Desktop upgrade

[Puckey]

Hellu, everyone.
So, as of about a year and a half ago I've been running off of the laptop I got for Christmas, and I've been mostly gaming on the xbox (for some reason :p). Now I'm beginning to switch to PC, I'm playing TF2 a lot more, I got games like Minecraft, you know, stuff like that. I'm starting to do more 3d stuff and game design. The kind gentlemen on IRC and I agreed that I should get a desktop. I figured that I need more power, which I guess means more ramz, a better graphics card and cpu, but I don't really know where to start.

But, the main question is: Would I be better off upgrading this deskop or just getting a new one? Keep in mind that I already have a functioning keyboard, speakers, mouse, and monitor.

I have commandeered a semi-old desktop that nobody else in my family uses, about 4 or 5 years old I think (not totally sure). It's a Dell Dimension E510.
Specs:

Spoiler: Show

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.00 GHZ
0.99GB RAM
[The above were taken off computer itself]
Max 4GB
Video: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (GMA950)
Two internal 1-inch high serial ATA hard drives
[The above were taken off of this page:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim5150/en/sm/specs1.htm
More specs can be found there.]

[nOOb!]

Let me redirect u to this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1882

Some usefull replys there, and some HP jokes

[Cypherous]

Chances are if its built in true dell fashion it has minimal upgrade options at all so best bet is start again, does that computer even have PCI-express?

Even if it can be partially upgraded you'll have little to no future upgrade options, you can do a DIY jobby that will last you a while for pretty cheap

And i'm sure there are enough people willing to offer advice

[nOOb!]

No way u can upgrade that PC with new hardware.. But u can install on that motherboard a core 2 duo, and it got a x16 PCI Express. U can survive with that chip and maybe pretty old grapich card, such a GForce 8xxx or 9xxx series, or ATI 4xxx or 5xxx. But u wont find that on many stores. Also u can install up to 4GB of RAM, but not in double channel.. (remember u need a x64 operating system for that). Also u cant use RAID 0 :s

Imo, better go for another one entirely new, with some of the configs mentioned on the other topictopic i mentioned. Buy it @ internet and u can save lot of money

[Elliott-opaulhus]

'nuff said?

[Jamza]

'nuff said?

Don't bother, this crowd are too mainstream.

[Elliott-opaulhus]

'nuff said?

Don't bother, this crowd are too mainstream.

Install Windows on the iMac? It's like 3x faster and it's prooved. =)

[Puckey]

this crowd are too mainstream.

Collective noun fail

Opaulhus sappin mah profile pic!

[Conor]

Having used Macs at school, I can say that they're.. crap, however they are on a network or something, I don't know and I don't care to know.

But I am guessing some of the OS itself has limitations, because the computers are being used in an educational environment, and it needs to conform to certain standards that keep students safe online.

I would love to personally try a Mac, but as of the time of writing, I can't afford it. Almost 7 months ago, I bought a PC. This was because I wanted a better gaming experience at the time, and because I didn't want to save up more money for a machine that had lower specs than the machine I ended up buying.

I will try a Mac one day, but not any time soon.

[Elliott-opaulhus]

Conor, I'm sure at 90% that the Mac in your school weren't the model "iMac" because the iMac NEVER crash and when I say NEVER, it's NEVER. When I went buy a new computer, they said the rate of return of the iMac was like 0.5 % and they were NEVER getting problem so....


Your school had probably this model :


Nahhh, jkinnn, probably this one :

[Jamza]

His school actually use unibody iMac's running Windows XP, being serious.

I think people here know how I feel towards apple products, so I shall just sit this one out

[Elliott-opaulhus]

Lmao, kk xD

[Patchouli]

because the iMac NEVER crash and when I say NEVER, it's NEVER.

sure, totally
everything can crash, even macs
its just like that, they might not crash so often but they do

[nOOb!]

Give me an Imac for 1 hour and i will make it rage quit :p

[Elliott-opaulhus]

Give me an Imac for 1 hour and i will make it rage quit :p

LOLLLL


@Patchouli : Everything crash but It crash less often...