Hey. This whole financial fiasco started when I decided to replace the aging GeForce 2 MX in my Dell Dimension 8200 1.8GHz 1Gig RDRAM. I promptly bought a GeForce 6600GT off of ebay for a decent $160 without investigating the requirements of the video card first (how smooth was that). I then found out that the vc I bought required a PCI-X port, which my 5-year-old motherboard didn't have. After talking to a friend of my father's who knows computers pretty well, I decided I might as well upgrade the whole shabang: motherboard, processor, RAM, and VC.
Problem is, I have a Dell, and Dells suck for custom upgrading (at least, that's what I've heard)! I've already decided to get a motherboard with Intel's new LGA775 socket, since I've already bought an LGA775 3.2 GHz processor off of ebay (another great deal for $170). Right now, I have my eyes on either the EPoX EP-5EPAJ or the Albatron PX915P Pro, both with the intel i915P chipset. I also plan to sell my current gig of RDRAM and to buy a pair of Corsair XMS 256MB DDR sticks.
My question is can a 2-year-old Dell 8200 handle these upgrades? I've heard of problems with power supply compatibility and cooling, as well as problems with simply fitting the new motherboard in a Dell case. My goal is to keep costs at an absolute minimum, since I was originally expecting to pay only $160 for the video card. Can anyone advise me on whether or not these upgrades are a good choice and whether or not they will work with my equipment? Do I need to back up my hard drive before these upgrades? Thanks for any and all help. By the way, keep in mind that I only learned the difference between socket 478 and LGA775 a week ago .
-Doug Schmidt
For informational purposes, here are my current and proposed system specs (as much as I know, that is):
CURRENT:
Dell Dimension 8200
-Windows XP SP2
-Intel Pentium 4 1.8 GHz w/massive heatsink
-1 Gig Toshiba RDRAM
-GeForce 2 MX
-75 Gig Maxtor HD
-Intel/Dell motherboard (dated ~2000/2001):
chipset unknown, Socket 478, 4x RDRAM slots, 1x AGP?x,
4x PCI, 4x USB (2 back, 2 front)
-Datech DS9232-12HB fan:
DC 12V, 0.70A, 4000 RPM, 77 CFM, 47.5 dBA, w/shroud that
covers CPU
-Dell Power Source:
AC input 100-127V/6A, 200-240V/3A
DC output +5V/22A +12V/14A
+3.3V/18A -12V/1A
+5VFP/2A
Max. output: 250W; +5V & +3.3V <150W
CHANGES PROPOSED:
-Intel Pentium 4 540 3.2GHz 1M cache 800FSB LGA775 (new heatsink
needed?)
-512MB Corsair XMS DDR RAM
-GeForce 6600GT
-EPoX EP-5EPAJ motherboard:
LGA775 socket, Intel i915P express chipset, 1x PCI-X x16,
2x PCI-X x1, 4x PCI, 8x USB, 4x DDR slots, +more
OR
-Albatron PX915P motherboard:
Identical to above except: 3x PCI, different audio/LAN
-Different fan?
-Different power source?
