Just a bit over my head ...

[OLdSKuul62]

Hello I am beyond green when it comes to most anything to do with computers . I do know some stuff , But a lot of the terminology leaves me scratching my head . I seem to spend more time using the Wiki than getting anything else done.

I have a Dell Optiplex GX240 / 1.7 Gigs and an obscenely small amount of memory .
No matter what I end up doing intend on upgrading that very soon.
I have several questions

1 ) Can I swap out the current 256 megabyte memory card and replace it with the 512 ?
2 ) If so, Is there anything that must be done in order to make it work ? Or will it boot up without problems ?
Remember very green !

I have heard differing stories . I would like to get the full Gig of ram if possible .

Also as green as I may be , I always enjoy a good challenge provided that it is feasible. My problem is the plethora of information on the internet mixed with my inexperience with Computer terminology etc leaves me staring at a computer screen for hours and not necessarily anything gained by doing so . This website was the first one I ran into that had a string about My series of computer that wasn't dated at least 5 years or so. That is why I joined.

I have every intention on either a ) buying a new computer or b ) Building a new computer - from scratch . I love to tinker with stuff and computers are something I wouldn't mind knowing how to tear down and rebuild .

I have read several posts from many other sites and almost everyone is in agreement that my computer is past its prime . This I understand .

What I would like to know is whether It would be feasible to put a completely different motherboard in ( I have a small tower ) ... Something along the lines of a Quadcore is what I would really like to do . I have found some boards and chips rather inexpensive ... But have no idea as to whether or not I could use it .

The idea is to get a much newer and faster computer for cheap until I can afford to dish out the money for a new one .
I don't want to buy a new case . It seems that there must be something out there that would allow me to create this Frankenstein !

I would really appreciate any ideas that may occur to someone provided I could do this for under $300 or or so dollars . Some of the motherboard and chipsets are pushing it real close to that amount . I am guessing that I will need a new power supply But can't figure what other must haves I will need.

I am really hoping that this could work . It would keep me happy for a few months until I can really invest in something new . Plus it would help me gain some experience . I really would like to build a new comp. But I need something a little more powerful in the here and now , And I am still not exactly sure just what kind of computer I want...

I have read that multi core computers have their upsides and some rather hideous downsides . I figure a little time with one might let me make up my own mind ....

 

[Descendant]

From the look of the architectural build of this tower, I would personally not recommend it for use for a new PC build. From the pictures I was able to round up the tower has little to nothing for air ventilation and also would not fit a regular sized ATX motherbaord in it.

And about your aspiration of building a new computer for less then $300 that is a Quadcore, is quite a challenage. I don`t see it happening. I`ll list the items you`ll be looking at purchasing if you want to build a new PC.

Motherboard
CPU
RAM
Video card
CD/DVD ROM
HHD
Power Supply
Computer Case

 

[DelroyMonjo]

If all you want to do is increase the memory in that ancient Dell, this is what you want. According to the Dell manual you should have 2 memory slots. Just add this and you will get 512 Mb of memory. Pretty pricey but that memory has probably been out of production for more than 15 years. http://www.pricewatch.com/gallery/system_memory/brand,dell
Dell48WJW DELL -256MB PC-133 DIMM 168-PIN SDRAM GENUINE DELL MEMORY (48WJW). REFU.

If you want a full 1 Gig of memory you will have to buy 2 512kb memory modules.
https://www.serversupply.com/MFGR/DELL/MEMORY/PC -133/
Cheers
Delroy

 

[jb6684]

It's Really hard to build your own computer from scratch for $300 budget. The operating system alone is $90, that doesn't leave much to work with. I'd go with an off the shelf if you spending less than $400--$500, the economies of scale are hard to beat


http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/inspiron-560/pd


This isn't a game machine but it'll do wonders for basic business software and websurfing.....

 

[OLdSKuul62]

From the look of the architectural build of this tower, I would personally not recommend it for use for a new PC build. From the pictures I was able to round up the tower has little to nothing for air ventilation and also would not fit a regular sized ATX motherbaord in it.

And about your aspiration of building a new computer for less then $300 that is a Quadcore, is quite a challenage. I don`t see it happening. I`ll list the items you`ll be looking at purchasing if you want to build a new PC.

Motherboard
CPU
RAM
Video card
CD/DVD ROM
HHD
Power Supply
Computer Case

I was afraid of that. I do know that the new hardware has a tendency of running on the hot side .

I just have seen so many Motherboards and etc running at a fairly economical price , I thought just maybe a little kit bashing could be done . But I was fairly sure what the answer would be but I had to put it out there , just in case !

I thank you for your time to reply

PS Is there any good place to find info on multi cores ? The little bit I have read on the subject has left me on the fence. I have read both good and bad things about multi cores and would like to garner a little more info.

One of the downsides I read was that it could be easier to get a virus and that an anti-viral program might not even know it's there.

Also There was mention of not many programs make full use of the abilities of these chips . That seems kind of strange since it seems that the chip makers seem focused on multi core tech instead of clock speeds these days.

Of course I am full aware that I may be wrong , I have not read many articles pertaining to this subject.

But I am leaning toward at least a quad core in the future . If you can't help that is fine . I do thank you for your time .

 

[OLdSKuul62]

If all you want to do is increase the memory in that ancient Dell, this is what you want. According to the Dell manual you should have 2 memory slots. Just add this and you will get 512 Mb of memory. Pretty pricey but that memory has probably been out of production for more than 15 years. http://www.pricewatch.com/gallery/system_memory/brand,dell
Dell48WJW DELL -256MB PC-133 DIMM 168-PIN SDRAM GENUINE DELL MEMORY (48WJW). REFU.

If you want a full 1 Gig of memory you will have to buy 2 512kb memory modules.
https://www.serversupply.com/MFGR/DELL/MEMORY/PC -133/
Cheers
Delroy

Thanks I have found a full gig for around $39.00 New in box at Amazon But am unsure as to how well it would work . The cost is about 40% off from a couple of 512 chips .

No problem for swapping out the existing ram then ?

I am in a small money crunch just now , so I need to get this machine working to it's fullest potential until I can afford to either buy a new one or build a new one .

Thank you for responding . : )

 

[OLdSKuul62]

It's Really hard to build your own computer from scratch for $300 budget. The operating system alone is $90, that doesn't leave much to work with. I'd go with an off the shelf if you spending less than $400--$500, the economies of scale are hard to beat


http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/inspiron-560/pd


This isn't a game machine but it'll do wonders for basic business software and websurfing.....

Thank you very much for the link ! I just may go this route for now, until I can afford and decide what machine to buy or build .

I spent a little time at Dell before , But I had no idea that they had machines going for so little . Most of the stuff I saw at that price were refurbished and generally older computers too. From the tiny sneak peek I took , It looks very healthy compared to my old one .

Thank you for your time to respond !

 

[OLdSKuul62]

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