Ordered GTX970 for Dell XPS 420. Should I cancel order?

Fian

i have another thread on this where i was going to buy a new PC in anticipation of Oculus Rift.

I decided instead to hold off and buy it when the rift comes out, in the meantime to upgrade my current Dell XPS 420 with a gtx 970 which I can swap into the new PC when i buy it.

the XPS 420 has a 375w PSU.

My question is - will it work with the GTX 970. I have ordered the card but it has not shipped yet so I guess I can cancel if necessary.

Officially the GTX 970 requires a 500w PSU, but just because a 375w is "not supported" does not mean it will not work. I gather the power consumption on the 970 is surprisingly low.

thanks in advance for any help.

vibe666

you need to know what the maximum power consumption of your current system is and then add the power requirements of the 970 to that (about 150W iirc) and see what you get.

if your PSU isn't up to it then you need a new PSU, or you need to find yourself a lower powered gfx card.

Fian

Thanks. If I unplug components (like the two DVD RW drives it has) would that help or will it not matter? I never use them anymore.

How can I check what my current power consumption requirements are - is it possible to access that from the computer software or will it be labelled inside the machine - or is it a case of googling each component and adding them up?

TerrorFirmer

Also, a GTX970 in an XPS 420? :eek:

As it is you will probably need to buy a new power supply, 375w would technically be enough but dependent on the quality of the supply and the 12v rating it could easily need replacing. You would probably want 25a+ on the 12v.

But you won't get remotely near anywhere what the GTX970 can achieve with that old PC, total waste in my opinion you'd be better off building the guts of a new PC now (everything but the card) and getting the card when you need it.

Until you get a new PC, you'll have paid full whack for a brand new card that you can't even use really.

Fian

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Also, a GTX970 in an XPS 420? :eek:

As it is you will probably need to buy a new power supply, 375w would technically be enough but dependent on the quality of the supply and the 12v rating it could easily need replacing. You would probably want 25a+ on the 12v.

But you won't get remotely near anywhere what the GTX970 can achieve with that old PC, total waste in my opinion you'd be better off building the guts of a new PC now (everything but the card) and getting the card when you need it.

Until you get a new PC, you'll have paid full whack for a brand new card that you can't even use really.

Thanks.

I understand this, I intend to carry this card into a new PC in 6 months or so, will probably go 2*970 in SLI for that PC. So there is no point in my buying a cheaper GPU for this PC which will be demoted to a word processor/typewriter/internet browser next summer. For the same reason I am reluctant to buy a new PSU for this machine. I will swap back in the current GPU when I buy a new PC, put the 970 into the new PC and put current PC into the kids "homework room".

But I do want to run Elite Dangerous between now and summer - hence buying an upgrade now. I doubt that existing ATI radeon HD 3200 will run it - the current computer is 7/8 years old at this point.

I was going to buy a new PC but suddenly we are about to buy an investment property and between that and Xmas coming up I need to long finger than purchase until the summer. An anyway if i can run elite dangerous on this PC there is no real reason to get a new one until Oculus rift comes out, the longer i leave it the better value/performance i will get in next PC i guess.

What does "25 amps + on the 12V" mean? I have no idea what that is or how to check.

Fian

Must remember : Google is my friend.

I have turned up this from a forum post from a google search:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/339983-28-dell-power-supply-question

"Dell's 375w is rated for 30 amps combined on the 12v"

Assuming that is correct does that mean I can run the 970 on this pc?

Fian

Something of a monologue since I am replying to myself but in any case:

Card has shipped this evening so I guess my question will be answered pretty definitively when it has arrived

Fingers crossed ......

I will post the outcome here one way or another.

Ninjah Tigah

Fian wrote: »

Something of a monologue since I am replying to myself but in any case:

Card has shipped this evening so I guess my question will be answered pretty definitively when it has arrived

Fingers crossed ......

I will post the outcome here one way or another.

