Alienware X51 R2 graphics card upgrade

[NorthropXP79]

Hi, I have an Alienware X51 R2 and I am thinking about upgrading the graphics card
Specs:
4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-4170 Processor (3MB Cache, 3.70 GHz)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3
6GB (1x2GB+1x4GB) DDR3L 1600Mh
And im not sure about the power supply.
I know that that due to the compact size of the computer, i'm kind of limited to what i can fit in the slot. I just want to know what the best graphics card i cant fit in it (preferably Nvidia) without modding the case or something else like that.
Thanks in advance!

 

[imrazor]

We need to be sure about the power supply. According to what I'm seeing it could be a 240w or 330w, which will make a big difference as to what card you can upgrade to. If you have the 330w, you might be able to upgrade to this:

MSI GTX 960 2GD5 GeForce GTX 960 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 HDCP Ready SLI Support ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127842

The recommended card length for your X51 R2 is 9.5" Check here for more details:

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19615305

Oh, and you might need a BIOS update too.

 

[NorthropXP79]

Thank you for the answer, any idea how to find out?

 

[imrazor]

If you look at the power supply it should have a part number (abbreviated as PN) on it. If it says XM3C3 it should be the 330w. Not sure about the 240w part.

 

[NorthropXP79]

not sure if this is what your talking about, but on the power supply it says Dell P/N WW4XY

 

[NorthropXP79]

Also I read on another forum that all Alienware X51 R2's come standard with a 330W.

 

[imrazor]

Bad news. Is this it?

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=331-7957&mfgpid=234624

Looks like WW4XY is 180w. You'll need to order a new PSU if you want to upgrade your video card to anything faster than a 750ti (and even a 750ti would be marginal). The good news is that most Dell power adapters have a standard plug, so the 330w shouldn't need any converters. Here are two examples of what you need (and yeah, they're overpriced):

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Replacement-Alienware-AM18X-6732BAA-compatible/dp/B00CGA5JQM

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=332-1432&mfgpid=234624

 

[NorthropXP79]

No that is for a laptop and the code for that is TW1P0.

 

[NorthropXP79]

I dont know if this will help but here is what the power supply says:Input: 100-240V 2.34A 50-60Hz Output: 19.5V 9.23A

 

[imrazor]

Volts * Amps = Watts
So 19.5V * 9.23A = 179.985 watts. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

 

[NorthropXP79]

Sorry to waist your time. I think ill just buy a new case and transfer the components, dell screwed me once again.

 

[imrazor]

You didn't waste my time. I'm glad you didn't blow your money on a new card only to have your PSU fail on you. Good luck with your new build.

 

[NorthropXP79]

Thanks man

 

[jaychew]

just to be sure. Can you upload a photo of your power brick? I can tell whether its a 240W or 330W. X51 doesnt run in 180W.

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

Prebuilt PC's are `usually´ only matched with á power supply that is just enough for the components, rarely high or medium quality and I would personally be more comfortable replacing it before risking anything. While in modern PC's you can't really harm other components if something happens, it's still a waste of time since the odds are against you.

 

[NorthropXP79]

Sorry for the late reply guys but I just decided to build a new computer. I don't really like being limited to what i can and cant do with a computer.

 

[NorthropXP79]

just to be sure. Can you upload a photo of your power brick? I can tell whether its a 240W or 330W. X51 doesnt run in 180W.

We checked the Voltage and amps and is is a 180. Just remember Dell is cheap and the computer itself has alot of OEM's for power saving reasons.

 

[cabosan75]

I recommend getting the model number off of the power brick and then google it. My X51 power brick is Model: DA330PM111 which I found is the 330W power brick.