[SOLVED] Trying to Upgrade my Office PC!

[supersamouri]

Hi! I was looking to get a better GPU for my Dell Vostros 230 and was wondering what to get! Keep in mind i'm not planning on running super demanding games
Specs:
250W PSU
4GB of DDR3 RAM
Intel core 2 duo e7500
ADATA SU800 Ultimate 256GB
If you need any other details just let me know!
(Budget $100 CAD)

 

[delaro]

Which case? Mini tower or the slimline model? The PSU lacks a VGA power cable so you have to use cards that can be powered off the PCIe port only.

Slimline
You would be limited to single slot low profile cards with a max 75W power usage.

Mini tower
Any Card Width and Length isn't an issue but your still limited to 75W.

710/720/730 GT/1030 GT Are about all I would consider pushing on that supply. All of those can be found as Single Slot and Low Profile or larger.

 

[supersamouri]

Which case? Mini tower or the slimline model? The PSU lacks a VGA power cable so you have to use cards that can be powered off the PCIe port only.

Slimline
You would be limited to single slot low profile cards with a max 75W power usage.

Mini tower
Any Card Width and Length isn't an issue but your still limited to 75W.

710/720/730 GT/1030 GT Are about all I would consider pushing on that supply. All of those can be found as Single Slot and Low Profile or larger.

Hey! so actually I have tried a GT1030 and my PSU couldn't handle it. I do in fact have the Slim Model, I could go with a gt730 or gt710 But would it be better to upgrade my PSU? and if so what should I get and what card can I get with the money leftover?

 

[supersamouri]

;/

 

[delaro]

The 1030 not working could be from the PSU being too weak or a Legacy BIOS setup. 10 series cards don't care for Legacy BIOS all that much so there is a 50/50 chance they won't work. 😕 230's should have a BIOS option for a quasi UEFI boot setup provided you have updated the BIOS to 1.4. The UEFI support is going to vary depending on when the PC shipped.

Slim models use a TFX supply which can be expensive and harder to find good quality units for. SeaSonic SS-350TGM use to be a good rock-solid replacement but that has been discontinued and hard to find. I would suggest replacing it either way because a 730 most likely is going to have the same power issue provided that is your problem.

Cheap replacements from Chinese suppliers.

Upgrade 350W Dell Vostro 200(Slim) 200s 220s SFF Power Supply TC35.3 $25

350W Replace Power Supply for Dell Vostro 200(Slim) 200S $29