Goodluck, I hope it works for you.

Mech1

hope it works out!
Remember if the Magic Smoke escapes you can't put it back.

ShadowHearth

Xps 420 has a fantastic psu for 375w. I had same pc and did some research back in the day. That psu can take some beating.
I had overclocked 6870 with that psu and that gpu has 500w recommended.

I would not be surprised to see 970 work on that psu, but I can tell right away that you will be bottlenecked, but I doubt it's news to you m8. I realise you will be putting it in to new build.

Fian

So my GTX 970 arrived yesterday. I inserted it and plugged in the DC power cable that had been plugged into my existing one. Then I realised that the new card had two slots for power cables to plug into whereas there was only one power cable coming into the old GPU and it appears there is only one coming out of the PSU (though i didn't get into the innards of that yesterday.)

When i turned on the PC a message came up on the monitor asking me to plug the DC power cord into the graphics card. I had plugged one in but i assume i needed to route a second one in.

Some spare cables came in the box which have narrow plugs at one end and the square plug at the other end which fits into the GPU.

So my questions please:

Am i correct i need to connect two cables for this GPU? It is a "zotac" version of the GTX 970 if that matters.

Can you describe to me where i plug the narrow end of these cables into? I presume it is somewhere in the PSU? Is there a diagram or anything I could look up? This is mainly why I abandoned it yesterday - I didn't want to go plugging power cables into the PSU and then into my shiny new card with no idea what i was at.

TerrorFirmer

The adaptor connects to two molex connectors.



It will be fine as long as the power supply is adequate (which it should be).

Hopefully you do have two molex connectors, I encountered a similar problem recently with a 350w PSU that had adequate 12v for a 7870 but it didn't have any spare molex connectors to use the adaptor!

Fian

Thanks very much.

I saw those "molex" connections on the cable in the GPU box. where are those connections located - will they be on the PSU or somewhere on the motherboard?

It is a dell computer and the PSU is hidden behind various bits of metal/plastic but i am sure i can get at it with the help of a few screwdrivers.

I take it i do need two cables, one to fit into each female slot on the GPU.

Ninjah Tigah

Fian wrote: »

Thanks very much.

I saw those "molex" connections on the cable in the GPU box. where are those connections located - will they be on the PSU or somewhere on the motherboard?

It is a dell computer and the PSU is hidden behind various bits of metal/plastic but i am sure i can get at it with the help of a few screwdrivers.

I take it i do need two cables, one to fit into each female slot on the GPU.

Yeah... One cable for each female 'slot.'

ShadowHearth

I actually forgot to say that. You will need 2xmolex in to 6pin/8pin cable. I had to do it too with 6870. You should get one of those cables in local Maplins.

2x molex to 6pin pci-e power

Fian

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I actually forgot to say that. You will need 2xmolex in to 6pin/8pin cable. I had to do it too with 6870. You should get one of those cables in local Maplins.

2x molex to 6pin pci-e power

Thanks.

They came in the box with GPU, and there is one already connected.

Can I ask where I plug the second one into - into the PSU or somewhere on the Motherboard or where - where do i plug the "molex" connector into.

I can see the 6 pin end of that which is plugged to the existing gpu, but not where the other end terminates.

It may be obvious when i get into the innards because there may be a spare connection next to the one the existing 6 pin pci-e power cable comes from. But maybe not - will I have a choice of plugs to connect to and if so is there a way to identify the correct one?

Obviously I don't want to fry the card.

Thanks again for help, this forum seems to involve a pretty one way street of people ~(like myself) coming in asking dumb questions and people with expertise taking the time to help them, so thank you all alot.

Ninjah Tigah

plugs into (the wire on the left of the picture)

then the black one go's into the graphics card.

Also, not a dumb question, just a question. Everyone's new at some point.

Fian

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I actually forgot to say that. You will need 2xmolex in to 6pin/8pin cable. I had to do it too with 6870. You should get one of those cables in local Maplins.

