Looking for help with updating the Graphics card of a Gateway DX4860-UB33P

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mikelac

Commendable
Apr 20, 2016
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1,510
My specs
http://www.pc-specs.com/mobo/Gateway/Gateway_DX4860/1163
http://www.meetgadget.com/gadget/54294/Gateway+DX4860-UB33P
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394490,00.asp

I'm not sure which of these links is 100% correct, each has info that seems right, and they all seem similar but there are differences between them all. There's lots of different types of DX4860s, and most of the time when I've tried to look up specs it just gives me the blanket DX4860 not my DX4860-UB33P.
I was told by someone (not sure if it was the people who sold me the PC anymore), that my Ram could be upgraded to 16GB and the only one that lists that is the first link, the others say 8 is max.

This is all the info I was able to look up on the computer by info found in My Computer.
Computer: Gateway DX4860-UB33P
OS: Win 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2320 3.0GHz (it's a 2nd gen i5)
RAM 8GB
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 2000 (it's an integrated card)

From having my grandfather look, he stated it has a place for a video card of: PCI Express x16
I have NO idea what the power supply is, it's too small for me to read and taking pictures doesn't come out well due to the light bouncing off, but everything about this computer is absolute standard floor model. I've done no upgrades.

I use Screen Resolution: 1360x768 (I'm legally blind so I kind of like it at this exact setting, not sure if that matters with graphics cards or not.)

Here's a generic picture of my computer, but all the different DX4860s look the same so it's not likely too much help: http://i.imgur.com/qqGo0AQ.jpg


Reason for Upgrade
What I'm looking to do is play Fallout 4 and have the visuals set as high as possible, I also plan to play games with lots of visual mods and stuff (if that matters), as well as some other older RPGs like skyrim and such again with mods. Fallout 4 seems to be the newest, so I figure if I can play fallout 4 on the highest settings I should be able to play all the other games I want to play easily.

Fallout 4's requirements are:
Minimum
Processor: Intel Core i5-2300 2.8 GHz
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or equivalent
Recommended
Processor: Intel Core i7 4790 3.6 GHz/AMD FX-9590 4.7 GHz or equivalent
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB/AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB or equivalent

All 4 of these graphics cards I believe are PcE x16s. But I've heard that just because they're able to fit doesn't mean they'll work with my computer itself, and I haven't the slightest how to figure that kind of stuff out.

My processor seems to be fine for the job at hand. But my graphics card isn't even remotely up to the task. I know dingus about computers, this is my 2nd one, I've always just bought standard models, last time I played a game on the PC it was the original Myst game. That being said I plan to keep this PC for a long time 7+ years, as the last one I had for ~10 years.


Price Range: 300-400 USD
I'll spend up to 400 dollars on a new graphics card if I must, I'd prefer to spend around 300 though, and I have no idea if I'll need a now power supply, I have no idea how much they cost on average even. I plan to buy everything off Amazon as I don't like Ebay, I'll also be buying new not used simply to make sure they should last longer.


Some info about my computer habits:
I tend to leave my computer on for weeks, even months at a time, turning it off just for restarts for updates, every now and then keeping it off for a full day. I use the PC mostly for youtube, watching movies, flash games, etc, normal average stuff that even my current card easily does.
Also I'm going for the better graphics card not because high settings matter much but because games within the next few years should still work for me on lower settings with a good one now.


If there are better cheaper cards that my computer can use that would be great to know, I don't really understand the graphic card stuff at all. I don't really plan to upgrade my computer any further than this, so any power supply I need just has to have the extra juice to power the extra juice for the graphics card.

If anything in this is unneccessary please inform me, as in the future I'll probably use this site for the exact same thing on another computer, would be helpful to know exactly what info out of this mess is really needed and what is just hot air.
 
Is this your PC? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113202
If so and if it still has the original 300W stock PSU, the best card it will accept safely is the GTX 750 Ti.
That card will let you play F4 @ 720p resolution (yours) with medium settings.

If you want to attempt changing out the PSU and getting a more powerful card, this is one route you could go:
Gfx card (R9-380): http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%204017%20601107976&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=90
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

If you insist on buying from Amazon, you can find these items there too.
One drawback to adding a powerful gfx card to an OEM case like that is lack of air flow for cooling. If the case accepts a front fan, consider adding that too.
 
Yes that seems to be my PC.

I will relay this information to my grandfather who knows this stuff better, I don't think there's a place for any other fans than the ones that came with it.

I'm guessing the Gfx card (R9-380) would be better than the AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB, only guess cause of the R9s. If I'm guessing wrong then would I still need a new power supply for the AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB as well?
 


The R9-290X is faster than the R9-380, but it needs an even bigger PSU and runs extremely hot. I would not advise using that card in that case even with a bigger PSU.

If that was your PC, rest assured it only came with a 300W PSU. The fastest gfx card you can safely use w/o changing it, would be the GTX 750 Ti. Here are some games being played at 1360x768 with the GTX 750 Ti: https://www.google.com/search?q=fallout+4+gtx+750+ti&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#tbm=vid&q=gtx+750+ti+1360x768+gaming
 
Thank you for all the information :-D with all this I should be able to get info to my grandfather about this, that being said, he might have me ask some more questions if that's okay, he'll be here on monday so it'll be a while off yet.
 
New question, you stated if I wanted to go the route of a new PSU that it was suggested that I get a fan, even if there's not a spot for a fan, I could simply cut the case in such a way to install one, I've seen people modify their cases before. So is there any specific fan that would be suggested or would really and of them work? I ask because my current PSU's fan seems to be malfunctioning. When I turn it off, for let say a full night, when it's turned back on there's a terrible noise that comes from the PSU, spraying canned air into the PSU's fan area causes the noise to stop and for everything to run fine. So I'm thinking I'll have to replace the PSU anyways, so I might just get that better one and get a better video card while I'm at it just cause.

So is there any specific fan or type of fan or anything you'd suggest? My PC, where the vents are on the side get tons of ventalation since there's a large gap of like 3-4 feet between it and the wall, the back has a gap of around a foot maybe which is where the main fan and the PSU fan both are. Also would I need to put it in the front of my PC or could I put it anywhere it would fit?
 
First off, don't believe those minimum requirements for F4. I've played it on my old Q9550 with a GTX 750 Ti. Here is a video of someone with that card and a FX-6300playing at 1920x1080: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXsoRkFwrno
At your resolution of 1366x768, it will even run faster with higher settings. And your processor is faster, too.

But if you want to upgrade the PSU plus a new card, let me know your budget for both. Then try it w/o adding another fan to see if you even need one.
Since you have a top-mounted PSU, most high wattage units will be kinda big since they are designed for bottom mount. The cables will be too long in some places and a bit short in others. But they should all reach.
 


That combo should be doable. But I would check one more thing before switching PSUs. Some Gateway PCs used a proprietary 12-pin connector to feed the motherboard instead of the conventional 24-pin. See how many your connector uses. If it is the 12-pin, there is a work-around.

These are the types of problems that can sometimes arise when one tries to upgrade an proprietary pre-built.
 
It seems like my computer uses a 24 pin (2 rows of 12 grandpa said). The PSU size seems to be the same between my standard 300W and the SeaSonic 620W <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096> that you recommended. So it should be easily doable to top mount it like my 300W.

Also which of the Gfx cards would you suggest on this list that you gave me: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%204017%20601107976&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=90

My grandfather looked at them, he wasn't really sure which would be best they all seemed rather the same. They all had fans (obviously big ones) but he also looked at them and stated they all had ones that shot air out of the back where they slotted in so that should probably be fine with the PSU fan, and the other 2 fans naturally in the case, then it's own fan/s.
He stated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202151
this one came with attachments and such for it already in the case, but he looked and stated that even if one of the others was suggested it would be fine cause if they didn't come with convertors or whatever that they're only a few dollars to buy anyways so it wouldn't matter.

Lastly: I have a slot that is holding a wi-fi enabling thing (not a fucking clue what I'm talking about obviously), but I direct connect to the internet with a ethernet cable, so he stated if I needed another fan he'd simply take that wi-fi thing out and put a slot mounted fan in its place. So I have room for a slot mounted fan for sure.


But $400 is my max spending limit, all of this stuff easily falls ~250 so I consider that a massive success. I don't think I'm likely going to do too much better at this point simply due to the case. Next time I need to get a computer I'm going to build my own to make sure I get the best bang for the buck.
 
yeah there's a back mounted one, and one that shoots out the side like right behind it, and one for the current PSU, I updated my post, not sure if I finished editing it before you saw what was written and posted.
 
That R9-380 short card would be great. It exhausts air out the back, top, etc. Not just thru the grill. You can see in the pics that the shroud is open. But no matter, It still would be OK if you can deal with the heat it will generate. Try it, and then see if you need more air flow.
If it were me, I'd remove that CPU cooler side shroud if it is removable from the cooler. It isn't needed. Plus that will allow for more open area for air flow.
 
I will ask my grandfather about that, cause honestly, I didn't even understand that lol. Both of you talking to me, it's like you're both talking to a dead horse that's been mortared into a brick wall, if only he wasn't so intent on me being the "go between", you both would understand each other since you both talk computers while I'm just flittering about trying to make sure I'm saying the right things to each of you lol.

Also this shroud thing, I'm guessing it's one of the fans, likely the one pointing out to the side of the case instead of out the back like the rest of them. Are you sure it's not needed. I'm not sure if I put this in my origional question, but I leave my computer on all day every day for months, neigh years at a time. I do restarts for updates every couple of months but unless I'm going to be gone from my computer for more than 20 hours I leave it on. I'm not sure if this shroud thingy would have any affect on that, but I keep it on and I'm often using it most of that that even, I'm at my computer for 16-18 hours a day doing things on it, and it's on when I sleep as well simply cause I don't bother to turn it off. It only goes off during storms which don't happen too often, or when I leave for days at a time which happens about as rarely as storms lol.
 
I wasn't talking about removing the CPU cooler/fan. Just the round circular shroud that pokes out towards the side panel of the case to pull in outside air. It may be removable or it may be an integral part of the cooler itself. But it's not big deal, either way as long as it isn't interfering with the placement of the gfx card.
 
Thanks for all the help. I'll keep this page up, we'll be ordering both that single fan gfx and that power supply that you suggested sometime within the next couple of weeks hopefully, and we should have them installed by the end of May at latest so yay for that.
Thank you for all the help, it is really highly appreciated.
 
well we put in the 2GB R9 380 compact and it's working fine so far, we ended up getting a different PSU, we got a SHARK 620W 120mm Fan ATX Gaming PC Power Supply. It had the same power and it was right around the same size but it was a bit cheaper and the one you suggested was out of stock on amazon at the time and the Shark wasn't so yeah lol.
It's all in and running and everything seems okay, it's a little louder now than everything was before, which all seems to be coming from the PSU. That could simply be due to the fact that my old PSU fan was starting to die, this PSU pushes a lot more air out, like 4 or 5 times as much. Just something to get use to. Otherwise everything seems fine so far, buying games for my PC finally, this should be fun.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Good to hear all is well. Odd about the PSU fan noise. I have several PCs and none of them have any PSU fan noise I can detect unless I put my ear right up next to it. Are you sure it is the PSU and not the gfx card?

The old stock PSU had its small exhaust fan at the back of the case. I imagine you have the new PSU with its bigger intake fan mounted facing downward in the PC?
 
Not 100% sure it's the psu, but when I put my ear to the back it seems like it's the psu, but I'll admit it may just seem that way because it's pumping out a ton more air than it use to, like 4x more at least.
Yes the newer psu has a much much bigger intake on the bottom, like the old one only had a small sliver of intake maybe the thickness of my pinkie running down a single side at the end of the bottom, this one the entire underside of it is an intake the look of it reminds me of a hotplate coil almost lol.

I've also found for some reason my task bar and window bars change color between what they should be (I use the first row second column 'custom color' for the window, which means it's not really custom - it's a medium-dark blue) sometimes it flips to a rather light grey. I'm not sure why. It did that when I first turned on the computer with the screen plugged into the new gfx while it was installing itself (it installed itself naturally and we used the disk that came with it), after it restarted from that, everything was normal and blue again like it should be. But every now and then for some reason it flips back to grey for a little bit, not sure if it's just overheating a little or what the issue is.
It doesn't seem to affect the colors of other things. I'm not sure why it goes away either, it's happened twice, but again the first time was just when we were installing everything so yeah, but this time was just like not even 20 minutes ago. Well hell yeah the color changes to a grey that's similar to the grey that's seen on this site, that's what my bars turn the color of, whereas the blue of our screen names on here it's kind of that color normally.
 
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