Renovate a DELL--is it possible?

[ghostgo]

Hi guys, I have a Dell Desktop dimension 2350.

It is 4 years old with 1.75GHz P4, 512 RAM..., primarily a working PC.
But i bought a 9600SE grphic card to put it in...but only found out that there is no AGP slot in my mobo.

So my question is, what is the simplest way to renovate my PC. If i need to get a new mobo, what should i get? Does it fit into the case? Or should i get a barebone instead? During this transformation, what's the risk of the CPU being burnt?
The thing is, I don't want to buy a mobo that's unfit and I don't want to burn my CPU in the process. I also want to utilize as many things as possible while keeping my costs low ($100.00, maybe?)

So...any suggestion would be very helpful...Thanx

[Panama Red]

I'd recommend you leave that machine alone and save for a new one. Dell power supplies are proprietary as are the motherboards so if you buy a new mobo, you'll also have to buy a power supply. The Dell psu is probably the right size/watts for the existing system but the minute you start adding a new vid card you'd need more watts. Add to this that the 9600SE is a pretty weak vid card.

[ghostgo]

Yeah, i'm not going for intense gaming here so 9600SE is enough for me.

About redoing this machine, would you recommend buying a barebone with enough power and transfer everything in the DELL into it, including processor and other stuff?

[Stuey]

If you move everything to a new system, you most likely will run into other problems.

Dell uses odd cooling solutions. My father has a Dell Dimension 4600 and it has this shroud going from the CPU to the only exhaust fan in the case (besides the single PSU fan). I don't know how it is in the 2350, but you may not be able to reproduce the cooling solution.

Secondly, your Dell PSU and motherboard bust be used together as Panama Red mentioned. Since you're scrapping the motherboard for one that supports your vidoe card, you're going to need a new PSU. Since the mainboard is different, you most likely will have to reinstall your OS. No problem if you have your own copy of Windows. There might be a problem if you want to use Dell's disk.

You may be able to use your Dell case, but they're usually smaller than ATX and might not fit a micro-ATX board. I'm guessing on this. If you buy a new motherboard, you have to be careful that your current ram and CPU are compatible. Then you need a PSU and probably a new case.

There are other ways to "renovate a PC". What you are suggesting, in terms of obtaining a new mobo to fit your new video card, is not going to be cheap. Given what you have and what you can keep, I highly doubt that you will see appreciable improvement for $100 or less. A decent motherboard and PSU will cost more than that alone, not to mention a new case if they don't fit in the Dell case. You still run the risk of incompatible ram as well.

My suggestion is that you look into optimizing what you have, or be prepared to spend (probably much) more than $100. Instead of renovating this hardware, I recommend waiting until your budget allows for either an extensive rebuild, a new build, or a new computer purchase.

I guess the bottom line is that it will cost a lot more than the value of your new video card to put it into use.

[nicolaus corelius]

actually there is a way to reinsert the pins for the mobo. basicly your mobo has the agp slots but it plastic thingie is taken out. let me go ask my friend and come back with the solution

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by nicolaus corelius actually there is a way to reinsert the pins for the mobo. basicly your mobo has the agp slots but it plastic thingie is taken out. let me go ask my friend and come back with the solution

You can't do it -- the chipset doesn't support a separate AGP card, and even if it did, it would be tough to get the AGP slot soldered in there anyway.

[nicolaus corelius]

actually its not very tough. my frinds did it to his comp.

[glc]

If all you are trying to do is get somewhat better game performance, put a PCI video card into it. Otherwise, look at building a new computer and reusing selected parts out of the Dell. The motherboard and case will have to be dumped at the very least.

Nicolaus, that model does not have ANY way to add an AGP slot, with or without a soldering iron. The chipset does not support it, it's an Intel 8xxGV, it's not a 8xxG with the AGP slot blanked out.

Here's a good PCI video card:

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16814102522

[ghostgo]

Well, here is my dilemma:
I want to install a new mobo in my Dell, and since it is nearly impossible, I might just get a barebone with case, power supply, and processor and put the RAM, CD-RROM, floppy, hard drive, and my graphic card in my new barebone.
But if i do this, i'll spend $300-500 AND have a intact P4 and Dell case sitting right there.

Is there another way, can i send my pc to Dell and let them upgrade it? I'll need an AGP slot sooner or later....

(if i sell it on ebay, how much would u pay for it--just wanna know the price range)
1.75 P4, 512 RAM, 40GB, DVD-ROM, CD-R, floppy, integrated sound and video.

What a piece of ----

[glc]

Dell does not upgrade computers, they only sell new ones.

