Upgrade or new?

missile

Hi,
I have a DELL Dimension DIM2400 Intel Celeron 2.40GHz, 400fsb, 128K cache, 512MB 333MHz DDR RAM, 80GB 7,200rpm HD.

I want to upgrade to play games.

I am thinking about an upgrade to 2MB RAM and a Radeon Xpress 1100 Graphics Card or maybe a new PC? I would appreciate any suggestions or comments ...............

superscaper

Depends on the games really. If you're thinking very modern ones then you really need to be looking at a new pc.

Alfie_E

It’s not just a question of graphics card and memory. Your CPU is underspecified. The best CPU you could install would be a 3.06GHz Pentium 4. Getting hold of one of those, or the slightly slower 2.8GHz model, would be disproportionally expensive. They’re what everyone else looking to upgrade a computer about the same age as yours wants.

Another big problem is that you don’t have a connector that’s specifically for a graphics card. This means it would have to be a plain PCI card. That’s different from PCI Express (PCI-E). This seriously restricts what graphics cards are available and the speed at which data can be transferred to them. The only relatively modern graphics cards for PCI seem to be the ATI Radeon X1300 and NVIDIA GeForce 6200.

While it should be possible to get something like BioShock to run, I don’t think it would be smooth enough to play. If you’re looking to play the latest and future games, you really need a new computer. As superscaper says, if you only want to play older games, you could upgrade. However, I don’t think it would be cost effective. But, don’t get a new computer just now. Wait till after Christmas. Apparently, February is a good time.

missile

2x1MB RAM @ £75.18
ATI Radeon X1550 @ £35.24.
or
New PC @ £? Opens up a new can of worms, what spec do I need?

I would like to check what type of expansion connectors I have, PCI, PCI-E or AGP? Can't see any info in my documentation or on DELL web page. If I open the box, how can I tell?

bookduck

Since you want games don't upgrade or buy new, but get an xbox or PS3 and get brilliant games

Alfie_E

missile wrote: »

I would like to check what type of expansion connectors I have, PCI, PCI-E or AGP? Can't see any info in my documentation or on DELL web page. If I open the box, how can I tell?

Here are the Dell Dimension 2400 Technical Specifications. Page 51 of the Owner's Manual has a diagram of the motherboard, which confirms there are only PCI card slots.

missile wrote: »

2x1MB RAM @ £75.18

I assume you mean 2x1GB (gigabyte). The maximum memory your system can handle is 1GB. Other things will limit you before the main system memory, anyway. If your current 512MB is just in one stick, that should mean you need just one 512MB DDR 2700 stick. So that would be 1GB of RAM and a Radeon X1550, which is apparently just an X1300 with a different model number.

To look at what games will and will not be ok with a system updated like that, let’s consider the evolution of a game engine. The following are built around successive improvements to the same core game code. The following is what I think.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) – The set-up will walk it.
Doom 3 (2004) – Fine
Quake 4 (2005) – Fine
Prey (2006) – Fine
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (2007) – It’ll really struggle.
Rage (2008?) – Going by the demo footage, it’ll be “not a chance.”

Enemy Territory will struggle mainly due to lack of CPU power. It’s amazing how good it can look without putting hugely excessive demands on the graphics card. That’s with only you in the environment, however. As soon as you put in other combatants, you’ll find the frame rate will drop to below playable.

missile wrote: »

New PC @ £? Opens up a new can of worms, what spec do I need?

How long’s a piece of string? The already-available game Crysis “is the kind of game that makes PC hardware shudder and cry”, see Crysis Demo: Impressions and Optimization. To be money-saving, it would have to be something in the middle of the range. For example, not a bargain-basement Dell offering, nor one of their top-of-the-rage XPS systems.

missile

I assume you mean 2x1GB (gigabyte). The maximum memory your system can handle is 1GB.

Yes, please excuse my typo. I note the manual says two memory connector 128, 256 or 512, max 1GB - I believe this to be the options available from DELL not a system limitation. According to http://www.crucial.com/uk/index.aspx my Dell can be upgraded to take two 1GB RAM chips, but ..... you may be right.

I feel the most cost effective upgrade would be per quote from serious components :
Foxconn Motherboard with PCI-E graphics slot £25
Pentium 4 Processor Dual Core £40
1GB Memory DDR2 £12.50
500W Power supply £18.50
PCI-Express Geforce 8400GS (DirectX 10 graphics) £30
Total £126 plus £8 delivery to UK mainland
Seems like a good deal, but I have gone for a new PC http://www.johnlewis.com/Technology/Computers/Computers/Desktops/396/230446814/Product.aspxMany Thanks to all for your comments and advice

C_Ronaldo

If you like laying PC games then have you thought about building your own pc

missile

Thanks for your comments, please be advised:

Since you want games don't upgrade or buy new, but get an xbox or PS3 and get brilliant games

I use my PC mainly for non-gaming application so X Box or PS3 is of no interest.

If you like laying PC games then have you thought about building your own pc

I have had numerous PCs - changed mother boards, processor, RAM and HD so building a new PC is not a daunting challenge for me. Never built one from scratch, as I feel there is very little saving in DIY and there is a risk with component compatibility.