External GPU on desktop pc

[exavius_]

So I got an Acer Aspire TC-230 which has A LOT of things wrong with it (these don't make it unusable just hard to modify) mainly of its 60 Watt AC Adaptor PSU.

My main concern right now is the GPU. I'm currently using an MSI GT 710. What I thought I could do is use the idea of an eGPU (External Graphics Processing Unit) used on laptops. I intend to use something like this, I'll use an old laptop cable to power it since the card I'm going to use is a GT 1030.

Alright so here comes the problems/concerns,

1. Do I have a x1 PCI-E slot or an Mini PCI slot?

2. If its Mini PCI, can I get a duel adapter so I can use the video card dock and my wireless card?

3. If its PCI-E, does it still work?

4. Will I have any other problems?

This is the back of my case
Thisis my Motherboard

Specs:
AMD A4-7210 with R3 Intergrated Graphics
Nvidia Geforce GT 710 MSI 2GB DDR3
8GB DDR3L RAM
Acer TC-230 Motherboard
60W AC Adapter PSU

Please let me know if I missed anything, I'm doing this at 11:30 PM *RIP ME*

 

[SkyNetRising]

External GPU is a bad idea. You can do much better.

From size of your case, you can put standard PSU inside of it.
It would require slight modification, but you could rig output of standard PSU to power your motherboard. You'd need power connector from your external AC adapter and connect it to appropriate wires from standard PSU.
What is output voltage of your AC adapter btw? I'm guessing 12V ?

And you can install GT 1030 in the same place, where GT710 currently is.
Ah yes - and you'd need to rewire "power on" button to startup standard psu. That can be done quite easily.

 

[jaslion]

So I got an Acer Aspire TC-230 which has A LOT of things wrong with it (these don't make it unusable just hard to modify) mainly of its 60 Watt AC Adaptor PSU.

My main concern right now is the GPU. I'm currently using an MSI GT 710. What I thought I could do is use the idea of an eGPU (External Graphics Processing Unit) used on laptops. I intend to use something like this, I'll use an old laptop cable to power it since the card I'm going to use is a GT 1030.

Alright so here comes the problems/concerns,

1. Do I have a x1 PCI-E slot or an Mini PCI slot?

2. If its Mini PCI, can I get a duel adapter so I can use the video card dock and my wireless card?

3. If its PCI-E, does it still work?

4. Will I have any other problems?

This is the back of my case
Thisis my Motherboard

Specs:
AMD A4-7210 with R3 Intergrated Graphics
Nvidia Geforce GT 710 MSI 2GB DDR3
8GB DDR3L RAM
Acer TC-230 Motherboard
60W AC Adapter PSU

Please let me know if I missed anything, I'm doing this at 11:30 PM *RIP ME*

Thing is your cpu is so weak it can even bottleneck a gt 730. You might just want to use the money you were going to spend on the gpu dock (at least 150$ for non garbage ones) and get a used core i3 or i5 dell and plop the gt 1030 in there. That will overall be a waaaaay better solution than what you have now and are going to do.

 

[exavius_]

External GPU is a bad idea. You can do much better.

From size of your case, you can put standard PSU inside of it.
It would require slight modification, but you could rig output of standard PSU to power your motherboard. You'd need power connector from your external AC adapter and connect it to appropriate wires from standard PSU.
What is output voltage of your AC adapter btw? I'm guessing 12V ?

And you can install GT 1030 in the same place, where GT710 currently is.
Ah yes - and you'd need to rewire "power on" button to startup standard psu. That can be done quite easily.

I tried doing this before spending hours on researching but couldn't find anything online, maybe I was looking in the wrong place or for the wrong thing?
If you could, find a tutorial of some sort and i'll try my best to follow it.

 

[USAFRet]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

 

[exavius_]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

Case already has an area to put a PSU it's just a matter of putting the cables on the motherboard.
So is it actually possible to do this though?

 

[USAFRet]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

Case already has an area to put a PSU it's just a matter of putting the cables on the motherboard.
So is it actually possible to do this though?

