How to Restore an Old Single Core Computer

by Howard Fosdick  RexxInfo.org

New for 2025 ©

If you have a computer manufactured about 2010 or later that you want to restore, see my article entitled The Ultimate Guide to Refurbishing Computers.

Multicore processors power those computers. Properly restored, they can capably perform all the tasks of the typical home computer user.

But what if you have a really old computer gathering dust in your attic or basement? Like a Pentium 4 desktop or Pentium M laptop?

Yikes! Can you even do anything with a relic like that?

You sure can. This article explains how to restore old single core and early dual-core computers to useful life.

What You Can Do

For starters, you can learn about both hardware and software by refurbishing. And you could have some fun along the way. Whether you can make much use of the computer depends on your expectations.

Single core CPU computers are too old to satisfy most people as general purpose computers.

However, a single core computer can perform well for a specific purpose.

For example, I created a dandy retro gaming box that runs hundreds of old DOS games. At parties, it's the center of attention. People love it!

I'll show you how to set that up in this article.

My friend uses his Pentium 4 for running design spreadsheets in his workshop. He finds it convenient to have a dedicated machine tucked into a corner of his shop. He likes that he doesn't have to worry about heat or dust ruining an expensive modern computer.

My romance author acquaintance employs her Pentium M as a "novelist's workstation" lodged in her cozy attic hideaway. The laptop functions as her private word processor.

I've used old computers to teach beginners how to build and repair hardware. Old equipment fits the bill because it's expendable. If someone makes a mistake and fries a board, it doesn't much matter. (Contrast this to how you would feel if you wrecked your everyday computer!)

The web suggests many other potential uses for old Pentiums -- security cam monitors, network-attached storage (NAS) servers, SETI boxes, torrent servers, anonymous Tails servers, private VPNs, Bitcoin miners, programming workstations, thin clients, terminal emulators, routers, file servers, media servers, and more.

So, you can create something useful from an old computer, even as you have fun and learn a few things, too.

Best of all, you can usually get these computers for free (here's how!).

What They Don't Do

Before we delve into how to refurbish your old computer, let's be realistic about what they can not do.

P-4s and Ms are weak processors by current standards. They're over 20 years old.

Web surfing overwhelms them because webpage size and complexity have grown exponentially -- mainly due to all the ads and trackers corporations pile onto their webpages. Yet there are performance tricks I'll present later that help you access the web even with a single-core processor.

The poor electricity-to-performance ratios of old computers can make newer devices more attractive in terms of energy use, especially where a tablet or smartphone can fulfill your needs.

Finally, your old computer won't be able to perform tasks that require lots of processor and memory resources. Examples might be video editing and virtual machine hosting. Current computer games are out, too -- but don't worry, you can still play several thousand free older games, and I'll show you how.

Hardware Evolution

Okay, let's have some geeky fun by refurbishing your ancient single core computer!

For a quick level-set, this figure shows how computers have evolved. The generations overlap each other by a few years.

Dual-core processors entered the consumer market in about 2005 and displaced single core CPUs within a couple years. Dual cores had a heyday of about 5 years before multicore processors in turn replaced them.

P-4 and M class processors powered the last of the single core computers. Here are their more common incarnations, along with their AMD counterparts:

• Pentium 4  
• Pentium 4 HT (Hyper-Threading)
• Pentium 4 EE (Extreme Edition)
• AMD Athlon 64

• Pentium M
• Pentium 4-M  
• Mobile Pentium 4
• Mobile Pentium 4 HT

• Pentium D
• AMD Athlon 64 X2

(Dates are approximate. Sources: Wikipedia, CPU World, Revolvy)

For this article, I'll assume you have some version of what's in this table. Or you might have an equivalent Celeron processor from the same era.

The big draw of this old hardware is that you can get it for free. People consider it worthless junk. They'll be only too glad to give you their castoffs.

If you don't have a machine on hand, just ask your friends or family or co-workers. Or drop by the local recycling center. Post a plea on social media, Craigslist, or any of the many Freecyling websites.

See my article entitled How to Get a Free Computer to learn all the in's and out's about how to get good free computers.

If you go this route, be sure to pick up more than one machine. With old hardware, you often need to cannibalize parts from two or even three computers to build one good working one.

Don't forget to grab all the peripherals. For desktops, that includes the display, mouse, keyboard, speakers, microphone, headphones, two power cables, internal disk cables, power strip, etc.

