XPS 720 Upgrade

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sms1295

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All,

I'm looking to upgrade my XPS 720 (system info at the bottom) in either of two ways. The first is to replace CUP, MOB, and memory with an i7 and related componemts. The second is to just upgrade the CPU with another within Core 2 Due family which would work with the MOB I have.

Your remarks would be appriciated,

sms1295

System: XPS 720
OS: XP Pro (All updates applied)
CPU: E6600 Socket 775
MOB: Dell 0CK520
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI SPP
Memory: DDR2 333 MHz 3072MB
Graphic: 2 Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS in SLI configuration
 
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suteck

suteck

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It really depends on how much money you're willing to spend. Cheapest way of course is to just upgrade the cpu. But that's not really any fun is it? I would recommend the i7 with a decent asus or gigabyte motherboard. Here's a barely used 920 for $225 (used doesn't mean broken), or the newest used 980X for only $785. If your looking for new ones then here's a new i7 950 for only $290 or a new 920 for $290. Here's a nice used P6T deluxe motherboard for only $180, or this one the P6T for only $149. Again, if you don't like used here's one of my favorites, the Gigabyte X58A-UD3R for only $210. Or this one for $300, , it's the Asus P6T6. Works great with the i7 chip & multiple video cards. So my recommendation(s)? let's do the Gigabyte X58A for $210 & the 980X for $785 for a total of $995. Or best deal is the P6T deluxe for $180 & the i7 950 for only $290 for a workable total of $470. once you decide on which combo you like and are willing to spend your money on we can help with vid cards & memory & stuff. Let us what you decide and we can help you further.
 
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sms1295

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Thank you all for the feed back.

rolli59...Why do you say the system is in need of a GPU upgrade before anything else is done?

suteck...The cheapest may be the way I need to go. I was hoping to keep this under 1,000 total. What option are with cheap and cpu?

Also, I've read that Dell doesn't make it easy upgrading their systems because they use power suppies that only connect to their MOBs. Would I lose the special LED lighting that is with the system with a new MOB?

Thanks again,
 
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Twoboxer

Twoboxer

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You may have a bigger problem - I have an XPS 710 H2c, and your 720 I believe came out as the next iteration. My 710 has a BTX case and motherboard. If yours is a BTX, you can forget about upgrading the mobo or re-using that case, too.

You can tell by looking at the back of the tower when its standing up. If the expansion card slots are on the bottom of the case, below the mobo's back panel, its a BTX.

Let us know which case you have; if its an ATX case, we can do more.

Mine has a QX6700 factory OC'd to 3.2GHz. Unfortunately, that's not an option for you because Dell's BIOS will not let you OC.

$900 is about the entry level to replace the tower with an i5 750 and a 460 if your objective is gaming at 1920 resolution. You may be able to re-use the psu, optical drive(s), and HD(s) as data storage disks to reduce cost.

Sorry.
 
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rolli59

rolli59

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2x7600GS is a weak setup by today's standards. The 7xxx series did not age well and struggles with shader heavy applications. A single HD5770 would perform better.
 
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Wisecracker

Wisecracker

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I hope this doesn't sound mean but **2 Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS in SLI configuration** is a really, really, r e a l l y very poor performer. If I didn't have red hair I'd call the 7600 GS the step-child of the 7XXXs (and hardly out-performed the likes of the GeForce 6600 GT & Radeon X700 XT). A single 7800 GT or even 7900 GS would whomp 2x7600GS.

I think the Radeon HD 5770 is the perfect choice. It will run nicely in the power envelop of your 2x7600GSs, bring DX11 to the table, and perform 4-5x above your current config.
 
