[SOLVED] New Graphic Card for Old PC

[ExitiumAeternam]

Greetings, I need help and your suggestions, please.

I have and old pc with this components:

Motherboard: Asus H61m-f.
Processor: Intel core I3-3220.
Generic power supply.

I will buy a new SSD storage because the last I had just broke. I have a TV 32 inch screen as PC monitor.

I really want a good video card for this pc, I don't have the money to buy a new computer.

Today I went and asked about the options I had and in the shop they had GT 1030, GTX 1050 Ti 4gb , GTX 1050 2Gb.

I want to come back and play path of exile and some games in pc, I'm not a hardcore player

Can you give your suggestion and opinion please? If there is another card better? I really appreciate your help.

 

[tennis2]

PoE isn't very demanding, so this doesn't have to cost you much.

Do you currently not have a graphics card?

Were you only asking about Nvidia GPUs?

Any approximate timeline to when you'd be upgrading the CPU+mobo+RAM?

Budget? Country?

If you're shopping only those 3 models from your local store, please share the price of each GPU.

What wattage is your power supply? Should be a sticker on the side of the PSU itself, looks like the one below. Also, please share the +12V Amps as displayed on the sticker.

Does your power supply have any spare (unused) connectors hanging off of it that look like this (6 pins or 8 pins)

 

[Nemesia]

Yeah that generic is scaring me. You might not want to put a new GPU with the power supply you have right now. If you tell us which one it is with the brand or the sticker like from the post above we will be able to tell you if you need a PSU change or if you should even keep it without a GPU change 😉

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

PoE isn't very demanding, so this doesn't have to cost you much.

Do you currently not have a graphics card?

Were you only asking about Nvidia GPUs?

Any approximate timeline to when you'd be upgrading the CPU+mobo+RAM?

Budget? Country?

If you're shopping only those 3 models from your local store, please share the price of each GPU.

What wattage is your power supply? Should be a sticker on the side of the PSU itself, looks like the one below. Also, please share the +12V Amps as displayed on the sticker.

Does your power supply have any spare (unused) connectors hanging off of it that look like this (6 pins or 8 pins)

Thank you very much for your reply, I'm from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The prices of the GPU are :
ASUS Gt 1030 - 120 $.
ASUS GTX 1050 2gb DDR5 170$.
MSI GTX 1050 Ti 4gb DDR5 - 180$.

Right now I don't have GPU and Hard drive, I'm using an external hard drive to use the pc.

I can spend between 120 to 200 $ for the graphic card.

I appreciate your help and I will add the photos of the power supply.

I was using a Gt 740 1gb DDR5 for a while but I selled the graphic card.

 

[tennis2]

The GT1030 is approximately equal to the GTX750Ti. The GTX1050 2GB is about 30% faster. However, the GTX1050Ti's extra 2GB of VRAM and ~10% better performance for only $10 extra (5% more cost) compared to the GTX1050 2GB seems like the winner to me. Of course, that's eating into your $200 budget pretty hard if you were to need a new power supply to run the GPU. We'll see what you find on your sticker.

For older and/or less demanding games on a 720p/60Hz screen at medium to high settings, the GT1030 would probably suffice. But the GTX1050Ti would last you much longer if you don't expect your current financial situation to change anytime soon. Also, the GT1030 would be guaranteed not to need any changes to the current PSU.

Using an external drive as an OS drive is...sketchy. If that were me, I'd rather just "shuck" (take off) the enclosure and connect the drive internally via SATA cable. That would provide a more secure connection that's less likely to encounter problems. Not to mention if this external drive is running on a USB2.0 connection, your system performance/responsiveness must be atrocious. Moving the drive inside the case and connecting it via SATA cable would give you a 4-5x throughput increase.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

https://imgur.com/SAh8tAo

View: https://imgur.com/SAh8tAo


Here are the connectors and I find two but just with 4 pins.

https://imgur.com/jg4WWSG

View: https://imgur.com/jg4WWSG


Here you have the power supply photo.

Sorry I couldn't upload the photos direcly.

 

[Nemesia]

That power supply need to go It's very shady. It doesn't even tell you the Watts you get on the rails and it's not in any PSU tier list I use. It's a 800 Watts PSU but it's a low end PSU that probably just blow up when you ask 400 Watts from it.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

It says th

That power supply need to go It's very shady. It doesn't even tell you the Watts you get on the rails and it's not in any PSU tier list I use. It's a 800 Watts PSU but it's a low end PSU that probably just blow up when you ask 400 Watts from it.

