Gaming Rig Talk

upgrading dell e520 stock graphics card and power supply unit.

shadestalker — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:59:15 GMT

im planning to upgrade my current graphics card which is the 7300 le to a better one.Im also planning to upgrade my PSU.Can anyone recommend a few PSU's and good graphic cards that are compatible with my rig?

upgrading PSU and video card in Dell 531s, Dell says NO!

ftp — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:06:24 GMT

Hi, I would like to upgade my integraded GeForce 6150se video card and still be able to run Lego Star Wars II. It's an older game so the newer graphics cards, which I'd prefer to install, would not be on the games list of supported cards. Of the recommended low profile video cards Dell Sales Support says is compatible with my computer (based on service tag number) only the VisionTek x1300 is on the list of Lego Star Wars II supported cards. I would prefer the low profile VisionTek x1650 pro, Mfr. part #900118 but it requires a 300watt PSU. Dell Sales Support says I cannot upgrade the 250watt power supply unit because it would burn up my computer! The guys at Techreport forum say not. They recommend a Seasonic TFX 12v, model #SS-300TFX. I opened my computer case and it looks like the same size, screw locations the same, etc. as my AC-BEL PSU. So what gives with Dell? Will this SS-300TFX power supply and the VisionTek x1650 pro work ok in my computer? My computer's specs are listed below. I could sure use some help! Thanks!

Help.... ATI Radeon 5870

2GunsTwitch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:17:14 GMT

I have some questions that I would like help with....

1. does anyone know anything about the shortage for the 5870. I ordered one and I am worried I may never see my Aurora.

2. when will alienware get them in stock

3. does anyone know who is the manufacturer for the ati radeon 5870 that alienware is using for the Aurora line. (crossfire, xfx, asus......)

Thanks.

Dell is ripping me off-----Need help!!!!

asterix101 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:32:45 GMT

Hi,

My computer, XPS 730x has broken down three times completly in 10 months. I have spent the last 3 weeks trying to get a replacement. Their tech service has always told me that I would get "the same or a better system". Yeah right!!!!!. I was told this Friday that I had no choice but to accept the Studio XPS 9000 system or I would get nothing in exchange.

I had a 4870X2 graphic card, a very cool case with Alienware lights and fan control, an extremely upgradable motherboard, 1,000 power supply, a Titanium sound card etc...My computer was 5.9 out of 5.9 on the Windows Experience Index.

The XPS 9000 is not a gaming rig, its a Studio multi use entertainment system. There are no real upgradable options, for crying out loud the power supply is only 470 watts and the graphic card is GTX 260. The only real Dell Corporation computer that can compete with my rig is the Alienware Aurora withthe GTX 295.

Why am I being punished because Dell has decided to phase out its 'high end" XPS gaming system to concentrate on Alienware. I am being completly ripped off and all of this because I trusted their most expensive computer line 10 months ago.

My computer cost me 2,280$ (after rebates) and the XPS system that I will be receiving cost around 1,600$ (on the15th of Nov). This makes no sense!!!!!!

Solutions....?

Repair my XPS730x system (which they refuse) or Reimburse me so I can buy the Alienware Aurora (which they refuse)

If any one has any ideas I truly thank you as this has gone for so long and I need a real solution.

Thank you.

what computer should i get?

xxxmonkey7 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:11:10 GMT

i want to get a cheap desktop computer that can run world of warcraft good im on a tight budget not interested in a real gameing computer just one that can run world of warcraft good if someone could give me any suggestions it would be nice

overheating of xps 16

Skyaer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:53:10 GMT

This morning contacted with Dell technical support for overheating concerning for newly ordered Xps 16. After installing Bios A_11 version and new drivers for chipset, the overheating problem seems little bit alleviated, but laptop is still touching hot, and very noisy from over-burdened fan.

This is current Screen Print, with CPUID hardware monitor showing 88 degreeC CPU temperature, after 30-minute gaming (Dragon Age: Origin). Do you guys think it's absolutely normal with this temperature on gaming, or it is really too high and something must be wrong?

