upgrade ideas

hi all,

dumb post again but i am lookin to upgrade computer prob motherboard but open to ideas suggestions

i have a dell OptiPlex GX270. MS XP PRO ver 2002 SP2
pentium 4 2.4ghz with 512mb ram

not sure what size tower i have but to compare it to something its a sheet of paper and a half.(if its a motherboard upgrade)

i hope u can help.

 

Here is the documentation for your Dell:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx270/en/index.htm
but what we need to know is from the documentation, what form factor is the desktop?

 

it looks like the small desktop (mini tower i think it said)

 

you would likely need a mini atx motherboard, or a small form factor motherboard either should fit.
Tiger Direct offers great deals on motherboard cpu combos..Gigabyte, MSI, ASUS all good mobo's imo , next thing is, is this for gaming, multimedia etc??? or just surfing the web emails chat etc??

 

no gaming computer just internets and maybe some multimedia such as itunes n stuff.

i did look at motherboard stuff but when i order something what do i need to check, like umm. what will occur when i switch it out.
and how do i know which socket i have

which brand do u prefer over the others

thanks for all ur help

 

Well, my Antec is about the same size, an inch wider, and I have full ATX mobo and PSU in there plus a humungous dual slot 11-inch video card. The docs keep mentioning 'mini' this and that. Is it really worth reusing the case?

May also have to get a new power supply too depending on what answers you give to MoPaR and what your budget is. Use your dad's tape measure or better mom's sewing measure as it's cloth, make sure to turn your power supply off first before you open the side. Dell's were not compliant with the standards back in those days either.

Wait for someone who knows Dells for a better answer. If I had the money, I'd put it in the recycle bin.

 

what if i live alone and mommys sewing kit and daddys tape measure isnt here.
i like to recycle computers as much as i can. i was lookin for a small project with a 500 budget but didnt want to get into buyin a new one. everything should be salvageable out of it. obviously you ppl help out alot of ppl on here and i thank you for it.

i am not sure what will or should work in this computer. things have changed so much in the last couple years that i am not up to date with it
i have 2 dell desktops and acer laptop, and about a dozen part computers but they are mostly P2. would this one work for upgrade

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5202421&CatId=2406

 

augiedoggie is right about the psu, these dell's generally only have a small 110 - 150 watt power supply, maybe 200-250w, so no matter what mobo you get, you will need a new psu as well, and taking a second look at the dell casing, I don't think you'll get a power supply to fit it.
Personally I prefer AMD socket AM2+, dual core cpu, and the board should accept no less than 4gig ram.
Make sure it has atleast 2 SATA plugs for future hard drive upgrades
atleast 1 pci-e slot
and maybe a couple pci slots for expansion ie: nic card, sound card etc... (you amy not install these but ya don't know what the future holds )

Here's a perfect example:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5077929&CatId=332
Its 149.99, all you will need from there is the cpu fan/heatsink, cheap to buy as well, transfer your hdd, etc over and you're rollin.

So, compare the cost and trouble of upgrading your current pc vs a new one.

 

i pulled the PSU out and states 250W.

will amd work with the compont i have. i mean since its a dell with intel. i have never crossed like this so i do not know.

comp bios says 512MB ddr sdram 333mhz installed
800mhz fbs
bios version A01

so if i do ur recommendation of goin with that upgrade u said. do i need a psu and what type RAM do i need and how will i know

 

The example i used above comes with the proper cpu for the board, ram, power supply, all you would need is a cpu cooling fan/heatsink for the AM2 socket, your existing hdd should just swap right over to the new system

 

well i might as well do that lol
makes the most cents.
all i have is HDD, 5.1 sound card that came with it


thanks for all the help

 

Sorry for the 'mom/dad' remark, that was out of line.:-o That's a nice combo and it would take DDR2 RAM, quite inexpensive compared to your current DDR. Again about the PSU, do you have a 24 pin main power connector and a separate 4-pin? I really doubt it! A decent PSU should cost you about $50 US max for your needs, Antec Thermaltake etc., these two brands I really love and use. Oh, you have a PCI-E X16 video slot on that mobo, will you ever buy a separate video card for that?

Well, a standard sheet of paper is 8.5"X11" , you can always fold it in half or quarters or eighths to get a good and close idea of sizes of things, that's what I did when I had no tapes either, then mark by pen 16ths and 32nds. a small bit of math needed.

 

Oh, your Dell XP will not work here because of drivers even if you could still get it now, I'm not too sure if anyone still sells it.

 

thats cool about mom/dad. i got a chuckle out of it.

although i get the ddr2 how do i know umm i guess its the size or speed like
pc5200 ddr2 thats the part im not sure of the most

i am definitely goin barebone. maybe i can make the current one a storage server.

i looked through some more barebones they look alright.

thanks again

 

Well, the board is rated for PC5400/667MHz or PC6400/800MHz. I'm not a memory expert but I believe the PC5200 will clock your system down, the price is basically the same.

I would suggest starting a new thread about the memory, stating your current mobo/CPU wish and see what Mimsy says, she's the RAM expert here among others. Hopefully she'll give you an answer by the end of the day as she's usually around here 10PM EST.