Upgrade options for Dimension 4500 - Need help, Dell?

Rhin0

Senior member
Nov 15, 2004
967
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hey guys,

I need some help here, lookign for good advice. My friend who always games with us has a Dell. It was great a couple years ago when he bought it brand new when we played HL. He went from a 300mhz to this Dell which play HL and mods GREAT. Any way, we all have moved on to newer comps that run Desert Combat and HL2/CS:Source type games. I showed him CS:S source and he wants it really bad. Just trying to get him able to play and it run and look decent. He has very little money. He is on a budget of around $200-230 here.

I'm trying to get his computer to run Desert Combat on high settings and make his computer be able to run CS:S on at least low-med with 0 sticking at all. I don't even know if the Dells like this (Dimension 4500) can take a different video card or not. I'm assuming it has an AGP slot, but which version of AGP slot?

Ok so as far as I know it has (currently):
-Intel 1.8Ghz P4 processor
-256 RAM
-GeForce 4 "MX" 64mb, MX=suck

Obviously the CPU isn't worth messing with. It will hack it I guess. First thing I need to do is get him to at least 512mb Ram.

so I must ask:

-Is 1 Gig RAM worth it to go to or just go to 512mb and that is best i'll get?

-What is a good video card that matches the CPU power? I don't want to make the CPU the bottleneck. Is a FX5500 or something a good choice? Radeon 9800 or something like that better since HL2 runs really well on these? Are the 9800 cards DX9? I'd really like to get him some DX9 graphics for HL2 so it will run properly though. Or would something like a 6600GT be ok? I figured a 6800GT or Radeon X series is too much for the CPU. What about the GF4 Ti4200? They are cheap at around 80 bucks. I'm really looking closely at the Leadtek 6600GT for 140 dollars or so. ::: Also found I out I can get a eVGA 6600 for around 140 shipped. THats a good deal (if it will work in his comp)

I'm thinking if I could get him a couple sticks of Valuselect or Crucial and bump him up to 512 or a gig... Edit: Just looked the Crucial is a great deal, 512mb RAM for 61 bucks. I can just throw this in with his 256mb to get 768mb. Getting two 512mb would waste money and i'd have to take out his 256mb since the comp can only handle 1 gig.

Please let me know what you guys think. I'm sure some of you have had this issue.

Thanks,
Rhin0
 

wisdomtooth

Golden Member
Dec 21, 2004
1,155
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Well, according to Dull's support site for the 4500, your friend has an i845E chipset motherboard. AGP 4x, no dual-channel support.

I would find out what version of P4 he has-- If it's a Williamette, he won't be able to do much with it. If it's a Northwood, it might have some very good overclocking potential. Pair it with a newer overclock-friendly i865/875 mobo (has AGP 8x, dual channel) like an Abit IS7/IC7 and he would be rockin'.

HTH.

 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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Adding 256 or 512 RAM would make a big difference, as would the GF4.

Get a 512MB PC3200 and he can use it when he moves to an A64.

Upgrading the motherboard doesn't make sense to me, since if he's buying case, PSU, mobo he might as well get a new CPU as well.

GF4 ti4200 is a good choice, you can get them cheap in FS/FT forum, and upgrading video drivers should go smoothly since it's an nvidia to nvidia switch.

That cheap 6600GT is probably PCI-E which won't work.
 

ND40oz

Golden Member
Jul 31, 2004
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Check newegg for 5500s. I'm assuming you want to keep the video card under a 100 bucks and that his current geforce4 is AGP and not PCI. Have you confirmed that he has an AGP slot? My sis just started playing WOW and she's using integrated nforce2 graphics with a 2000+, I'm planning on getting her a 5500 for her birthday so she can run it in directx 9 mode.
 

wisdomtooth

Golden Member
Dec 21, 2004
1,155
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Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Upgrading the motherboard doesn't make sense to me, since if he's buying case, PSU, mobo he might as well get a new CPU as well.

Not if that P4 is a 1.8A. Those overclock to 2.4gHz easily.

Get a cheapie Abit i865 second-hand board off FS/FT for under $50, throw it into that existing Dull case (I checked the PSU specs-- it WILL work), and voila-- A 2.4gHz P4 with AGP 8X and dual-channel support.

Ought to last a while before upgrading to a top-of-the-line A64 Socket 939.
 

beany323

Senior member
Jan 11, 2005
492
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save up a few extra dollars and buy another dell. You may be able to get something workable for 500 or so.

.02
 

Rhin0

Senior member
Nov 15, 2004
967
0
0
Thanks for the help guys. He isn't capable of doing a motherboard change like that and i'm not doing it for him because if something doesn't work i'll get blamed. Plus it is kind of pointless.

-Maybe I am mistaken, is there no 6600 AGP card?

-Since that is a 4x AGP motherboard in there now does that mean I need a 4x card or will an 8x card work?

-Would I be better off to look at a Radeon something or other AGP card (which one?) since he wants to play mainly Counter Strike Source?

BTW- As for ram he decided to just go ahead and get 512mb of Crucial for $61.00 shipped. I think this is going to help a lot on Desert Combat. Not so much for HL2, since we need to the video card boost.

Let me know about the deal with the video card though... I'm thinking FX5200 or FX5500 but then again he really needs DX9... Are there any options for him at all with a 4x AGP mobo?

Thanks for the ideas guys and thanks for the broad ideas like a mobo swap. He just can't do it plus $$.

Thanks,
Rhin0