Looking to Upgrade my PC. Need advice!

LivingAsean

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Jun 26, 2014
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So I recently decided I want to upgrade my PC in terms of graphics. Currently I am using an AMD HD Radeon 7570. I was hoping to upgrade to a EVGA GeForce GTX 760 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949) which I know would be better. My primary concern is whether or not the other hardware will be compatible with the new graphics card. Ill link my current setup below
https://www.google.com/#q=hp+envy+h8-1534 (first link)
Also, I wanted to switch computer cases from the ENVY to the COUGAR Orange Challenger so that accessibility will be easier in the future. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811553009
so if you guys could give me some advice on that decision it would be awesome!
Thanks!!
 
To be sure, first check if there is a BIOS update for your system.

There shouldn't be any problems, but with OEM parts you can't be 100% sure.

What CPU do you have? The GTX 760 is too fast for any of the AMD Zambezi CPUs, they will cause a bottleneck and you'll be wasting performance.
 


Im using a AMD FX-6200 6 core
 
Thanks! I will definitely consider those. Reading up on the spec for the cards you suggested it says their interface is a PCI express 3.0. My motherboard only has PCI express 2.0 ports. Will it still support it?
 
First off, your main problem would be power as your using a OEM PSU which are notorious for being poorer performer then adverted (says 460W but runs 400W instead) and that would be way too low power for a 760.
This leads to the second issue, this is a OEM PC, which means that potentially the CASE itself is 'scanned' by the UEFI to validate this computer is still sold 'as is' by the OEM (HP) to allow Windows to boot at all. Windows OEM licensing is tied to the hardware issued by the OEM, and if you violate that (change the CPU, Mobo, somecases the case itself) Windows will not function at all. So swapping out cases MAY be a issue for you unless your willing to backup your data, and start FRESH with a fresh Windows install, etc. with all these other changes.
 


I see... That would seem like a problem. Ok lets say I don't decide to switch cases. Would I still be able to upgrade the graphics card in the OEM case?
 
About the Pci-express 2.0, don't worry. PCI express is backwards compatible with all versions.
This guy Tom is right about the PSU, you must check the amount of power it can deliver, you'll need at least 500 W from a certified PSU. The cheap ones that come with OEMs machines don't deliver what they claim.
 


If I were to choose the GeForce GTX 750 TI would I still need to upgrade my PSU since the OEM PSU is 460W (or I guess 400W).
 
No you can do 750ti all fine, and no adding a HDD, DVD, RAM, GPU, Sound, etc. all they dont' care about only the 'base' computer itself, (CPU, Mobo, Case in some cases).

Now again though depends what games your talking about your trying to improve on. A 750ti is low end, meant for old games like BF3 and older not current titles like The Division or Watchdogs. IF you could even get the game to run you have to have it on the lowest setttings to just be in the twenty FPS range.

BTW everyone with a FX-6xxx dumped their CPU and got a FX-8xxx when BF4 came out because the demands on the CPU , for 2013 and forward games, is equal to the demands placed on a GPU, each is doing alot of work. Just scroll through the thousands and thousands of old Fx-6xxx posts of "played ultra on BF3 what the hell with BF4 on low?" there are for yourself. Honestly AMD has jumped shipped from the whole thing and has only focused on the APU like (A6, A8, A10) for the tablet / portable marketspace and ignored all the desktop people. Intel has made it's announcement last year, this Haswell motherboard is the last Mobo from Intel ever as they are leaving the desktop space as well.

Given the games are all on console anyway, it just seems the PC market (AMD and Intel) are basically tell us all want to play games, get a console and be happy with it. So I think my final upgrade will be to the last i7Haswell and that will be that for me.