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Dell xps 400 vs Inspiron 530 which to upgrade to handle diablo 3?
Hello guys thanks for reading my post i've searched threads for both comps most of em are pretty dated and the suggestions for video card upgrades are not available to purchase new anymore. My main concern is which comp to upgrade so I can get some Diablo 3 action going?
I'd be playing at 1280x1024 although if there's a way I can get away with connecting the comp to my 26 inch 720p vizio tv that would be cool.
Honestly I would like to just build a new one and not have to worry about upgrading either but sadly my budget range limits that because my car needs to get fixed and that's going to run me about 1k
I posted this over at tomshardware and the format is pretty easy to read im trying to get a second opinion from you guys here on dell forums. The answer I got over there was to go with the Inspiron 530 and upgrade the psu and gpu to the hd 6770. But on this forum I read the xps 400 could handle the 6770 without psu upgrade needed at this thread http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19431332/20030050.aspx
I know both ultimately are going to be limited by the cpu =/
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Budget Range: 100-150 (including PSU if needed.) before rebates
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: As soon as possible before May 15 when D3 is released.
USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (Diablo 3, Starcraft 2) Internet browsing.
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg, amazon, any site you guys trust.
PARTS PREFERENCES: I don't have enough knowledge to have a preference.
OVERCLOCKING: no
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: no
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024, if possible whatever resolution I can get looking nice on my 27inch 720p tv
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Running Diablo 3 at higher settings would be great but I can settle for low to medium as long as i can play the game smoothly even if everything is low.
Here is the current hardware for both machines
Dell XPS 400
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp.050329-1536)
System Model: Dell DXP051
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 523MB used, 1935MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 Series
Power Supply: Stock dell 375w
Dell Inspiron 530
Operating System: Windows Vista Sp2 build 6002
System Model: Inspiron 530
BIOS: Dell Inc. 1.0.12 3/1/2008
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 @ 2.40 Ghz 2400MHZ, 2 Cores
Memory: 2gb Ram
Card name: Intel G33/G31 Express Chipset Family
Power Supply: Stock dell 300w
Any Information I left out let me know if you need more so I can search for it some more but I wasn't 100% sure on the specs that I left out so I left them out rather than put in unsure hardware. From the threads i've read the dell psu's are capable of handling more than what they are labled as but if I need to buy a new psu that's fine.
Kelbear1
1.5K Posts
1
March 30th, 2012 13:00
Unfortunately, DDR2 memory is expensive today compared to DDR3 which is a third of the cost. Go with the 530 since it meets the recommended CPU requirements and the XPS 400 only meets the minimum for the game. The HD 6770 or the Nvidia GTX 550 would also meet the recommended requirements for the game. However, at just 1280X1024, the HD 6670 would be fine and you would not have to change out your power supply. So if you are trying to save some bucks and not have to worry about the hassle of a power supply swap, just go with the HD 6670. It still exceeds the minimum requirements by far.
thisking28
9 Posts
0
March 29th, 2012 16:00
Thanks for the help osprey4!
osprey4
4 Operator
4 Operator
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34.2K Posts
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March 29th, 2012 16:00
Hi Thisking28,
The Inspiron 530 has a far better CPU, so I think the PSU and video card upgrade would get you a better machine.
Let me ask another forum member I trust on this topic to check in on your thread.
morblore
2.4K Posts
0
March 30th, 2012 04:00
The inspiron 530 for sure. The only thing I can see the 400 has going for it is the 375w PSU vs the 300w in the 530.
I'm thinking you could swap the PSUs around but I can't say for sure without seeing the system. Someone else here may know. You may be able to go with a 550ti GPU if you can swap the PSU from the 400 into the 530. If I had to upgrade I would go with the 530 and buy a Nvidia GTX 550 TI. You can get one here for $99.00 after rebate with free shipping. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121435
If you can't swap the PSU then you can just buy one. Anything around 400w is plenty but I couldn't begin to tell you what is compatable. You can get a new 400w PSU for $20 and up. Compusa sells one called...The Diablo..hehe. I bought one,$20 bucks and been using it for 2 years. Can't beat that. Again someone here I'm sure knows what will fit and can chime in.
The standard Inspiron 530 can go up to 4gb of DDR 2 memory. The 530a/530c can go to a max of 8gb DDR 2. Memory is cheap these days so you could upgrade that too.
Here is the spec sheet on the 530. Use it to help you decide on what you can do. Have fun :emotion-2:
<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
thisking28
9 Posts
0
March 30th, 2012 10:00
hey morblore thanks for the tips!! why do you suggest the 550 over the 6770?
thisking28
9 Posts
0
March 30th, 2012 17:00
Thanks kelbear1 that was the most specific answer i think i'll go with the 6770 since i'll be eventually building a new one later in the year Thanks again!
thisking28
9 Posts
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March 30th, 2012 18:00
6670*
thisking28
9 Posts
0
March 30th, 2012 18:00
Hey kelbear1 out of these 6670's which would you choose and why?
www.newegg.com/.../Productcompare.aspx
Kelbear1
1.5K Posts
0
March 30th, 2012 22:00
I would choose the Asus because it has the best cooler. Easy pick for me.
morblore
2.4K Posts
0
March 31st, 2012 04:00
Do you mean the 6670? I suggested the 550ti because it is a better card with more features. The 550 ti is a mid range card with 1.5 times the performance of the 6670. The price difference between the two cards used to be much greater but they have really started to go down. You will also get the PhysX, SLI support and 3D vision with the Nvidia which you can't get with the 6670. Now if you did mean the 6770 then thats the equal/better card unless you want PhysX and 3D.
The SLI is something to keep in mind even though your current system doesn't support it. If down the road you decide to get a bigger monitor, go 3D or just a better system that supports SLI then you can always buy a 2nd one. You do not have that option with the 6670 because it has no CrossfireX support. With the 550 ti you can have more power with more options if your needs ever change.
But the catch with the 550ti is that is uses 53w more then the 6670. You may not have that with the 300w PSU. The simple fix is like I said before. Swap the two PSUs around. Takes all but 30min to do..if that.
DDR 2 memory does cost more then DDR 3 but you are only talking about $10 a gig for the DDR 2. With you only running 2gb and Vista I would add 2 more gigs to the system and/or upgrade the OS.
In the end, for a few dollors more, you can get a better performance bang for your buck. $109.99 ( after rebate + free shipping ) for the Nvidia GPU and $20 for 2gigs of DDR 2. $72.99 ( after rebate ) for the AMD GPU, $20 for 2gis of DDR 2 and $6.98 shipping. $130.00 vs $99.97. You pay more but you get far better performance.
Asus GTX 550 Ti: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121435
Asus Radeon HD 6670: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121442
If you do go with the 6670, which is a fine card, still try to get the memory and dump Vista.
EDIT: If you decide to just buy a PSU here is a 480w PSU for $14.99 plus $5.99 shipping that will fit your system: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170016
Here is the 400w DiabloTek that I own. $19.99 plus free shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822018
Here is a good article on budget graphic cards. It has everything from power consumption to performance. It can show you your options a lot clearer. Heck you may decide you want a 6790 or a 460 ( newegg has it for $94.99 plus free shipping ) after reading it: http://www.techspot.com/review/392-budget-gpu-comparison/