Upgrading xps 430

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Upgrading xps 430

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! :bounce:

Reply to tommy_tucker

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-power [...] -2gbd5-2dh with a PSU like this: http://www.ebuyer.com/264510-ocz-z [...] -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.

Reply to striker410

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/review [...] ,2776.html for a full review.

Message edited by hang-the-9 on 01-26-2012 at 07:08:12 PM

------------------------------ Recommended Video Cards: http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,3085.html
Reply to hang-the-9

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 =)

Reply to tommy_tucker

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.

------------------------------ Recommended Video Cards: http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,3085.html
Reply to 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.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to striker410

striker410 wrote :

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.

------------------------------ Recommended Video Cards: http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,3085.html
Reply to hang-the-9

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

Reply to tommy_tucker

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.

Reply to striker410

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?

Reply to tommy_tucker