Should I just get a new PC?

[meesterpickles]

I'm writing this after recovering from the 7th crash I've had this week. I have an old Dell Dimension E521 that I've upgraded with 6 gigs of ram, dual screens and Windows 7 ultimate. However I'm beginning to think its on its last leg. When its working it runs very smooth, but its been sporadically crashing for a few months.

Is it worth fixing it? Or should I just get a new one?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Generally speaking it's never a bad idea to upgrade from a Dell.

 

[McMullen]

Well, you've made hardware and software changes, so one of those could be the problem. I've heard dual monitors don't play well with some graphics cards or motherboards, and there's always the small chance you got some bad RAM. Depends on how much time you want to spend troubleshooting I guess, but there's a chance you could fix the problem without huge expense. I'd investigate that first.

Unless it's really old.

 

[evilneko]

Sure. Just send me your old one.

 

[Esotera]

If it entirely dies and you can't run windows even after reinstallation, consider running Linux on it, as that generally gives an extra few years of life to old machines. You'll still need a new machine if you want windows, but you'll still have the old one as well.

You may want to post more detailed specs.

 

[Archangel768]

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dime521/en/SM_EN/specs.htm

According to this the manual says it supports up to 6gb ram yet you said you got 6gb in it. Maybe it just doesn't like going over 4gb. Or maybe you have bad ram (or some other bad hardware)

Also, did it only start crashing once you upgraded your computer? If it only started crashing 'Soon' after you installed new hardware then you'll probably find it's something you upgraded. If it only started crashing like a year after you upgraded it then it could possible be any part of the computer that's crashing it. Also, if you can't find a hardware problem it would probably be a good idea to re-install windows like the other guy said.

 

[Hateren47]

It seems your motherboard doesn't support RAM modules larger than 1GB so I'd suggest you only use that. Then at least one full test with Memtest86+ [http://www.memtest.org/#downiso] to see if they are working right.

Or get a new computer since, you know, it's a dell.

 

[Wolfram23]

^ It says max 4gb not 6. That could be an issue...

It's also running dual monitors off integrated graphics. Not the worst thing in the world if you just use it for Windows... but otherwise...

Anyway what sort of crashes? PC just up and restarts itself? That's probably a bad PSU. Bluescreens are more likely related to the RAM.

 

[Tanakh]

Is it worth fixing it? Or should I just get a new one?

Update if you have the money. Toasters this days have better CPUs and GPUs than your computer

That said, WAIT till nvidia launches his Kepler line; will be a couple of months and you will see a price drop across the board (of GPUs).

 

[Loop Stricken]

Just remember not to junk the old ram if you do buy a new one. I've heard ram's not all that expensive nowadays but why waste money if the stuff you have is still fine, right?

Also, after having a laugh at Dell, look into knocking your own system together. It's genuinely not difficult since parts can really only fit where they're meant to go. Oh, and don't buy Alienware, because it's Dell, and horrendously overpriced.

 

[Rad Party God]

Yup, It's definitively a good idea, you'll may even reuse some parts of your old Dell. As a rule of thumb, don't buy any specific brand, just build it yourself, or get someone else build it for you.

 

[Upbeat Zombie]

I would buy a custom Hp they're pretty good computers for the money.

 

[lacktheknack]

First, see if uninstalling a ton of old crap software, killing your temporary files and de-glitching your registry helps.

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

^That'll let you do all three.

Make sure you run the registry patcher repeatedly, as fixing issues can cause MORE issues. Think of it as water in a vase sitting on a desk in a room that's about to be hit by a hurricane (the patcher). If the floor goes, then it'll break the desk. If you remove the desk afterwards, then you have a broken vase left behind. And if you clean up the broken vase, there's STILL water to clean up. If you reach a third round of errors, it's a good bet that your registry was punching itself in the face.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

If you're gainfully employed, I'd do a little research and treat yourself to a new rig.

If money is an issue. Dust bust the fans and try excluding ram modules to see if you can find stability. If you open Device Manager > Event Viewer, and then see what the crash report says...that might give you some idea of what is faulting.