Should I build on a dell demension 4500?
I have a dell dimension 4500, only 128mb ram, 1.8ghz processor, 18gb hdd running XP Home. Is it a good idea to buy and add better parts to this computer? I'm thinking about maxing out the RAM, and buying a 80gb hard drive. I work with non-commercial 3D graphics design (its a hobby), and I need more power. Should i work off this computer or buy a new one?
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Jun 11, 2010. 8:55 PMzack247
says:
i have 512mb ram, a 64mb (stock?) agp card and a 40gb hard drive in my 4500. i got it used and upgraded it, bujt it didn't have the cd drive surround panel thingy. any ideas?
Mar 17, 2009. 6:23 AMcountable
says:
I would definitely recommend upgrading the RAM, because 128mb is hardly enough to run XP. Also, you would probably want to upgrate the graphics card if you work 3D graphics. The only problem is because it sounds like an old PC, the motherboard may not have the proper slots for new hardware (example PCI-E for graphics card, DDR2 slots for ram etc) so i would recommend building a whole computer from scratch. Never, ever buy a ready made computer. Its way cheaper to make it yourself plus you say what goes in it and what doesnt :)
Mar 18, 2009. 5:29 AMGunslinger95 (author)
says:
I know I shouldnt buy a ready made, but my budget is very tight. and i have opened up the computer and found 4 PCI slots, one holding the default graphics card, another holding the modem, it does have the DDR2 slots, the max amount for this CPU is 1GB RAM, which should be more than enough to run XP, and should decrease my render times for my 3D modeling. The 160GB HDD and the 1GB RAM for about $70 should be a good idea, i would think.
Mar 15, 2009. 1:41 PMgmxx
says:
i agree that a hard drive and ram is an important upgrade. since you are into the 3D graphics, an external video card might be a good upgrade for you also.
Mar 16, 2009. 5:21 AMGunslinger95 (author)
says:
thats true....i have a problem with shaders on the program i use. I might ask about video cards now.
A P4 1.8 ghz is still capable of doing well with XP, There are also a few easy tweaks to settings you can do to get it to optimum speed, just search the net. If you are not a power user (serious gamer, data cruncher, media nut) there may only be a slight perceptible speed increase in a new machine costing $$$. Upgrading the RAM and hard drive is a very cost effective way of making your PC run better. You can just add the new drive as a secondary drive for the data without changing your setup. Clean up and defrag your primary drive to help it along. You can also get "ghosting" software to transfer everything to the new drive if you want to get rid of the smaller single drive. I always recommend that you also take a look at spending part of the budget on a bigger LCD display. 20-24inch screens have come down in price considerably and that is a noticeable change for the better. Good luck.
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