Studio XPS 435MT and the Dell ATI Radeon 4850

Does that mean that I wasted money buying a 500w Antec PSU to go with my  aftermarket 1GB 9600GT :(

Yes, you did.

And there's really no difference between a retail card and what Dell supplies with the system. What matters is the max output of the PSU and the capabilities of the PSU's 12V rail(s). ATI and Nvidia always have high power requirements for their video cards.

A good rule for Dell systems and running high-end video cards is to go by what power connections are available by the PSU in a particular model. The 435MT has one 6pin power connector, and can run any video card that requires one (or no) 6pin power connector. This would include the HD4850, 9800GT, or even a GTS 250. However, a card like the HD4870, HD4890, GTX 260 or GTX 275, requires two 6pin power connectors, so these cards would run well in an XPS 630, XPS 730, or XPS 730x, and also a Precision T3400 when ordered with the optional 525W power supply.

Is there a Dell-supplied upgrade for the power supply on the 435 MT?

Also, what is the 435MT's power supply's 12V rail capacity?

I've been checking out high-end video cards.  Some of them will say, for example, that they need 26A on the 12V rail.

Is that saying they need it on ONE rail, or the TOTAL of the 12V rails?

Is there a Dell-supplied upgrade for the power supply on the 435 MT?
* Nope.

Also, what is the 435MT's power supply's 12V rail capacity?
* An existing user will have to look at the power supply label and tell us.

LIke I said above, any video card which requires only one (or no) 6pin power connector will work just fine in the 435MT. If the video card requires two 6pin (or one 6pin and one 8pin) power connectors, it will not. I know this rule isn't technically oriented in regards to amperage on 12V rails, but it still works.

Hi All,

I had a Radeon 4850 card from my previous system (which is now sadly deceased) that I swapped into the 435MT. My card had one 6-pin connection, which I easily plugged in to the power supply, and it works nicely now.

Binky123,

Wouldn't a 500W or more PSU be able to better cope with external power surges and internet power demands?
* Sure, but then the price point of the computer would have to go up.

And please answer this, can the warranty be used to order Dell to get me a better power supply?
* Nope.

Like refunding the PSU and I will buy the better PSU with the extra?
* Nope.

Contact Support and have the power supply replaced.

anyone successfully changeout the psu and stuff a high-end card (ati or nv)?  if so, can you please post specifics?  (i REALLY do not want to swap out to another case like i read another member did ~ nor do i want to invest in another mobo and swap everything over.) 

/sigh

/rethinks this purchase

I replaced the psu with a BFG 550Watt psu

I replaced the video card with a Nvidia 8800GTX

Problem: The holders for the power cables have to be bent down to accommodate a larger psu.

Problem: The long cables on an aftermarket PSU crowd the case

Problem: The PCI-E slot os so low in the case, the heat builds up to dangerous levels

Problem: The southbridge is cooled by the vacuum effect of the rear fan. If the side is removed to

cool the video card, it gets amazingly hot. Dangerously hot.

Problem: The slot below the card has connectors for the USB, etc. You can't fit a slot cooler.

Summary:  The case is designed for a range of low powered cards, and is unsuitable for anything

with performance. The heat builds to levels that can damage the GPU.

Sounds like a lot of trouble to put an 8800 GTX card in the 435MT. I replaced an HD3450 with a 1GB GTS 250 without replacing the PSU and everything fits just fine.

You need at least a 475 watt psu for that card + i7. It's only a matter of time before your psu goes boom.

So an HD 4770 should work without a hitch on dells stock 360W psu? It would seem so since it uses less power than a 4850 while maintaining near identical performance. Seems quite large though, the Sapphire HD 4770 look like it would  fit just fine in the case :) So for anyone upgrading from that boggy HD 3650 go with a HD 4770! :emotion-21:

That seems logical. The 4770 isn't too much different from the 4850 anyway in performance. However, according to Chris, it seems that GTS250 1GB is the highest you can go. Really, 360W is more than enough to handle these graphics cards anyway. There's an article out there that actually investigates how much power your PC really needs I forget what it was...

Anyway it's not worth upgrading that PSU for now. The default 4850 can handle a lot. I've been using it, and even at 1920x1080, it handles games and everyday computing great. You should probably only change the PSU when making a large upgrade to a 4890, GTX 285, or maybe even to those DX11 cards coming out in a few weeks (7 weeks supposedly :emotion-2: ). I've had this 4850 since the Studio XPS was released and it's great.

Hi, I've posted and the answer to my query was to either upgrade my psu to somethng higher than the 360W installed and/or install a better heatsink/fan on the 4850.

Here's my problem, I've recently started playing Crysis in high res mode (AA not turned on) and although I hear the fan whirl up to cool it down, my screen freezes and I need to push the power button to reboot/recover.  The freeze happens sporadically, sometimes I get to play over an hour sometimes shorter.  If the PSU is not the problem then does this mean that I have defective parts for video/ram or somewhere else?

My configuration, 435MT, i7 920, ATI 4850 w/512mb, 6 gb ddr 3, cd/dvd burner, internal cd/dvd burner combo with blu ray/HD player (added after unit was received)