Please help identify motherboard specs of Vostro 200

[hyde+]

We have a Dell Vostro 200, bought about 18 months ago, it is basic model, here is the build sheet:

0 01323 INFORMATION..., NO ITEM

1 CR907 INSTRUCTION..., DEVIATE L6 TO L5+, 200, MAIN...

1 MP930 Processor, E2160, 1.8, 1MB Pentium Conroe, M0

1 DX348 PLACEMAT..., GETTING STARTED..., 200, MNTW, DAO/BCC

1 C831D Kit, Software, Powerdvd, 7.0 Digital Video Disk Drive 7.0-02

1 CK630 Display, Flat Panel, 20, E207WFP, Black, Dell Americas Operations

1 DJ331 Keyboard, 104, Universal Serial Bus, United States, Entry Liteon, Black

1 KY731 Kit, Software, Overpack, WXPHSP2 Compact Diskette W/documentation, English

1 XP935 Hard Drive, 160GB, S2, 7.2K, 8M Unleaded, WD-SEQ

2 HT212 Dual In-line Memory Module 512, 667, 64X64, 8, 240, 1RX16

1 CR579 Assembly, Digital video disk drive, 16X, Serial ATA, Half Height, Bare, Hitachi LG data

1 YH958 Mouse, Universal Serial Bus 2BTN, Lead Free, Entry, Logitech Black

1 JN721 ASSEMBLY..., CHASSIS..., MNTW, 200, NON PFC..., PWA INTEGRATED...

1 JY167 Assembly, Heatsink, Fan, Mini Tower

I am trying to find out following:

1) Type of expansion slots it has

2) What kind of processor upgrade is possible

Thanks in advance if anyone can assist.

Edit: I am trying to turn this into Win 7 Windows Media Center. I already have 7 installed, media center works OK, not perfect but OK. I watched the resource manager, it shows that both processor and memory gets exhausted when I have two HD channels recording and when I try to view main menu/guide/etc. Also changing channels is a bit slower compared to my laptop with 4GB ram. I would like to try graphics card first (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127436) and if that doesn't work, try RAM upgrade. But I am worried if the board has PCI Express 2.0 x16 or not, and if that would help.

[hyde+]

Found this, incredibly useful documentation from dell:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos200/en/mini_tower/om_en/html/parts.htm#wp1079933

It shows that the slot is PCI Express x16 1.0.

[chconline Veteran]

It doesn't matter, it's backwards compatible as far as graphics are concerned. Additionally, you can upgrade the processor as long as the socket is OK. Just open up your computer and give it a physical look, it shouldn't be too hard :p

Also that's a seriously week graphics card, if you want to upgrade, go for something better. :p

[hyde+]

I am thinking of (actually just ordering now) this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127436

I will get 2GB RAM from Crucial for $60 and hope that process handle the rest, since the weight will be off processor when I get GPU.

The socket of E2160is LGA775.

Is there a site I can check compatible processors by socket? Will motherboard be fine with any processor? EDIT: It looks like Newegg can sort processors by socket.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010340343%201051707842&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Order=RATING

[hyde+]

Let me give you an interesting fact. May laptop which has T5550 and 3.5GB usable memory works incredibly smooth while browsing guide with 2 HD tuners recording at the same time. This processor spec is Core?2 Duo (2M Cache, 1.66 GHz, 667 MHz FSB). In comparison, above Vostro's processor is Dual Core E2160 (1M Cache, 1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB). Basically when you take a balance of the processor, it is almost the same thing (Faster FSB/Clock vs. Lower Cache). So this leads me to think that it all comes down to RAM.

Unless, there is a HUGE difference between C2Duo vs Dual Core. What do you think?

[TokiToki]

Let me give you an interesting fact. May laptop which has T5550 and 3.5GB usable memory works incredibly smooth while browsing guide with 2 HD tuners recording at the same time. This processor spec is Core?2 Duo (2M Cache, 1.66 GHz, 667 MHz FSB). In comparison, above Vostro's processor is Dual Core E2160 (1M Cache, 1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB). Basically when you take a balance of the processor, it is almost the same thing (Faster FSB/Clock vs. Lower Cache). So this leads me to think that it all comes down to RAM.

Unless, there is a HUGE difference between C2Duo vs Dual Core. What do you think?

Hah, Intel's Marketing bites again. The E2160 is a Conroe (Core2 Duo) with 1MB cache, but given the Pentium Dual Core name. The biggest difference between those 2 chips is the Mobile processor has 2MB cache and the Desktop has 1MB cache. From the spec sheet, it only has 1GB of RAM? That's very little these days, and especially for Win7. You will definitely see a major boost by adding more memory, and Win7 loves memory. Don't worry about Dual vs Single channel, you won't notice it unless you benchmark.

[hyde+]

Thanks Toki.

