Optiplex GX280 - Should I upgrade it to Win7?

[Windows i7 920]

I have an old Optiplex GX280 with the following hardware:

Intel Pentium 4 HT @ 3.2 GHz (1 core, 2 threads)
2.5 GB of DDR2 (2x 1GB, 1x 512mb) (Supports up to 1GB x4)
PNY Nvidia Geforce 9400GT 1GB GDDR3 (PCI-Express)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3

Obviously, I'd be putting on 32 bit if I were to upgrade it, but I'm not sure if I'd really gain anything performance-wise by putting on Windows 7. I've heard that it is faster than XP on machines that exceed the minimum system requirements and this PC obviously does. I bought it off eBay for $80, then put some upgrades in it. I added 2GB of RAM and the Nvidia card, which in total cost me $90 for those parts.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Let's just say, given the amount of memory, it wouldn't run any slower than XP. If it was me, I'd upgrade it if I had a license to spare. I don't know if I'd spend the money on Windows 7 for it, unless I got a great deal. You won't have any issues going to Windows 7, though.

 

[Keiichi25]

I would say depends on what you want to do with it. If you aren't planning on doing anything super serious with the computer and you don't have an extra Win 7 license, I would just leave it as is.

 

[bobtran]

It should run really well on the specs you posted. Dealers choice since you already have a paid for install of XP.

I probably would myself but it's a personal choice and I really like Windows 7 even on my older Dell C640 laptop which I upgraded from XP.

 

[Windows i7 920]

It should run really well on the specs you posted. Dealers choice since you already have a paid for install of XP.

I probably would myself but it's a personal choice and I really like Windows 7 even on my older Dell C640 laptop which I upgraded from XP.

I have one of those. Latitude C640. It runs deathly slow on XP though with the 1.8 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB of RAM. How could it run 7 when it only supports a maximum of 1GB of RAM? I didn't think Windows 7 would run very well if you only barely meet the minimum RAM requirement.

 

[WindowsStar]

I have an old Optiplex GX280 with the following hardware:

Intel Pentium 4 HT @ 3.2 GHz (1 core, 2 threads)
2.5 GB of DDR2 (2x 1GB, 1x 512mb) (Supports up to 1GB x4)
PNY Nvidia Geforce 9400GT 1GB GDDR3 (PCI-Express)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3

Obviously, I'd be putting on 32 bit if I were to upgrade it, but I'm not sure if I'd really gain anything performance-wise by putting on Windows 7. I've heard that it is faster than XP on machines that exceed the minimum system requirements and this PC obviously does. I bought it off eBay for $80, then put some upgrades in it. I added 2GB of RAM and the Nvidia card, which in total cost me $90 for those parts.

I have installed Windows 7 on many GX280's runs very well for business. I would not suggest it for games, video editing, CAD work, etc. -WS

 

[fireberd]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model. Thus there are no hardware drivers for any Dell proprietary hardware. You will be on your own to try and find drivers that will work for all the hardware. Dell only supports XP, NT4, Win 2000, DOS and Red Hat Linux 9.0.

 

[Darician]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model. Thus there are no hardware drivers for any Dell proprietary hardware. You will be on your own to try and find drivers that will work for all the hardware. Dell only supports XP, NT4, Win 2000, DOS and Red Hat Linux 9.0.

That may be but generic drivers may more than make up for that. If anything, you can always try setting up a dual-boot to test 7 out before fully migrating to it.

 

[bobtran]

It should run really well on the specs you posted. Dealers choice since you already have a paid for install of XP.

I probably would myself but it's a personal choice and I really like Windows 7 even on my older Dell C640 laptop which I upgraded from XP.

I have one of those. Latitude C640. It runs deathly slow on XP though with the 1.8 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB of RAM. How could it run 7 when it only supports a maximum of 1GB of RAM? I didn't think Windows 7 would run very well if you only barely meet the minimum RAM requirement.

You need to upgrade the bios to A10 and it will then accept/use 2gb of ram (2 x 1gb). You can also upgrade the cpu to a max of 2.6 Ghz cpu P4m (SL6WZ - hard to find but worth it).

You can upgrade to any of these processors:

Pentium 4-M 1.9 1900 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.0 2000 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.1 2100 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.2 2200 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.3 2300 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.4 2400 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.5 2500 512 400
Pentium 4-M 2.6 2600 512 400

 

[Keiichi25]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model. Thus there are no hardware drivers for any Dell proprietary hardware. You will be on your own to try and find drivers that will work for all the hardware. Dell only supports XP, NT4, Win 2000, DOS and Red Hat Linux 9.0.

