GPU for 525w Dell PSU~

[MakoRuu]

I recently bought a Dell Precision T3500 on eBay for $90.

http://www.benmacre.com/mt/images/t3400/t34_power.jpg

This is a picture of the power supply I picked off Google. Mine is identical.

My Questions

Will this PSU support a GTX 680?
What is the best GPU I can scale to with this Power Supply?
Would it be safe to use an 6 or 8 pin adapter?


It came with a Xeon W3520 (i7-920)
4 GBS of RAM (PC3-8500 1066Mhz)
1 TB HD

I upgraded the ram to 6 GBs and threw in my old GTX 650 ti. (2 GB)

This computer is used for everything from drawing and graphic design, to playing video games and burning DVDs.

I'm worried that my GPU won't be enough for some games coming out soon. So I was looking to upgrade. I've been thinking of the GTX 680 because you can find them online pretty cheap now, and they're still really good GPUs compared to my 650.

Money's kind of tight or I'd buy a 960 and be done with it.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1129?vs=1348

Here's a comparison of my 650 ti vs the 680.

Any information you can offer is helpful. Thank's guy.

 

[mrmez]

Currently, Nv cards are very power efficient, while AMD cards aren't.

An Nv GTX 980 only needs a 500w PSU.

That would be the best GPU for your PSU. Given that you spent $90 on a system, obviously far more than you want to spend. Basically just look at anything Nv.

 

[MakoRuu]

Currently, Nv cards are very power efficient, while AMD cards aren't.

An Nv GTX 980 only needs a 500w PSU.

That would be the best GPU for your PSU. Given that you spent $90 on a system, obviously far more than you want to spend. Basically just look at anything Nv.

That's the thing. I had the money I'd buy a 900 series GPU and be done with it. But I can't afford one right now.

 

[mrmez]

A GTX 680 is a decent step up, but requires a 550w PSU.
That Dell psu is technically a 500w, and I wouldn't like to push it even close to the limit.

You are kinda limited to lower end AMD cards and current Nv cards.

Like:
260x
750 Ti
270

Anything slower is probably not worth spending on.
Anything older AND faster will probably need more power.

 

[iballew]

The 650 ti is still a fairly good card. What games are you wanting to play? Why not see how they perform and if your satisfied, just wait until you have more to spend on a new gpu. One of my machines has my old hd 7770 (slower than the 650 ti) and it still is able to play modern games on med/high settings with 30+ fps. My advice: see if your satisfied with the 650 ti before buying a new gpu.

 

[MakoRuu]

MrMez - I don't have enough experience with AMD to buy one of their cards. But I hear good things.


iballew - I built this PC to replace an old Core 2 Duo I was using. I wanted to play EverQuest Next, Star Citizen, and now Fallout 4.

Just general gaming for whatever takes my fancy.

I can currently play Dragon Age Inquisition and Grand Theft Auto V on pretty high settings at 1400x1050.

 

[iballew]

If you are on a tight budget, I would go for something used. I know you dont have much experience with amd, however, there is a first time for everything. The 7000 series had some of the best gpus ever made in my opinion.

Gtx 670: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIS-Radeon-HD-7950-3GB-IceQ-3GB-Boost-H795QC3G2M-GPU-in-Excellent-Condition-/251979979256?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aab2d59f8

HD 7950: http://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-gtx-670-/121668810345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c5406b669

 

[MakoRuu]

I was thinking of the 670. BUT.

I'm worried about my power supply. That's why I made this thread.

 

[iballew]

Well nvidia recommends a 500 watt psu, so you'll be fine. Also, Dell power supplies are normally very solid.