Suggestions on GPUs That Work with My Setup?

snoopydoop on 03/12/2018 - 22:22
Last edited 04/12/2018 - 00:41

Hello!

I've got an old Dell XPS tower from maybe 2009? I'm currently using it as a Plex server with external drives.

It's got an Intel i7 920 @ 2.67ghz CPU, and a GTX 260 graphics card. It has 6gb ram (I recently increased it from 4gb).

I'm wanting to use steam link (or similar) to stream some newer games around my house, and maybe also do some hardware transcoding for Plex. Many games won't open with my current set-up, saying something about 'shaders'. As I'll mainly be game-streaming, just looking for the ability to run the games smoothly, doesn't need to be too beautiful or anything. And good efficiency with hardware transcoding would be a big plus!

What's the best GPU to upgrade for my situation bang-for-buck, and how much of a bottleneck will my current CPU be, will it be passable?

Not really sure what my computer will be compatible with, but hopefully you can figure out some stuff based on the fact it can run a GTX 960?

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: Corrected that it is actually a GTX 260 card!

Computing

Comments

  • Caped Baldy on 03/12/2018 - 22:42

    What is your screen set up?

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 00:13

      Currently headless, as it's VGA output only, I remote in with Chrome Remote Desktop for most things then steam link for the light games it can handle currently.

  • vince088 on 03/12/2018 - 22:51
    +1

    hi i had a similar set up to you, i recently did a refresher on this pc so my son can play fortnite.

    Being a x58 LGA 1366 system you can upgrade to the Xeon cpus

    i had the same i7-920 4 core 2.66ghz cpu and bought a Xeon W3680 6-Core(12 thread) 3.33ghz with a unlocked multiplier
    which i overclocked to daily 4ghz easily

    this CPU cost about $80-100 on ebay or aliexpress

    Of course you must see if your motherboard supports these cpus

    as for GPU you can get the GTX 10 or 20 series depending on your budget

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 00:09

      Would the Xeon CPU do well for plex transcodes? I'm actually pretty happy with my current CPU for transcodes, is handling 4 x264 transcodes or 2 x265's. I'm assuming the Xeon W3680 would be able to outperform, or are there other factors to consider? $80-100 for a CPU with almost double the benchmark is great!

      Do you know the best way to check whether my motherboard can support this? I'm not even sure how to find the model name, couldn't find it anywhere visually obvious.

      Thanks for your advice.

      EDIT: It is actually a GTX 260 card!

      • vince088 on 04/12/2018 - 10:08

        I dont know what is plex transcode so i cant comment lol.

        I had a gtx 275 and upgrade to 2nd hand gtx 960 no problem for $100

        SO for under $200 i refreshed my 10 year old pc so my son can play fortnite.

        Oh yeh my currently my 4ghz OC gets a 900Cb score on cinebench r15

        Highest i got was 1000Cb on a 4.4 oC if that lets you compare benchmarks

  • spackbace on 03/12/2018 - 23:04

    Gtx 1050?

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 00:09

      Thank you! Would this definitely work with my set-up given it's current GPU?

      EDIT: It is actually a GTX 260 card!

  • tebbybabes on 03/12/2018 - 23:21

    I'm leaning on the GTX 1050 or Ti as well.

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 00:11

      Thank you! Is there much performance difference between the TI and the 1050, and would they both be compatible given I'm able to run the GTX 260?

      Thanks!

      EDIT: It is actually a GTX 260 card!

      • blonky on 04/12/2018 - 09:56

        Some reviews say the Ti is closer in performance to the 1060 than it is to the 1050; take with a grain of salt
        I'd agree with 1050Ti 4GB or RX570

  • p1 ama on 03/12/2018 - 23:27
    +1

    RX 570 is bang-for-buck king right now. Better performance than a 1050 Ti for less.

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 00:12

      This is really interesting! What would you say be a good deal for this GPU at the moment, and would it definitely be compatible given I'm able to run the GTX 260?

      Also, would you say the 4gb model is sufficient, or worth bumping up the 8gb?

      Thanks!

      EDIT: It is actually a GTX 260 card!

      • p1 ama on 04/12/2018 - 00:49

        I would say under $200 is an excellent deal, but if you're lucky you can get a used RX 580 8GB for that much, so it's up to you whether you want to sacrifice a bit of performance to go new.

        It will be compatible for sure. The 4GB is fine really. Some people really want the 8GB, but I can't imagine it making a huge difference at 1080p.

      • follow on 04/12/2018 - 00:51

        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/421619
        Same price different code

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 04/12/2018 - 05:56

    Plex doesn't use the GPU to transcode. It is a CPU intensive task though. So no matter what GPU you get this will have no impact on Plex.

    • Forskin on 04/12/2018 - 06:21
      +1

      It does mate
      "Hardware accelerated transcoding"

    • snoopydoop on 04/12/2018 - 10:54
      +1

      It's a Plex Pass feature, and relatively new :)

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