Upgrading GPU & PSU compatibility?

mike8330

Reputable
Feb 21, 2014
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System:


  • Dell XPS 9000
    Core i7-920@ 2.66
    6GB Ram
    GTS 240
    750 GB HD
    Windows Vista 64 bit
    **The stock PSU died on me last week and I just ordered a new one:
    Corsair 750W TX

Budget for new GPU:

$200 +/-
I'm flexible, if spending a bit more would really be worth it for my needs or make my computer relevant for another year I'd spend a little extra

What I use it for:
Casual gamer. I've played older games on lower settings:

  • Dawn of War Chaos Rising
    Arkham Asylum
    Total War
If I had a computer that could handle it I would check out some of the newer games, think Steam just had a %50 off sale on COD Ghosts

Before my original PSU broke I had to turn the graphic settings down on my games. After playing for a little the screen would go black but the computer would still be running and force me to do a hard reset. Then eventually it just died and wouldn't turn on....I ran out to bestbuy and threw in a PSU they had on their shelf till my corsair gets here this week. Putting in the new PSU seemed to fix that problem...although I haven't tried playing a game yet.

My Questions:

I was looking at this GTX 660
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00942TK8I/ref=asc_df_B00942TK8I2776511?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pgtvs-469-17-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B00942TK8I

1) Will that even fit into my case?

2) Are there any restrictions that would prevent me from using this GPU? Believe my system only has 2 PCI but this GPU mentions 3 PCI in the description?...don't even know what that is

3) Given what I use my computer for would you recommend any other cards?

4) Someone on another thread mentioned the motherboard was the biggest limitation on these XPS9000 (after already upgrading the PSU/GPU). Would you recommend upgrading the RAM or anything else that would improve my gaming experience and/or make the computer last longer?

I've read through the other threads on here but they were a little dated with older GPU and different systems so I appreciate your time if you have any answers. Thanks Mike...and ps. this is all very new to me so if you can keep it simple for me haha
 
1. Yes, the 660 will fit.
2. No, no restrictions. You will want to use the pci-e slot closest to the cpu. That is the X16 slot and is meant for gpu cards. The pci-e 3.0 noted in the description refers to the revision (3.0) of PCI express (pci-e) that this card is able to run. Your dell uses an older version of pci-e, but the 660 is backward compatible and will work fine.
3. If you don't plan to upgrade the rest of your system, the 660 will be fine for what you are playing, and will also give you a taste of the newer games at decent resolution, effects and fps. If you think you may want to upgrade to a more current motherboard/cpu in the near future (which would require you to buy a NEW copy of windows), then you might want to consider the newer versions of Nvidia (GTX760, 770) which will work just like the 660, but will give you better options in the future. You could also look at the Radeon R9 270 or 280, however they are difficult to find (bit coin miners use them).
4. Your motherboard is rather old technology and while it will certainly play your current games well, the slower speed of the older socket combined with the limited pci-e capabilty of the older board will definately hurt performance of newer, more demanding games. As I noted above - if you swap the motherboard, you will no longer be able to use the Vista o/s - it is married to your dell motherboard and is not transferable. That said, if you buy a better gpu now, you could buy a very current board for ~$120, an overclockable I5 for $225 and a copy of Windows 7 or 8 for ~$90. Together with the psu you have coming, an additional $450 (after the gpu) could net you a machine that should be good for a few years and still be able to play new games at good to excellent settings.

I know that's a lot of info to digest, but if you have any questions just post back.

Mark