I guess I will worry about processor when I upgrade the GPU, then Memory and see how Win 7 performs.

Meanwhile, I was told that before I upgrade the processor; besides socket, I also have to consider the chipset as well.

[SyntaxError]

Be careful about swapping out processors. Just because 2 cpus and 2 mobos use the same socket, doesn't necessarily mean the old mobo will support the new cpu.

I ran into this problem a few years ago when my old socket 478 Asus board died. I was going to install my P4 Northwood in my dad's computer since he was using a Celeron 2.4ghz. I found out the hard way his DFI board didn't support the cpu settings (FSB speed & multiplier) required by the Northwood. The machine crashed on boot and I had to reinstall the Celeron and do a clean install to get it working again.

I don't know if a similar situation might still exist with current sockets or not. Check for bios updates and be damn sure about your upgrade choice.

[hyde+]

Wow, your dad must have been pretty upset, I know I would have been. Hey dad, I will make your PC faster, and bam! everything disappears. Hopefully he had backups, that is a nasty situation.

Let's see how graphics card perform and if it even will require a RAM upgrade. I will keep you guys posted. I hope MSI honors the rebate (many complained rebates never arrived...) how can you beat 512MB card for $20 shipped.

[TokiToki]

Let's see how graphics card perform and if it even will require a RAM upgrade. I will keep you guys posted. I hope MSI honors the rebate (many complained rebates never arrived...) how can you beat 512MB card for $20 shipped.

I got my rebate eventually, but MSI was definitely the slowest. I probably wouldn't ever purchase a MSI product based on a rebate ever again. Their rebate conditions are harsh and they do not accept resubmissions; any rebate inquiries to MSI may get your rebate rejected :crazy: . I had actually sent a rebate inquiry because after 10 weeks from the last postmark date, my rebate status hadn't budged, and their reply was "Your rebate has been rejected based on condition so and so", but after that my rebate status was changed to processed and I got my check about 2 weeks later.

If its not too late, I would cancel and get the Gigabyte HD4550 for $20 AR. I have always gotten my rebates from their rebate processor.

[hyde+]

OK Bro, with newegg, it is never too late. :) I just canceled my order with them and ordered what you recommended above.

Looks like it is Radeon HD 4550 i/o Radeon HD 4350, 1600Mhz i/o 800MHz (Whatever Effective Memory Clock means), DDR3 i/o GDDR2, OpenGL 2.1 i/o OpenGL 2.0, and 3 years limited vs 1 year.

And of course, hopefully faster processing of the rebate. You just sold me one.

Oh, I won't get free HDMI cable.. :) $.50 on ebay. I will need a longer one anyway.

[chconline Veteran]

Be careful about swapping out processors. Just because 2 cpus and 2 mobos use the same socket, doesn't necessarily mean the old mobo will support the new cpu.

I ran into this problem a few years ago when my old socket 478 Asus board died. I was going to install my P4 Northwood in my dad's computer since he was using a Celeron 2.4ghz. I found out the hard way his DFI board didn't support the cpu settings (FSB speed & multiplier) required by the Northwood. The machine crashed on boot and I had to reinstall the Celeron and do a clean install to get it working again.

I don't know if a similar situation might still exist with current sockets or not. Check for bios updates and be damn sure about your upgrade choice.

True but in this particular case the PDC, C2D, C2Q are all fine on this LGA 775 motherboard, maybe a BIOS difference at most. You will only run into issues when you have older LGA 775 955x based motherboards with improper power design for Core-based CPUs.

[SyntaxError]

Wow, your dad must have been pretty upset, I know I would have been. Hey dad, I will make your PC faster, and bam! everything disappears. Hopefully he had backups, that is a nasty situation.

Let's see how graphics card perform and if it even will require a RAM upgrade. I will keep you guys posted. I hope MSI honors the rebate (many complained rebates never arrived...) how can you beat 512MB card for $20 shipped.

I got lucky there as nothing was lost. Only Windows was fried, so I was able to put the drive in another machine and backup dad's files. Dad wasn't too upset though, he knew it was an accident and I had his machine back up and running in a few hours.

MSI rebates are indeed slow as hell. I paid $26 after rebate for my MSI 8400GS from Newegg a couple years ago and it took something like 5 months to get the rebate check.

Corsair rebates are just as slow, and they don't send a check. They send a prepaid debit card, and unless your purchases just happen to exactly equal the amount on the card, you can't use the entire rebate. No bank can access the account either. I'll be avoiding rebates from now on because of this.

True but in this particular case the PDC, C2D, C2Q are all fine on this LGA 775 motherboard, maybe a BIOS difference at most. You will only run into issues when you have older LGA 775 955x based motherboards with improper power design for Core-based CPUs.

Good to know. Thanks. I learned my lesson though. I'll always double check specs from now on.

