XPS Gen 3 ... new graphics card + ram or scrap?

[milwsysbuilder]

Friend has a dell XPS gen 3 (3.2Ghz P4, P925x chipset, 1gb ram, ati x850xt) and wants to play modern games such as call of duty 4.

Do you think adding 2gb of ram and an 8800gt would do the trick, or is he better off selling it on ebay for ~$400 and building a new system? (I vote for latter due processor limitation caused lifespan concerns)

Proposed replacement is a Foxconn P35A, E2160, 2gb/3gb/4gb? ddr2-800, and a 8800gt on a xion supernova 600w. (coolermaster case, liteon dvd-rw, 200gb spinpoint, blah)

Also, putting 2x512gb on one channel and 2x1gb on the other isn't a problem is it? I've never done that before.

edit: and ^^ is assuming PSU is up to the task ... I'll look into it

 

[paq7512]

PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104037
RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145505
GPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102061

Unless it uses DDR2 you are luckier, reasons it is less expensive

 

[rubix_1011]

PSU is suspect, especially since it's a Dell hunk-o-poop.

I would agree with your decision of selling and using proceeds toward a new machine. You might suggest that your friend decide which direction to go in and help evaluate his decision based on 'how much' he wants to play new games. Sure, that Dell might play newer games with those upgrades, but quite possibly not very well. The P4 in that box will limit the performance of that 8800GT, so while the graphics will be an improvement, the slideshow they appear in will most likely leave much to be desired. If he is a very casual gamer and uses the box more for web surfing and such, maybe the extra RAM and a mild GPU upgrade would best suit him. I wouldn't drop that GT into anything less than a dual core with 2GB RAM...

 

[milwsysbuilder]

Is a 1950 pro really enough though? only 33fps @ 1600x1200 w/ 0xAA!

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/call_of_duty_4_demo_performance/page3.asp

Also, I was able to find a cheapish source for matching ddr2-533 (2x1gb $60)

 

[Maziar]

that P4 3.2 will bottleneck either x1950 or 8800gt or better cards

 

[tlmck]

I would sell the Dell as the only usable transferable component would be the hard drive, and you would still need a new copy of Windows for that.

I have no experience with Foxconn MB's(I prefer ASUS or Gigabyte) but other than that, your new build looks fine except for the PSU. Xion=poor quality PSU, although they make some decent cases. A Corsair 550vx PSU would be much better.

Here is a decent article on OCing the e21xx series. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/pentium-e2160.html

 

[milwsysbuilder]

Yes, after further research, XION = junk. I will buy the FSP. I've been using HIPER 480W in my budget builds.

I've used foxconn in budget builds before, no issues thusfar.

I will not touch Gigabyte with a ten foot pole because, in my experience, their support is crap and they don't stand behind their products. Asus is awesome though.

Thanks for the linky.

 

[tlmck]

Yes, after further research, XION = junk. I will buy the FSP. I've been using HIPER 480W in my budget builds.

I've used foxconn in budget builds before, no issues thusfar.

I will not touch Gigabyte with a ten foot pole because, in my experience, their support is crap and they don't stand behind their products. Asus is awesome though.

Thanks for the linky.

Sorry to hear about your Gigabyte experience. I have used them for years, but I have never needed their support, so I cannot comment. Never had any trouble with ASUS either. Heck, for stock systems, I have even used ECS without problems, and they are supposed to be horrible. I would never try to OC an ECS though, at least not without a fire extinguisher handy.