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Dimension E521 - Power Supply Upgrade
I've got a used Dimension E521 and I'm adding ram (4gigs DDR2 800mhz) and the video card from my old machine (GeForce 7800GT 256mb). Right now the tower has the factory 305W power supply. Will a regular aftermarket power supply (like the Antec EA650) fit in this case or does it use some wanky Dell-specific power supply? Any and all info is appreciated :) .
Thanks!
Matt
shesagordie
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December 2nd, 2008 14:00
sycamorematt
Matt.
You should able to upgrade to the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+.
Also the Athlon 64 X2 6000+ should work, but make certain that you buy the 89W version of the processor.
First check to see if you have the latest BIOS version, prior to upgrading.
Bev.
shesagordie
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December 1st, 2015 06:00
MuH2001
You use the P1 20-pin connector, together with the 4-pin connector that should be attached to it on the same cable.
There should a separate 4-pin connector and cable attached to the PSU's wiring harness for the motherboard's 4-pin P2 connector.
Usually the power supply's manufacturer website has details for this.
If you want more information, you need to post the power supply's details, together with the computer model.
Bev.
shesagordie
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December 2nd, 2008 13:00
sycamorematt
Matt.
The e521 does not use a Dell proprietary power supply.
You can use most standard ATX power supplies with or without the on/off switch, with either a 24-pin or 20 + 4-pin main motherboard power connector and four or more SATA power connectors, in the E521.
You should be able to buy this from a local or online computer store.
Bev.
sycamorematt
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December 2nd, 2008 14:00
Just a follow-up...do you know how fast of a processor this could handle as well, if I decided to upgrade?
Thanks again,
Matt
sycamorematt
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December 2nd, 2008 14:00
Thanks!
atd2002
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September 26th, 2009 10:00
Matt:
Can you tell us what you ended up doing - did you upgrade your power supply? Video card? Processor?
I have a Dimension E521 with an Athlon x2 3800+ and have been thinking of doing something similar.
Thanks for any info!
shesagordie
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September 26th, 2009 11:00
Anthony.
The e521 Mini Tower, has a back panel with an open space that allows for a PSU with the on/off switch.
The default power supply is 305w and will support any processor that's installed.
The graphics card is different, you may, or may not, need a power supply upgrade, depending on the power requirements of the card.
Bev.
atd2002
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September 26th, 2009 11:00
Bev:
Just re-read your reply to Matt and I notice you mention PS's with on/off switch. I've seen those and thought perhaps I couldn't use it in my Dell. How do you handle the on/off switch when installing it into a Dell Dimension E521 case?
BTW, I mentioned above that I wanted to upgrade my system. I have an Athlon X2 3800+ processor. Would I need to upgrade the PSU to add a newer graphics card? Many of them seem to want 300W (or better) power supplies - but would that only be relevant if I had a more power hungry processor (one graphics card mentioned that the PS rating was based on having a certain CPU in the PC)??
Thanks,
Anthony
atd2002
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September 26th, 2009 16:00
Bev:
Thanks for your reply!
Would that become the power swtich to turn on the PC? Or do you some how bypass that and use the power button on the front still?
For some reason, I always thought the standard PS in the E521 was only 200/250w or so. 305w is pretty decent.
Do you think processor upgrades are worth it? The last one I did was years ago on an old 386 machine! My current setup runs decently - I just was thinking mainly of upgrading the graphics. I have 3GB of RAM running Win XP Media Center - debating if I should go to Win 7 on this PC or buy a new one for it.
Anthony
shesagordie
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September 26th, 2009 16:00
Anthony.
You leave the on/off switch in the 'on' position and use the power button on the front of the PC.
Yes, sometimes a major processor upgrade is good, like going from a 3800 to a 6000+, 89W, 3.0Ghz, Windsor, or 6000+, 89W, 3.1Ghz, Brisbane, would make difference, but you would need to flash the BIOS to the latest version, prior to installing the processor and there should be no need to replace the power supply,for the upgrade.
A graphic card upgrade can make a bigger difference than a processor upgrade.
Bev.
Ps. Edited for Typo.
atd2002
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September 26th, 2009 17:00
Bev,
Thanks again for the quick reply and the info.
Just to be sure - my E521 is about 2006 vintage. Does all the info here still apply (ie, generic PSU upgrade possible, processor upgrade possible, etc)? Just making sure as Dell can call several iterations of a PC the same name (or at least I think they have! :) - with earlier or later iterations that have upgrade limitations.
I could check prices on CPU upgrades - but will probably concentrate on the graphics.
Thanks again for all your input!
Anthony
shesagordie
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September 26th, 2009 18:00
Anthony.
Yep, all the info, I posted still applies.
Bev.
atd2002
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September 27th, 2009 15:00
Bev:
Thanks again for all your help!
Anthony
shesagordie
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September 27th, 2009 15:00
Anthony.
You are welcome.
Bev.
MuH2001
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November 30th, 2015 19:00
How do I connect the 20 +4 pin supply to the 24 pin connector on the system board? The system board has a 24 pin connector, as well as a 4 pin connector.