For laptops, don't forget the matching power adapter! It's way easier to get the matching adapter with the laptop, rather than trying to find one later, because every manufacturer has their own proprietary design(s).

(Though if you really get stuck for an adapter, you can buy one online. You could even buy a so-called universal laptop adapter that works with most laptops. They're only about $20 USD.)

Prepare the Hardware

Before you can use your old computer, you must refurbish it. The first steps are:

1. Clean it
2. Identify what hardware you have
3. Verify the hardware works

Ensure the computer is turned OFF and that it is not plugged in. Then open up the box and cleaning out the dirt. Dust causes the heat that kills electronics. A can of compressed air helps. Or you can use a soft-bristle brush.

Always keep yourself grounded when touching the computer's insides so that you don't harm the electronics. Either touch the metal case before touching the computer's insides, or buy an anti-static wrist strap for under $10.

Don't rub anything with a cleaning rag! That could generate static, and even a shock you can't feel can damage computer circuitry.

While you've got the box open, learn everything you can about your hardware. Write it all down, so you remember it later:

• Count the total number of memory slots, and how many are open.
• Is the memory DDR or DDR2 or something else? Write down the RAM label(s) so you can look it up later.
• Read the hard drive label to learn its capacity, age, and type.
• Check the optical drive label to see what kinds of discs it reads and/or writes, at what speed, and to what standard(s).
• Note other peripherals, add-in cards, or anything unusual.

The Build

Okay, you've cleaned up your computer(s) and loose parts. Now it's time to build your machine.

If you have a couple discarded computers, this is the point at which you want to select the best one to be your "build box". The others can supply parts for your build box.

Your goal is to combine parts to create the most powerful computer possible for its era.

You'll want to ensure that everything is properly connected inside the computer you're building. With discarded computers, it's pretty common to find components that are not connected or are missing.

Memory

Install the most memory you can. Verify that you have all memory sticks properly seated.

If you need to see how to install memory, read this.

To learn about what memory is compatible, read this. Computers from the P-4/M era nearly always use either DDR or DDR2 memory sticks.

The Keyboard and Mouse

With modern desktops, you're probably used to mice and keyboards that connect to the computer by a USB port. Or perhaps you use a wireless mouse and keyboard.

Older computers sometimes use so-called PS/2 style plugs to connect the mouse and keyboard.

The photo shows how they look on the back of the computer. The mouse port is always green, and the keyboard port is always purple.

Don't accidentally plug the wrong device into the wrong port! The wrong ones will physically fit together but won't work. Also, be aware that you can buy a USB to PS/2 adapter for only a couple dollars.

These old computers will work fine whether you use USB or PS/2 plugs to attach the mouse and keyboard.

The Disk(s)

Check to see if all disks are properly connected. A disk drive will have two cables plugging into it.

One is a power cord connected from the power supply, while the other is a data transfer ribbon that attaches to the motherboard.

Your machine will almost certainly have an old IDE hard disk. The top part of the first photo shows how you connect a wide data transfer ribbon and white power plug to the back of the disk. The data ribbon connects to a matching slot on the motherboard, while the power plug connects to the computer's power supply. (For contrast, the photo shows a newer SATA drive on its bottom half.)

The second photo shows the back of the IDE drive. You can clearly see where the wide data transfer ribbon and white power plug fit into the back of the drive.

Notice the tiny little jumper pressed into the back of the drive. The jumper electrically connects two pins together on the back of the drive. Most drives have a diagram printed somewhere on them that tells you where to place the jumper.

The purpose of the jumper is to tell the computer how many drives on are the same data transfer ribbon. It also tells the processor the priority order of the disks.

If you have a single disk drive on the data ribbon, just leave the jumper alone. That will normally work. If not, set the jumper to MASTER or SINGLE DRIVE or DRIVE 0, as per the disk's pin diagram.

If you have more than one drive on the same data ribbon, you must set the jumpers on both drives to reflect this. You can usually just set both to CABLE SELECT (or CS). This leaves it up to the computer software to decide the ordering of the drives on their shared data cable.

If that doesn't work, set one drive to MASTER and the second to SLAVE. Always make your primary hard disk the MASTER. Any other drive on that data ribbon should be marked as SLAVE.

CD and DVD Players

Computers of this vintage commonly have either CD-ROM or DVD drives. They connect in exactly the same way as the IDE disk drive, with the same two connectors and the jumper.

