PC upgrades...

General talk about computers, hardware and software.

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dougie-lampkin
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PC upgrades...

Post by dougie-lampkin »

OK, as you've all read in the Kyoto thread, I'm "inheriting" a PC, so to speak.
PcWorld.com wrote:PC WorldBench 4 score of 97
1.7-GHz Pentium 4 CPU
256MB of DDR-266 SDRAM
Windows XP Home
40GB hard drive
16X DVD-ROM drive
24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive
GeForce3 Ti 200-based graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM
17-inch Dell M782 monitor
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live 1024V Digital sound card
It's definalty a Dell Dimension 4400, and I know it has 256RAM, and the 2 drives, so this must be it...

I'm not too worried about the HDD, 40GB is plenty for me (won't be much put on, most of my stuff will stay on the family PC).
I'm not sure, but I think the graphics card and sound card are the onboard ones, it doesn't seem like a PC that old would have come with seperate ones...

My budget is whatever I'm allowed spend by my parents ( :evil: ), probably maximum €200...not much I know...I don't mind second-hand parts at all, as long as I know they haven't been seriously overused (I mean bad overclocking all the time).

I suppose obvious upgrade is the RAM, and the graphics card...

EdgeTechCorp.com wrote:The Dell Dimension 4400 uses PC-2100 type memory and has 2 bank(s) of 1 socket(s) each for a total of 2 memory socket(s) . The Dell Dimension 4400 comes standard with 128MB of RAM and supports up to 1GB of RAM . Choose from the memory modules listed above for guaranteed compatible upgrades for your Dell Dimension 4400.

For optimal performance of your Dell Dimension 4400 install the maximum amount of RAM in each memory socket. If all Banks are filled, you can replace the memory in each Socket of that Bank with memory of a higher capacity memory Kit.
So 1GB of RAM would be good, but I presume 2 512 sticks are expensive, I don't know...

I can't find any info on the CPU slot type, or the graphics card slot type, so I'm not sure about those...
Is the CPU important to upgrade?


Thanks for help :D
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by matt2000 »

not bad, i expected it to be worse :D

Graphics and sound both look like separate cards to me, but i'm not sure

if it's an early pentium 4, chances are it's a socket 423. not sure if you can buy those any more, but maybe you can find a used socket 423 with more power.

as for the RAM, you can either use 1 1GB stick, or 2 512Mb ones like you said. the 2 sticks might be cheaper and should give better performance, presuming the mobo supports dual channel RAM. i also guess that it will take DDR-400 RAM, but it won't take DDR2. RAM is relatively expensive, but since this is older DDR it shouldn't be too much.

i can find some more information if you need it, just ask :D

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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by MINIz guy »

Because it's the DDR RAM, it isn't going to be cheaper but more expensive for the faster ones. Also, the CPU will be slow, from those specs. You won't be able to overclock it either, as it's a Dell and you'll need a BIOS reflash to maybe be able to overclock. Also, with that old CPU, don't expect much from the overclock. Judging by how old it is, I believe it'll have an AGP slot. You could look on google pictures what an AGP slot looks like so you can doublecheck.
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Sicarius »

Alright...some bad news. The CPU that you have is quite an old p4. The socket that is most likely used as said before is socket 423. Due to electrical issues with that socket it is unable to support CPUs that are much faster than 2ghz. With an old p4 that isn't much. I'd say your best route would be to purchase a new, cheap mobo, cpu and ram. Your PC has reached a point where upgrading it is no longer anywhere near cost efficient as the parts that you can upgrade are not going to provide much of a noticeable performance boost if any.

I'd recommend getting a Intel Core E2160 CPU, 1gb of value DDR2 ram and a p35 motherboard from a company such as ASUS, Gigabyte or Abit. You will also need to buy a new video card. You can probably search on ebay and get an nvidia 6800 GT pci-express card for pretty cheap. That card is 2 generations old but most of them overclock quite well and it will work for LFS very well. If you are looking for a slightly better card you could look at the ATI x1900 pro or the Nvidia 7900gs. Next step up would be the nvidia 8800gt. Which card you decide to purchase will depend on the amount of money you are willing/able to spend and how much performance you actually need. Check out http://www.guru3d.com for video card reviews (very reputable site). You'll also need a new PSU. Get a namebrand unit that has 400-500W. That should be more than enough for your needs and give you headroom if you decided to overclock.

With that motherboard you will only be able to have the 40gb hdd and one of the optical drives. A hdd as old as the one you have will use an IDE cable and the CD-RW/DVD drive will also use that connection. The newer motherboards usually only have one IDE interface but you can run two devices off it (hdd as the master and one of the optical drives as the slave). You could also buy a new DVD-RW/CD-RW drive for quite cheap and still use the old hdd. That would allow you to have a more functional rig because you'll be able to burn CDs/DVDs and watch DVDs.

200 euro will go by quickly...should almost cover the price of the mobo, cpu, and ram if you buy from a decent online retailer and look for sales. I'm not sure which European based retailers are good though (I live in the states). The video card and DVD-RW/CD-RW drive will have to come out of your own personal cash. Maybe ask your parents for chores to do around the house to earn some cash? Again, I can't stress learning about everything BEFORE considering purchasing any parts to build your own computer (that will give you time to earn the cash needed :)). Like I said in a previous post, check out http://www.ocforums.com. There is not a single computer related question that you could think of that they would not be able to answer plus they are very friendly and helpful :)
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Walkingpie »

This is a pretty basic machine but will smash LFS on high.

