Upgrading from Stock Parts

I purchased an Inspiron 531 recently, and I have run in to some problems while trying to play any games released after 2002. My goal is to upgrade my PC for about $400 with enough power to remain usable for at least a couple years. I have been looking into video cards and RAM, but I don't know what parts I really need and how much I should pay for each. Currently the Inspiron has a 2.31 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor, 1982 MB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics card nForce 430 motherboard combo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi spicy ninja, Your Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics - is not a PCI-E "card" but actually a graphics adapter processing chip built into the MotherBoard. (referred to as "onboard graphics) It "borrows" RAM from your system to run the graphics Notice your machine comes with 2gb RAM (2048mb) but 64mb of RAM is immediately removed from your system resources in order to drive your graphics adapter. Many reviews of the Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE describe that specific game settings can be tweaked downward to allow fairly low feature settings and still play many games………. But this is not a "gamer's" graphics solution. Some of Dell's Inspiron 531s came with the nVidia GeForce 256mb 8600GT which is much more capable and provides its own RAM (256mb on the Card) so by adding this graphics card your machine will regain its full present 2048mb system RAM Assuming your Dell came pre-installed with Vista Home Premium, you'll need every bit of that 2048mb RAM to handle system functioning without annoying lag. Your Dell "probably" comes with two unused matched-pair RAM slots for additional Dual Channel RAM You machine uses 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM While you "could" simply double your RAM to 4096mb, the operating system will only "recognize" and use up to 3gb. You would only need to buy a matched pair of (2 x 512mb) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. However, the prices on (2 x 1024mb) are so reasonable that it makes sense to buy (2 x 1024mb) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM I see matched pairs of that RAM from Kingston available at $46 (PC5300) Note: a full gig of your RAM would be sitting there unused, but no harm and good benefit for the price Will you see any gaming benefits? Most likely you will by moving to the 256mb nVidia GeForce 8600 (gt or gts) at between $84 and $99 online. With the suggested upgrade of RAM, you will have maxed out your system potential, but won't always be seeing any benefit when doing general browsing and office type work. Your gaming experience and video/media rendering would be improved. With the above upgrades you are well under the budget you stated. I don't see any additional upgrades that I would make. Your machine already has a 7.1 version Integrated Audio You "could" spend an additional $25 or so to get an Audigy card, but that is definitely optional. Keep in mind that you didn't buy a "gaming machine". You bought a low-cost, mid-range general purpose machine, that just happens to out-perform many machines that cost $500 more than you spent. With the nVidia Card you won't be "screaming" with the bleeding-edge over-clockers in the most demanding games, but you will definitely be "styling" with a very comfortable gaming experience. The above recommendations are possible/optional. The final choice is up to you. You should check your machine internally for open expansion slots (PCI-E and RAM) Your mileage may vary. Enjoy.

Hi Spicy and welcome.

Doug stole my thunder and already said most of what I was going to say!!

But here's my 2 cents anyway.

I don't think you need to worry about RAM for right now. Not with 2Gb already on board. Bumping it up to 3 or 4 Gb will yield some gain in performance, but it is not likely to be significant, with you already up to a respectable 2Gb.

Your problem, as Doug correctly points out, is your graphics. The bottom line is that on-board graphics technology and processing power just does not compete with add-in graphics cards, especially when it comes to gaming - and they don't really pretended to. Those motherboards were really made for business/office work - they are great for creating documents and presentations, Internet, email, taxes, and an occasional DVD, or game of solitaire.

What's sweet about upgrading from on-board graphics to an add-in graphics card is not only do you get a much more powerful graphics processor (GPU), but again, as Doug mentioned, you get the 64Mb system RAM increase. Note too the new card will come "populated" with its own RAM and supporting circuitry that has been "tweaked" for graphics processing, where snatched system RAM is not.

Even a budget 64Mb graphics card gets you a better GPU, dedicated graphics RAM, and a 64Mb RAM bump, and most important, much better over all performance.

By the way, are you sure it is not 1984Mb? When talking RAM, 2Gb is 1024 X 2 = 2048Mb. And 2048 - 64 = 1984. With 1982, that would take 66Mb from the system RAM, a curious amount.

So IMO, you should put your money on a graphics card and even is you have a tight budget, you can find a board that offers a very significant boost. Then, later down the road, when budget permits, you can think about upgrading RAM.

I recommend you check out Tom's Hardware, Best Gaming Graphics Cards for the Money - Feb 2008. According to your manual, your motherboard will support a PCI Express card - that's good as you have many choices to choose from. Make sure you read the Dell and new card manual for card installation and driver installation instructions and precautions.

