Looking to upgrade a friends old alienware but have zero clue how and what i will need

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Cmk950003

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Oct 3, 2013
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So my friend recently moved away and he gave me his old alienware x51 from a few years ago... I'm coming from a laptop so it was a massive upgrade for me... But i have heard people say i can salvage some of the parts from my system and buy a new case and other hardware and make a new PC out of them. I am not the best with computers so i was looking for the things i will need in order to make a new PC...

The pc specs as of right now
i7-3770 3.4 ghz
16gb of ram
Gtx 660

My budget for this upgrade is between 450-550 Dollars, i could push 600 if needed..
 
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Slumy__57

Slumy__57

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Jun 11, 2016
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I don't think I'd buy a new case in your situation, if your PSU is up to the job, I'd probably just buy a new GPU and call it a day. What are your aspirations for this PC? 1080P? 2k? 4k? What games will you be playing? Do you need a monitor/peripherals?
 
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Cmk950003

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Oct 3, 2013
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Alienware Pc's are super small and power supply very bad... Don't need a monitor just looking fro 1080P gaming mostly anything from Cs go to bf1
 
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theyeti87

theyeti87

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That CPU is still very strong and holds it's own against the newer iterations of i7's. Solid amount of RAM as well.

As Slumy__57 said, if you've got a quality power supply in that rig, a new GPU is a great upgrade option.

Before offering GPU suggestions, what resolution monitor is used? 60Hz or more? Power supply make and model?
 
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Slumy__57

Slumy__57

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Then I recommend three upgrades. Bigger case, better PSU, and new GPU. I would get a 1070 in your situation. Everyone says the 1060 is the sweet spot for 1080p, but it struggles in some newer titles on max settings, so I would get the 1070. I was considering the 1070 when I bought my 1060, and although I don't necessarily regret the 1060, I kinda wish I had splurged on the 1070.

I see what you are saying with the Alienware cases, so my recommendation would be to buy a new mini-itx case, and move everything but the PSU and the GPU over to the new case. I listed the parts I would use below. I chose the case because I like the looks, it's a good price, and it fits a standard ATX PSU. I chose the PSU, because it is high quality, well reviewed, and I have had a great experience with EVGA power supplies. It's also modular, which will help with cable management in the smaller case. I chose the EVGA 1070 because it's a good price, and I've had nothing but good experiences with EVGA in the past.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($374.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $518.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-20 15:11 EDT-0400
 
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