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suteck

suteck

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Here you go for about $1,000 - Used P6T deluxe palm OC motherboard $150. used i7 920 processor for $225. New CoolerMaster 1,000 Watt PSU $149. New Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 Memory for $147. New Griffin-y ATX Case (yellow or Grey lining) $71 (including shipping). And you're going to need a cooler for your processor and I recommend the coolit domino ALC for $86 including shipping or the Coolit Vantage for $106 including shipping,(Like the Vantage Best for your case). And of course last but not least - Your ATI Sapphire 5770 Video card for $165. Using the Coolit Vantage cooler this brings the price to $1,013, give or take a couple. The only other thing I can think of is thermal paste. I like the Artic Silver Ceramique because it uses little bits of Ceramic instead of little bits of metal for conductivity (No chance of shorting the processor to heatsink). For $12 you can get the big one (22g), but I build computers for fun so I use more than you might. Now for the missing pieces. What type connectors do you have for you hard drive? This board will support S-ata I & II but it also has the IDE capability in case you have an older hard drive. Same for your DVD/CD writers. Of course you can only use 2 of these devices so I'm hoping you have some S-ata. I think this would be a great system with plenty of room to upgrade as time goes by. You will be able to add a second vid card for crossfireX @ 16X speed, you will be able to upgrade to the 12 core (6 cores & 6 hyperthreading for the picky wording people), 980X processor and you will also be able to go up to 12 GB of ram in the future. The only thing i didn't check was if that particular ram is supported for 12 GB - just trying to keep the initial cost down. You even have duel Gig lans for surfing and gaming if you want. All these items are found on the ebay links I supplied so that's where the prices came from. That's where I get my stuff so that's the recommendations you get from me. You might be able to find some individual items cheaper elsewhere but the used CPU and motherboard are 1 timers and only good for a few days. Hope this helps and ask more questions if you got 'em.

PS, Shoot me an email and we can discuss your Operating System
 
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sms1295

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All,

Sorry, for not responding to the last responses sooner. The family and work thing has taken up my time.

I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond to my question. The information has been very informative, even though, disappointing that I just can’t replace the MOB, CPU, and memory with the XPS 720. I purchased the system as a XPS 700 and did the Dell sponsored upgrade to a 720. I had one hard drive crash which Dell replaced, so the system has severed me well for several years. Until I purchased this system I had had custom machines built to my specs which I was able to replace MOB, CPU, and memory as I wanted. I strayed away from custom built machines this time because the XPS 700 had the components I was looking at a lower cost than what I could have built. Also, the XPS 700 was advertised as ‘expandable and upgradable’ which I took the upgradable as I would be able to upgrade the CPU and related compacts. As I now see what Dell considers upgradable and what I consider upgradable are different.

I’m not what one would call a ‘gamer’. I play the LS Links golf series, Tiger Woods series, Call of Duty II, and earlier versions of Medal of Honor series. I’ve started working with Photoshop Elements for my home videos. I also use MS Office for work, so a fast processor helps when manipulating large amounts of data with Access and other tools.

I’m not ready to dive into a completely new system. For the short term I may just look at upgrading to Windows 7 (64 bit) and maxing out the memory on the MOB. The information everyone has provided will help when I’m ready for a new system.

Thanks again everyone
 
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Twoboxer

Twoboxer

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It will certainly support these cpus:

Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor QX6800 (8MB L2 Cache, 3.20GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor QX6700 (8MB L2 Cache, 2.93GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 Cache, 2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™2 E6700 (4MB L2 Cache, 2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™2 E6600 (4MB L2 Cache, 2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB)

tech Specs tab:
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfh/desktops/xpsdt_720/pd.aspx?refid=xpsdt_720&cs=22&s=dfh

Call Dell. An XPS owner is entitled to "special" support.
 
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Wisecracker

Wisecracker

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Don't do it.

Effectively, you would be throwing good money down a rat hole.

You can buy a new Studio XPS and pay no interest over 18 months. Reuse your monitor, or, WTF, get a new one (this is for your home office, isn't it? :na: )

Your memory upgrade will not be compatible with a new build -- nor will your *new* OS (unless you drop $180 for a retail version) move to a new build -- nor any processor upgrade.


(I'm the Devil of Temptation - LOL)
 
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CarolClark

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Hi,

I would say your jumping the gun a little as to upgrading your 720. It's a great rig in my opinion. However if you are set on upgrading I would wait until the new Intel procesossors come out. I do know how you feel though wanting to have the best. Also the 720 can be upgraded quit a bit and as you know there is a ton of room inside it. I would wait a bit to see how things pan out with up coming systems.
 
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