Dell Dimension 3000 graphics upgrade

T

tommyb10

Posts: 9   +0
i am thinking of upgrading my dell dimension 3000 to a HIS ATI RADEON HD4350 512MB PCI 4350 graphics card

would this card be compatible with my computer? i know the dell is old and shitty but i just want to get some good, faster graphics on it for a little bit of gaming. on the dell website it says that the D3000 has a maximum 32-bit graphics option but this new card is 64-bit. would it work?

cheers, if you need specs i can put them up later
 
yes but the one on ebay that im looking at says it is PCI yet that one is PCI express. my D3000 only supports PCI
 
You'll also need to consider power requirements as it appears that your Dimension 3000 has a 250 watt power supply. Looks like the power requirement for this card is 300 watts, at least the Powercooler edition.

Radeon HD 4350 Specs

Realistically, you would need to upgrade your power supply to handle this card.

PowerColor Radeon HD 4350 on newegg

Been there myself, went through a series of upgrades on a Dimension 4400. But if you're going to invest more money in this unit it would probably be best to start with a decent 400~450 watt power supply.
 
on another website it says that it is 'reccomended' to have a 300-350w power supply... are you sure a 250w wouldnt do?
 
tommyb10 said:
on another website it says that it is 'reccomended' to have a 300-350w power supply... are you sure a 250w wouldnt do?
Click to expand...

It might, but that's pushing the limit ... especially if you're going to be gaming. The only reason I recommend something in the 400~450 range is that you could reuse it in another system down the road. Otherwise you could pick up an inexpensive 350 watt power supply like this Rosewill RV350 350W.
 
yes but the one on ebay that im looking at says it is PCI yet that one is PCI express. my D3000 only supports PCI
Click to expand...

Sorry, my mistake, suprising there are two different versions with the same number.
 
According to this review on AnandTech it looks like a GeForce 6200 (or a 6600 if you can find one) would fit within your power envelope. The GeForce 6200 is in stock at newegg but I'm guessing you're from Austrailia based on your eBay link. If you can find a source for either of these cards you'd probably be good to go.
 
First off let it be known, that like you tommyb10 I am an owner of an old Dell Dimension 3000! I got the unit several years back at a local garage sale. After about a year of use, I wanted to upgrade the graphics, for the on-board video adapter off the motherboard just wasn't cutting it.

The Dell 3000 is a tricky beast, when it come to upgrading a graphics card, for mine is (old school) and only accepts PCI slot card, not PCI-(Express), nope strictly PCI only. So that makes is hard when it comes to verity when shopping for a card.

After a couple days for hunting around, I came upon a "used computer components" store here in my town. Went in and shopped around, and came upon a decent looking little card, it was a Nvidia 5500 256MB PCI card!

The following link will give you some information about the card....
http://www.amazon.com/Nvidia-Geforce-FX5500-128-bit-TV-Out/dp/B0042A3LQY

While at that "used components" store the guy behind the counter told me that it might be a good idea to upgrade my power supply to at least 300 watts, for he told me the card has a considerable power draw vs. on-board video and with my Dell 3000 coming stock with a small 250 watt power supply, he told why push it and take a chance. So I purchased a used 450 watt power supply that would fit the old Dell 3000 case. I would recommend you upgrading your power supply to at least 300 watt or more.

I got myself a used Raidmax RX-450K 450W ATX12V Power Supply, for around $12.00......
http://www.google.com/products/cata...X&ei=ojKrTe71NurdiALW28jvDA&ved=0CKEBEPMCMAQ#

I know there are better PCI slot only video card out there on the market, but the one I got just works so darn good. I really do like my card, no matter how (old school) it is.

Looking forward to hearing what you decided to go with!
 
tommyb10 said:
would this be suited for my D3000? or has it got too much power?
Click to expand...

Whooa whooa whooa, hold on here! Have we just jumped from looking for a new PCI slot video card and possible power supply to looking at cases? Are you thinking about transferring the gut's of your old Dell Dimension 3000 to this new thing?

It might work, but there again I've never been a huge fan of transferring gut's from one case to another!

"It might work"! :suspiciou :confused:
 
haha yea well i was thinking and i needed anotherower supply and i came across this case and thought why not! it seems like a good idea and im up for anything! cheers for your suggestions and help!
 
would this be suited for my D3000? or has it got too much power?
Click to expand...

You can't have too much power, the PC will only take what it needs and you will have plenty in reserve for any further modifications.

The things that can catch you out is the plugs that are attached to the new power supply, make sure they are the same as you already have. And also, the connectors that will be on the new case for the front panel switch, LED's, USB connections, headphones and speakers (if any) they may not be the same as your present connections. I have had some problems with a couple of similar projects and had to adapt or alter some of the pin outs in the plugs.

I would also be aware that the power supply in this case may be a cheapy. To avoid all the possible connector problems and doubts on the quality of the power supply I would just get a good quality power supply and fit it in your existing case. Obviously it's your choice at the end of the day.
 
cheers dude. i emailed the bloke asking for specs and stuff to make sure its all good :p you guys have been a great help CHEERS!! :D
 
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