I have a dell E520. i don't know if i have pci express. How do i check. I don't want to open up my comp.

Yes it has PCI Express.
Click on this WEB site for the specs for this model Dell.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dime521/en/SM_EN/specs.htm

I don't see any VGA drivers listed for any of the Windows 7 versions,

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Desktop+Boards&ProductLine=Intel%C2%AE+945+Express+Chipset+Family+Boards&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+Desktop+Board+D945GCCR

Guess they felt the drivers in the O/S (Win7) would support the Intel 945GC chipset, and it's Integrated Graphics. (Intel GMA 950)

Product Guide, (Motherboard manual), download link,

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d945gccr/sb/CS-024514.htm

Intel 945GC chipset info,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intel_chipsets#Core_2_chipsets

IMHO the next course of action to take, would be to buy an economical PCI Express graphics card, and install it in the
PCI Express x16 expansion slot, on the motherboard.

It will have drivers for Win7.

[Driver: A small piece of software that allows the Operating System to communicate with a device.

Win7 is the O/S, and graphics chipset is the device ]

Something as economical as this example, will work,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2759376&CatId=3585

[NOTE*
The Intel 945GC came out in the first quarter of 2007.
According to what I read, the launch date was the first quarter of 2005.

Don't know what transpired in the meantime. Maybe Intel didn't release it until it had PCI Express 2.0 support.

At any rate..........

PCI Express is a technology.

The first release under the PCI Express name, was the
PCI Express 1.0 version.
Year? 2004.

Next upgrade version was PCI Express 1.1
The version after that was PCI Express 2.0
Year? 2007 (January 15, 2007)

I don't know if the 945GC chipset on your motherboard, uses the
PCI Express 1.1 version, or the PCI Express 2.0 version.

The graphics card is based on the PCI Express 2.0 version.

Does it matter? NO
Why?
Because PCI Express 2.0 is Backward Compatible, with
PCI Express 1.1

In otherwords the PCI Express 2.0 graphics card WILL work, on a motherboard based on the PCI Express 1.1 technology.

Will you get the full capabilities of the PCI Express 2.0 graphics card?
NO

Will you notice?
NO

PCI Express 1.1 technology has a PER lane data rate of 250MegaBytes per Second. (250MB/s)
A transfer rate of 2.5GigaTransfer/s per Second. (250GT/s)

PCI Express 2.0 technology has a per lane data rate of 500MB/s.
A transfer rate of 5.0GT/s ]

For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

A version that is Wireless N.

You can install a Wireless N adapter card in any available (Open)
white PCI slot, or use a Wireless N adapter that plugs into any available USB port.

1) Dell Support > Studio XPS 8100 Desktop PC > Service Manual,

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/studio8100/en/sm/index.htm

I would like you to click on - Technical Overview

Now on System Board Components

The number 23 points to the white PCI slot.
The numbers 24 and 26 point to a PCI-Express x1 slot.

You can buy a Wireless N adapter card to fit either a PCI slot, or a PCI-Express x1 slot.

{NOTE* Number 27 points to a PCI-Express x16 slot.
This = NO.
This expansion slot is used for a graphics card, ONLY }

Examples of a Wireless N adapter card for a PCI slot, and a PCI-Express x1 slot,

A) PCI: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4389486&CatId=2701

B) PCI-Express x1:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=788312&CatId=2702

C) USB:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5079829&CatId=2688

Why use anything but a USB Wireless N adapter?
I don't know. They allow me to toot the whistle, but not drive the train.

Information on PCI, and PCI-Express;

PCI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_local_bus

PCI-Express:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

For additional questions please post in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette

every computer will have at least one pci slot its white in color i insert your card in to the slot and press it tightly and screw the pci card to cabin and insert the cd received with the pci card and install them

You should download the drivers BEFORE you change the OS and maybe put them on a flash drive or burn them to a CD.

You can get them direct from the DELL site.

It maybe that your XP disc does not recognise a SATA drive and for that reason you should use the F6 option whilst booting from the XP setup disk and point it to the CD or flash drive.

From then on you should be able to format the disck.

Some of the dells are a little tricky that way.

You may also have to change the bios option as for sata type
I have had to do this on a few dell laptops.to down grade from vista to XP

Any PCI sound card can be fitted such as this one for example located here: http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=376099&sourceid=2459&CAWELAID=355969297 be sure it's PCI only, and not PCI Express, as your system does not support PCI Express.

taking the backup of your outlook and reinstall the window.

Any PCI lan card should work fine.

go to the following link and select the Operating system.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P4_CEL_2400&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=
maek sure you to make a folder for all of the downloads.

is video card pluged in tell bios pci express video snaped down good