Question Graphics card upgrade

[Pepito]

Hello there,

I bought a rather entry level pre-built PC a few years back when it was heavily discounted because it was a lot easier for me then to build my own system (didn't feel like going through the hassle of researching parts and their compatibility with one-another). I play a few games that don't have particularly high requirements such as LoL and WoW so I didn't need something overpowered. However, my current system seems to be reaching its limits and I want to change the graphics card for stuff to run more smoothly...

I currently have an Acer Aspire TC-780 that came with the following specs Intel® Core™ i5 (i5 - 7400, 3 GHz, 6 MB) - NVIDIA GeForce GT 720 Up to 2 GB - 8 GB DDR4 - 256GB SSD + 1TB memory and has a Maximum Power Supply Wattage of 300W.

I was looking into some Geforce GTX 16 series graphics cards and I was hoping to find one that wouldn't make me go through the hassle of changing the power supply since I want to go for a new (self built, this time) system in a somewhat near future. Would something like the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1650 OC with a Min. recommended system performance of 300W work or am I getting something terribly wrong? Any other model suggestions that could fit and would maybe perform a tad better?

Cheers.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

You might want to measure if you actually have space inside the case for the card if you haven't already. You might need to buy a mini model like this one. Other then that you're on the right track. A GTX 1650 is probably the only recent card that will be safe to use on that power supply.

I can't find documentation for your PC's model that states any specs for its PSU, but Anandtechs review gives gaming power draw for a GTX 1650 as about 220 watts, so I think youll be O.K as the rest of your rig will draw less then their test rig did anyway.

I would suggest though if you can waiting if youre going to build a system from scratch, and getting everything at the same time, That way you wouldn't be limited by space and power requirements as you are now.

Its understandable if you can't. I would think that GT720 is really struggling these days!

 

[Pepito]

You might want to measure if you actually have space inside the case for the card if you haven't already. You might need to buy a mini model like this one. Other then that you're on the right track. A GTX 1650 is probably the only recent card that will be safe to use on that power supply.

I can't find documentation for your PC's model that states any specs for its PSU, but Anandtechs review gives gaming power draw for a GTX 1650 as about 220 watts, so I think youll be O.K as the rest of your rig will draw less then their test rig did anyway.

I would suggest though if you can waiting if youre going to build a system from scratch, and getting everything at the same time, That way you wouldn't be limited by space and power requirements as you are now.

Its understandable if you can't. I would think that GT720 is really struggling these days!

Thanks for that, waiting is indeed a bit complicated since there are a few new expansions coming out on a few games that will render my crappy 720 completely obsolete haha. I think spacewise I've got around 20-22cm (8-8.5 inches for the metric illiterates) in length so even the basic version will do. Got any clue if the Mini you suggested performs differently than the 1650 OC?

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I cant find any numbers to compare unfortunately, but the mini may be a couple of % slower on average but nothing significant going by the differences between other manufacturers takes on the same model.

The real differences between cooling solutions come with the amount of noise they make and how long they last after official warranty. I would guess the mini would be louder and run a bit hotter overall. The single fan will need to run faster to get the same cooling as a bigger heatsink and dual fan setup. But with such a low power card it might not make much difference.

Just a reminder to make sure the height and width of the card you go with fits inside your case as well as the length. Let us know how it goes

 

[Smuggly]

220 watts seems high for a 1650. But maybe. I have a 1660TI and I love it. It handles things very well.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

220 watts total system power draw. I wasn't that clear but it shows it in the link

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Review, Feat. Zotac: Fighting Brute Force With Power Efficiency

www.anandtech.com

 

[Smuggly]

Yea I see that. Zotac makes a decent card.