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Acer AX1420G-U5832 PSU / Graphics upgrade


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#1
British

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Hi,

I was looking to upgrade both the PSU and Graphics card in my computer since they are both pretty bad. Currently has a 220W PSU and an NVIDIA GeForce 9200 graphics card. I want to upgrade to maybe a 400-500W PSU and a better graphics card but not sure what will work with this computer since its a micro housing.

I use this computer for both school and gaming, play World of Warcraft. i went to http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/ and looked at the requirements for WoW and i meet the minimum but it still seems sluggish. Any help would be greatly appeciated. Thank you.

British

Edited by British, 05 October 2011 - 06:00 PM.

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#2
Digerati

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Hi British and welcome to Geeks to Go.

Small form factor cases generally require "low profile" cards and small form factor PSUs. Your motherboard does support PCIe so you have quite a few options. But you need to set a budget first. And you need to select your card first, and then determine your PSU requirements.
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#3
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Ok well my budget is about $200 - $250. Im not sure what kind of graphics cards i can use other than the size because im not sure how big of a PSU i can shove into my smaller case. Im not even sure if i can upgrade anything in this computer. If you know any sites that would sell smaller GFX cards (dimension wise) and Powerful but smaller PSU's id really appreciate a link. I checked walmart for some but they all seem to be way to big for my computer. I bought this computer for its small size for college but it seems to be a big limit to what i can do to upgrade it :/

Thanks for Posting back so soon btw, really appreciated that.
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#4
British

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Ok well i looked a little more into it so i dont waste your time searching i looked on NewEgg.com and found http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127544 and http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814125400 still not sure if either will be enough for World of Warcraft to run smoothly at higher qualities but my guess is their better than what i have right now. Also unclear on what kind of PSU the first card will require but the seconds says 300W. I found http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817338057 for a power supply aswell. Just want to know what your opinion is on these items and if you know of any others that may be better or cost less for more bang.

Thanks again

Edited by British, 06 October 2011 - 08:09 AM.

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#5
Digerati

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Especially with games, more is better. And the Gigabyte board has more RAM and more horsepower so that would be my choice.

I cannot find full details on your existing PSU, but I note the dimensions of the Athena supply you listed are 3.2" x 1.7" x 6.0". I would measure yours and see if the same. Note I am not crazy about the Athena brand, but to achieve an 80 Plus certification, the PSU must meet some pretty stringent efficiency ratings. And you cannot achieve high efficiency ratings using inferior parts. So I suspect it will be fine.

Finally, note that top gaming machines cost $thousands. So don't expect top performance. That said, game developers know most people cannot afford $thousands for a gaming machine so they code their games to "play well" on lessor systems - albeit with lessor detail and features. In any event, it should provide better game play than your existing graphics solution.

BTW, the specs of your system say it comes with 4Gb of RAM. If yours came with less, I would get more RAM first as that will likely provide more bang for your money, and most likely not require a new PSU to support it.
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#6
British

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Okay, sounds good to me. Im quite sure my PSU is about the same size as the athena but i will take a much closer look at it and make sure. But this is definitely a lower cost than i was expecting to pay :] as long as the Athena fits properly i should be all set other than the actual installation of these two devices.
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#7
Digerati

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as long as the Athena fits properly i should be all set other than the actual installation of these two devices

That's the way it looks like from there!
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#8
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Do you have any tips for what i might want to have on hand when doing my upgrade? i know im going to want a screwdriver to get at everything and an open area for all of my stuff but if there is anything thats not essential but helps with the process id love the tip.
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#9
Digerati

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1. Unplug from the wall.
2. Touch bare metal of the case BEFORE reaching in, and frequently thereafter to discharge and prevent the build up of destructive static.

READ THE MANUAL! It will tell you the how and when to install the drivers. If ordering on-line, download the manual while waiting delivery to become familiar with it first. You might want to download the latest driver while there.
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#10
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Okay, sounds like a plan. Ill take a look at the manual for everything and order stuff after looking at my PSU. If the Athena doesnt fit ill try finding another one and run it by you. Thanks for all your help with this, made life so much easier.
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#11
Digerati

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You are quite welcome. Keep us posted.
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#12
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Just opened up my computer and got the size of my PSU measured out. Its 8.5" x 3.5" x 2". so it is a little bigger than the Athena. I dont think the Athena being smaller should make much of a difference, it may actually be better. I dont think there is enough room for the GFX card though. it says its 7" x 4.7" x 0.8" and my computer is only about 4" wide so im not sure what kind of GFX card would fit in it now. Im also going to get http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820134730
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#13
Digerati

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What is the model number of the PSU?

The low profile card should fit.
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#14
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My current PSU is a Liteon Model - PS-5221-9AB the one i am getting, the Athena, is model - AP-MFATX35P8
and its not about the power supply not being able to sustain it the dimensions provided on NewEgg for that GFX card are larger than my computer, im not sure if those dimensions are incorrect or are not the same as when the low profile bracket is installed.
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#15
Digerati

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Does it look like this? http://www.amazon.co...y/dp/B00457A6QM

You may consider replacing your case with a standard mid-tower ATX case. That will open up your options to 1000s of regular size ATX format supplies and cards.
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