There is another concern here that you must addressed before buying any new hardware. Sadly, I am having a very hard time finding the size power supply that come in that system, so you will need to do some home work. You MUST ensure your PSU has enough power (especially current on the +12V rail), and the necessary connections, to support a new graphics card, which can easily eat more power than your CPU! In fact, if me, and I was concerned about feeding my precious digital devices with good clean, solid and stable power, I would just replace the PSU. Many less experienced (and many PC makers) cut costs by going cheap on the PSU. BAD IDEA!

Would you put cheap gas in your new sports car? Maybe, but an engine can miss a beat and keep running. Not so with digital electronics. A good supply from a reputable maker is the only way to go. (Got UPS? - ;))

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom. I recommend you set Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home), I recommend setting TDP to 100%. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements listed on your video card maker's website for your card. Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%.

Back to the graphics card, I don't know your budget, but I would not get anything with less 256Mb of DDR2 or DDR3 memory, if plan on gaming. The good thing about graphics cards is generally, you get what you pay for - so the more money you can put into a card, the better the performance. But, that also means greater power demands, greater heat production/cooling concerns, and possibly more fan noise too.

And a general warning - make sure you unplug the computer from the wall before doing any maintenance. Just turned off is not good enough because standby voltages remain across the motherboard, and may damage the card or motherboard. Also, make sure you understand and adhere to ESD precautions to ensure no static destroys any sensitive devices.

Thanks for the great advice. This is just the kind of information I was looking for. I have been looking into a few parts and I am definitely getting a good PSU. The graphics card I have been considering is the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX with 768MB GDDR3. I also want to upgrade my processor to a 3.2 GHz AMD Athlon and I was going to get two more sticks of RAM. The processor and RAM aren't very expensive, but I was wondering if installing all these upgrades is worth it or if I should just build a new computer from the ground up. I still think the upgrades would be cheaper. I also don't know what the procedures or practicality of replacing a processor are. Would it be worth it to build a computer with higher limits on RAM and other components.

Hi spicy ninja, Whoa up there SN. There's upgrading, and then there's "overboard". You may be going a bit overboard. Take a look at the prices on that EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX… They range around $550 and drag a whole lot more power from the power supply than the 8600GT that I suggested. and that 8800 is a "heat factory"! that probably pumps out as much heat as the rest of your present machine components combined. <– probably an exaggeration, but certainly a concern for ventilating a stock mid-range tower. Earlier Digerati correctly brought up the topic of PSU, due to the additional load from a graphics card. The 8600GT and GTS has been included in some Dell 531s series machines with your same present PSU. Bigger CPU…. yes, bigger can be better, and more RAM, yes bigger can be better, Bigger GPU, yes bigger can be better. But every machine has what we call "bottle-necks" where no matter how big you make some of your components, everything still gets slowed-down/dumbed-down by a constriction at a bus connection or other MotherBoard component. By way of comparison… If a person had a nice new VW, and decided to put a Dodge hemi-V8 engine into it…. it might accelerate faster and would have near the same top end speed, but would have terrible wear and tear on the transmission, running gear, wheels, suspension and steering, while imbalancing the poor car so much that it would be a risk to put on the road (oh, not to mention need for a whole new cooling system and ridiculous gas mileage) You have a lower-cost, mid-range machine that out-performs most of its comparable machines. If you are thinking about "high-end" components, you should consider a complete build with a MotherBoard designed to distribute and utilize the strength of those components…. not restrict them. Upgrading the Video processor with an under-$100 card, and upgrading RAM for under-$50 is a reasonable consideration…….. And you would be styling with that machine. Trying to do more/bigger would better be done with a complete scratch new build. Best Regards

Once again, thanks. That's exactly what I needed to know. I figured that my PC wasn't worth the parts I was willing to buy, so I'll go something like the GT instead of the GTX and some more RAM. Is my processor adequate or will it inhibit me and if I do upgrade my graphics card at all will I need a better cooling system? If I had answers to these questions I think I would be set.

I'd stick with the 8600GT or GTS series graphics card on this machine, for three reasons: cost, heat, power consumption. Adding RAM should be no problem. There will be a "slight" increase of heat and power consumption. Upgrading the CPU would be the "least likely" to improve your machines gaming performance. You should get a very good boost from the 8600 series graphics card and RAM upgrade is simple, good, and cost effective. The 8600GT or GTS has its own heat sink and fan built onto the card. That should be adequate. If you have an available location on the back of the case for an additional case fan, they are cheap and easy to install. Dell machines are not very flexible for much creative upgrading. The owner/user is pretty much stuck with the upgrade options Dell describes. Graphics Card and RAM upgrade are straight forward type of upgrades. You should get good improvement with the upgrades you have considered. Please do follow Digerati's recommendation to investigate the PSU. Most "store-bought" machines include a PSU that is designed to handle just about exactly what it is originally shipped with. In your case, since your model does sometimes ship with an 8600 series graphics card, you should be ok. But please do look at the sticker on the PSU for brand/model/total Watts Then use the utilitie Digerati recommended to calculate the machines power needs with your upgrades. Post back with that information if you need assistance with deciding about PSU.

