GPU upgrade for low-end PSU

haha. don't like my desktop? is it the witcher 2 background or the mess of icons? =P

Anyways. Beyond just the memory thing, general consensus is that if I upgrade to the gtx 460 i will probably have cooling problems with my pc?

A valid concern actually. It may be worthwhile to call HP about it, but then again, it may be a waste of time to bother.



I think one in each blue slot is the safest bet. You can always put a stick back in if it pleases you.

I dig the image, but I am a meticulous basta- err, well, I am compulsive about many things. As for cooling, YES, you currently lack it, YOU REALLY NEED IT, and with hardware upgrades comes heat, usually.

I'd guess that means triple channel asymmetric? Does that even exist? In that case, speeds would be the same as single channel.

I think you'll have more problems with the power supply.

BTW I see blue and black; I can't make out a pattern, but it really should have some sort of a color coding.
EDIT: Oh. Hello. Blue and black, I see.

is there like some kind of RAM benchmark I can run to determine the performance before and after I'd remove a stick?

also, If I'd have to replace my case, PSU and graphics card, I might as well just suffer through with this setup until I get a new computer unless there is another card that I might just be able to drop in that wouldn't be a HUGE upgrade but would be better than what I have now and not force me to replace the case and PSU along with it...

Memtest maybe? I am unsure.

Just add some fans, man! Big ones if you can! Hell, I'd start drilling. Gee, aren't computers fun? ...

EDIT: That PSU is probably a lost cause though, but hey, it's not the end of the world.

I wish I could get this RAM thing sorted out. I mean I took out a stick but it doesn't really SEEM to make any difference.

And i also wish I could decide what to do about the GPU upgrade. I wish there was just a solution where I could use my current unmodified case and psu but that doesn't look good. I've definitely learned the hard way about buying pre-fab systems...

Would a 5770 work ok with my setup perhaps? I know it's not a HUGE improvement over my 250 but it would help and it would be cheap and I heard that that card has low power consumption and generates little heat...

I don't think it would be easy to notice.
I'm pretty sure memtest will not tell you what you want.

Right, that's why I wish there was a more definitive way to tell...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260836559977&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123#ht_500wt_1413

would that be a sensible upgrade. I realize it is an old card but from what I can tell it is a pretty decent improvement over the gts 250 I currently have. Also, I have been in contact with the seller and it actually came out of another HP Elite model of computer with a similar configuration as mine using the identical case and PSU as i have so i'm pretty confident it would work.

Also, I may be able to get it for cheaper than the $60 price...

What are you planning on doing/playing? I apologize if you mentioned it already. I may have missed it. Seriously though, use the wattage calculator I linked before. I would add some capacitor aging into the mix, maybe 10% for each year you've had the machine. Also, check out the TechSpot review on graphical processing units; it is a good starting point.

Both of these links should help you on your path to glorious gaming.

I plan on playing SC2, Witcher 2, Diablo 3, Deus Ex Human Revolution, TES: Skyrim...those are my short term plans at least.

And according to the wattage calculator link you sent me with a gtx 460 1 GB in it the recommended was 441w but I am skeptical of all that because I know this PSU is a piece of garbage. I've actually been in contact with the ebay seller of that card who has an almost identical system to me because he upgraded to a 560 Ti and said he has had no problems. He also upgraded the PSU to support this so I asked him which one he got that fit and worked in his system to maybe get a similar or identical PSU as he did and then just put in a 460 or an HD 6850 instead of the 560 Ti he put in.

He said he hasn't had any problems with cooling with the 560 Ti and the new PSU he put into the same case as I have but I'm still a bit skeptical.

But seriously everyone you have been so much help so far and I really appreciate it.

Hmmm, you are right to be suspicious. What, may I ask, is your budget in this scenario?

slim to none. I mean, if there was a card that i could just plop in a be done with it I would spend maybe $150 to $160 but that doesn't seem to be the case.

That being said, I can also just buy a new PSU myself and ask for the GPU for Christmas or something. Or I could bite the bullet and just buy them both. Bottom line is I'd rather do it right than super cheap but buying a new PC is just out of the question.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153116

that is the PSU that the guy on ebay got for his PC which is almost the same as what I have (in fact, only the GPU that he got and the HDD size were different). He says it works great and he has no problems running that PSU in his case with a 560 Ti.

Now, if you all on here think that there's some truth to that I could get that PSU for my computer and either drop in a 460 or a 6850 (which I guess is a better card according to the techspot reviews for budget cards). Each of which are ~$150 or 160.

Does any of what I just said even have the slightest chance of working?

I find it difficult to believe he doesn't have any heat issues, assuming he didn't install something extra with regard. Other than that, and without overclocking, sure, it seems realistic enough. If I were you, I would add some fans. They are cheap, and do wonders when added properly. Considering the modular PSU, more fan cooling should do a nice trick. Does that case have space and pre-drilled holes for some fans? I would guess YES on the former, and MAYBE on the latter.

I don't really know where the fans would go? Can you see any spots from the pictures of the open case I posted on page 1? I will open it up and poke around a little more directly tomorrow morning but if you have a clue where to look that can only help out.

Damn, the vent holes on that case are dirty. I didn't notice that before. It looks like Mr. Fifi got sucked in there and shredded up into furry bits. Poor kitty.