The label on the CD/DVD player will tell you whether it's for CDs, DVDs, or both, and for what disc standards. The label also declares whether it's writeable or read only.

Do you want to keep the old CD or DVD player? It's something to think about.

Most people today use USB memory sticks (aka thumb drives) instead. They hold more data, transfer data faster, and are more reliable.

But the CD/DVD player could still be useful if you have old discs to play, in your music or video collection. Or, if it's writeable, you may wish to use it as a backup media.

Your Booting and Storage Strategy

Thus far we've assumed you have a hard disk drive (HDD). And perhaps a CD or DVD player.

Your computer requires a writeable storage medium like an HDD for three reasons:

1. To boot from
2. To store the operating system and your applications
3. To store your data

What if you don't have a disk drive? You could scrounge one from another discarded computer. Or, you could buy one. New and used IDE disks are still available.

A newer SATA drive won't work. Pre-SATA computers don't have the firmware or hardware to support them. There are some SATA-to-IDE conversion kits you can buy, but research any option carefully first to ensure it will work with your computer.

Go Diskless -- Use USB Thumb Drives

Another option is not to have a hard disk at all. Instead, boot and run from a USB memory stick as your primary storage device. In this case, you need to ensure your computer will boot from the USB -- some older computers cannot.

To determine whether your computer will boot off the USB stick, enter its Configuration Panels, as we describe in the next section, to verify that the computer will boot from a USB port. Then test this to ensure it really works.

If you go the USB route, you'll want to make sure that the USB thumb drive has enough storage capacity for your needs. Remember, it's got to contain your operating system, your apps, and your data.

You might want to use a pair of USB sticks. Put your OS and apps on one, and use the other for storing your data.

If your USB drive seems slow, read this to learn about the various generations of USB ports and the dramatic differences in data transfer speeds between them.

Boot into the Configuration Panels

Okay, is everything connected? Close and boot the machine into its boot-time Configuration panels. (These are also called the Startup panels or the BIOS. You may hear them called the UEFI in newer computers.)

You access the Configuration panels by pressing a specific key when the computer boots. This list tells you which key to hit, depending on your brand of computer.

By inspecting the configuration panels, you can complete your hardware identification by rounding out the details on your processor, memory, video memory, and more. You can also run diagnostics from there to verify your hardware.

If the computer is capable of booting from a USB memory stick, you can set that option in the Configuration panels.

What if your computer won't start up at all? My free How to Guide for Fixing Hardware gives you a methodology to identify and fix any problem.

Verify the Hardware

Once your system boots, you'll want verify that it all works. Test:

• CPU and Motherboard
• Memory
• Disks
• Fans (especially for laptops!)
• Peripherals (optical drive, USB ports, sound, microphone, mouse, keyboard, etc.)

Run any diagnostic tests in the computer's boot or BIOS panels. Most -- but not all -- computers offer these.

Free resource kits like Hiren's BootCD or the Ultimate Boot CD can round out your testing with any diagnostics your boot panels lack. These kits offer dozens of free testing programs. You can boot them off a live USB or bootable DVD so that you don't have to install anything on the computer.

(Here's how to create a live USB. Here's how how to create a Live CD or DVD.)

Be sure to run the "extended" or long tests for the memory and disk drive. Run tests overnight if you have to. Do this job right! If you miss a problem now, it could cause you big headaches later.

If you find a problem, use the How to Guide for Fixing Hardware to solve it. The free guide covers all common problems.

Erase the Disk(s)

Assuming you've decided to reuse an existing disk, you have to prepare it for use by completely erasing everything on it. This is vital because you don't know what's on there, and you could be held responsible for it someday.

For example, the disk could contain illegally pirated software, stolen films, hacked data, underage pornography, or literally anything.

Do not try to save the old Windows software on the disk! You want to run a modern, currently-supported operating system, not an obsolete one vulnerable to viruses and malware. Plus, only by erasing the entire disk can you be certain that you've got nothing bad left on there.

To erase the hard disk drive, download and run a free tool like DBAN or a competitor. The testing packages mentioned previously -- Ultimate Boot CD and Hiren's Boot CD -- both contain DBAN and other disk wiping tools.

These programs overwrite the entire disk and thereby destroy all its data. Most of them do not require an operating system to run. They boot as a Live USB or as a Live CD/DVD disc.

