Considering GPU upgrade for Optiplex 755

[MartinVole86]

Case: Optiplex 755 Desktop (size just under the biggest, was recently rebuilt)
OS: Vista 64-bit Home Edition
Motherboard: 0DR845
Monitor: Acer 1280x800
HDD : Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB
PCI-Express: 1.0a
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 (Will replace with an E6850, no change in wattage)
PSU: proprietary 280w (Specs: http://www.ctsestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/pic_wm/public/DELL_H280P_01_PowerSupply_2.jpg)
RAM: 4GBs

I'm wondering on what graphics card my system can handle, the PSU cannot be switched out based on what many say so my options are limited to low power consumption graphics cards.

AMD Radeon HD 6570 1GB DDR3 and 4650 were considered, the former has a max draw of 44w (as well as higher performance) and the latter 48w.

The other problem is compatibility, while I have heard many accounts of the 4650 working on my system type I'm not sure on the 6570. Would be great on the 6570 though, would fulfill all my needs on a modest gamer.

If you have any suggestions or alternatives I'm all ears! Anyways, thanks for any replies!

 

[SPBHM]

newer cards should work on older boards, and that's normally, but not always the case...

I think you should get at least a 7750 GDDR5

power usage is around the same as the ones you mentioned, but it's much faster, even with a slow CPU it's possible to notice the difference.

 

[cbn]

http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-755/pd

If your desktop is the second one from the left, you'll need a low profile card.

Assuming the PSU is indeed the one in the link you provided the 16amp 12v rail should handle almost any low profile card you can find. (HD7750, R7 240/250 etc.)

With that said, I would be concerned with two things:

1. The actual PSU within the case. (Companies like Dell usually have more than one supplier of PSU and the specs on the alternate PSU models may be different)

2. The ventilation within the case.

 

[MartinVole86]

Responding to SPBHM: Would it be fine on the 280W PSU? The 7760 draws a maximum of 55W according to game-debate.com. As for the CPU, an E6850 is a 3.0GHz dual-core, I considered a quad-core but the best compatible option, the Q6700, didn't offer better single-core performance. But the 7750 you say? Hm, a bit pricey at 100$+ but maybe I should wait a bit and see if I can snag one cheaper. It would fulfill and well exceed my needs though.

Responding to Computer Bottleneck: Yes, it is second from left. And the specs of the PSU are accurate to the dot, I popped the case open to be sure. The AMD Radeon R7 250 is also a tad pricey but a bit cheaper and also fits and exceeds my goal. Hm... could go either way if opportunity presents itself.

 

[OCGuy]

For future reference, the purpose of a quad-core is not to offer better single or dual core performance over a dual core.

My socket 775 is a little rusty...but I don't believe it is the wattage of the new CPU that you have to look out for, but possibly the higher FSB.

Personally before messing with that CPU, I would be looking for a cheap SSD to at least boot off of.

 

[MartinVole86]

To OCGuy: Well, I do know it is more complicated than that, the four cores would likely provide a benefit over the E6850 in multiprocessing. But I generally don't make a habit of having several programs running at once.

The CPU upgrade would not be an issue though and the one thing certain on my list of upgrades, it'd have pretty much the same draw and etc as my E4400. This is based too on my board specs as the E6850 is the highest dual core supported.

 

[ggadrian]

Responding to SPBHM: Would it be fine on the 280W PSU? The 7760 draws a maximum of 55W according to game-debate.com. As for the CPU, an E6850 is a 3.0GHz dual-core, I considered a quad-core but the best compatible option, the Q6700, didn't offer better single-core performance. But the 7750 you say? Hm, a bit pricey at 100$+ but maybe I should wait a bit and see if I can snag one cheaper. It would fulfill and well exceed my needs though.

Responding to Computer Bottleneck: Yes, it is second from left. And the specs of the PSU are accurate to the dot, I popped the case open to be sure. The AMD Radeon R7 250 is also a tad pricey but a bit cheaper and also fits and exceeds my goal. Hm... could go either way if opportunity presents itself.

A couple of days ago I bought an H7770 for a friend for about 80€ (21% VAT included), with the current exchange that about 110$, given that your VAT is provably going to be lower and that the 7750 is cheaper you should be able to find it for less than 100$

 

[MartinVole86]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PowerColor-...236?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item51b73b006c

Is this one plausible then? It is the full thing, right? I notice it says "fanless".

Edit: Crap, missed it... well, I didn't really know what that was since "fanless" seemed like it may overheat pretty bad. Seemed to sell too cheap to be true as well.

Edit 2: Reading up on it, if that was real, that'd be a major "crap" since the base worth is 108$...

 

[nurturedhate]

There's no way that was a legit sell at $7.10. More likely than not you would have paid for and received a box and only a box.