Any way of upgrading my budget desktop to be slightly better for games?

Hardware Build a PC
1

I'm currently running: this Acer machine and I'm wanting to invest a little ($300 USD) to salvage it if possible. Otherwise, I could sell the machine and perhaps have 500 (assuming I can get $200 for the machine) to work with on a new machine. I'm not looking for 4k display with 60fps, but I would like to be able to at least run some of the newer games heading downrange (Firewatch, NMS, maybe some Star Wars BG...)

Am I dreaming, or are there some options for me?

2

It's not that bad of a machine.

The 4440 is a decent enough processor, all you really need is a decent grpahics card, and a better power supply.

Things you want to look for before buying are the measurments for a new graphics card and seeing if you have any case airflow options.

The hard drive cage may interfere with a new gpu, check to see for clearence if the graphics card you buy has a top or side mounted power adapter.

Airflow maybe restricted (usually in oem cases there is only an exhaust fan) So if you get a graphics card, I wouldn't go to crazy.

A graphics card like this: http://www.amazon.com/Asus-GTX960-MOC-2GD5-ASUS-Graphics-Cards/dp/B00SX4WZGC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1441488996&sr=8-3&keywords=mini+graphics+card
might be a nice option since you won't have to worry about clearence.

As for a power supply, 4-500 watts should suffice, make sure its decent. Normally refer to Seasonic or companies that are rebranded Seasonics (XFX being one of them).

3

2 things.
1. SSD. IMHO there is no need to have a huge one. For gaming a 120 drive is enough for OS and some software. The games work just fine on HDD. I am very happy with my ADATA... Check this out:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211885
2. This machine have no dedicated GPU. What is problematic in this case is the power supply. There is no mentioning in the website in what or how powerful the PSU is. The processor is OK for gaming, you have large hard drive, enough ram, so it depends all on the power supply.
However, R9 380 is great choice for around 200$...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202151&cm_re=r9_380-_-14-202-151-_-Product
So all together, 250$ and great upgrade.
If new PSU is in order, Corsair CX500M is around 35$ after jumping through some hoops...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050

4

Just to put things into perspective for you all this is how big it is:

There's no space in there for adding a GPU or changing the PSU, undoubtedly, in that case, and I doubt the motherboard layout is of a standard or even has a PCIe slot for a GPU.

The only thing you could upgrade, I'd guess, would be your RAM (assuming it's not soldered down onto the mobo) and your storage (as shown in the video), but we all know that's not really going to help.

Also, only $200 for it? Surely you could get more than that. It's a killer machine for office work and such. And at that form factor, too...

5

The link that he gave in the first post shows nothing like this. It shows fairly sh*ty mATX case.
Is there a misunderstanding?

6

Erhm, no, it's the Acer Revo One (RL85-UR45), as in that video. Check again?

7

Um... Acer Aspire ATC-605-UB11...

8

Wut? I get linked to this article:

Here:

EDIT:

And from google's top result...

9

Yup, this is what opens for me when i click the link...
So we are basically giving advises for two different machines. Facepalm...

10

Wait hang on so there's no way of telling what the actual machine is? Wut?

The plain link in the post is: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2476977,00.asp

11

I'm seeing this

12

More interestingly, and completely off topic, but how the hell one link send us to two different pages god dam it...
BTW, yes, this is what it shows me to.

13

Not the same link:

SpaceCats from the UK so maybe that's why???

14

I'd do this:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hLwpNG

For $300 you can make that one beastly machine. I recommend ditching the case and the board eventually however for something like:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hn4YWZ

15

I can't wait till there is some sort of evolutionary change in motherboard design...then the cases can change.

16

We probably won't ever see that without everything redesigned.

17

Can't wait though. Quantum computers today have an odd setup similar to an inverted pyramid inside of a cube/rectangle.

1 Like
18

Case, PSU, GPU and mobo in $300:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gn4Tcf

If you could bump up the budget by about $110 I'd do this tho:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZHt2cf