Acer X3400 parts upgrade

D

DLambie

Posts: 82   +1
My friend has an Acer X3400 (slimline so smaller than standard desktops and normal stuff will not fit in it) and is playing SWTOR and needs a new video card has it runs on a on-board Geforce 9200 and will need a bigger power supply prob. as it has only a 220 power supply in it - I was like wt... has his computer is only a year old. Coupe Questions:

1. if went from 4GB of RAM to 8GB (the max it can have) will we beable to allocate RAM to the video card?,


2. what video card (remember good for gaming) and power supply do you recommend?

David
 
You shouldn't allocate system ram for a video card while playing games but you can in many cases I think. The new video card should come with it's own ram for its exclusive use. You'll need to find a half-height video card to fit in that case. Most gaming cards aren't half-height.

There are plenty of small PSUs that can provide power for a small video card. Which power supply he gets depends on how much space is actually available for a new PSU and the power requirements for the new video card and probably a few other factors I haven't considered yet.

x0wmh5hi.jpg


If that is the back of your friends computer I don't think the power supply easily comes off. The power socket seems to be built into the case. You'd probably need a BTX case & power supply and then you could go nuts with a new video card. Even if you did get a new case, you wouldn't have a back plate to put in place. :( See the number 10. It seems to be built into the case and would make replacing the power supply difficult. That may be an ATX motherboard in a BTX case; I can't tell from here.
 
DLambie said:
... will need a bigger power supply prob. as it has only a 220 power supply in it - I was like wt... has his computer is only a year old. Coupe Questions:

1. if went from 4GB of RAM to 8GB (the max it can have) will we beable to allocate RAM to the video card?,


2. what video card (remember good for gaming) and power supply do you recommend?

David
Click to expand...

The specs page here:

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/desktop/2010/acer/Aspire/AspireX3400/AspireX3400sp2.shtml

lists the options this system originally came with. I notice the Radeon 5570 is the best listed card. The NV 320 follows closely. IMHO either should work fine as long as you understand the inherent risk of using a small output power supply.

The major risk is chronic under volting which will appear as a random crashes while under loads such as gaming. You may also experience temporary freezing and/or lock ups. If either appear or begin to appear regularly then a higher output power supply is recommended. SFF PSU such as this case requires may be hard to find, but then again a local shop would be my first stop for someone who is new to this process. Many will offer an opinion and give a quote if you phone and arrange to bring the machine in first.

While the 5570 wouldn't give a totally awesome experience, it will beat the pants off the IGP. For better gaming performance you will need a bigger faster GPU and a more powerful PSU. 400W as a minimum.

I would recommend that you check around for a PSU replacement based on physical dimensions of what will fit first and then the GPU based on the wattage of the found PSU. Remember too that you will be looking for a Low Profile card or one with the adapter bracket. BTW these are usually lower powered cards due to the size constraints of the case, i.e. lack of space for cooling and card area for more transistors.
 
I have the Acer x3400 and im looking to put a new graphics card in to been looking at GTX 550 Ti but I know it wouldnt fit in the case cos its abit small and im trying to look for a new case to fit the x3400 parts in and im have no luck I know ill need a new Psu aswell but can you recommend any case's that would fit the x3400 motherboard and rge gtx 550 ti and a 500 watts psu in it thanks
 
I don't know much about BTX motherboards and cases. Looking at the case from the outside, it's a BTX case. There are large differences between a BTX case and the much more common ATX case. BTX and ATX are not compatible. These are the only BTX cases I could find, and the Thermaltake Armor is way out of stock, and very expensive if it weren't out of stock.

http://www.xoxide.com/btx-case.html
 
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