[SOLVED] 1050TI Or GTX 1650? Novice upgrading PC

[jsholydiver]

So just a bit of a backstory : I'm somewhat of a computer novice when it comes to what's better and what's recommended and what not when it comes to GPU's. I can install and replace parts physically with no issue I'm just always very hesitant when it comes to better quality and what not and compatibility.

That being said I have an Acer GX-281-UR11.
It has:
CPU Ryzen 5 1400
GPU GeForce GTX 1050 (Video ram is 2gb)
Upgraded to 1TB SSD
and whatever the Acer brand mother board is.
The Power Supply is 500W I'm not wanting to upgrade that at the time.

I'm trying to branch into more demanding gaming beyond Diablo 3, War Thunder / World of Warships, and 7 days to die. I eventually plan on replacing the CPU to something a bit better but it'll be a year or so before I'm ready for that I think. Updating the BIOS is a bit concerning for me ATM and I'm not wanting to sink 700 dollars all at once for computer parts during this economical climate.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed, even outside of the two options I picked, as long as they're in the same price range as those are (Sub 200)

 

[Archaic59]

So just a bit of a backstory : I'm somewhat of a computer novice when it comes to what's better and what's recommended and what not when it comes to GPU's. I can install and replace parts physically with no issue I'm just always very hesitant when it comes to better quality and what not and compatibility.

That being said I have an Acer GX-281-UR11.
It has:
CPU Ryzen 5 1400
GPU GeForce GTX 1050 (Video ram is 2gb)
Upgraded to 1TB SSD
and whatever the Acer brand mother board is.
The Power Supply is 500W I'm not wanting to upgrade that at the time.

I'm trying to branch into more demanding gaming beyond Diablo 3, War Thunder / World of Warships, and 7 days to die. I eventually plan on replacing the CPU to something a bit better but it'll be a year or so before I'm ready for that I think. Updating the BIOS is a bit concerning for me ATM and I'm not wanting to sink 700 dollars all at once for computer parts during this economical climate.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed, even outside of the two options I picked, as long as they're in the same price range as those are (Sub 200)

The power supply must be considered before upgrades to verify if it's good or junk. Most power supplies that come with OEM systems are not good. Please list the brand, exact model and time it has been in service. You should be able to get the details from a label on the power supply. If you have a GTX 1050 now, a GTX 1660 Super would be a worthwhile upgrade and can easily be handled by a good quality 500 watt power supply.

 

[PrinceTexasLoaf]

So just a bit of a backstory : I'm somewhat of a computer novice when it comes to what's better and what's recommended and what not when it comes to GPU's. I can install and replace parts physically with no issue I'm just always very hesitant when it comes to better quality and what not and compatibility.

That being said I have an Acer GX-281-UR11.
It has:
CPU Ryzen 5 1400
GPU GeForce GTX 1050 (Video ram is 2gb)
Upgraded to 1TB SSD
and whatever the Acer brand mother board is.
The Power Supply is 500W I'm not wanting to upgrade that at the time.

I'm trying to branch into more demanding gaming beyond Diablo 3, War Thunder / World of Warships, and 7 days to die. I eventually plan on replacing the CPU to something a bit better but it'll be a year or so before I'm ready for that I think. Updating the BIOS is a bit concerning for me ATM and I'm not wanting to sink 700 dollars all at once for computer parts during this economical climate.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed, even outside of the two options I picked, as long as they're in the same price range as those are (Sub 200)

Here's the 1660ti https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...0_ti_ventus_xs_6g_oc_geforce_gtx_1660_ti.html

Has a $20 mail in rebate that goes with it making it $250 : D

And you won't have to upgrade you psu. It's also a good budget 1440p gpu.

 

[ChronicBuildsx]

You have a lot of room for upgrades if your power supply has pcie power. A lot of OEM power supplies don't. If your psu doesn't have pcie power connectors, then the most you can do without needing to also upgrade your gpu is a 1650.

 

[jsholydiver]

The power supply must be considered before upgrades to verify if it's good or junk. Most power supplies that come with OEM systems are not good. Please list the brand, exact model and time it has been in service. You should be able to get the details from a label on the power supply. If you have a GTX 1050 now, a GTX 1660 Super would be a worthwhile upgrade and can easily be handled by a good quality 500 watt power supply.

The Brand is "LITEON" Model is "NO: PS-7501-5" . I bought the computer new in FEB 2018.
Is this the information you needed? Also thank you for your quick reply

I just looked at the Super, it might be out of my budget but if it is a lot better than what I was looking at, I might need to suck it up and go with your suggestion.

