Upgrading xps 430

[tommy_tucker]

Hey ive been looking around for some information on upgrading my DEll XPS 430 and just wanted to know what you all though, mainly looking to improve rendering times n play games at higher resolution, my current specs are;
quad core Q9550 @2.83
8GB ram 4x2GB @1333Mhz
HD3870 x2 (1GB)
1TB HDD (7200rpm)
425 power supply

how do i find out what PSU's and graphics card are compatible? posts ive seen recommend crosair's ATX PSU's mostly, and the HD5000 series for a replacement card, im not overclocking so bottlenecking isnt a problem right? the only concerns are the dimensions and connections? and ampage/wattage of the card in relation to the power supply?
whats the best hardware i can get for say £300/400 for the best improvement? or is it time for a new system lol?
thanks for any info in advance u crazy sexy people!

 

[striker410]

Hi there! Welcome to the forums.
First things first, you have a good idea of what needs to be changed. If you'd like to improve your system significantly, you'll need both a GPU and PSU swap.

For 400 pounds, I'd suggest something like this: http://www.ebuyer.com/280423-powercolor-hd-6970-2gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-dual-mini-displayport-hdmi-pci-e-ax6970-2gbd5-2dh with a PSU like this: http://www.ebuyer.com/264510-ocz-zs-series-750w-80-bronze-psu-with-135mm-fan-single-ocz-zs750w-uk It will give you a HUGE boost in performance. Huge. Later on you can buy a second 6970 when it's time to update your system.

 

[hang-the-9]

Radeon 6850 will be a great upgrade for you, and you should not even need to upgrade your power supply. The 6850 is great on power and is a big step over the 3870. Just need to check the power supply to make sure it has the right power connectors that the card needs.

Also the 6850 will be a good match for your CPU, a faster card, you'd want a faster CPU for. But by the time you feel like you want a faster CPU, you can buy faster cards cheaper then. You should have a few years of playing at pretty high settings with your quad core and the 6850.

Take a look here http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6870-radeon-hd-6850-barts,2776.html for a full review.

 

[tommy_tucker]

hey thanks for the warm welcome and info, i checked out the 6850, is 500w on the AMD website, the 6970 is only 50w's more. do either of u know if the mobo limits the capacity of the GPU like is does with ram? if i get the 2GB card will my system utilise it or only a set amount?
with the power pack im pretty sure my current one has IDE connentors (not sure if its used, will have to open up my system n have a nose around to check) but shouldnt the new one have the same connections? sorry for being a pain =)

 

[hang-the-9]

The 6850 will run fine on your power supply, read the review.
The card won't have molex power connectors, will have 4 or 6 pin ones made for the video card.

6970 is too powerful for your CPU, and will probably require a new power supply as well. I would not spend money on those, wait till you can replace the whole system in a few years with an i7 or whatever is out then.

 

[striker410]

Good tip hang-the-9. I was gunning for the 6950 (trying to maximize his budget) but realized the 6970 is only about £20 more. At that price, I figured it was an excellent buy. While he may be CPU bottlenecked now, why not buy the GPU and PSU which he can use to carry over to a new system?

OP, you'll see about double performance going from 3870x2 to a 6850.

 

[hang-the-9]

Good tip hang-the-9. I was gunning for the 6950 (trying to maximize his budget) but realized the 6970 is only about £20 more. At that price, I figured it was an excellent buy. While he may be CPU bottlenecked now, why not buy the GPU and PSU which he can use to carry over to a new system?

OP, you'll see about double performance going from 3870x2 to a 6850.

While sometimes I do like buying a card for the future, with how fast video cards change for the better and cheaper, it's often not worth it. Say he buys a 6970 now, the CPU will not enable it's full potential. Later on he can buy a i7, or i8 whatever is out then. At that time, the 6970 will be half the price and the current model in that range will be 50% faster for the same cost.

So instead of spending money on a power supply and a more expensive card, a moderate card with the system as is would be a better buy.

I'd get the card that matches the CPU for cheaper, and later on when a full system swap is done, look for current video cards out then.

 

[tommy_tucker]

ill go with the 6850 then thanks guys, can i get the 2GB one? or just stick to 1GB?

 

[striker410]

Nope, get the 1GB. 2GB is really just a marketing scheme on that card, you'll only use 2GB on resolutions above 1080p which you aren't going to do.

 

[tommy_tucker]

ok really thanks guys! i installed the card 5mins ago, got a BD rewriter for half price with it aswell lol! one last question i swear! with the new card n everything else on my system, am i pushing my luck if install the (internal) BD drive? or should i wait to put it in a new system?

 

[striker410]

Nah, you're good. Pop it in!