GTX 770 Questions

[ChronicSonic]

I have a Dell XPS 8300 with a 2nd gen quad core i7 @ 3.40 GHz, 8gigs of ram, a crappy AMD 6450, and a 460w PSU. I'm looking to upgrade my GPU and PSU so I can play/stream some more graphic intensive games, and from what I've read a GTX 770 looks like a good option for my price range. I'm really stuck and confused though on which GPU and PSU I should get. The three GTX's I've been looking at are:
Gigabyte: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-125-463&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=4&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29#scrollFullInfo
MSI: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127741
or EVGA: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130921
I think I've ruled out the Gigabyte one though because it's probably too big for my case, but I'm really confused about the difference in the EVGA and MSI ones. The EVGA one says it comes with a 1 x 6 pin PCI-E Power Adapter and 1 x 8 pin PCI-E Power Adapter, whereas the MSI one comes with just 2 x 8-Pin Power Cable. Does that mean that I will need to plug in both of those 8-pins into my new PSU?
Because the two PSU's that I'm debating between both only say they have 1 x 8-Pin EPS 12V, so will I need a different one if I get the MSI card? Here are the two PSU's:
750 W: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-139-010&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo
850 W: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
Also, anyone have any personal opinion on which card would be better, including the Gigabyte one, for lasting longer, better performance, etc? The "Gaming App" on the MSI one looks interesting, because I plan on also playing World of Warcraft a lot which isn't very graphic intensive, so if I had the MSI one and I put the card into "Eco Mode" while playing less intense games or just browsing the web/watching movies/shows would this prolong the life of the card and allow it to run much cooler and quieter?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've been stressing and researching which card and PSU to get for days and I really just want to order one already. >.>

 

[ChronicSonic]

Uugh, after opening up my case it appears my AMD 6450 is like an inch a way from just touching the 4 sticks of RAM on my motherboard. This is hard to explain... but basically I'm assuming that if I got an 8+ inch card it would not fit or my sticks of RAM would be touching the top of the card, is this hazardous? Is there a way to fix this dilemma?

 

[pezonator]

Yes that will be a problem. I also read somewhere that Dell and other manufacturers use a special Motherboard power connector that a normal PSU will not fit. Can someone confirm this?

The life of the card doesn't matter, if you keep it dust free and clean it every 3 months, you win. My friend is still using my 2 old Geforce 9600's, so around 6 years old?

Any make is fine, read into it a bit more. For example, you would think Palit is a cheap brand but the same company makes Gainward. Galaxy and Sparkle are also owned by big companies

 

[ChronicSonic]

Yes that will be a problem. I also read somewhere that Dell and other manufacturers use a special Motherboard power connector that a normal PSU will not fit. Can someone confirm this?

The life of the card doesn't matter, if you keep it dust free and clean it every 3 months, you win. My friend is still using my 2 old Geforce 9600's, so around 6 years old?

Any make is fine, read into it a bit more. For example, you would think Palit is a cheap brand but the same company makes Gainward. Galaxy and Sparkle are also owned by big companies

Hey, thanks for the reply. This is the current motherboard that I have: http://www.findlaptopdriver.com/specs-0y2mrg-dell/. I think I can fit the graphics card past the RAM, but if not would it be possible to just replace my motherboard entirely? I don't want to purchase a new computer, I do not have the funds for that sadly and I feel like this i7 and 8 gigs of RAM are definitely still powerful enough for high end gaming. I am very very new to computer building, so how challenging would replacing a MB be? I do have a friend who builds computers so I could always get some help from him. My main concern though is the confusion with the 2 x 8-Pin Power Cable on the MSI card vs the 1 x 6 pin PCI-E Power Adapter and 1 x 8 pin PCI-E Power Adapter on the EVGA one, how does that work? Also I am worried if the XPS 8300 will even run/support the GTX 770 if everything goes well, since I've read that it had trouble with the 600 series. I go more into depth here: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/546986/geforce-drivers/gtx-770-compatible-with-xps-8300-/
I want the MSI card but it looks like EVGA is the only company that would fix an XPS 8300 compatibility problem. Also another thread I made on the EVGA forums: http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?high=&m=1953814&mpage=1#1954165 That last reply makes me nervous.