 

[jsholydiver]

Here's the 1660ti https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...0_ti_ventus_xs_6g_oc_geforce_gtx_1660_ti.html

Has a $20 mail in rebate that goes with it making it $250 : D

And you won't have to upgrade you psu. It's also a good budget 1440p gpu.

Thank you for your quick reply! 250 might be a bit out of my budget but if it's a lot better than what I was looking at I'll have to add it onto my list of things I need to save up a bit more for and splurge on that.

 

[Archaic59]

The Brand is "LITEON" Model is "NO: PS-7501-5" . I bought the computer new in FEB 2018.
Is this the information you needed? Also thank you for your quick reply

I just looked at the Super, it might be out of my budget but if it is a lot better than what I was looking at, I might need to suck it up and go with your suggestion.

There's very little info available that I can find on this power supply, but it appears to have proprietary connectors that will not work with standard GPU's.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-computer-components/calgary/atx-power-supply-500w/1529254829

Description
ATX Power Supply LiteOn PS-7501-5
Maximum 500W
Connectors:
1 x 24pin Motherboard
1 x 2pin GPU
1 x 3pin GPU
1 x (3+1)pin GPU
3 x SATA power
2 x Molex power
1 x floppy power

 

[jsholydiver]

There's very little info available that I can find on this power supply, but it appears to have proprietary connectors that will not work with standard GPU's.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-computer-components/calgary/atx-power-supply-500w/1529254829

Description
ATX Power Supply LiteOn PS-7501-5
Maximum 500W
Connectors:
1 x 24pin Motherboard
1 x 2pin GPU
1 x 3pin GPU
1 x (3+1)pin GPU
3 x SATA power
2 x Molex power
1 x floppy power

So the suggested GPU's wouldn't work with my current power supply? I completely overlooked the connectors being inadequate for the PSU.

 

[Archaic59]

So the suggested GPU's wouldn't work with my current power supply? I completely overlooked the connectors being inadequate for the PSU.

This is exactly why I said to evaluate the power supply first. Since I am unable to find what I consider to be the best and most reliable information about your power supply, you may want to have it looked at by a local PC shop where they can open it up and see for sure what's in there and if an upgrade can be done at all.

Adapters from molex or SATA to GPU connections are not a good option and should be avoided. If the power supply does not have the required connectors then it was not made to do the job you want it to do. If the connections are proprietary then an upgrade may not be possible, but in your case I'm not 100% positive of this.

 

[jsholydiver]

This is exactly why I said to evaluate the power supply first. Since I am unable to find what I consider to be the best and most reliable information about your power supply, you may want to have it looked at by a local PC shop where they can open it up and see for sure what's in there and if an upgrade can be done at all.

Adapters from molex or SATA to GPU connections are not a good option and should be avoided. If the power supply does not have the required connectors then it was not made to do the job you want it to do. If the connections are proprietary then an upgrade may not be possible, but in your case I'm not 100% positive of this.

I understand, I wouldn't use adapters though... I wasn't wanting to upgrade the PSU either so that bites. Eventually everything is going to be replaced including the case, but the cable management would be horrible in this case. Thats the main reason I'm dodging it... maybe I should just go ahead and bite the bullet and live in cable management hell till I get a new case and everything else for it a year or two down the line lol 🙁

 

[cryoburner]

Out of the 1050 Ti and 1650, the 1650 would be the faster of the two.

However, Nvidia has since released the 1650 SUPER for about the same price as the regular 1650 (or maybe around $10 more than some models), and the SUPER version is around 30% faster. So there's generally not much point in picking up the regular 1650 unless one is on a very low-end PSU without PCIe power cables, as some models of the regular 1650 don't require them. However, I don't think the PCIe power cables should actually be a concern...

There's very little info available that I can find on this power supply, but it appears to have proprietary connectors that will not work with standard GPU's.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-computer-components/calgary/atx-power-supply-500w/1529254829

Description
ATX Power Supply LiteOn PS-7501-5
Maximum 500W
Connectors:
1 x 24pin Motherboard
1 x 2pin GPU
1 x 3pin GPU
1 x (3+1)pin GPU
3 x SATA power
2 x Molex power
1 x floppy power

I don't think that listing is accurate, as I've never heard of 2, 3 and 3+1 pin GPU power cables. Another product listing I found elsewhere listed it as having both a 6 and 6+2 pin PCIe power cable, so most likely the person who put up that Kijiji listing didn't know what they were talking about, and probably only counted the number of pins horizontally. Even looking at their picture, those look like 6 and 6+2 pin connectors (on the yellow and black cable), so I'm pretty sure that's what it has. You should be able to open up the computer to verify that it has those cables.