[hyde+]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but I decided to stick to the same topic since we had members who are familiar with the hardware.

I received the card, it worked straight out of the box without any installation requirement, it just needed to be restarted once.

However, I notice a huge difference between VGA and HDMI connections.

My tv, Sony KDL-52W4100, has both VGA and HDMI connections, at first I went with VGA, and was amazed at the quality. Sharp text, very readable even at default size, vibrant yet realistic (no over saturation) colors, and nice refresh rate. I just have to use stereo connection to TV.

So later I hooked up HDMI cable, at first it looked just as good, however when I played around a bit I noticed that the text is blurry and there is noticeable tearing when WMC is run at window mode, at full screen there is no tearing, and colors are nowhere near "correct" it looks bright and too vivid in some cases. But I can use motion enhancer to make the video smoother (VGA disables it). However sound is much better, deeper bass, obviously surround sound enabled, it is nothing like stereo connection with VGA.

So, what do you think? Should I go ahead and install whatever is on the CD or is it normal for HDMI connection to be slightly worse than VGA?

[TokiToki]

Corsair rebates are just as slow, and they don't send a check. They send a prepaid debit card, and unless your purchases just happen to exactly equal the amount on the card, you can't use the entire rebate. No bank can access the account either. I'll be avoiding rebates from now on because of this.

Yeah, unfortunately most rebates are trending towards prepaid cards; however I found a way to use up the card's value in one transaction: apply the amount to your next statement when paying bills (TWC RoadRunner for me).

Should I go ahead and install whatever is on the CD or is it normal for HDMI connection to be slightly worse than VGA?

I don't know what's on the CD. All I did was install the latest version of ATI Catalyst from the website. In general, HDMI should not be worse than VGA. Could also be a bad HDMI cable.

[Boxster17]

Corsair rebates are just as slow, and they don't send a check. They send a prepaid debit card, and unless your purchases just happen to exactly equal the amount on the card, you can't use the entire rebate. No bank can access the account either. I'll be avoiding rebates from now on because of this.

I've always sent in for rebates as it's saved me hundreds of dollars, though I've noticed this as well. While prepaid cards can be annoying, you can just do what I do and use it for purchases that are over the amount of the card. Generally I use it at the grocery store where I'll charge the $25 (or whatever the rebate was) on to the prepaid then I just charge whatever was remaining to my debit/credit card. Never had an issue doing this as it only takes an extra maybe 15 seconds at checkout and you're left knowing you used the full rebate amount. :)

[hyde+]

Different cable, same result. Here are the comparison shots just to make sure I am not the only one seeing this:

[TokiToki]

Did you install the latest ATI Catalyst drivers?

Edit: Found this. Could be the issue on your end. Read the last post.

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/p/63774/305516.aspx

[hyde+]

When I searched here, it found nothing:

http://support.amd.com/us/psearch/Pages/psearch.aspx?type=2.4.1&product=2.4.1.3.39&contentType=GPU+Download+Detail&ostype=Windows+7+-+32-Bit+Edition&keywords=4550&items=20

I downloaded this but did not have a chance to run it yet,

ATI Catalyst? 10.3 Suite for Windows 7 (32-bit)

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx?p=win7/windows-7-32bit

Thanks for finding that topic, I searched and read a lot of topics, most of them claimed it was either overscan/panel pixel ratio problems, but I tried everything, fit, stretch, full, pixel, -1, +1, they all adjust the picture, but the quality remains the same. When I install above, I hope it works.

Thanks again! I will report back after I try the latest drivers.

[SyntaxError]

I've always sent in for rebates as it's saved me hundreds of dollars, though I've noticed this as well. While prepaid cards can be annoying, you can just do what I do and use it for purchases that are over the amount of the card. Generally I use it at the grocery store where I'll charge the $25 (or whatever the rebate was) on to the prepaid then I just charge whatever was remaining to my debit/credit card. Never had an issue doing this as it only takes an extra maybe 15 seconds at checkout and you're left knowing you used the full rebate amount. :)

This doesn't work with my Corsair rebate card.

In the past, I've saved loads of cash with rebates as well, but things are changing and these rebate debit cards are becoming more and more common. I've heard of many people having trouble using them.

[hyde+]

Update, "enable GPU scaling" did not do anything, however when I first restarted after the install I noticed that scale was different and I had bars on four sides (smaller window), I went into the CCC (Catalyst Control Center), and there was digital scaling, or something like that with slider. When I slide it all the way to 0 it became pixel to pixel and the picture & text became sharp again, as good as VGA. HOWEVER motion thing that Sony does where it duplicates frames is not available anymore. Before HDMI output was considered as video source, but now it is considered as monitor/computer so the option disappeared. Oh well, the picture is good now. Kudos to TokiToki.