This blog post covers maintenance and upgrades for the Advent DT2110 PC.
The computer was a second-hand purchase for £205 GBP in December 2013. In June 2019, I saw a DT2110 listed on eBay for £60 with £7.50 postage costs.
Last updated: 12th June 2019
Introduction
This isn’t my computer, but I help the owners out with maintenance and upgrades. This blog post will be updated over time until my involvement with the PC ends.
Computer description
I’m unsure if any changes occurred to the hardware before the PC was purchased second-hand via eBay. So it’s possible the specifications upon purchase could be different to the original.
The specification upon purchase:
- Intel Core i5-2320 @ 3.00GHz (4 cores)
- Foxconn H61MX motherboard with on-board Intel HD graphics
- 400W PSU (CIT ATX 12V Model:400HE)
- 8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 ram (using two slots)
- Intel HD Graphics 1000 (GT1)
- 1TB mechanical hard drive
- DVD drive (can’t remember if a writer)
Upgrades since purchase:
- Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 PCIe low profile graphics card
- 2x SSD (and removal of the mechanical hard drive)
Windows OS
They were using Windows 7 and for a while they were content with the OS, but we then decided to upgrade to Windows 10, as they want the option to use the computer after Windows 7’s end of service.
Graphics card
In late 2017 a Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 PCIe low profile graphics card was fitted. This graphics card was chosen due to price, performance and low power requirements.
I had to upgrade the H61MX motherboard bios from 8.0.2.1410 BC1F1PO2 04/03/2012 to PC1F1PO8 12/25/2013, as the computer wouldn’t boot with the graphics card inserted. Once I had performed a bios update, the graphics card worked.
Photo of H61MX BC1F1P02 bios info
Photo of H61MX BC1F1P08 bios info
Comparing the i5-2320 to another CPU
I can’t say I’m that impressed with the i5-2320 3GHz 4 core socket 1155 LGA CPU that is in this PC. Thankfully there are better socket 1155 CPUs for the H61MX motherboard.
In my main PC (not the Advent DT2110), I’m still using a socket 775 Q9400 CPU, which is a 2.6GHz core 2 quad. I personally wouldn’t change my own hardware, to use the i5-2320 on a socket 1155 LGA motherboard. I know the i5-2320 is faster, but I’ve not felt the difference between my computer’s CPU and the CPU in the owner’s DT2110 PC, when web browsing.
Upgrade considerations
In recent years, a new graphics card and SSD in the DT2110 have made a noticeable difference to performance. The last upgrades that are being considered are a better CPU and PSU.
Conclusion
The current owner primarily uses the computer for email and web browsing and they’re happy with the hardware upgrades that have occurred to improve performance.