2x molex to 6pin pci-e power

thank you, i have two of these in the box. what i can't find is whcat to plug them into.

I have one long set of wires coming directly from my PSU which leads to a 6 pin PCI cable.

That PCI cable can plug into my GPU.


I have a second socket in GPU but no sign of two "molex cables" to plug the cord above into. There is one cable which one of these could plug into which is labelled "pci10".



Am I just going to have to box the GPU until I upgrade the pc? I plan to do that next year anyway so I don't really want to go replacing the PSU on this one.

How would I do this if I was installing a second GPU in SLI - is there some way to connect new cables to the PSU so that i could plug it in? (I know my current psu cold not support that)

Or is it just the case that you buy a psu with enough "plugs" coming out of it to connect everything you need to.

I haven't opened the metal covers around the PSU but i assume they would not leave cables tucked up inside there?

there are some cables routed along the back wall behind optical drives etc., i could go seeing if i could root them out but i can't imagine again they left some plugs hidden in there out of sight?

So to summarise:

I can fill one of the 6pin pci slots on GPU.

I have a 6pin pci cable (as in picture) that i can plug into the other pci slot slot, but i can't see two "molex" cables to plug the other ends into.

ShadowHearth

Right, thats the same PSU that my xps 420 had and 100% you should have enough molex connections on it. Just check all the cables that coming from PSU and there will Molex connections on it to make one more 6 pin for Gpu.

Ninjah Tigah

Fian wrote: »

thank you, i have two of these in the box. what i can't find is whcat to plug them into.

I have one long set of wires coming directly from my PSU which leads to a 6 pin PCI cable.

That PCI cable can plug into my GPU.


I have a second socket in GPU but no sign of two "molex cables" to plug the cord above into. There is one cable which one of these could plug into which is labelled "pci10".



Am I just going to have to box the GPU until I upgrade the pc? I plan to do that next year anyway so I don't really want to go replacing the PSU on this one.

How would I do this if I was installing a second GPU in SLI - is there some way to connect new cables to the PSU so that i could plug it in? (I know my current psu cold not support that)

Or is it just the case that you buy a psu with enough "plugs" coming out of it to connect everything you need to.

I haven't opened the metal covers around the PSU but i assume they would not leave cables tucked up inside there?

there are some cables routed along the back wall behind optical drives etc., i could go seeing if i could root them out but i can't imagine again they left some plugs hidden in there out of sight?

So to summarise:

I can fill one of the 6pin pci slots on GPU.

I have a 6pin pci cable (as in picture) that i can plug into the other pci slot slot, but i can't see two "molex" cables to plug the other ends into.

So you can't see any cables that look like;



You should have two of them coming out of the power supply. If they aren't there, how many optical drives/hard-drives do you have? It's a possibility that they're plugged into them if you have more than one.

Identified by the 'Power cable connector'

Fian

Ah thank you.

Yes I have two optical drives and tbh I don't need either of them. Will disconnect one of them and use that cable, very grateful for your help - I was completely baffled.

Hopefully I can sort this out later today

Ninjah Tigah

Best of luck. Let us know how it go's.

Sonics2k

I'm watching this thread with interest.

I have an old XPS 420 I've been wanting to upgrade and wanted to know what can be done with it.

Fian

Sonics2k wrote: »

I'm watching this thread with interest.

I have an old XPS 420 I've been wanting to upgrade and wanted to know what can be done with it.

Well bad news, at least as far as mine is concerned. I have checked thoroughly and there is definitely only one spare "molex" connection - so I am one short. You should open yours and have a look before you buy.

I have two hard drives, two optical drives and a media card reader. The optical drives do not use a molex connection they have a thin black connection plugged into them. there are a number of those thin black connections to spare as well, but no molex.

