Do i need a whole new pc.. or would this work?

[zee3b]

Hey guys!

I've been kicked around a lot andtill now couldnt decide what hardware i would need.....

I own a Dell E510 2.8HT processor 1 gig ram 500 Ultra psu and Ati X1950 Pci X16 Graphic card.

Lately i've not been geting smooth play in a multiplayer game i play known as f.e.a.r so i want to buy a new mobo and processor.....i have AMD x2 6000 in my mind......... a couple of questions i have are...

1. What motherboard would be the best with AMD x2 6000 which would outperform others and will not hurt my pocket too( not forgeting the fact i already ahve ahigh end graphic card)

2. Would i need a new case.. or my dell E510 case would work?

3. Can i use my old hard disk from the dell pc....

4. Will i need a new copy of windows? or can i use my older copy on the Dell pc harddisk( i have the installation cd)

5. My ram is pc 4200 1 gig stick, can i use it... ?

These are a couple of questions i had in my mind... if i have more... ill bring it up.....i dont know nothing about hardwares ...and i've been wasting a lot of money on junk....pcs... like Dell E310... then Dell E510...

Any help would be appreciated
Thankyou!

 

[g-paw]

This is a nice board and reasonably priced, $99
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131022

You'll need new RAM, the old won't fit, you'll need DDR2. I'd get a new case, just use the Dell as a backup. I like the Antec Sonata II, $99, has decent PSU, quiet, and easy to work with but cases are really pretty personal things.

 

[turboflame]

This is a nice board and reasonably priced, $99
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131022

You'll need new RAM, the old won't fit, you'll need DDR2. I'd get a new case, just use the Dell as a backup. I like the Antec Sonata II, $99, has decent PSU, quiet, and easy to work with but cases are really pretty personal things.

He says he has pc 4200 RAM which is probably DDR2 533, so it is usable though AM2 processors see a significant performance boost from using low latency DDR2 800 but that can be a later upgrade. A new mobo may or may not fit since current dells use mainly BTX mobos but you can always spend another 40 or 50 dollars on a new decent case.

You can use pretty much everything from your Dell including the HDD but you will have to reinstall windows, you will be able to reuse the windows installation disc but you might have to reactivate it over the phone with Microsoft if the disc is over the activation limit.

 

[jitpublisher]

You most likely won't be able to use the Windows CD that came with the Dell. As soon as you try to use it, it is going to give you an error message that says this disk must be used with a Genuine Dell PC or something like that. In other words, if it does not detect the Dell BIOS on the motherboard, it won't install. It usually is not a true Windows install disk anyway, but simply mirrors an image of the the OS and all the other Dell crap that goes along it with back to your drive exactly the way it was when you bought it.

 

[g-paw]

He says he has pc 4200 RAM which is probably DDR2 533, so it is usable though AM2 processors see a significant performance boost from using low latency DDR2 800 but that can be a later upgrade. A new mobo may or may not fit since current dells use mainly BTX mobos but you can always spend another 40 or 50 dollars on a new decent case.

You can use pretty much everything from your Dell including the HDD but you will have to reinstall windows, you will be able to reuse the windows installation disc but you might have to reactivate it over the phone with Microsoft if the disc is over the activation limit.

Missed the RAM , agree would be better off with 800.

 

[jitpublisher]

Let me elaborate a little on the install disc. If your Dell came with a genuine Windows disc, as g-paw stated it should work. If it is a "recovery" disc, like most prebuilt systems by Dell, Gateway, HP etc. come with, it won't work.

 

[zee3b]

hey guys
thanks for the helpfull replies....
i already have a 500 watt ultra psu which i recently bought.... was worth 69.99 or something... and is pretty reliable i think......
and yea guys.. so the motherboard g-paw preferred........is it liek the best.. in its price range with no defects....the reviews were only 60% good though....on that specific motherboard............
and yea if i buy a new copy of windows... and everything my pc would cost me a healthy 500-600 isnt that too much?
Shouldnt dell let me use the Xp .......on my new pc...
im basically upgrading my pc to play f.e.a.r a game.. which currently lags on my pc.. so im loking for a mobo that would work perfect..and run my game....lag free...
Thanks.

 

[gators1223]

if i were you i'd also look into intel..., and if you don't th edefinetly get good ddr2 800 or 1066 ram, low latency preferably

 

[emp]

FEAR has a nifty settings menus where you can tweak CPU bound and GPU bound options. Your problem is most likely due to your weak CPU, just turn down the CPU settings to medium or so.

And no, I'm 99% sure dell won't let you use XP, because... it's Dell :/

 

[turboflame]

There is a chance that you could reuse XP from the Dell, as said before it depends, if you have a reinstallation CD then you should have no problems, if it's a "recovery disc" then it's useless.

 

[zee3b]

The cd says...
Reinstallation DVD means it should work? someone told me they only work with dell motherboards...
And yea..i repeat my question..... does anyone know any better motherboard.. to go along with amd 6000 .. i want to go with amd because they are cheaper in price.. and most of my friends use it.. and have no lag........
The motherboard Paw suggested http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131022

shall i go with this one.... and yea... some reviews say its not compatible with all rams.... and stuff like that which i have no knowledge off.

