Dimension XPS 450

[Guest]

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

Good day, all, and thank you in advance for your help.

I have a Dell XPS 450 that I bought in 1999. For a variety of reasons, the
case now contains a new (read bigger) power supply, new (read bigger) hard
drive, a functioning ZIP drive, floppy drive, the original CD reader as well
as a CD burner that I installed late in 2003. It has the original video
card, a newer telephone modem and a newer network card. All of this stuff
worked

Last year, the machine failed. I don't know what went wrong - the nature of
the problems as well as their intermittent nature leads me to guess at a
cracked motherboard - but I don't think it matters to the next question.

If it is possible and practical, I'd like to simply scrap the board and the
processor that are in there, saving the peripherals, which I do believe are
good. In place of the old board and processor, I'd like to install the
newest, fastest board and processor that will fit in the case, but I
understand that it may not be the absolute latest generation. Doesn't
matter. I develop databases, I move a lot of files around, I create and edit
Web pages and I occasionaly have to edit a .jpg ot .gif. Don't need big
speed.

The first problem is that I don't know how "interchangeable" the boards
might be - do they fit pre-drilled mounting points? If I get past that, are
there other problems or surprises that will come up? Is this a waste of
time? I have a legal copy of XP Pro that I can use, and all the installation
stuff from the newer components.

Advice, links, vendor names are all welcome. Thank you all again.


Steve E.

 

[Guest]

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

"Serious_Practitioner" wrote:
> Good day, all, and thank you in advance for your help.


Try the newsgroup alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt.
What you will have will no longer be a Dell. If you want
to diagnose the current problem, maybe more information
on the nature of the failure would help someone here to
step in.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

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

You didn't mention what XPS version, but I'm sure that
all of the later ones have a non standard power supply
connectors and a Dell proprietary front panel connector.
While a standard ATX board will fit processor fan will
most likely also be different. You will be better off
buying a new case and power supply.
You will have far less grief.

"Serious_Practitioner" <Serious_PractitionerNOSPAM@att.net> wrote in
message
news:ro%_d.418996$w62.227860@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Good day, all, and thank you in advance for your help.
>
> I have a Dell XPS 450 that I bought in 1999. For a variety of reasons,
> the
> case now contains a new (read bigger) power supply, new (read bigger)
> hard
> drive, a functioning ZIP drive, floppy drive, the original CD reader
> as well
> as a CD burner that I installed late in 2003. It has the original
> video
> card, a newer telephone modem and a newer network card. All of this
> stuff
> worked
>
> Last year, the machine failed. I don't know what went wrong - the
> nature of
> the problems as well as their intermittent nature leads me to guess
> at a
> cracked motherboard - but I don't think it matters to the next
> question.
>
> If it is possible and practical, I'd like to simply scrap the board
> and the
> processor that are in there, saving the peripherals, which I do
> believe are
> good. In place of the old board and processor, I'd like to install the
> newest, fastest board and processor that will fit in the case, but I
> understand that it may not be the absolute latest generation. Doesn't
> matter. I develop databases, I move a lot of files around, I create
> and edit
> Web pages and I occasionaly have to edit a .jpg ot .gif. Don't need
> big
> speed.
>
> The first problem is that I don't know how "interchangeable" the
> boards
> might be - do they fit pre-drilled mounting points? If I get past
> that, are
> there other problems or surprises that will come up? Is this a waste
> of
> time? I have a legal copy of XP Pro that I can use, and all the
> installation
> stuff from the newer components.
>
> Advice, links, vendor names are all welcome. Thank you all again.
>
>
> Steve E.
>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

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

An XPS 450 is worth about $50-75 at resale - and there's almost nothing
inside it that's worth carrying over to a new system, other than perhaps
the newer drives.

Basically, what you want to do is build a new system - buy whatever new
components you need, but scrap the old case. It will be poorly suited to
cooling a fast, new processor and the rewiring headaches (you'll have to
cut, split and re-terminate a dozen or more wires to the front panel
alone) will make the new case a much more effective proposition.

YOu will not be able to use the power supply with a new board, unless
you bought a standard one with a Dell adapter - if you bought an XPS PS
from Dell or PC Power and Cooling, you'll need a new one for a new board.



Serious_Practitioner wrote:
> Good day, all, and thank you in advance for your help.
>
> I have a Dell XPS 450 that I bought in 1999. For a variety of reasons, the
> case now contains a new (read bigger) power supply, new (read bigger) hard
> drive, a functioning ZIP drive, floppy drive, the original CD reader as well
> as a CD burner that I installed late in 2003. It has the original video
> card, a newer telephone modem and a newer network card. All of this stuff
> worked
>
> Last year, the machine failed. I don't know what went wrong - the nature of
> the problems as well as their intermittent nature leads me to guess at a
> cracked motherboard - but I don't think it matters to the next question.
>
> If it is possible and practical, I'd like to simply scrap the board and the
> processor that are in there, saving the peripherals, which I do believe are
> good. In place of the old board and processor, I'd like to install the
> newest, fastest board and processor that will fit in the case, but I
> understand that it may not be the absolute latest generation. Doesn't
> matter. I develop databases, I move a lot of files around, I create and edit
> Web pages and I occasionaly have to edit a .jpg ot .gif. Don't need big
> speed.
>
> The first problem is that I don't know how "interchangeable" the boards
> might be - do they fit pre-drilled mounting points? If I get past that, are
> there other problems or surprises that will come up? Is this a waste of
> time? I have a legal copy of XP Pro that I can use, and all the installation
> stuff from the newer components.
>
> Advice, links, vendor names are all welcome. Thank you all again.
>
>
> Steve E.
>
>
>
>