 

[jerreece]

Upgrades inside a manufactured OEM case can be difficult. They are all about cost cutting (i.e. everything is made to stuff into a tiny box). You probably need a new Case, GPU, and PSU all at once. Depending on how the Motherboard is designed that could pose issues too. Make sure the case is big enough to fit the GPU inside of without running into hard drive cages, etc.

I think they recommend at least 650W PSU for the GTX 770. But you need a good quality one. I'd recommend something with higher output to be safe though.

If this is your Motherboard the GPU should fit just beside the RAM without interfering. Fairly close though.
http://www.computers-parts.net/parts_for_dell-OEM_Dell_XPS_8300_Motherboard_02RX9.html

The Corsair 750W PSU you linked to is more than adequate. And they are of good quality.

EDIT: The GTX 770 is designed for a 6pin + 8pin power input. The MSI card with two 8 pin is simply allowing for more power draw in the event you HEAVILY over clock the GPU. Which is not recommended unless you're technically knowledgeable and have good cooling, and willing to take the risk. Not needed.

 

[ChronicSonic]

Upgrades inside a manufactured OEM case can be difficult. They are all about cost cutting (i.e. everything is made to stuff into a tiny box). You probably need a new Case, GPU, and PSU all at once. Depending on how the Motherboard is designed that could pose issues too.

I think they recommend at least 650W PSU for the GTX 770. But you need a good quality one. I'd recommend something with higher output to be safe though.

If this is your Motherboard the GPU should fit just beside the RAM without interfering. Fairly close though.
http://www.computers-parts.net/parts_for_dell-OEM_Dell_XPS_8300_Motherboard_02RX9.html

Thanks for the reply and that better link, yes that is my MB. I looked inside my system some more and I am confident I can fit a new PSU and GPU, I'm just stuck on which card to buy now, the MSI TF one vs the GIGABYTE OC vs the EVGA SC ACX. But MOST importantly I'm worried about the compatibility. Should I try to contact each of those manufacturers and pose my compatibility question?

 

[jerreece]

By the way: The MSI card and the EVGA you're looking are both good choices. I've owned 4? MSI GPU's before and never had a problem. Always been of good quality. That being said, EVGA is generally held to be a 'higher end' card maker.

I just bought the exact same EVGA GTX 770 SuperClock ACX model you're looking at. It's very quiet and runs quite cool.

 

[ChronicSonic]

By the way: The MSI card and the EVGA you're looking are both good choices. I've owned 4? MSI GPU's before and never had a problem. Always been of good quality. That being said, EVGA is generally held to be a 'higher end' card maker.

I just bought the exact same EVGA GTX 770 SuperClock ACX model you're looking at. It's very quiet and runs quite cool.

Alright, awesome. I think I should get the EVGA one because they did have the firmware update that fixed compatibility with the 600 series and the XPS 8300, I'm just wondering though does the EVGA one have an option to run it on "Eco mode" or something, like the MSI one? If I'm just playing WoW or watching something it seems silly to have the card running on full capacity.

 

[jerreece]

Upgrades inside a manufactured OEM case can be difficult. They are all about cost cutting (i.e. everything is made to stuff into a tiny box). You probably need a new Case, GPU, and PSU all at once. Depending on how the Motherboard is designed that could pose issues too.

I think they recommend at least 650W PSU for the GTX 770. But you need a good quality one. I'd recommend something with higher output to be safe though.

If this is your Motherboard the GPU should fit just beside the RAM without interfering. Fairly close though.
http://www.computers-parts.net/parts_for_dell-OEM_Dell_XPS_8300_Motherboard_02RX9.html

Thanks for the reply and that better link, yes that is my MB. I looked inside my system some more and I am confident I can fit a new PSU and GPU, I'm just stuck on which card to buy now, the MSI TF one vs the GIGABYTE OC vs the EVGA SC ACX. But MOST importantly I'm worried about the compatibility. Should I try to contact each of those manufacturers and pose my compatibility question?

