Question

[Alternative X]

OK, upon further research, it seems that you have the m-ATX varient. That is good as it is highly upgradeable. Install these parts and it should last you for a long time.

LEADTEK GTX 750 TI 2GB O.C (235)
SEASONIC S12II-Non MODULAR 520W (85)

Total Cost:$320

Buy at PC Themes, #04-15, and ask for discounts. DIY yourself. If you can't into DIY, go to PC Care & Solution at #02-32 and ask Nigel to help you assemble for a fee.

 

[leon11]

whats m-ATX varient haha

 

[Ark Law]

Buy at PC Themes, #04-15, and ask for discounts. DIY yourself. If you can't into DIY, go to PC Care & Solution at #02-32 and ask Nigel to help you assemble for a fee.

Given TS's knowledge level, best to just go to Nigel at PC C&S. At least he can ask all the questions he wants and Nigel is best suited to explain tech terms to newbies like him.

 

[leon11]

oh atx motherboard

 

[bloo1998]

oh atx motherboard

Only want to play dota nothing else?

 

[deepblue_82]

M is smaller A is bigger...

 

[leon11]

hmm shooter fps etc

 

[leon11]

any recommended casing?

 

[bloo1998]

any recommended casing?

Look at some of these case brands
Corsair
CM
Sharkoon

 

[Ark Law]

Look at some of these case brands
Corsair
CM
Sharkoon

Add xigmatek to that list

 

[trenzterra]

OK, upon further research, it seems that you have the m-ATX varient. That is good as it is highly upgradeable. Install these parts and it should last you for a long time.

LEADTEK GTX 750 TI 2GB O.C (235)
SEASONIC S12II-Non MODULAR 520W (85)

Total Cost:$320

Buy at PC Themes, #04-15, and ask for discounts. DIY yourself. If you can't into DIY, go to PC Care & Solution at #02-32 and ask Nigel to help you assemble for a fee.

The board may be mATX but the PSU might not be able to fit. I changed the faulty PSU of my sister's XPS only to realise that the new PSU wouldn't fit in the existing case...

 

[Alternative X]

The board may be mATX but the PSU might not be able to fit. I changed the faulty PSU of my sister's XPS only to realise that the new PSU wouldn't fit in the existing case...

I disagree. A quick search via Google reveals that TS's PSU is this:

ATX0300P5WB Dell XW597 300W Geunine Bestec Replacement Power Supply | eBay

This PSU is in a standard ATX form factor(the design is old, though.) This PSU is commonly found in more traditional m-ATX cases instead of those slim m-ATX casing. Hence, it should fit.( It had better fit though, because if it doesn't fit, we will have more problems ahead.)

 

[Blehana]

I suppose TS can just look for Nigel (gs) at sls #2-32, given his limited knowledge

 

[leon11]

is it worth to upgrade?

 

[Alternative X]

Games normally places greater emphasis on graphics performance rather than processor performance. There are people out there who paired i3 processors with a high end graphics card and are happily gaming away.The upgrade that I suggested will give you a significant increase in graphics performance.

GeForce GTX 750 Ti vs GT 220

There is no need to upgrade your processor as your processor is good enough for general gaming.

OEM systems are usually poor value for money as they over emphasis on some aspects of computing performance(i7 processor, too much RAM, nice looking casing, lots and lots of USB ports, card reader) while making tradeoffs in other aspects of computing performance for the sake of marketing.(crap PSU, low end motherboard, weak GPU, no SSD, generic wifi card that does not support dual band, weak cooling, relatively small casing)

If you want to buy a system with a proper gaming GPU, you must be prepared to shell out at least $2000, or else the system that you buy will come with rubbish Intel HD Graphics or a weak GPU.

With these upgrades for $320, your upgraded rig will be better than those $1500+ OEM rigs out there and is more durable to boot. Why pay more for less when you can pay less for more?

 

[zenniz]

Depend on your budget, if you have 1k to spend, better buy a new one. Reuse HDD and OOD.

If you have very limited budget, change PSU and graphic card but the problem is your casing. It might not fit in nicely and the air flow is poor as hell cause there is no exhaust fan.

Actually, a FSP hexa+ 450W and Zotac gtx750ti $260~ can run dota 2 at highest setting flawlessly.

 

[Alternative X]

I think the card has a high chance of being able to fit. The GTX 750ti is only 160mm long, which is not much longer than the OEM GT220.

 

[leon11]

hmm i dont mind swapping mobo and getting a new casing

 

[Alternative X]

Please don't change your motherboard, very troublesome.

Reasons:

1)New Intel motherboards have different processor sockets, so your old processor will not fit into the new motherboard. If you want to change the motherboard, you must buy a new processor, which will increase the upgrade cost significantly.

2)Your Windows license is the OEM version, which is tied to your old motherboard. If you change your motherboard, you will have to call Microsoft to activate your license for your new build as under the OEM licensing rules, you are allowed to change everything in your rig except your motherboard.

3)Your new motherboard may not fit into your case as OEM manufacturers sometimes like to use custom dimensions for their motherboards.

4)Changing the motherboard does not make your system go faster, it might only increase your SATA ports and RAM slots and slightly improves onboard sound due to better onboard sound chips being used.

If you want to change your case, take a walk around SLS to see the cases avaliable and pick your favourite case. And if you want to take a walk around SLS, pay a visit to PC Care & Solution at #02-32 and have a good chat with Nigel to discuss your upgrade options with him.

 

[leon11]

which case compatible with my mobo?