I'm getting an old Lenovo m910t ThinkCentre from my boss who wants to toss it out, but I'm considering turning it into a budget-friendly gaming PC for my kids and me. The 250W PSU is a limitation since the motherboard and case are proprietary, but I'm looking into upgrading with a low-profile MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Ventus XS 4G OC. I'm aware this is an older card, so it won't run high-end games in 4K.
Currently, here's what the setup looks like:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-7500
- Motherboard: Lenovo 3106
- RAM: 1 stick of DDR4 2400MHz (planning to add 2 sticks of Vengeance LPX 8GB)
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 630
- PSU: 250W
- Storage: 500GB WD HDD (also planning an upgrade)
Some might say I should just let it go, but it's in great condition and I think it can work well for some family gaming. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
3 Answers
Reusing that old Lenovo is a solid idea! The GTX 1650 low profile version that doesn't need extra power makes it a great match for the 250W PSU. Just make sure to get the 75W version. Adding an SSD will significantly boost performance, and trust me, it's more impactful than just swapping the GPU. You’ll definitely be able to play older games and some esports titles. Keeping it instead of tossing it is a win for you and the environment!
If you want more power, consider upgrading to an i7 7th gen CPU, adding 32GB of DDR4 RAM at 3600MHz, and upgrading to a 1TB SATA SSD like the 870 EVO. Just a heads-up, it might stretch your budget a bit but could make a huge difference in performance!
Just to clarify, is your m910t the SFF, Desktop, or Tower model?
- Tower version: uses full-height cards.
- Desktop version: also uses full-height cards.
- SFF version: this one uses low-profile height cards exclusively.
Knowing this will help in recommending upgrades and ensuring compatibility.
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