Optiplex GX240

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Charlemagne_3

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Just acquired a dell optiplex gx240 (bleh) and am looking for parts for it. I am trying to find out what the best CPU to put in is. I have already come to understand thats its 845G chipset only supports up to 533MHz FSB, but I have found conflicting info on the frequencies, caches, and cores (ie, prescott) supported. Can anyone help me?

Also, I was wondering if a 3.06ghz/533/1M northwood is better than a 2.8ghz/533/1M prescott is better. Because I believe I already have that prescott lying around, and i f so, it may turn out to be the best one, unless the info on supported CPU's so far is wrong.

If you find anything please source it for assurance.
 
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king smp

king smp

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looking at this link to to dell support
it looks like a P4 2.6 is highest supported
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx240/en/ug/specs.htm
and looking at this List of Intel Chipsets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_chipsets#Pentium_4_chipsets
and looking at this list of pentium 4 cpus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Pentium_4_microprocessors
it looks like the Pentium 4 2.53 SL6D8 533FSB is the fastest that is supported.
I didnt dig that deep but I thought that the higher end northwood and prescotts were 800mhz FSB which your chipset doesnt support.
I hope this helps
 
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Charlemagne_3

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somewhat, but also somewhat contrary to the info ive recieved from others. I did look at the dell page you showed me, but Im not exactly inclined to believe that, seeing as that info may be outdated and it doesnt necessarily state that other CPU's arent compatible; it just lists known compatible ones.
 
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1965ohio

1965ohio

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Up until recently, most manufacturers lock their BIOS from upgrading to items the company isn't inclined to support. Even if the chipset can handle 800MHz FSB and higher speed CPUs, the BIOS may actually lock you out of doing do. So the manufacturer website lists only models that are supported officially by the installed BIOS. If they do not have an updated BIOS to allow you to change to a later CPU, then it will not work unless you get a custom BIOS made. And playing with a custom BIOS can be very bad news if you don't do it right. You will turn your system into a brick.
 
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king smp

king smp

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I have upgrade a couple of Dells with new cpus and I usually will go on Ebay and Amazon and see what the models have there have in them.
I upgraded an Dell Precision 450 from Xeon 3.06 to Xeon 3.2 and upgraded an Optiplex 745 from Pentium D 945 to Core2Duo E4300.
With OEM machines you cant go too far outside of what the OEM put in.
If you got the chip laying around and want to try throwing it in there the worst that usually happens will be the BIOS saying unsupported chip.
But if your going to spend money on it then it is better to be cautious.
The GX240 was made around 2002 or so and there is only some much you can do.
I have refurbished about 30 GX260s to sell as internet browsing computers to beginners and kids.
Those machines are really browsers,email checkers,light office programs and CD rippers.
I gave you those links to help you out.
Be careful of forums with people claiming to do mods since some are BSers.
I saw on a forum that somebody put a Q6600 in a Dell 745 and looked on Intel official site and the chipset absolutely did not support it.
People on forums sometimes tell "tall tales"
you would be better off using it for light duty work and saving up for a newer cheap system.
In US on Craigslist you can find AMD dual cores and LGA775 Core2Duo/Pentium D used sytems for under $200 if you dont want to build one yourself.
I picked up a Dell Optiplex 745 for $75 USD spent 60 bucks upgrading it and it
is a good office,multimedia,light gaming tower.
Or if you save up and slowly buy parts one at a time you can make a nice AMD
system cheap nowadays.
 
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mavroxur

mavroxur

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The GX240's chipset (Intel 845) will support a 533FSB, but the BIOS will not allow it. The fastest CPU the machine will technically use is a P4 2.6 / 512k / 400FSB processor, provided you're running the A05 BIOS. There is a Pentium 4 2.8 / 512k / 400FSB processor, but it was only an OEM part, and I dont think the BIOS will support it's microcode.






 
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Charlemagne_3

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How do you know the bios wont support it? I cant find any list of processor's dells latest 2002 bios supports for that machine, nor does the link given to me show FSB speeds. Does anyone have any info on this? King smp seems to believe it supports 533mhz.

Also, I can get a pentium 4 for 20 bucks or less, im not worried about price unless I have to buy two. thats why i want it right the first time.
 
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Charlemagne_3

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Thanks alot, ill contact dell to make sure this info is 100% accurate and if they say yes then i will install as you say.
 
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1965ohio

1965ohio

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I don't know exactly what Dell will say, but I know what HP would say if you called them about a P4 machine. They would charge you $75 on your credit card just to ask them a question like that over the phone.
:D haha
 
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mavroxur

mavroxur

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I'm not sure why you have to "call dell and make sure info is 100% accurate", king smp linked the exact tech sheet for your machine on Dell's website.
 
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Charlemagne_3

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Its possible the data sheet may be out of date.
 
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Charlemagne_3

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Considering its been out for 8 years, it may not have been updated.
 
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Charlemagne_3

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They could easily forgotten to update the data sheet.
 
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1965ohio

1965ohio

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I don't think they would forget to update the page if they made a later BIOS. But I don't think they would have made a later BIOS because they discontinued the machine and moved to different chipsets and sockets. They will not update the BIOS unless they want to support upgrades on it, and believe me, they don't.
 
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Charlemagne_3

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Sometimes company info is wrong. I have an eMachines t3990 and i have recieved incorrect information from the manufacturer, so I dont see why its so unbelievable that dell may be wrong.
 
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1965ohio

1965ohio

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If you can't find an updated BIOS on their website that will allow you to run 533FSB, then you will not find one. If they do have another BIOS that is not posted, likely you will need to pay tech support to get it. If they do not update the free downloads site, then you need to pay if they did have it. Case closed. :pt1cable:
 
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mavroxur

mavroxur

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You could've just told OP to wish in one hand..... and.... well you know how the rest goes... :)

 
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