Dell XPS 420 - is upgrading feasible?

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Scui

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#205170 1-Nov-2016 17:38

I have a Dell XPS 420 that is running on 32-bit Windows Vista. Since it will reach end of life on April next year, I am thinking about either upgrading or getting a new desktop (if the former is not feasible).

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz

Memory (RAM): 4.00GB DDR2

Given that it uses DDR2 RAM, I am assuming that the technology is obsolete and upgrading won't be worth the money. If that's true, can you recommend a desktop that is capable of playing games and the price range? My knowledge of PC hardware specs and prices are horribly out of date.

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#1662181 1-Nov-2016 18:13

Yes, it's pretty horribly obsolete.

As a general rule, off the shelf machines gaming machines are usually "less bang for your buck" than custom built ones. Gaming rig's can run as low as ~12-1500 for lowerend ones up to stupid money if you want to get high FPS on a 4k monitor :-) Best give us a range (e.g. Around 2k, 2.5 at the max) gives us something to work with.

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#1662184 1-Nov-2016 18:23

Best you can do in upgrade, update video card $175 + update operating system $200. That's a good part cost of a new machine and you're still on old architecture.

New card if you want to play your existing games better for a while longer. Other than that, uneconomic.

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#1662214 1-Nov-2016 19:54

Lias:
Yes, it's pretty horribly obsolete.

As a general rule, off the shelf machines gaming machines are usually "less bang for your buck" than custom built ones. Gaming rig's can run as low as ~12-1500 for lowerend ones up to stupid money if you want to get high FPS on a 4k monitor :-) Best give us a range (e.g. Around 2k, 2.5 at the max) gives us something to work with.

I am willing to spend around $1500 ~ $2000

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#1662289 1-Nov-2016 20:50

Working on the assumption you want a whole new box, and don't have the skills to build it yourself:

Computer Lounge's "Gen-X Lite Origin" build, upgraded to be decently kick arse for your given budget range.

I whacked the parts into PCPartPicker and it only came out $40ish cheaper to buy them as individual components, and you give up them building it and the 2 year warranty. Not bad really, especially when CL is the top rated store in NZ.

*edit* One potential change if you want to blow the full budget is change the SSD from an entry level one to a 950 Pro M2.. $150 extra for craploads faster.

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#1662309 1-Nov-2016 21:19

Scui:
Lias:
Yes, it's pretty horribly obsolete.

As a general rule, off the shelf machines gaming machines are usually "less bang for your buck" than custom built ones. Gaming rig's can run as low as ~12-1500 for lowerend ones up to stupid money if you want to get high FPS on a 4k monitor :-) Best give us a range (e.g. Around 2k, 2.5 at the max) gives us something to work with.

I am willing to spend around $1500 ~ $2000

Including or excluding a new monitor? ; ).

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#1662313 1-Nov-2016 21:25

Lias:

Working on the assumption you want a whole new box, and don't have the skills to build it yourself:

Computer Lounge's "Gen-X Lite Origin" build, upgraded to be decently kick arse for your given budget range.

I whacked the parts into PCPartPicker and it only came out $40ish cheaper to buy them as individual components, and you give up them building it and the 2 year warranty. Not bad really, especially when CL is the top rated store in NZ.

*edit* One potential change if you want to blow the full budget is change the SSD from an entry level one to a 950 Pro M2.. $150 extra for craploads faster.

Minus the K series CPU, Z170 swap to a Gigabyte H110, given the OP's current rig and sense of PC knowledge getting him an overclockable rig isn't really a good idea, minus the CPU cooler and the 3.5 to 2.5 bracket (the case has a bay available) and use the saved cash for a better GPU like a Gigabyte / EVGA GTX1070 and you have a decent build. Excluding ASUS due to being overpriced in general with little to no returns over Gigabyte.

Look on pbtech, most certainly will be cheaper on there as well.

If you're in Auckland I'll build it for you for like $30 if you don't know how to.

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#1662321 1-Nov-2016 21:43

I assume the SSD is for the OS and games? And are 16GB of RAM and 2TB hard drive considered to be standard nowadays?

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#1662352 1-Nov-2016 22:13

It may be obsolete so new parts are not worth it but if you buy old parts it could only cost you a dime and a penny here and there. But you need to know what you're looking for and luck it out.

Otherwise get an i5 6600 or something, a complete system can be had for under $1000, with even better parts if they're second hand, as new releases of Nvidia, ATI GPUs and soon Kaby Lake CPUs are on, so people are selling their last gen stuff for the new gen stuff

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#1662353 1-Nov-2016 22:16

in fact @networkn has the upgrade bug ...

