Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

Scandy · 2016-03-08 13:38:02

Hi,
I'd like to build a PC with some "spare parts", dedicated to BubsenLabs (in dual boot with FreeDOS for some vintage gaming).
Here there are the possible specs:

- Motherboard ASUS P4PE-X-TE
- Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz
- 2 Gb RAM (or more, if supported)
- Nvidia GeForce 6200 AGP 256 Mb DDR2
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2

How BunsenLabs will perform with this hardware?
It has sense to spend 10 € for a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 on Linux? Will it make some difference in terms of audio quality instead of integrated AC97?

I plan to use this set-up for web browsing and playing some old school classics like DOOM 2 and Quake 1.
Thank you!

nobody · 2016-03-08 13:56:56

Scandy wrote:

Hi,
I'd like to build a PC with some "spare parts", dedicated to BubsenLabs (in dual boot with FreeDOS for some vintage gaming).
Here there are the possible specs:
- Motherboard ASUS P4PE-X-TE
- Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz
- 2 Gb RAM (or more, if supported)
- Nvidia GeForce 6200 AGP 256 Mb DDR2
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2
How BunsenLabs will perform with this hardware?
It has sense to spend 10 € for a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 on Linux? Will it make some difference in terms of audio quality instead of integrated AC97?
I plan to use this set-up for web browsing and playing some old school classics like DOOM 2 and Quake 1.
Thank you!

That's plenty. Is the P4 a 32bit-only processor? If yes: <=4G of RAM. The audigy might have a better-sounding DAC or might not; it definitely has more capabilities/pins and could be more fun to play with (last time I had an external soundcard? 1995–some ISA sound card). I'd take the Audigy...but only if the rest of the stuff is free, because that's decade-old hardware. They should pay you to take that stuff. To be honest, I'd pay 5€ max for everything with self-pickup. You would fetch a better price/quality ratio with more modern hardware IMO, if that's what you're after.

Scandy · 2016-03-10 06:45:58

Thank you.
A couple of questions:

- actually I'm using this hardware with a Radeon card. When I'll switch to Nvidia, what kind of software-side operations should I execute to remove Radeon drivers and install Nvidia drivers cleanly?

- I'd like to dual-boot with FreeDOS: could you help me to prepare a partition without losing what I have? (I need a quick tutorial here...)

- there's a software utility that lists PC components installed and recognized, check RAM and processor speed etc.?

Thank you!

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-03-10 08:04:07

Scandy wrote:

- actually I'm using this hardware with a Radeon card. When I'll switch to Nvidia, what kind of software-side operations should I execute to remove Radeon drivers and install Nvidia drivers cleanly?

You don't have to remove the AMD drivers, the switch will be made automatically by udev

Scandy wrote:

- I'd like to dual-boot with FreeDOS: could you help me to prepare a partition without losing what I have?

Load up the BunsenLabs live session (from the ISO image) and use gparted to shrink you main partition and create a new one.

Scandy wrote:

- there's a software utility that lists PC components installed and recognized, check RAM and processor speed etc.?

Try inxi or hardinfo.

Or look in /proc

Scandy · 2016-03-10 08:10:14

Thanks!

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-03-10 08:17:08

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Scandy wrote:
- actually I'm using this hardware with a Radeon card. When I'll switch to Nvidia, what kind of software-side operations should I execute to remove Radeon drivers and install Nvidia drivers cleanly?
You don't have to remove the AMD drivers, the switch will be made automatically by udev

Just to clarify this bit: if you are using the non-proprietary (xserver-xorg-video-ati) drivers and are switching to the nouveau (NVIDIA) drivers then everything should be handled automatically by the X server.

If you are using the non-free fglrx drivers then you will need to remove the xorg configuration file that was created (X does not autodetect non-free drivers).

pvsage · 2016-03-10 08:19:52

What you have may be "decade-old hardware" as nobody said, but it's not a potato by any means.

Scandy wrote:

It has sense to spend 10 € for a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 on Linux? Will it make some difference in terms of audio quality instead of integrated AC97?

The Audigy might have a -10dB lower noise floor, but you probably aren't going to notice it over your CPU, PSU, and case fans. Maybe if you were to crank a recording of "Neptune" recorded at very low levels, but even then...no, I'd stick with the on-board audio unless you're planning on using the machine for music production, in which case you'd want something higher-end than an Audigy.

Last edited by pvsage (2016-03-10 08:23:40)

Scandy · 2016-03-10 13:25:57

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Just to clarify this bit: if you are using the non-proprietary (xserver-xorg-video-ati) drivers and are switching to the nouveau (NVIDIA) drivers then everything should be handled automatically by the X server.
If you are using the non-free fglrx drivers then you will need to remove the xorg configuration file that was created (X does not autodetect non-free drivers).

For AMD/ATi, I'm using default drivers installed by BunsenLabs, how can I check?

When I will install the Nvidia GPU, which are the best performing drivers? (and should I install those manually?)

pvsage wrote:

The Audigy might have a -10dB lower noise floor...

So audio quality for Audigy is only in terms of noise floor?

Thank you for your patience!

Last edited by Scandy (2016-03-10 13:27:28)

damo · 2016-03-10 13:38:38

For nvidia, you can install `nvidia-detect` and then install the driver from the repos (but the `nouveau` driver is often adequate).

There is a Debian wiki page specifically for nvidia: https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

If all else fails you could try using smxi/sgfxi:, but then you would have to manually rebuild the driver and xorg.conf after kernel upgrades.

pvsage · 2016-03-10 14:25:40

Scandy wrote:

pvsage wrote:
The Audigy might have a -10dB lower noise floor...
So audio quality for Audigy is only in terms of noise floor?

Yes. At worst, the onboard audio might pick a wee bit of noise from the southbridge accessing drives via capacitive coupling between traces on the motherboard. At the absolute worst, this tends to be -10dB (typically much less) over the digital analog converter (DAC) filter's threshold noise. If you had an absolutely silent system or were listening on headphones or in-ear monitors, you might notice a little clicking when you aren't playing any music or watching a film.

EDIT: To be perfectly clear, sound cards in general doesn't have any special audio decoders that will surpass the standard software codecs (again, assuming you aren't mixing multiple channels through Jackd for your new album drop). It's only when mixing down something like DJ Schmolli's "Rock of Ages" that hardware encoding/decoding becomes a factor in modern operating systems.

Last edited by pvsage (2016-03-10 14:42:27)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-03-10 18:47:27

Scandy wrote:

default drivers installed by BunsenLabs

You're using the non-proprietary version so don't worry about it.

Scandy wrote:

When I will install the Nvidia GPU, which are the best performing drivers? (and should I install those manually?)

Just stick with nouveau unless you have any problems.

#1 2016-03-08 13:38:02

Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#2 2016-03-08 13:56:56

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#3 2016-03-10 06:45:58

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#4 2016-03-10 08:04:07

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#5 2016-03-10 08:10:14

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#6 2016-03-10 08:17:08

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#7 2016-03-10 08:19:52

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#8 2016-03-10 13:25:57

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#9 2016-03-10 13:38:38

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#10 2016-03-10 14:25:40

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

#11 2016-03-10 18:47:27

Re: Will this hardware set-up be OK for BunsenLabs?

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