Yeah, you're right with it, that's because I told "genetic power supply" haha, do you recommend a new 400w PSU? which brand? Thank you.

 

[tennis2]

**Added to my previous post

That power supply need to go It's very shady. It doesn't even tell you the Watts you get on the rails and it's not in any PSU tier list I use. It's a 800 Watts PSU but it's a low end PSU that probably just blow up when you ask 400 Watts from it.

Well, it's 2 rails (+12V1 and +12V2) with individual wattages of 300W and 240W respectively, but probably only combined are ok for 400W (when it was new). The i3-2220 isn't going to draw jack squat for wattage and even the GTX1050Ti is 75W capped (no external power supplied from the PSU).
Nonetheless, this new GPU is going to pretty much cost as much or more than the entire current system is worth. So it'd be a shame if your "budget tier" old PSU decided to kick the bucket and take down your brand new GPU with it.

 

[tennis2]

CLEAN THE DUST OFF YOUR CPU HEATSINK!!!!!
Can't even see the fins on the top half.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

The GT1030 is approximately equal to the GTX750Ti. The GTX1050 2GB is about 30% faster. However, the GTX1050Ti's extra 2GB of VRAM and ~10% better performance for only $10 extra (5% more cost) compared to the GTX1050 2GB seems like the winner to me. Of course, that's eating into your $200 budget pretty hard if you were to need a new power supply to run the GPU. We'll see what you find on your sticker.

For older and/or less demanding games on a 720p/60Hz screen at medium to high settings, the GT1030 would probably suffice. But the GTX1050Ti would last you much longer if you don't expect your current financial situation to change anytime soon. Also, the GT1030 would be guaranteed not to need any changes to the current PSU.

Using an external drive as an OS drive is...sketchy. If that were me, I'd rather just "shuck" (take off) the enclosure and connect the drive internally via SATA cable. That would provide a more secure connection that's less likely to encounter problems. Not to mention if this external drive is running on a USB2.0 connection, your system performance/responsiveness must be atrocious. Moving the drive inside the case and connecting it via SATA cable would give you a 4-5x throughput increase.

Thank you very much for your analisis and suggestion, I will consider the gtx 1050 ti, it seems to be a better option.

About the hard drive, like you say it's atrocious haha, that's because I will buy a new hard drive, a Crucial SSD 240 gb, i think it will improve my pc.

Like nemesia said, is it better to change my power supply?

I think at the end it will be better to save money to buy a new pc haha.

 

[tennis2]

The thing to consider here is that a new PSU, a new SSD, and a GTX1050Ti can all be carried over to a new build.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

**Added to my previous post


Well, it's 2 rails (+12V1 and +12V2) with individual wattages of 300W and 240W respectively, but probably only combined are ok for 400W (when it was new). The i3-2220 isn't going to draw jack squat for wattage and even the GTX1050Ti is 75W capped (no external power supplied from the PSU).
Nonetheless, this new GPU is going to pretty much cost as much or more than the entire current system is worth. So it'd be a shame if your "budget tier" old PSU decided to kick the bucket and take down your brand new GPU with it.

Thank you for your analysis, I have to consider to save money for a new pc.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

CLEAN THE DUST OFF YOUR CPU HEATSINK!!!!!
Can't even see the fins on the top half.

Haha, I was like you when I opened the pc, it really need a good clean, you know? thank you for the advice.

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

The thing to consider here is that a new PSU, a new SSD, and a GTX1050Ti can all be carried over to a new build.

You're right with that I can start building a new pc, I can use this parts to build a new computer and carry this parts while I save money , right?

 

[King_V]

Also, I didn't see it mentioned, is the TV 1280x720, or 1920x1080 resolution?

 

[ExitiumAeternam]

Also, I didn't see it mentioned, is the TV 1280x720, or 1920x1080 resolution?

About the TV, its normal LCD TV, in the computer I'm using a 1024x760 resolution

Best regards!

 

[tennis2]

Sounds about right. Not many 32" TVs are 1080p.

 

[tennis2]

You're right with that I can start building a new pc, I can use this parts to build a new computer and carry this parts while I save money , right?

Some of the usefulness of this hinges on what the "system replacement" timeline will be. If it's in the next year or so, yes, all the stuff you buy now will still be relevant then. But if it's >2 years from now (and depending on what you think your financial situation [budget] will be), you may be better off getting a new GPU at that time also. PSUs will last 5-10 years as long as they're proper wattage and decent quality, and SSDs will last as long as they still provide adequate amount of storage (a 120GB SSD isn't going to be sufficient for very long).