Upgrading an OLD PC

[MRC390]

Hey everyone. This is my friends old pc:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01949171&lang=en&cc=us&contentType=SupportFAQ&prodSeriesId=4079861&prodTypeId=12454

He wants to know if he can upgrade it.

Hes got 4GB of DDR3 RAM

a M2N68-LA (Narra6) Motherboard (it's got an AM3 socket)

his cpu is an AMD Athlon II X2 250 running at 3.0GHZ

He's got a pretty bad PSU:
220W power supply (100V-240V)

Keep in mind his PC is prebuilt and its using onboard to play games like Alliance of Valiant arms and Raiderz on lowest settings.

He wants to add in a video card, a Powercolor Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 Low profile card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131480

I'm pretty sure he needs a new PSU to run it however I wanted to know Will he be able to add in that video card?
Will it fit?
Is his CPU good enough to play games?
Will the 7750 allow him to play games at mid-high settings?
What kind of PSU will he need? Will this one work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

Thanks for your help!

 

[cTs Corvette]

A full-sized PSU will not fit in that case. The only option for a full-sized power supply is putting all the guts into a different case, which would also eliminate the necessity for a low-profile video card. If I was serious about upgrading, that's probably the path I would take.

 

[MRC390]

A full-sized PSU will not fit in that case. The only option for a full-sized power supply is putting all the guts into a different case, which would also eliminate the necessity for a low-profile video card. If I was serious about upgrading, that's probably the path I would take.

Unfortunately, his only option is adding components, not creating a new build. Are there smaller power supplies that will fit into the case?

 

[cTs Corvette]

He wouldn't be creating a new build, he would be swapping his components into a bigger case. And no, I don't think there are bigger power supplies that will fit, that PSU is long and skinny, like a server power supply.

 

[dr1337]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151115

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817338082

 

[Augray37]

Whoa whoa whoa people, of course he can upgrade it, that PC has some potential, idk why people act like it's a lost cause. anyway...

I'm pretty sure that the PSU in the HP Pavilion Slimline s5310f is a TFX power supply, which is a smaller form factor that ATX (which will NOT fit in that case). he could switch out the current one with, say, this PSU...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151090

which has dimensions of 6.9" x 3.3" x 2.8". Double check the measurements of the 220W PSU, just to make sure. Is it a low wattage PSU? yes, however, despite what most people will tell you, this is more than enough to run an HD 7750 rig. Trust me.

The CPU he has is ok I suppose, it just depends on what games you want to play. Heck, if he wanted, he could pop an Athlon II x4 in there. A Phenom II x4 might be asking a bit much, but hey that's possible too.

The HD 7750, while I can't be 100% sure, SHOULD fit in there. that's the whole point of the motherboard having a PCI-E x16 slot, for situations when you want to add a LOW-PROFILE GPU to the rig. The PC's web page even says this. This GPU will be decent for gaming, much better than anything you're used to probably, but not exactly enthusiast level either. What resolution will he be playing on?

Keep in mind, this is my educated OPINION, I cannot guarantee the above, but I'm pretty dang sure.

 

[tsnor]

Double check power consumption. The HD7750 uses only 55W max (TDP). It should run with the 220W PSU and your friend's other components.

The risk level of buying and installing a low profile HD7750 is pretty low. Worse case he'll end up needing to swap the PSU. Best case it just works.

Aside: A device like a 'kill-a-watt' meter ($20 amazon) will tell you what the system is currently pulling from the wall. That system shouldn't be pulling much more than 100w now. Easy to verify. Adding 55w for the HD7750 should be in range.
Athlon II X2 250 = 65W TDP
MB + disks + memory etc. <50w
Current Video = nVidia GeForce 6150SE = included in MB power.

Aside2: PCIe standard is to reserve 75W per slot for PCIe slots. HP probably met that standard. A video card like the HD7750 that uses only power from the slot should work.

 

[geofelt]

About the strongest card that will run powered only by the pci-e slot is the 7750.
I don't know if 200w is sufficient, but it is worth a try.

Another option for an even stronger graphics card would ba an auxiliary psu that can fit in a full sized dvd opening.
Here is one @450W:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104054