Upgrading my Dell XPS 9100

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LeKevoid

LeKevoid

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Nov 20, 2015
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Hi,

I'm trying to upgrade my XPS 9100. It has all the original components except an upgrade to 12Go RAM and the graphics card that I switched for a Radeon HD6950.

I've been reading this guide :
http://lifehacker.com/5840963/the-best-pcs-you-can-build-for-600-and-1200
and so I was intending to swap my CPU, Graphics card and PSU to the following, respectively :
- Intel i7-4790K
- GeForce GTX 970
- Corsair CX600M 600W

In fact I'm gonna want to upgrade pretty much everything, add SSD drives and stuff, but right now I'm on a budget so I'm going for the must-haves.

Here are my questions :
- Should my Intel X58 MB support those 3 components ?
- Knowing that I mostly play Starcraft, The Witcher, Dragon Age... but NOT Battlefront nor Fallout nor LoL... could I go for only an upgrade of my graphics card for now and already expect better performances despite my CPU being an i7-930 ?
- Knowing my current PSU is 525W, do you think an upgrade to 600W is a must-have, or a nice-to-have ?

Thanks to anyone who can help me ! This is my first time customizing a computer but learning is very important for me so I refuse to rely on friends or shops to do the work for me.

Thanks again !
 
Solution
logainofhades
Your board is not compatible with that CPU. The CX 600 is a poor quality PSU, stick with tier 1 and tier 2. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
If that PSU is the one that came with your XPS, then it should be ok to use the GTX 970 with it. Dell uses far better PSU's in their XPS line. Also, the GTX 970 has a lower wattage rating, than your HD 6950. I would probably stick with one that uses more of a reference cooling design, as those systems tend to not have the greatest airflow.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($308.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $308.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when...
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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Apr 27, 2009
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Your board is not compatible with that CPU. The CX 600 is a poor quality PSU, stick with tier 1 and tier 2. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
If that PSU is the one that came with your XPS, then it should be ok to use the GTX 970 with it. Dell uses far better PSU's in their XPS line. Also, the GTX 970 has a lower wattage rating, than your HD 6950. I would probably stick with one that uses more of a reference cooling design, as those systems tend to not have the greatest airflow.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($308.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $308.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-20 10:33 EST-0500
 
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Solution
LeKevoid

LeKevoid

Reputable
Nov 20, 2015
7
0
4,510
Hi logainofhades,

Thanks so much for your answer, this is helpful.
If I may probe your mind a little further ?
Your answer seems to recommend that I do upgrade to GTX970. Until I can upgrade the MB, would you recommend that I also switch my main drive to a SSD ? Or would the gain be too small to bother ? Would that force me then to upgrade my PSU ?
I fully expect it to be a hassle, but I just reformatted my main drive so I'd rather do it while I have very little data on it yet.

 
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