Now, the PSU probably isn't "great", but I suspect it would be good enough to support any of the graphics cards being talked about here. The 1650 SUPER only draws around 100 watts, and something like a 1660 / 1660 SUPER / 1660 Ti should only draw around 130 watts or so, so I don't see the PSU getting pushed to its limits. Combined with the rest of the hardware in the system, total power draw would probably never exceed 300 watts under full load.

 

[Archaic59]

Out of the 1050 Ti and 1650, the 1650 would be the faster of the two.

However, Nvidia has since released the 1650 SUPER for about the same price as the regular 1650 (or maybe around $10 more than some models), and the SUPER version is around 30% faster. So there's generally not much point in picking up the regular 1650 unless one is on a very low-end PSU without PCIe power cables, as some models of the regular 1650 don't require them. However, I don't think the PCIe power cables should actually be a concern...


I don't think that listing is accurate, as I've never heard of 2, 3 and 3+1 pin GPU power cables. Another product listing I found elsewhere listed it as having both a 6 and 6+2 pin PCIe power cable, so most likely the person who put up that Kijiji listing didn't know what they were talking about, and probably only counted the number of pins horizontally. Even looking at their picture, those look like 6 and 6+2 pin connectors (on the yellow and black cable), so I'm pretty sure that's what it has. You should be able to open up the computer to verify that it has those cables.

Now, the PSU probably isn't "great", but I suspect it would be good enough to support any of the graphics cards being talked about here. The 1650 SUPER only draws around 100 watts, and something like a 1660 / 1660 SUPER / 1660 Ti should only draw around 130 watts or so, so I don't see the PSU getting pushed to its limits. Combined with the rest of the hardware in the system, total power draw would probably never exceed 300 watts under full load.

I have to agree. I never heard of connectors like that either. If there are standard 6-pin or 6+2 pin OP should be able to upgrade but I could not determine for sure just what the PSU has, which is why I recommended he have it checked. Perhaps he can do it himself.

 

[jsholydiver]

I have to agree. I never heard of connectors like that either. If there are standard 6-pin or 6+2 pin OP should be able to upgrade but I could not determine for sure just what the PSU has, which is why I recommended he have it checked. Perhaps he can do it himself.

I can disconnect some things and look at the pins and count whatever I need to count. I just need to know what I'm looking for.

 

[Archaic59]

I can disconnect some things and look at the pins and count whatever I need to count. I just need to know what I'm looking for.

Look for a 6-pin or 6+2 pin PCIe cable coming from the PSU.

 

[jsholydiver]

Out of the 1050 Ti and 1650, the 1650 would be the faster of the two.

However, Nvidia has since released the 1650 SUPER for about the same price as the regular 1650 (or maybe around $10 more than some models), and the SUPER version is around 30% faster. So there's generally not much point in picking up the regular 1650 unless one is on a very low-end PSU without PCIe power cables, as some models of the regular 1650 don't require them. However, I don't think the PCIe power cables should actually be a concern...


I don't think that listing is accurate, as I've never heard of 2, 3 and 3+1 pin GPU power cables. Another product listing I found elsewhere listed it as having both a 6 and 6+2 pin PCIe power cable, so most likely the person who put up that Kijiji listing didn't know what they were talking about, and probably only counted the number of pins horizontally. Even looking at their picture, those look like 6 and 6+2 pin connectors (on the yellow and black cable), so I'm pretty sure that's what it has. You should be able to open up the computer to verify that it has those cables.

Now, the PSU probably isn't "great", but I suspect it would be good enough to support any of the graphics cards being talked about here. The 1650 SUPER only draws around 100 watts, and something like a 1660 / 1660 SUPER / 1660 Ti should only draw around 130 watts or so, so I don't see the PSU getting pushed to its limits. Combined with the rest of the hardware in the system, total power draw would probably never exceed 300 watts under full load.

These are a couple of the connectors I see coming off my PSU. I assume this would be a 6-pin and a 6 +2 -pin connector. However I'm familiar with the saying about people who make assumptions. If these are correct then thank you very much for looking into the listings for this PSU and pointing out what you found individually!

 

[jsholydiver]

Look for a 6-pin or 6+2 pin PCIe cable coming from the PSU.