All three cards use the reference design PCB for the GPU. Other than cooler differences and clock speed changes they should all be the same thing. There should be no problem there so long as your motherboard is PCI-E 2.0 like it suggests it is. My board is PCI-E 2.0 as well.

 

[ChronicSonic]

Upgrades inside a manufactured OEM case can be difficult. They are all about cost cutting (i.e. everything is made to stuff into a tiny box). You probably need a new Case, GPU, and PSU all at once. Depending on how the Motherboard is designed that could pose issues too.

I think they recommend at least 650W PSU for the GTX 770. But you need a good quality one. I'd recommend something with higher output to be safe though.

If this is your Motherboard the GPU should fit just beside the RAM without interfering. Fairly close though.
http://www.computers-parts.net/parts_for_dell-OEM_Dell_XPS_8300_Motherboard_02RX9.html

Thanks for the reply and that better link, yes that is my MB. I looked inside my system some more and I am confident I can fit a new PSU and GPU, I'm just stuck on which card to buy now, the MSI TF one vs the GIGABYTE OC vs the EVGA SC ACX. But MOST importantly I'm worried about the compatibility. Should I try to contact each of those manufacturers and pose my compatibility question?

All three cards use the reference design PCB for the GPU. Other than cooler differences and clock speed changes they should all be the same thing. There should be no problem there so long as your motherboard is PCI-E 2.0 like it suggests it is. My board is PCI-E 2.0 as well.

Okay, wonderful. Does this dude that posted last on this thread not really know what he's talking about then? http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?high=&m=1953814&mpage=1#1954165, or did I just not supply enough information? Also, sorry for asking so many questions haha, but do you know what Newegg and Amazon's return policies would be for computer hardware? Like will I have to pay to ship the card and PSU back if they don't work? I tried looking it up but I can't seem to find solid information.

 

[jerreece]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

 

[ChronicSonic]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

Yup, exactly the same motherboard. I was referring to his comment of "The chances of it working will be very slim", which I think was his to response to my inquiry of whether the XPS 8300 BIOS will be compatible with the GTX 770. But since this seems to be a new card, and not many people have the XPS 8300, it looks like I'll have to take a gamble.

 

[krisirl]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

Yup, exactly the same motherboard. I was referring to his comment of "The chances of it working will be very slim", which I think was his to response to my inquiry of whether the XPS 8300 BIOS will be compatible with the GTX 770. But since this seems to be a new card, and not many people have the XPS 8300, it looks like I'll have to take a gamble.

I'm in the same position as you. I have the Dell XPS 8300 and my GTX 770 just came in. It won't get passed the boot screen. I had a 560 Ti that works just fine, but this card just won't work. I'm going to try and call Dell tomorrow and see if they can give me any help.

 

[ChronicSonic]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

Yup, exactly the same motherboard. I was referring to his comment of "The chances of it working will be very slim", which I think was his to response to my inquiry of whether the XPS 8300 BIOS will be compatible with the GTX 770. But since this seems to be a new card, and not many people have the XPS 8300, it looks like I'll have to take a gamble.

I'm in the same position as you. I have the Dell XPS 8300 and my GTX 770 just came in. It won't get passed the boot screen. I had a 560 Ti that works just fine, but this card just won't work. I'm going to try and call Dell tomorrow and see if they can give me any help.

Damn man, sorry to hear. My MSI GTX 770 TF has been working great with my XPS 8300 without a problem, except some annoying coil whine. Maybe I just got lucky by picking MSI. Did you upgrade your power supply though? The XPS stock PSU is nowhere near enough power for the 770.

 

[jerreece]

The GTX 770 is said to require a 42Amp power supply on the +12V rail on your power supply unit. This means the PSU must provide at least 504Watts just on the +12Volt rail. So nVidia recommends at a 650W power supply unit.

