transferring parts?

B

brvmak

Geek Trainee
I currently have a Dell Dimension1100 and I'm trying to install a new motherboard so that it will run my old Ati X1600pro Agp8x, and i'm hoping to transfer my current hard drives because they came with windows XP pre-installed and the pc didn't bring the cd. This dell is beginning to run really slow without any games on it and i'm trying make it good enough to play my old games like sims2, doom3, half life2, etc. I only have around $120 at the moment, but would be willing to spend around the $200-$250(max) range. Are there any motherboards i could buy that would function with these parts? Do i need anything else, like a new case?

Parts: **= willing to leave out or change
ATI X1600pro Agp8x
80gb ATA 100 hard drive
Intel P4 2.80ghz socket 478 prescott
500watt PS
**1.5 gb pc3200 memory
** Dell's mini-tower case

current system specs:
mini-tower Dell Dimension 1100 (product name: Dell DE051) Win XP
Dell 0WFF887 motherboard???
512mb PC3200
Intel P4 2.80ghz socket 478 prescott
intel integrated graphics
80gb IDE ATA-100
200watt PS
 
The problem with replacing the motherboard on many of these dell computers is they build the system with proprietary in mind... meaning it is difficult to find matching parts without going through dell themselves. For example: I had a dell system I wanted to replace the motherboard on and the front panel jumpers came in a solid brick instead of individual jumpers for arrangement. I never ended up replacing that motherboard.
 
In your case almost any Socket 478 motherboard would do the trick. If you want to keep your memory I suggest having your new motherboard compatible with DDR 184-pin memory with 4 slots available. To run your 1600 series GPU you will need an AGP expansion slot. In addition to this I would check every device you have installed into your computer to make sure your new motherboard will support connections to those devices.

If you chose to buy a new motherboard you will have to get a new case since dell cases are too unique to fit any standard ATX motherboard. I suggest looking on newegg.com for a new motherboard. It should not cost you more than $50 to $70, $100 if you are looking for something very fancy. Socket 478 motherboard generally do not run very high on price. After you get your motherboard you should install a new chipset driver that would come with your motherboard. Be sure to remove your old chipset driver before installing a new motherboard.

In terms of speed, I do not believe that it's likely to be a hardware issue. Perhaps you would be better off not replacing the motherboard but reinstall windows. For that I would recommend backing up all the important files on your Operating System (Windows) hard-drive, and run the dell system recovery console. (Usually F8 key repeatedly upon power-up) Assuming your recovery partition remained untouched, your computer should be as fast as it was when you first bought it. If you do not have a recovery partition you may order recovery discs from dell, it is likely that they will have them for your particular model.

Your second option, assuming you don't have a recovery partition, is to obtain a copy of your operating system without a new license (ask Microsoft nicely) and reinstalling windows fresh, using your original windows license that came with your dell. Or you can always buy a new operating system and license. (newegg.com)

In a rare case your computer may be running slow due to your OS hard-drive slowly failing. This is unlikely; however, the probability of this does increase steadily with the age of your computer and is also dependent on the duty cycle of your hard-drives (how long you keep your computer on) If you think this may be the case invest some time into hard-drive performance tests.

I wish you the best of luck.
 
Now i found a Motherboard that is compatible with my video card and i can use the cpu. I think ima basically end up replacing most of the parts and just go for a new build. Thanks for the reply
 
In response to your last comment (unedited) I can say that all you have to do to replace the motherboard without backing-up, wiping your hard-drive clean or reinstalling windows, is to uninstall your current motherboard chipset driver and installing a new one when you've mounted everything on your new motherboard. The new driver will come on a CD with your new motherboard. Your original windows installation should not have problems operating in a new hardware environment.
In response to your other question, in case you wanted to get a new hard-drive and keep your current files and your original installation of windows, you can simply connect the new drive and copy/paste the entirety of your old drive's contents to the new one. As long as you have your chipset driver clear you can use the new motherboard and have your windows account be exactly the same. Just make sure to install the correct chipset and other NEW device drivers after you reconfigure your hardware.

Best of Luck!
 
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