Thanks to all who have been so helpful in this thread even if unfortunately it didn't work out.

vibe666

the thin black ones are sata power connectors and are interchangeable with molex if you get an adapter and again, maplins is your friend here in a pinch for a sata to molex converter, but cheaper online.

like this:

Fian

vibe666 wrote: »

the thin black ones are sata power connectors and are interchangeable with molex if you an adapter and again, maplins is your friend here in a pinch for a sata to molex converter, but cheaper online.

like this:

Thanks so much!

Ok so maybe too early to give up then . Will swing past maplins today at lunch if i get a chance.

I am really grateful for all the help I have receievd in this thread.

TerrorFirmer

Sonics2k wrote: »

I'm watching this thread with interest.

I have an old XPS 420 I've been wanting to upgrade and wanted to know what can be done with it.

As has been said before, the GTX970 is wasted on the XPS420, just the poster wanted to get it now anyway and use it again shortly in a new PC. Unless you plan the same thing - buying a new PC in a few months - it's throwing money away.

Something like a €120 GTX750Ti is about as much as I would put into an XPS420 - assuming it's at least a quad core or E8500/8600 type Core 2 processor - and even then that would still be bottle necked in most games, very badly in some. (some games will remain unplayable no matter what)

The GTX 970 and a new PSU will cost about €400-ish, card on its own €320-ish+ depending on what model is bought, the XPS420 will utilize about €40-80worth of that money depending on the game...

And unless you plan buying a new PC really soon, there's no point saying 'ah sure I'll reuse it down the line', as buying the GTX970 when price is at a premium is a bit pointless. The good thing about budget cards like the GTX750 is that they hold their value pretty well, so you would only expect to pay about €30-40 for the short term several month 'lease' of the card, then buy a good higher end value card 6 months down the line when you're ordering your new PC.

Sonics2k

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

As has been said before, the GTX970 is wasted on the XPS420, just the poster wanted to get it now anyway and use it again shortly in a new PC. Unless you plan the same thing - buying a new PC in a few months - it's throwing money away.

Something like a €120 GTX750Ti is about as much as I would put into an XPS420 - assuming it's at least a quad core or E8500/8600 type Core 2 processor - and even then that would still be bottle necked in most games, very badly in some. (some games will remain unplayable no matter what)

The GTX 970 and a new PSU will cost about €400-ish, card on its own €320-ish+ depending on what model is bought, the XPS420 will utilize about €40-80worth of that money depending on the game...

And unless you plan buying a new PC really soon, there's no point saying 'ah sure I'll reuse it down the line', as buying the GTX970 when price is at a premium is a bit pointless. The good thing about budget cards like the GTX750 is that they hold their value pretty well, so you would only expect to pay about €30-40 for the short term several month 'lease' of the card, then buy a good higher end value card 6 months down the line when you're ordering your new PC.

Yeah I was thinking it'd end up in just building a new one all together. I guess I'm just fond of the old XPS, she served me well these last 6 or 7 years. As it is the motherboard can only get up to 8gb of ddr2 ram.

I'm thinking of going for a smaller build next time due to less space, something like the Forcebox Gamer Plus on Overclockers with a GTX 970 4Gb is only £700 which is well within budget.

thierry14

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

As has been said before, the GTX970 is wasted on the XPS420, just the poster wanted to get it now anyway and use it again shortly in a new PC. Unless you plan the same thing - buying a new PC in a few months - it's throwing money away.

Something like a €120 GTX750Ti is about as much as I would put into an XPS420 - assuming it's at least a quad core or E8500/8600 type Core 2 processor - and even then that would still be bottle necked in most games, very badly in some. (some games will remain unplayable no matter what)

The GTX 970 and a new PSU will cost about €400-ish, card on its own €320-ish+ depending on what model is bought, the XPS420 will utilize about €40-80worth of that money depending on the game...