I am wondering if I should contact Dell again to exchange the heating sink, fan, or motherboard, or just buy a cooling pad and enjoy the hot and noisy xps 16.

Your comments are extremely welcome and thankful! BTW, do you know any place I can get a silent fan for this laptop. I really hate the noise it makes.

Video card for 530

Bstngt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:13:03 GMT

Was wondering what the best card i could put in this comp. would like to run crysis fairly decent currently i have a HD 3450 in it and it is by no means a barn burner. wanting a NVIDIA card and one that is overclockable for sure.

Is a 9500GT a step up from an 8800GT?

str3ss3d_0ut — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:36:40 GMT

I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm again considering getting a newer, better card. Better in the sense that it doesn't perform any higher than an 8800GT, but that it actually looks good without artifacting and aliasing problems. So, is this card:

EVGA GeForce 9500 GT Video Card - 1GB DDR2, PCI Express 2.0
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4111742&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs

equivalent in performance to an 8800GT, and will it work in my XPS 400 with the 375W PSU. And it's nice because that card says minimum 350W (I know I won't be running SLI.) But otherwise, is it comparable to an 8800GT in performance? Or, can someone suggest an alternative card that is cheap, will work with my PSU, and is comparable to my (poorly rendering) 8800GT? And not EVGA.

Some specs relating to power consumption and operation: XPS 400 w/ XP SP3, 375W PSU, 2GB ram at 667mhz, two optical drives, media card reader. EDIT: Pentium D 830 3Ghz dual core.

Backstory: I bought an 8800GT OC last year and have had nothing but problems with it. Originally, I wanted to breath new gaming life into my XPS 400 to avoid buying a new gaming rig. Long story short, EVGA's support just gave me the runaround until I finally gave up on getting my $300 back (the RMA card I received wasn't any better, actually worse.) They left me with " What PSU do you have?" (I tell them 375.) "Your PSU doesn't have enough wattage to run the card, so you see the problems you do." This comment after thoroughly discussing the infamous PSU question on these forums and being assured a 375W PSU would run an 8800GT. I'm sure the members of the forums were right, but EVGA didn't care. The card had or eventually developed aliasing and artifact problems in games, and problems in video playback. There was no solution (not drivers, nothing.)

Thank you for the input.

Tricky: what Video Card Upgrade for a stock XPS 420 system

elf6c — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:55:23 GMT

Hi all,

Long time Dell guy (since my DXII 486!). Bought a XPS 420 out of the Outlet July 30, 2008.

Upgraded to Win 7, but otherwise stock: Kentsfield Quad Q6600; 4 gigs ram; and the "RVA670 HMGA16" video card which is the ATI 3870 or 3850. Time marches on, and the new games are crushing this card. Looking forward to Left4Dead2 and Bioshock 2. What significantly better video cards can I run in this without having to upgrade the PSU? Looks like the 5800 ATI's may need too much power (and you can't find them). Also need to fit in the 420 case obviously- some of the latest gen cards seem to be stupid big.

Willing to go Nvidia or ATI. Up to 300 bucks is fine.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

Upgrading Inspiron 545 with Radeon 5770

Max-Gen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:15:15 GMT

Hello,

I know I will need to upgrade the PSU but will the 5770 be compatible with the motherboard? The new Radeon cards are PCI Express 2.1 x16. I think the 545 is PCI Ex 2.0??? Please let me know what you folks think. Thanks in advance!

Intel, Nvidia,or OEM Dell MOIB Design

jstsel — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:24:25 GMT

Just make available

E8600

780I MB

Dual Nvidia 260s

950 watt esa ps

8gig 800meg

300 WD VR single or a new SSD 200

Why sell me an miob I dont want Help me understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

upgrade video card on XPS 630i

marlowe55 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:49 GMT

Would like to upgrade from the Nvidia 8800 that came with the xps 630i about two years ago. Could spend about $250. What would people recommend?
A single card (if so, which)? Dual cards (if so, which) ? Also, would appreciate confirmation that the system does in fact support either ATI or Nvidia.

Dell 530 desktop (not slim) 300 Watt PSU

Name141 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:17:22 GMT

What would be the ideal card to get for a 300 watt power supply and the Dell Insiron 530d?

Tech support said that I can only get a Radeon 4550 HD at the best? It is rated for 275W but only plays Half-Life2:episode 2 at 23 FPS at my res (according to some benchmarks).

Will a ATI Radeon HD 4890 Turbo+ 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 work with my Dell 518?

Josh Chris — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:32:12 GMT

My mother let me use her Inspiron Dell 518 dual core 2, Intel chipset(with onboard graphics), vista home premium 64 bit, 6gb ram and 600gb HD a little while ago. I opened it too see what I could add. Ive switched the dual core with a quad 6600 I had. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit . I was thinking about getting a ATI Radeon HD 4890 Turbo to put in the PCI express slot, with a 650 watt power supply to upgrade from the 300 watt in the original. I want to start gaming .Will the ATI video card work in it? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161298 .Will this card work ???

I forgot to mention every once in a while, when on the desktop, windows explorer will stop responding out of nowhere, not sure why.

I have bios 1.08 3/30/2009. and build 6.1.7600

xps 630i gtx 280 sli?

jans17bus — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:25:52 GMT

Is a xps 630i with gtx 280 in sli mode possible? this has probably been asked million times but i cannot find a good thread about this.

if this is possible, are there other upgrades necessary? I have a 750w ps and already one gtx 280.

Anyone have the new Aurora ALX system?

doug.l — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:46:19 GMT

I am waiting a month for mine and it is almost into the third week of wait. I am lloking for feed back? I ran out of money lol so I got the 3.06 processor , 6 gig of RAM 1600hz and the dual radeon 5870 graphics cards.

upgrading GPU's on my XPS720H2C

Krokus — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:52:13 GMT

Hello

I have this XPS720H2C with 2 GTX8800 and I want to change the video cards with new ones. So I have purchased two brand new GTX 295 and I installed them. But Surprise! the system won't boot. After reading the GPU install instructions it appears that the problem is the lack of a 8pin power connector in my system.

Those XPS 720 H2C do not have a power supply with general power conectors to fit any power cable adapter they only have four 6 pin connector coming from the Power Supply straight to the video card.

So my questions are: Do I need to change the Power Supply? Is there a 6 pin to 8 pin cable adaptor? And if I buy a new Power Supply with 8 pin connectors, do I need a special one for BTX format or any ATX one will do?

If you can help with some advice it would be nice I am sitting next to those 2 GTX 295 it's pretty frustrating.

Inspiron 530 MAXIMUM Upgrade

Xiaoset — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:12:24 GMT

Hey,

I have a Dell Inspiron 530. I know it can be upgraded a lot, but not as much as say, a custom built PC.

Currently I have:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz 1333FSB E6550
RAM: 4 x 1GB DDR2-667MHz
GPU: Nvidia 8600GT
PSU: The Power supply that came with it, so I am assuming 300W or 350W

I am currently looking for MAXIMUM upgrades as of November 5th, 2009.

Upgrades like 4 x 2GB DDR2-800MHz RAM (for 8GB RAM), Bigger PSU 650W+ etc etc. Just looking for input.

Price does not matter, not looking to OverClock.

Thanks!

I need some help with a CPU cooler for Ins 530!!

kora04 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:11:34 GMT

Hi!

I need some help with this cooler, I want to get it to make my case quieter because the stock fans that dell sent are pretty loud. but I have a problem, It seems that the stock CPU cooler and that cooler use the same screws that get screwed to the back-plate on teh back of the mobo.

now my question is, do i need to remove the mobo and install the new backplate for the new cooler although they both seem to use the mounting screws?

*LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, IT LOOKS THE SAME AS THE ONE IN THE MASSCOOL COOLER*

xps m1730 Fan speed

Ironhand — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:18:52 GMT

I have tried all the suguestions and recommended tricks I can fine and have had no luck. My XPS M1730 runs hot and there appears to be nothing I can do to get the internal fans running at a faster speed. I bought a "cooler" and it seems to work, but I think if the internal fans ran a bit faster, when the system heats up, the cooler would not be needed. At idle, on a desk, the system runs around 70c. If I launch World of Warcraft (it's a World of Warcraft edition machine) the temp starts to climb. At around 75c I turn on the cooler fans and the temp can drop to the low 60's and sometimes high 50's. The internal fans NEVER run above low speed. Is there any way to get the internal fans to participate? My system is a M1730 WoW edition. T9300 processor, 4 gig memory, 120 gig drive and dual 8700 GT video cards.

Thanks for any help.

Gaming with XPS Studio 13

kinoit — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:35:13 GMT

Hello, I am planning to buy a XPS Studio 13 with the following features:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz,3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz) / nVidia GeForce 210M (512 MB) / SDRAM DDR3 4.096 MB / 500GB (7,200rpm) Free Fall Sensor HDD

Is it adequate to run the following games? And at which FPS rate?

- Crysis

- Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

- Half Life 2

- GTA IV

- Call of Duty: Modern Warfares

- and, more generally, all the new-generation games

Thank you in advance!!!

Aurora ALX: HD + Ram + OS

Skaldr — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:41:08 GMT

Greets.

I'm looking forward receiving my new Aurora ALX soon (hopefully), and until then, I'd like to buy some additional upgrades to further increase it's perfomance.
As I almost ever used AW systems, and hardly ever bought additional parts, I still have three questions and would be VERY grateful, I someone would help me out :)

1.) As the Aurora uses a dual 7.200 rpm HD-Raid-Setup, I thought it could lead to an increased performance if I'd add a 10k rpm HD (VelociRaptor or something like that) and solely install the OS on it - all remaining software would stay on the 7,2k's.
Am I right, or am I wrong? And if yes, is it possible to add that third hard drive to the raid0-setup?

2.) I wanted to increase the available RAM to about 12GB 1,6k MHz.
Yet someone told me that I should avoid using RAM from different manufacturers - which brought me to the problem: Which RAM is Dell actually using for their AW systems?
I thought of adding Corsair, yet I see no other choice but buying full 12GB if I'm not able to figure out which one would fit Dell's factory standard best :/

3.) The moment, I ordered my Aurora, they were still sold with Vista preinstalled.
Since I bought Win 7 and - of course - want to use it preferably as a clean install, this leads me to my last question: Will I be able to intall AlienFX my own aftewards, or will it cause problems?

Thanks in advance =)

xps 400 video card upgrade

Zephyr948 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:42:24 GMT

Hi, I currently have an xps 400 with the standard 375w PSU. I aqm wanting to upgrade from the 8600 gts card, what would be my best option that my PSU would be able to handle? Dell told me 9500 gt, but I figured I'd see if anyone has run stronger cards than that on the 375w PSU. I read a few posts on the about the 375w having enough power for the 9800 gt, but I'd like more information first.

Can someone tell me if this laptop would work well for world of warcraft?

nathanshown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:12:48 GMT

Dell studio 15

Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache)

Memory: 8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz

Hardrive: Speed: 500GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor

Video Card: 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570

I want to get a laptop that is affordable and performs well for World of Warcraft but also for surfing the web and downloading music. The basics but mainly for the best performance possible on WoW.

What is the best dell gaming laptop with spending more than $1800?

brh1973 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:59:09 GMT

I just can't justify spending as much as alienware wants me to spend. Especially when Best Buy has a ASUS with a 260M for under 1500.

Dell is changing my XPS 730x for a Studio XPS 9000.....What gives?

asterix101 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:02:24 GMT

Hi,

I bought a XPS 730x eight months ago and it has broken down for the third time. Dell told me that they will replace it with a XPS 9000. No thanks!!!!

I had a top of the line gaming rig with a cool case with Alien lights and fan control system with a 4870X2 2MB graphic card, SB X-Fi. In exchange im getting a multi purpose "studio" XPS system with no lights, a small 430 watts power supply and a GTX 260 1792MB, and no sound card.

It is obvious that Dell is phasing out their XPS systems and I seem to be getting the last series that no one should get.

What should I do? I think that Dell should give me the Alienware Aurora case and technology. I never asked for my computer to break down and i feel like im getting ripped off.

Thanks for your advice.....

Video Problem - fifa?

forrex — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:03:45 GMT

I´m Lucas from Argentina. i just bought a Vostro 1520 the last month, and I´m trying to play fifa 06, 07,08 (with my keyboard) ,The graphics and sound effects are great, but...

when I atack from right to left the left players can´t shot, and pass the ball from left to right. When I atack from left to right everything works fine. I tried all cameras, resolutions, and keys, but nothing work. I tried to reinstall the games too. All fifas have the same problem.

My graphic card is a Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD (256 MB)

somebody know what is the problem??

Thanks for your support and sorry for my english!!!!

Question on graphics card memory

mikeraj — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:57:04 GMT

Hi, I would like to know what is the difference between the built-in memory in a graphics card and RAM in the PC system? What is the relationship between the two and how do they work together when running a PC game? Thanks!

Aurora ALX sound question?

whynow13 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:09:35 GMT

I'm thinking of getting the aurora alx dual video cards yada yada. It claims there is no room for a stand alone sound card. I have always had a stand alone sound card cuz integrated sound cards used to be real bad. Is this still the case? I don't want a rockin system and poor sound. Is an integrated sound card as good. Please let me know. Thanks for the info or any help you all can bestow upon me.

XPS M1730 end of life?

VgsShady — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:03:41 GMT

I have noticed that more and more options for the XPS m1730 are being removed from the website, Dell just canceled my order for one because they said they will no longer be carrying the Intel X9000 processor, I have a new one on order now with a core 2 duo 2.6 gig and the dual 9800gt cards.

I have noticed that now even the 9800gt cards are not available on the website anymore. there are only 2 color choices left and I'm starting to debate whether to cancel my order and wait to see whats next in the XPS gaming laptop lineup.

Has anyone heard anything yet on a next gen XPS gaming laptop?

Or are they simply out of parts for now ?

I don't mind waiting a little while if I'm going to spend over $3k on a laptop it will defiantly be something I want.

anybody can tell me why the solid state disk disappeared from aurora systems?

connector — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:27:46 GMT

i need those solid state disk on my new config... why i have to buy an area 51 for it?

Need help with Gamming laptop

Auzraill — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:45:37 GMT

I am looking at purchasing a gaming lap top for my kid. I really don't know much about computers. Basically he plays World of Warcraft and more than likely will be into Star Wars: Old republic. Would like to run games at max settings. So far this is what I have. Any advice would be great.

· Studio XPS 16

Processor:
Intel ® Core ™ i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)

Operating System:
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English

Monitor:
Full HD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP

Memory:
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz

Hard Drive:
500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

CD ROM/DVD ROM:
8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)

Video Card:
ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 4670 – 1GB

Wireless:
Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card

Battery:
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

Sound:
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi MB

Network Card:
Integrated 10/100 Network Card

Bluetooth Options:
DW 370 (USB module)

direct X HElP PLZ

Mahruf — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:20:59 GMT

Hi ppl

I need help with my directX, i cant play any Video games such as CD's or downloaded like Halo or COD. if i install it and everythign goes well except for the direct x it will say - "trouble instalizing direct draw", well thats because i dont have direct draw and im wondering how to get it same goes with direct3D. All the infomation is at the bottom where there is a pic. Like i cant do multimeada such as movie maker or playing games cause it will say "trouble instalizing direct draw",

plz tell me the step to take and remember im only 15

Dell Dimension DXP061 XPS 410 PSU help and Nvidia Graphics card upgrade help

yf19 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:54:01 GMT

Hi Guys,

Please help me out here with some informaton as I have been looking all over but cannot find any specfic information about Dell Dimension DXP061 PSU and compatibility with Nvidia cards.

Currently my system is this

Dell Dimension DXP061 on XP home the manual calls it XPS 410
Intel Core 2Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40 MHz, 2.39 GHz, 2GB of Ram

Right now I have a Dell KH624 (L375P-00) supply obviously rated for 375 watts max

I am interested in upgrading the ram to 4 GB and a graphics card upgrade. I bought this computer primarly for old flight sims like Falcon Allied Force

2 years ago and really dont play any newer games. I am interested in using Flight simulator 10 if possible with my system.

