Updating Question.

[Jaredster]

I am planning on upgrading my MOBO for my Dell 8250 and have a few questions.

1. Ok, I have NEVER done this before, so from what I can see the you remove the processor somehow from your current MOBO and stick it in the new one? Will it be compatable? Does it matter if the mobo is a 800 MHZ or 533 MHZ or whatever? I have a P4 and I am planning on getting the Albatron PX865PE ProII MOBO.

2. My computer uses RD Ram (eww) and the MOBO I want to get uses DDR ram? Is there any SPECIFIC brand of DDR Memory that I need to get? Or do all of them work out?

3. Are most MOBOs the same size, because I wanna know if this one will fit.

4. How do I find out if my Current system bus MHZ

5. This one is stupid, but what is the system....bus?



I know I am a hardware n00b, this is my first time doing this :(. Sorry for all the questions but I don't want to kill my computer :(.

[WhoGivesARatsAss]

dude u got a dell.. it would be wise to stick with it..

first thing u have to note is that does the dell have a microATX mobo or a full ATX mobo.. if its a full ATX mobo any mobo will fit.. (supposedly)..

the processor bus can be found using software tools like SiSoft Sandra.. or just going into bios using the delete key on the keyboard..

if u have a 533 processor u will not need an 800 MHz bus proc.. but if u want to make ur dell future proof.. u would want a mobo that supports 800 MHz system bus..

System bus is like a bus that takes kids to school.. for the processor the higher the bus speed the faster the proc would be.. coz bus is after all responsible for transferring data (kids) back and forth from hdd to processor for processing and such..

if ur system has rd ram.. u will need new ddr ram modules oks!

give ur system specs.. by using windows system tools and then well see what we can help u with ok.. c ya!

[Jaredster]

Originally posted by WhoGivesARatsAss

if u have a 533 processor u will not need an 800 MHz bus proc


So waht oyu are saying is that a 533 MHZ processor will work with a 800 mhz bus?
Originally posted by WhoGivesARatsAss

give ur system specs.. by using windows system tools and then well see what we can help u with ok.. c ya!

Which one?

[WhoGivesARatsAss]

1) yes

2) Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools

[Jaredster]

Ok what info do you need?

[WhoGivesARatsAss]

basically.. what processor u have.. what intel mobo u have.. how much ram u got.. also how much hdd u have.. open the case and see if the motherboard has 3 or 5 or 6 pci slots.. pci slots are the ones that are usually white in color and lined for add in cards.. tell abt this and then i think i can help u more!

[Rhenna]

Jaredster:

This is very important! I can't say for sure if this applies to your current system, but MANY Dell computers use a proprietary power supply that isn't compatible with 3rd-party motherboards. There might be a risk of not only having it not work, but of damaging any after-market motherboard you install. I would urge you to be careful in this regard.

Update: Here is a rather cheesy article on the topic. (Best I could find on short notice.) I think I remember reading somewhere that Dell started phasing out these non-standard supplies in 2001, but I'm not certain.

http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com/articles/upgrade3_01_01.asp

[Jaredster]

how do i find my mobo voltage?

[Rhenna]

That depends on what you mean. If you're speaking of voltages with regard to a power supply, you don't need to concern yourself with a specific voltage, simply that the power supply and motherboard are on the same page as to what voltage is delivered to what connection on the motherboard. In your situation, there's either Dell's proprietary scheme, or the standard ATX specification. You just can't mix or match, if your system happens to be one of the non-standard Dell rigs.

If you're speaking about CPU voltages, first let me say that I am by no means an authority on the various Pentium IV voltage requirements, but a trip to Intel's website should supply that info. I would say it's as much a matter of matching a specific P4 with a compatible motherboard chipset, as it is concerning yourself with the required processor voltage.

The Dell site tells me that your 8250 is using the i850E chipset, and it pretty much tells you what your CPU options are. If you have the PC1066 Rambus memory, you could get into the 3GHz range. I'm not real sure what PC1066 memory is going for, (if you don't already have it), but a 3GHz P4 for this bus is about $375 U.S., give or take. With these possibilities, I really wouldn't bother with swapping out the motherboard, myself, especially if I already had the PC1066 memory. Unless you have money to burn and are using this rig to earn a living, I don't think the difference between maxing your current system out versus getting involved with a new motherboard, memory-type and CPU are worth the trouble.

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim8250/specs.htm#1084976

[Jaredster]

Originally posted by Rhenna

The Dell site tells me that your 8250 is using the i850E chipset, and it pretty much tells you what your CPU options are. If you have the PC1066 Rambus memory, you could get into the 3GHz range. I'm not real sure what PC1066 memory is going for, (if you don't already have it), but a 3GHz P4 for this bus is about $375 U.S., give or take. With these possibilities, I really wouldn't bother with swapping out the motherboard, myself, especially if I already had the PC1066 memory. Unless you have money to burn and are using this rig to earn a living, I don't think the difference between maxing your current system out versus getting involved with a new motherboard, memory-type and CPU are worth the trouble.

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim8250/specs.htm#1084976

So..........why wont you upgrade? Because it wouldn't make that much of a differance? I already have the PC1066 memory (it was like $300). The new mobo and the new processor will be like $450

So i can sell all my PC1066 (prolly for $450 since the computer came with some already) and then upgrade. Heh, what do you think?

