Dell XPS 8300 GPU Upgrade

[crammy]

Hello all,

I want to upgrade the PSU and GPU for my new XPS 8300. I am interested in getting the:

- SAPPHIRE FleX 100314FLEX Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102948

Is this card fully compatible with the Dell XPS 8300?

Note: I have read that the 460w Dell PSU will provide enough power for the Radeon 6870, even though 500 watts are recommended. I'm still not sure about this, and want your opinions: Do I really need to upgrade my PSU in order for the Radeon 6870 to work properly? What about the connector pins and such: Are there enough for the 6870 to work? I am hesitant about replacing the power supply because I don't want to void my warranty (my pc is only a few weeks old).


My specs are:

- Intel Core i7-2600 CPU @3.40 GHz
-12.0 GB RAM
- Windows 7 Professional 64bit
- 2 TB hard drive
- GeForce GT 530
- Dell 24 Inch HD Monitor

Thanks for your help.

 

[happy medium]

yes thats a GREAT upgrade , enjoy.

 

[crammy]

Scratch that, I want to get a Radeon 6850 HD instead. Sorry for asking again, but will this card be compatible with my Dell XPS? I know the 6850 requires a 450 watt psu (I have a 460w one), which is the main reason I decided to get it, but are there enough connectors with my present psu?

 

[happy medium]

It just as good about 15% slower but worlds better than what you have now.

It will work fine with your power supply.

 

[crammy]

Thank you for your help. Finally, do you think that the card will be too big for my case? According to some of the reviews, it was a tight fit and I am somewhat worried about the squeeze in my tower. Here is the link in case you're interested:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

Thank you again.

 

[happy medium]

Thank you for your help. Finally, do you think that the card will be too big for my case? According to some of the reviews, it was a tight fit and I am somewhat worried about the squeeze in my tower. Here is the link in case you're interested:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

Thank you again.

Check the Dell forums, not many Dell users here.

 

[scott14522]

I recently bought an XPS8300 (for $260 shipped!) I put in this 6870

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-MIN...1999035&sr=8-2

And there's room to spare. Also, the PSU has had no problems powering it.

 

[happy medium]

I recently bought an XPS8300 (for $260 shipped!) I put in this 6870

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-MIN...1999035&sr=8-2

And there's room to spare. Also, the PSU has had no problems powering it.

:thumbsup:

 

[crammy]

Thank you for your help everyone, I really appreciate it! You guys answered my questions promptly and effectively. This thread may now be closed.

 

[ManBearPig]

I recently bought an XPS8300 (for $260 shipped!) I put in this 6870

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-MIN...1999035&sr=8-2

And there's room to spare. Also, the PSU has had no problems powering it.

Holy crap, how'd you swing $260 shipped?!

 

[Arkaign]

Holy crap, how'd you swing $260 shipped?!

The 8300s come in many different configs, the $260 one was probably an i3-2100 or so. Still a fantastic deal, even more so when you consider hdd prices right now and the cost of a legit copy of windows.

 

[compuservant]

Few (OK, several) questions, somewhat related. I just bought a loaded xps 3000 (core i7-2600, serial ATA II RAID 0 hard drives, win 7 pro,16 GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333MHz, a Radeon HD 6870 plus some other peripheral stuff for about $1250). My concern is upgrade-ability. You may ask what's to upgrade? One is the power supply. Two is I'd like to be able to put in dual GPU's which would require a new motherboard. Is it possible to fit a better MB in the case the system comes with or would I be better off spending a hundred bucks or so to get a full sized case and better MB.
I also have a HyperX 120 GB SATA III SSD that I want to use as the boot drive. The two included HDs are SATAII and are in RAID 0 configuration. Can they be left that way? It is a 2nd gen Sandy bridge processor so I assume there are at least 2 SATA III connectors (I read it is a dell version of the H67 chipset).
Is it possible to put an inexpensive P67 MB that allows for a crossfire GPU setup? The Kingston SSD is on sale for $180. I've read about people putting two of the Hyperx 120GB SATA III in RAID 0 and getting over 1000 MB/sec read times!
I know I mentioned about a thousand different set-ups. I just thinking about various tweaks down the road. Maybe newegg will sell a kit with a MB/PSU and a new case so I can pull out the guts of of this monster and make into an Alienware-ish machine
Thanks