Dell E510 - Any Possible Upgrades?

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here (my first post) and I have been out of touch with newer pc technology for a while so I am a complete novice. My last new system was back in 2006. I really don't have the cash to spend on a new system so I wanted to know if it was possible to upgrade my Dell E510. I do think I need a new graphics card, but what about a motherboard? What is compatible or even possible? The specs are as follows:

< Processor >
Model: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.20GHz
Speed: 3.2GHz
Cores per Processor: 2 Unit(s)
Threads per Core: 1 Unit(s)
Type: Dual-Core
Integrated Data Cache: 2x 16kB, Synchronous, Write-Thru, 8-way, 64
byte line size
L2 On-board Cache: 2x 2MB, ECC, Synchronous, ATC, 8-way, 64 byte
line size, 2 lines per sector

< Computer >
Mainboard: Dell 0HJ054
BIOS: Dell A05 03/31/2006
Bus(es): X-Bus PCI PCIe IMB USB FireWire/1394 i2c/
SMBus
Multi-Processor (MP) Support: No
Multi-Processor Advanced PIC Yes
Total Memory: 3.5GB DIMM DDR2

< Chipset >
Model: Dell 82945G Processor to I/O Controller
Front Side Bus Speed: 4x 200MHz (800MHz)
Total Memory: 4GB DIMM DDR2
Channels: 2
Memory Bus Speed: 2x 267MHz (534MHz)

< Memory Module(s) >
Memory Module: Nanya NT1GT64U8HA0BY-37B 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-
4300U DDR2-534 (4-4-4-12 2-16-4-2)
Memory Module: Nanya NT1GT64U8HA0BY-37B 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-
4300U DDR2-534 (4-4-4-12 2-16-4-2)
Memory Module: Nanya NT1GT64U8HA0BY-37B 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-
4300U DDR2-534 (4-4-4-12 2-16-4-2)
Memory Module: Nanya NT1GT64U8HA0BY-37B 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-
4300U DDR2-534 (4-4-4-12 2-16-4-2)

< Video System >
Video Adapter: RADEON X600 Series (4 PS2.0, 2 VS2.0 398MHz,
128MB 249MHz, PCIe 1.00 x16)


Please let me know what you think, I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks!

 

Hi Red. Welcome to CHF.

Allheart55 is better qualified to answer your query.

Ask you to be patient for a short time.

 

Hi,

Your motherboard supports a maximum of 4GB RAM and it looks as though you have 4 x 1GB modules in there.
If this is XP (32bit) then the OS does not support any more than this - you probably only get 3GB recorded anyway.
So there is no options here for upgrading.

Your m/board has 1 PCIe x 16 slot.
This is where your Video Card is located.
Depending on what you wish to do with your pc - there is a possibility of upgrading this.
If you are not into graphic intensive software or gaming then I am not sure you would see the benefits of upgrading.
You may wish to take a look here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-radeon-hd-6870-geforce-gtx-570,2834.html
As you will see - there is a wide variety - it depends on what you wish to spend.

You don't say what the wattage of your Power Supply Unit is.
If you upgrade to a higher spec video card then you may also need to upgrade the PSU to cope.

You mentioned upgrading the motherboard.
If you don't have a full installation CD for XP ( or any other Windows OS ) then a new m/board means a new OS which will add to the price considerably.
If you do upgrade the m/board and keep a 32 bit OS then there is not much benefit as the OS will only support 4GB RAM - which you have now already.

 

Also another consideration is Dell cases only accept the unusual sized dell motherboards.

 

You guys are awesome, thanks DSTM, KenB and allheart55 for your Pro input.

KenB - Yes, allheart55 is correct, my psu is 305 watts. Sorry for not fully explaining what I wanted to do with my pc. This is what I had imagined: I can upgrade my video card(as much as technically possible) to have the option to play graphic heavy games like wow cataclysm and others. I would also upgrade the OS to win7 and take advantage of the ram I am losing out on with win xp home. I also run music software like pro tools, which I would be using much more than the graphic heavy games. I also heard win7 plays nicer in the sandbox with protools 8 than win xp home (these playback errors are killing me). I initially bought my pc to have plenty of options for games or music, an all-in-one machine, and as time passes by the options get smaller with all the new program updates and min requirements.

DSTM - It didn't occur to me that the cases restricted the part sizes (like motherboards), I assumed the variety of cases on the market were just a vanity/looks thing, lol. Learned something!

allheart55 - I would be open to spending $60 - $80 on a new graphics card. When I did play wow cataclysm I had to reduce the video options to their minimum just to be able to move the character lol... that told me it was time to upgrade. I am guessing if I need to upgrade the psu, the dell case I have will make it difficult for me. I did log on to the Dell website and viewed my order history and specs. I clicked on parts/upgrades and they had no recommendations for me for motherboard, graphics card or psu.... figures.

 

While allheart55 is expert in all kinds of hardware, I know her to have loads of Dell specific knowledge. There are a few things that I have learned about how Dell operates simply because I spent some time working in their European manufacturing plant building servers.

Dell bases everything on the case they use. (probably true of other companies as well.) Cases and motherboards are pretty much married to each other. This is more a result of physical design (shape) than it is about the MOBO specs. Hence it is virtually impossible to simply go out a purchase a Dell compatible MOBO except through Dell.

It used to be (and may still be, for all I know) that they also played around with their PSUs. What they would do was switch the wires around so that they would not match a standard PSU that meets the requirements for replacement or upgrade. This was much easier to fix but it was not something that they would "advertise." They would just do it.

That being said, if you want a GPU that requires a higher wattage than the PSU in your machine you may be able to replace your PSU as well. That, however, is above my pay grade and I would have no knowledge about whether you can do that with your current MOBO. That is for allheart to answer. It does seem to be a bit "over the top" for your needs but she will be far better equipped to comment.

 

BeeCeeBee - Thanks for the great information!


allheart55 - Thank you again! That is good news. So far I have taken a look at your suggestions for GPU and PSU and have come up with these two selections. I was wondering if you would take a look at them and see if this would be the right direction.

SAPPHIRE 100296HDMI Radeon HD 4670 1GB


COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W

With your expertise and knowledge, if they are compatible I will be ordering them from newegg today. Exciting

 

I knew you would save me from an erroneous purchase. The funny thing is I actually looked at that one, but downgraded because I thought it was too much power for me. Now here comes the temptation to upgrade the graphics card further since I am now getting 650 watts

I just read up on how my hard drive's cache is also too small (8mb) for pro tools, and 32mb cache is the way to go. I am hoping a larger cache does not require a new motherboard, or if there is even a relation. If not, I will be all set!

 

Awesome! Thank you so much for helping me with my questions and suggested upgrades. In the end my total amount spent will be $170 bucks (-$50 instant savings, and $30 mail in rebate)

Here are the items:

WD Caviar Black 500GB 32mb cache

XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3

COOLMAX 650 Watt PSU


Now on to learn about overclocking. I'm sure you guys will see a new post from me sometime soon :lol:

 

Will do.

There is one more change I just thought of...

With the specs I have, would my PC be able to handle 2 x WD Caviar Black 500GB 32mb cache drives? My original HD was 150GB 8mb cache. I would like to have 2 internal drives and get rid of my WD 120GB external drive (since it only has 8mb cache on it). The external drive was dedicated to record music from Pro Tools, so the second new WD hard drive would serve the same function.

Not sure what additional set up I would need to do to make this happen, if it's at all possible. :unsure: