Question installing GPU to an old system

[Eyal20A20]

Hi,
My system:
case: Antec Sonata Designer 500 (a specific case for keeping noise down)
MB: ASUS Z170A
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 silent (passive cooling for keeping noise down). The CPU Intel i7 6700K also has graphics I can use (Intel HD Graphics 530).
OS: Windows 10 pro 64 bit
CPU: Intel i7 6700K
Memory: 2x16GB
PSU: Antec Edge 650W or 750W (label is blocked by case, need to completely remove the PSU to see. Should be 750W because it replaced a Seasonic 750W which got broken and was replaced by store warranty).
PCIe slots: 1 for GPU, 1 for nvme (with nvme adapter).
PCI slot: sound card
storage : 2 sata HDDs, 1 nvme installed in its dedicated place on MB.

I am happy with my PC, it has a good speed for me and serves me well. I am not a gamer, so I don't need a powerful GPU. The problem I am facing is that I tried installing DaVinci Resolve 18 (video editing software) but it requires a better GPU, so I can't use it (the Intel HD Graphics 530 is not enough either).
I got an old GPU from a friend HD7870 2GB, tried to install it, but there is no room in my case.
1. Suppose I buy a new case and install the HD7870. Does this GPU work with Resolve 18 ?
2. Suppose I buy a new case and a new Geforce RTX 4060. Can this GPU be utilized by my system well ? is it an overkill for this system ?
3. Is there a compact GPU (preferably passive or quiet enough) that you recommend that can fit my case and serve well for moderate graphical needs ?

 

[Lutfij]

PSU: Should be Antec 650W or 750W (don't remember, need to open the case for that)
How old is the PSU in your build? you will need to be specific with the make and model of your unit as well. Remove the side panels from the case, and pass on what you see on the stickered side of the PSU.

 

[Eyal20A20]

PSU: Should be Antec 650W or 750W (don't remember, need to open the case for that)
How old is the PSU in your build? you will need to be specific with the make and model of your unit as well. Remove the side panels from the case, and pass on what you see on the stickered side of the PSU.

It is Antec Edge for sure. I took apart both sides of the case, but PSU plate is on top, which means I must uninstall it from the case completely to tell how many Watts. I think it is a 750W because I had a Seasonic G-750 Gold 750W which was broken and replaced by store warranty with a new Antec Edge. It should be few years old.

 

[CelicaGT]

There's some good single fan 3060 and probably 4060 models readily available which should work fine in your system. Your PSU will be more than adequate but I echo Lutfij How old is it? PSU's fail mostly with age and can take other components with them as the do. If it's just a few years old then fine but otherwise consider a new one in your budget.

(Those 7870's were HUGE! I had one, also very outdated and require a Beta driver to run under a modern OS)

 

[Eyal20A20]

There's some good single fan 3060 and probably 4060 models readily available which should work fine in your system. Your PSU will be more than adequate but I echo Lutfij How old is it? PSU's fail mostly with age and can take other components with them as the do. If it's just a few years old then fine but otherwise consider a new one in your budget.

(Those 7870's were HUGE! I had one, also very outdated and require a Beta driver to run under a modern OS)

Thanks, I'll check it out. One more thing, I have few software that I purchased and installed that needed activations . As I understand software activations bind to the motherboard (that is why I don't want to upgrade to a new system), but I am no expert. Does changing the GPU affects software activations ?

 

[geofelt]

Your case has a HDD mounting rack that I think is removeable to allow an extra long graphics card.
A couple of HDD drives can be mounted in the upper bays.

 

[CelicaGT]

Thanks, I'll check it out. One more thing, I have few software that I purchased and installed that needed activations . As I understand software activations bind to the motherboard (that is why I don't want to upgrade to a new system), but I am no expert. Does changing the GPU affects software activations ?

Most activations will be bound to your account with the vendor, Windows being an outlier but only for OEM versions. If you have an MS account, and log in to Windows using that account, your license will be bound to your MS account and therefor transferable (with limitations). Off the top of my head I can't think of any software license that would be affected by a GPU exchange. I expect you will be fine, but to be sure check the EULA for each piece of software.