Upgrading a Gateway SX2800-07

[jmdale1984]

Thank you for providing some useful information.

So I need four 2GB 1300MHz RAM modules, correct? Am I understanding correctly that my PC cannot use any 4GB modules?

As far as the graphics card, I may scrap the idea, or I may just take my chances. As I said, other owners of the same pc have successfully used this graphics card.

 

[jeremy28092]

you can't run 4gb ram moduals and id use 4 2 gb 1333 moduals

just out of curiosity I did some searching and this is the biggest power supply made in the tfx style

Newegg.com - Athena Power AP-TFX35 350W TFX12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply compatible with Core i7 - Power Supplies

 

[familyman1]

He can run either 2-4GB modules or 4-2GB modules. As long as he runs no more than 8GB total he can run either configuration! If I were doing upgrades I would max the memory out and be done. There is really nothing more you can do to it without upgrading the power supply and case. Anything more than a memory boost will cause instability issues either due to a lack of power or thermal restraints caused by the small form factor case.

BTW- you will have to stick to 1333 MHz Ram. With this being a mass market PC, your bios is going to be locked at 1333 MHz on the front side bus. If you purchase ram that is rated at a higher clock frequency, the bios will automatically down-clock the ram to 1333 MHz anyway, and could cause instability.

 

[jmdale1984]

Ok... I think I've made a little progress here. After reading in many places that the power supply is nearly impossible to change... I think I may have actually found a psu that will work. I know nothing about the cables that attatch to PSUs, but this one will at least fit in dimensions alone.

ACPC | Power Supply | FLEX ATX 350W
Newegg.com - Athena Power AP-MFATX35 350W Mini ITX / Micro FLEX ATX / ATX12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Here is a link to the OEM PSU. I'm told that it's dimensions are 8.9" x 3.6" x 2.1"

Flex ATX-220SI (220W Flex ATX12V)

As far as the graphics card... I found someone with the same pc claiming that this one was used (on the original 220w psu) with great results, and not too much heat. Looks good to me.

Amazon.com: HIS Radeon HD 5570 Silence 2 GB (128bit) DDR3 HDMI DL-DVI (HDCP) PCI Express 2.1 X16 Video Card Retail (RoHS) H557HO2G: Electronics

For the RAM, I plan to use two of these kits. Sorry guys, but I'm loyal to Kingston, and the other brands seem to have issues in there PCs from what I've read.

Amazon.com: Kingston Technology HyperX 4 GB Kit (2x2GB Modules) 1333 (PC3 10666) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM KHX1333C9D3K2/4G: Electronics

If that's true familyman... it could save me a few bucks by getting a 2 x 4 gb kit instead of two 2 x 2GB kits. Is this accurate?

Opinions?

 

[jmdale1984]

I pulled the Gateway apart again, so I could get a closer look at how the hard drive is setup, and verify the dimensions of the psu, and figure out exactly which cables I need.

The measurements of the psu are a bit different than what I had previously read. It is 8.1"L x 3.8"W x 2.1"T.

It has 4 cables that I was able to identify via an online chart.

(1) 20+4 ATX Main Power Cable
(2) SATA Power Cables
(1) ATX +12 Volt Power Cable

Here's a view of the inside of the PC with everything assembled except the side cover.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x51/jmdale1984/2011-06-05_23-57-29_249.jpg

Here's a view with the psu, HD and DVD drive removed.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x51/jmdale1984/2011-06-07_10-38-22_804.jpg

And here's a couple pics of the strange arrangement of the HD/DVD Drive.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x51/jmdale1984/2011-06-07_10-38-01_515.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x51/jmdale1984/2011-06-07_10-37-52_584.jpg

The power supply I posted the link to in my last post is going to work. i scoured the web and found some more detailed specs on it.

So here's my parts list...

Athena Power Mini ITX 350w Power Supply
Kingston SSDNow V+100 96GB SATA II 3GB/s 2.5" SSD with Upgrade Bundle Kit
Hitachi 250GB 2.5" 5400 RPM SATA II Hard Drive 5K320-250 (used)
Silverstone SDP08 3.5" to 2 x 2.5" Bay Converter
HIS Radeon HD 5570 Silence 2GB (128 bit) DDR3 HDMI PCI-Express 2.1 x 16 Video Card
(2) Kingston HyperX 4GB Kits (2 x 2GB each) 1333MHz (PC 10666) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM

I can do all of this for about $430. Does this all seem in order?

Would it be worth the $55 to upgrade the HD to a Hitachi 320GB 7200 RPM Drive?

What kinda of cables/adapters do I need for the hard drive setup?

 

[jmdale1984]

Scratch that... I'm just gonna use the 2TB drive out of my external and get rid of my DVD Drive. I never use it and I have an external dvd burner if I ever need it. I found a kit to mount the 3.5" drive in place of it. That should free up a little airspace in the pc, and perhaps help with heat a bit. The driver is a Western Digital Caviar Green... so while it may not be the best, it won't be horrible, and it should be much better than than Hitachi laptop drive.

 

[familyman1]

Something to think about is the fact that if you install the ssd in the hdd slot, you will have no room for a second hdd unless you are going to use it as an external drive.

 

[jmdale1984]

Already got that covered. The SSD will be going into the original HD slot, but I will be removing the DVD drive, and putting a 2TB external hard drive in it's place. All my parts are ordered... just waiting to get them on Friday, then I'll be doing the surgery on Saturday.

 

[familyman1]

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[jmdale1984]

Will do. Already tackled putting in the new HDD. Now just waiting for parts.