I tried looking, and there's no section for upgrading, so I figured this was the second closest. Here's the deal. I'm looking to upgrade a Dell 4700. There, I said it. >.>; I know upgrading Dells aren't the easiest things in the whole world, so that's why I came here to the experts.
What I really want is to be able to play PC games and work on my website without massive FPS and computer lag. I believe my processor is pretty good. I hope it is =o
My graphics card is an integrated card, which is a death message right there. Furthermore, I only have 512 MB of RAM. My power supply is 250W, so that doesn't help much. My motherboard has a PCI-E x16 slot. Just one. ^^; I have it covered by a fan, but I'll get rid of it.
Without the covered fan, I have 2 fans. One blows air directly to the processor? It's got this grill thing with lots of dust on it, and this green thing covers the way from the fan to it so all the air is at that grill thing. I believe it's the processor. The other fan sits in front of my hard drive, blowing air in to the PC. Air leaves through the front, the back part of the side, and the back.
Now, here's what I believe I have to upgrade.
-RAM
-Video Card
-Power Supply
Here's how I plan to do it ^^;
(RAM, IDK what kind it is besides DDR2. It's SDRAM right?)
Now as for the power supply, IDK what to buy. =/ I'm trying to save as much money as possible x.x Basically, I don't want a computer that can run Crysis on ULTRA HIGH WITH ANTI ALIASING or whatever. I just want a decent computer for the least amount of money. Plus, I don't want to have to replace something a couple months later.
This computer has been with me for 3 years =[
Please help ^^; Thank you so much for all your time.
If you know of any deals/offers that can save me money, please do spill ^_^;
Message edited by Diamons on 07-17-2008 at 09:29:42 PM
For RAM, you'll want 2GB of DDR2-667 or DDR2-800. If you look around, this should cost no more than $30 shipped.
For a video card, I'd look for an 8800gs or HD3850. You should be able to find one for less than $100, maybe more like $80. Too much more and you'll be limited by your processor. The 8800GTS-640 is a big no-no. It's of an older generation, and is very poorly priced. If you want to spend more, consider a 9600gt or HD3870 or a 8800gt or 8800gts-512 or a HD4850, in terms of increasing price. You can get a HD4850 for $150 (after rebate) if you look around, don't spend more.
In terms of power supply, you'll want something in the 400-500W range from a respected manufacturer. This isn't something to skimp on. Corsair, Antec, Thermaltake, PC Power and Cooling, Enermax are all good brands. Aspire and Ultra not so good (to name a few).
Thank you so much. I'm going with the second power supply link you gave me ^^;
As for the video card, I don't have a PCI Express 2.0. Or at least, I don't think so. I have the PCI-Express x16. I'd also prefer something with a bit more video memory =/ I'd like to be able to play some games on max ^^;
I went to my friend's house who had a 8500 GT which I now realize is a horrible graphics card.
As for the RAM, can I get some links? I've never bought any computer parts before ^^;
Newegg has a pretty good "advanced" search option. Here's a search for all DDR2 667 to 800 for 2x1GB modules that run at 1.8V (standard, which is also plausibly important for OEM motherboards.
(note, RAM compatibility can be finicky. It'd be great if you could verify functionality before purchasing). You may be able to get this info from Dell.
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 965-6.html You can use the Chart in the link above to select a GPU the higher up they are the better they are. I would recommend 8800gs/9600gso/HD3850 512MB as min card for gaming at 1280 x 1024 or less resolution any higher than that start climbing up the chart.
Yes, I run a 8800GT-512 on EA380 (Antec Earthwatts 380, aka 380 Watts). The RAM's compatibility is with the motherboard, not the graphics card.
The only thing I'd say is to consider the HD4850 (since you're considering a 8800gt). If you have the $20-30 to spare, it has the best price to performing ratio out there right now. Then again, my 8800gt is doing just fine for me; either one will do you fine.
any 4850 out right now is great...lol...I personally got the Gigabyte one, but in the past I have owned Sapphire and Asus cards and they both have performed exceptionally well...
Message edited by Ahslan on 07-18-2008 at 03:29:48 PM
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AMD64 X2 6000 + Biostar Tseries 770 + 2gb DDR2 800 G.Skill + Thermaltake WingRS case + Raidmax 530w modular PSU + 200gig internal WD HD + 250gig external WD HD + 500gig external Simpletech HDD + Belkin Wireless G PCI receiver + Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4850
^Yes it's a Dell case. Hmm, I'm sure it could fit =S
I just opened my PC, disconnected the PSU, and put it back together. I realized I have a problem. My Hard Drive does not use the standard white thingies labeled P4 or w.e Mine has a black one that's like a very small chip which slides onto the hard drive.
The description on your Mobo says it will fit in a standard ATX case. You could pull the guts from that dell case and install in a standard case and eliminate your PSU fit issue. This will also make things easier when you want to upgrade again.
I did this with an old Compaq. It was not hard and it's how I learned to build my own PC. Just pull as much info on your components as you can ahead of time. I was also lucky enough to have a laptop to use for questions on here as I built.
The description on your Mobo says it will fit in a standard ATX case. You could pull the guts from that dell case and install in a standard case and eliminate your PSU fit issue. This will also make things easier when you want to upgrade again.
I did this with an old Compaq. It was not hard and it's how I learned to build my own PC. Just pull as much info on your components as you can ahead of time. I was also lucky enough to have a laptop to use for questions on here as I built.
I have 2 other PCs and a Laptop I can use to check. However, I'm worried about buying a new case and the motherboard. I've never actually touched the motherboard. Honestly, I have no idea how to even unscrew the damn thing ^^;
Right now, I'd prefer to stay in my own boundaries. I will definitely try building a new PC when upgrading season comes yet again. I've been afraid of touching the PSU because it looks so damn complicated, now that's another roadblock out of the way ^^;
A case would just be too expensive =S Unless you can get me something not too ugly but cheap.
