- Jan 3, 2011
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I have seen quite a few people around the web asking about upgrading their old Dell Dimension 4700. Allot of the answer's are either completely wrong or the person is simply told "Buy a new computer".
While it's hard to argue the need to have a much newer PC if you want to run all the latest apps efficiently, there are still plenty of good reasons to keep an old 4700 around as long as it doesn't run slower than a dead dinosaur.
About a year and a half ago I built a new PC that can handle anything I give it but, before that (besides newer laptops) my old Dell Dimension 4700 was the best computer I had and due to a few upgrades it's still a very capable PC for a large number of tasks. For various reasons I also like to have a separate PC dedicated to windows XP and my 4700 is great for that.
About my upgrades: Cost is very important. If you are going to spend allot of money you might as well just buy a newer faster machine.
Compatibility with the 4700 and newer PC's (where it can be achieved) is also important. This is an old PC. It might last a long while longer and it might kick the bucket tomorrow. You just can't tell and it would be nice to salvage as many of the components you just bought if it does die tomorrow.
So I'll list all the upgrades I made in order of importance. Not all of these like the CPU and Ram will meet many compatibility standards for newer PC's.
1.) Ram: 2 - Crucial 2GB kits (1GBx2), 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-5300 @ 35.99 each for a total of 4GB @ $71.98
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=80ABFAD3A5CA7304
2.) CPU: For any thing less than a 3.4GHz I would upgrade to a P4 670 @ 3.8GHz Socket 775 LGA (you need to have the latest bios A10) If you are upgrading from any thing less than a 3.4GHz you will also need to upgrade the Heatsink and Fan/Shroud Assembly
2a) CPU: as low as $61.25 new http://computerpartsdirect.us/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13372&cPath=13#googlebase
or $27.88 used http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Pentium-4-670-3-8GHZ-LGA-775-2M-800M-SL7Z3-/270930018634?pt=CPUs&hash=item3f14b0014a
Total cost for a 3.8GHz CPU upgrade: Under $100!
2b) N4399 CPU Fan & Shroud Assembly for CPU 3.4G (550)& Faster $14.95 http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Dimension-4700-CPU-Case-Fan-and-Shroud-N4399-/180720720983?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a13cb5c57
2c) W4254 Heatsink Assembly for CPU 3.4G (550)& Faster New $29.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Dell-w4254-Heatsink-Assembly-Dimension-8400-4700-XPS-Gen-3-Optiplex-GX280-/390409247090?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae6345972
2d) Bottom line : For around $100 new or allot less used you can upgrade to a 3.8GHz CPU
3.) PSU: you will need this next upgrade for the subsequent upgrade. I upgraded to a CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU when it was on sale for $79 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 I went for the 650w PSU for future compatibility in a new build but for all intents and purposes a 500w PSU will do fine.
4.) Video card: I bought this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131354 which is now out of stock but, there are plenty of good choices for $100 or less. Some of my considerations were future compatibility, I wanted a card that only took up 1 slot in the back so I could add 2 outputs for eSata, HDMI W/audio, HDCP Ready and PCI Express 2.1. Even though the 4700 just has the original PCIe x16 for video PCIe 2.1 is backward compatible and will just run a little slower. You will still be able to play games like Borderlands and Call of Duty 2.
5.) Sata II: I bought this PCIe x1 card for $26 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815287003
With this card you can use either the 2 internal Sata II ports or the 2 external eSata ports I used the internal ports which upgraded my 2-internal hard drives to a Sata II connection.
6.) Hard Drives: The 4700 can take 2 Hard Drives but if you want more than 1 you will need this bracket for $7.00: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Dimension-4700-HDD-BRACKET-Caddy-0T962-DELL-4700-HARD-DRIVE-CADY-0T96-/260911104246?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item3cbf8380f6
I have 2 hard drives 1-Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM SATA II for my OS and more ($134) and 1-SAMSUNG F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA II for storage ($129.99).
7.) eSata: Since I was no longer using my mother boards 2-Sata ports, I bought an Ultra 2-Port eSATA PCI Bracket (Similar to this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226003 ) for $5 and mounted it under my video card. The fan for the video card is in the way of this PCI port but, since the eSata card doesn't need the port, just the rear slot and the video card is just a single slot card, I easily used this 2nd slot and just routed the Sata cables around the video cards fan to the motherboards Sata ports. This gives my 4700 2-eSata ports for external storage
8.) Sound Card: This still leaves one PCI slot open for a sound card. Soon after I originally purchased this 4700 from dell I added a $300 sound card. I would not do this today with a newer much better/faster PC that also has a great sound card. However if I still had the original Sound Blaster live 24 bit sound card installed I would upgrade to a $60 to $100 card but, that's just me.
9.) With these upgrades you might want to improve your cases cooling. I added a 120mm fan to the (modded) side panel that blows directly on the video card and another small fan blowing on the hard drives.
The total cost for all these up grades wasn't cheap but I don't think to many people want a $300 sound card on an old PC and you don't necessarily need 3TB of hard drive space either.
So if you take the cheep route and buy a used CPU @ $27.88, A CPU Fan & Shroud Assembly @ $14.95 and a CPU Heatsink @ $29 your total CPU upgrade is only $71.83.
Add a 4GB ram upgrade @ $71.98 and a Sata II capability upgrade @ $26 (not including what ever hard drive(s) you want since you may already purchased an upgraded HD) and your PC will seem like a completely different, quite capable PC for just under $170. Not a bad deal I think!
