# Upgrading Inspiron 580 video card?



## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

Hi this is my first post so don't flame me. I'm also a newbie to this as well. Im just wondering if I can upgrade my PC to a better graphics card. I want to be able to play games such as Crysis 2 and BFBC2 at 30fps on a 1600x900res. 
My pc currently holds a GT220, a i5 2.8ghz, 6gb of ram and 1 TB harddrive. All these specs aren't bad, but I'm wishing to get a better graphics card. Im thinking of maybe buying a GT240, but it still doesnt have much better graphics. Also, the Inspiron 580 only has 300w of power so if i want a better graphics card im probably need to upgrade it. (Unless i use gt240) 
im also thinking to use dual graphic cards so i can spend less money on buying this stuff.


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## Markgg88 (Jan 7, 2011)

Hello, welcome to TSF.

The PSU you have isn't sufficient for your current video card let alone a new one. You need to have a minimum of 550W for any PCI-E GPU. Before you say you don't have problems right now, you'll start seeing them in the near future with that PSU.

So what's your budget for both GPU and PSU?


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

Markgg88 said:


> Hello, welcome to TSF.
> 
> The PSU you have isn't sufficient for your current video card let alone a new one. You need to have a minimum of 550W for any PCI-E GPU. Before you say you don't have problems right now, you'll start seeing them in the near future with that PSU.
> 
> So what's your budget for both GPU and PSU?


Well Im not actually planning on a budget but at least try to be sensible, like not $2000 to upgrade your computer.
Second, for the PSU, Im actually not sure because when I bought the PC, it was already included with this graphics card. So I maybe wrong about the power of my PC. Or ur wrong about the PSU then.

*Correction: How I even check my PSU then?*


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Your specs appear to be an OEM PC and they use commonly use questionable quality PSU's. We recommend a minimum good quality 550W PSU for any PCI-E GPU. 
Buying two GPU's is certainly not the way to save money or gain performance.
Twice the money-bigger PSU-consume more power-generate more heat-and you "maybe" get a 20% performance increase in games that can utilize two GPU's.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

Yea its a OEM PC from Dell Inspiron 580. (NOT SLIM VERSION) Hopefully since its not slim I might be able to upgrade it.

Are there any other recommendations on Video Cards? I know that I need a good PSU now, but I'm still unsure what Graphic Card I should get. I want it to run Crysis 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3 once it comes out.
My budget would be under $200 US. (I live in Hong Kong, so thats about $1550) Which is quite a bit.

It would also be nice if anyone could recommend a good but cheap PSU that offers around 500w. Maybe around $50 or less?


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

The kind of games you want to play are quite demanding, so you will need a mid to high-end graphics card. To power this card, you will need a good quality 650W PSU.

The PSU will be $70-90, and a suitable card will be at least $90 (US prices).

For example, you can get an XFX 650W PSU in the US for $70, and an ATI Radeon HD5770 is about $90-120 depending on model. Better cards are more expensive.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

Are there any good nVidia Cards for graphics? I'm not much of a supporter for ATI Radeon


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

The nvidia GeForce GTS450, GTX460 and GTX550Ti are available for about $100-140.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

One last thing. Can you tell me how I should upgrade my PC once I buy these things? Can you give me instructions on how to upgrade? Such as how i shud put in the PSU and the Graphics card. I'm using a Dell Inspiron 580 so I'm not sure how I upgrade it. I've only had experience upgrading when building my own pc. Pictures would be nice on how i shud go on to this. 

(I'm also not sure if my PC can support it)

Also, Im planning to get the GTS 450. Would that be able to handle the good graphics of Crysis 2 and Battlefield Bad Company 2?
Is there any other Good Cheap but powerful nvidia cards?
(Under $130 would be nice) $200 max



I'm Sorry for spamming so much, just ignore the two other posts. Here is my plan. I have decided that I will buy the GTX 460 for a graphics card, and 500w PSU.

(I have also heard that the GTX 560Ti is basically the overclocked GTX 460. So I might as well buy a GTX 460 and overclock it instead of buying a more expensive GTX 560Ti.)
What do you guys think? Do you think I will be able to run Crysis 2 and other graphic intensive games?

Also I would like some help on how to insert these things into my PC as well. Maybe a tutorial or guide on how to upgrade it might be nice.


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## [email protected] (Mar 15, 2011)

Inspiron 580 : DC power supply : Wattage : 300 W : Voltage : 115/230 Vac, 50/60 Hz, 7A/4A : Backup battery : 3 V CR2032 lithium coin-cell


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

The GTX460 will easily be able to run Crysis 2 (I'm running it on high settings using an old ATI HD4890) and other similar games.

If you're going to be overclocking or using the computer for demanding modern games, make sure you get a 650W PSU from a quality manufacturer like Corsair, XFX, Seasonic, etc.

A 500W is not going to be strong enough. The total watts figure should only be used as a guideline, so you need to look at other more important factors like efficiency, build quality, and +12V amps.

If you post a link to the store you're going to be buying from, we can narrow down some options for you. There are various models of the GTX460, some have better clock speeds, some have better cooling, some offer better customer service and longer warranties.

Is your Dell Inspiron the regular 580 or slimline 580s model? If it's the slim case, this will limit your upgrading options.

Basically, you just need to make a note of where the power cables are plugged into from your existing PSU, then remove and replace it, plug in the new card, attach the power cable and switch on. Let us know when you get the parts and we'll give you detailed instructions on how to install and configure them.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

THank you so much. I'm gonna tell you when I'm ready to install thank you so much for help. Luckly my dell isn't slim so that gives me slightly more options. Thank you for all of your help.

One more thing. In Hong Kong buying computer stuff is slightly different. All these computer shops and stuff sell many variety of things, and all of them are situated in one area. So I will have to check if these things can even be bought in HK first. I'll take pictures of the available types of 650w PSU's and GTX 460's I can buy, and I'll see if you guys can recommend me the best PSU and GPU out of all those gadgets. I hope this makes it easier for you.


Hi guys, it turns out that my computer has warranty, and so my dad is worried about replacing my PSU and GPU. I've read that the PSU and GPU is not included in the warranty, but I'm not to sure. So the First question is the PSU and GPU included in the warranty or not? If it is included in the warranty, how will I be able to persuade my dad that by upgrading a PSU is better?


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## [email protected] (Mar 15, 2011)

If you replace any parts yourself in warranty....go through the warranty terms & conditions.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

Here it is: Im buying a 600w Corsair and a nVidia GTX 460 1gb OC.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Which 600W Corsair is it, the CX600 or GS600?

The CX600 is the cheaper, lower quality Builder Series PSU for entry level computers. It only has 40A on the +12V line and comes with a 2 year warranty.

The GS600 is the higher quality Gaming Series PSU for computers with more demanding graphics cards. It has 48A/+12V and a 5 year warranty.

The CX is not recommended.

For a GTX 460, I would use a minimum 650W PSU (52A/+12V), as mentioned in post#14. If that's going to cost too much, go for a cheaper, less demanding graphics card.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Save your old parts. If you require warranty service reinstall the old parts.


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## ThriftyPo (Apr 11, 2011)

HELP. It turns out that my Dell PSU have a set voltage and wattage and what not. I've even heard that it may fry your motherboard. I'm now really stuck on what PSU I should buy. Also, it has set specifications of around 6"x3in"x5.5in" Im not exactly sure. I've also read something about ATX PSU. However, I really need a 600w PSU!!


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