Dell Dimension C521 Upgrade

[Cold_War]

I recently tried playing some low spec games on my old Dell Dimension C521 (like Minecraft) and I seemed to experience low frame rates, as I only got around 30-35FPS on average with all the settings on lowest and the render distance on short.

Has anyone got any ideas on upgrading my PC to perform better (Owners Manual Here), as it is a pretty low spec computer. I must tell you also that it has a small form factor case so only low profile (or relatively small) graphic cards will fit in the case.

PC Specifications:

CPU: AMD Sempron 3400+ Single Core 1.8GHz
RAM: 1GB DDR2 333MHz CL5 (2 x 512MB modules)
Graphics Card: Intergrated GeForce 6150 LE DirectX 9 Pixel Shader 3
PSU: Dell 280W PSU
OS: Windows XP Home Edition 32bit
HDD: 500GB HDD

 

[o1die]

Here are two affordable upgrades: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Athlon-64-X2-5200-2-6-GHz-Dual-Core-ADA5200IAA6CS-Processor-/150792775277?pt=CPUs&hash=item231bf3266d#ht_500wt_1158; video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150581

 

[Cold_War]

Here are two affordable upgrades: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Athlon-64-X2-5200-2-6-GHz-Dual-Core-ADA5200IAA6CS-Processor-/150792775277?pt=CPUs&hash=item231bf3266d#ht_500wt_1158; video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150581

I found a new Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz (65 nm, Socket AM2) it has the same wattage as the CPU I have now, but will it work on my motherboard?

I found a GT 440 1GB GDDR3 LP and a Radeon 6670 LP, will I need to upgrade my PSU to supply power for the card, and will the Radeon work as it is PCI Express 2.1?

 

[o1die]

Yes (maybe) and no to the pci-e 2.1, but it doesn't matter. You won't notice the difference. Next time I would build your own if you want to upgrade. Dells aren't designed for significant upgrades. By the time you spend money on a new power supply, video card, motherboard, and windows coa, you might as well sell the dell intact and buy another system.

 

[Cold_War]

Yes (maybe) and no to the pci-e 2.1, but it doesn't matter. You won't notice the difference. Next time I would build your own if you want to upgrade. Dells aren't designed for significant upgrades. By the time you spend money on a new power supply, video card, motherboard, and windows coa, you might as well sell the dell intact and buy another system.

With the Athlon 64 X2 2.7GHz + 2GB 800MHz RAM + GT 440 GDDR3 1GB + New Optical Drive (the current one is broken) the total would be £110. Is it still worth the upgrades / or is there a good system for a bit more than that?

If it is not can you recommend anything for a new system?

 

[o1die]

I recommend my first upgrade options if you can order from ebay. They're both affordable and can be used with your stock dell power supply. The 6450 video card is available everywhere if you can't order from newegg, either with a fan or fanless.