Instead of buying a new computer, I've just decided to replace the motherboard in my old computer. It's a Dell Dimension 8200, and a link to the technical specs a is here. Right now, I just have the stock graphics card, but I'm planning on upgrading that too with the motherboard. I want the board to be able to handle 4 gigs of RAM and around a 4 Ghz processor. What board would you recommend I buy?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186140

 

This would work, but I can't say I'd recommend it.

Hmm.... That could be nice. I'll look into it :)

You could obviously spend more but that'd be adequate, I might move up a tier.

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813121319

 

 

 

For a little more money it might provide slightly better performance.

 

Also another memory slot.

 

 

 

 

 

Ask sloter or somebody, I'm not really that great at all this stuff, but have been getting more interested lately.

 

 

 

Only possible problem in my mind is the power supply though I have no idea if you'd have a problem, probably not, but you might need to get a 300 or 350 power supply.

I really like newegg, the site that you linked me to. I've been looking around, and I think I'll find something good. Thanks :

Well, for the PSU, if you want to be a bit "future proof", I would go with at least 500W, this would open for a few upgrades as well as being used for a few years as well.

Usually new motherboards mean new entire systems due to compatibility with old hardware etc. and its good to have a new look.

 

 

 

For the 4gigs of RAM, get a board with 4 RAM slots preferably supporting at least DDR2-667.

 

 

 

For the processor you want, I suggest getting a dual/quad core as singles are already obsolete and even the most basic Intel Core 2 Duo will destroy a 3ghz Pentium 4. Right now, no quad/duals run at stock 4ghz with the 3.2 ghz QX9775 the best out now (i think), retailing at about $1500. To get to your goal of 4ghz, you will need to overclock and at those clockspeeds, you will most likely need a custom cooler.

 

 

 

Before you purchase your board, check if it fits into your case as an ATX mobo will not fit into a mATX one, same goes for PSU, I recommend <400W for a mid-range (8600gt etc) graphics card

 

 

 

Also I heard somewhere that Dell solder or rivet their boards to their cases so removing them may be impossible or difficult, I', not too sure on this one so maybe have a look in your case to see.

eggzs is right. A motherboard replacement usually means a totally new computer. Aside from the motherboard you will definitely need a new processor, new memory and a new graphics card and probably a new power supply, case and drives (the PSU because of connector differences, the case because dell's cases are generally not standard ATX sized and the drives because many new motherboards only have 1 or 2 IDE channels, if any at all). Between those components, you have an entirely new computer.

A little bit of what eggz and snipersas are saying. You might as well just do a new build. I don't know why you just want to replace the mobo. Also i will touch on what snipersas said about it not fitting. Dell has a tenancy to do things that aren't standard and that only to fit there hard ware. That mobo may not fin in the dell case and some of the hardware you may upgrade may not fit in the case right on that mobo. Bottom line is i would personally just build a new machine rather than try to rebuild that dell over time and just keeping the case.

Again noting what others said.

 

 

 

4ghz OC is possible for the 3.2ghz clocked dual core's if you spend ~$40-$50 on a good heatsink. I got a 1.8ghz to 2.7ghz, and I am using a $35 heatsink. :)

 

 

 

 

 

For motherboards the nForce are always pretty nice, I have an nForce 650i Ultra that works well. The 7 series is probably fairly cheap now too.

Again noting what others said.

 

 

 

4ghz OC is possible for the 3.2ghz clocked dual core's if you spend ~$40-$50 on a good heatsink. I got a 1.8ghz to 2.7ghz, and I am using a $35 heatsink. :)

 

 

 

 

 

For motherboards the nForce are always pretty nice, I have an nForce 650i Ultra that works well. The 7 series is probably fairly cheap now too.

 

 

 

Sorry for possibliy being misleading. I figured he would just use the case etc.

Sorry about the confusion.... I'm also planning on buying a new cpu and some new memory. I guess the only things I planned on keeping were the hard drives and the case. The case I have has loads of space, and as far as I know, the motherboard is only screwed in.

Does anyone know if the mobo in it follows something like mATX or ATX? (i guess mini). If that mobo is a mini, a new mini-mobo should go fine.

 

What processor do you want?

 

AMD or Intel?

 

Quad or dual?

 

Price range?

 

 

 

Do you want some special ram? Or is PC 5300 or 6400 good enough?

 

 

 

What sort of games do you play and plan to play? What settings do you play in? Budget?

