This post is more than 5 years old
4 Posts
0
57769
Power supply upgrade for my Dell XPS 8100?
I'm looking to upgrade the power supply in my Dell XPS 8100 from the OEM 350W to a power supply of at least 550W so I can install a Blu-Ray reader & writer drive, & so I can replace the ATi Radeon HD 5570 1GB GDRR5 Graphics card with 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5. What would be a good power supply for my computer?
Here are my specs:
Intel Core i7-870,
16GB of DDR3 Ram(was 8GB but I upgraded to 16GB),
1.5TB HD,
ATi Radeon HD 5570 1GB GDDR5.
Also, will this card work good with my computer:
& what will be a good Blu-Ray Writer for my computer that's not too expensive?
This is my computer right now:
Dan-H
1.2K Posts
0
September 8th, 2015 22:00
Here is a post that details what size will fit:
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19483753
But, ...
GT 740 isn't a whole lot faster than the Radeon 5570 so its not much of an upgrade. What is it you are doing that needs 4GB of V-RAM?
Have you looked at a 4GB GTX 750 ti ? Much faster...
www.newegg.com/.../Product.aspx
If you do go with a GT 740, I think it may use less power than the 5570, and if you buy a "green" BluRay burner it may use less power than your current optical drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252
MCJosiah
4 Posts
0
September 8th, 2015 23:00
Well I manly use this computer as a music production computer. I produce Alternative Hip Hop &/or Christian Hip Hop. But there might be times I might do some video work or Photoshop work as well, or even alittle gaming. I wanna upgrade for two reasons.
With Graphics Card:
1. My current one has issues, like if I try to start the computer into a mode that doesn't use the specific video drivers for the card, or run super intense graphics for a long period, then the card stops & the screen go's black, & I have to wait several minutes to restart the computer.
2. Future-Proofing(Sort of), like I plan to use this for this computer for music work for the next 2-3 years, then I might give to my little brother, which by then I'll be building or getting a new computer with at least 32GB of Ram & a 6-Core-8-Core Xeon(What ever is around by then). So I want my brother to have a good computer.
With the Blu-Ray Drive:
So I can play Blu-Ray disc, & if I produce any music videos in HD, I can burn them to Blu-Ray also, for selling at shows.
Dan-H
1.2K Posts
0
September 9th, 2015 08:00
The description helps.
I'd shoot for a good quality 500W PSU. If you can afford a little more I'd go for a top-brand 80 plus gold as it will likely outlast the rest of the computer. Here is a link to a search on pc part picker for 500W + from Seasonic, XFX and EVGA that are 80 plus gold and ATX12v.
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/power-supply/#m=14,71,39&W=500,800&e=4&t=5&sort=a9&page=1
I would avoid EVGA models that do not end in G2 or GS. G2 is made by superflower and GS is made by seasonic two of the top-tier manufacturers. All XFX power supplies are made by seasonic.
So weighing in today at about $70 is this model.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220gs0550v1
Corsair has some PSUs in this range also, but they are manufactured by several different companies. I don't care for the CS line as they are made by Great Wall and don't seem to have the same specs or internals according to all the reviews, and the price typically isn't better.
If $70 is too much, then I'd drop the 80 plus gold requirement and look at the Bronze models. They downside of Bronze is they are less efficient, which translates to more heat generated on the higher end, and typically the bronze models use lesser quality electronics. Not bad, just not great.
If you shop for deals you can get a 500 to 600 W model, 80+Bronze, same MFgs. in the $30 to $40 range. I included Corsair here as their low-end models match the lower end built-by-seasonic.
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/power-supply/#m=11,14,71,39&W=500,800&e=4,2&t=4,5&sort=a9&page=1
Graphics cards..
The amount of V-RAM is driven by the software and the resolution of the monitor so the 4GB Graphics cards are coming out to support 4K monitors and (mostly) games at higher resolution or with more detail.
a GT 730 is a decent low-end card, very close to the one you have but it won't game well. I think the next step up is a GTX 750 ti for around $100, then a GTX 950 around $150 and then a GTX 960 which have been on sale for about $185.
The 4GB models of these run a little more, but unless you are doing 4K resolution and playback, I think a 2GB card is fine.
BR-reader/writer http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/optical-drive/#t=1&sort=a10&page=1 Pick one and read the reviews and see if there are excessive complaints for burning. I don't know alot of people that burn disks any more so I don't have any recommendation.
You haven't mentioned an SSD, the one upgrade that I've found extends the life of just about anything. Prices are really coming down. a 250GB is enough for the OS and some of the programs and are often in the $80 range on sale.
The rest of the system while older is still solid and a good platform to add a few well placed upgrades. The graphics card is the hardest choice since you can always spend a little more and get a little more.
Good luck.
MCJosiah
4 Posts
0
November 1st, 2015 18:00
What about a GT 740? Like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TB8XQUI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1446428142&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=gt+740+low+profile&dpPl=1&dpID=51OR5uzeA3L&ref=plSrch
Will it be enough for basic video editing & Photoshop. Also enough for light games like Kerbal Space Program, GTA SA, Simcity 4 & Minecraft?