And unless you plan buying a new PC really soon, there's no point saying 'ah sure I'll reuse it down the line', as buying the GTX970 when price is at a premium is a bit pointless. The good thing about budget cards like the GTX750 is that they hold their value pretty well, so you would only expect to pay about €30-40 for the short term several month 'lease' of the card, then buy a good higher end value card 6 months down the line when you're ordering your new PC.

I agree.

No point spending big.

Dell have a bad rep around here, but my 7 year old XPS 710 which I got from bargain alerts all those years is still going strong amazingly.

Have the QX6700 running @ 3.2ghz and it's not really struggling, that I have noticed

I have upgraded it twice over the last 7 years, upgraded the ram to 8gb about a few years ago and 2 years ago changed the 8800gtx to a 660ti.

Playing shadow of mordor at the moment fairly well.

TerrorFirmer

I don't have a problem with Dell in general, although I do more so now that some of their new PC's have gone back to propitiatory power supplies!

Opened up a new i5 one lately to upgrade psu and card, the board has a 10-pin connector instead of a 24-pin. So nothing whatsoever you can do, had to settle for a GTX750Ti instead of an 270X!

thierry14

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

I don't have a problem with Dell in general, although I do more so now that some of their new PC's have gone back to propitiatory power supplies!

Opened up a new i5 one lately to upgrade psu and card, the board has a 10-pin connector instead of a 24-pin. So nothing whatsoever you can do, had to settle for a GTX750Ti instead of an 270X!

That is true, a few years ago most of the cheaper dimension/inspirions/vostro lines had a 350watt/375watt psu with 6 pin/ 4pin molex connectors, you could a pretty good card in there, extra hdd etc.

Now they are 220watt rubbish in the inspirion lines.

Top of the line is even worse, 460watt in the very expensive XPS8700, equivalent 7 year old XPS710 I have has a 750 watt psu that could handle sli.

Fian

That SATA to molex adapter sorted the problem, card is now installed and working fine.

So now I am the proud owner of a functioning GPU that is hopelessly overpowered for the PC it sits in.

Thanks so much to all who were so helpful in this thread.

ShadowHearth

Fian wrote: »

That SATA to molex adapter sorted the problem, card is now installed and working fine.

So now I am the proud owner of a functioning GPU that is hopelessly overpowered for the PC it sits in.

Thanks so much to all who were so helpful in this thread.

Have fun. If you have a chance, could you do few benchmarks? Maybe try playing some BF4? I want to see how much of a bottleneck 970 can be. I might even sell my 680 to my buddy ( who I gave my xps 420 ), if that CPU can still hold its own with beefier GPU.

TerrorFirmer

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Have fun. If you have a chance, could you do few benchmarks? Maybe try playing some BF4? I want to see how much of a bottleneck 970 can be. I might even sell my 680 to my buddy ( who I gave my xps 420 ), if that CPU can still hold its own with beefier GPU.

It depends on the game, but BF4 will be bottle necked horribly. Trust me, I've run any amount of games on a massive variety of cards+processor combos. The most recent Core 2 I tried was an QX6700, it actually held up OK in some games that aren't particularly CPU intensive but in stuff like Battlefield 4 it was horrible and not playable online.

I would say unless you have a heavily overclocked Quad (3.4Ghz range), the most you'll get out of a GTX970 is about €80 euro's worth in games like BF4. In some other games like Shadow of Mordor, Sniper Elite 3, Alien Isolation, and other recent games that are more GPU heavy you'll get much stronger performance and value from the card.

Fian

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Have fun. If you have a chance, could you do few benchmarks? Maybe try playing some BF4? I want to see how much of a bottleneck 970 can be. I might even sell my 680 to my buddy ( who I gave my xps 420 ), if that CPU can still hold its own with beefier GPU.

I'm afraid i don't have BF4.

The most graphics intensive games i have are probably Diablo 3 and Elite Dangerous. But since recent patch the latter is not working (since before changed GPU so that is not the cause.) I had been hoping a new GPU would fix the issues but no.