I can't see any pre-drilled holes from your images. Obviously you have the PSU fan, and an exhaust fan, but as I believe was pointed out earlier, 80mm isn't exactly impressive.



We need to insure some decent air flow. You should have a few sets of holes in the lower part of the front panel to accommodate a few sizes for intake, but you may have one set alone. You can see this better from the inside of the case, otherwise remove the front panel and look. I see some vent holes on the right panel (I believe), the higher one may imply that there is a pre-drilled spot for a side intake fan, but I have my doubts. See if there is another set of holes where the exhaust fan goes. Hopefully you can at the least get a 120mm fan in there.

Drilling is fun too, you know?

Everyone on this site will likely shun me for saying this, but since you are trying to save money, you COULD POSSIBLY CONSIDER THE NOTION of purchasing a cheap case/PSU combination, insuring a case with more ventilation areas, and getting more wattage under peak. You may kill two birds with one stone and for a bit less that way, leaving room for some fans and a new GPU (though several cases I am looking at come with some or all fans pre-installed).

The drawback is that the case may not be the greatest and the PSU could almost stink as bad as the one you have, only with a higher provision of power for your build. Here are some combinations. (Hard refresh that link [CTRL + F5] and you may seem some different ones pop up.)

These combos aren't bad in my opinion, especially when compared to your current CHA and PSU. Now if you really want to rough it, look for something akin to one of these with a power supply already inside. Ugh.

Do some shopping and read some buyer comments and/or site reviews before making a purchase. I think you could come out in decent shape considering.

Well I opened the case up again to poke around for some fan room. There are definitely holes to support a bigger fan on the back but throughout the rest of the case there are no pre-drilled holes for fans and beyond that there doesn't even seem to be room enough to even put a fan. Everywhere where there is a vent to let air in or out there is just stuff up so close to those holes that I don't think you could ever fit a fan in...

From the pics I've provided is it likely that all the guts of my PC would fit into a standard ATX case if I wanted to change cases?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.693977

you don't think something like that is a good PSU?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

would those two items bought separately be better than the combo? the price would be close to the same...

And finally I attached a picture from Everest RAM benchmark to try and sort out my RAM thing. I currently took out the stick that was in the black slot and left the 3 in that were in the blue slots and maybe this can tell me whether it is in triple channel or not but to be honest I'm not 100% sure I know what i'm looking at...

One, I don't think the wattage calculator means anything.
Two, IMO you're obsessing over cooling too much.
Three, what's your budget now, after mulling it over?

BTW I don't particularly like the Rosewill combo.

budget i'd say is around $300 but if i can spend less i'd like to. I guess i'd spend up to $350 if i needed a new case, card, and PSU

It is showing up in triple channel, there (*points at screen*), toward the bottom of the window in your image. CPU-Z also revealed this earlier, before you removed a stick, and I now know Piriform Speccy does too. They are the same bunch that made CCleaner.

About your selections I do not see any immediate issues. The more recent reviews are fairly solid as far as I can tell. One Verified Owner stated that the Rosewill case fan(s) were too loud, another complained that the case had poor wire management within the right panel space. Both gave it 3 or 4 out of 5 Eggs and complimented it overall.
The Rosewill power supply received solid recent reviews. 4-5 of 5 Eggs all around.
For the price and your budget, I think this combination is fine.

The Antec case is certainly superior to the Rosewill one. Good recent reviews all in all.
The Corsair power supply is in the same boat as the Antec case, with all good recent reviews from Verified Owners.

I trust opinions on here more than on the Newegg comments area, however these people are Verified Owners, and can shed a better light on the product than anyone here who hasn't used it.

Also note that the warranties on the Antec and Corsair are better than the Rosewill combination. As are the features, but in the computer world things usually get considerably better when you add only a small amount of money. While this isn't always the case, it is most of the time.

Well, as far as I have used it, it matches up pretty good. It helps add up the components before buying. Obviously the only real way to know is to hook it all up and check it with a meter, such as a Kill-A-Watt, but since he doesn't have the new PSU what else is there besides adding up parts the old fashioned way, and using an online calculator?

I may be obsessing over cooling (he wasn't all that concerned with it before), but as his current system pretty much lacks it entirely, I think it is worth looking at. The cooler it is, the longer it lives, at least in my experience.

He mentioned earlier that he was trying to spend no more than 150$ or 160$, stating that his budget was basically "slim to none", which is why I began throwing out budget ideas. To recap (for anyone that wants or needs one): He's looking at getting a new GPU, possibly a GTX 460 or 560 Ti. We all seemed to agree that he needed a better PSU. I believe Leeky was the first to mention cooling issues. I seconded the motion. That was when I saw that, for the price of that splendid PSU he linked earlier, he could actually get another different PSU instead, along with a better case than what he has.
This is my take on it all.

I pretty much agree with you on the Rosewill combination, but what else can he do with such a low amount of funds?

That liberates you a little from before. I think you may be able to get the GTX 560 Ti.

EDIT: The efficiency of these PSU's you linked is around 80% or higher for both of them (80% of 630 or 650 watts is 504 and 520 watts respectively [peak/load of course]), so bear that in mind as well when calculating power, no matter the means by which you calculate. Generally computers don't use as much as we expect, but it is better to be safe than sorry.