Suggestions for Upgrading?

[drumguy]

Before I begin here's the specs to my current computer:

Dell 4550
P4 2.0Ghz
768MB RAM (PC2700 I believe, how can I tell?)
ATI 9500 Pro 128MB
SB Audigy 2 ZS
7200 RPM HD

I downloaded the BF2 Demo a few days ago, and to my surprise, I had to run it at low to even get decent performance (BF1942 I could run at 1024x768 4xAA max settings pretty well). I need to defrag and clean out my computer somewhat, but still, this performance is pretty disappointing. Half Life 2 ran pretty well on my computer...I put things on medium or high, depending on what was going on (always at 1024x768, but never had AA/AF on).

With that said, do you think I should upgrade the Video Card/RAM in my computer, or do you think I should build/buy a brand new one? Upgrading would be nice, then if I decide to build a computer, I can just put the parts from this one into the new one. What upgrades would help the most?

BTW, I don't want to spend too much on upgrading...hopefully less than $500.



Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[ameoba]

Have you checked out the [H]ardOCP $500 Upgrade Guide?

 

[BullseyeBob]

You most likely have PC2100 in that Dell machine. Previously I owned a Dimension 4400 so I'll list some upgrades I did to the machine seeking better performance.

Ram - I bought a 2nd 512mb stick of PC2100 which did jack squat. Maybe some desktop speed improvement with multiple apps running. No gaming or benchmark improvement at all. Higher speed ram was pointless since a Dell's BIOS and other frequency settings are locked down tight. Upgrading your ram to a gig may help with a large game like BF2. Then again, since it wont run in dual channel, it might not.

Processor - I upgraded my 2Ghz chip to the fastest available at the time. 2.6Ghz was the fastest chip for the 400mhzFSB I could get. I believe you may find a 2.8Ghz if you look real hard. Couldnt see it on the Egg anymore. So....this boost definitely gave me some better gaming performance. It seemed to squeeze every bit of everything out of my system. Literally running it as fast as it could go while being 100% stable. Better fps in games and higher bench scores. Loved it.

Graphics card - I put a few of these im my Dell. Started with a Ti200. Then I got a Ti4600 and was disappointed in the results. The 4600 didn't seem a whole lot faster than the ti200 in most games. But I soon learned that games arent just about GPU power. CPU power plays a major major role. My 3rd card for the machine was a 9800Pro. Coupled with the new processor that I bought (the 2.6Ghz) it really made a gamer machine outta my Dell. The new hot games (at the time) like FarCry ran alright. Medium settings, some AA, decent performance. So with a cpu upgrade, a good graphics card can make all the difference.

That's about sums up my whole Dell experience. Great machine. Taught me alot. So much in fact, I up and built my current PC to replace the Dell last summer. I'm also starting to break into the custom cooling and maybe, the overclocking arena soon. It's all so much fun.

Anyways, have fun with your Dell but dont spend to much cash on her. She's getting a little dated so weigh your possibilities carefully. To much $ on her now and you might not get the performance you seek. But a little upgrade now and a plan for a new custom machine down the road would probably treat you just right.

Take care.

E

 

[geekcomputing]

i assume you have AGP.

it really depends on money and such.

you can go for a new rig and drop in a 6800, 6800Gt or if you really have money to burn slap in a 7800. OR if you REALLY REALLY have money go DUAL 7800's . LOL that would only cost a mere 1200!

if cash is a consideration you might want to upgrade to a 6600GT or a 6800 vanilla aka .. regular.

try http://www.pricewatch.com

but seriously a 6600gt or 6800 would serve you very well.

 

[drumguy]

Thanks for the replies!

You most likely have PC2100 in that Dell machine.

How can I tell whether I have PC2100/PC2700? I thought there was a free app somewhere that gave you a bunch of specs, including this one.

Ram - I bought a 2nd 512mb stick of PC2100 which did jack squat.

I think I also added a 512 stick...before I had the extra RAM, BF1942 took 3+ minutes to load a map. With the extra RAM, it was around 1 minute, so it definitely improved gaming performance.

Processor - I upgraded my 2Ghz chip to the fastest available at the time.

Where can I find upgrades, and roughly how much would they cost?

Have you checked out the [H]ardOCP $500 Upgrade Guide?

I just took a look at it, thanks! I'm not sure if some of the stuff mentioned can be upgraded though...I thought Dell locked it somehow .

i assume you have AGP.

Yeah...unfortunately rules out PCI-E cards .


Do you think upgrading the processor and getting a new video card would be pretty good upgrades? And if I did decide to build a computer, I could use those parts in the new case, right?

*EDIT* Oh yeah, I forgot to add that as of the 9800 Pro, I pretty much lost track of what was happening in the video card world. I think the 9800 XT came out, then the X800, right? I am completely lost with Nvidia though...lol .