Creating a Windows XP gaming PC?
Creating a Windows XP gaming PC?
I'm not entirely clear on why someone would hesitate to use a hard drive. This technology is dependable and can last for many years. I've relied on them for over three decades and only once experienced a total failure. That happened when I improperly stored them in a cold garage during a winter with temperatures dropping below -35 degrees. My computer usage wasn't very intensive, so the long lifespan didn't surprise me much. However, one model I can confidently say was used consistently. In 2007, I created a small system using two 160GB Seagate drives in a RAID1 setup for a point-of-sale machine in our family's shop. These drives operated continuously for 14 years before I had to replace them when the store closed.
Now, if OP is thinking about purchasing an old and used HDD, that's a different matter. But a modern high-performance WD Black should perform reliably for a long time.
I also observe that with the upcoming RAM and video RAM plans, a standard 32-bit Windows XP would suffice, provided it includes Service Pack 3.
OP mentioned a Dell Dimension 2400 motherboard, which is PATA/IDE only.
I also don't think an IDE "WD Black 500GB 10000rpm" exists either. AFAIK it was only SATA Velociraptors that had 10000rpm.
Ah! Now I understand! OP is highly unlikely to come across an IDE Hard Drive of that size (500 GB) in new condition. It should be possible to find a drive with a SATA connection like that. However, OP mentions he intends to purchase a Dell Dimension 2400 motherboard featuring only IDE ports.
I strongly recommend considering another motherboard option. When I assembled my desktop back in 2006, I used an ASUS board that supported Floppy, IDE (PATA), and SATA drives. I installed a 3½" floppy drive, two optical drives, and two 320 GB SATA HDDs. I also added an external 500 GB SATA drive inside a case equipped with a Firewire 400 interface card for backups. The operating system was Win XP SP2 with 32-bit addressing for HDDs, allowing those drives to function. Although the OS didn’t include AHCI drivers, I utilized the BIOS setting to switch SATA ports into IDE Emulation mode. I ran that setup for about 15 years.
I once owned a Gigabyte P55 chipset motherboard with WinXP drivers. It had an LGA1156 socket, supporting the first generation Nehalem i5/i7 processors. Running XP would definitely impress you. This impressive motherboard includes every modern and older port—IDE, SATA, parallel/serial, USB, PCI, DDR3 RAM, even Win2000 support… I’m starting to wish I hadn’t discarded it. Consider getting one!