Graphics and Upgrades to a Dell XPS 8100

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sjb04c

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I just inherited a hand-me-down Dell Studio XPS 8100 from my dad, and I wanted to upgrade its terribly out of date graphics card so I can use it to game with. As it is, I tried playing Skyrim and the fps was awful, could barely play the game on lowest settings. I've been playing it on my Toshiba Satellite laptop better than on that desktop- and that's just nuts. I also intend to play MMOs or RTS games with this computer; EQ2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, etc.

Specs:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 870 @ 2.93GHz
ATI Radeon HD 5450
12G RAM (I don't understand this on the specs sheet, but all 4 RAM slots are taken up)
400W power supply (maybe? that's what it says when I open it up)

I did some searching on this forum, and some comparing on Newegg, and this is what I've come up with.

I want to upgrade the graphics card to MSI N750ti-2GD5TLP GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127836)
I was looking at this card because it was low profile. A friend of mine gave me their old Radeon 5830 and it's too big to fit in this case, so this card looks like it might be the ticket. However, I'm concerned about the PSU. I've read people can run the GTW 750 Ti well even with 300W power supply. Everyone I've seen on this forum with a 8100 has noted their PSU is a 350W, but when I opened the case, the PSU says it is 400W. First, I'm thinking of upgrading this to a 500W modular corsair (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050), is this unnecessary? Any thoughts? Everything I've read has said that the 8100 can use standard ATX PSUs.

I've also read that this graphics card will cover the PCI slot next to it with its fans, leaving 1 extra PCI open, I was thinking of getting a wireless card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704133) and putting it in the unobstructed slot so I'm not so limited in where I can use this computer in my apartment. Will this theoretically work? I've never had a wireless card on a desktop- it seems way too convenient to be true.

Here's a picture of the inside of the case for reference: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/wldkiwi274/20150324_140040_zpswcgmvrlv.jpg

Thanks so much for your consideration and advice! I'm new to upgrading computers, and it seems like Dells can be a PITA. The last time I tried to upgrade my graphics card in another computer, it went kaput after a few months (apparently the card wasn't compatible with my Windows OS). Since this forum has had a wealth of information so far, I thought I'd let you lovely people give me your opinions. :)
 
Solution
MasterDell
Okay for whatever moronic reason, TomsHardware didn't tell me that you replied to this thread at all... Anyways. I am here.

As for the socket type, you can figure out the socket a couple of ways. One of them is by checking the socket that you CPU is. Another way is by looking up your motherboard's model and checking that way.

For the CPU cooler, I see what you mean by clearance issues. The cooler master that you linked will be your best bet. But it will be a major pain in the bottom to install. This is because you would need to take the motherboard out and put the mounting brackets on, etc. I suggested the other cooler before because all you have to do is push these little pins in to the board and it will work.

So after a few...
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MasterDell

MasterDell

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Gotta love when people are too lazy to read a thread to help someone.

Anyways, don't get that PSU. That CX would be better but it is still a bad unit that can't handle heat. And in a computer with that good of cooling, that is going to be a big problem.

This PSU is all you need: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-vp450

Great unit for what you are paying. As for the GPU, the 260x is a better value for the same performance. But, since cooling is a concern of mine for the computer, I will say that the 750 Ti is worth the extra like $10.

So all you need to do swap out the PSU and the GPU and you will be golden. And if you feel like being adventurous pick up some thermal paste and re apply that. Will give you wayyyy better CPU temperatures which may improve FPS. And if you are bored, getting a new CPU cooler would be even better. (They come with new thermal paste)

One more thing that wouldn't be a bad idea would be adding a different fan to make it quieter, and cooler. Thus better performance and thus better FPS.
 
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sjb04c

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I was thinking a new fan would be good, but then I got confused with it and thought I'd stick to what I needed- do you have advice for cooling? What exactly is thermal paste? /noob

I'm certainly not "bored" but I do want to protect my investment. Even if this computer is a hand-me-down, I haven't had a computer that can run games in 3 years.
 
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MasterDell

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Protect your investment special:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($148.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($33.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $200.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 19:07 EDT-0400

+ a fan. Which I will recommend when I have the measurements.
 
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sjb04c

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I don't have a ruler to open it back up right now and check.. I'll get back to you.. But where does the CPU cooler go? I wasn't even looking at that/don't know what that is.. I only see a fan in there and a fan that goes out the back of the case.
 
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sjb04c

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Ok, reading up on the CPU cooler stuff.. How do I know what socket my processor has so that I know what coolers are compatible? Not that I don't value your suggestion, but I want to see what the options are. That fan that is sitting directly on top of the board is where the cooler would go? When you meant fan, you meant the fan on the back of the case? Remember, noob, I don't know what all these parts are.
 
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MasterDell

MasterDell

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Okay for whatever moronic reason, TomsHardware didn't tell me that you replied to this thread at all... Anyways. I am here.

As for the socket type, you can figure out the socket a couple of ways. One of them is by checking the socket that you CPU is. Another way is by looking up your motherboard's model and checking that way.

For the CPU cooler, I see what you mean by clearance issues. The cooler master that you linked will be your best bet. But it will be a major pain in the bottom to install. This is because you would need to take the motherboard out and put the mounting brackets on, etc. I suggested the other cooler before because all you have to do is push these little pins in to the board and it will work.

So after a few minutes of digging I found a decent cooler that is lower profile and has the little pins. It is also much quieter than stock coolers.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Rosewill RCX-Z90-CP 62.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($148.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($33.98 @ Directron)
Total: $195.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-25 20:36 EDT-0400




If I don't reply in a day please private message me because that means my notifications aren't working again.

 
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sjb04c

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Mar 24, 2015
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Yeah, I've since watched a bunch of install videos and I think I understand what parts are what now (and even how to apply thermal paste!) It didn't really look that bad, and the cooler master looks to be a quieter heatsink than the one you linked. However, it seems to be out of stock just about everywhere (what a shame, Best Buy had it on sale for $26). If it comes down to it, I have a few friends around that could help me with the install for the price of cooking them dinner. :)

As for the case fan, I was looking at this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103070

Of course.. now my brother says I should get an SSD drive.. one thing at a time, I say.. Getting the necessities first. I scrapped the idea of the wireless adapter until I get the more necessary things upgraded. Student on a budget, here!
 
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MasterDell

MasterDell

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So basically an SSD will add no gaming performance. It will only make things snappier/increase load times. Fan wise, the one you chose is definitely good. If you want, you can get an LED one but that is only if it is your kind of thing.

When you get that fan, you will notice it has a 4 pin female connector and your motherboard only has a two or three pin male connector. Don't worry, all of these different fan configurations are backwards compatible. 4 can go in 3 as well as 2. And vice versa.



 
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sjb04c

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Yeah, my brother was just being a bit of a snob about it- he said he can't go back to using comps that don't have the OS installed on an SSD. I understand how that must be nice, but I don't know the difference yet. :p I assume you meant decrease load times?

Yeah, since the case is nothing fancy, I don't care much for the fan being LED or not. I just want it to work :p I think I pretty much have it squared away now, I'll wait for that cpu cooler I was looking at to come back in stock somewhere. Thanks for all your help!!
 
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MasterDell

MasterDell

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Yes decreased load times. Was meaning to say increase the performance hence decreased load times haha

No problem!! :)

Just remember that CPU cooler is going to be a bit of a pain to install. It requires taking out the motherboard and then installing a backplate while installing the CPU cooler. I recommend you get one of you friends to help. Let me know how you like the computer when it is all done with the GPU, PSU and everything :)
 
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