I have been experimenting with using a few different Linux live CDs to bring a 1.3 ghz (Celeron) Fujitsu-Siemens Scenic T new life. I've added a DVD writer, a graphics card, USB 2 ports and doubled the RAM to 512 mb. For most things it works very well, but it has trouble dealing with Flashplayer videos. I've looked at the System Monitor that comes with Mandriva 2009, the version of Linux I'm currently using, and it is the CPU rather than the RAM that is being taxed (maybe because the 256 mb RAM in the nVidia graphics card is helping). Only half the RAM is being used, but about 85-92% of the CPU.
I've looked at .pdf files on this machine and its motherboard and I see that at that time it had a 1.2 ghz processor. I see from the .pdf that changing the processor is physically a simple job. Would this machine take a 1.6 ghz processor, and ideally what am I looking for if so? (I looked at eBay and was bewildered by numbers and letters.) I'm not very technical; what I have done has involved reading up and frowning....
I know there are 'lighter' versions of Linux, but it just turns out that Mandriva is the one that works with my graphics card and Vodafone Mobile Broadband, after trying out around twenty live CDs. Because it works perfectly offline the others don't provide any advantage.
I have a fairly new laptop for the heavy-duty stuff but I've found souping-up this machine interesting and sort of fun. it was bought primarily to write a novel on, but I like the ecological aspect of not just letting these older machines end up in landfill when Linux works so well with them.
If it has the best processor it can take, is there anything else I can try - I have yet to look into 'over-clocking' if that's relevant. I saw that there is a jumper setting for making the machine work with 133 mhz RAM, 100 mhz being the default. I have yet to check it has the setting in place, but I don't suppose it'd make much difference.
Thanks in advance for any facts and advice.