Dimension 3100 Hard Drive and Graphics upgrade

Thank you, Bev.

Wow. 2TB is huge.  Thanks for the graphics card suggestion, too.  One clarification though is whether or not PCI 2.1 is compatible with my PCI slot, since I assume they are version 1.0 or does the card simply run at a slower rate?

tonydv

You are welcome.

Yes, the PCI card is compatible, the e310/3100 is PCI 2.3.

Bev.

Thank you, Bev. Wow. 2TB is huge.  Thanks for the graphics card suggestion, too.  One clarification though is whether or not PCI 2.1 is compatible with my PCI slot, since I assume they are version 1.0 or does the card simply run at a slower rate?

Thank you  for your very interesting suggestion.  While the 16X adaptor would add to the cost, the superior board may be the way to go. The question is whether I need the better board for a short term (2 years or so) fix to just run Win 7.  The Pentium 4 is getting long in the tooth, so I know a new PC purchase is in my future.

Thank you  for your very interesting suggestion.  While the 16X adaptor would add to the cost, the superior board may be the way to go. The question is whether I need the better board for a short term (2 years or so) fix to just run Win 7.  The Pentium 4 is getting long in the tooth, so I know a new PC purchase is in my future.

Thanks sincerely rdunnill for your comments.

I am sold on your argument. I will be getting the 6450 card and adaptor, but I must change out the power supply first.  According to bev in her reply and your game site reference, a bigger 400W minimum supply is needed (graphics card draws 27W  alone and my supply is way under 300W).  A power supply upgrade is therefore needed first.

I have seen how fast SSD drives are and I agree this would transform an older PC, but I don't think I have the cash right now.  Prices may continue to drop though as PC vendors use them more frequently as the boot drive in their systems.   I need to wait till prices drop to much less than $1 per gigabyte.

I'm delighted that tonydv has raised this query cos I was going to do so! This is a really serious issue for Dell Dimension users whose computers have run perfectly fine for years on Windows XP. We will be in for a nasty shock because we will NOT - according to both Dell and Microsoft - be able to run them on Windows 7 when XP support is withdrawn in about 4/5 months' time. 

It looks to me as though we have two choices:(1) buy another computer (massive expense) or (2) see if we can somehow upgrade our existing hardware and software to a level that can cope with Windows 7.

Dell's info about upgrading for Dimension customers is IMHO worse than useless! :emotion-6:Dimensions simply aren't listed in the models of desktops capable of being upgraded, leading us to conclude that they can't be upgraded. Instead we are passed on to Microsoft who are almost too busy plugging Windows 8 but if you dig around you will find a  Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor that assesses your computer.

And this is where you hit a big snag! :emotion-42:According to MS, my computer which is virtually identical to tonydv's setup, has only two problems:  (1) the graphics adapter won't support Aeroface (whatever that is); and (2) the driver for the Intel(R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family is inadequate
No mention of the need for a bigger hard drive (mine is only 69GB), or anything else.

What we need is AUTHORITATIVE and RELIABLE guidance on whether we can upgrade and if so the likely cost.
 I'd really appreciate other forum members views and guidance but please note, I'm not a teccie so the sort of in-depth technical discussions will just sail straight over my head.

Thanks for reading & look forward to your views!

Ok.  Upon further inspection,  it looks like the Intel Express Chipset driver discussed above involves the on-board video graphics according to the Dell Upgrade website.

I presume using a Win 7 compatible graphics card instead and either turning off this video in bios or not using this motherboard vga output means getting an upgraded driver is not necessary,

Additionally, be aware that the Dimension 3100 has a rather anemic 230W power supply for a tower design.  It has been recommended to me to upgrade to a 400W supply at a minimum,  before I add the larger hard drive (while keeping the original 80GB as a spare) and/or adding a graphics card that will draw more watts.  Since these are old machines with many hours of use, it would not take much to burn out the old supply.

If your power supply is in good working order, you don't need to change it to upgrade the video card and hard drive. I had my 3100 working with a 6450 PCIe, 120gb Solid State Device and 4tb Seagate hard drive, all with the stock power supply. I don't know why people keep harping on 400-watt power supplies; I just don't. They are NOT necessary.

