Gutting a crappy Dell Optiplex

digitaldeath

Hey all,
I have a Dell Optiplex running a Celeron 2.4Ghz processor with 512mb ram.
My question is if I were to rip out the motherboard and replace it with an Epox motherboard w/ an AMD 64 1.8Ghz that I have laying around here - would I run into any problems regarding power supply issues etc.?

Is what I suggest advisable? The main reason I want to do this is that my current setup does not have an AGP slot and I also have an AGP gfx card laying around here.

Or would I better to just upgrade the current Dell setup to a P4 3.2 and go for the best PCI card I can get?

Oh, I'll be getting a gig of memory for whichever setup I choose to go for.

All help welcome!

Regards,
Digi.

TerrorFirmer

Since it's dell, you probably won't be able replace the main board as it won't be compatiable with Dells non standard psus.

As well as that, the best PCI card you can get is something from the Geforce FX range, which basically means crap. Won't be able to play anything like BF2, Doom3 or such on anything over 800x600 with options on low. PCI is a long time dead.

It's a dilly of a pickle.

You can have a crap gfx card with a high cpu, or leave it as is. Unless you go to the trouble of trying to find a psu compatiable with a dell.....

edit: You could try sourcing a new dell mobo though...

Clinical Waste

Not 100% sure (for all dells), but I think you might find dell use proprietry MB's and PSU's which make them non compatible with standard atx boards.
I've gutted 2 in the last week (P3 optiplex's and just through the board, psu and case away as they were unusable anywhere else except in another optiplex)

You have most of the pieces, just put them into another case with the ePOX board. Plenty of cheap ones around, often with psu's.

digitaldeath

Thanks guys - by the sounds of it, a new case it is!

Regards,
Digi.

SouperComputer

why not flog the Dell in the BnS and get a used system on boards?