Im looking into upgrading my current Dell. I don't have the $$ to build a powerful system at the moment so i'll just have to do with my Dell. I was looking into upgrading the mobo and cpu...and maybe even the hard drive. I was looking into maybe getting a midrange Pentium 4//Athlon XP...and of course a new mobo. My only concerns though are cooling. At the moment, I only have one 80mm fan...is that enough for what I want? Also, can I fit the mobo? I have an ATX form factor case but does Dell "lock" the case to prevent upgrades like this?...See my CURRENT specs below...thanks in advance! Dell Dimension 4100 Pentium III 800MHZ Intel Easton D815EEA (mobo) 10GB Hard Drive

I assume that the warranty on your dell has long run out, correct? Physically, there shouldn't be anything to stop you from opening your dell case. I'll be surprised if they used any kind of security screws. Also since you want to save money right now there is 2 things you should know. 1. If you go for the Pentium 4 then chances are you'll need to buy a new power supply. I am not sure about the Athlon 2. If you don't need any more than 10 GB then you could keep your current hard drive with no problems.

There is a good chance that a standard ATX power supply won't fit the Dell case and also the ATX motherboard. The existing Dell power supply may have propietory connectors for the motherboard. This means if that is the case that you won't be able to connect the PS to a new MB even if you can get it into the case. Perhaps someone else with more knowledge of Dell cases and PSs can shed more light on this. What budget do you have in mind for this upgrade?

The main problems you will run into are the wiring for the power switch and the led lights on the front. Dell uses a proprietary wiring scheme that you will likely have to rewire. Also I really doubt if your power supply will power a P4 which uses an extra a 4 pin power connector to power the cpu. Dell's also use a Recovery cd that won't load on anything but a Dell, so you will have to purchase a new Operating system also.

So what are you keeping the case and a CD-ROM drive. The power supply is probably 90 watts or something worthless. Just buy a new computer. You need RAM too anyways. http://xoxide.com has cases for 35 bucks and everything else too. -DF

"Dell's also use a Recovery cd that won't load on anything but a Dell" My Dell is about the same vintage and has a full version of Windows. He could have either... Specifically what do you need that the computer can't accomplish? The answer will dictate the type of upgrade. You might be better off to save your $$ for a new system. Best Luck, Bob

Well..... you are pretty much wasting your time upgrading. Honestly... The money you'll spend and the amount of parts you'll have to ditch will make you want to kick yourself for the $ difference. You'll be like, if I just spent a few bucks more I could have kep the old machine and just built a new one. http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0171035 Motherboard, $59 with onboard everything... http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0164642 Duron 1.6ghz $39 OEM http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0145163 Athlon 2000XP RETAIL BOX with HSF $69!! http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0165809 256 Meg PC2700 333mhz ram $52.99 SO.. for $150 ish bucks, you can get up to 1.6 ghz, with decent ram, or add $30 and go for the XP 2000 (I would). BUt you will need a new PSU. Of course now, this is a store. I was at a computer fair and they were selling 1800XP's with motherboard for $89. SO, you shop around and you can get a deal! If you do scrap the insides of your computer, you should get a bit for them on ebay. Amazingly, you'll get quite a bit towards your new machine. There's always someone out there who could use a p3 800 to upgrade an old p3 400, and so on. One man's trash and all that...