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Hardware Experts! Help with my computer and ways to upgrade it.
12/23/2017 | By Laz A. Mataz

Posted on 12/23/2017 11:19:23 AM PST by Lazamataz

My old home computer died outright sometime mid-December. I use it for some fairly intensive gaming (Fallout 4, (actually all the Fallout installments), Total War: Rome 2 (which required an upgrade to a Nividia GeForce GTX 970 video card) and personal computer-development efforts in Visual Studio 2014 and SQL Server 2012. The computer was bought new from MicroCenter in late 2013.

So I went on Amazon, and a Refurbished Dell caught my eye. Here are the specs:

Processor: Intel Core 7th Generation i7-7700 Processor (Quad Core, up to 4.20 GHz, 8MB Cache, 65W) 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 | Dell Wireless 1707 Card (802.11BGN + Bluetooth 4.0, 2.4 GHz) 2TB 7200 rpm SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive | NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR3

I assumed it was a full-sized tower, when I got it last night, I discovered it was a minitower. Ok, no worries.

This morning when I began working on it I discovered it has a small-form, anemic power supply (230 watts!) and only one fullsized card slot. The PSU wattage concerned me, but at least I could take out the Nividia GTX 730 and pop in my GTX 970.

Wait, I thought: what about wattage.

So here is my question to those who know all about hardware:

1) Can I find a small form PSU that can get me the wattage I need (400-500) and not cook the insides? Do most small-form PSU's vent directly outside the case, preventing that cooking?

2) Can I find a video card for gaming that will have some horsepower, say 4 gig of onboard RAM, that will either have lower power needs or that will be okay with the higher wattage small-form PSU? And do I have to worry about the higher power video card cooking the insides?

3) Will I be able to run a second hard drive? I will. 2TB is not nearly enough, and I still have to migrate all my stuff from the other drives (if I can, of course, if one, the other, or both, still work)? I understand drives are relatively low-wattage so I am probably okay on power.

or

4) Do I need to return this mini-tower as unsuitable to my needs?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: windowspinglist
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To: fuzzylogic

Remember, this is a very cramped Minitower. Everything changes with that.


61 posted on 12/23/2017 12:14:09 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: Lazamataz
I would return it. Refurbished means it probably has mileage on the under-powered power supply anyhow. First of all. Get a Solid state drive (they are about the size of a pack of cigarettes but 90% thinner). Put your operating system on it and integral software. This will make your system immediately 50% faster. 7200 rpm is crap for operating systems and will bottleneck everything else. You should be able to get a good Samsung SSD for about $400 ( 1 tb).

Then you can run a 1 tb sata drive (7200 rpm) for storage and other extraneous programs (your computer will not be confused... it will read it as a non-booting drive). This should be plenty for all uses.

Get a good Cosair 850W power supply - the computer will only draw what it needs.

I also suggest windows 7 pro 64bit so it will read plenty of memory: 16 gig is plenty and win 7 pro 64bit will be a better operating system with less spyware and other issues than win 10.

The memory, 970 graphics and processor you mentioned are good.

I have been building computers since we were able to build them.... so, sorry for my ramble. Please feel free to ask more questions. I have an older 770 with an overclocked 2.4 @ 3.0 intel and run all games smoothly through my Samsung 55 inch high def tv. I don't need the super resolution beyond 1680 x 1050 @ 60 hz.

Bottom line. Return the rig. Bad combo and never buy refurbished electronics.

62 posted on 12/23/2017 12:16:05 PM PST by Lagmeister ( false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders Mark 13:22)
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To: ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton

That looks like a lil tank.


63 posted on 12/23/2017 12:16:28 PM PST by Delta 21 (Build The Wall !! Jail The Cankle !!)
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To: AppyPappy; Lagmeister

Ok. I’m backing out. I hope they don’t care if I soldered a new hard drive to the motherboard, because I didn’t have the right cable.

KIDDING lol I did nothing but remove the crap video card which will go right back in.


