Adding GPU to old prebuilt

[TehAstro]

I have a Dell Optiplex 360 mid tower (2gb ddr2 ram, intel duo processor, 160gb hdd). I wanted to get a new PC, mainly for gaming, but my budget doesn't allow it right now. I can play low-end games on medium-low settings with the PC I'm on now, but since I'm going to be stuck with it for a while I wanted to see if I could get a little more performance out of it. I thought of adding a GPU as it didn't come with one, and after researching I found this.

http://www.discountelectronics.com/product?product_id=17407&product_model=26

The card should work in my computer, but now the problem is power. The PC only has a 255w PSU, and I fear that adding the GPU may overload it. So my question is: Would adding the GPU go over the power limit, and if it does go maybe 10w over would it cause major problems?

If so, I may get a 700w PSU as that's what I was going to get for my gaming rig and it wouldn't make sense to waste money on a 300w one right now. Would an aftermarket PSU fit in the Dell case or are they built differently?

And, if I do add the GPU, how much performance increase could I expect to see on games like Killing Floor, League of Legends, and Tribes: Ascend? Currently I run them on low-medium settings or not at all.

Sorry for having so many questions, but thanks.

 

[filippi]

Can you spend $90? This upgrade will improve your system. This PSU and GPU could both be used in your new pc in the future.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6670 1GB Video Card ($60.38 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $90.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-18 20:39 EST-0500)

 

[TehAstro]

Can you spend $90? This upgrade will improve your system. This PSU and GPU could both be used in your new pc in the future.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6670 1GB Video Card ($60.38 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $90.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-18 20:39 EST-0500)

I don't think either of those would be very practical for my future build, unfortunately. Would that GPU be a pretty good choice if I shell out for a 600-700w PSU? I'm probably going to have to upgrade the PSU so I might as well get one I can use for a while.

 

[filippi]

This is still a good gpu for a entry-level gaming pc. Same thing about this PSU. You could build a very good computer and still use them.
You could upgrade for a enthusiastic gpu / psu later, without that motherboard and case limitations that you have now.
This is a path you should consider at least.

 

[TehAstro]

This is still a good gpu for a entry-level gaming pc. Same thing about this PSU. You could build a very good computer and still use them.
You could upgrade for a enthusiastic gpu / psu later, without that motherboard and case limitations that you have now.
This is a path you should consider at least.

After doing a little more research I don't think that I'd be able to easily install an aftermarket PSU as it seems like prebuilt Dells are made slightly differently, and that the best GPU I could get is a 7750 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/PowerColor-AX7750-1GBK3-H-Radeon-HD-7750-1GB-128-bit-DDR3-PCI-Xpress-3-0-x16-HD-/111240468973?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item19e672d9ed) without getting a new PSU. I'm also thinking of adding another 2gb RAM. Would there be any problems with this setup or would I be alright?

 

[woltej1]

adding ddr2 to your system is a waste of money, can't be used in the future and won't give you any performance. Just get that 7750 and don't upgrade anything else until you're ready to do a full build because it simply wouldn't be worth it for you to dump money on anything else.