You may not be able to reuse the ram, depending on what ram you have and what motherboard you choose - and you cannot reuse the floppy drive because it has no bezel.

My advice? Start saving for a new computer, and build one yourself this time. Sell the Dell to someone who needs a reliable office machine and doesn't care about games. That's all those entry level Dells are good for anyway - general nondemanding use.

[Panama Red]

glc says "My advice? Start saving for a new computer, and build one yourself this time."

Must be an echo in here! My recommendation from post #2:

"I'd recommend you leave that machine alone and save for a new one."

ghost, are you listening?

[ghostgo]

Ya, I heard ya. Leave it alone and build a new one.
I'm going to college this fall. Should i get a desktop or laptop...any suggestions, college people?

By the way, do u guys have trouble logging in? Everytime it says invalid...you have used 2/5 tries....and i have to reset my password and it'll login successfully.
And it's not my cookies problem.

[Panama Red]

The one question I ask all folks considering a laptop - "Do you need to take your computer with you in order to use it effectively?" If the answer is "No, I'll just connect the power unit and leave it plugged in and use it like a regular (meaning desktop) computer.", then don't get a laptop. You can get more computer power in a desktop for less money. Plus if you select you parts carefully, you stand a good chance of being able to upgrade later. No upgrading to a lappy. What you buy is what you use til you need a new one.

[ghostgo]

Well, if i want to get a desktop, which one would you suggest.
I don't think i want to build it myself, because i ran into many problems last time. Plus i spent alot more than i would've if i bought a custom one on eBay.

People also told me to stay away for pentium/Intel. What do you think?

[Stuey]

Panama Red makes a good argument, but there are great reasons to get a laptop for college. many campuses are now going wireless so you can take your work anywhere. Even if the campus is not wireless, you can plug in at the libraries and usually some other places.

For the first two and a half years I was an undergrad, I had a laptop. My sister had the same laptop and after 16 months for me and 18 months for her, our HDs died. Other people did not have the same problem, so we had a bad batch. Laptops are portable but fragile too.

Anyways, so I overused my laptop so much that its performance degraded significantly. So I built a desktop for myself because for my purposes a laptop was no longer sufficient. There were situations I was glad to have a laptop. Over long breaks or short breaks or weekend breaks, you can take all your work home with you. All the programs you need, all your files. You think that you can easily do your work on your family computer but it's sometimes not the case. As a freshman, you'll probably not be allowed a car on campus. It's not easy taking a desktop home for winter break or spring break, etc when you take a bus or train or have your parents give you a lift. Additionally... you'll probably have to live in a dorm if you live away from home, at least for a year. Dorm rooms are small and there's something to be said about all the space a laptop will save you.

My recommendation: "desktop replacement" notebook as they're affordable and rugged. Ideal solution: cheap desktop and affordable laptop.

Ghostgo, other people will have more to say about this but if you want more opinions, you should start a separate thread.

~Stuey

[thefultonhow]

I would presonally get a laptop if you're going to college -- I brought a desktop and it limited flexibility. Even if a laptop will sit on your desk most of the time, it's nice to be able to take your computer home with you if you go home for the weekend or a holiday, and if you want to go to the library to study, you can take your laptop with you there too.

If you're not worried about portability, you can get the Dell Inspiron 9300. Configured with the GeForce 6800 Go graphics card, it is great for gaming. I'm planning to get it to replace my desktop pretty soon. My preferred configuration is as follows:

Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800
80GB Hard Drive
Spare AC adapter (Power Cord) - 90w [you might not want this if your laptop will stay on your desk most of the time]
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer write capability
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)
9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery (80 WHr) [only $30 more than upgrading the primary battery to a 9-cell]
Large Backpack Carrying Case
2Yr Ltd Warranty, 2Yr At-Home Service, and 2Yr Technical Support
Add CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service to 2Yr Lim Warranty [I would highly recommend CompleteCare for a laptop]
Port Replicator Notebook Expansion Dock w/Stand
Performance USB Keyboard with 8 Hot Keys
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Sound Card
TOTAL: $2,884.60

You might also want to add a mouse -- I didn't put one in my config because I already have one that is USB. With Dell's 35% off coupon, the price comes down to $2200. You can obviously subtract some of the stuff, but I would recommend at least a 1.86 GHz Pentium-M, 512 MB RAM, the GeForce 6800, and a combo drive.