Is it physically possible? Sure.
Will the weak CPU choke the new GPU? Yes.

It is time to consider a whole new PC, rather than trying to put lipstick on a pig.

 

[exavius_]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

Case already has an area to put a PSU it's just a matter of putting the cables on the motherboard.
So is it actually possible to do this though?

Is it physically possible? Sure.
Will the weak CPU choke the new GPU? Yes.

It is time to consider a whole new PC, rather than trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Great idea but I don't have money for a new one or want to bother with it. This seems like an interesting thing I want to do. Also, how does the CPU effect the GPU? I see people using a GTX 1050 in a 9 year old laptop and playing rocket league at 70-80 frames.

 

[USAFRet]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

Case already has an area to put a PSU it's just a matter of putting the cables on the motherboard.
So is it actually possible to do this though?

Is it physically possible? Sure.
Will the weak CPU choke the new GPU? Yes.

It is time to consider a whole new PC, rather than trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Great idea but I don't have money for a new one or want to bother with it. This seems like an interesting thing I want to do. Also, how does the CPU effect the GPU? I see people using a GTX 1050 in a 9 year old laptop and playing rocket league at 70-80 frames.

The CPU and GPU work together.
Some games use the CPU more, others use the GPU more.

Go for it.
Document the process.
Tell us how it works.

 

[exavius_]

The first issue is that your CPU is too weak to bother with.

Then, you'd need to mod the case and connections for a proper PSU.

There is no specific 'tutorial' for this, because this is a one-off DIY type of thing.

Case already has an area to put a PSU it's just a matter of putting the cables on the motherboard.
So is it actually possible to do this though?

Is it physically possible? Sure.
Will the weak CPU choke the new GPU? Yes.

It is time to consider a whole new PC, rather than trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Great idea but I don't have money for a new one or want to bother with it. This seems like an interesting thing I want to do. Also, how does the CPU effect the GPU? I see people using a GTX 1050 in a 9 year old laptop and playing rocket league at 70-80 frames.

The CPU and GPU work together.
Some games use the CPU more, others use the GPU more.

Go for it.
Document the process.
Tell us how it works.

Ok but I need help with one thing, what am I looking for?
Like my motherboard isn't atx, what is it?

 

[SkyNetRising]

I tried doing this before spending hours on researching but couldn't find anything online, maybe I was looking in the wrong place or for the wrong thing?
If you could, find a tutorial of some sort and i'll try my best to follow it.

Tutorial? Easy.

• 1. Buy a standard PSU 400W -500W;
  2. Install PSU into your pc;
  3. Find out voltage your external AC adapter is supplying to your pc (asked you that before, read info on AC adapter.);
  4. Find appropriate wires on PSU, that provide this voltage;
  5. Cut off adapter plug from external AC adapter and connect to internal PSU;
  6. Reroute adapter plug through back of your pc, so you can plug it in i/o shield of your pc;
  7. Find out pins on internal PSU, that start it up (hint: green and black wire);
  8. Reroute power on button wires to internal PSU startup wires;
  9. Buy a new graphics card;
  10. Remove GT710 and install new graphics card.
  11. Reinstall GPU drivers

Done. Profit.

 

[exavius_]

I tried doing this before spending hours on researching but couldn't find anything online, maybe I was looking in the wrong place or for the wrong thing?
If you could, find a tutorial of some sort and i'll try my best to follow it.

Tutorial? Easy.

• 1. Buy a standard PSU 400W -500W;
  2. Install PSU into your pc;
  3. Find out voltage your external AC adapter is supplying to your pc (asked you that before, read info on AC adapter.);
  4. Find appropriate wires on PSU, that provide this voltage;
  5. Cut off adapter plug from external AC adapter and connect to internal PSU;
  6. Reroute adapter plug through back of your pc, so you can plug it in i/o shield of your pc;
  7. Find out pins on internal PSU, that start it up (hint: green and black wire);
  8. Reroute power on button wires to internal PSU startup wires;
  9. Buy a new graphics card;
  10. Remove GT710 and install new graphics card.
  11. Reinstall GPU drivers

Done. Profit.