Is there anyone else with a 4700? What upgrades have you done?
While it's hard to argue the need to have a much newer PC if you want to run all the latest apps efficiently, there are still plenty of good reasons to keep an old 4700 around as long as it doesn't run slower than a dead dinosaur.
About a year and a half ago I built a new PC that can handle anything I give it but, before that (besides newer laptops) my old Dell Dimension 4700 was the best computer I had and due to a few upgrades it's still a very capable PC for a large number of tasks. For various reasons I also like to have a separate PC dedicated to windows XP and my 4700 is great for that.
About my upgrades: Cost is very important. If you are going to spend allot of money you might as well just buy a newer faster machine.
Compatibility with the 4700 and newer PC's (where it can be achieved) is also important. This is an old PC. It might last a long while longer and it might kick the bucket tomorrow. You just can't tell and it would be nice to salvage as many of the components you just bought if it does die tomorrow.
So I'll list all the upgrades I made in order of importance. Not all of these like the CPU and Ram will meet many compatibility standards for newer PC's.
1.) Ram: 2 - Crucial 2GB kits (1GBx2), 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-5300 @ 35.99 each for a total of 4GB @ $71.98
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=80ABFAD3A5CA7304
2.) CPU: For any thing less than a 3.4GHz I would upgrade to a P4 670 @ 3.8GHz Socket 775 LGA (you need to have the latest bios A10) If you are upgrading from any thing less than a 3.4GHz you will also need to upgrade the Heatsink and Fan/Shroud Assembly
2a) CPU: as low as $61.25 new http://computerpartsdirect.us/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13372&cPath=13#googlebase
or $27.88 used http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Pentium-4-670-3-8GHZ-LGA-775-2M-800M-SL7Z3-/270930018634?pt=CPUs&hash=item3f14b0014a
Total cost for a 3.8GHz CPU upgrade: Under $100!
2b) N4399 CPU Fan & Shroud Assembly for CPU 3.4G (550)& Faster $14.95 http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Dimension-4700-CPU-Case-Fan-and-Shroud-N4399-/180720720983?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a13cb5c57
2c) W4254 Heatsink Assembly for CPU 3.4G (550)& Faster New $29.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Dell-w4254-Heatsink-Assembly-Dimension-8400-4700-XPS-Gen-3-Optiplex-GX280-/390409247090?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae6345972
2d) Bottom line : For around $100 new or allot less used you can upgrade to a 3.8GHz CPU
3.) PSU: you will need this next upgrade for the subsequent upgrade. I upgraded to a CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU when it was on sale for $79 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 I went for the 650w PSU for future compatibility in a new build but for all intents and purposes a 500w PSU will do fine.
4.) Video card: I bought this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131354 which is now out of stock but, there are plenty of good choices for $100 or less. Some of my considerations were future compatibility, I wanted a card that only took up 1 slot in the back so I could add 2 outputs for eSata, HDMI W/audio, HDCP Ready and PCI Express 2.1. Even though the 4700 just has the original PCIe x16 for video PCIe 2.1 is backward compatible and will just run a little slower. You will still be able to play games like Borderlands and Call of Duty 2.
5.) Sata II: I bought this PCIe x1 card for $26 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815287003
With this card you can use either the 2 internal Sata II ports or the 2 external eSata ports I used the internal ports which upgraded my 2-internal hard drives to a Sata II connection.
6.) Hard Drives: The 4700 can take 2 Hard Drives but if you want more than 1 you will need this bracket for $7.00: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Dimension-4700-HDD-BRACKET-Caddy-0T962-DELL-4700-HARD-DRIVE-CADY-0T96-/260911104246?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item3cbf8380f6
I have 2 hard drives 1-Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM SATA II for my OS and more ($134) and 1-SAMSUNG F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA II for storage ($129.99).
7.) eSata: Since I was no longer using my mother boards 2-Sata ports, I bought an Ultra 2-Port eSATA PCI Bracket (Similar to this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226003 ) for $5 and mounted it under my video card. The fan for the video card is in the way of this PCI port but, since the eSata card doesn't need the port, just the rear slot and the video card is just a single slot card, I easily used this 2nd slot and just routed the Sata cables around the video cards fan to the motherboards Sata ports. This gives my 4700 2-eSata ports for external storage
8.) Sound Card: This still leaves one PCI slot open for a sound card. Soon after I originally purchased this 4700 from dell I added a $300 sound card. I would not do this today with a newer much better/faster PC that also has a great sound card. However if I still had the original Sound Blaster live 24 bit sound card installed I would upgrade to a $60 to $100 card but, that's just me.
9.) With these upgrades you might want to improve your cases cooling. I added a 120mm fan to the (modded) side panel that blows directly on the video card and another small fan blowing on the hard drives.
The total cost for all these up grades wasn't cheap but I don't think to many people want a $300 sound card on an old PC and you don't necessarily need 3TB of hard drive space either.
So if you take the cheep route and buy a used CPU @ $27.88, A CPU Fan & Shroud Assembly @ $14.95 and a CPU Heatsink @ $29 your total CPU upgrade is only $71.83.
Add a 4GB ram upgrade @ $71.98 and a Sata II capability upgrade @ $26 (not including what ever hard drive(s) you want since you may already purchased an upgraded HD) and your PC will seem like a completely different, quite capable PC for just under $170. Not a bad deal I think!
Is there anyone else with a 4700? What upgrades have you done?
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