64 posted on 12/23/2017 12:19:48 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: Lagmeister; Lazamataz

I concur.
Buy one or two components per paycheck.
Hurts less doing it that way.
It also gives you more time to read the review on the parts so you get the best ones.


65 posted on 12/23/2017 12:20:15 PM PST by RandallFlagg (Vote for your guns!)
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To: AppyPappy

Dell used to be the king, too.


66 posted on 12/23/2017 12:22:01 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: Lazamataz
I would not have bought a Dell mini tower as the motherboards and PSU's are all proprietary and custom to Dell's form factor. This is the same with HP...

That being said- you will likely need 500 watts to run the 970. You can get 4 pin to 8 pin molex adapters to plug into the 970's extra voltage connectors. I think most Dell minitowers are like 240-290 watts so I think you won't have enough power.

You can do a dirty hack by buying an aftermarket power supply 500+ watts and then get the required adapter to connect to the Dell motherboard, and unfortunately it will have to sit outside the case since it won't fit. See the picture below-

67 posted on 12/23/2017 12:22:22 PM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: Lazamataz

Hmmm... after looking at that thing, I would return it. The power supply is proprietary and standard off the shelf parts aren’t going to fit so you won’t be able to use your 970 in it.


68 posted on 12/23/2017 12:22:53 PM PST by Sparticus (Primary the Tuesday group!)
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To: miliantnutcase

I am NOT running an open case. I have experience with coffee and those.


69 posted on 12/23/2017 12:23:59 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: Sparticus

Yup. I’m hearing return from just about everyone who’s got knowledge. Back it goes.

Damn.


70 posted on 12/23/2017 12:24:43 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: Lazamataz

You are thinking too hard.

You should be able to check compatibility between the physical machine and the video card.

What is the exact the model of the Dell Minitower.


71 posted on 12/23/2017 12:26:13 PM PST by PJBankard
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To: Lazamataz

Might this help???

http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/cpu-liquid-cooler/masterliquid-maker-92/


72 posted on 12/23/2017 12:27:06 PM PST by jdsteel (Give me freedom not more government)
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To: Lazamataz

Woot sells some decently priced, refurbished business systems, i5’s, I7s. The only thing missing is a decent video card. Then again, Woot IS Amazon, so..


73 posted on 12/23/2017 12:27:22 PM PST by Paradox (Don't call them mainstream, there is nothing mainstream about the MSM.)
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To: factoryrat

The cooling system is prolly because he is overclocking. There are fine systems already out there sufficient to game w/o spending big bucks, and w/o overclocking.


74 posted on 12/23/2017 12:29:02 PM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: Lazamataz
These are the parts I'm getting for my upgrade:

Don't need a tower or a PSU.
Still haven't decided on a videocard, though.
75 posted on 12/23/2017 12:29:38 PM PST by RandallFlagg (Vote for your guns!)
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To: Lazamataz

I think you should get something different then. I wouldn’t compromise especially when running a nice card like the 970.


76 posted on 12/23/2017 12:29:53 PM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: Lazamataz
HAF 932 tower:


It's HUGH!!
But I can fit any size videocard into it.
77 posted on 12/23/2017 12:32:32 PM PST by RandallFlagg (Vote for your guns!)
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To: Lazamataz

1) Ask nVidia support how big the PS should be for the card you have.
2) Buy a 500G SSD as the primary drive and move the 2TB to secondary data drive.
3) Ask Dell about upgrading the PS for your current case/model; otherwise, ask Dell about a possible trade-up to a larger case with more slots, more in the PS.
4) 16 GB RAM should be fine.
5) Sorry for this Laz, but as a gamer, I am a bit surprised you didn’t seriously check out the unit before you bought it. :-)


78 posted on 12/23/2017 12:35:01 PM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: RandallFlagg

Open case???

Hell naw.

I’ve killed things with coffee before.

Or should I say covfefe?


79 posted on 12/23/2017 12:35:16 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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To: SgtHooper
5) Sorry for this Laz, but as a gamer, I am a bit surprised you didn’t seriously check out the unit before you bought it. :-)

I suck.

80 posted on 12/23/2017 12:35:46 PM PST by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
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