Upgrading my prebuilt xps 8300

[Merfert]

Hey forum, I couldn't find a subsection that would fit my topic, so I thought I would just post here.

I have a dell xps 8300, and I would like to upgrade my graphic card which is bottle necking my processor. I didn't do a single bit of changing computer parts in my life so I would like some help. My prebuilt pc has a default 460w dell PSU, a Radeon 6670, and a i7 2600 clocked at 3.4Ghz. I am thinking of upgrading to a nvidia 570 because of the price drop due to the release of gtx 680. Then, I read that gtx 570 itself needs a minimum PSU of 600W.

Does anyone know any PSU that will fit into my xps 8300's casing?
Will the gtx 570 fit into the casing? I read that dell's small casing isn't good at maintaining heatflow.
Also after getting the card itself, I have to uninstall the AMD drivers right?

Thanks!

 

[o1die]

Most power supplies will fit your dell case. I recommend these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028
http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-ModXStream-Modular-Performance-compatible/dp/B001EYV690/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&qid=1333801025&sr=8-29

 

[carver_g]

I also use an XPS 8300. I'm running a 560 ti with the standard 460w psu (which has 32A on the 12v rails) but I think that's pushing it. My 560 ti fits fine and before that I had a GTX260 in there which is even bigger. Ventilation is a concern with that case for sure but temps aren't too bad really. The stock PSU is pretty standard sized so most PSU's 600W or less should fit fine. Good luck!

 

[capt_taco]

Very useful site here:

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

As far as wattage goes, your system as currently built is in the mid-240's (allowing an extra 10% or so for breathing room). The 6670 really does not consume very much.

Changing it out for a GTX 570 pushes it above 440W, which I really would not feel comfortable doing on a 460W PSU if I were you.

Plus, I doubt the Dell power supply even has the right connectors to power a GTX 570. That card requires two PCIe 6-pin plugs, and I bet the Dell PSU comes with one or zero. Definitely would recommend a more hefty one, and that Corsair CX600 is a hell of a deal.

I would ALWAYS worry about ventilation when putting a serious upgrade in a prebuilt Dell case. They tend to be designed for parts that do not need much cooling - e.g. no intake fan on the front or top, one on the side if you're lucky, and one in the back. Plus the CPU cooler is almost certainly Intel stock cooler for sure. Basically, keep a sharp eye on the temps for a while, and if they're giving you problems, consider a different case; there are plenty in the $30-$50 range that will do better.

 

[amuffin]

If some guy can fit a 580 into his stock HP case, you can fit the 570 easily.

 

[carver_g]

Plus, I doubt the Dell power supply even has the right connectors to power a GTX 570. That card requires two PCIe 6-pin plugs, and I bet the Dell PSU comes with one or zero.

It actually has two PCIe 6-pin plugs. The system could be factory ordered with a 5870. But I agree that a 570 is pushing it.

 

[ko888]

It actually has two PCIe 6-pin plugs. The system could be factory ordered with a 5870. But I agree that a 570 is pushing it.

The OEM 460W power supply, with its combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 32 Amps, was just enough to be able to handle the system with a reference clocked Radeon HD 5870 running FurMark.

A reference clocked GeForce GTX 570 running FurMark would require at least an additional 8 Amps to be added to the combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of the power supply. That's beyond the capability of the OEM 460W power supply unit.

Total Power Supply Wattage is NOT the crucial factor in power supply selection!!! Total Continuous Amperage Available on the +12V Rail(s) is the most important factor.

 

[Merfert]

Thanks for the input. I have never opened up this 8300's case before. But I will probably do when if I can get a used gtx 570 for future proofing at about $320 sgd which is about $250 usd. I bought GTA 4 yesterday (a bit late I know 😛) and auto configure got me these results.

Spoiler

Statistics
Average FPS: 39.17
Duration: 37.22 sec
CPU Usage: 17%
System memory usage: 43%
Video memory usage: 80%

Graphics Settings
Video Mode: 1920 x 1080 (60 Hz)
Texture Quality: High
Shadow Quality: High
Reflection Resolution: High
Water Quality: Very High
Texture Filter Quality: Anisotropic x4
Night Shadows: Off
View Distance: 25
Detail Distance: 31

Hardware
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Service Pack 1
Video Adapter: AMD Radeon HD 6670
Video Driver version: 8.17.10.1119
Audio Adapter: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz

File ID: Benchmark.cli

I am hoping that getting the GTX 570, will be able to game at near - max settings while maintaining 55+ fps

I want to get the Corsair PSU o1die put in his post, but I can't seem to find any distributor in my area that sells it at the moment.

Edit : Palit GTX 570 1280 MB Sonic Platinum Factory Overclock (2 YRS)
Seasonic M12II Modular 620W (5 YRS BY CORBELL)

He is selling his whole setup but I am only interested in these two due to reasons stated in first post. He is not keen on selling seperately though but he is considering it, so I suppose I can give a price. How much will these 2 cost in your opinion?

 

[Merfert]

Best answer selected by Merfert.