I'll go something like the GT instead of the GTX and some more RAM

Don't forget the PSU - you MUST ensure you have the power before adding any more hardware - you would hate to have an overstressed PSU catestrophically fail, and take out your motherboard, and anything connected to it. Better cooling will depend on what you start with, and what video card. Some cards are double-wide and exhaust hot air directly to the outside. This is fine, if you still have enough cool air being drawn in for the rest of the computer. You need good front to back air flow. The better cases support at least two 120mm or bigger fans, preferably one in front drawing cool air in, and one in back, in addition to anything in your new PSU, exhausting hot air out.

I normally don't try to dissuade anyone from purchasing more RAM because most of the time, that is where you get the most bang for the money - especially for those running with only 512Mb or less. But once again, you already have 2Gb! That is a lot of RAM. And 2Gb is the "sweet spot" for today's dual-core CPUs, and PCs running Vista - where "sweet spot" is where you get the most product (performance boost) for the money spent, and spending any more will get you much less, if any significantly noticeable gains.

Take note that it appears you are almost willing to do a full upgrade, certainly, up to, but just shy of replacing the motherboard. That's great! But note the "foundation" of any good computer must last through many upgrades, including motherboard upgrades. I personally think any money you would spend on more RAM would be better put towards a new case. The purpose of the case is to protect and cool. A good case and PSU will carry you through years of major upgrades.

The big PC makers build and design their cases with cost savings in mind - they do not want you to upgrade, they want you to buy a new computer. Your Dell case will surely have limited upgrade or added cooling options. It is not as bad as it used to be, but many PC makers used cost cutting and assembly techniques that made upgrading components impossible - such as using rivets, or bent metal instead of screws.

Just do this for me before buying more RAM. For one week, keep an eye on your memory use in Task Manager > Performance tab, and note your system demands as shown in the Commit Charge (K) section:

Total = The amount of memory (in Kb) the OS and running programs have been allocated now (This is what is seen in the Page File Usage History graph)
Limit = Installed RAM + Virtual Memory (Page File)
Peak = The peak amount of memory (RAM and PF) you have used since you last booted

Pay particular attention to the Peak value. If that value never exceeds your installed RAM, the value shown in the Physical Memory (K) section for Total, then you don't need more RAM!

If your peak comes real close, then you should consider some for near future. But at that point, you may just want to add 2 X 512Mb to maintain your dual-channel setup as Doug talked about. Remember, 32-bit Windows only recognize a little more than 3Gb, if lucky.

I'm betting 2Gb is plenty for now, so IMO, the best upgrade path for you, one that best ensures the best use of hard earned money for the long run - assuming you will have a computer, in one form or another, the rest of your life, is:

1. New PSU - based on anticipated needs over the next couple years
2. New Graphics Card - this alone is going to give you a HUGE performance boost, way above and beyond any that you would see by adding more RAM.

Then, if there's money left in the budget,

3. New case

And finally, if money left over

4. Additional 1 Gb of RAM (2 X 512Mb).

Remember too, that one of the downsides of spending money to stretch the useful life of already aging technology is at some point, the gains are not worth it because you cannot carry that hardware over during upgrade.

For example, your motherboard supports DDR2 RAM. There are crossover motherboards (support both DDR2 and DDR3) now, but like the phase from AGP to PCIe, that just signals that DDR2 is phasing out. I suspect in 2 years, DDR2 motherboards will only be found on ebay. So, spending huge sums of money on an AGP graphics card now is not wise. Spending money on more RAM may not be wise either - as neither hardware will be supported on your next motherboard - assuming you are like me - all my future "planned" purchases are expected to keep me in sight of the cutting edge.

Oh, I recommend you swap PSUs then run with that to make sure it works fine. Then your new video card. If you tear your PC down and install several new parts at once, and it does not power up, you will not know what caused the fault. One upgrade at a time.

I would think your current CPU would do fine for now. Again, just upgrading your graphics card should put a big smile on your face. To be safe, you need to research your motherboard to determine the biggest (most power hungry) CPU it will support that you might consider. Then use that to plug in the PSU calculator.

That Doug. He must wait with his response ready, and 2 seconds before I hit submit, he hits his.