Regarding Windows 8, after I replaced the video card, my 3100 had no trouble running it. Heck, it even played Blu-ray discs via an external USB Blu-ray drive.  If you move now, you can get Windows 8 Professsional for $85 and qualify for a free update to Windows 8.1 on the 18th.

Regarding the onboard video, just disable it in Windows once the discrete video card is installed and forget about an updated driver, as it does not exist.

My thanks to tonydv for his helpful response and to rdunnhill for entering this debate. I'm uncertain whether I speak for tonydv or not on this as well, but can I please make the following points:

(1) I want to upgrade to windows 7, not windows 8

(2) I suspect there are huge numbers of people out there like tonydv and myself with Dell Dimension PCs who face this dilemma of whether an upgrade or a new computer offers us best VfM

(3) The issue of whether a new power supply required just typifies the dilemma we face. WHERE IS THE AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE ON UPGRADING DELL DIMENSION PCS?  If it can't be done for a reasonable price, then for heaven's sake, Mr Dell, have the courage of your convictions and say so! If it can be done, then tell us specifically what is needed in layman's terms and the likely costs involved. Good grief this is NOT rocket science.

(4) Please note that I wrote to Dell's UK Head Office about this some weeks ago. Guess what? My letter has been ignored - not even an acknowledgement. For that reason alone, I'm tempted to shop elsewhere for a new computer. I'd rather not, cos my Dimension has been with me for the past 7+ years and hasn't once let me down.

(5) Could someone from Dell with the necessary technical knowledge and ability to express it in layman's terminology please get involved in this discussion as it would be a shame if the company loses more customers this way.

Thanks for this helpful response tonydv. Please see also my reply to rdunnhill. I'm afraid that the more technical info in your response is way over my head but what is clear is that the company that sold us these PCs is, currently, either incapable or unwilling to assess the feasibility of upgrading them to cope with Windows 7.

To my way of thinking, this is an appallingly irresponsible and uncaring policy. The sooner it is changed the better not just for us as customers but for the Dell company too. Surely there is some way that we can get a competent Dell teccie to advise via this forum? At least that's a start in the right direction?  If they refuse, then I think we take that refusal into account in assessing where to buy another PC!  What do you think?

Thank you whatamidoing for your efforts to get Dell's brass to listen.  I think, however, that a decision was already made...there being NO authorative "Dell technical support" Win 7  upgrade advice on this model is evidence that Dell has decided not to support their customers.   Like Microsoft, their response is simply "buy a new Dell".  Our thanks must go out to people like rdunnill who went to the effort and expense to figure out what was needed for the upgrade and are willing to give up their time to help us.

I have been a Dell customer since 1999.  At that time, I even authorized the purchase of Dell servers, desktops, and laptops for a startup telecom company of 300 people.  We were happy with the purchases at the time, but my experience with my home machines (Two Dell Latitude laptops and the Dimension 3100 desktop) now have made me re-evaluate that position for any future computer purchases, both personal or professional. 

I now also own two older Toshiba laptops.  I hope my experience there is better, but I suspect the industry is hurting for PC computer sales so badly that  it wants to force newer models down our throats.  I see why that's the case for some people like software developers that hate writing new code for old systems that are backward compatible, but sometimes developers must realize that our current systems are doing what they were meant to do just fine. They must simply give us software that we want so badly that upgrading at an expense makes sense for me personally and for a company as a whole.  Forgive my Luddite sensibilities, but a "touch screen" desktop is not what I must have to get any work done.  A keyboard and mouse works fine for many, many applications.

Ok... I am impressed with your system and also a bit confused.   Perhaps people have been "puh puhing" the smaller power supply too much (Including a youtube video), so maybe you are right, since you have so much hardware on the 3100.  But the Win 8 install has me confused.  Here is what the Win 8 Upgrade Advisor says about my system:

Intel(R) Network Configuration Services

go to app website for help