I have an older Dell Optiplex 667 mhz..got a good deal
on a hard drive (160 gb)primary...old secondary(slave)
is 6gb. had 256 MB of RAM and increased it to 384. No
noticeable difference..any suggestions..
Thanks
JMW
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I have an older Dell Optiplex 667 mhz..got a good deal
on a hard drive (160 gb)primary...old secondary(slave)
is 6gb. had 256 MB of RAM and increased it to 384. No
noticeable difference..any suggestions..
Thanks
JMW
Discussion is locked
The 667MHz processor is probably the reason. You'll see a huge difference once you upgrade it to a more modern processor.
Also, note that the type of RAM you get matters. DDR2 is a bit faster than the older DDR; dual-channel is better than shared. The speed of the RAM will make a difference as well.
-Jason
Not the machine, but that old 6GB hard disk. It's something to toss out since it can be causing the IDE transfers to slow.
Too bad you didn't note what OS.
Bob
Perform the procedure at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/IDE-DMA.mspx
You can't look at this and know it's in the best DMA mode. You must perform the procedure. If you don't perform the procedure, please explain why.
Bob
Windows XP seems to run better with at least 512MB. Have you shut down all services you don't need running?
XP has a nusiance item where DMA degrades but you can't see the change from DMA Mode 5 to MODE 0. It's documented at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/IDE-DMA.mspx and an EASY PROCEDURE.
If you don't perform this procedure, please tell why.
Bob
Under Advance Settings transfer mode "DMA if available" was set. Current Transfer Mode "Ultra DMA Mode 2" was also set....
I noted the issue that the display can not assure you that DMA is actually in effect. Your looking but not performing the procedure is interesting given the procedure takes less than a minute and doesn't need a reboot.
Very odd,
Bob
Get rid of the old HD, once you transfer any data, etc. to the new HD(suggest you partition the new HD into at least 2). Come on, you got 160gb new HD and you're keeping a 6gb around. The old HD probably is slowing down the old channel ways and the HD can't show its full potential or at least be its best. Added ram really does help but don't expect leaps and bounds of improvement it can just flex it muscles abit more. The cpu if possible should be considered for a replacement upgrade as that's the last area to look into. The combo of cpu and ram should make a notricable improvement but again, its not leaps and bounds.
tada -----Willy ![]()
I follow the suggestions........Thanks everyone!
Your choice and if you do, I'd write this one off.
Bob
Its the old story of the chain being only as strong as the weakest link.
The system has to slow down to accomodate that old hard drive, and no matter how much ram you add, or how fast the CPU is, it can't run any faster than that drive can handle the data I/O.
Check your system manual. If you can upgrade your CPU at least two steps then do so. If you can upgrade RAM to let you utilize faster ram, do so, and max it out. Replace that old drive with a 7200 or 10,000 rpm drive that has the largest buffer you can find. You may need to flash the BIOS to enable the system to handle such changes. If you are unable to flash the BIOS, and your system can't handle at least a two step increase at the CPU level, chances are that no matter what you do to it is not going to help much overall.
If that's the case, time to buy a new system (better yet, build it yourself).
I agree with "Madgorilla", Sorry to inform you, what you are attempting to do is, save a sinking ship. It's your old hard drive that slowing things, besides the fact, the PC is too old to do the things you are expecting. Kind of like, welding a microwave to a cast iron stove. One can't do anything for the other.
Just-N-Case, remember this too that when you buy memory make sure that DELL MB supports it. I know that DELL Techs told me that not all brands of memory will work on DELL MB's cos DELL doesnt support all brands. For example from DELL tech. If your MB supports DDR 3200, doesnt mean that you can get DDR 3200 from any company out there cos that company may not made that memory for DELL. Dont know if that is really true but that is what DELL Techs told me more than once. Well dont know if thats help, just wanted 2 say what was on my mind. ![]()
The other poster is right on about Dell being picky about what brand of memory it will work with.
Go to the Viking Memory website and use their memory finder to see what is correct for that Dell. They have excellent product at a fair price, and its guaranteed to work.
Take a step back and look at the whole picture.
My first question involves the fact of your computer being older. Was your XP an upgrade? If you're still running FAT32, I suggest a full reinstall, using the upgrade disc. I did exactly that to a client's box, and made a HUGE difference. Upgrading over 98 or ME is not recommended anywhere I've been.
Upgrade or not, there are all sorts of slowdowns you need to look at.
Spyware first, run Ad-aware, and Spybot S&D after updating them. I would also install Spywareblaster for future nasties.
