Possible upgrade to GTX 680

AShiddyGamer

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Dec 13, 2012
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My first post here on the forums, but I have used your site a LOT when looking for PC advice. I already asked on Yahoo! Answers, but that's kind of an "answer then never look back" kind of route, so there's not much ongoing support there. I'll just copy&paste here.

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So I've got an Alienware x51 desktop PC.
I know, I know, I could build one for at least $1,000 less but before you start on a rant telling me how stupid I am for buying an Alienware, Dell is the only place I could get financing for a desktop that let me customize parts for gaming. I didn't have over $1,000 to drop on individual parts at the time.

Now that that's out of the way, here are my current specs.

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.4GHz
8GB RAM
64bit Windows 7 OS
NVidia GeForce GTX 555 ~1GB RAM

I'm not really sure what else is relevant but here's my predicament.. I can run most games (Skyrim, Fallout 3 & NV) at max settings with AA turned off and sometimes other settings tuned down a bit. Then, with BF3, I have to have my settings on medium or sometimes high if I'm lucky. With Far Cry 3, I had to turn it down to low-medium.

Needless to say, I want to max out everything on most (if not all) modern games, so what would I need to do that?
I would assume a better graphics card, and I'd prefer to stay with NVidia.
My budget is about $500 for a graphics card, and one that fits in that price range is the GeForce GTX 680.
Will this suffice? Will I be wasting $500?

Also, when upgrading the graphics card, do I need to upgrade anything else, apart from installing new drivers, or will my system be compatible already when upgrading from a GTX 555 to a 680?
I've also read that some computers need to have the correct power and cooling features and I have no idea how to find out the current values nor do I know how to find out the required values.

If anyone can help me out, I'd be very appreciative. I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to software but I've never been too great with hardware.

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So that's it.
Also, I was told I'd need a new PSU because the x51 has a pretty bad one. After reading the "best card for the money" post, I'm also thinking about getting the Radeon HD 7970. I've read that the 680 requires a 550W PSU, and the 7970 requires 500. So, can anyone give me some information on some PSUs as well?

If anyone managed to stick through my long post, I thank you for that.

If you need any more information, please let me know.
 
tell us how many watts is your current powersupply, and yes if ur motherboard supports a pci-express 16x card, shouldnt be a problem, but first need to know u need to change ur ps, since 550 is not alot of juice to power an 680 u can but its borderline, and it would have to be a high quality one to do so.

 

AShiddyGamer

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My current PSU is 330W, pretty bad, like I said.

Also, it seems that the x51 utilizes an external PSU. As in, it's got a brick. Do they even sell those?

Also, I'm fairly certain it does indeed support a pci-express 16x card.
 

Michael31

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Dec 6, 2012
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The GTX 680 is an amazing GPU and is not a wast of 500$ If your realy into gaming.
But if you want to save a few dollars, and still get great performance get the GTX 670 FTW or SC version, They run very well and cost less than the GTX 680.

Also you are going to want at least a 600W power supply at the min, I would recommend a 700W 80% Bronze
 

AShiddyGamer

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Dec 13, 2012
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I don't mind spending the extra cash. Do you know if there's any way to upgrade the PSU on the Alienware X51, seeing as how it's a brick?
 


I'd buy a good 670 and PSU, and save the rest for other upgrades down the road.

The 680 is only 5% better than a 670, for $100 more. When both are overclocked, they're almost exactly tied.
 

AShiddyGamer

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Dec 13, 2012
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That's incorrect, I've got an Alienware X51 desktop.
 

redeemer

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Dell usually packs a decent PSU in their Alienware Desktop products, and yes the GTX 680 is definitely worth it if you have the cash.

This link will help you


http://www.gamespot.com/features/the-alienware-x51-and-nvidia-gtx-680-a-match-made-in-heaven-6369912/
 
Seems you might be able to get away with using a gtx 660ti or at best a gtx 670 without needing to replace the PSU. The 680 is just slightly to much for it, the 670 would be pushing it too. Personally I would go with the 660 TI seeing as it uses the same amount of Watts as the gtx 555.
 

Agreed. I think a 7750 would be his only option..

He should have built his own computer....
 

AShiddyGamer

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Again, I would have loved to have built my own computer, but I didn't have the money to spend on it at the time, nor do I have the expertise to put it together. That's why I was financing through Dell.
 
Well that is understandable but somewhat kinda screwed yourself