Its 19 Volts

 

[SkyNetRising]

Oh yeah. That's gonna be a problem.
Standard PSUs don't supply this voltage.

 

[exavius_]

Oh yeah. That's gonna be a problem.
Standard PSUs don't supply this voltage.

I'll use one with a higher voltage? I read that its safe to exceed the amount of Watts and Volts needed on a PC

 

[USAFRet]

Oh yeah. That's gonna be a problem.
Standard PSUs don't supply this voltage.

I'll use one with a higher voltage? I read that its safe to exceed the amount of Watts and Volts needed on a PC

Watts, yes.
Volts, no.

 

[SkyNetRising]

You'll need to use 12v to 19v dc converter.

 

[exavius_]

You'll need to use 12v to 19v dc converter.

So I got a HP Compaq DC7100, Ill be using that, not in the PC but as a reference for what im doing.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter

now what

 

[USAFRet]

So I got a HP Compaq DC7100, Ill be using that, not in the PC but as a reference for what im doing.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter

now what

So which is it....the Acer or this HP?
If you keep changing the system, the 'how' changes as well.

 

[exavius_]

So I got a HP Compaq DC7100, Ill be using that, not in the PC but as a reference for what im doing.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter

now what

So which is it....the Acer or this HP?
If you keep changing the system, the 'how' changes as well.

Its the Acer, I was just stating im using the HP PSU as a reference for me to get an idea of what im doing since im pretty sure its ATX but it wont effect anything, that aside. What next

 

[USAFRet]

So I got a HP Compaq DC7100, Ill be using that, not in the PC but as a reference for what im doing.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter

now what

So which is it....the Acer or this HP?
If you keep changing the system, the 'how' changes as well.

Its the Acer, I was just stating im using the HP PSU as a reference for me to get an idea of what im doing since im pretty sure its ATX but it wont effect anything, that aside. What next

Oh, that PSU.
Don't count on that being 100% ATX.

 

[SkyNetRising]

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter
now what

Steps are same as before.
Only difference - dc converter goes between 12v output of psu to 19v input on i/o shield of pc.

 

[exavius_]

So I got a HP Compaq DC7100, Ill be using that, not in the PC but as a reference for what im doing.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter

now what

So which is it....the Acer or this HP?
If you keep changing the system, the 'how' changes as well.

Its the Acer, I was just stating im using the HP PSU as a reference for me to get an idea of what im doing since im pretty sure its ATX but it wont effect anything, that aside. What next

Oh, that PSU.
Don't count on that being 100% ATX.

So I got a theoretical psu
12v to 19v dc converter
now what

Steps are same as before.
Only difference - dc converter goes between 12v output of psu to 19v input on i/o shield of pc.

Although your "tutorial" was helpful, I dont really understand it. Is it possible for you to use like windows paint or something and do a quick diagram of some sort. Would help a lot to know what im doing

 

[SkyNetRising]

If it sounds too complicated, then perhaps it is.
You'd need basic understanding of physics regarding electric principles. And proper tools like voltage tester to do everything correctly.
Without those things you'll probably end up killing your pc.

 

[exavius_]

If it sounds too complicated, then perhaps it is.
You'd need basic understanding of physics regarding electric principles. And proper tools like voltage tester to do everything correctly.
Without those things you'll probably end up killing your pc.

I do have the proper tools and such its just these parts I dont understand

5. Cut off adapter plug from external AC adapter and connect to internal PSU;
7. Find out pins on internal PSU, that start it up (hint: green and black wire);
8. Reroute power on button wires to internal PSU startup wires;

 

[SkyNetRising]

(5.)Your external AC power adapter is something like this, I'm guessing. You'll need the connector, that plugs into your pc.

(7,8.)This is pinout of standard PSU connector. Connecting green and black wires, starts the psu. You'll have to connect power on button from front panel of your pc to those green+black wires.