#259554 - 01/07/2005 21:33
Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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My wife's company is populated with these Dimension 2400s. I'd like to take one, add a gig of RAM and a midprice video card, so that it can play a bit of Half Life 2 or Counter-Strike-Source at decent resolutions in the evenings after 5:00. Does anyone have any experience adding RAM and video cards to these units? Do they handle it well, any known issues?
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#259555 - 01/07/2005 21:36
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Okay, that's looking pretty sad... Looks like it doesn't have an AGP slot, and can only go to 512k main memory.
Ouch.
Can't do much with PCI for graphics cards, huh?
SIGH.
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#259556 - 01/07/2005 21:38
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3995
Loc: Manchester UK
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Quote:
512k main memory.
Takes me back to the Acorn days....
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#259558 - 01/07/2005 22:11
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I wonder who makes the MB I can't believe it only goes up to 512MB.
_________________________
Matt
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#259559 - 01/07/2005 22:23
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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You know, I could handle 512mb.
But without an AGP slot... I might be up a creek...
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#259560 - 01/07/2005 22:36
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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I've got one as a server and it's got two DIMM slots. I put two 256MB DIMMs into it and it works fine. It's a 845 chipset with integrated graphics and no AGP slot as you've found out. If your games are particularly old or basic then it should be fine but otherwise you've got no chance. It does have some PCI slots so I guess if you really want then you can try to find a decent PCI video card.
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#259561 - 01/07/2005 22:44
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
It does have some PCI slots so I guess if you really want then you can try to find a decent PCI video card.
Is there a such thing? That'll run Source engine?
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#259563 - 01/07/2005 23:43
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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#259564 - 02/07/2005 02:28
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 31/08/1999
Posts: 1649
Loc: San Carlos, CA
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Quote:
Hm, or maybe this one, 256 megs ram:
I'm not a gamer, but don't forget that PCI is significantly slower than AGP. It doesn't matter how much RAM they throw on the card if the bus isn't fast enough for it to push stuff back and forth to the rest of the system.
Personally I wouldn't spend $200+ adding parts to a computer that isn't worth $200 in the first place.
Edit: Particularly not something like a PCI video card that you likely wouldn't pull out and use in another system down the road.
-Mike
Edited by mcomb (02/07/2005 02:31)
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#259565 - 02/07/2005 13:35
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: mcomb]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Yes, I'm aware of the reason AGP exists. I see what you mean, though, about adding $200 in parts to a $500 computer.
The computer would also be used for image editing and desktop publishing, so a snappier video card and more RAM is needed for the box anyway, so it's not like it's a complete waste.
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#259566 - 03/07/2005 20:30
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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addict
Registered: 30/05/2002
Posts: 695
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Quote:
You know, I could handle 512mb.
But you don't have to.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim2400/en/sm_en/specs.htm
Although they don't offer the configuration (you can't even customize this one on the website), the motherboard is capable of handling a pair of 512MB DDR stick, for a total of 1GB.
But as was discussed... without an AGP slot, do you really want to bother?
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#259567 - 04/07/2005 15:13
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: DeadFire]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Yup, discovered that the thing could actually take a gig in two 512-meg sticks. Works, too.
I got the gig of RAM and the PCI video card and it *does* work. As expected, the games play, albeit at a reduced frame rate, enough to keep me happy. The gig of RAM makes the overall system performance for desktop applications quite snappy, so I'm very happy with it.
Outstanding issue: Supposedly the thing is supposed to work the RAM at 400mhz, but it's not happening, the RAM is running at 266mhz. I wonder why.
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#259568 - 04/07/2005 15:32
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote:
Outstanding issue: Supposedly the thing is supposed to work the RAM at 400mhz, but it's not happening, the RAM is running at 266mhz. I wonder why.
Depends on what processor is in it.
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#259569 - 04/07/2005 15:52
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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It's the 2.4ghz celeron I think.
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#259570 - 04/07/2005 16:28
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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You need a P4 if you want the faster speed. A Celeron runs at a lower FSB.
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#259571 - 04/07/2005 17:38
Re: Upgrading a Dell Dimension 2400 for gaming?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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