Upgrade help

RustySpoon

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone could help with sourcing components for upgrading my current PC to something faster for a small bit of gaming (FM2010, Mass Effect, Dragons age etc), multi table poker playing and other general uses.

I currently have a Dell Dimension C521 with a built in 13-1 card reader (3.5) and a standard 16X DVD +/- RW (5.25) that I would like to keep operational.
I do not need a monitor, keyboard, mouse or O/S (Will be using W7 Ultimate 64 bit)
Sound and NIC are both integrated.

http://regmedia.co.uk/2006/09/14/dell_e521_1.jpg

Would be looking to spend < €500 and would like it to run quiet but quick.
What parts can you recommend that would fit this case, keept the card reader and dvd drives functionality and that would give me the increase in speed that I am looking for?
Or would I be better off getting a new case and putting the current drives, upgraded parts & new NIC and sound into it?

I have never done a build before, but I have a good knowledge of changing parts etc so would appreciate any help!

jonny72

RustySpoon wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone could help with sourcing components for upgrading my current PC to something faster for a small bit of gaming (FM2010, Mass Effect, Dragons age etc), multi table poker playing and other general uses.

I currently have a Dell Dimension C521 with a built in 13-1 card reader (3.5) and a standard 16X DVD +/- RW (5.25) that I would like to keep operational.
I do not need a monitor, keyboard, mouse or O/S (Will be using W7 Ultimate 64 bit)
Sound and NIC are both integrated.

http://regmedia.co.uk/2006/09/14/dell_e521_1.jpg

Would be looking to spend < €500 and would like it to run quiet but quick.
What parts can you recommend that would fit this case, keept the card reader and dvd drives functionality and that would give me the increase in speed that I am looking for?
Or would I be better off getting a new case and putting the current drives, upgraded parts & new NIC and sound into it?

I have never done a build before, but I have a good knowledge of changing parts etc so would appreciate any help!

I thought the C521 was a slimline version? perhaps I am thinking of a different model.

Personally I would sell the dell and start from scratch, but if it has some decent parts you can harvest, then it might be worth it, can you list the current components
What size and resolution monitor will you be gaming on?

Some parts are better to replace than to keep, for example, even though a 7200 rpm drive is still a 7200 rpm drive, you can really feel the difference between a shiny new samsung F3 1 TB drive and a well used 3 year old seagate 250 gb drive.

RustySpoon

jonny72 wrote: »

I thought the C521 was a slimline version? perhaps I am thinking of a different model.

Personally I would sell the dell and start from scratch, but if it has some decent parts you can harvest, then it might be worth it, can you list the current components
What size and resolution monitor will you be gaming on?

Some parts are better to replace than to keep, for example, even though a 7200 rpm drive is still a 7200 rpm drive, you can really feel the difference between a shiny new samsung F3 1 TB drive and a well used 3 year old seagate 250 gb drive.

Thanks for the reply.

No, it is the mini tower version. Really just want to keep DVD/Card reader for functionality and cost and the case fits perfectly in the space I have for it

I would be open to starting from scratch though and will 100% be putting a new HD in it no matter which route I go down. Would have a bigger budget than mentioned if going down a new build route. I would also like the NIC to be a wireless connection if possible.

Current components:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800 (2.0 GhZ) Processor
2Gb RAM 533 DDR2 (4* 512MB)
160GB Serial ATA 7200rpm
ATIX 1300 256MB Video (2 * DVI)
Don't know about the mobo?
Integrated NIC and Sound

Not looking for anything spectacular for gaming. Am currently using single 17" monitor on DVI port using 1280 *1024 (I think - Not currenly on that machine). Would also like to put second monitor for multi table poker playing, so would like a 2nd DVI port on GFX card.

RustySpoon

:o:o:o

I'm really embarrassed - just got home to check specs and the ones I gave are for a machine I ordered for someone else around the same time and got shipped to me:

My specs are:

Dimension 9200 MT
Intel Core Duo E6400
2Gb RAM 533 DDR2 (2* 1024MB)
250GB Serial ATA 7200rpm
ATIX 1300 256MB Video (2 * DVI)
Integrated NIC & Sound
19" monitor

Hopefully someone can help a poor moron get a better PC............