I believe I found a 6-pin and a 6+2 pin connector, I posted pictures of similar ones I found online that matched what I have on my PSU in the post above. Thank you very much for being as thorough as you have been with my issues and thinking outside of the box that I was looking at with tunnel vision. Also it appears my current GPU isn't being powered directly from the PSU, looks to be powered by the motherboard. I'm sure that probably sounds really stupid, and is probably wrong 10 different ways but I couldn't see any cables coming directly from the PSU. I assume it would mean that the current one isn't drawing much power?

So if those are in fact the correct connectors I assume I'm onto my next issue and that is getting a worth while GPU within my budget. I've seen some cards such as the 1660 Super that are in full size with 2 fans and smaller ones that looked like they are built for a more compact case. Is the biggest difference between cards mostly with cooling power?

 

[King_V]

That is correct, you have a 6-pin and a 6+2-pin, respectively. The 6+2 basically allows you to use it as a 6-pin or an 8-pin, depending on what the video card will require.

I found the specs, the 12V is split into 3 rails, but provides a max combined of 432W on the 12V rails, assuming this label is what matches your PSU

I'm not sure how good the quality of the internals of this particular PSU, but a GTX 1650 Super would draw only 100W max, so you should have decent headroom. I would still look toward getting a better unit (better quality, don't need crazy high wattage rating) in order to preserve the longevity of your PC.

Going to a 1660/1660 Super/1660 Ti would push that up to 130 or so watts max. Again, the rated power of the PSU is more than sufficient, I just don't know if the quality of this PSU is good, meh, or dumpster-fire.

 

[jsholydiver]

That is correct, you have a 6-pin and a 6+2-pin, respectively. The 6+2 basically allows you to use it as a 6-pin or an 8-pin, depending on what the video card will require.

I found the specs, the 12V is split into 3 rails, but provides a max combined of 432W on the 12V rails, assuming this label is what matches your PSU

I'm not sure how good the quality of the internals of this particular PSU, but a GTX 1650 Super would draw only 100W max, so you should have decent headroom. I would still look toward getting a better unit (better quality, don't need crazy high wattage rating) in order to preserve the longevity of your PC.

Going to a 1660/1660 Super/1660 Ti would push that up to 130 or so watts max. Again, the rated power of the PSU is more than sufficient, I just don't know if the quality of this PSU is good, meh, or dumpster-fire.

That pretty much matches my label exactly. I haven't had any issues with this computer since I've had it and it's been heavily used although it hasn't been pushed hard. The fact that there is so little information on this brand and model it makes me feel like it's probably a hot mess of a PSU even considering I've had no issues with it. Eventually I do plan on upgrading the GPU, replacing the mother board, upgrading the CPU, replacing the PSU and getting a new case for it. It's a some what of a tight fit in the case which is the main reason I'm not wanting to replace the PSU at this time. It's pretty much cable management hell. I would say worse case scenario it would be 2 years before I replace the PSU, though if all goes right I'm planning to replace it within the year.

 

[cryoburner]

Also it appears my current GPU isn't being powered directly from the PSU, looks to be powered by the motherboard. I'm sure that probably sounds really stupid, and is probably wrong 10 different ways but I couldn't see any cables coming directly from the PSU. I assume it would mean that the current one isn't drawing much power?

Yep, a PCIe x16 slot can supply up to 75 watts on most motherboards, so some lower-power graphics cards can do without additional power. A 1650 is kind of right on the edge, so some of those cards require them and others don't, with the ones using them usually being slightly faster. The 1650 SUPER and 1660 cards all draw more than that under load, so they all require a PCIe power cable to be connected.

So if those are in fact the correct connectors I assume I'm onto my next issue and that is getting a worth while GPU within my budget. I've seen some cards such as the 1660 Super that are in full size with 2 fans and smaller ones that looked like they are built for a more compact case. Is the biggest difference between cards mostly with cooling power?

Yeah, though along with cooling power also typically comes quieter operation. Two fans spinning slowly tend to be quieter than a single fan spinning faster. The size and number of metal fins also makes a difference in cooling performance, though those are often hidden under a shroud, so it's not always easy to tell how good a given cooler is without checking reviews. Performance-wise, most cards of a given model tend to perform pretty close to one another, though there are sometimes exceptions.

 

[jsholydiver]

Yep, a PCIe x16 slot can supply up to 75 watts on most motherboards, so some lower-power graphics cards can do without additional power. A 1650 is kind of right on the edge, so some of those cards require them and others don't, with the ones using them usually being slightly faster. The 1650 SUPER and 1660 cards all draw more than that under load, so they all require a PCIe power cable to be connected.


