Question Buy and upgrade or not?

[Swede_matt]

I have the opportunity to pick up a Dell Precision 3650 (New in box) with the following specs for $500:

Intel Core I7-10700
16 GB DDR4 3200 mhz
512 GB SSD
460W PSU
It has a Nvidia Quadro P1000 GPU

So the questions is:

Should I buy this rig and then swap the GPU to get a decent gaming computer? Or can I get something better for the same $$ if I get something else?

I was thinking of swapping out the GPU for an Nvidia RTX 3060 or 3060Ti. If so the upgrade would cost me:

New power supply: $150? as I assume the existing 460W PSU won't be enough.
3060: $350
3060ti: $450

All in to get a decent rig:
3060: $500+$150+$350= $1000
3060Ti: $500+$150+$450=$1100

From the research I've done the Dell 3650 uses a standard ATX PSU so it should be an easy swap.

What would you recommend?

Buy the Dell and do the upgrades? Or can I get something better, and purpose built for the same price if I buy something off the shelf?

This would be used as a gaming rig for my 11 year old son and me. Mainly playing Fortnite, Assetto Corsa and Iracing.

TIA!

 

[lvt]

I like that Dell case, but the motherboard, not much.

 

[Swede_matt]

I like that Dell case, but the motherboard, not much.

Yeah, I'm test driving it at home and I do like the case as well. What's the problem with the motherboard?

To put it in context, I'm just trying to get a decent PC for gaming at the best possible cost. Not looking to get the most high end rig. Just really wondering if spending $500 on it and upgrading PSU & GPU is worth it or not.

 

[lvt]

What's the problem with the motherboard?

It seems that the motherboard is not standard ATX, so you may have to stick with it for a longtime as long as you like the case.

Having two empty 3.5" bays at the bottom is a waste (who needs two 3.5" HDD nowadays in a such narrow case anyway?)

The way they put the PSU will prevent you from installing custom/high-performance CPU cooling fan as the height is limited.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

I would suggest something like this instead:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor ($325.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright FT120 82 CFM CPU Cooler ($42.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550M Steel Legend Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger Pro OC Radeon RX 6750 XT 12 GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2022) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1156.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-04-27 03:53 EDT-0400
The Intel Arc A750 for 250 USD could be a decent option as well. Look at the gaming benchmarks and decide for yourself:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DMRYcf/intel-limited-edition-arc-a750-8-gb-video-card-99am3d