Disk wiping programs usually have options for either light wiping (faster) or more thorough wiping (slower). To ensure the data is truly unretrievable, use the thorough settings. This often runs for hours -- it depends on your disk's size and speed. You may find it convenient to run a thorough wipe overnight.

Essential Hardware Upgrades

Congratulations. You've built a solid, working computer. Now, you'll want to make two key hardware upgrades.

1. Increase memory to the computer's maximum.

With a single core computer, the more memory it has, the better it will perform and the happier you'll be. The maximum allowable memory varies by the machine. The great majority of Pentium 4s and Ms will upgrade to a maximum of 4 GB.

To give you a level-set on how much memory you need... The practical minimum to run many lightweight Linux distros is 1 gigabyte. 2 GB or more is recommended. And when you web surf, 4 GB works best.

You can find the maximum allowable memory for your computer with a quick web search for its specifications.

Or, issue these line commands to a Linux terminal:

dmidecode -t memory | grep -i size    # lists each memory stick and its capacity, tells you if there are any open slots left
dmidecode -t memory | grep -i max     # tells you the computer's maximum allowable memory

2. Add a video card, if you have a desktop that doesn't already have one.

This offloads graphics processing from the motherboard to the video card and increases the computer's video memory. Bumping up the VRAM from 32 or 64 MB to 256 MB or more greatly increases the range of applications an old computer can run. Especially if you want to run old games.

Be sure the video card physically fits your computer's video slot (AGP, PCI, or PCI-Express) and has the right cable connector (VGA or DVI). You can issue a couple of Linux line commands to see how much VRAM your system has. Or, look in the BIOS boot panels.

These two simple upgrade hacks — increasing memory and video power — take a marginal machine and make it way more functional. Your goal is to build the most powerful P-4 or M ever. That way, you can squeeze the most performance from this aging design.

The good news is that with the old computers we're talking about, you can get any parts you need for free. Just cannibalize them from other discarded PC's.

See this article for how to get free computer parts.

Select the Software

Choosing the right software for a P-4 or M is critical.

Don't use an unsupported Windows version just because it's already on the PC! Malware will plague you if you do. A fresh operating system install is mandatory.

Open source software is the way to go. Many Linux distributions are specifically designed for older computers, whereas Windows is purposely designed not to run on older computers.

And with Linux, you can install, move, copy, and clone the operating system and its apps at will. This makes your job easier: You won't run into activation key or licensing issues. And it's all free!

Which Linux distribution should you pick?

Lightweight Linuxes

Assuming you have at least 2 GB of memory, start your search by trying a lightweight distribution. These feature resource-stingy desktop environments like Xfce or LXQt.

Desktop environments that consume more computer resources or produce fancier graphics won't perform well. Products like Unity, GNOME, KDE, MATE, and Cinnamon fall into this category.

The lightweight Linux distros I've enjoyed success with are Mint/Xfce, Xubuntu, and Lubuntu. The first two use Xfce while Lubuntu employs LXQt. Here's a list of many other lightweight Linuxes you can try.

Download the 32-bit version of the operating system if you have less than 4 GB of memory. Download the 64-bit version if you have 4 GB or more.

The lightweight Linux distros I've cited offer friendly menus and feature huge software repositories backed by active forums. They'll enable your old computer to do everything it's capable of.

If one of these products runs well on your computer and you like it, great! You've found your distro.

But if they won't run well on your computer, or won't boot, or your computer has less than 2 GB of memory, try an ultra-lightweight Linux.

Ultra-lightweight Linuxes

Ultralights reduce resource use by replacing full desktop environments with window managers. Window managers use fewer resources. The trade-off is that they're less flexible. As an example, you may have to dip into code to alter your desktop or taskbar icons.

antiX is an excellent ultralight Linux distribution. It offers a no-hassles install, and runs well on machines with only one gigabyte of memory. I've had good results installing it on a variety of old Pentiums.

Puppy Linux is another great option. It comes in several variants that run well on Pentium 4's and M's with only 1 GB of memory. Puppy's big draw is that it has versions designed specifically for older computers. This means you'll avoid the hassles you might run into with other distros.

For example, Puppy versions run on old CPUs that don't support features like PAE or SSE3. They'll even help you run an older kernel or obsolete bootstrap program if your hardware requires it.

Both antiX and Puppy run fast on limited-resource computers. In addition to their lightweight GUIs, they bundle a full range of apps that have been carefully selected to use minimal hardware resources.

