Upgrading Dell CPU?

[mrmylanman]

Hello,

At work I have a Dimension E521 computer. It's one of the better computers we have at the company, however it is still a dog on some of the tasks I do with it (optical character recognition, dealing with large spreadsheets, and running digital enhancement on photos, etc.). None of these tasks are GPU-accelerated on the software we use, so a video card wouldn't help.

The memory got upgraded to 3GB from our IT folk, up from 1GB.

The CPU in this computer is an Athlon 64 X2 3800+, which runs at 2GHz.

The motherboard is an AM2 socket, and I remember reading some that AM2+ fits in AM2, however I wanted to verify this. I want to upgrade my CPU on this computer because I know I won't be getting a new one for quite some time (there are still a few Pentium IIIs floating around here), and make my work more efficient.

Are there any available I could use? If it was my home desktop, and custom-built I would probably already have all the information I need, however I wasn't sure if Dell placed any restrictions on it, and plain AM2 processors seem hard to find these days.

Thanks a million

 

[pxc]

That's an old computer with limited upgrade options. The chipset and BIOS must support the CPU too, so it's not just as simple as plugging in anything that fits.

The X2 5600+ is the fastest CPU compatible with that model. It's this particular CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103771 You just need to find that Windsor (not Brisbane!) model in stock somewhere.

 

[mrmylanman]

Gotcha, thank you for the info. It's maybe unlikely that it'll happen then I guess.

 

[Direfox]

I just searched EBAY (windsor 5600 Athlon) and found two. One of them is at $30 bucks so far and 100% seller feedback FYI.

 

[mrmylanman]

Oh cool, I didn't think to check eBay, I just searched Google Shopping and a few others, it was around $80+. I might jump on that, some of these things are ridiculously slow (granted I have a lot of background processes going as well).

Thanks for the tip.

 

[FunkZ]

AM2 Windsor cores went as high as 6400+ which was 3.2Ghz.

 

[pxc]

AM2 Windsor cores went as high as 6400+ which was 3.2Ghz.

Yes, but the heatsink and motherboard were only made for up to 89W CPUs. The Windsor X2 6400+ is a 125W model. Plus I wasn't sure which case form factor the OP has. That model came in mini tower and slim cases. 125W CPU in the slim case = no. Dell shipped those with even more restricted CPU options.

Some people have reported that the 6400+ will boot, but I wouldn't trust it long term. Wanna chance a fried board? http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-Athlon-64-X...936?pt=CPUs&hash=item43a476e828#ht_500wt_1156

I did see this morning that some people are reporting that Brisbane CPUs are working. For example: http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26708363 (2nd post reports the X2 6000+ 3.1GHz works, which is a Brisbane model) The official Dell forum has a few mostly successful attempts (and 1 failure) with Brisbane CPUs. Stick to the reported successful stepping and it should be OK.

Officially the highest CPU supported is the Windsor 5600+, but there's no reason the Windsor 89W 6000+ wouldn't work (it comes in 2 flavors: 89W and 125W).

 

[mrmylanman]

Wow, sorry I did not see these updates for so long.

I have been really busy at work! Thanks for the tips, Brisbane cores would be nice. I just really want to upgrade the CPU as my duties are transitioning more and more into scanning and editing very large photos (around 20 MP or so), and a new PC is out of the question, so I was looking for options. I might look into the reported working Brisbane CPUs, thanks for the suggestion!

I also have the regular tower, not the slim one. I didn't realize Dell names multiple computers the same thing, lol.