Hi guys.

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to PC components. I was wondering if there is anyway I can check what processor a PC has without turning it on?

I was given two PC's and I need to choose the better one, all I know so far is they both have an Asus motherboard with 2GB DDR-3 ram and both have a 500GB hardrive.

The first one has a P5G41T-M LX Asus motherboard and the second one has a P5G41T-M LX2/GB motherboard.  Is that even significant?

Any other adivce you guys can give me? Or will I have to turn them both on to check?

Cheers.

Go into this thread, Im sure somebody in there can help you

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=156631&page=6#4

Hey CGI thanks for the reply. I realise now that the fan was in the way (it sits right on top of it) :P I removed the fan but there's some thermal paste or something covering the top of the CPU so I can't read anything off it. I flipped it out but there's nothing on the underside either. Guess I'll have to plug them in?

Neither of the PC's have an OS installed actually they were used as printing servers. I'm weighing up the cost of buying a windows (7!) licence and some other components (maybe a cheap graphics card to play lol) or just getting a new PC with everything on it. It's really just a cheap computer for general use, gaming isn't a priority at all. 

Also, I only need one of the computers so I can take the ram from one and add it to the other right?

Is there a serial number on the CPU?

If it's just an internet/email/printing/light office PC then you could try Linux.

The BIOS screen of the motherboard should say the CPU type without an OS installed.

As you've found out, you can't that easily. I'm surprised you bothered to even remove the fan, and then the CPU from it's socket. You could remove the thermal paste as the final step to get to your goal, but why? Why can't you turn them on? The startup screen should tell you the processor type immediately.

I don't have access to a monitor at the moment, simple as.

Then the only other way is to remove the paste. Be careful, and google some tutorials.

P.S. Can you connect to a TV?

2l00929 5A0198 is written on it but that showed up nothing for me on google.

I have a MS 2010 office licence so I'd like to be able to use that. Is it compatable with Linux? Also is Linux user friendly?

Yeah I guess I'll have to check the bios screen then. Just wanted to get it all sorted now without hooking it up to a monitor later.

I'm not that easily confused :) See I have a vague idea what a lot of these things are but I always prefer to ask first.

Probably in the region of 50-70 euro. It would just be to play something like League of legends.

Yep looks like you do need that monitor. 

Office 2010 will probably not work (I say probably because a Windows compatibility layer exists and some people have reported success)

I'm only suggesting Linux if this is a very light use box and not anything critical (like work). If so, then the free LibreOffice should do everything a home user needs an office suite to do (but not work projects). Linux is user friendly if you're only trying to do internet/email/light office. It's when you want to make it do games or professional software that becomes complicated. I'm just saying it would save you the Windows license cost.

Edit: oh you do want games? Bad idea then, unless your game is on Steam which LoL is not.

League of Legends will work on the computer on Low settings 60 fps without a graphics card by the way.