Upgrade my ol' Dell

[YoungRascal]

Hello,

I've got a Dell Dimension 5150 DM051 (XP Media Centre) that I want to upgrade. I'd like to get a new sound card and video card. I'd like to go with NVidia for a video card.

I do a little gaming, which is the main reason for my upgrade, but I also do video editing of my home movies. I'd like to run some of the latest games (eg. Assassin's Creed), albeit I'm not willing to pay to be able to have the video settings maxed.

Can I budget about $500 for this?

This is what I have:
Dell DM051 Model 0KF623 Chipset: Intel i945G/GZ
Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 775 LGA) 2.8 GZ hyperthreaded
RADEON X600 256MB HyperMemory
Integrated SigmaTel High Definition Audio Codec
WD 160GB Drive
22" LCD



This is what I'm thinking of:
new PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139001

GeForce 8800GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130319


Will I need a new processor and mobo to make good use of this video card? Will this all fit in the case? Should I realistically consider a brand new build?


Additionally:
- This computer is sitting on my desk only a foot or so from my head. So noise is an important factor for me.
- I am hoping to reuse the Dell parts I am replacing in to another older computer for the kids.


Any advice would be appreciated

[The_Wiseman]

Dell PSU's are system specific, I think. This one says it's compatible with the Dimension 5150. Someone else might have better suggestions, though.

[YoungRascal]

Thanks, Wiseman.

Basically I want a new video card to play some of the newer games.

I figured I would need more than the (barely) 300W PSU I have now. But would it be sensible to spend that money on a new video card if my CPU is hitting the bare minimum requirements for the games?

Or should I save for a new computer?

[liambl]

I would suggest a new build, that CPU is very old and would bottleneck any new graphics card.

[The Village Idiot]

I looked into upgrading my old dell, someone explained to me that they use very system specific power supplies and only their 'special' ones can fit. You need to be wary of upgrading dells as they're not designed for it.

[YoungRascal]

Thanks for your suggestions!

liambl, how strongly of term do you mean by "bottleneck"?

I know I wouldn't be able to play Crysis with the settings cranked, but do you think I could get a playable experience out of it? Meaning I would not be enjoying the max capabilities of the video card... yet

Would Crysis be too taxing to be a comparable game? Or do many of the upcoming games have similar reqs?

Just wondering how long I can stall for a new computer... ;-)

[phigdon]

dell cases are reported to only accept dell PSU's unless you want to do some cutting. i 'm not 100% sure but you might be able to put in a micro-ATX PSU.
this is the highest wattage the egg has but is not on the good/bad list.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817338018

I agree, build a new system and get a 4850 or a 4870 instead of the 8800. its a better card for about $40 more.

[liambl]

That PSU doesn't look good, only 2x 13A 12v rails for a so-called "550W'. As a comparison, my 500W Enermax has 2x 22A 12v rails. It will be very hard to upgrade the graphcis card without a new PSU, it is pretty much maxed out now.

[Alaron]

The PC Power and Cooling power supply that The_Wiseman linked to is a great choice for upgrading a Dell. They have been buidling Dell compatible units for awhile now. Pairing that unit with the Geforce, or the new Radeon 4850 would be a great choice for games. Considering how GPU dependent games are these days, I don't think the 2.8 P4 is going to hold you back too much. It still has enough power to make upgrading worthwhile.

[YoungRascal]

Thanks guys, this is exactly the information I need to decide what to do.