What/How can I max out my Dimension 8400

NiceCold

Senior member
May 14, 2011
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What/How can I max out my Dell Dimension 8400 desktop to super mega maximum potential?

right now everything is stock spec.
- pentium 4 630 HT 3.0ghz
- 512mb ram
- 80gb hdd



- do i have pci express?
- can i install 8600 GTS OR 9600 GT?
- can i take pentium 4 out and put Athlon X2?
-what is max ram i can install? 4gb or 8gb?


when i said i want to max out super mega potential... i mean like not really maxing out but enhance upgrade a little.
 

bart1975

Senior member
Apr 12, 2011
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Ram can go up to 4 GB.
For $70 you can add 2 gigs of ram and a 5450
for $120 you can add 4 gigs or ram and a 6450
I would not spend any more than that on your system.
 
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NiceCold

Senior member
May 14, 2011
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i see. can i upgrade to an AMD processor? mainly athlon X2? since stock is an intel.... can the motherboard take amd processor?
 

NiceCold

Senior member
May 14, 2011
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i can only upgrade to another intel cpu? sure?

i cant atleast put an amd atlon64 3800+ ?
 

Fardringle

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2000
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You already have the second best possible CPU that the motherboard in your computer can handle. The ONLY possible upgrade is the 3.2 Ghz (single core) version of the Pentium 4. If you want to upgrade, you can add some RAM as bart1975 mentioned, but you would be far better off spending the money on a new computer.
 

NiceCold

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May 14, 2011
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this is just an extra computer. i do have primary computer. i want this to upgrade in case relative come and computer all occapied and i can play few decent games or video editing in this extra comp.

you said the current pentium4 630 HT 3.0ghz is second best for the motherboard? what is the first best?

and can you confirm once more that i cant upgrade to any AMD cpu?
 

pete1229

Senior member
Feb 12, 2011
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No, a motherboard either supports an AMD or an Intel processor, NEVER both. That system is what? 7 years old? It's a DELL, up grade the memory as suggested, that's about all you can do with the dinosaur.
 

NiceCold

Senior member
May 14, 2011
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You already have the second best possible CPU that the motherboard in your computer can handle. The ONLY possible upgrade is the 3.2 Ghz (single core) version of the Pentium 4. If you want to upgrade, you can add some RAM as bart1975 mentioned, but you would be far better off spending the money on a new computer.


you said the current pentium4 630 HT 3.0ghz is second best for the motherboard? what is the first best?

ps. haha dinosaur. yeah it was since around 2004...... yup thats 7 years.
 
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Fardringle

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2000
9,200
765
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I already said what the best available processor is for your computer. The same Pentium 4 (Prescott single core) that you have now, running at 3.2Ghz. That's it. There is no other possible CPU upgrade for the computer, and you honestly wouldn't notice any difference between that CPU and the one you have now, except possibly in benchmarks, and even then you'd only see a very small improvement.

In computer terms, 7 years is very old. If the system still works, great, use it! I only upgrade when I actually need to so my computers tend to be a bit on the old side, but it really isn't worth upgrading individual components on older machines. For the same money you can get a new computer that is vastly superior in every way.
 

NiceCold

Senior member
May 14, 2011
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can i upgrade to E8600? or only single core intel cpus?

edit: oh ok so only single core intel cpus.