Question Will a Gigabyte 2 GB GTX 1050 work in an Inspiron 3668 with a 240w PSU?

Knonyx

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Apr 8, 2019
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The GPU site says the recommended PSU wattage is 300W. However, I've seen mixed results when searching up if this will work. Some results say it will, some dont. Anyways here are my specs:

  • i3-7100 @ 3.90 GHz (2 Cores, 4 Threads)
  • 8GB of Ram (x1)

The i3-7100's TDP is 51 Watts and I assume the rest of the system is somewhere between 50-60 Watts which adds up to about 110. The GPU adds 75W so I want to know if I am safe using this GPU?
 
It will probably run. That said, you'll be running the PSU at full tilt, which isn't a great thing. It will make the PSU run hot as it is well above the point of any efficiency, which will shorten the life of the unit. As long as it is a PSU of reasonable quality it should be ok for a while. So, it will work, and you shouldn't have any problem with games, but it increases the chances of PSU failure and a PSU failure runs the risk of it damaging other components when it lets go... so, proceed at your own risk. I can't say I recommend it.
 

crystalcity

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Dec 5, 2018
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Only one way to find out for sure.. my 20 bucks is on YES IT WORKS.

Does your OEM PSU have a bronze or gold 80+ rating on it? Some of them do. The low end OEM systems with the cheaper PSU's inside don't.
 

King_V

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I'm given to understand that the Dell PSUs for the past several years have been pretty good.

The PSU specs I found say 240W max,but show 16.5A on one 12V rail, and 16A on the other. Odd, since that's well over the 240W limit.

That said, with your i3, and an otherwise basic system, it should be fine to handle the extra load imposed by the 75W GTX 1050.
 

clutchc

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Dell PSUs are very good quality, usually underrated. Check the nameplate on the PSU for the +12V rating. If it is 17A or better, it will be fine. I had a GTX 1050 Ti in my Optiplex 790 SFF. It had a 240W Dell PSU with a +12v rail rated for 17A.

Btw, the Bronze, Siver, and Gold ratings for PSU are for their efficiency, not necessarily their quality.
 

Knonyx

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And also, the computer is run 4-5 hours a day at the MOST, and no over clocking will be done, but I may under clock by 5/10% to stay under safe levels if required
 

King_V

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I don't think underclocking would be needed. You should be pretty safe. I can't imagine that a small motherboard, the hardware you're using, and the GTX 1050 combined hits 200W on any regular basis.

I ran a Haswell Pentium (54W) with an R7 250E (55W) on a Dell Small Desktop Inspiron 3647) with a 220W PSU (18A on 12V rail, so 216W available) for over a year without issue. And when it was running, typically on weekends, my son was gaming several hours each day.
 
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oldcracc

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Apr 10, 2019
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It should work, I'm running a 1050 Ti LP in an HP 6300 Pro SFF. I'm pretty sure those units have a 240w PSU thats probably not rated for efficiency or whatnot. It should totally work, maybe not for 2+ years but for at least a while, I've been running mine since July of last year.
 

Knonyx

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I don't know what you meant by rated for but here is what I found

12VA - /0.5A -----|
---------------------------| ---- Max 2.5A
12VB - /2.5A -----|
 

King_V

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This is the image I found:

Dell-Inspiron-3668-240W-Desktop-Power-Supply-H240NM00-DW3M7.jpg


The line ABOVE where it says "STANDBY MODE" is what's important.

I'm in agreement with clutchc - you'll be fine with the hardware you're running at the 1050 or 1050Ti.
 

Knonyx

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Okay, thank you. I will not be getting the GPU until about May. I will report back if it ends up working. I plan to use this pc for at least 2 years.
 

clutchc

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This is the image I found:

Dell-Inspiron-3668-240W-Desktop-Power-Supply-H240NM00-DW3M7.jpg


The line ABOVE where it says "STANDBY MODE" is what's important.

I'm in agreement with clutchc - you'll be fine with the hardware you're running at the 1050 or 1050Ti.
OK. That label doesn't specify total wattage for the +12V rails combined. But since the +12V rail is where most of the load comes from, the capacity in watts is probably pretty close to the 240W PSU max. I'd have no issue running a GTX 1050 Ti on that system if it were mine.
 

Knonyx

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I'm going to be getting the GPU soon from now. I have another question. Once I install the GPU and put it into its PCI-E connector, do I plug in the monitor and turn on the PC from there? I know I'll have to go to the site and download the proper drivers but I am wondering if I just simply turn the PC on after installing the GPU?
 

clutchc

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I'm going to be getting the GPU soon from now. I have another question. Once I install the GPU and put it into its PCI-E connector, do I plug in the monitor and turn on the PC from there? I know I'll have to go to the site and download the proper drivers but I am wondering if I just simply turn the PC on after installing the GPU?
Yes, slip the card into the PCIe x16 slot and screw the card's bracket down to the case if required*, move the monitor's video cable from the integrated video port to the one on the gfx card, and start up the PC as normal. When you're at the desktop, either download the latest driver from Nvidia or use the one that comes with the disk.

There are some good prices on the 4GB GTX 1050 Ti now that the GTX 1650 has been released. If the difference in cost isn't prohibitive for you, I'd suggest going to it instead of the 2GB GTX 1050.

* some Dell PCs don't require screwing the card's bracket to the case, they instead have a swing open/close portion integral with the case that secures the card in place. Not sure what your Dell Inspiron 3668 has.