# Upgrading/rebuilding dimension 3100



## landy-ross (Jun 8, 2008)

just as a brief intro, I've had my current PC (dell dimension 3100) for about 2(?) years now. near the beginning of 

the year i upgraded it to 2GB RAM, and a 256mb graphics card. now it runs far better than it did, but alas it is 

not enough now. rather than building from complete new, I will be upgrading/rebuilding.

with the current motherboard i only have PCI, and PCI-E x1 slots, this stops me from expanding any further. so a 

new motherboard is the key to this.

I'm thinking this one: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126437/show_product_specifications?spectype=extended

is this going to work with this lot?:

2GB RAM - PC2-4200 (right speed?)
Intel® Pentium® 4 with HT technology
the case (Mid tower) (keep this if i can)




1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?

£300 absolute max.


2. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?

XFX Nvidia 8800GTX graphics (just the one for now, SLi in the future; and to ensure absolute 

compatibility with the motherboard.)


3. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?

does doing general docs/msn/internet whilst watching & recording TV count?


4. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?

lots of gaming, old and very new 


5. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?

no


6. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?

not for the moment but the having the possibility would be good


7. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?

storage is ok, i have a 500GB hard drive from the current PC i will use


8. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?

no

9. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?

XP media centre for now.


10. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?

Only if my current case is not sufficient. If not, then preferably a full tower case.


11. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?

No i have all the periferals.


12. Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?

Hard drive, CPU, RAM, optical drives, card reader.


13. Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?

will be using current one.


14. Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?

not really, but postage free is always good (UK)


15. Location: What country do you live in?

UK


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## manic (Aug 2, 2005)

I didnt read your whole post. But my problem, and possibly yours
is if the case is proprietary, probably spelled that wrong. Means that
your case will only use there type of power supply, and possibly 
board configuration. You will need a bigger better power supply to
run the components you are looking at. Dells are mostly underpowered
from the start. You should start looking at a new case and power 
supply, imho. Invest in a quality power supply, no cheap junk, you 
will regret it if you do. Cases are cheap, or can be.
I use this site alot, multiple vendors,,
www.pricewatch.com Ive never been burned using those vendors,
you will have to check on where and if they will ship, if they do most
of the time in the U.S. anyway shipping is free if you shop around...


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

one other thing to consider with a new motherboard. you will no longer be license to use the operating system that came with the computer, you will have to purchase another copy.


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## landy-ross (Jun 8, 2008)

is my RAM going to work with the mother board, the RAM is PC2-4200.


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## manic (Aug 2, 2005)

It should work, as long as there is not a voltage/compatibility issue
with the board. It will only work a 533mhz fsb. Find your mobo specs
and check on the compatibilty of that ram with the board. Should work
though, but limited to 533mhz fsb, you can alway upgrade that later.


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## landy-ross (Jun 8, 2008)

My next question is regarding PSU, is 600w going to be enough? for the set-up. would it be enough if i decided to add a second graphics card in SLi?


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## manic (Aug 2, 2005)

If it was me I would be looking at a 800watt psu. 600 will probably be
ok as long as its a quality psu., but still lacking the overhead I would
like. Its up to you, which ever you choose dont scrimp on it.


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## landy-ross (Jun 8, 2008)

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=PSE-800TOR&af=50

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-008-NX

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126437/show_product_reviews

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XFX-NVidia-Ge...toQQcmdZViewItem?refid=store#ebayphotohosting


I think thats the final list, the rest of the components will be re-used! what do you guys think?


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## manic (Aug 2, 2005)

Everythings seems ok, I would want more specs on the psu. Such as
how many volts on the 12volt rails. Effeciency of said psu.


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## landy-ross (Jun 8, 2008)

http://www.cjcomputers.co.uk/prodpages/psu_ezcool_tornado_800w.html

more info there


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