GPU upgrade advice for Dell XPS 8700

[rileysclass]

I'm looking to spruce up performance on a Dell XPS 8700. Stock components, except for the addition of some RAM (2x 4GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3). Single screen, 1920x1080.
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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: within a few weeks

BUDGET RANGE: USD ~$400 for project

USAGE: mostly gaming: Skyrim/Fallout 4/PUBG at respectable levels of performance

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: stock equipment: NVIDIA GeForce GT 720 1GB DDR3, 460w stock PSU

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: Intel Core i7-4790 @ 3.60 GHz, 1TB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, Windows 10 64-bit, BIOS A11

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, Amazon, etc. (major reputable retailers)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: I am most familiar with Nvidia cards

MONITOR RESOLUTION: single-screen 1920x1080
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I'm most concerned about what's going to fit in my current machine and not require much fussing with; I don't have much experience with hardware upgrades beyond "open case, plug in component, install driver, move on". Based on what I've read about the XPS 8700, I'm looking at a GTX 960 4GB or a GTX 1060 3GB, as seen in these links:

EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB

EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB

Not sure if I'd need an upgraded power supply, but this SeaSonic 650 seems to be a popular choice for builds based on the XPS 8700:

SeaSonic 650W Power Supply

Questions: which card should I choose? Can I do better for similar money with something else I haven't thought of? Should I upgrade the PSU or leave as-is?

Thanks for your consideration.

 

[dontlistentome]

I took a look at the manual, it looks like height is alright for the cards but length might be an issue. In terms of power, 460W would be enough except that in pre-built computers sometimes the power supply won't have a 6 or 8 pin pci-ex connector which you'd need for the videocard. If your computer doesn't, then yes you'll need a new power supply. A Seasonic is good, but most likely a 500W-550W would be enough. Nothing wrong with getting a bit more though.

In card choice, go for a 1050 Ti rather than a 4gb 960. You can get a 1050 Ti that will work with your current power supply, since there are some models that get all their power from the motherboard. Get the 1060 if possible, you have a pretty good i7 so you'd get good use out of it. The single fan card is probably a good idea unless you want to measure how long a card can be and still fit in your case.

 

[SoNic67]

I have played Skyrim and Fallout 4 with a GTX960 2GB without any issues at 1920x1080 resolution. Takes very little power, at that time I had only a 460W stock Dell power supply.

As a side-note, in Fallout 4, when I activated the new mod that allows PhysX effects, in the scenes with lots of fragments flying around it, the 960 was starting to choke. So I trowed in an older GT730 (single slot, no extra power connector) that I had laying around and I dedicated it to PhysX effects. Problem solved!
Even a 720 would work for PhysX, based on the GPU-Z load reporting on the 730.

 

[rileysclass]

Thanks for the advice, guys! It looks like I'd be better served splashing out a little extra for the GTX 1060, the single-fan versions of which should fit. I'm looking at a few different versions, as shown here:
Amazon: GTX 1060 single-fan

Questions: does the SC ("superclocked") version from EVGA make any appreciable difference over the standard version? Should I go for the 6GB over the 3GB, or will I not see much of a difference given the rest of my set-up?

Again, your consideration is appreciated.

 

[dontlistentome]

In EVGA cards I like the SC. That's because they have four models usually, Gaming, SC, SSC, and FTW. I don't like to buy the cheapest of anything, that rules out the Gaming model. I don't like to buy the most expensive of anything, that leaves out the FTW model. So then I'd choose between the SC and SSC, and since a smaller card is preferable, that means I'd pick the SC.

The cheapest model usually has the lowest end heatsink and fan combo. So it'll run noisier and probably a bit warmer, which I don't like. The 6gb is preferable in your situation for two reasons. One, you have an i7 so you'll be able to take full advantage of everything a 6gb 1060 can offer. Two, you mentioned PUBG and that game eats up vram so you'll want the extra 3gb there.

 

[rileysclass]

That's a very good, clear evaluation, and the more I read the more I'm inclined to agree. It looks like the GTX 1060 SC 6gb (single fan) is going to be the way to go, and I'll err on the side of caution by taking the extra 3 gigs. Prices seem to be all over the place, but I'm not seeing much better than $400... maybe I'll sit and wait a few days to see if it fluctuates any.

Now for the last issue: should I do the PSU at the same time? Is it worth doing the whole job at once and gaining almost 200w of futureproofing, or should I stick with the stock 460w?

 

[dontlistentome]

I never do multiple changes/upgrades at once. Plan for problems, that means you'll want the minimum amount of items to troubleshoot. Change one thing, then stress test the computer. Once you are satisfied all is well, do the next thing. If you pop the new card and power supply in there at the same time and then your computer won't function correctly, which item is the culprit?

 

[rileysclass]

Another wise bit of advice. Meanwhile, I just pulled the trigger on that exact card, for a hundred bucks better than I was seeing anywhere else:

Newegg: EVGA GTX 1060 SC 6GB

Should be here the beginning of next week. So we'll see how it goes! I played around with an online calculator that showed I should only draw about 330w total with the new card, which seems like an acceptable margin of error even if I mistakenly left something out. If I start getting weird interruptions or abrupt shutdowns, the PSU will be next up.

Thanks again for some superior build advice. I'll post results when I have them.

 

[rileysclass]

It worked! It actually worked!

The graphics card I linked above arrived today, on time and exactly as described. Instructions weren't the greatest for a non-expert, but I managed to get the old card out and the new one in without breaking anything.

There was a slight hitch with the new card requiring a power plug the old one did not, and the six-pin cable from EVGA didn't seem long enough to reach up to the power supply... and then I realized that Dell had thoughtfully included a two-headed six-pin cable, already jacked into the power supply and just hanging in space inside the case, waiting for whenever I upgraded cards. So, thanks Dell!

Of course there was one more false start. I had to run out and get a DVI-D cable to replace my outgoing VGA, because the new card had no port for the latter. One quick trip to the store later, I am finished and everything seems to be working just fine.

Thanks again for all the guidance!