[SOLVED] > Big dilema: which graphics card for a SFF PC?

[QuestionableFolk]

Hello everyone.

I have a really big dilema and I don't know what to do. So, here it goes.
I've recently got my hands on a HP Compaq 6200 Pro SFF and I want to upgrade it and use it for office work and light gaming (E-Sports like Valorant, CS:GO, LoL and so on).
[!] Current specs:

• Pentium G620
• 4 GB RAM
• 120 GB SSD
• no graphics card
• 240 W PSU (non-changeable).

I already got an i5-2500 (after research, looks like it works fine with the PSU, correct if wrong) and 4 more gigs of RAM.
The question is: which graphics card is best suited for this kind of PC (low profile card)?
After some research (and within my budget), I was thinking of getting a R7 240 or a GT 1030. Any thoughts or suggestions? Any information is much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

How old is that PSU in your prebuilt? You could look into the GT1030 listed among those GPU's though it will need to be a low profile variant only and that the PSU is brand new. You can't expect to run either of the two listed GPU's off of an used PSU that's (at this moment of time) more than a decade old.

 

[QuestionableFolk]

Hello @Lutfij.

Thank you for the warm welcome. Much appreciated.
Regarding the age of the PSU: I think it's not quite a decade old, but it could be at least 7-8 years old. Best I know about this PC is that it was given to me by a relative about 2 years ago and it didn't boot at first and then I just left it in the basement. Recently, I got around to try it again for fun and this time it magically turned on (I reinstalled the RAM, fiddled around with the cables on the SSD, presed the big current button on the MB and something did the trick).
I don't know what to do, I really want to play some Valorant and the current laptop I have for work doesn't even start the game so I saw this PC as a opportunity to upgrade and play. There is nothing to be done?

 

[Lutfij]

Best invest on something that isn't proprietary PSU, motherboard and form factor wise, that's what I'd do, IMHO.

 

[punkncat]

I would not take the time to try and make this happen either. Even in the realm of inexpensive office to gaming conversions, SFF is not a way to do so. You would want to consider a model that has the tower form factor. I am personally more familiar with Dell and the MT size factor, but HP has a similar thing as well. Even in those cases you find yourself severely limited as to what is possible due to proprietary parts, connectors, limited power supply options and so on.

It wouldn't take much budget to create what you desire with new or used STANDARD components. Consider what you can scratch up for a budget and ask around as folks here are quite industrious where it comes to build list suggestions.

 

[QuestionableFolk]

I'm kinda into it too deep now to back off. I just need to get the GPU. I can't invest nothing more than what I did and would be able to spend on a GPU and I don't wanna hastle, I already did so much (long story xd).
But the thing is... I don't understand what the problem would be. The old processor is 65 W TDP, the new one is 95 W. The GPU won't surpass 30 W, maybe 50 under full load or smth. And it's still under the PSU's total W. Would it be such a big problem?
Also, I'm pretty sure the life of this PC was an office one, nothing too crazy. So I don't think the PSU is that beat up, except it is as old as the PC.

 

[QuestionableFolk]

As well as I replied to @Lutfij, I can't do anything else. This is the tightest budget you've ever seen. The prebuilt I got for free and I don't have other choices, that's the problem. So as it is, with what I have, I can't do anything?
P.S.: this is just for college and work. I have better computers at home, I just needed something as cheap as possible to be able to play Valorant with my colleagues.

 

[punkncat]

Issues include poor performance, heat, and size restriction when selecting a "GPU" to fit such constraints. Cards like that are made to look at a spreadsheet, not game on. Then, if you do run into a power supply issue due to the load or age/failure you have no option than to throw more good money after it buying that proprietary and aged PSU. It is a money suck for what will end up being disappointing performance.

 

[Lutfij]

You might want to look through our forums and see how many people have ended up doing what you want to do. The end result is that some come back and give closure to the deep dive into the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole, that they admit it was a mistake. Others who don't admit it...well, they don't return and speak of the money they sank into a pointless project.

If you do the maths, the more resource you sink into the prebuilt, is actually resources you could've spent towards a brand new concurrent build, one that sips on power and does task efficiently. Resources, mind you, can be time, money and energy among other things. If you look at any GPU maker's support site about PSU recommendations, they suggest 350W of power from a PSU, you don't have that either. To add more insult to injury, that PSU is not brand new. An used PSU will not output the same amount of power as it would when brand new.

This is the tightest budget you've ever seen.
Save that money.

 

[punkncat]

As well as I replied to @Lutfij, I can't do anything else. This is the tightest budget you've ever seen. The prebuilt I got for free and I don't have other choices, that's the problem. So as it is, with what I have, I can't do anything?
P.S.: this is just for college and work. I have better computers at home, I just needed something as cheap as possible to be able to play Valorant with my colleagues.

An option I suggest, and yes, be ready to cringe...

Take the motherboard and components out of the SFF case. Purchase adapters, if required, to utilize a standard power supply. Either table top mount the components or put them into a box of some kind that can relatively keep them together and safe from liquids and objects directly hitting them. Yes, shoe box level etc.

It isn't "cool", but it will work, and you can get a more appropriate gaming card. A 750ti or so should pair up nicely with that CPU.

 

[Lutfij]

If you follow through YT video's, please be wary that they have ad-sense revenue to cover their empty wallets, to also add, they do this for click-baits. Not everyone's like that mind you, who apparently do very good investigative work with tech, not just deep dive in them. Europe isn't a country, it's a region - perhaps if you were able to look at Ebay listings for something that is at least 8th or 9th Gen Intel or a Ryzen 3000 platform.

I'm also against any prebuilt transplants since they only drive any investments towards negative.

 

[horsemama]

Yeah I disagree with everyone here. He already has the i5 2500 and more RAM, buying a cheap GT1030 or RX 550 will enable him to play the games he lists in the OP just fine at 1080p and handle office work no problem. This machine will also handle titles like Hades, Cuphead, Dead Cells and many older/light titles easily. I would consider adding another cheap 240GB SSD just for games though.