MOBO : ASUSTEK - P5GC-VM PRO S775 €68.97
CPU : INTEL - Dual Core E2160 1.80GHz €75.02
RAM : KINGSTON - Memory/ValueRam 1GB 667MHz DDR2 x 2 €48.40
GPU : Radeon HD 2600XT 256Mb €94.38
PSU : ANTEC - PSU/Earthwatts 500W €81.07


TOTAL €367.84



My Machine 12037 3dmarks
MOBO : Asus P5N32-E SLI 775 nF680i
CPU : Core2Duo E6600 2.4ghz @ 3.4ghz
RAM : DDR2 2048MB(2x1G)PC6400 800Mhz G.Skill
GPU : Nvidia Gf 8800gts 512Mb G92 core. OC'ed
PSU : Zalman ZM500-HP
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by dougie-lampkin »

Thanks for all the replies, looks like I've a bit of convincing to do at home :lol:

I have enough money to cover the build easily, but I'm going to Spain and America this summer...and I'm getting car insurance at the end of the year (I'm 16, so that'll be €4000 easily :shock: ), so I need to cut down as much as possible...

Is the new motherboard necessary? I'd be happy with 1GB of RAM (current one's max), that's the same as the family PC. But I don't know much about the CPU or graphics card. If the CPU is socket 423, would it take dual core? A 2Ghz dual core would be fine for what I need, and I could always overclock. And would a modern-ish graphics card fit (I know nothing about them, I've always used stock onboards)?

Thanks for the help :wink:
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by MINIz guy »

Well, Socket 423 is dead. You might be able to find a CPU or two on ebay with that socket, but they will be cost more than they are worth. Because 423 is dead, a new MoBo is pretty much needed. 1GB is just on the edge for me, I want 2GB soon but I play more than LFS sometimes. A modern-ish graphics card could be a cheaper ATi 2600 card or a nVidia 8600. If DX10 isn't important to you, a nice nVidia 7600-7900 could work or an ATi X1600-1900 would do good for you. I bought my X1950XT 512MB for $199 and it is still going strong now, with some overclocking and a nice watercooling kit on.

My PC specs.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz @ 2.2GHz
MoBo: Asus P5W DH Deluxe
RAM: 1GB Corsair Valueselect 667 MHz RAM @ 798MHz
GPU: GeCube X1950XT 512 MB @ 648MHz core and 783MHz memory
PSU: Kingwin 520W Modular
Watercooling: Thermaltake BigWater SE with Thermaltake TMG GPU waterblock
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by dougie-lampkin »

Hmm, and I presume any motherboard fits (incase I find a bargain somehwere)?
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Walkingpie »

First you have to choose a chipset. Nvidia or Intel.
Really doesn't make any difference unless you move into dual GPU.
Than you have to choose a socket go LGA775 with is most new intel processors. Its pointless upgrading with the motherboard you have. motherboard is probably the most necessary upgrade that you need. you also need to check what size the case is, being a package computer there is a good chance that the mother board is micro ATX and the normal ATX wont fit.
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by dougie-lampkin »

Yea, its a Dell Dimension 4400 Case (I can't find any dimensions), so it was probably designed for the motherboard fitted. Can new MicroATX be got, or are they more expensive or something? I'm not getting a new case, unless I can get one for less than €20. I really don't want to get more than the basics...

I've just realised, it could be a 2400, they both look the same...
The 2400 stats:
# Intel Celeron 2.4 GHz Processor
# 256 MB PC2100 DDR Memory
# 80 Gigabyte Hard Drive
# 48x CD-RW Combo Optical Drive
# Integrated AC'97 Audio with Altec Lansing ADA215 Speakers
# Intel Extreme 3D Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory
# v.92 56 Kbps PCI Modem and 10/100 Ethernet
# Six USB 2.0 Ports
# Three PCI Expansion Slots (Two Available)

I haven't looked at which it is, but they both have the same case...if it's 2400, It might be better...I think it is 2400 because the HDD on her PC is 80GB...

Thinking about it, it is the 2400...epic fail on my part :(
Sorry about that, the case is the same for both...
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Walkingpie »

Yeah micro ATX can still be bought, they are actually cheaper thats why dell use them, that board in my previous post is Micro ATX.
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by dougie-lampkin »

I got sick of waiting...so I got a laptop! It's an advent 9517

Specs:

Processor - Intel Centrino Duo T5250 1.5GHz
RAM - 2GB
Video Card - Onboard, but possible upgrade through Express slot

Unfortunatly it's running Vista, so I actually get 1/4 of the fps that my pc, with half the specs, in LFS :?


My question is: What kind of video cards are avaulable for the Express slot. Ideally something less than €150 would be excellent, as my parents really don't like me spending money, and I just went and bought a new laptop :P
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by MINIz guy »

The Advent 9517 has an MXM slot? From my websites I know of, I don't believe it has an MXM slot, so no GFX upgrades for you. Also, the new line of Penryn CPU's have came out for laptops, so your T5250 will get old pretty quick, I believe Intel has discontinued it. How much did you pay for it?
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Eaglezor »

custom pc ftw
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Re: PC upgrades...

Post by Walkingpie »

Eagle you don't even know whats inside your own
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