM but not too sure

[localzuk]

20GB harddisk (4200rpm)

 

4200 rpm hard disks?? Weren't they the speed for desktop HDD's in the 90's? Surely you mean 5400rpm? Unless they are laptops of course...

[PeterW]

Most people seem to be going for Athlon x2 3800 or Pentium E 2160 with 1GB of ram. Still get a few people go for entry level semprons or Celerons with 512MB ram. Hopefully the celeron buyers should get a nice boost next month when the 400 series is released, I fully expect the 1.6Ghz 420 model to give a P4 3.0Ghz a good kicking Also with the way memory prices are at the moment there really wont be any excuse for not buying 1GB

[webman]

Yes, sorry - 5400rpm 8) (It was late, I was tired )

[enjay]

Oldest PC is a P3 1.7GHz with 512MB and a 40GB disk, there's only one of those. The classroom PCs are typically P4-2.4GHz with either 256 or 512 RAM and 40GB disks. IT Suites are P4 3GHz with 512MB and 40GB disks.

 

Our newest ones are Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz with 1GB RAM, typically 40GB hard disks, except for the ones used for digital video.

 

We figure that the PCs need to last at least 5 years, so we want to a spec that can do that. RAM upgrades happen towards the end of their life to stretch them out that bit further.

 

All new PCs go in to the IT Suites, and the existing IT Suite PCs are then cascaded out to the classrooms (sometimes with further cascades from one classroom to another lower use area).

[markcuk]

oldest P4 2.8 512mb ram 40gb hd

 

middle P4 3.2 1GB 80GB SATA

 

Newest core 2 duo 1.8 2GB RAM 160GB SATA HD

 

just binned loads of P2/P3/P4 computers that we have had for over 5 years

 

our oldest machines are now just becoming 3 year old.

[john]

866 P3, 256MB Ram, 40GB HDD, XP Pro is the worst

 

Going up to E6600, 2gb ram 120gb in IT