$400-$500 computer build

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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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I have a Dell windows XP and would like to make some upgrades to it such as graphics, hard drives, and processors. I would like to be able to have a gaming computer. Since I'm on a small budget for this any help would greatly be appreciated.
 
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mattius92
Based off your service tag, you have a Dell Dimension 8400. You have a Pentium 4, and your system does have a PCI-Express 16x slot. However, your PC also only has DDR RAM support and also PATA drive support. Both of those are very old and very slow. There is little that we can upgrade to this PC to allow it to game. At the most you could add a video card, but with a Pentium 4 and DDR RAM, a modern graphics card won't really do much.

You need a new CPU, new RAM, a new motherboard, and a Video Card.

With that said, I will propose a from scratch build. I will take your 500 budget, plus $50 you might make from selling your current PC. With a $550 budget I will present you this build.

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core...
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kevin83

kevin83

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Apr 27, 2011
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We definitely need to know the exact model of dell pc if you are planning to use parts of it like the case in the new build. It is highly likely that for a modern gaming pc you will need to scrap, but we can check it out and see if anything is useful.
 
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RenzoGuzi

RenzoGuzi

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May 3, 2013
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Specs of your present system would help a lot. If the pc is just really old, you could buy a whole new system for around 500$ with an os. If the mobo is an am2 socket or something lik that, i dont really want to put a new gpu, ddr3 ram, etc. on it. Thqt budget will get you farther if you build a new one if your pc is crap. Just saying. :)
 
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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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I'm sorry if I don't respond right away I am currently trying to take the cover off it and it is a XP Professional
 
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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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80 gig hard drive 350 w power supply and haven't found a graphics card or processor yet and sorry if I get some of the parts wrong or confused. Thanks for being patient.
 
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RenzoGuzi

RenzoGuzi

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What about the mobo?
 
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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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It's made by intel but I can't tell what type it is could you help me out with that.

 
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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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It's an older computer so it wouldn't have the new intel i3

 
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DSzymborski

DSzymborski

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Nov 19, 2010
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You can tell us what you have on at least some level without taking it apart. You need to let us know what you have on System Information because we still don't really know much of anything about your PC. If you don't know how, look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvoB0lcuvh0 or search for Find System Information Windows XP.

I'll tell you up front, though, that based on the little we know so far, it's very likely that the PC is far enough behind the times that you're better off buying or building a new rig - I suspect that your computer is from the 2004-2006 time frame based on the hard drive size. At this point, you'd have to be upgrading so much that you're essentially building a new PC anyway. Even if you're lucky and it's slightly newer and you have a good Core2 Quad in there, you won't have an upgrade path.
 
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mattius92

mattius92

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Based off your service tag, you have a Dell Dimension 8400. You have a Pentium 4, and your system does have a PCI-Express 16x slot. However, your PC also only has DDR RAM support and also PATA drive support. Both of those are very old and very slow. There is little that we can upgrade to this PC to allow it to game. At the most you could add a video card, but with a Pentium 4 and DDR RAM, a modern graphics card won't really do much.

You need a new CPU, new RAM, a new motherboard, and a Video Card.

With that said, I will propose a from scratch build. I will take your 500 budget, plus $50 you might make from selling your current PC. With a $550 budget I will present you this build.

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.33 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-P23 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.58 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.91 @ Amazon)
Total: $503.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
 
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Newbie1022

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May 23, 2013
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Thank you all for the help and thank you for being patient with me through this. Mattius you are awesome and thank you very much for the walkthroughs and list of specs I have to get.
 
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mattius92

mattius92

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No problem, if you have any other questions feel free to ask. The build I recommended to you will be at least 4 times faster then your old PC. Plus you will be able to play games like Battlefield 3 and 4 with high graphics
 
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mattius92

mattius92

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Order in this order: Case, PSU, disk drive, motherboard, CPU, ram, operating system, video card. That's if you order piece by piece.

However, if you want a operational PC, you need to have everything besides the video card ordered.
 
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