Good GPU upgrade from an ATI Radeon HD 5770

[AurianaValoria1]

I was actually looking at this combo deal on Newegg:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2402007

 

But I'm not so certain the card would fit. My current card has a frame that's holding it in place, and the frame is restricting the width (if the card is lying down like mine is) to about 4 1/4 inches.

 

If I'm getting the info on that linked card right, the width of it lying down would be 5.63 inches. :confused:

 

Same with this one, which I also like the look of:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2402204

Edited July 20, 2015 by AurianaValoria1

[Deleted54170User]

Post your Motherboard name and numbers so we can look at it to see what it is capable of. We can Google its picture and see what can be added to it to enhance it.

[obobski]

The XFX Double D cards are indeed wider than standard card dimensions (I own one) - that can be a problem in some slimmer cases or other situations where space is at a premium. Thermaltake's modern PSUs also tend not to be as great as they once were - I'd suggest looking for quality reviews of those specific models if you're set on a Thermaltake, or consider another brand (e.g. Antec, FirePower (PC Power & Cooling), Seasonic, Delta, etc). Depending on the space restrictions imposed by your computer's case you may also not be able to go with the XFX Double D cooler - look for the XFX "Core Series" (which use standard size heatsinks), or check another manufacturer (e.g. Sapphire or PowerColor) for something that may fit better.

[Deleted54170User]

"The Mother Board Brand name and numbers Please." :armscrossed:

 

The type of socket that will accept certain video cards will be shown in the specs. :geek:

 

If your MoBo is over 10 years dated, from Manufacturer production line, it is a good idea to get a newer Mo(ther) Bo(ard) for your system and/or buy a newer model computer. :mellow:

[obobski]

"The Mother Board Brand name and numbers Please." :armscrossed:

 

The type of socket that will accept certain video cards will be shown in the specs. :geek:

 

If your MoBo is over 10 years dated, from Manufacturer production line, it is a good idea to get a newer Mo(ther) Bo(ard) for your system and/or buy a newer model computer. :mellow:

 

Its a Dell XPS 8100 with a Core i7 (from the original post) - it is not going to be "over 10 years dated" and given that it has an HD 5770 already installed it has a PCIe x16 slot available once that card is removed. There's really no other alternatives there. It won't matter if the slot is 2.0 or 3.0 with the possible exception of some of the later Kepler cards with early OEM BIOSes (e.g. early production GTX 770) but since we're looking at AMD cards that's also moot. :blush:

[Deleted54170User]

 

"The Mother Board Brand name and numbers Please." :armscrossed:

 

The type of socket that will accept certain video cards will be shown in the specs. :geek:

 

If your MoBo is over 10 years dated, from Manufacturer production line, it is a good idea to get a newer Mo(ther) Bo(ard) for your system and/or buy a newer model computer. :mellow:

 

Its a Dell XPS 8100 with a Core i7 (from the original post) - it is not going to be "over 10 years dated" and given that it has an HD 5770 already installed it has a PCIe x16 slot available once that card is removed. There's really no other alternatives there. It won't matter if the slot is 2.0 or 3.0 with the possible exception of some of the later Kepler cards with early OEM BIOSes (e.g. early production GTX 770) but since we're looking at AMD cards that's also moot. :blush:

 

 

That was really nice of you to speak up for AurianaValoria1. I was trying to get her to entertain the thoughts necessary to work out her problem with some study to her equipment, (for her plan).

 

Say Hi to to Tim Allen for me!

[AurianaValoria1]

After browsing cards, it seems like I am going to have to switch to a GeForce GTX card for size alone, since the newer ATI's are fatter, for some reason. But that's even if I do upgrade the card at this point. After thinking about this for a long while, I'm seriously considering getting something like an EVGA 500W for my current card and just seeing how things go.

 

Since Windows 10 is coming out this year, and it won't be long at all before whole towers start coming out with 10 pre-installed and new hardware geared for the new OS, I figure I should probably just coast for another year or so until I get get an entire new rig.

 

It's starting to look better than trying to make parts fit in my five-year-old slim case. :ermm:

Edited July 23, 2015 by AurianaValoria1

[obobski]

After browsing cards, it seems like I am going to have to switch to a GeForce GTX card for size alone, since the newer ATI's are fatter, for some reason. But that's even if I do upgrade the card at this point. After thinking about this for a long while, I'm seriously considering getting something like an EVGA 500W for my current card and just seeing how things go.

 

Since Windows 10 is coming out this year, and it won't be long at all before whole towers start coming out with 10 pre-installed and new hardware geared for the new OS, I figure I should probably just coast for another year or so until I get get an entire new rig.

 

It's starting to look better than trying to make parts fit in my five-year-old slim case. :ermm:

 

Reference AMD cards will be spec-height for PCI/PCIe expansion slots - it's just the XFX and some other aftermarket cards that are larger, to accomodate non-reference heatsinks. The same thing exists for nVidia cards. Upgrading the power supply would likely have no effect on your current machine - while the Dell PSU is "smaller" than spec, the system will have been designed with that in mind, and its safe to assume everything that came pre-loaded from the factory is appropriate. The PSU "sizing" guidelines for cards are based more on retail customers, and always include a given safety margin because the manufacturer (obviously) cannot know everyone's configuration - IOW they're trying to account for different peripheral/etc configurations as opposed to a system from Dell where the manufacturer knows exactly what's contained within, and what the actual power requirements are. The 5770 itself does not require an exceptional amount of power (TDP is right around 100W max), and if it has worked flawlessly for five years it should not be considered a problem.

 

As far as waiting for a Windows 10 system - in your case that would likely have benefits, as AMD have stated the cutoff for DirectX 12 support to be with GCN, leaving the HD 5000 series out. The Core i7 is unlikely to be an issue, but if the case and other components are limiting your upgrade paths, a new machine may be an easier choice. Ensure that if you do go that route, you pick something that will support DirectX 12 (AMD GCN or nVidia GeForce GTX 400 series or higher for graphics), and has a processor of comparable performance to the i7 you are replacing (this doesn't have to mean an i7 - there are Core i5 models that are generally comparable to modern i7s for gaming, such as the i5-4690). Something else to think about, if you don't want to wait a year or more, would be to get a Windows 7/8 machine today (or soon-ish) and then use the free upgrade token for Windows 10 sometime before next summer. As far as "machines geared for the new OS" - Windows 10 has very similar system requirements to Windows Vista-8, so apart from DirectX 12 support and peripherals to support things like Smartglass or Xbox features, it should run without problem on a modern Windows 7/8 system.

 

 

 

 

 

Say Hi to to Tim Allen for me!

 

 

 

Tim says "hi" back. :laugh:

Edited July 24, 2015 by obobski