They can even optimize performance by loading the operating system entirely into memory. This really boosts speed if your operating system and apps reside on an old IDE hard disk, a DVD player, or slow USB thumb drive.

If you're a techie and prefer to "roll your own Linux", try Tiny Core Linux. With Tiny Core, you install only the software components you want. So you build up your environment from the absolute minimum.

This takes some time but results in a lean, mean system. Tiny Core is perfect for creating a dedicated server. It's a great learning tool, too. Check out their free eBook available at their website.

A Caution

Many distros casually claim that they run on "old computers" when what they really mean is that they run on limited-resource computers.

There's a big difference. Old computers sometimes do not support all the CPU features required by newer operating systems. Avoid problems by selecting a Linux proven to run on your hardware.

Don't know if a distro will run on your box? Save yourself some time by posting a message on the distro's forum and asking for responses from folks using hardware like yours. Be sure to list what hardware you've got in your post.

You should see some success stories posted in response. If nobody can say they've done what you're trying to do, I'd avoid that product.

How to Use Your Refurbished Computer

Will you be happy using your restored PC? It depends on what you expect.

People who use aging systems learn to leverage minimal resources. For example, they run resource-stingy programs like GNOME Office in place of LibreOffice. They forgo CPU-intense programs like graphics-heavy apps, video processing, virtual machine hosting, and the like.

They focus on one task at a time. They don't expect much concurrency. And they know how to manage machine resources proactively.

Old hardware can perform well in dedicated situations. Earlier, I mentioned my friends who use their old computers for design spreadsheets and as a writer's workbench.

I wrote this article on my personal retro box — a Dell GX280 desktop with a Pentium 4 at 3.2 GHz, 3 GB DDR-2 memory, two 40 GB IDE disks, dual-booting antiX and Puppy. It runs word processors, spreadsheets, and the like, and it makes one heck of a retro gaming box. It's one big limitation is that it's inadequate for modern web surfing.

The computer is over 20 years old, yet it's still useful in its niche with the proper care and setup.

Create a Retro Game Box

Here's how I created a fantastic free retro game box. Just be sure you've maxed out system memory and added a good video card for the best results.

First, install an appropriate lean distro, like antiX or Puppy.

Then install DOSBox, which supports thousands of DOS games.

Check out these huge free repositories of DOS games:

• DOS Games Archive
• DosGames.com
• Internet Archive
• AbandonWare.com

You might also try Wine, a program designed to run Windows software on Linux. With it you can run many old Windows XP, ME/98/95, and 3.1 games. (The oldest computer I've run Wine on is 15 years old, so if you try it on a single processor drop me a line to share your results.)

Accessing the Web

The big challenge with old computers is web surfing.

At many websites, the resources required to run ads and trackers are far greater than that required for the actual website content. Ads can overwhelm old CPUs.

Here are the performance tricks you need to know if you web surf with an older computer:

• Run the fastest, lightest browser possible. Try lightweight browsers like Dillo, NetSurf, Dooble, Lynx, or Links.
• Here's a complete list of minimalist browsers you can experiment with.
• Run only a single browser at once.
• Don't open many browser tabs.
• Actively manage your browser by manually starting and stopping processing in specific tabs. For example, have a background tab load your next webpage while you're reading the panel in the foreground tab.
• Block ads and trackers:
  • Offload this chore to your virtual private network (VPN) if at all possible.
  • Otherwise, use a browser extension.
• Don't slow down your browser by installing add-ons or extensions beyond the minimum required.
• Disable autoplay for videos, animation, and flash.
• Toggle JavaScript OFF and ON. Only turn it ON when it's required.
• Ensure the browser renders text before graphics.
• Don't run background tasks while web surfing.
• Set the browser to clear cookies and cache upon shutdown. These ensures more efficient operation.
• Linux means you don't have to run real-time anti-malware (which consumes an entire CPU thread on multicore Windows PCs).

Employing these tricks, I find refurbished dual-core computers fully adequate for my web surfing. But single core processors are insufficient -- they're fine for web lookup but underpowered for web surfing.

That's just my opinion. Yours may vary depending on your expectations and the nature of your web activity.

Enjoy Free Educational Fun

However you use your refurbished P-4 or M, you'll know a lot more about computer hardware and open source software than when you started.

If you're lucky, it won't cost you a penny to get a useful computer... and you'll certainly have some fun along the way!

Related Articles

You may also be interested in --

Linux articles --

Other topics --

No Warranty