sandslasher4

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Hello everyone. I finally decided I want to upgrade my Dell after receiving a free GPU; I am having trouble understanding how to find out if my mobo is compatible with the new hardware I will need to purchase in the near future. My mobo is a Dell Inc. 0M017G. I found a link with the specs (http://www.findlaptopdriver.com/dell-0m017g-specs/ ) but I don't have the technical knowledge to understand the meaning of it. If you could help me understand what is compatible and what is not, that would be awesome. Thank you. :D

rig:

Model: Dell Inc. Studio 540
Operating System: Windows Vista
Processor: Intel(R) core(TM)2 quad CPU Q6600 @2.40GHz (4CPUs)
RAM: 8190MB
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 3600 series
Hard Drive: 623GB
Sound Card: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Motherboard: Dell Inc. 0M017G
PSU: 350 Watt DC Power Supply
 

sandslasher4

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Sorry about the vagueness. To be specific I wish to add a radeon HD 5750, Antec Three Hundred case, and a SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold ((SS-650KM Active PFC F3)) 650W. I just don't understand how to find out if these things are compatible, or anything?
 
Your motherboard has a PCI Express Revision 1.1 x16 slot for the discrete graphics card.

The ATI Radeon HD 5750 has a PCI Express 2.1 x16 bus interface and will work in the PCI Express 1.1 x16 slot of your Dell motherboard.

Your current 350 Watt power supply with its combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 25 Amps and with one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector should be able to power that system configuration with a single Radeon HD 5750 card.

For a system using a single Radeon HD 5750 graphics card AMD specifies a minimum of a 450 Watt or greater power supply. The power supply should also have a combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 23 Amps or greater and have at least one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector.

The Seasonic X-Series X650 Gold (SS-650KM), with its combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 54 Amps and with four (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors, is more than sufficient to power your system configuration with a single Radeon HD 5750.

Make sure you have the pinout specifications for the motherboard's front panel header so that you can connect the proper case connectors to the motherboard without causing a short circuit.
 

sandslasher4

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Sorry for the noob question, but, how do I make sure that " the pinout specifications for the motherboard's front panel header so that you can connect the proper case connectors to the motherboard without causing a short circuit."?