This is the card that I have NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 256Mb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297&Tpk=NVIDIA%20GeForce%208600%20GT%20256Mb

and I am interested in getting one of these cards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130370

Please let me know if they are compatible with my system and power supply? I don't think they are but want to make sure. What kind of a PSU upgrade is recomended for these cards and that will work with my pc?

Will dell upgrade the PSU and graphics card that are not bought from them (for an extra charge)?

I am sure this may have been answered before but I can't find any topic when I use search feature.

help please

Video card compatibility

xc4628 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:25:12 GMT

Hi, everyone. i have a Dimension E510 with Dell 0HJ054 motherboard. I believe that I have a PCI express x16 slot that I can use for video card. Someone recommended Radeon 4670 which is good but for a few more dollars, I can get Radeon 4830 for slightly better performance. Does anyone have any opinions on 4830 in terms of heat & power (I already upgraded my PSU to Corsair HX520W). The bigger question is whether my PCI express x16 slot can use the PCI express 2.0 x16 cards?

ATI 4670 in Inspirion 531 - enough power?

Astraeus77 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:57:17 GMT

I just bought a 4670, and I may have goofed - the posts I read on these forums mentioned the 4650 would work fine with the 531, but for some reason I went ahead and bought a 4670.

I'm now worried the factory power supply won't be enough.

Will this work or no?

Thanks.

Upgrading the video card on a Latitude

Bludkill — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:42:58 GMT

So here's the thing...

I love the pointing stick, trackpoint, nipple mouse - whatever you call it, I need it. Can't live without it.

I also love to game.

Right now, my only option is to spend a lot on a high-end Precision M6400 (drool....) or an M4400 to get a pointstick laptop with an expensive Quadro graphics card, when all I really need is a decent gaming card. What I'd like to do is to buy a more modest D830 or E6500 (I like the 15.4" WUXGA) and find some way of upgrading the 140/160 M video card. Is this feasible? Has anyone had luck with this?

My goal is a 6M cache processor (~2.53 MHz) with minimal RAM (it always gets cheaper), a ~160 GB 7200 RPM HD, and no frills other than a great graphics card. Your comments, advice, etc... are greatly welcome.

ATI 4850 in a Studio (not xps)? Power supply concern!

pilferk — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:15:27 GMT

Just bought (and am awaiting delivery on) a Dell Studio Mini-tower. Q9400, 6 Gigs Ram, 750 GB HD, 16x DVD burner, and an ATI 4850. No soundcard (I'm fine with onboard audio) or other PCI cards installed. Will be using for both play (gaming....some MMO's like Champs online, WOW, etc, but some offline stuff too) and work (work from home 2 days per week).

What I didn't notice (silly me for not checking) is that the power supply on the Studio is a LOT less than ATI's recommended PS for the 4850 (350W vs 450W).

Since it's obviously a stock Dell built rig, I'm assuming (you know what they say about that) that Dell is either aware that the machine needs a beefier PS, or has tested the config and found it to be functional for normal use.

Should I be worried? I'm not adverse to beefing up the PS at some point....but since it's under warrenty for 1 year, I'd be a bit hard pressed to do that until the warrenty expires since I'd rather not void it.

Suggestions and comments would be most appreciated!

XPS owners: Performance and Overheating (if Any) questions.

Falcon1298 — Tue, 26 Aug 2003 05:57:40 GMT

I'm curious how the performance of the XPS has been for owners of the machine on here. Namely hardcore stuff like GTA vice city and Quake sessions that last for two hours or more. Both off and online as well. How about video editing and such (DVD/Cd ripping, digitizing analog VHS video to HD,DVD, or cd format, editing video, etc.)? Any computer/CGI artwork hobbiest use the XPS?

