Question Upgrade For Dell Inspiron

[Azndude263]

I just recently bought a used Dell Inspiron DM16 (3847) for $20 and the specs are below. I am looking to put some life into the PC and was just wondering on if these upgrades are worth it.

CPU: i5 4440 3.1ghz (turbo 3.3ghz)
Ram: 8gb 1333 or maybe 1600?


I am thinking to upgrade these:

SSD: Silicon Power 512gb - $55
GPU 1: GTX 750 ti - $55
GPU 2: RX 460 - $70
GPU 3: 1050 ti - $120
CPU 1: i5 4690/k - $60 - $70
CPU 2: i7 4770/k - $110 - $130
CPU 3: i7 4790k - $150
Ram: 16gb 1600 - $50

The SSD is absolutely a must upgrade and maybe I'll get 16gb of ram too but I need opinions on the GPU and CPU. I don't want to spend too much cause these are old platform. I just want to bring some life into this $20 PC. This PC will be used for light/moderate gaming such as Guild Wars 2, Dota 2, Diablo 3 (maybe 4 when it comes out), Fornite, etc...

I know the GPU is bounded to the ones that doesn't require external power because the Dell PSU isn't good enough

The CPU I know I should get the non K because overclocking is not an option but when it comes to used parts, I take what I can get in terms of availability and whichever is cheap

 

[Remeca]

Out of the CPUs listed, I'd go for the i7 4770 minimum. The extra threads will really help in modern games vs the i5. As for GPU, see if you can find an RX 470 in the 100-120 range, it will blow away the 1050ti and rx 460.

 

[Azndude263]

Doesn't the RX 470 require a 6 pin? Dell oem psu doesn't have any extra power cable :/

 

[Remeca]

Most do, there's a couple of single fans that don't. You can also always run a sata to 6 pin adapter, that worked fine for me with a 6 pin card on a 290W Dell PSU.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Is it the mini tower? If so you can probably upgrade power supplies. I know some dells used an 8 pin power connector on the board or something, but I think you can get adapters for that. I think your limiting factor would be if you have a slim line system or not.

If you're going to spend 120 on a 1050ti though, I think I'd go for a 1650. But if you can fit a better psu and it's a mini tower, lol on eBay, I picked up a used rx 580 for just over 100. Now that would be a good leap for you.

 

[Azndude263]

It is not a slim version. Just a regular atx size. What would be the adapter that I need if it uses it proprietary 8 pin power connector on the board? Also, wouldn't the cpu bottle neck a too powerful of a gpu? I mean the best cpu I can get is a 4790/k and I'm not even sure if that's even worth it at $150. A 4770/l is about $30 cheaper and even at that, it's still a bit expensive. A 4690/k is much better at $60-70 but how big of a jump is it over the stock 4440?

Please give me advice, I basically want to give this PC a bit of a fresh life without going overboard and spending too much on a dead/old platform if you know what I mean. Best bang for buck

 

[SamirD]

The motherboard looks like regular pins, so as long as a power supply will fit the case, I think you're good to go in that area.

I think the bang for buck really depends on what type of bucks you're having to pay. Getting a working system like this for $20 was a steal within itself!

 

[Remeca]

Tbh, right now I wouldn't invest any more into the system in parts you can't use again when it's time to switch to a more modern platform. So no ram or cpu. Instead of spending $100 + on gaining 4 threads, spend the money on a decent 500W PSU and good midrange GPU like a 570 or 580, or 1650S. Don't waste money on a 1050ti, it can't keep up with modern games in 1080p. Even with your Haswell i5 you should get 60+fps in everything at high-ultra mixed settings with the cards I mentioned. Ssd is also a worthwhile investment.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Start with 16gb of ram. Should only run you 25-30 bucks. Grab a newer gpu, at least a RX 580 or gtx 1060 6gb. Alternatively you could go for maybe a 1650 super or 1660. Maybe get a good psu also. At least the gpu and psu could be carried to a newer system.