Solitaire

What resolution is the monitor? It's probably 1280*1024 (if 4:3) or 1440*900 (if a widescreen jobbie) but it could have a higher res if its one of Dell's better offerings. Not crucial but nice to know

A HD5750 is a safe choice for an upgrade graphics card; it consumes very little power but has enough oomph to keep almost any game running smooth up to 1650*1080 and will run most things just fine (and the rest too, if overclocked) at 1080p (Full HD) if you ever upgrade that monitor Before anyone else complains, the 9200MTs PSU is a Delta N375P-00 which in terms of capacity and quality is pretty much a perfect match for a Corsair CX400. And it has a 6pin PCIe power connector free so no issue there.

Its hard to countenance memory upgrades at the moment due to sky-high prices. You could probably stick in 2*2GB DDR2-800 in there (whether it'll run at full speed in there is another matter!) but that would cost almost as much as a HD5750 right now for vastly less benefit :eek: As you probably have a couple of DIMMs empty right now another 1GB stick of DDR2-533 could help a little, but not all that much.

The CPU... is a big and ugly issue that will only get nastier as time passes. Your E6400 was a very respectable CPU not so long ago, but C2D is now heading toward obsolesence and software is slowly beginning to migrate toward multithreading, and now likes having a CPU with more than 2 cores. Sadly, your upgrade path for the Dell is virtually non-existant. You can only use older 65nm Core2s and the prices are going up due to, ah, antiquity You could monkey around and try to overclock it but this may not be possible due to such features being locked in the BIOS by those skiving Dell gimps.

In short: you'll be okay for the next five minutes with your current CPU, but eventually you'll be stuck either getting a very overpriced Q6*00 or binning the motherboard and the PSU and the case along with the current CPU to get a newer one in. Feckin' Dell :mad:

RustySpoon

Monitor is a 1907FPV 19" (TCO99) Ultrasharp (DVI-D) at 1152 * 864
I am happy with the monitor at the minute as the attached sound bar suits what I need it for. The display seems good also, but I am not an expert.
What would be a good replacement if I were to change, would a soundbar attachment be available?

Thanks for the ideas solitaire, so I am thinking that I should just bite the bullet and just start a new build.

What sort of parts can I salvage or would I be better selling the old box and buying all new parts?
Could you recommend me a build using my needs in the first post for around €6-700?

jonny72

RustySpoon wrote: »

Monitor is a 1907FPV 19" (TCO99) Ultrasharp (DVI-D) at 1152 * 864
I am happy with the monitor at the minute as the attached sound bar suits what I need it for. The display seems good also, but I am not an expert.
What would be a good replacement if I were to change, would a soundbar attachment be available?

Thanks for the ideas solitaire, so I am thinking that I should just bite the bullet and just start a new build.

What sort of parts can I salvage or would I be better selling the old box and buying all new parts?
Could you recommend me a build using my needs in the first post for around €6-700?

I would say sell the current PC and get 150 euros for it.

For a 700 euro budget you can get the i5 processor (read reviews on it, very impressive chip, just about the best value/performance around at the moment), 4 gigs ram, 1tb Samsung F3 harddrive (just about the fastest 7200 rpm drive at the moment), a 5750 or 5770 graphics card, will run everything extremely smoothly on that res monitor
Then all the rest of the bits and pieces and just squeeze into a 700 euro budget if ordered from Germany (and built)

If you order from Komplett maybe cost a little more and I think you'd have to build it yourself.

lmimmfn

jonny72 wrote: »

I would say sell the current PC and get 150 euros for it.

For a 700 euro budget you can get the i5 processor (read reviews on it, very impressive chip, just about the best value/performance around at the moment), 4 gigs ram, 1tb Samsung F3 harddrive (just about the fastest 7200 rpm drive at the moment), a 5750 or 5770 graphics card, will run everything extremely smoothly on that res monitor
Then all the rest of the bits and pieces and just squeeze into a 700 euro budget if ordered from Germany (and built)

I agree totally, Dell and upgrade dont belong in the same sentence.

youcancallmeal

Like others have said sell the dell or give to a friend or something. That €500 your willing to spend will go a long way these days, even more infact if you take out what you can from the Dell PC. There is a thread here on the komplett forum which asked people to build PC's for €500, some great ideas in there.

uberpixie

RustySpoon wrote: »

What sort of parts can I salvage or would I be better selling the old box and buying all new parts?
Could you recommend me a build using my needs in the first post for around €6-700?

