Replace CPU in Dell Dimension 8400 to enable 64-bit support?

[mikefitzvw]

Hi all,

My mom bought a Dell Dimension 8400 in 2004, and I'd like to get her upgraded to Windows 7 before I go off to college. I figure a 64-bit Windows 7 install on this PC would be ideal so I don't have to work harder and harder to keep it running by finding drivers and software that support older systems (if any of you still remember Windows 98, it is still usable today but you spend half your time online figuring out what works and what doesn't). Anyway, I want to set her up for a good long time.

The motherboard power button connector is proprietary (of course) so I'd like to leave the motherboard alone, but it has an Intel P4 Socket 775 5x0 CPU. I understand the 6x0 CPUs were 64-bit and some were installed in 8400s. My question therefore is: If I remove the 5x0 processor and replace it with a 6x0 processor, should this work, and will the entire system be 64-bit capable, or do other components of the motherboard restrict me to 32-bit? I haven't come across anything, I can always replace the video card and modem (I might just pull that out).

I figure I might also have to replace the heatsink, because another Dell I dissected had it glued to the CPU (has anybody had issues with damaging the motherboard due to this deceitful practice?).

Thank you all for any help, it would be so nice to get 10 or 15 years out of this nice system

[CoffeeFiend]

it would be so nice to get 10 or 15 years out of this nice system

Good luck with that. That system is already 6 years old, so that would bring it to about 20 years old by then, the exact same as still using a 386 as your primary computer today... I wouldn't want to be still using a Core i7 by then, so an old and already slow-ish P4 chip that's not so power efficient? I don't see that kind of hardware lasting anywhere near that long either (low quality PSUs, very common problems with bad cap usage in P4-era computers, etc)

As for upgrading to x64 on that box, I don't see much of a point. You're not going to see any real improvements. The few CPUs that will likely work with it (Prescott 2M) will hardly be faster than what you already have (and probably cost about as much as the whole computer is worth by now), and won't run a x64 OS particularly fast, and you're limited as for max RAM and so forth.

Honestly, for little more than the price of a replacement P4 chip, you could pick up something a LOT faster that's also more power efficient, and with a longer life ahead. For example, my usual shopping place has a Athlon X2 7550 with basic motherboard under $100 which would be about 3x faster than a P4 3.6GHz 660, which pretty much costs the same (actually, for the same ~$100 CPU wise, you could get that P4 or a fancy quad core like Athlon II X4 630 which is just about 10x faster than the P4). I've seen similar kits with E3300's which are also a lot faster than a P4 (about the same price too). Those dual cores would run Win7 x64 great, without breaking the bank.

Anyhow. A P4 6xx would most likely work if you still prefer to do that, and you could install a x64 OS on it, assuming there are x64 drivers for all your hardware.

[mikefitzvw]

Thank you CoffeeFiend so much for your help. Ironically, the day after I posted this I did actually find a P4 6xx at my local recycling center (it's a storage shed with big boxes where people just throw away perfectly good hardware, and I needed to go there anyway to drop off a stereo that died). So I figure the cost is simply my time and some CPU paste.

As for the age, sorry for the misconception, I meant 10-15 years total (and I have a Dell XPS R450 from Christmas 1998 that currently dual-boots Win98 and Ubuntu 9.10, so it won't be impossible, although that computer just browses the internet, types homework, and plays DVDs, I would never game with it). If only Dell wouldn't make proprietary power button connectors (and now) BTX cases. Otherwise I'd gut it and re-use the case, power supply, CD, and floppy drive.

I'll see how it goes.

[Zenskas]

Nothing wrong with Pentium 4's, as you can see I still have one in the second PC in my sig. Great you found a 6xx series, they are faster clock for clock compared to the 5xx series and also use less power. I tried Windows 7 Pro 64 bit and it worked fine. Should still get some good use out of it yet, after all no use upgrading to a new system if it ain't gonna be doing much anyway.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Zenskas

[Windows7Guy]

Hello MikeFitzvw,

Just FYI, on that older laptop you might want to check Windows 7 Compatibility: (There you will find out about hardware and software compatibilty.)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/en-us/default.aspx

There is a pulldown from which you can choose "hardware" and "software".

Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum specifically for IT Pros located here http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/ . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to also check the threads available there for additional assistance and feedback.

John M

Microsoft Windows Client Team

[mikefitzvw]

Thank you all for your insights. I just installed Windows 7 x64 and the computer runs flawlessly. It is absolutely amazing! I need 512MB more memory to get it up to 2GB, but at 1.5GB it still doesn't use more than around 1GB (I swear the minimum specifications are stated waaaaay too high). I updated the BIOS, replaced the P4 540 CPU with a P4 630 (64-bit), upgraded to an nVidia GeForce 210 512MB (hate ATI with a passion), and put in a 500GB SATA HDD. Ironically, the system rating is higher than my custom built desktop that I use most of the time (built last December) and this computer is 6 YEARS OLD!!!!! Though in my defense, the other computer has integrated graphics that drag the rating down. Aside from Dell doing weird stuff to prevent the motherboard being outright replaced (power button connectors), this is a great system. Peripherals work just fine (though finding a 64-bit printer driver for a Dell AIO-922 was...interesting) and the computer runs extremely fast. I highly recommend Windows 7 on any computer that can be upgraded to 64-bit.