Dell XPS 420 Upgrades

Hello

For the last few years ive been playing more and more games on computers rather than console games. Just over a year ago i decided i could do with a decent system that would run most of the games i played. Being a beginner when it came to computer specs and such i made the easy mistake of going to Dell and ordering one of there Dell XPS 420's, as then i had no idea how to build my own and i wanted one fast. Of corse now after looking at forums over the last year and slowly learning myself more about computers i see that going with Dell wasnt such a smart idea.

Now over the last month ive been looking at how i can/if i can upgrade it, but i see a lot of threads with different answers and im very confused so a friend recommended this site as theres a lot of people who know what there talking about. So i hope you can help.

My Current Spec is this:

Nvidia 8800GT
Intel Core Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
4GB of RAM 1000MHz
375Watt PSU
(Sorry if i dont have exact names)

Im not sure if i have to mention any others.

My problem is this, Ive been on threads where people say they have upgraded to Nvidia GTX 260 and said they upgraded the PSU to this Antec Earthwatts EA650. But when i went online previous to this and talked with a dell technician (who i heard can talk rubbish sometimes) and he said i cant upgrade my PSU and i have the best graphics card the motherbored can handle. So you see as a novice at this i dont no who is right, do i go with all the threads i see of people upgrading there XPS420 or with the advice from the Dell technician.

Also if it is upgradable and there are better components than the ones i linked i would much appreciate it.

Another thing while im here, over the last 3 days my Computer has crashed about 6 times while im in games. Before it happens ive noticed the fans on the Graphic card seem to be spinning at full speed like its overheating posssibly. The card i have though is only about a month old because my old 8800GT also overheated but that was after about a year of use. When the tecnician came with the new card i asked if the computer was in a good place and the room temp was ok and he said yes to both and said it was probably just a faulty card. So im not sure if its somthing else rather than the card.

Thanks inadvance and sorry for the 'newby' questions lol.

Hey mate, quickly before I finish reading - remove the competitor links! Also, I think i can put claimed?

Hey sorry about the links they've been removed, and what do you meen when you say claimed? :S

any chance of getting the make/model of motherboard? or just taking a picture of it?

A very qick check using Thermaltake's power supply calculator shows that you existing PSU should be okay with a GTX 260. If it does need changing then any standard size ATX PSU should fit.

Your PSU will probably only have a single 6 pin PCI-E connector so you may need an adapter to convert of of the molex plugs; I think these sometimes some with the video cards.

The only other thing to check is the clearance between the card and the cpu heatsink shroud.

Yeah download CPU-Z and check what the board is. It's likely an nForce 650 board AFAIK.

That CPU-Z Just says:

Manufacturer - Dell Inc.
Model - 0TP406

Dont know if thats of any help :S

According to the docs it's an X38 board with a single x16 PCI-E slot.

Having looked at the pictures the wi-fi card in the top slot will probably be the biggest problem. Most video cards need two slots to allow for the heatsink and fan which will take the top PCI slot out of action.

The wi-fi card is that just used for wireless internet? becaus e if it is i dont think im even using that card as im connected via ethernet cable. So i could remove it if needed?

Yes it's just for wireless internet; if you can remove it then I can't see any reason why you couldn't install a GTX260.

Holy crap look at how bad the dells are made :O

It is amazingly messy for a Dell. I’ve dealt with a lot of machines based on the same chassis and none of them were anything like this one. They’re normally very neat as the cables are the correct lengths to be routed properly.

Obviously the dell technicians that made these have yet to discover cable management

should get a 260 in there just about, although you may need to get rid of that blue bracket. and the wifi card as mentioned before.

xb8browney said:

Holy crap look at how bad the dells are made :O

Click to expand...

Yeh when i first got it it didnt look like the pictures did lol. Also when the Dell Technician came to have a look at it before he said it was a mess and there usually more neat.

So back on topic, if i remove the wi-fi card i can get a GTX 260 in? Will the GTX 260 be a good upgrade? (will i notice a difference) and i know someone said the 375PSU should be ok but would i be better to upgrade to a better one? Also hows the GTX260 temp wise? And finally i was thinking would putting an exhaust fan on the back make a difference in temp? as the only fan drawing air out if the one in the PSU yeh?

Sorry for all the questions lol but youve been a great help so far

A modern video card will exhaust out of the back which should help.

According to the PSU calculator that machine with a GTX260 only needs a 310W PSU so the existing PSU should be okay.

Hey was just watching a review on the EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Video Card, and he said it requires a 500Watt PSU. I didnt relise there were many different versions of the 260 card. Would my Computer be able to run this card if i upgraded PSU?

Your best bet is to Google for Thermalright power supply calculator and then enter your machine details; it'll then tell you what size of PSU is required. The suggested figure is the PSU size not the machine load so you don't need to add anything.

With GTX260 216 your looking at 324W.

If you want to upgrade the PSU then go for it, but you may be spending £60+ for no good reason.

Thanks for the fast replies