Actually, Dell wouldn't support it anyways. The Optiplex GX280 series computers are like 5 to 6 years old. Well outside their current support range unless you bought the extended warranty, but for the most part, they would urge you to a newer computer anyways.

As for drivers in general... Once a computer is off their normal support life, they tend not to update the drivers even for the supported OS they post as there is rarely a need to keep the drivers up to date on models they no longer support. The support page will be up, but that is as far as they will support it and you are still on your own with drivers and the like. The pro of it all, though, is the older drivers will at least give people an idea of the hardware used like the Ethernet, the sound and board chipset versus bumbling around trying to figure it out by looking at the system board.

 

[WindowsStar]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model. Thus there are no hardware drivers for any Dell proprietary hardware. You will be on your own to try and find drivers that will work for all the hardware. Dell only supports XP, NT4, Win 2000, DOS and Red Hat Linux 9.0.

Actually, Dell wouldn't support it anyways. The Optiplex GX280 series computers are like 5 to 6 years old. Well outside their current support range unless you bought the extended warranty, but for the most part, they would urge you to a newer computer anyways.

As for drivers in general... Once a computer is off their normal support life, they tend not to update the drivers even for the supported OS they post as there is rarely a need to keep the drivers up to date on models they no longer support. The support page will be up, but that is as far as they will support it and you are still on your own with drivers and the like. The pro of it all, though, is the older drivers will at least give people an idea of the hardware used like the Ethernet, the sound and board chipset versus bumbling around trying to figure it out by looking at the system board.

Dell Support or not is really a moot point. Even if the machine still has valid support for some reason the machine is NOT on the Dell Windows 7 List or the Microsoft Windows 7 List. So the fact that someone wants to load Windows 7 on the machine they should know that they are going to be completely responsible for supporting the machine.

We have many GX280 machines running in the enterprise with Windows 7. As a business class machine they work very well. (Note: 1gig of ram or better, new 160 gig 7200 RPM drive or better is required). They will not run CAD, GFX software, Video software, etc. very well if at all and we do NOT recommend that you do.

 

[Windows i7 920]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model. Thus there are no hardware drivers for any Dell proprietary hardware. You will be on your own to try and find drivers that will work for all the hardware. Dell only supports XP, NT4, Win 2000, DOS and Red Hat Linux 9.0.

Actually, Dell wouldn't support it anyways. The Optiplex GX280 series computers are like 5 to 6 years old. Well outside their current support range unless you bought the extended warranty, but for the most part, they would urge you to a newer computer anyways.

As for drivers in general... Once a computer is off their normal support life, they tend not to update the drivers even for the supported OS they post as there is rarely a need to keep the drivers up to date on models they no longer support. The support page will be up, but that is as far as they will support it and you are still on your own with drivers and the like. The pro of it all, though, is the older drivers will at least give people an idea of the hardware used like the Ethernet, the sound and board chipset versus bumbling around trying to figure it out by looking at the system board.

Dell Support or not is really a moot point. Even if the machine still has valid support for some reason the machine is NOT on the Dell Windows 7 List or the Microsoft Windows 7 List. So the fact that someone wants to load Windows 7 on the machine they should know that they are going to be completely responsible for supporting the machine.

We have many GX280 machines running in the enterprise with Windows 7. As a business class machine they work very well. (Note: 1gig of ram or better, new 160 gig 7200 RPM drive or better is required). They will not run CAD, GFX software, Video software, etc. very well if at all and we do NOT recommend that you do.

Not too sure on the not being able to run CAD software. Mine has an Nvidia 9400GT 1GB. Yes, this is not a very good card, but it has been good enough for running Cube 2: Sauerbraten. Also, I never use customer support unless it is for a reinstall issue with software I purchased (usually caused by anti-piracy measures in it)

 

[Lee]

i7, I both an HP at a yard sell ($35.00) with the same processor. Now I know it is not a Dell, however, I used the Vista drivers that HP had posted for this Model and they all worked just fine. Give it a try in a dual boot configuration and see how it goes. It you do please post back so we can all see how it goes. Thanks.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model.

It is an Intel proc on an Intel chipset board. You can always find drivers, or use the included ones for Windows 7. Not offering support, doesn't mean support doesn't exist.

 

[stormy13]

It is an Intel proc on an Intel chipset board. You can always find drivers, or use the included ones for Windows 7. Not offering support, doesn't mean support doesn't exist.

Going to be the ones that come with Windows only as that motherboard has the old Grantsdale (AKA Intel 915) chipset in it, which will work just fine for it. The problems start if it is the version with the Intel integrated graphics that do not have a Windows 7 driver, and people want Aero and whatnot.

Dell DOES NOT support Vista or Win 7 on this model.

Neither does Intel for that matter.