Also you'll need to make sure you have the 6pin and 8pin (6+2pin) power connectors attached to the video card. Otherwise it won't have enough power coming in to make it work. Some systems will tell you when they turn on that it isn't connected or doesn't have power. Others it may just not boot up.

 

[ChronicSonic]

The GTX 770 is said to require a 42Amp power supply on the +12V rail on your power supply unit. This means the PSU must provide at least 504Watts just on the +12Volt rail. So nVidia recommends at a 650W power supply unit.

Also you'll need to make sure you have the 6pin and 8pin (6+2pin) power connectors attached to the video card. Otherwise it won't have enough power coming in to make it work. Some systems will tell you when they turn on that it isn't connected or doesn't have power. Others it may just not boot up.

I have a question about this actually. My GTX 770 came with 2 8 pin connectors, but I looked inside the plugs and there were only 7 out of 8 pins. There's 2 8 pin slots on the card, and my modular power supply came with a bunch of 6+2 pin connectors, so I just used 8 pins in the first slot and 6 pins in the second and its been working fine. Should I put all 8 pins into the second slot though?

 

[krisirl]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

Yup, exactly the same motherboard. I was referring to his comment of "The chances of it working will be very slim", which I think was his to response to my inquiry of whether the XPS 8300 BIOS will be compatible with the GTX 770. But since this seems to be a new card, and not many people have the XPS 8300, it looks like I'll have to take a gamble.

I'm in the same position as you. I have the Dell XPS 8300 and my GTX 770 just came in. It won't get passed the boot screen. I had a 560 Ti that works just fine, but this card just won't work. I'm going to try and call Dell tomorrow and see if they can give me any help.

Damn man, sorry to hear. My MSI GTX 770 TF has been working great with my XPS 8300 without a problem, except some annoying coil whine. Maybe I just got lucky by picking MSI. Did you upgrade your power supply though? The XPS stock PSU is nowhere near enough power for the 770.

I have the EVGA GTX 770. I have a 650W power supply so I'm sure that would cover it. Maybe it's EVGA that's the problem? The system just won't post. When you installed it, did you have to do anything with the BIOS? I'm on A06 which was released way back in 2011...

 

[ChronicSonic]

Are you referring to his comment about the power connector on the motherboard?

It appears to use a standard 4 pin CPU power connector. And a standard 24pin motherboard power connector from the photo on that site I linked to. So, assuming that IS the correct motherboard I don't see anything unique.

Look at yours in person and confirm it's the same. Near the RAM (memory sticks) should be a 24 pin connector (2 rows of 12). Near the CPU fan should be a square 4 pin connector. They are both difficult to see in the photo. They appear to be yellow in color in the low resolution image on that site.

Yup, exactly the same motherboard. I was referring to his comment of "The chances of it working will be very slim", which I think was his to response to my inquiry of whether the XPS 8300 BIOS will be compatible with the GTX 770. But since this seems to be a new card, and not many people have the XPS 8300, it looks like I'll have to take a gamble.

I'm in the same position as you. I have the Dell XPS 8300 and my GTX 770 just came in. It won't get passed the boot screen. I had a 560 Ti that works just fine, but this card just won't work. I'm going to try and call Dell tomorrow and see if they can give me any help.

Damn man, sorry to hear. My MSI GTX 770 TF has been working great with my XPS 8300 without a problem, except some annoying coil whine. Maybe I just got lucky by picking MSI. Did you upgrade your power supply though? The XPS stock PSU is nowhere near enough power for the 770.

I have the EVGA GTX 770. I have a 650W power supply so I'm sure that would cover it. Maybe it's EVGA that's the problem? The system just won't post. When you installed it, did you have to do anything with the BIOS? I'm on A06 which was released way back in 2011...

Yup, I'm on the A06 too. After I installed my card I logged in fine, but it was shit resolution since I guess it was using my motherboards onboard card? Idk, but I just had to run the setup on the Nvidia disc and it installed the drivers and everything, reset my comp, and then everything was all good. Bada boom bada bing. It was my first time installing a new video card tho so I'm not sure if this is standard or not.

