Just picked up a used PC - upgrade advice needed? :help:

Hey everyone, I just picked up this PC:
unknown Case Model: LENOVO 6234
Processor: CORE 2 DUO E8400
CPU Speed: 2 X 3.0 GHz
Memory: 4096 MB DDR3 RAM
Hard Drive: 160 GB
Here’s the full breakdown:http://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-...n-vista/specs/

I'm wondering if I can drop a decent graphics card in here, maybe something like an ATIHD6750 1GB, or a GeForceGT 630 2GB, or something similar? My main goal is to play Skyrim. I've seen people running that game on processors like this without any issues, especially with the kind of cards I'm looking at upgrading to.
Just looking for some straightforward advice from anyone who knows their stuff. Please skip the "just buy a new computer" or "this machine is junk" comments—I'm not an expert, so I'd really appreciate clear, direct answers.
Best regards,

Jerry Morgan3 said:Hey, I just picked up this PC:
Case Model: unknown
Processor: CORE 2 DUO E8400
CPU Speed: 2 X 3.0 GHz
RAM: 4096 MB DDR3
Hard Drive: 160 GB
Here's the full specs: http://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-...n-vista/specs/

I'm wondering if I can drop in a decent graphics card, maybe an ATI HD6750 1GB, or a GeForce GeForce GT 630 2GB, or something similar? My main goal is playing Skyrim. I've seen people running it on processors like this without any issues, especially with the kind of cards I'm looking at
Just looking for some actual advice here—please skip the useless comments about how this thing is junk or that I should just buy a new PC. I'm not an expert, so please be direct and clear with your answers.
Best regards,

For Skyrim, this is a pretty solid machine. If you pair it with a slightly better GPU, it'll definitely run. Before we suggest a specific card, though, you need to let us know what your budget is and what kind of power supply is inside the rig.

If my power supply ends up being too weak, upgrading it is an easy fix. I'm not entirely sure what my budget looks like yet, but from what I've read, those two graphics cards offer great value for the price.

You’ve got a few different limiting factors here:

1. Case form factor—if we're looking at the desktop case in the photo, it likely only fits low-profile cards, so standard-sized graphics cards probably won't fit inside
2. Power supply capacity—since this is primarily an office PC, there's the question of whether the PSU has enough wattage or quality to actually handle a gaming card
3. Motherboard compatibility—you'd need to check if the motherboard even has a dedicated slot available, and then see if there's enough physical clearance in the chassis itself

Jerry Morgan3 said:If the power supply ends up being too weak, I can always just pick up a better one later—though I'm not entirely sure what my budget looks like right now. Anyway, from what I've read, those two cards seem like solid deals for the price.

Since this is a pre-built desktop, there's a pretty good chance a standard ATX power supply won't actually fit inside the case.

Edit: looking at the manuals now, it seems like the card will fit and there is a dedicated slot on the motherboard for it.

If there isn't enough room, I'll just crack open the unknown case and leave it open. I just need to make sure the graphics card actually fits inside. 😁 Who cares about looks? :P

Ugh, yeah, George Sanders37 made a good point there; I didn't even realize that was a ThinkCentre, those are just those tiny mini cases.
I'm actually reading about it right now—apparently, people have run into all sorts of issues trying to cram GPUs into those small builds CLICK. Honestly, I think you'd be taking way too much of a risk trying to force some decent graphics card in there. That PC simply WASN'T built for gaming.

Can I move the motherboard and everything else from this case into a larger one? It’s basically just a metal shell holding it all together, right? Sorry, I’m pretty new to this, so excuse me if that sounds like a silly question 🙂

I think we can definitely fit a GPU in there—though, full disclosure, I’m not exactly a hardware expert, so I’ll probably need to wait for someone to suggest a solid low-profile card.

Just a heads-up again—if you're planning on swapping out the power supply, be careful. It's hard to tell for sure from the photos and videos, but I don't think that's a standard ATX unit. This specific PC model comes in three different sizes, and two of them are small form factor.

Edit: Moving everything over to a "normal" sized mini or midi tower shouldn't be an issue, I guess.
The only thing is—again, maybe—the current power supply might not line up with the mounting holes in a different case.

Based on this link from neshe, there are some compatibility issues with various graphics cards due to BIOS limitations. You can almost certainly run an HD 4xxx series card, but anything else is a gamble. That said, your PC does have a GPU; they don't pull much power and should be strong enough to handle Skyrim:

The second option is actually powerful enough to run Skyrim on max settings (the vanilla version), though nobody can give you a 100% guarantee on compatibility. These pre-built, branded machines can be a nightmare to upgrade; sometimes they even use proprietary power connectors that won't fit standard parts.

Honestly, it makes more sense to sell your current setup for a couple hundred bucks, add that cash to a budget for a new graphics card, and just pick up a decent used PC that's ready for Skyrim. Your other option is to strip out the CPU, RAM, and hard drive to build something from scratch using used parts, but that’s going to be a massive headache, and you probably won't be able to sell the leftover components easily.

Jerry Morgan3 said:It’s a simple question about who actually knows their stuff here. Please, skip the useless advice like "just buy a new PC" or "this thing is junk." I’m asking for clear answers because I'm definitely not an expert.
best regards

I'm no expert myself, but I've built hundreds of these things. To put it bluntly—that isn't a gaming rig.

I think I'll throw a question out there too... I'm weighing my options: should I just beef up my current rig or go for a total upgrade? I'm thinking about adding another 4GB of RAM and swapping in a beefier graphics card—honestly, I feel like the processor could still handle more... Here’s the current setup: an Asrock Dell Precision motherboard, 4GB of DDR3 1600, a GTX 460 1GB, a 600W Corsair power supply, and an Intel Core i5 2400 4 x3.1. So, yeah... I'd love to hear what you all think. Should I invest in a brand-new case, or just stick to adding RAM and a new GPU and see where that takes me? Cheers!

Do you have a rough budget in mind?

Definitely go ahead with the RAM—you’ll really feel the difference—maybe just grab one more 4GB stick. As for a graphics card, it really depends on what you're looking to spend. I doubt you'll need to swap out the case, though.

I was thinking about picking up a 4GB card to swap out my current GTXica for something a bit more capable. Honestly, anything under $467 isn't even worth considering... but these days, there are just so many options, I'm stuck on what to actually grab. I'd probably aim for a GPU peaking around $667, though I'm assuming my power supply will need to be beefy enough to handle the load?

What’s your primary use for this PC?

If you're looking to play AAA titles, you'll need to add another 4GB of RAM and grab a more powerful graphics card.

The power supply should be fine, though you didn't specify which exact Corsair model you have.

In my opinion, these are the best value GPUs currently available under $200:

http://www.nabava.net/search.php?tp=0&q=r9+280+gigabyte (assuming it fits in your case)

I spend most of my free time listening to music, watching movies, and gaming. I actually have a pretty dedicated Hi-Fi setup with an external DAC for the music side of things... but when it comes to films, series, and gaming—well, I'm usually playing Battlefield 3 online. I just installed Battlefield 4, though, and I'm noticing some serious stuttering on High settings... My power supply is listed as a Corsair CX600