Dell Desktop 620 Power up

[pclaptop23hour]

Hello all, I have a Dell Inspiron 620 that I would like to supercharge.

hxxp://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/PfydFeaturedCategoryResults.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&mfgpid=223685&chassisid=89034&svcTag=GGT8KQ1&Tab=Parts&stype=2

Inspiron 620
Service Tag :GGT8KQ1

I currently have an i3 CPU/8gb ram and looked at upgrading the CPU to and i5 or i7. Most advised me that either it couldn't be done or that the increase in performance would be negligible. They cited BIOS and Chipset issues as well as power consumption current(s) that would be a deterrent to using the existing MB.

So with a budget of around 600 bucks for a new MB/CPU, what can I do to set this 4 year old Dell on fire and increase all around performance?

thanks in advance,

pclaptop

 

[escrow4]

Download HWInfo and post the summary screen. Generally speaking a new SSD (not the one Dell sells) with a 3.5" adaptor if you don't have a 2.5" slot will do it. Rest depends on the exact parts you have, a modern i3 is more than sufficient for a basic office box.

 

[Ketchup]

What aspect are you wanting to be faster? As escrow4 pointed out, an SSD is the best way to make a computer snappier.

 

[pclaptop23hour]

ok thanks for replies guys . . I've maxed out on my ram, 8gb, and i forgot to add my graphics card is nVidia GeForce gte 770 with 2gb ram. I'm kinda agreeing that going to an i5 may not be that great, most googling says improvement would be minimal. and if I'm going to go for serious upgrade not only motherboard but dell case has got to go. And I agree with you guys advice SSD might be the best bang for my buck, especially now that the prices are falling . . . Question though, during online gaming is it the harddrive (SSD?) that is being utilized the most or ram? . . . along with CPU and GPU?

 

[pclaptop23hour]

I'm thinking newer MB with better/faster/more efficient chipset as well as larger pwr supply will help?

 

[Ketchup]

Depends on the game. GPU during gameplay for most. RAM and Drive for loading levels. CPU for non-texture or anything the engine specifically sends to the CPU.

 

[Ketchup]

I'm thinking newer MB with better/faster/more efficient chipset as well as larger pwr supply will help?

if you feel the need to do all that, just build a new computer. Plenty of people here that can help you with that. For an overall speed increase, an SSD is the way to go. So are your games slow (video card), or are you just seeing slowness overall (SSD)?

 

[mfenn]

We need to know what it is that you want to improve before we can really give any relevant advice. Do you want general usage to be better? Gaming (specific games)?

 

[tcsenter]

SSD

 

[pclaptop23hour]

here is game requirements, I currently have an i3 cpu . . . i cant post picture attachment here but i will post a link to another site where I've been seeking advice. the last post shows game requirements and identifies the actual game. thanks again all http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f273/dell-desktop-620-power-up-1017066.html#post6458346

 

[Burpo]

$100 I5 2500 CPU
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-i5-Co...640?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f504dfbb8

$35 CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=lga_1155_cooler-_-35-114-140-_-Product

$320 GTX 970 SC
http://www.esaitech.com/evga-nvidia...dmQ0JJu-VxvaRSmeIPZAASh_goKjfpRdW7RoCDLTw_wcB

$40 500 watt Power Supply (check dimensions)
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...bFvS1UuQiqHNK_FLciOSakdzPof8jQyGB3RoCmFLw_wcB

Optional
$75 240Gb SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...226679&cm_re=240gb_ssd-_-20-226-679-_-Product

Under your $600 budget. Should play Witcher 3 no problem.

 

[mfenn]

here is game requirements, I currently have an i3 cpu . . . i cant post picture attachment here but i will post a link to another site where I've been seeking advice. the last post shows game requirements and identifies the actual game. thanks again all http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f273/dell-desktop-620-power-up-1017066.html#post6458346

The name of the game (The Witcher 3) would have been totally sufficient.

Burpo's list looks pretty good as an upgrade which lets you re-use your motherboard, though I don't think the CPU cooler is required to be upgraded over the Dell's built-in solution. The PSU, GPU, and SSD can all be carried over to a new machine should you desire to upgrade again.

 

[pclaptop23hour]

thanks gentlemen apologies if the link was not appropriate, but i thought it strange that an i3 Cpu was not sufficient and you needed to see that an i5 or i7 was required! I guess there is enough of a difference between i3 and i5(i7) for this game anyway. thanks again all!