And of course, anyone have any overheating issues? Seen this both on the board and talk of it in atleast 2 reviews on the XPS where the machines behavior pointed to the Processor Throttling down due to heat probs (MaximumPC july 2k3 article and this online article here:http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1133234,00.asp)

thanx in advance

E520 Gaming

bherbert77 — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:12:37 GMT

2006 Dimension E520

Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

160GB sata-II HDD

3GB DDR2 RAM (upgraded from 1gb ddr2)

ATI Radeon HD 3850 256mb GPU (upgraded from ATI X1300 pro)

Pentium 4 w/HT @ 3.0GHz

i spent $300 on the gpu and ram upgrades, thanks to boxing day sales at futureshop.ca

Anyways, i like to upgrade my computer just because im always using it and i find it a waste to own a mid gaming capable machine and buy a console, im not like that.

In order for my gaming to be the best it can be (with the 3850), i need a new CPU of course.

I like the thought of Core 2 duo, although seeing the speeds so low, it kind of never interested me (someone tell me the performance differences of C2D and P4). And most of all, a C2D CPU @ 3.0GHz is like $1000, and i still don't quite understand the power difference of C2D over P4.

Again, i need a few suggestions on a CPU upgrade in the future, from people who can help me pick based on power/cost factors. i don't like to spend too much money on my computer, i don't have the money for that right now.

Can any experienced game rig owners help me out?

Q6700 + Dimension E520 w/ newest BIOS = works or not?

727stretch — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:33:36 GMT

I tried this over in the upgrade support forum w/ no replies in the past few weeks so I'm hoping the gamers can help more :)

I know a bunch of E520 owners have upgraded to the Q6600 without any problem, but does anyone have experience with the Q6700? I know the G965 chipset w/ LGA775 can support that CPU (anything w/ 1066 FSB), but you never know with Dell's tweakage to Intel's stuff.

Thanks for any info or references anyone has.

Edit: Just read a few threads down about a XPS410 user who is running a Q6700... IIRC the XPS410 uses the P965 chipset, vs. my G965, but again it has to do w/ the Dell BIOS. *Shrug*

727

Message Edited by 727stretch on 05-12-2008 03:39 PM

error message ialmrnt5 display driver has stopped working normally

funnygirl1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:05:29 GMT

I am playing the game "Sherlock Holmes:The Awakening" and after a few minutes of game play I get this message.Does this mean I have to update the driver and if so,where to get it?I have a dell demension 4700 and no idea what type of video card I have .

Radeon 5870

ElAguila — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:16:37 GMT

I am new here and this is my first post. I have a system that has been completely rebuilt. I was wondering if anyone has heard if Dell is going to be carrying the new Radeon 5870 anytime soon? I want to update the graphics in my gaming rig and I would like to get a couple of these to crossfire.

Have a Dell Dimension 5100 (modded heavily) -- Video Card upgrade question

heretician — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:09:46 GMT

I currently have a X1600 PCI-E (ATI)

Looking to upgrade to nvidia

I have the default motherboard that came with the dimension 5100, despite replacing most of the other hardware (except for the other important part, the stock 350mhz power supply)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5204520&sku=B52-8504

That has SLI, and I heard Dell barely has any PCs out right now that supports SLI.

Question is, will the product that I linked (9500 GT PCIE) have an option not to use SLI or will it automatically detect that the motherboard does not accept SLI? I have heard of many Dell computers having video cards even better in terms of nvidia so I pesume they as well have SLI..

Welp that is all, with the 5100 default motherboard, will it let me disable SLI or am I lucky enough to have SLI compatibility on my 5100 mobo? =)

the next xps desktop?

zebie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:54:16 GMT

When do you think the next xps desktop (for gaming) will be released as the xps 730x has been out for a while now (i think)? I am thinking of getting a pc but don't want to get the 730x if a new model will soon appear?

cheers for your help

PS i'm in the UK

What happened ?

pollock77 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:54:12 GMT

Sorry if the news has been posted. After a few weeks of reserching and cost configuring for a new PC,I decided on a XPS 730x. So yesterday I went to the Dell site to put it together. And I'll be nuts they dont sell it anymore.

So I asked Dell chat sales about it,and they confirmed it. Thet told me about the XPS 9000. But now I don't have any knowlage about it.So I have a few question about it .

