If it does the job decently then Pentium 4 is okay. But the speed advantage on a modern dual/quad core machine is significant, a generational difference. Windows XP will be supported until April 2014 and you probably can use it for at least a couple more years after that. Windows 7 really does not offer critical advantage but it does use more resources. And I wouldn't suggest upgrading to Windows 8 as it comes out, the first decent version is generally Service Pack 1 as with the initial release they bundle bugs and faulty drivers with it, so you'd spend your time searching for working drivers and finding workarounds for the bugs.
Yes you should replace that 6 year old computer. You don't need an i7 but an i3 or i5 would be good. 4GB minimum on the RAM (8-12GB at the most), and the HDD would be up to you (all depends on how much you think you'd use) but you don't need a solid state HDD (a normal 7200 RPM will be just fine). A dedicated video card is also a must if you're trading with multiple monitors. Unless you plan on gaming I wouldn't spend too much on the video card ($200 max). Yes get windows 7. Sure you can get buy with XP but windows 7 is IMO the best OS microsoft has ever put out and XP is starting to become so old it's not even listed on some of the minimum requirements for certain software now. Overall you'd be looking at spending about $1,000 for a decent trading setup (computer only). If you're looking to buy something name brand (like dell or HP) then only look to be spending about $1,200 and just configure what you need (dual graphic ports for monitors, HDD size, etc.).
What is it about computers that makes people want to utilize them after their day is done? The technology that you will be purchasing (hardware and operating system) for not all that much more than the gut renovation you will need to keep your old machine is both better and a better deal. Give it up. Buy a new machine and replace those jeans that are now more patches than jeans. But, even if you keep the jeans, get the new box!!
I did a whole bunch of right-click on "quote" and open in new window so I've lost track of order - sorry if this is a bit choppy. You are welcome! I think that if you noticed a BIG difference from that adjustment you are probably running out of memory or your CPU can't keep up. I assume you have XP 32-bit which means memory is the most likely issue. A clean format/re-install will be a bit better but outside that you are going to be hard pressed to notice an additional difference in performance. What you did by making that change is tell your computer to store more short-term information on the hard-drive vs. keep it in the system RAM (memory). By using your HDD for short term memory purposes (cache) you free up more memory (RAM) to be used by applications. This is normal in older machines but given that you have a P4 CPU you are approaching the limits of your machine. Normally the bottleneck in a computer is the Front Side Bus (FSB) the controller that talks between the CPU and the memory. The big difference that you noticed tells me that your FSB was either maxed out or that your memory was full. To fix that you need either more memory or a faster FSB. More memory is pretty cheap - pull a stick and then start searching eBay (or PM me a picture and I'll tell you what to look for) or you need a new motherboard. This slowness isn't related to your CPU at all - it's related to your memory and your FSB and/or memory controller. If that worked and everything is fine I'd suggest buying some air-in-a-can and opening up your machine. Blow out all the crap and dust inside there so it can cool properly. You'll see what I mean once you get in there and it'll really make a difference with cooling your CPU and other stuff. Most people buy computers that are way overkill for their needs and then they sit on them FOREVER until they are so old/obsolete that they are forced to upgrade. It's akin to buying a brand new Porsche and then using it as a daily-driver that you'll "have forever" and "drive into the ground". There may be only a handfull of days in most people's lives that driving a Porsche 911 is going to be appropriate - the vast majority of the time it'll be way overkill, not appropriate for the task at hand, old & beat up, broken and not working properly, etc. Same can be said if you go out and buy a brand new Ford F350 dually truck - $70k worth of badass and if I won the lottery I'd go out and buy one tomorrow... but they are pretty hard to parallel park and the fuel mileage will get to you. How often would either a Porsche 911 or a F350 dually "come in handy" on your drive to work or to pick up the kids from daycare? Not sure how old you are - but my parents hung on to those Lacoste hand-me-downs we got from my cousins in the 80's... they go for a PREMIUM on eBay these days. (regarding hanging on to those old jeans) The mentality about owning a trading computer (TRADING COMPUTER NOT HOME PC) should be that of a lease on a car - but not a new lease a CPO (certified pre-owned). You don't need the brand-new BMW but a 2009 or 2010 is still pretty awesome... however in a few years you'll be pushing 100k miles, stuff will start to get out of warranty and things will break and/or need maintenance. At that time you own an old car - and you can choose to "make due" and own the responsibility of maintenance & upgrades associated with an older car or simply turn it in for a newer version of exactly the same car. Think of computers this same way. Stop over-paying for a top-of-the-line POS that you don't even need and get something appropriate - and then be fully prepared to dump it in a few years (or shift it down your inventory) for something more appropriate for your needs. A Pentium 4 machine is still a GREAT internet computer / home PC - probably not the best trading computer and upgrading to W7 isn't going to do anything except frustrate the end-user (that's prob not a 64-bit CPU). For reference, some of the "fastest" HFT machines that I provide to traders in a co-located datacenter are simple Intel Atom D525@ 1.8ghz (over-clocked to 2.0 or 2.2ghz) machines that run Ubuntu Server LTS. Dual-core + hyperthread + 4GB of RAM = a modern version of a P4 and that's all they need to trade 6-12million shares a day on that little Intel Atom server. 6-12 million shares per day is 250-500 shares per second - so don't underestimate a P4 machine. I just posted a machine in the for sale section that I'm looking to get $850-$900 for and I'm embarrassed to ask that much even though it's worth $1,200. I have sold over 40 machines in the last six months all less than $510 (shipped) to traders and each of those machines will crush any i7 CPU on the market. Your budget is off and your thought process is off. Think about it this way - if you drove a tow truck for a living would you just go out and buy an "off the shelf" machine or would you understand what's under the hood? You need to understand cars & light trucks to operate a tow truck. We rely on these machines/computers to earn us a living so you should have a similar basic understanding of the market. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not serious. For what it's worth - I NEVER ship a machine fully assembled. (anyone who has bought knows that I've sent the "rest of the parts" in a separate box) I do this on purpose because it allows the end-user a safety net to be on the phone with me as they open the case and install the last part(s) (usually RAM or a video card). From then on they aren't scared about going in there and it's a whole new world. The best emails I ever get are questions about upgrades or configurations from past clients who are doing it on their own the next time. This needs to be a user-friendly appliance that you understand. If you click that mouse every day to earn your living you better know what it's attached to and how that stuff operates. Think about a cop not knowing how to clean a gun. I can deliver 3 amazing trading computers shipped for $1,200. I'm not trying to post up a sales pitch but the budgets are way off here. I find that W7x64 uses almost the same exact amount of system resources as XP64 does - except XP64 is a royal pain in the ass. W7 is hot and they got it right. It's equally as good as XP (or better) and uses the same amount of system resources (or less) as long as you know what to turn on/off. W8 seems to be W7 with a bunch of iPad crap added in... W7 is the new XP, W8 is the new Vista. W8 Server however is amazing so I'm simply confused with MSFT.
Ditto. Koblenz makes a small canister vac which has a "reverse" port to blow instead of suck. A modest amount of dust won't harm things but when dust piles up, so does heat. Mark your calendar for about a 6-month blow out, and your rig will keep humming along.
i do that every six month with very powerful vac. blow everything out . grab some plastic fork or something to hold fans fins,while you blow on them. take the rig outside on some warm sunny day,cause there will be a dust storm and you don't want that in your trading room