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#1662364 1-Nov-2016 22:43

Heh I potentially have a I7 4770K, 16GB Muskin Memory and a Z87 Pro Motherboard potentially for sale :)

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#1662370 1-Nov-2016 23:03

which is a beast and will play any games fine as long as one uses an SSD and appropriate GPU

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#1662381 2-Nov-2016 00:01

lNomNoml:

Minus the K series CPU, Z170 swap to a Gigabyte H110, given the OP's current rig and sense of PC knowledge getting him an overclockable rig isn't really a good idea, minus the CPU cooler and the 3.5 to 2.5 bracket (the case has a bay available) and use the saved cash for a better GPU like a Gigabyte / EVGA GTX1070 and you have a decent build. Excluding ASUS due to being overpriced in general with little to no returns over Gigabyte.

Look on pbtech, most certainly will be cheaper on there as well.

If you're in Auckland I'll build it for you for like $30 if you don't know how to.

I went with the 6600k for very specific reasons, it's the minimum spec processor for Battlefield 1, the 6600k stock is clocked faster than a non k 6600, plus it gives him the option of an overclock at some point in the future if he wants for $30 difference over the non k.

Cooler is default in the build but it's never a silly idea to replace an OEM cooler.

The odds of OP gaming at any resolution above 1080p are pretty much zero to none and a 1070 is overkill for that.

As for Asus vs Gigabyte, I've had way more issues with Gigabyte than Asus gear, so I know which brand I trust more, and it definitely isn't Gigabyte.

I've dealt with PBTech a fair bit both as a personal and business customer. If you're not a business customer their RMA support can sometimes be truly bad, and for that reason I don't really recommend them. CL on the other hand are consistently the top rated store in the country for customer service.

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#1662382 2-Nov-2016 00:07

Lias:

CL on the other hand are consistently the top rated store in the country for customer service.

I would have to say I have found them pretty average in terms of after sales service. I have had 5 faults with my current computer, bought and built by them. QA was awful, had to take it back 3 times for silly things.

I have had a HDD failure well within warranty, they wouldn't replace from stock, I had to wait for them to RMA it back to overseas which took 3 weeks from memory.

Getting to the bottom of a CPU failure was a nightmare too.

I have had some great deals from them and I think they try hard most of the time, but their after sales service leaves me cold.

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#1662386 2-Nov-2016 00:29

networkn:

I would have to say I have found them pretty average in terms of after sales service. I have had 5 faults with my current computer, bought and built by them. QA was awful, had to take it back 3 times for silly things.

I have had a HDD failure well within warranty, they wouldn't replace from stock, I had to wait for them to RMA it back to overseas which took 3 weeks from memory.

Getting to the bottom of a CPU failure was a nightmare too.

I have had some great deals from them and I think they try hard most of the time, but their after sales service leaves me cold.

Personally I've only ever had one "bad" experience with CL, and even that was on par with "normal" service from most other places. That being said I'm sure they aren't perfect, noone is, but they are still the top rated store on the long running GP Forums thread, and they win the PriceSpy store of the year award every single year.

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#1662819 2-Nov-2016 16:24

Lias:

lNomNoml:

Minus the K series CPU, Z170 swap to a Gigabyte H110, given the OP's current rig and sense of PC knowledge getting him an overclockable rig isn't really a good idea, minus the CPU cooler and the 3.5 to 2.5 bracket (the case has a bay available) and use the saved cash for a better GPU like a Gigabyte / EVGA GTX1070 and you have a decent build. Excluding ASUS due to being overpriced in general with little to no returns over Gigabyte.

Look on pbtech, most certainly will be cheaper on there as well.

If you're in Auckland I'll build it for you for like $30 if you don't know how to.

I went with the 6600k for very specific reasons, it's the minimum spec processor for Battlefield 1, the 6600k stock is clocked faster than a non k 6600, plus it gives him the option of an overclock at some point in the future if he wants for $30 difference over the non k.

Cooler is default in the build but it's never a silly idea to replace an OEM cooler.

The odds of OP gaming at any resolution above 1080p are pretty much zero to none and a 1070 is overkill for that.

As for Asus vs Gigabyte, I've had way more issues with Gigabyte than Asus gear, so I know which brand I trust more, and it definitely isn't Gigabyte.

I've dealt with PBTech a fair bit both as a personal and business customer. If you're not a business customer their RMA support can sometimes be truly bad, and for that reason I don't really recommend them. CL on the other hand are consistently the top rated store in the country for customer service.

All valid points, I was merely trying to get best bang for buck given the Op's budget, I don't agree with the 1060 being a better option than at least a 1070, given how old the OP's current PC is it would be best to get a PC that would last as long as possible performance wise and I just can't recommend a 1060 for a new gaming rig. Games get more and more demanding everyday, so ideally for a gaming rig on a budget you would specifically get the best CPU and GPU as possible at the time.

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