[jdjuice]

If you have about 2200 dollars to spend, like in the suggested laptop, I'd suggest just going with a relatively crappy laptop and a good desktop. Before I went to college, I bought what would be a desktop replacement laptop from dell. Off the top of my head its a 2 ghz pentium with 512meg ram. I've had it for three years and I'm still very happy with its current performance, although I havent tried to play any of the newer hardware-intensive games. It runs CivIII like a charm though. Anyway, why I'd suggest getting a decent desktop and a crappy laptop is that you can use the desktop to run games, rip/burn dvds, encode big files, blah blah blah, all the hardware intesive stuff, while you use the laptop to carry around school to write papers, do research, surf the internet and other fairly light computer tasks. If your campus is wireless, you can get wireless access for your laptop and be extremely mobile while still using your desktop as kind of a base station. I've never seen anyone playing doom in the dining hall, so I don't understand why you'd need a laptop able to play it.

Another option is just going with a desktop. I'm not sure how other schools are, but my school has a number of computer labs available around campus that students can work on. From there you can send your desktop whatever pertinent info you might have in an email. This option however limits watching your own movies or listening to music, along with being able to bring your computer home for a weekend.

Another thing against a laptop is that its not very operable or upgradeable. I bought mine with an open ram slot so that I could add another ram stick if i needed to later when prices had gone down. I stuck another 256 megs in and thats about the extent of being able to upgrade my laptop. Recently one of my fans in the back of my laptop broke, and as the warranty has expired, I'll have to get it fixed somewhere if I decide to go that route. I've tried opening it up to have a look-see, but it seems the fans in my laptop are the most difficult piece of the laptop to access.

Anyway, sorry to ramble, but I'd say buying an upgradeable desktop would be ideal, and if you have the cash for a mobile and hardy laptop that can surf the web and be used for writing papers, then go for that too. My experience with a desktop replacement laptop wasnt a terrible one, but I've had plenty of times where I found my laptop seriously lacking in I/O options, disc burning abilities, gaming, etc, but since I sort of planned it to be a desktop replacement, its still damn heavy and sacrifices a bit of mobility. Good luck! I hope this all makes sense!

[barch 88]

Originally Posted by Panama Red I'd recommend you leave that machine alone and save for a new one. Dell power supplies are proprietary as are the motherboards so if you buy a new mobo, you'll also have to buy a power supply. The Dell psu is probably the right size/watts for the existing system but the minute you start adding a new vid card you'd need more watts. Add to this that the 9600SE is a pretty weak vid card.

Just a question while your on that subject...My friend wants to buy a new VGA for his HP, I was wondering if he got one he would need a better PSU and would't he also need better cooling for the case too, and or mobo?

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by barch 88 Just a question while your on that subject...My friend wants to buy a new VGA for his HP, I was wondering if he got one he would need a better PSU and would't he also need better cooling for the case too, and or mobo?

Power supply upgrade is probable. Minimum recommended for a 9800 Pro is 350 Watts and most prebuilts (like HP) come with a 200-250 watt psu. If the case already has a rear fan in addtition to the psu fan, most likely won't need any extra cooling. If cooling does become an issue, he can probably increase the rear exhaust fan from an 80mm one to a 120mm.

[Staren]

Since we are on the subject of college set-ups, here is what I have going. Plan on spending $1500 - $2000. Spend $1,000 or a bit more and it will get you a pretty respecable gaming desktop. Top of the line, but it will play. Then look for one of the $500 - $800 laptops. More then enough power to write. study, and research on when you're out and around. Neither system will be insanely great, but both will work just fine.

[Jaggannath]

I agree with Staren in a way... but I still love my Inspiron 9300. It's almost identical to tfh's, except these bits: Large Backpack Carrying Case
2Yr Ltd Warranty, 2Yr At-Home Service, and 2Yr Technical Support
Add CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service to 2Yr Lim Warranty [I would highly recommend CompleteCare for a laptop]
Port Replicator Notebook Expansion Dock w/Stand
Performance USB Keyboard with 8 Hot Keys

I didn't want them, and they didn't come free, so I cut them away. It replaces my desktop, and I pretty much don't intend to buy another laptop for a VERY long time

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Jaggannath It replaces my desktop, and I pretty much don't intend to buy another laptop for a VERY long time

That's my philosophy too -- I intend to keep it for the duration of its warranty, and possibly longer. One of my friends got one, and he got the 4-year warranty with CompleteCare, because he intends to use it for all of college. He got one that is top-of-the-line and he doesn't game, so I think he'll have no problem stringing it along for that long.

[David M]

I did upgrade the ram, video ram and the HD on a Dell laptop a few years ago...but that was all I could do to make it better.

[glc]

I don't game, and my 8 year old laptop still does what I need, although at a leisurely pace.