Next is registry. Download RegSeeker, make a folder on C:, and unzip it there. Click on the .exe, then "Scan the Registry", and watch the magic. I'm really surprized at the lack of recommendations for a good registry cleaner everywhere I go. I couldn't live without it. I use it on all the computers I service, and it ALWAYS finds 500 to over 1000 bad entries and keys. I run it almost daily on my own boxes, and it never fails to find 5 to 50.
Anyway, your older computer should still serve you well, modern games aside. Especially with XP.
Your memory upgrade should have provided a small boost, not extremely noticeable. No offense to others, but you are probably running PC133, and can't run PC3200 or any other DDR without a major hardware change. If the memory you installed is recognized in the BIOS and "System Properties", you are fine.
Now, WinXP has all kinds of bloated crap I always shut down. Windows Messenger, Balloon Tips, Auto Update, "Scan for network drives", Remote desktop and assistance, Show newly installed programs, Shared folders, Recycle bin, all unnecessary background runners, and many other things go flying out the "Window"!
Try these things and see how much faster your "Good 'ole computer" runs.
Unless you had 128 MB SDRAM and added two more? You cannot add a 128 and 256,You can't mix ram.Thats you're problem.
My computer is a Compaq. It came with 384mb ram, a 128+256. Compaq tells me I can upgrade using any combination of ram and since I have 3 slots, I can add 3-512mb rams, which I will be doing one at a time.
my ram is a PC133 SDRAM, my chip is a P4-1.5GZ Intel 845 and bus architecture of PCI. Each stick is $129 at Office Depoe
I've combined 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512 with no problems.
You must be refering to matched sticks for dual channel on newer computers. I promise his older Dell has no such capabilities.
I know that the newer dell's do not have to match. But when I had my Dell 550MHz computer, Dell told me I had to have it match. If I put in a 256 in one slot the other slot had to have 256. My New Dell 3.05GHz can be mixed and right now are mixed. And that is how it was installed from the Factor.
Hi bobaway,
I ran into a similar situation about two months ago. I have XP Home Edition and 512 MB of RAM. It seemed like things wasn't happening fast enough for what I wanted. I worked with Dell, whom I purchased my puter from, and they had me check this and that and to no avail. So I upgraded my hard drive from 18.6 gigs to 40. STILL did not help. I have a friend who is a tech for Microsoft and after working with him, determined that possibly my ISP was the problem. After doing the "speed test" from Verizon, ( www.infospeed.verizon.net ), I found out that Verizon had not upgraded my speed. I contacted them and my speed was doubled!!! Hope this helps.
Keep in mind we are talking about a PIII.
Have done a disk clean up and defrag??? Spyware???
Your new hard drive is ATA133 but your PC could be ATA64 or even ATA32.
There is a Bible verse that goes "don't put new wine into old wine skins" I feel that this can apply to PC as well.
New PCs are 5 to 6 times faster than your curent PC. John
I have a Dell Dimension t733r
i started with 128mb from the factory.
I added a 256mb card from Crucial and that helped some.
I then decided to get a newer video card and another stick of 256mb (again from crucial)
I'll tell you what, that made quite a difference.
Your optiplex is much the same as my dimension so i imagine this would be good for you.
If that Optiplex is anything like my Dimension, then you have a nVidia tnt2 video card, i upgraded to a nVidia GeForce 4 440mx card with 64mb onboard ram.
and i did loose the 128mb ram card (i had a snaileron pc that i was using to tinker with linux on and it, too, needed more ram;-))
Go to Google or Technet and look for articles to correct "slow response on XP" type key phrases.
Your old architecture can only improve a bit adding memory, faster drive, and newer OS is much more dependent on chip, bus and I/O spends to perform.
Eliminate all unnecessary services, configure one fixed page file of 3 or 4 times your RAM for best web page cache; no step, XP wants to check and recalculate the used cache... and keep the reg clean, spyware checked and defraged as everyone mentioned.
If you really want life out of the machine, try Linux - Eudora or other flavor... I liked Red-Hat on my old system - manage as dns, dhcp & printer server just fine.
Cough up 499 for a new DELL!
You 've installed good stuff , but have you have cleared out the cache, properly reformatted your HD and thrown away old files? You might try a clean reinstall of your OS. Also clear out your Pram.
How do you this things? I have no idea on a Wintel. I'm a Mac guy and I'm laughing my *** off!
Tell me, do you also paint walls in your house without washing or prepping them first?
mac or windows, you must prep your CPU BEFORE installing the upgrade!
Putting upgrades on a computer not ready for them is like putting lipstick on a Pig.....nice try, but a wasted effort and strange behavior at best.