Slap in a new 5750 in your current Dell and see how you get on.
Your current spec + a 5750 will be enough to play games well @ 1152 * 864 res.

Then in a year or so do a full new build and transfer over the 5750.....

Parts only get cheaper and tech gets faster, there is no real rush in your case.
If you are really up for a new build though... go for it.

RustySpoon

uberpixie wrote: »

If you are really up for a new build though... go for it.

I'm starting to think that way at the minute, the HD in the current one is starting to creak and fill up and kind of want to get a new one after all the talk on here I am a bit hooked.
The old box has given me 3 years reliable solid service, time to say goodbye.

youcancallme>al wrote: »

Like others have said sell the dell or give to a friend or something. That €500 your willing to spend will go a long way these days, even more infact if you take out what you can from the Dell PC. There is a thread here on the komplett forum which asked people to build PC's for €500, some great ideas in there.

That is a great read cheers.

jonny72 wrote: »

For a 700 euro budget you can get the i5 processor (read reviews on it, very impressive chip, just about the best value/performance around at the moment), 4 gigs ram, 1tb Samsung F3 harddrive (just about the fastest 7200 rpm drive at the moment), a 5750 or 5770 graphics card, will run everything extremely smoothly on that res monitor
Then all the rest of the bits and pieces and just squeeze into a 700 euro budget if ordered from Germany (and built)

I like the idea of the i5 from what I have been looking into and the 5750 and the samsung F3 have been mentioned loads of times from what I can see.
What site is this from?
How much do they charge to build it?

My build as it stands will be (pricing from Komplett where available):
Case: ??
CPU: i5-750 - €185
HD: Samsung F3 1TB - €67
PSU: ???
GFX: HD5750 - €172
RAM: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 2 * 2Gb Dimms ?? -
Mobo: ??? maybe MSI P55-GD65, P55, Socket-1156, DDR3 €132 Would this work? Think socket is correct anyway.
Sound: ??? - Stick with on board?
NIC: ??? - Stick with on Board?
Card Reader: Akasa 3.5" Multi Reader €16
DVD RW: Sony DVDRW - €23
Cooler: ???

Am I on the right track, and if so would someone be able to fill in the gaps for me please. Am I missing anything else?
Whould the above spec be quiet but give me enough performance?

Thanks for all the help and merry Christmas!

lmimmfn

If you want to go cheaper than an i5 i would highlt recommend going the AMD path.

marco_polo

Recycling your DVD and card reader this will do everything you need, for 500ish delivered (They will build it for an extra 30 or so). IMO for your usage you don't really need an i5 or anything as powerfull as a 5770 if you are keeping the current monitor.

If you are set on an i5, by all means go ahead, just giving you a lower budget option

RustySpoon

Thanks for all the help and advice , below is what I think I am going to go with. Let me know your thoughts or if I made any fundamental mistakes.

Case: Cooltek CT K2 ATX Midi Tower
CPU: i5-750 (The lack of DDR3 mobos on hardwareversand when I went down the AMD route led me back to the i5)
HD: Samsung F3 1TB
PSU: Corsair CX400W - is this enough?
GFX: XFX Radeon HD5750 1GB - A Christmas present for myself, will upgrade the monitor later in the year.
RAM: 4GB DDR3 Corsair Twin 3X409613336C9
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P55A UD3
Card Reader: Wintech int 3.5" Multi Reader
DVD RW: LG DVDRW

Built for €683.48

Solitaire

RustySpoon wrote: »

CPU: i5-750 (The lack of DDR3 mobos on hardwareversand when I went down the AMD route led me back to the i5)

Eh? There's loads in stock... You are looking under AM3 for the DDR3-based AM3 mobos, aren't you?

Leman_Russ

Solitaire wrote: »

Eh? There's loads in stock... You are looking under AM3 for the DDR3-based AM3 mobos, aren't you?

SHHHHH. Don't tell him that! He'll buy a crap CPU now!

marco_polo

Leman_Russ wrote: »

SHHHHH. Don't tell him that! He'll buy a crap CPU now!

not (i5 | i7) != crap CPU.

Leman_Russ

marco_polo wrote: »

not (i5 | i7) != crap CPU.

AMD = Crap :pac: