Dimension 8250 mobo?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
fit/mount properly/easily in the case?

Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?

Ike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>
> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>
> Ike
>


In short, you'll run into proprietary issues with the board and it's
connectors.

What you could do, however, is to use the board from a Dimension 8300, which
would bump you up (with appropriate CPU and RAM) to an 800mhz FSB / Dual
Channel DDR system board.

As with many upgrades there are cost considerations of course.


Stew

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

The form factor of the 8250 is standard microATX, and the power connectors are
standard ATX-P4, but that's where the standardization ends. What is not
standard???

1. the integrated Dell tray with I/O back panel
2. the custom 3-pin power connector from the external fan mounted on the back of
the case
3. the custom oblong white front panel connector for sound and USB
4. the custom 30-pin cable connector with teensy-tiny pins, to handle power
on-off, power LED, hard drive LED and whatever else
5. maybe something else that escapes me for the moment

I think that's about it, but these are show-stoppers for anything but another
Dell board pre-mounted on a tray. If you get another board without tray, you
may find yourself messing around with the openings for all the connectors on the
back panel. If you try to install a generic microATX board, you'll spend hours
matching up everything else. Life is too short.

In addition to the Dell 8300 board suggested in another posting, I can also
recommend a later (but not too late) Dell 4000-series board. I have a Dell
Dimension 4400 case I use for board testing here, and the 8250 board fits in
perfectly, as does a 4300 board... Ben Myers

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 17:48:38 GMT, "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com>
wrote:

>I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>
>Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>
>Ike
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

One more thing. If you get another Dell motherboard for your system, make sure
it has the retention mechanism for the heat sink and/or cooling fan. In
particular, the placement of capacitors and other circuitry on the Dimension
4300 board interferes with the proper use of a generic Intel retention mechanism
and cooling fan.

Isn't playing with all this "standard" hardware fun? ... Ben Myers

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 17:48:38 GMT, "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com>
wrote:

>I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>
>Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>
>Ike
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>
> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>
> Ike


Thanks for all the good info guys, you've talked me out of it. Time to buy a
new computer...

Ike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:wOiCd.272$vP1.86@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>>
>> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>>
>> Ike
>
>
> Thanks for all the good info guys, you've talked me out of it. Time to buy
> a new computer...
>
> Ike
>


Well if (depending on your current 8250 configuration/specs) your system is
"slow" and you're planning on buying a new Dell, I wouldn't waste money on
the 3000 or 4700 models. You're likely going to want to look at the 8400 or
XPS (or build your own flamethrower).

Good luck whichever you choose.


Stew

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Yes, that PC1066 memory is pretty pricey. Best price I could find for 2x256MB
was just under $200, nearly double the price of DDR... Ben Myers

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 21:29:00 GMT, "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com>
wrote:

>"Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>>
>> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>>
>> Ike
>
>
>Thanks for all the good info guys, you've talked me out of it. Time to buy a
>new computer...
>
>Ike
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"S.Lewis" <stew1960@cover.bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:HAjCd.10405$7N4.5924@bignews5.bellsouth.net...
>
> "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:wOiCd.272$vP1.86@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>> "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>>> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>>> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>>> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>>> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>>>
>>> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>>>
>>> Ike
>>
>>
>> Thanks for all the good info guys, you've talked me out of it. Time to
>> buy a new computer...
>>
>> Ike
>>
>
>
> Well if (depending on your current 8250 configuration/specs) your system
> is "slow" and you're planning on buying a new Dell, I wouldn't waste money
> on the 3000 or 4700 models. You're likely going to want to look at the
> 8400 or XPS (or build your own flamethrower).
>
> Good luck whichever you choose.
>
>
> Stew
>

The system speed is OK but it only has 256 meg of memory which now isn't
enough as I run a lot of programs simultaneously-- so I get a lot of disk
thrashing.

Ike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:41d9d336.20587654@nntp.charter.net...
> On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 21:29:00 GMT, "Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>"Ira Hayes" <redmanospam@xxxhotmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:WzfCd.7972$JC2.7551@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>>> I'm thinking about replacing the motherboard in my Dimension 8250 with a
>>> commercially available one that doesn't use the way too expensive Rambus
>>> PC1066 memory that the 8250 comes with. Will a generally available mobo
>>> fit/mount properly/easily in the case?
>>>
>>> Or is the shape/form factor a Dell-proprietary one?
>>>
>>> Ike
>>
>>
>>Thanks for all the good info guys, you've talked me out of it. Time to buy
>>a
>>new computer...
>>
>>Ike
>>
>>
>

> Yes, that PC1066 memory is pretty pricey. Best price I could find for
> 2x256MB
> was just under $200, nearly double the price of DDR... Ben Myers
>

That's a better price than I found-- but even that's too much!

Ike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

> Ben Myerswrote:
1. the integrated Dell tray with I/O back panel

Ben,

Can you tell me a lil more about this? Is the I/O panel and tray 2
separate pieces? I just bought an 8250 board on eBay that I'm hoping
to put into my Dell Dimension 8200... My understanding is that the
board will fit, but of course, the panel and tray are different, and
the person whom sold me the board doesn't have them.

Dell's support has been horrible as I've tried to arrange purchasing
these 2 parts with no luck.

Anyway, I just want to know if they're seperate from the board and how
critical they are....

Thanks a ton!

-Mike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

OR HOWEVER...
I will purchase your 8250 Motherboard from you. and you could sell the
RdRam. for around 170 on ebay.. ( keep your processor Or sell it
also) and then you could purchas a 8300 that uses the ddr ram. and
probly still come out ahead whith just a couple bucks to spare....