Looking for a good AMD GPU for my Optiplex system ($300 budget)

Grey Swordsman

Grey Swordsman

Don't Let Your Dreams Be Memes!
Feedback
5 (100%)
So I had a 6GB GTX 1660 Ti. I'd like to switch to AMD so I can try Linux this time (Mint/Cinnamon) and I'm asking for help. Also looking to get at least 8GB of VRAM, that way it's a slight upgrade.
Here's my specs:
  • CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590 CPU @ 3.30GHz 3.30 GHz
  • RAM: 16 GB of DDR3 RAM (ddr3, sad days)
  • GPU: Fried!
  • Motherboard: No idea. But it has Intel HD 4600 graphics...
  • Case: Apparently it's a Dell Optiplex 3020 MTW
Below is the AMD Card I think I could get away with in my current rig:
"PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6600 Graphics Card with 8GB GDDR6 Memory"
81Vtsr0wIVL._AC_SX679_.jpg


Is this the optimal GPU choice if I refuse to build a new PC for the time being?
 
I actually have a very similar build to yours (but still on a GTX 970) and the price/performance card I'd seen most recommended is the RX 6700 XT which can apparently be found lightly used pretty widely (though that was a few months ago I was looking). I'm a little paranoid to upgrade my graphics card too much though because I'm worried it will push the CPU too hard and end up melting it. Of course it all depends a lot on what type of gamer you are but please share whatever choice you end up making.
 
I have some info that might help.

1) The motherboard is what dictates what's compatible, for the most part. I recommend using something like CPU-Z or HWINFO64 to confirm the motherboard.

2) After that, you can use PCPartPicker to confirm the compatibility of the GPU.

3) One last thing is to check the voltage on the power source. If there isn't enough, you may run into issues.

There's probably space and a slot on the case for the GPU, but I'd double check that, if it's a pre-made PC. Those Dell's, HP's, etc. tend to be compact for economy purposes.

Good luck!
 
Thanks you two. Also I had a 500 Watt Thermaltake PSU laying around, so I added that to my PC. I'm pretty dead set on adding the "ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7600 XT OC Edition 16GB GDDR6" graphics card to it, at least that's been the plan until I noticed I can see which motherboard I have now with software according to OneMoreHardDrive's post. I'll definitely try to make sure it will fit before i buy a GPU. I just searched TechPowerUp and thought the one I chose would be great, since my PC only has one 8 pin connector for it, and the recommended wattage for the PSU I'm looking at said 400-450 Watts... Hmmm guess I'll need to do a bit more digging. Not happy with the maximum CPU I could get away with though, which is an Intel Core i7-4790K -- too expensive for a relic. The big idea I have is to have some sort of fully customized DDR4 system ready to play Civilization 7 in 6 months time. Can't tell how wordy this will turn out since I'm on mobile now, so sorry if this is a wall of text lol.

Edit: My Motherboard says it's an "DELL 040DDP Intel H81 (Lynx Point)". For some reason, PCPartPicker will not let me add any proprietary Dell stuff to my lists, so I suppose I gotta wing it a little bit. I'm sure it's fine, though.
 
Last edited:
I think I figured out why my ability to send PM's keeps disappearing and reappearing. I think some of my posts are getting deleted, putting me below the threshold for certain features. I had the ability to send PM's a few days ago, and now it's gone again. I better get to posting!


I've been told that the minimum power requirements placed on GPU's by manufacturers includes the other vital PC parts, but I've usually purchased a PSU that's 100+ Watts above the requirement to avoid a potential issue. Someone else may be able to confirm or refute that one.

I tried looking through PCPartPicker for an Intel H81, but I didn't feel comfortable with any of the choices. I guess business-specific boards, since they can't be purchased individually, don't appear on PCPartPicker. At worst, you can check out Intel's own page on the H81 and manually check the specs between the GPU and the board. It's more of a pain, but that's what we used to do back in the old days. There's a list of compatible CPU's on that page, as well.

I couldn't get a straight answer about the type of RAM supported, but it seems like it'll handle DDR3. I'm not completely sure, though. If the motherboard came out in 2013, then DDR3 makes the most sense, since DDR4 wasn't available until a year later. You can always remove a stick and look up a comparison image.

I hope this helps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top