Upgrading an old Dell - possible?

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sendintheclowns

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Dec 7, 2006
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Hi guys. I started a thread about 1 week ago asking for help with a new build. Link. Unfortunately, I have ended up with a little less spending money than I had expected, and am thinking about upgrading my current computer, a (rapidly) aging Dell Dimension, over the next several months, as I don't have enough cash on hand to afford to build a brand new system.

My main concern is in regards to the hard drive and Windows. Ideally, I would like to slowly upgrade every element of my computer over the next several months. Would it be possible to do this without the Dell version of Windows acting up? I've heard that the copy that Dell provides doesn't allow for fresh installs, but would it somehow lock my system if too many hardware components get replaced?

Thanks in advance!
 
Any of the hard drive ghosting programs will let you image over to the new drives. The Dell WinXP cd's will only install on Dell MB's, but they will work on any HD that is compatible with the Dell
 
whats your new budget and planned upgrade path? What do you hope to achieve out of this upgrade? Oh, and what are the specs of your current dell?
 
@ enginurd:

My current Dell was bought a little over 4 years ago, and has lasted me through college, but now I need a bit more. I would use the new system to game, primarily, but I use it for a little bit of everything. Specs are as follows (I know they are pitiful):

Pentium 4 2.0Ghz
256 MB DDR Ram
64 MB Geforce4 MX Graphics
40GB HD
17-inch CRT Monitor
XP-Home
Along with the usual stuff

My original plan had been to donate this to my parents and start over with a completely new build, which I linked to in my first post. It would have ended up somewhere a little over $1000. Unfortunately, my budget isn't quite that high, and I'm trying to decide whether it would be better to buy a new system for less money or to upgrade my current Dell over the next three months or so.

At the moment, I could afford to spend about $650. I have already gotten a decent case and power supply (the F.A.R. Ultras from Fry's...I know they aren't the best, but considering my tight budget they seemed like a good idea. Johnnyguru even gave the budget thumbs-up to the V-Series).

My first upgrade would surely be a MB+CPU+RAM+GPU combination. Likely the components listed here, which would put that upgrade right at $600, within my budget.

After that, I would like to buy a 19" or 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor, and increase my HD capacity. Neither of these are necessarily pressing issues, but I would upgrade when I can afford to.

I'd appreciate help with what I've just said, but my first question still remains my biggest - would this even be possible? I wouldn't run into any problems with my copy of Windows XP that came with the Dell, would I?

Thanks for the help, guys!
 
Your Dell copy of XP may not install on a non-dell mobo.. Technicaly, it is a EULA violation.. Not saying it won't work or that you will not be able to activate it, but it could be a stumbling block...
 
Looks like you might have to drop to 1GB of ram and pickup a copy of Windows.

Lets see...
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php said:
What hardware gets checked?
The WPA system checks ten categories of hardware:

1. Display Adapter
2. SCSI Adapter
3. IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
4. Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
5. RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
6. Processor Type
7. Processor Serial Number
8. Hard Drive Device
9. Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
10. CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM

It then calculates and records a number based on the first device of each type that was found during setup, and stores this number on your hard drive. Initially, this is sent to Microsoft in an automatic dial-up, together with the Product ID number derived from the 25-character unique Product Key used in setting up Windows.

If Service Pack 1 has been installed, the entire Product Key is also transmitted: This can then be checked against a list of known pirated keys

The hardware is checked each time Windows boots, to ensure that it is still on the same machine. Also, if you subsequently perform a complete format and reinstall of Windows, Microsoft’s activation center will have to be contacted again because the information held on the machine itself (the number previously written to your hard drive) will have been wiped out by reformatting the hard drive. If your hardware is substantially the same, this will be done by an automated call without your needing to talk to anyone.

What does ‘substantially the same’ mean? WPA asks for ‘votes’ from each of these ten categories: ‘Is the same device still around, or has there never been one?’ Seven Yes votes means all is well — and a NIC, present originally and not changed, counts for three yes votes! Minor cards, like sound cards, don’t come into the mix at all. If you keep the motherboard, with the same amount of RAM and processor, and an always present cheap NIC (available for $10 or less), you can change everything else as much as you like.

If you change the device in any category, you have lost that Yes vote — but will not lose it any more thereafter if you make changes in that category again. So, for example, you can install a new video display card every month for as long as you like.
Click to expand...
So... you start out with 12 votes, I believe. If you do the replacements you're thinking of, that'll get rid of 7 votes (if I counted correctly). Which means you'll probably need to reinstall windows -- which is good because its always nice to have a fresh clean start. If you're lucky, the Office Depot deal for WinXP Home for $30 is still valid... nm... it expired on the 16th, sorry. Howbout xp64? lol SurplusComputers has it for $40. Or, you could get XP MCE from the Egg for $110 and it comes with an upgrade coupon for vista. XP Home from the egg is only $90, also with a vista upgrade coupon.
 
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