I really don't care about the processor brand, as long as it's reliable. I'd like around a 2Ghz dual core, with 2Gb of ram. I also need to replace the graphics card, and I'd rather the mobo didn't have an integrated one. Integrated sound cards work for me, though. It'd be nice if I could keep it under $500.

Some quick options here:

 

Intel core 2 duo, E7200 2.53ghz, 3mb cache - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115052 -120$

 

(you can get cheaper, but then it goes to Pentium or Celeron ones which are much worse than C2D. You can also look at AMD's dual's... Altho i wouldn't atm buy one of those until they get out some with newer technology.)

 

 

 

Foxconn motherboard(s): DDr2, 1066/800 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186140 -50$

 

667 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186139 - 45$

 

PCI-E.. etc.

 

 

 

(mATX because i don't know if a bigger model would work)

 

 

 

RAM: Kingston 2gb DDR2 800mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134636 - 34$

 

Kingston 2gb DDR2 667mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134192 - 33$

 

(if you want something to overclock with or so you need to get more expensive memories, but these work fine. I have 2gb for my computer (kingston too lol), works great)

 

 

 

XFX Nvidia 8800GT 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... GT%20512mb 130$

 

( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814150316 , call of duty 4 included! Same card, same price)

 

or

 

Palit ATI HD4850 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814261027 - 170$ (very good version, Palit is a good brand+this card has a another fan than that on the reference design=cooler!)

 

 

 

334$ or 374$ wheter you choose 8800GT or 4850.

 

Up to you. This is just something i picked out, since you wanted it a bit cheaper.

Some quick options here:

 

Intel core 2 duo, E7200 2.53ghz, 3mb cache - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115052 -120$

 

(you can get cheaper, but then it goes to Pentium or Celeron ones which are much worse than C2D. You can also look at AMD's dual's... Altho i wouldn't atm buy one of those until they get out some with newer technology.)

 

 

 

Foxconn motherboard(s): DDr2, 1066/800 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186140 -50$

 

667 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186139 - 45$

 

PCI-E.. etc.

 

 

 

(mATX because i don't know if a bigger model would work)

 

 

 

RAM: Kingston 2gb DDR2 800mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134636 - 34$

 

Kingston 2gb DDR2 667mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134192 - 33$

 

(if you want something to overclock with or so you need to get more expensive memories, but these work fine. I have 2gb for my computer (kingston too lol), works great)

 

 

 

XFX Nvidia 8800GT 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... GT%20512mb 130$

 

( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814150316 , call of duty 4 included! Same card, same price)

 

or

 

Palit ATI HD4850 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814261027 - 170$ (very good version, Palit is a good brand+this card has a another fan than that on the reference design=cooler!)

 

 

 

334$ or 374$ wheter you choose 8800GT or 4850.

 

Up to you. This is just something i picked out, since you wanted it a bit cheaper.

 

 

 

Nice setup, I'm seriously considering that : . About the motherboard, can I install another graphics card even though it has integrated graphics? Also, are there any boards that have the same performance without the integrated graphics (yes, I know I'm cheap)

 

 

 

Thanks alot :thumbsup:

Some quick options here:

 

Intel core 2 duo, E7200 2.53ghz, 3mb cache - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115052 -120$

 

(you can get cheaper, but then it goes to Pentium or Celeron ones which are much worse than C2D. You can also look at AMD's dual's... Altho i wouldn't atm buy one of those until they get out some with newer technology.)

 

 

 

Foxconn motherboard(s): DDr2, 1066/800 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186140 -50$

 

667 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186139 - 45$

 

PCI-E.. etc.

 

 

 

(mATX because i don't know if a bigger model would work)

 

 

 

RAM: Kingston 2gb DDR2 800mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134636 - 34$

 

Kingston 2gb DDR2 667mhz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134192 - 33$

 

(if you want something to overclock with or so you need to get more expensive memories, but these work fine. I have 2gb for my computer (kingston too lol), works great)

 

 

 

XFX Nvidia 8800GT 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... GT%20512mb 130$

 

( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814150316 , call of duty 4 included! Same card, same price)

 

or

 

Palit ATI HD4850 512mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814261027 - 170$ (very good version, Palit is a good brand+this card has a another fan than that on the reference design=cooler!)

 

 

 

334$ or 374$ wheter you choose 8800GT or 4850.

 

Up to you. This is just something i picked out, since you wanted it a bit cheaper.

 

 

 

Nice setup, I'm seriously considering that : . About the motherboard, can I install another graphics card even though it has integrated graphics? Also, are there any boards that have the same performance without the integrated graphics (yes, I know I'm cheap)

 

 

 

Thanks alot :thumbsup:

 

 

 

Yes, whenever you put in an a graphics-card to motherboard-x it will use the graphics card (unless you use something like crossfire-x for AMD), sometimes you might have to go into the bios and choose pci-e, but not often.