 

[g-paw]

The cd says...
Reinstallation DVD means it should work? someone told me they only work with dell motherboards...
And yea..i repeat my question..... does anyone know any better motherboard.. to go along with amd 6000 .. i want to go with amd because they are cheaper in price.. and most of my friends use it.. and have no lag........
The motherboard Paw suggested http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131022

shall i go with this one.... and yea... some reviews say its not compatible with all rams.... and stuff like that which i have no knowledge off.

If it's a reinstallation DVD it will not work on another compute, it would basically be a clone of the machine when it was shipped. As far as I know XP always shipped on a CD not DVD and would say Windows XP. As for the mobo, I'm not pimping ASUS but in general ASUS is considered one of the best mobo mfg. Suggest you google reviews of AMD 570 and 590 mobo but the latter will be much more expensive, i.e., read professional reviews. Couple of things about newegg reviews to keep in mind. An overall excellent/good rating of 75% is pretty good. Also, read the reviews, skimming one was complaining about poor tech support and website design. Another complaint was no firewire. If you want firewire, buy a board with it don't complain because the board doesn't have it and you knew this at the time. Complaining about the fact that it's tough to find a non-SLI board with firewire is legit but this applies of almost all mfg. Poor tech support is the norm and while ASUS website is not the best out there, once you figure it out it's not that bad. At least for me when reading newegg reviews, I look for consistent problems with a product and if the problem will be a problem for me, e.g., I don't overclock and if this is a complaint, it doesn't affect me. Also some of the complaints are about things that people expect a product to do when it was never intended to do it. As for compatible RAM, I always check the RAM mfg website to see what RAM is compatible with the board I'm buying. Over the years I've had 5 or 6 ASUS boards and never had a problem with memory. Just suggesting to read these reviews critically and not use as your sole source.

 

[jedi940]

everyone else is right, sadly. the xp installation disk will NOT work with a new motherboard. I work with dell computers at work and we have all sorts of extra installation cd lying around. I thought it would be a good idea to grab one, take the cd key off a laptop that was getting thrown away and use it at home on a second computer. It did not work. When those cd install windows, they look for the cdkey from the bios, not from user input. When I install them on a dell computer, i never have to input the installation key. Sorry to tell you this, but you will have to buy a new os

 

[zee3b]

hey ...
Thanks for the help guys.........
So now... in my mind i have that mobo..http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6813131022
Amd 6000 processor.........
i've decided to upgrade ram too
What ram shall i get guys... i saw kingstons 800 2 gig for 109 bux... but i was wondering... if i should go for the ocz ram instead.....well i've been upgradin like mad for the past couple of months... so i wanted a upgrade which would last 2 years atleast... and save me money...
What do you recommend guys....
I still havent ordered the hardware...so i have room for any change possible...
once again im looking for an upgrade which would last me 2 years atleast or more....
Thanks.

 

[jedi940]

i would go with the ocz. you should be able to find some for under 100 after rebates. I think the corsair c4 is about 93

 

[zee3b]

Would it work for windows xp?
and would it be fine for playing f.e.a.r

 

[Shadow703793]

@ OP: Your DELL case will not fit the motherboard as it has a different screw layout than standard ATX board.

 

[jedi940]

any ram will work fine. Just be sure to get ddr2 800 and get as low a latency as you can. i recommend 4-4-4-12 or below

 

[rammedstein]

do you care about open box or not? if you don't mind open box, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130047R but if you do, see about this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130047

 

[tonyp12]

As you plan to retire your Dell, gut it and sell/through out some
parts you should legaly be able to re-use the WindowsXP Serial # that came with the Dell (sticker on the side?, or use software
key look-up)
Borrow someones WindowsXP-home retail version, it may ask you to call in as online is not working due to DELL keys normally only work with dell versions of XP CD.

 

[SkittlesLA]

Zee3b: Dell utilizes a BTX rather than a ATX motherboard in many of thier systems, including the e510.

I would suggest that you look for a BTX, micro-BTX or pico-BTX motherboard... Most of them also require you to get a BTX cpu heatsink and fan. But these systems can be upgraded. I made the mistake of purchasing the e310, and have since upgraded the system to an Intel BOXD946GZTSSL 946GZ motherboard with a Core 2 Duo E6600...

The good thing about the BTX design is it disapates heat very efficiently, and the bad thing is that you usually have very little room to add extra drives.

SkittlesLA

 

[gators1223]

don't get an open box mobo, it will mean more money down the drain for cables than the price difference for the retail motherboard

 

[rockyjohn]

Which version of X1950 do you have? There are substantial differences between the low and high end cards. I am wondering if you are making the wrong move in the short term - keeping the video card and changing everything else. If you can't do both, maybe it is better to upgrade the card now and later build a better system for it. Otherwise you might be spending a lot now for little improvement in game play. I don't play FEAR but maybe if you tell us which version the video card is some others who do can provide some input.

 

[marlborosmoker]

don't get an open box mobo, it will mean more money down the drain for cables than the price difference for the retail motherboard

err he's saving $40 odd dollars over this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130047
How much are SATA/IDE cables? $20 max for the lot. 2xhdds 2xburners. You only get one SATA power cable and one SATA data cable with most Mobo's anyway. Driver/manual? they're free, Just download off the MSI website.

 

[spuddyt]

I think we should point out here that by far the most important thing to F.E.A.R is the graphics card and u can get away with a relatively bad processer
also did you say earlier that the game LAGS? does it only happen online?