Rant Stuck with P4, Advice Needed!

I really don't know where to put this so I'll just post it in the 'General' section...

[rant]

I'm getting so tired of this...
Day after day I need to work with my old PC that constantly crashes and freezes.
Components: P4 @ 2Ghz, a Geforce2MX 400, 512 megs of RAM, 10Gb HD (can you imagine?) and some no brand mobo.

What I (want) do with my system: Playing games, making music with FL(nothing special), writing short stories(again: nothing special), etc. But it all doesn't work like it should: FL constantly crackles, and in text documents the text I just typed appears >3 seconds later. It's not like I have lots of processes running (I run Firefox with f-ing Game Booster on!), I have a clean install of xp with just all the bare necessities. Games... I will not start about that. (I can't play Minecraft...)

I know what you're thinking: "just buy a new computer then, even a brick can do more complicated tasks these days!" but it isn't that simple. I really want to buy and build a brand-new, shiny PC myself, but my dad won't allow it. (I don't want to sound like a crybaby who doesn't get his toy or something, but this is how it is.) Every time I bring up the subject he starts a rant that goes somewhat like this:

"I've been working with a PC like yours for over 9 years, and it still does it fine! You shouldn't buy a new system, you will only play stupid games on it. And I really know games are stupid: I've played C&C for years, but then I suddenly realized I gained nothing from it and I lost hours and days for nothing... You shouldn't be playing on your pc, you should be studying instead! (My grades aren't that bad but apparently I'm "intellectually gifted" and my dad expects higher scores then what I have now...) etc. etc. etc...

TL;DR:
Why do I post this?
Well, I'm asking you to help me find some good arguments for getting a new computer so I can convince my dad. Also if you have a suggestion for some good games that can run on this pc, please let me know. (I've already searched, found, bought and played lots of old games, but you can probably come up with some good games I haven't played yet)


Please help...
I really want to play Bioshock...

[/rant]

Sorry if my English isn't all that good... (Imma freaky belgian!)

EDIT: Apparently it isn't very clear in my post that I already have the money, but my dad won't allow me to buy it. I hope to have hereby solved the confusion.

 

Honestly ? Your dad has a valid point (although slightly closed minded)

I don't think anything we say could possibly help you outside of technical support to fix your old POS

 

Get a job?

 

This. And when you have enough money just walk into the store and buy one. Nothing your parents can do about it once you got it.

 

I too have a technophobe father, so i feel your pain, though it's been a while now.

What i would do is take his advise, and use the PC for studying. Learn how to build websites, and show your father how the PC is slowing you down and hampering your progress. Go create some flash content or try to install and use photoshop for editing. Convince him that you are actually passionate about games and want to not only play them, but get into making them aswell.

Basically, use his own logic against him. Even then, it all depends on your dad's personality. For me, the only way was to just move out at 18.

Wrong. There are many things parents can do, including simply taking it away from you again. In some cases it's worth making a stand against your folks, but most of the time, it isn't. Pick your fights carefully.

 

Try upping your directsound buffer length under the audio settings.

You could always approach this from the angle that your aging rig is making your productivity suffer, and you're falling behind the times in terms of current software... especially valid if you feel like you want to get into the computing industry at some point.

You could also suggest you build a new rig, which is educational in itself.

I see his point if you're spending an excessive amount of time gaming, but everybody needs some kind of recreation...

I guess I was lucky my parents kept me relatively up to date with tech while I was still at school.

 

I'd explain how your studying could benefit from it - making music will increase and encourage your creativity, you'll be educating yourself in how pc's work. Your writing will improve as you won't be distracted by the tools you're using. With a bigger hard drive you could try multiple OS installs - broadening your knowledge and increasing your employability.

Can you afford to build a machine yourself? If you do work / make money / get an allowance - perhaps make a deal where you'll put X percentage into a savings account and spend X percentage on the machine - again teaching yourself about finances and also setting yourself up for the future as well as for now?

I'll assume you're still in school - do you do any courses where more advanced software would benefit? The ability to run Photoshop etc...?

Basically just try and link it back to self improvement as much as you possibly can. Even if it's just that keeping up to date with technology will benefit you in the long run when you come to get a job - if the only difference between you and another applicant is the fact that you know the latest OS inside out, and the other doesn't - guess who they'll go with...

