I have two PCs that I'm looking to upgrade, but I'm unsure what the best options are without spending too much money. The first one is an Optiplex 9010 running Windows 11, with a 16GB DDR3 RAM, an Intel Core i7-2600 CPU at 3.4GHz, a 1TB HDD, a 240GB SSD, and a 240w PSU (with integrated graphics). The second PC runs Windows XP Home Edition, has 1GB DDR2 RAM, an 84GB HDD, and a 450w PSU (also with integrated graphics).
For the first PC, I'd like to upgrade to an AMD 570 GPU, but I can't since the PSU and case won't support it. The second PC could work for upgrades, but its specs feel outdated. I even tried to install the first motherboard into the second case, but the front panel connectors were incompatible. I've searched for new cases, but they all seem to have different front panel connectors. I want to have one of these machines as my main PC to run games and use the other as a server. What would be the best way to upgrade these PCs cost-effectively?
1 Answer
You're encountering a common issue with Dell's proprietary parts. If you want to switch to a standard case, you’ll need a new 1155 motherboard and PSU. I found a pretty good used motherboard for around $30 recently. A decent PSU would cost you about $60.
Would it be wise to use the 450w PSU from the second PC instead?