[SOLVED] Dell Optiplez 7010 sff GPU upgrade

[ElBueno21]

I have a Dell Optiplex 7010 sff and I would like to upgrade to a better graphics card. I do some light gaming like Minecraft and I have The Witcher 3, but haven't been able to play though it much because of how slow it runs. I also do some light video editing here and there usually with Premiere Pro. What would you guys recommend as a good upgrade? Some cards I found online either were a bit too expensive, were bottlenecked by my cpu, or my power supply wouldn't be able to take it. The budget I'm working with is $100 but preferably I would like to get something under that price point.

Here are my specs:

Intel i5 - 3570 @ 3.40 GHz CPU
8GB of Ram
AMD Radeon HD 7570 Graphic Card
Windows 10 Pro x64
Kingston SSD 120 GB
WD Green 2TB
OEM Power Supply 240W

Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[sdedu77]

First of all, a 240w power supply is weak for a decent graphics card. IIRC, the 7010 does have a 24 pin connector, so you can plug a third-party PSU, but you will need one in the SFX format.
Regarding the graphics card, there's no decent option under the $100 mark if buying new. Prices of graphics card is still through the roof (at least on the lower end segment). Normally an RX 570 would be a generic in this price range, but you will need a low profile card; options are limited here, best will probably be a GTX 1050 Ti.

 

[ElBueno21]

First of all, a 240w power supply is weak for a decent graphics card. IIRC, the 7010 does have a 24 pin connector, so you can plug a third-party PSU, but you will need one in the SFX format.
Regarding the graphics card, there's no decent option under the $100 mark if buying new. Prices of graphics card is still through the roof (at least on the lower end segment). Normally an RX 570 would be a generic in this price range, but you will need a low profile card; options are limited here, best will probably be a GTX 1050 Ti.

Alright perfect thanks, but when I was looking online I found that the GTX 1050 Ti needs a 300 W power supply and the RX 570 needs a 450W power supply so would it still work on my system regardless??? Price wise I guess I can fork out a bit more if necessary, but like you said there aren't many options because of my pc limitations. Is that the only two you would recommend or are there others???

 

[tennis2]

What country are you in?

I can say with pretty high certainty (without even googling your exact PC) that the PSU inside is NOT an SFX form factor.

Also, if it's the SFF model, that's going to require a "low profile" GPU.

Is physical size of the machine a limitation for you? You could get a better PSU and GPU for less money if you also change the case to something more.... standard, like mATX or mITX. That would allow you to get a standard "ATX" PSU and a full height dual slot GPU. Both of which are much more cost efficient.

 

[sdedu77]

I can say with pretty high certainty (without even googling your exact PC) that the PSU inside is NOT an SFX form factor.

Right, I forgot that prebuilt SFFs from early 2010's are even more problematic regarding compatibility. Also, I believe the front panel connectors are not standard either. Probably they are labelled or you may find a guide online.
I've heard that some prebuilt SFFs have limited power on the PCIe slot, but if you card (and future power supply) has a 6/8 pin connector, I guess it should suffice (since 6pin=75w / 8pin=150w and most have some headroom over the rated specs for heavy load).
Just as a note, unlike a standard taller and narrower motherboard, yours is shorter and wider, it might look a bit "weird".

 

[tennis2]

We certainly need to confirm any PCIe slot power limits. I know that even GPUs that have external power connectors often draw the full 75W from the slot. I'm not sure if they're flexible enough to handle a slot that can only provide 40W for example.

I think that with modern cases lacking optical and hdd bays, the additional width can be accommodated.

 

[sdedu77]

I've found this guidebook. At page 19 it's stated that the SFF can provide a maximum of 50w on the PCIe slot. Again, as tennis2 stated, it might not be enough. Besides, OEMs have their own ecosystem, you can't thrust them 100% regarding compatibility.

 

[ElBueno21]

What country are you in?

I can say with pretty high certainty (without even googling your exact PC) that the PSU inside is NOT an SFX form factor.

Also, if it's the SFF model, that's going to require a "low profile" GPU.

Is physical size of the machine a limitation for you? You could get a better PSU and GPU for less money if you also change the case to something more.... standard, like mATX or mITX. That would allow you to get a standard "ATX" PSU and a full height dual slot GPU. Both of which are much more cost efficient.

I live in the US and sorry for the lag. Yes I do know I will have to get low profile GPUs because of my PSU limitations. Now I just want to know what would be the best graphics card to use in my case???

 

[ElBueno21]

I've found this guidebook. At page 19 it's stated that the SFF can provide a maximum of 50w on the PCIe slot. Again, as tennis2 stated, it might not be enough. Besides, OEMs have their own ecosystem, you can't thrust them 100% regarding compatibility.

Thank you for that. Sorry for the lag so with the confirmation of the limitation what GPU would best fit in the my computer???

 

[tennis2]

Nvidia GT1030.