Yeah, though along with cooling power also typically comes quieter operation. Two fans spinning slowly tend to be quieter than a single fan spinning faster. The size and number of metal fins also makes a difference in cooling performance, though those are often hidden under a shroud, so it's not always easy to tell how good a given cooler is without checking reviews. Performance-wise, most cards of a given model tend to perform pretty close to one another, though there are sometimes exceptions.

Thank you for the reply, that was very informative. Also thank you for explaining to me the difference between the two sizes and performance differences. I have one last stupid question. Right now my chip is an Nvida, but I've been looking at a AMD RX 5500 XT. I like the price on that GPU and it seems like it is a very big upgrade for my 1050.. I just want to make sure that I can switch from Nvida to AMD. I assume I can and I assume this is probably a dumb question, I just don't want to put down 200 dollars without knowing for sure.

 

[jsholydiver]

Thank you for the reply, that was very informative. Also thank you for explaining to me the difference between the two sizes and performance differences. I have one last stupid question. Right now my chip is an Nvida, but I've been looking at a AMD RX 5500 XT. I like the price on that GPU and it seems like it is a very big upgrade for my 1050.. I just want to make sure that I can switch from Nvida to AMD. I assume I can and I assume this is probably a dumb question, I just don't want to put down 200 dollars without knowing for sure.

Actually I answered my own question by doing 5 mins of research myself which is what I should have done before I asked the question. I see that you can switch brands with little to no issues 99% of the time. I also saw where it was suggested that I uninstall the drivers before I make the switch. As most the time it wouldn't be an issue with drivers coexisting other than it cluttering the computer a bit.. but in the past drivers use to cause issues with new cards and what not. Thank you everyone for the well thought out advice.

 

[cryoburner]

The 5500 XT is roughly in a similar performance range as a 1650 SUPER. It does offer the option for either 4GB or 8GB of VRAM on different models, with the 8GB version often being a little faster (and will probably handle future games better), but the 6GB 1660 cards tend to be faster still in most titles.

In general, a standard 1660 tends to be over 10% faster than a 1650 SUPER or 5500 XT, and a 1660 SUPER tends to be over 10% faster than a 1660, making the 1660 SUPER around 20-25% faster than a 1650 SUPER, though the exact differences can vary from one game to the next. The 1650 SUPER, in turn, tends to be around 30-35% faster than a regular 1650, so there's a pretty big jump in performance there. Compared to your regular 1050 (non-Ti), a 1650 SUPER or 5500 XT tends to be over twice as fast, while a 1660 SUPER tends to be around three times as fast. In games that are less demanding on the graphics card and more demanding on the CPU, you might see less of a difference though.

And yes, if you do decide to go with an AMD card, that should also work, and the 5500 XT has similar power draw to these other cards (Typically in-between a 1650 SUPER and a 1660 SUPER). You should uninstall the Nvidia software before installing the card and AMD software though.

 

[jsholydiver]

The 5500 XT is roughly in a similar performance range as a 1650 SUPER. It does offer the option for either 4GB or 8GB of VRAM on different models, with the 8GB version often being a little faster (and will probably handle future games better), but the 6GB 1660 cards tend to be faster still in most titles.

In general, a standard 1660 tends to be over 10% faster than a 1650 SUPER or 5500 XT, and a 1660 SUPER tends to be over 10% faster than a 1660, making the 1660 SUPER around 20-25% faster than a 1650 SUPER, though the exact differences can vary from one game to the next. The 1650 SUPER, in turn, tends to be around 30-35% faster than a regular 1650, so there's a pretty big jump in performance there. Compared to your regular 1050 (non-Ti), a 1650 SUPER or 5500 XT tends to be over twice as fast, while a 1660 SUPER tends to be around three times as fast. In games that are less demanding on the graphics card and more demanding on the CPU, you might see less of a difference though.

And yes, if you do decide to go with an AMD card, that should also work, and the 5500 XT has similar power draw to these other cards (Typically in-between a 1650 SUPER and a 1660 SUPER). You should uninstall the Nvidia software before installing the card and AMD software though.

After reading all the details and everyones thorough explanations I decided to go with the " MSI 1660 Super 6GB 192-Bit GDDR6" from newegg. It seemed better to spend a little extra for something that was going to last a big longer as far as being able to handle future games.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-geforce-...-xs-oc/p/N82E16814137475?Item=N82E16814137475