 

[cholley]

with a budget of $600, buy this and some beer


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-de...gray/6968138.p?id=1219667166556&skuId=6968138

and toss the Dell

 

[Ken g6]

i thought it strange that an i3 Cpu was not sufficient and you needed to see that an i5 or i7 was required!

my graphics card is nVidia GeForce gte 770 with 2gb ram.

If you really do have a GTX 770 in your machine, with an i3 that ought to be enough to run The Witcher on low settings. I'd give it a try anyway.

If you really do have a GTX 770 in your machine, and it's working and not crashing, that probably means your PSU was upgraded as well. So you might be able to run an i5 and a GTX 970 without a new PSU.

Ignore Cholley - an AMD A10 is worse than what you have now.

 

[Ketchup]

with a budget of $600, buy this and some beer


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-de...gray/6968138.p?id=1219667166556&skuId=6968138

and toss the Dell

Just another reminder to NOT do this.

But yes, playing The Witcher 3 is all you needed to tell us, in order to help you decide what you needed here. Very good suggestions by Burpo. There are a few games that are particularly demanding on the CPU side, the latest Witcher being one of them.

 

[tcsenter]

Looks like your mobo with latest DELL BIOS should support any LGA1155 2nd Gen Core i5 up to 95W TDP (according to specs listed in the Dell service/reference manual). I would stick to parts that were launched in the same year as your current processor (e.g. 2011). e.g. i5-2500S is actually a 65W part and sells used for around $100.

So I would definitely get SSD and then try to pick-up one of these i5 models used with DOA guarantee from a reputable seller, which should be a decent but not HUGE upgrade over the current i3 (which I presume is 3.1GHz):

i5-2500 (95W)
i5-2500K (95W)
i5-2500S <-- 65W

 

[LTC8K6]

Yes, I'd get an i5 and an SSD and keep that computer going for a while.

There's some new stuff coming from Intel and AMD, and I'd keep the Inspiron going until the dust settles with the newer AMD and Intel chips. Then I'd upgrade to a new system.

 

[pclaptop23hour]

thanks burpo ketchup tcsenter kenG6 mFenn and ltc8k6 . . . So it's also general consensus to make sure the bios is updated and for some reason the CPU to use is the older(2011 2500s) i5? i5-2500 (95W) i5-2500K (95W) i5-2500S and an i7 is definitely not compatible with this motherboard as an upgrade, correct?

 

[tcsenter]

Well the Dell service manual specs only state (2nd Gen) Core i3 and i5 up to 95W. No mention of Core i7. When I checked to see if there were any Inspiron 620 (or Vostro 260) systems that shipped with Core i7 models, I didn't find any. So that's not definitely stating i7 is not supported, but I think it's a bigger risk.

 

[pclaptop23hour]

thanks tscenter so going with a newer i5 (2500, 2500k 95w versions) is ok

 

[mfenn]

thanks tscenter so going with a newer i5 (2500, 2500k 95w versions) is ok

Those three are all the same generation, so any should work.

The 2500K is unlocked for overclocking, which will not help you with the Dell motherboard.

The 2500S is a 65W part, so it would definitely be fine with the stock thermal solution since it has the same TDP as your i3 2100.

 

[pclaptop23hour]

Burpo, is my DELL 620 compatible with the SATA III SSD drive you list? I mean the mother board has the right connections? Or are all SATA connections the same just, some drives (SATA III) are faster. Can I assume this increased SATA III capability is something handled by the upgraded bios? thanks all one last time ready to order

 

[mfenn]

Burpo, is my DELL 620 compatible with the SATA III SSD drive you list? I mean the mother board has the right connections? Or are all SATA connections the same just, some drives (SATA III) are faster. Can I assume this increased SATA III capability is something handled by the upgraded bios? thanks all one last time ready to order

SATA 6 Gb/s (sometimes mistakenly referred to as SATA III) is a hardware feature, and cannot be enabled by a BIOS update.

However, all SATA 6 Gb/s drives are backwards compatible, meaning that they will run at SATA 1.5 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s speeds without issue. You don't get the full sequential read/write performance benefit by using them with an older motherboard, but you do get 99% of the random read/write performance benefit, which is the real reason to get an SSD in the first place.

So in summary, don't worry, and enjoy having an SSD!

 

[pclaptop23hour]

Thanks for the SATA enlightenment mfenn, and to all of you thanks for your input, ordering upgrade components as I type! Cheesesteaks for all, at Jim's Steaks South St Phila Pa . . . http://www.jimssouthstreet.com/