Upgrading my Dell

You can buy a CPU on eBay. In fact, the eBay auction I linked to earlier ships worldwide.

Installing a CPU is more work than an SSD, but both tasks can be done safely by a non-expert. For the SSD, you'll need an adapter, and I recommend the Silverstone: http://www.amazon.com/SILVERSTONE-SDP08-3-5-2-5-Inch-Converter/dp/B002BH3Z8E

I just took a quick look at Amazon UK for old Dells in 200-500 GBP range  look at any MT/Mini Tower not slim/skinny options, would you be able to afford those approximately. Again, I don't know any used PC retailers there, but any cheap Quad CPU Dell PCs (not skinny form factor) would beat up hands down your PC with SSD easily due to much more advanced and faster processor.

So, look at your expenses (for upgrading) first, this is my point.

Usually I suggest users to upgrade PCs, but in this case I would recommend calculate all expenses first, because SSD is quite expensive, and see - you most likely can add twice the money and get much better new or not so old PC, which would have WIN7 already and at least 4GB of faster RAM, you would able also to transfer your 6670 there. This PC will be much faster than yours with SSD for, probably, 150 pounds more. SSD alone will make programs loading times faster, but it would not make your games much faster compare to newer PC.

So, check total expenses first!

I would advise looking for something like this and in the same price range - Inspiron 660 MT Intel Core i3-2120 4GB 235 GBP, if you can find similar, you would win much more than going through upgrading your existing one (you can transfer your 6670 card here).

SSD alone will make programs loading times faster, but it would not make your games much faster compare to newer PC.

The SSD makes a world of difference, quad-core or not, and it's transferable to a new PC.

2gb of memory is enough for Windows 7 and the OP has that already.

I can just say on my experience with SSD and Battlefield 3 - it did not provide me with noticeable increase in performance vs. money spent, I just upgraded to MSI 660, that was a difference! So SSD and games, noooo, SSD and overall performance - yes.

My budget is roughly £340+

If I can just upgrade my current PC to suit my needs that would be great, but if it would cost more to do that than to buy a new PC then I guess that is the better option. However, I rarely see new PC's that are good for gaming in my price range these days. Which is why I wondered whether it's best to just upgrade my PC.

Thanks, I will take your advice on board. I have just priced Windows 7 and an SSD card... it's very expensive. Can I just ask - is that website you linked legitimate? I'm very wary with where I buy from.

Amazon UK has Windows 8 Professional and a Samsung 840 SSD for a hundred and twenty-five quid.

In games I felt 4GB too tight (Battlefield plus Win7 and services using 4.25 GB) and OP has only 2 GB old slow RAM, tje option I found is 235 GBP and it blow to air present OP PC with ease including SSD.

I can not comment on the store, it took me 5 minutes to find this offer, I need more time to search GB stores. This was basically just an example of not so old refurbished Dell versus upgrading OP's grandpa. All come here to money, SSD is good edition, no argument, but it would not increase performance during gameplay as expected, processor and video card will. However, Pentium D is very old and slow by present standards, upgrade to 960 would not increase performance dramatically in game, just a bit. If it was PC with Core 2 Duo or something similar - it would be different story.

It is late here, so I will start searching around for more UK retailers in following days, aiming to around 330 before VAT correct? Or you can go more? 450 GBP will buy you brand new cheapest Dell!

Wow, thanks! So you suggest I upgrade my PC not buy a new one? That's the only thing I'd like to do is upgrade it. I have cleared a lot of unwanted/needed programs from here and no longer needed documents - could that work too?

Overall, my PC runs faster than you would think at 7 years old - mainly because I have had more RAM put in and a new video card recently, also about 3 years ago it had a new Motherboard as well. This PC is faster than my sisters brand new Windows 8 laptop, too - shocking, I know.

In the long run, £330 + would be okay, no more than £400 though. I really would appreciate your help finding me a decent new PC, preferably a Dell because that is my favourite brand of PC.

400 including VAT? It is right under the new PC price at Amazon (£450). Oh well, I will look around. Can you help me by providing names of UK retailer chains, something popular?!

Wow, thanks! So you suggest I upgrade my PC not buy a new one? That's the only thing I'd like to do is upgrade it. I have cleared a lot of unwanted/needed programs from here and no longer needed documents - could that work too?

The CPU I linked to would make some difference; the Pentium D 960 has dual cores and a higher clock speed, and that will help with gaming. The SSD would make a big difference in general responsiveness, although gaming would be unaffected. I'm not sure if more memory would help much, if at all, although I equip my builds with 4gb by habit.

If you upgraded to Windows 8, you would have to reinstall your applications. Unneeded documents take up disk space but don't slow the system down.

First let me examine your gains in processor upgrades. You listed Pentium® D CPU 2.80GHz as your current CPU, unfortunately there are 3 possibilities here: Pentium D 820, Pentium D 915 and Pentium D 920. So, according to CPU benchmark site Pentium D 960 benchmark is 865, next let me show brand new Dell from Dell UK site for Inspiron 660, Inspiron 660 with i3-3220 benchmark is 4273, look for number 5 from the start (from the left). 399 GBP including VAT and shipping! No monitor, only WIN8, no other software, basic option - will beat your upgraded Dimension with SSD and the rest like walk in the park. It has room for simple upgrades in the future if desire, 300 watt power supply, which will support 6670 card with ease, 6 GB of faster RAM, there is nothing more left to say.