 

[krisirl]

I have the EVGA GTX 770. I have a 650W power supply so I'm sure that would cover it. Maybe it's EVGA that's the problem? The system just won't post. When you installed it, did you have to do anything with the BIOS? I'm on A06 which was released way back in 2011...

Yup, I'm on the A06 too. After I installed my card I logged in fine, but it was shit resolution since I guess it was using my motherboards onboard card? Idk, but I just had to run the setup on the Nvidia disc and it installed the drivers and everything, reset my comp, and then everything was all good. Bada boom bada bing. It was my first time installing a new video card tho so I'm not sure if this is standard or not.

Hm, well congrats, man. Wish I had your luck. Oh well. I'm gonna keep the card anyway. I was planning to build my own rig in a few months, but I guess I'll move that up further in my schedule. Thanks anyway.

 

[ChronicSonic]

I have the EVGA GTX 770. I have a 650W power supply so I'm sure that would cover it. Maybe it's EVGA that's the problem? The system just won't post. When you installed it, did you have to do anything with the BIOS? I'm on A06 which was released way back in 2011...

Yup, I'm on the A06 too. After I installed my card I logged in fine, but it was shit resolution since I guess it was using my motherboards onboard card? Idk, but I just had to run the setup on the Nvidia disc and it installed the drivers and everything, reset my comp, and then everything was all good. Bada boom bada bing. It was my first time installing a new video card tho so I'm not sure if this is standard or not.

Hm, well congrats, man. Wish I had your luck. Oh well. I'm gonna keep the card anyway. I was planning to build my own rig in a few months, but I guess I'll move that up further in my schedule. Thanks anyway.

Try to contact EVGA, they should be able to help you. It looks like they fixed this same issue with the GTX 670, I almost bought an EVGA card because of this. http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?&m=1703680&mpage=1 "Improved compatibility with DELL XPS 8300 systems"

 

[Fishwithadeagle]

You guys need to update the bios. I have a 8500 and it did not want to work with some of my video cards because the bios did not want to support then

 

[krisirl]

I have the EVGA GTX 770. I have a 650W power supply so I'm sure that would cover it. Maybe it's EVGA that's the problem? The system just won't post. When you installed it, did you have to do anything with the BIOS? I'm on A06 which was released way back in 2011...

Yup, I'm on the A06 too. After I installed my card I logged in fine, but it was shit resolution since I guess it was using my motherboards onboard card? Idk, but I just had to run the setup on the Nvidia disc and it installed the drivers and everything, reset my comp, and then everything was all good. Bada boom bada bing. It was my first time installing a new video card tho so I'm not sure if this is standard or not.

Hm, well congrats, man. Wish I had your luck. Oh well. I'm gonna keep the card anyway. I was planning to build my own rig in a few months, but I guess I'll move that up further in my schedule. Thanks anyway.

Try to contact EVGA, they should be able to help you. It looks like they fixed this same issue with the GTX 670, I almost bought an EVGA card because of this. http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?&m=1703680&mpage=1 "Improved compatibility with DELL XPS 8300 systems"

Yeah, I just called and they said there shouldn't be a problem and maybe the card is bad. I don't have access to another system at the moment so I won't be able to try it out for a few days. Sending it back and getting a new one might be quicker though.

 

[Guest]

Very useful, just ordered my GTX 770 for my 8300. Have the same bios, just an i5 motherboard, but it looks like it will be compatible, ¿Right? Btw im upgrading the PSU to a 750 Corsair too, so the 460 watts wont be a problem.

 

[Guest]

Very useful, just ordered my GTX 770 for my 8300. Have the same bios, just an i5 motherboard, but it looks like it will be compatible, ¿Right? Btw im upgrading the PSU to a 750 Corsair too, so the 460 watts wont be a problem.

 

[Guest]

Very useful, just ordered my GTX 770 for my 8300. Have the same bios, just an i5 motherboard, but it looks like it will be compatible, ¿Right? Btw im upgrading the PSU to a 750 Corsair too, so the 460 watts wont be a problem.