 

I don't think they even make mobo's without integrated graphics any more, at least to my knowledge.

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813185107 - 40$ (30 after rebate). But it seems it has some problems (looking at the reviews), and i've never heard of this brand so i dont' know if it's any good. But you can save a bit of money there.

 

 

 

If you want to save money, AMD Athlon is the way to go.

 

Example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103211 , Athlon X2 5000+ 2.6ghz - 59.50$

 

Motherboard for AMD cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128333 - 49$

 

or if you want one with sockets am2/am2+ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813157125 - 45$ (funny, this one is cheaper and more future proof. If i'm not mistaken, this one will be able to handle the new 45nm Phenom CPU's coming next year if you'd like to upgrade to that later and keeping the motherboard).

This is my tentative setup right now. The motherboard bundle is a nice deal, because that mother board alone is only $10 or $20 less than the bundle with the processor. Right now, I'm not buying a graphics card, so I'm just going to use the integrated graphics. It's got a very nice card - NVidia GeForce 8 series, which should be good for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCo ... =10&page=1 - $170 combo.

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... ngston%204 - $82

It's Nvidia 8200 on it if i don't remember wrong. Will work great until you need to play Crysis or Far Cry 2 =) ^^

 

Why getting 4x1gb? Why not 1x4gb or 2x2gb?

 

 

 

Remember that you need power supply, harddrive, cd/dvd drives etc.

4 x 1 Gb because it's around $20 cheaper :thumbsup:

 

I'm not a huge gamer, and any GeForce 8 series is a lot better than what I had :lol: (had a GeForce 5, and then it burned out and left me with an integrated GeForce 3) And yes, I'm embarrased that I still had that piece of junk :oops:

 

I'm doing is upgrading my old computer, and all of the parts you listed are compatible and work with the new hardware I'm planning on buying :thumbsup:

This is my tentative setup right now. The motherboard bundle is a nice deal, because that mother board alone is only $10 or $20 less than the bundle with the processor. Right now, I'm not buying a graphics card, so I'm just going to use the integrated graphics. It's got a very nice card - NVidia GeForce 8 series, which should be good for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCo ... =10&page=1 - $170 combo.

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... ngston%204 - $82

 

 

 

Several things:

 

 

 

First: I hope you do not intend to run any games, since with an integrated 8200 nothing but old games will run. Just because it starts with an 8- means little. The 8200 is not made for gaming whatsoever, and you will not be able to play anything but older games on lower settings with it.

 

 

 

Second: That memory is both overpriced and older tech. There is not reason to buy 1 GB sticks at this time - its more expensive, slower and older then the newer 2 GB density sticks, and it will limit upgrading your RAM in the future. This memory will work much better.

 

 

 

Third: At this time there is no reason to buy an AMD processor for the desktop segment. Intel's offerings are cheaper, faster and newer then AMD's, particularly if you decide to overclock the processor. If you do decide to do so (which takes about 30 seconds) you have an instant 40% speed boost - on a chip that's already 20% faster then the one you picked out. This processor and This motherboard together are a better buy - they are quite a bit faster then what you posted. Notice this is an Intel chipset based motherboard - Intel chipsets are faster and more stable then Nvidia based ones. The only reason to buy an Nvidia board is if you plan on adding a second graphics card to the computer for SLI. Since this is obviously a build on a tight budget, I doubt you will be going down the SLI road.

 

 

 

Fourth: YOU NEED A NEW PSU AND CASE!!!! I cannot stress this enough. The power supply and case you have right now WILL NOT WORK with these new parts - the CPU connector required for this board is a newer standard then what is on your power supply, and if you try plugging it in the system will not boot up. Additionally, the case you have will not fit the motherboard - the screws are tapped in different places, it just won't fit. Next, due to Windows licensing requirements, replacing the motherboard is considered to be the same thing as getting a completely new computer. If you want to keep your license legal, you will need to buy a new copy of Windows and finally your CD and hard drives will probably not work unless you have a very small number of them - there is not enough IDE channels on new motherboards to support a completely IDE based drive setup.

Wow :?

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks a lot, I had no idea about some of that stuff. Now it seems I basically need too build a new pc.. I was actually considering buying a premade computer, and still might. I'll need to think about this.

 

 

 

The processor that you described wasn't linked... Would you mind giving me a link?

 

 

 

Thanks again, that was a big help.