MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (Upgrade Impossible?)

S

sarge87

New member
MISSION:

I'm looking to upgrade a PC. I'd rather not spend more than $1000 if it could be helped.

This is what I have to work with:

Dell Dimension C521

AMD Athlon 64X2 Dual Core Processor 4000+

2.1 GHz 1G RAM(2 x 512K)

Win XP Home SP2

Samsung 160GB 7200RPM HDD

Nvidia GeForce 6150 LE 256MB GPU (not a card but an embedded chip set)

Sigma Tel High Def Audio

Ideas for component upgrades?

Can this computer be upgraded enough with a larger case to be able to run a game program like FSX decently or not.

This is the subject computer........

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-dime...7-32069566.html

 
Probably not. You have two issues to overcome - the size of the case and the power supply. The case won't accomodate a full-sized video card. Worse, though, is the fact that you'll almost certainly need a new power supply to run a higher-end card (which is essential for frame rates).

You could probably solve the first issue with a new case, but I doubt it. Most Dell models use funky components - optical drives that require unique faceplates, etc. So the ability to transfer to a different case is doubtful.

But even assume you can, the power supply will be an issue. Dell uses (or that used to - they've announced recently that they are going to standard components) proprietary motherboards with proprietary power supplies - they won't accept an "off the shelf" model at all. It's possible that Dell will sell you a more powerful model that will fit the case, but that's about your only option. There may even be third-part adapters you can buy, but I'm not sure of that.

The easiset and cheapest upgrade would be to jump to at least 2 GB of ram. That shouldn't be a problem - although, depending on the current configuration, you may have to buy a whole new memory kit and ditch what ram you have.

 
For $1000 you can build an entirely new computer that is pretty nice. PM me if you want to talk about it I can help you out with parts.

 
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