1 Can it be upgraded (motherboard ect) and is it a ATX.

2 Can it be overclocked.? Or are the bios locked.

3 Is it a TRUE gamming rig?

4 Is the XPS 7xxx desktops going to be replaced with another kind.

I have looked into the Alienwarw pcs ,but there ugly..

Any help would be nice. I don't want to make another XPS 710 mistake.

Or the big question ? Should I just build my own ?

Dell 1750 graphics card switch

Irish_Sammie — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:42:11 GMT

I recently bought a dell 1750 with the radeon 4330HD 512 mb.

I dont know the internal workings of the laptop, but is it possible to remove the graphic card and replace it with a higher spec one?

Or is it soldered onto the mother board?

Thanks :)

XPS Studio - ATI 4850 temperature concerns

cactuscactus — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:03:26 GMT

Hello everyone,

Today my new Dell XPS Studio machine arrived - Intel i7 2.66GHz processor, 6GB RAM, ATI4850 card, Vista 64bit.

This machine will be used for work and gaming. The only game I really play is World of Warcraft.

Today I installed Warcraft and started playing - it works amazingly well. The machine as a whole is great.

I have two concerns however:

1) At idle, the 4850 card operates at 54-57 degrees. Under load, it operates at 80-83 degrees. I have read about this, but I am rather concerned. The XPS Studio has a smaller case than my other PCs at home. I am concerned that 80 degrees is a high temperature that will impact the life of the card and other components in the machine. My Nvidia 8800GT card in another machine runs at 49 degrees idle and 53 degrees under load. Is there any simple way for me to recuce the temperatures of the ATI card?

I would imagine that running Warcraft for a whole day (lets say 6-8 hours on end) is not safe for my ATI card? - Just getting a little worried here.

2) I am confused regarding drivers - the Dell installed drivers on my machine are 8.522 - however on the ATI site they have justed released version 8.12. Why is the driver on my machine a higher version (presumably a special Dell driver??) and what would happen if I used drivers from ATI's website? - would this cause problems on my machine?

I would be most grateful for any replies and advice.

Thank you.

Graphics card recommendation for a Dell E510

xc4628 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:04:02 GMT

Hi, everyone. I am hoping that someone can give me a few good recommendation for a video card upgrade. I am hoping to spend up to $100 dollars max unless the card is really good and the price difference is not that much. I have an old Dimension E510 w/ a Pentium D Model 820 (2.8 GHz dual core), upgraded to 4gb memory. My current video card is the Radeon 256mb X600 and I am running Windows XP. Are there limits to what my system can support? What specifications should I be looking at, to see if the graphics card is compatible with my computer? Finally does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Is My Dell Running Too Hot?

cmiz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:48:56 GMT

I am currently playing wow and surfing the internet on a dell dimension 4700.

I upgraded the power supply not too long ago (about 4 months back) to support an upgrade to my graphics card done at the same time. the power supply is an Antec Neo HE500 (500 watt output), and the graphics card i put in is an Nvidia Ge Force 9800 GT. I have recently been looking to improve my fps in wow and along the way stumbled into discovering that my computer seems to be running hot to me.

As i am kind of a noob when it comes to this stuff im not sure if it really is too hot. it runs at around 60C give or take 1 or 2 degrees during general surfing, and while gaming gets up to 66 almost 70C and i will occasionally hear a warning beep that i don't know for sure is related.

I am getting these tempurature readings from software i recently installed which is speedfan4.39 i have not adjusted fan speeds but i can see that they are running and i have used canned air to dust the inside.

Would be interested to find out (a.) is this temp higher than is safe or recommended?, and (b.) would lowering the temp improve my fps and overall gaming experience (but mainly concerned with the fps as it gets really choppy in bg's)?

Oh ya and what can i do if necessary to cool it down. And one other side note my fps gets as low as 10 in high traffic bg's where lots of action is going on temporarily, then will come up to an almost bearable 20fps during most of the rest of the bg (QQ). But i suppose thats a whole other post idk.

PS. temperature readings above are denoted by speedfan as GPU and Core temps. Same values for both in either case gaming/surfing. And please ask me for any additional info that would help u help me out. REALLY dont want to hurt my comp as i can't afford a new one right now and can't get credit to put one on payments.