[Rhenna]

You've already said you've never done an upgrade before. While it's not rocket science there are some pitfalls. Since your system is otherwise very viable, I'd simply opt for the 3GHz CPU. Inside of 30 minutes you could be up and running with about as low a potential for problems as could be expected. A 3GHz P-IV on a 533MHz bus with a boatload of 1066 Rambus is a mighty heavy hitter, in my opinion, Clearly not the fastest Intel rig possible, but close enough to dispense with the hassle of buying, removing, installing, tweaking, etc. I mean, your time is worth something to you too, right?

If your current system was hopelessly outdated, then I'd gut it and go for the all the candy. I just don't feel that is warranted, in your situation. Sometimes the simple solutions are the best. But, it's your system, money and time; you can best decide for yourself how certain and confident you are.

[Jaredster]

Well, at the end of the summer I should have some money to burn (prolly enough to get a whole new computer). I am sorry I forgot to mention that I upgraded the RD Memory. I just want to max out my rig. I MAY just get a AlienWare computer though.

[Rhenna]

So, how much PC1066 Rambus do you have? If you've made an investment in that, I'd think that's even more of a reason to stay with your current rig!

If you're anxious to spend some cash, just get the proper CPU, an upscale video card, (what do you have, now?), and perhaps a larger, faster drive if disk space is an issue. Or, maybe an Audigy2, if you think your audio could use a boost.

I can't imagine anyone realistically describing an i850-based, 3GHz P-IV with, say, 512Mb or more of PC1066 Rambus and some kick-ass video card as anything but top-shelf. That's as Doom III-ready a rig as anybody has on these forums, just to put it in gaming terms...

[Jaredster]

Umm, yea, I just have money to burn.



I have a i850, 766MB RD Ram, Geforce 4 MX 420 64MB Sdram 4xAGP(I think), 2.4GHZ Cpu. I just wanted to use the 8x agp of the geforce fx 5900 ultra. Will a 4x agp and 8x agp make any differance with the GeforceFX5900-U's shading capabilitys, or CineFX engine capabilitys. I don't want stupid 4x agp if it ruins the capibilitys.

[Rhenna]

The extra bandwidth that AGP-8X provides over 4X is of very little consequence right now. In my opinion, it's unlikely to amount to any significant difference in the forseeable future. Running an 8X compliant videocard on a 4X system will in no way inhibit the capabilities of the card. If that's your concern, I think you can rest easy.

As I'm sure you're aware, your current video card is the bottleneck in your system, at present. If you install a high-end Nvidia or ATI card, even without replacing your CPU, you may well find that your desire to upgrade has been satisfied very nicely. Dell should be, of course, nuked out of existence for shipping that craptacular video card with such an otherwise fine system. In fact, I'm on the phone to SAC Headquarters, right now.

[Jaredster]

Will a 533 MHZ processor will work with a 800 mhz bus?

[Rhenna]

An interesting question. I guess it might depend on how you define work. There would be 4 considerations: Physical, Electrical, Multiplier and Chipset Logic.

The "C" series CPU would physically fit in the 850E socket.

I believe the CPU voltage, (1.5 -1.53V), is the same. However, I would expect the current to be a bit higher on a "C". But, that would probably be offset by the next consideration.

The multiplier within your current CPU is 18. (18 X 133.3MHz = 2.4GHz) The multiplier on a 2.4GHz "C" chip, to use that as an example, is 12. (12 X 200MHz = 2.4GHz) Since your bus maxes out at 133.3MHz, dropping a 2.4GHz "C" into your system would give you a P-IV "C" at 1.6GHz. (12 X 133.3MHz = 1.6GHz) Probably NOT what you had in mind.

However, all of the above may be moot, because the "pin-out" configuration of the "C" series CPUs, as well as the "core-logic" of the i850E chipset may well be incompatible. (Our "Chipset Logic" consideration.) Upon power-up, it might result in a detonation with a yield in the 20-25 Kiloton range, and probably mess up your house real bad.

Once again, I would recommend that you stay within the 533MHz family.

[Rhenna]

Originally posted by Jaredster
Will a 533 MHZ processor will work with a 800 mhz bus?

Whoops! This is what happens when I'm on two PCs at once. My apologies. I guess I just took your question in the context of the earlier part of this thread. Or, more likely, I screwed-up. (I'm betting it was the latter.)

To answer your question: Hell, yeah! You can use a 533MHz P-IV on the "800MHz max." Intel 875P, 865PE and 865G chipset motherboards. In other words, they're "backwards compatible."

[cr3am]

Without reading anything here, I can tell you this:
Dells are known to be gay with different hardware. It has to be VERY specific or it won't work.
If you have ever built a computer, imagine taking one apart and putting it back together. That's what you'll have to do. It's going to be a long job and there's a hundred different ways you can break those little gizmos and gadgets. If I were you I wouldn't upgrade the mobo until you upgrade the processor, too.

[WhoGivesARatsAss]

modding a dell is like sticking ur penis in a meatstock grinder to masturbate.. once u are done.. there is no penis left!

[Bigolli]

Originally posted by WhoGivesARatsAss
modding a dell is like sticking ur penis in a meatstock grinder to masturbate.. once u are done.. there is no penis left!

not if u do it right! ;)