RwD

 

So you're intellectually gifted, but can't come up with a decent argument to convince your father as to why he should spend a bunch of money on your new computer?

To be honest, we don't know anything about your father other than the fact that he seems like a reasonable guy. Without knowing anything about him, it will be hard to come up with an argument to convince him to buy you a new computer.

That said, I agree with the others. Assuming you are old enough, get a job and pay for it yourself. Bit-tech publishes a guide to help you identify inexpensive components to build a decent system. Use your intellect, apply some initiative, set a goal, and earn the money yourself. You'll value the system - and the achievement - more in the end.

 

How's that wrong? Your parents can't (or shouldn't) just take away something you earned yourself. However if the OP is just pestering his dad to buy him a new one as a present I can understand the dad saying no. Yes, you have to pick your fights carefully, so it depends what you value most. If a new computer is very important to you it is worth fighting for one. As said, this includes working for it first.

Let's be honest here: There are far worse things out there a kid can buy for his or her money than a computer.

 

Eat the CPU, then point out to your dad that the PC has died and that you need a new one desperately as your life depends on it. Remember to wipe off the T.I.M before you eat the CPU, unless you want to spend the next 3 days on the toilet.

 

Just kill it. Your Dad will have to buy a new one then. TBH... working with a computer that slow is not doing anyone, any good at all. Computers are supposed to make things easier, not cause you stress and take longer then they should.

 

Parents always want you to have better grades.. even if you have A+, your parents will push you to A++. Basically, you parents wants you to push yourself really hard, so that you get to do what you want to do without worries or have any closed doors due to grades, and be able to do higher studies with more ease.

What your father has wrong, is that playing games is just like watching TV or playing a board game, its mainly entertainment. Obviously, parents will tell you to read books instead. Another point, because games unlike TV is interactive, your brain is at work. Study shows, based on different game styles you play, it helps develop reflexes, puzzle solving skills, concentration in a motion (moving) environment, fine tune motor skills (same for typing a lot on your computer or programming).

The problem with computers, is that while your computer USED to be super fast (ignoring games), it's not anymore as you have the fact that software are continuously being more and more fancy, with more feature and better looking interfaces.. these eat system resources.
Back in the days of Windows 3.1 (or even DOS) It looked like crap (same for all other OS compared today), but it's not because we didn't have designers, but because developers are trying to save every resource to point of performing deep optimization, just to have something).

If you want to be in the middle ground. You can purchase a ION platform.
The performance is very low, faster than you have, Win7 64-bit ready and running smoothly (I have it for my motherboard computer, and confirm this), you can play HD 1080p videos without too much trouble, and you can play light games like minecraft, even StarCraft 2 at low settings. Mainly the CPU (dual core Atom 64-bit) limits everything, but the computer is about 300$, and is faster than you have, and support the latest devices and have a usable platform, without being a gaming rig.

 

Actually I've already been looking for a job, but in this case I already have the money I need for a pc.

Thanks for the valuable comment!

Thanks! I will try that!

Umm, I didn't say I couldn't find any arguments. Actually, I really have a whole list of them in my head but I was just wondering if you could find some I didn't come up with.

Maybe you understood wrong. I already have the money, he won't let me buy it.

 

What? They have no right to take away YOUR PROPERTY that you bought with the money that YOU earned. If my parents tried to pull that i'd call the police or punch them or something.

And what if you buy it anyways?

If i were you i'd show him how your current one hinders your productivity.

 

Hmm... Didn't think about that but it's an interesting solution. Thanks!

 

Wait until he's at work one day, then go out and buy it. Set it up, make it look good and install something on it your dad will appreciate. The latest C&C, perhaps something to help with your studies?

 

Personally I always pick my fights with my parents very carefully (actually I don't remember the last time I did), but my parents are quite lenient and they know that if I'm serious about something then it means a lot to me. I'm quite lucky because4 my parents are very hands off and realise that I'm my own person and I have benefitted experientially from some of the stuff they've supported (games programming, computer know-how, learning guitar, etc).

Also, you may say you lose hours and days from playing games but isn't that the point. It's a pass-time, there's no point spending your whole life being productive if you're not going to enjoy the benefits of being productive.

On topic though, that machine must be as slow as a tortoise junked up on weed, I certainly couldn't so anything productive on that.

 

I'd better buy a coffin too then...

 

Bulid a new one in the old case he will never know.

 

It works! It works! `Eurekas!