I'm upgrading my HP z240 SFF workstation, which has a 240W power supply and PCI 3.0 motherboard. It currently has an Nvidia Quadro K420 GPU that I'd like to replace. I've wiped the boot drive and installed Ubuntu 24.04.03, and the system has 32GB of DDR4 RAM and an Intel i7-6700 CPU running at 3.40 GHz.
I'll be using this for personal projects like coding, but I'd also enjoy some casual gaming (mostly 2010-2020 titles, along with some from the 90s). I want to run games at medium settings, aiming for 60FPS at 1080p. I've heard Arma 3 is more CPU intensive, but I'd still like to upgrade the GPU.
I'm looking for suggestions on a GPU that meets the following criteria:
- Costs under £200 (around $270)
- Low profile with a half-height bracket (double slot works, but single slot preferred)
- Compatibility with recent versions of Ubuntu (willing to downgrade if needed)
- Maximum power consumption of 75W
- Ideally, 4GB of memory
I've come across the AMD Radeon RX 6400, which seems great for performance and has good Linux support, but I've heard it can run hot and might come with a full height bracket. There's also the GTX 1650, but I've been concerned about Nvidia driver issues on Ubuntu. Any recommendations?
5 Answers
The RX 6400 is usually pretty affordable on the second-hand market, but keep in mind that it might not perform as well with the x4 slot in a PCIe 3.0 setup. The GTX 1650 is quite dated, and harder to find new, so the RX option seems to be your best shot. The Intel ARC A380 is also decent, but I'm not sure about support on Linux. If you can find the RTX 3050 for a decent price, that would be a strong contender too, especially since it fits the 75W criteria. Just be cautious about the availability and performance considerations for each option.
If you're looking for the strongest GPU that can run off slot power alone, the RTX 3050 with 6GB is a solid choice for low-profile setups. I haven’t used Nvidia GPUs with Linux recently, but I’ve heard their driver support has improved significantly due to their focus on AI and Linux environments lately.
The Gigabyte 5060 low-profile GPU is the best out there, but your 240W PSU might struggle with it. Based on your situation, the RX 6400 would be the most suitable choice.
Honestly, options in the low-profile category are limited. One other card to consider is the A310 Eco, but it's really meant for light use since it only draws power from the PCIe bus. If you're willing to go slightly over your power limit, you could look at the 4060LP, but you'll have to check to see if it fits in your case.
The RX 6400 is probably your best bet for a low-profile card that's easily available. It should handle your needs just fine, especially for gaming at those specs. The GTX 1650 is a good option too, but it's tougher to find new. If you're okay with older models, there are other AMD and Nvidia cards that might fit your requirements, but you'd likely need to buy used. If you end up needing to change the bracket on the RX 6400, a pair of pliers can help with that adjustment.
Just to clarify, my z240 SFF has a 240W PSU. Would that affect my options considering my usage won't be too heavy?