4G users: what computer set ups do you have?

[Mayo]

I should be receiving my 4G board tomorrow and I'm wondering what computer I should use since I have two to choose from.
My existing PRT set up has been running on an OLD computer with Win98!
When the new 4G gets here (like Quinn the Eskimo) everyone's gonna jump for joy! But I know it won't run on that old computer.

Will this one work good?
I have an HP Vista computer that has an AMD 64X2 dual core 5000+ processor which runs at 2.6 Ghz and has 3 gigs of ram. It's a 32 bit operating system. The video card has 128 megs of ram - it's the nVidia GE Force 6150 SE nForce 430. I have 262 gigs free hard drive space. I tried putting black viper settings on it but I don't think I did it correctly because it still takes forever to boot up. It's not connected to the internet but it can be when necessary. I sometimes get weird video issues in Corel X5 and Trotec Job Control 10.2

My other option which I prefer not to use because it's located in my home and it's set up for audio recording, is a Dell Win 7 Pro computer with a core i3 550 running at 3.2Ghz and has 6 gigs of ram. It has a 64 bit operating system. Graphics is built in Intel HD Graphics with 1696 megs max. graphics memory. There's 567 gigs free space on the hard drive. If there will be a noticeable improvement over the Vista computer (apart from the boot up time) then I can move this computer into the garage/shop.

What are you 4G users using for computing power?

[barrowj]

Mayo,

I was running a Dell 755 Vista and had many communications errors so I swapped it out for one of my HP xw4600 quad core 3ghz w/8gig memory and Win7. Bought a new heavy duty usb cord and upgraded my 4g (which was a 2005 model) with the new communications card and now I have now issues.

Joe

[tlempicke]

I went to see my Uncle Sammy and bought the cheapest laptop that had a screen I could read. It came with Windows something or other on it. I connected it, have never, ever. allowed it on the internet, and it has never, ever, had any sort of a problem running either of my two machines.
I figure this has cost me about ten cents per hour for the time saved and the hair pulling I have not had to do.
Oh, if only Shopbot would write for Apple!!!! How many hundreds of thousands of hours would that have saved over the years!

[Brady Watson]

There are bargains to be had via Craigslist and Refurbs from NewEgg. My DT runs off of a IBM ThinkCenter 2 GHz with 2 GB RAM perfectly. It cost me a whopping $95 a year or two ago from NewEgg with warranty. I've got a 4G running off of another IBM refurb - with USB 2.0 PCI card + USB hub it will jog up to 16 IPS...but I set JS down to 8-10 IPS to be nice to the gearboxes.

The computer should have NOTHING on it. As in, SB3 and if you think you need it, PartWorks/VCP. ArtCAM should not be installed on it. PartWizard OK. There should be absolutely nothing else on it. Auto Updates should be turned off via Services (along with all the other nonsense) and virus software removed - along with any Windows/MS service etc that wants to play antivirus too. Yank them all out. Lean & mean = reliable and you get to keep more hair.

You may need a USB 2.0 self powered hub. Although the newer versions of SB3 sometimes reduce the need for one. Try to avoid Dell. They make sub-par USB hardware on most models. You will be hard pressed these days to find a computer with XP on it...so shoot for one with Win7. Make sure it has USB 2.0 ports on it & avoid the blue SS 3.0 ports.

-B

[jerry_stanek]

I picked up a refurbished HP from Micro Center for my first one and never had a problem so I ended up getting another for my newer shopbot and again no problem. For the second one I had a Dell 745 that I tried and had nothing but problems so that is why I got the HP. Dell kept losing connection. This is one of the HPs that I got

http://www.microcenter.com/product/435340/DC5700_Desktop_Computer_Off_Lease_Refurbished

[danhamm]

I to get the refurbished, have 2 Lenova's core2duo and 2 thinkpads core2's

running 2 lasers and 2 cnc's all 4 from staples under 400.bucks all running win7 32