X51 question

mogbat

mogbat

mogbat

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Considering buying an Alienware X51

The model has a i3-2120 processor coupled with 6gb of 1333

The graphics card is a 1Gb GT 640.

How would I fare if I replaced the graphics card with something better?
 
i would pass unless its very cheap.

the 2120 would just about manage but would bottleneck high end cards.

if the moboboard is decent then it would be better to buy a 15-3570k and then a new gpu. but then you are looking at 300-400ish quid so probs better building from scratch (if i was you i would)
 
That's a not bad price then, but you will probably also need to replace the PSU as well. So maybe a 7850 and a decent 500w PSU.
 
For what you are getting £404.18 all in is pretty good, however l pref a self build to give a easier upgrade path.

But still can't argue with the price.

Running a B grade GTX 560 Ti with a i3 3220 and it is pretty solid.
 
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CEUOTC said:
For what you are getting £404.18 all in is pretty good, however l pref a self build to give a easier upgrade path.

But still can't argue with the price.

Running a B grade GTX 560 Ti with a i3 3220 and it is pretty solid.
Click to expand...

Why the gtx 560ti, am I limited to what I can have with the processor?

Any idea how you upgrade the psu as I think they are external
 
Derp, just googled the X51 and only just noticed it was the console sized one. If that's the case, then don't bother. Upgradability is very small due to the size of it, and seems the best PSU for it is only 330w. I have a feeling most of the stuff won't be standard as well due to the size...
 
Right, call me stupid but I've brought one of the X51 now my only question is I can only afford the upgrade the processor or graphics card?

Which one will benefit me more?
 
woah, gpu definitly the weak point, i have a HTPC with a i3 2120 and 7850 gpu and the CPU only holds back the GPU in a few games (according to the OCUK guys)
 
mogbat said:
What graphics card would you recommend, I have about £130
Click to expand...

7850 definitely. one 6 pin power connector, small, low powered, cool.. if the case/psu is able to do it, i have no idea so you will have to check

btw, i have absolutely no idea if there is a better Nvidia card, i dont use them at all, but i doubt there is
 
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If anyone's interested, I have now found out what can be upgraded on the Alienware X51.


-You can use any processor that utilizes the lga 1155 socket, eg: sandy bridge / ivy bridge lineup.

-Your gpu can be upgraded up to a gtx 670, or gtx 660ti with modest factory overclock.

-Memory can be upgraded up to 16gb however you should insure that it is rated for plug and play, otherwise you will not see the advertised speed of 1600mhz. (an example is kingston pnp ram) Note: Just like with the processor you cannot manually overclock ram in the bios.

-Hard drives can be upgraded to either one 3.5inch or two 2.5 inch drives with adapter cage. You can also fit a 2.5inch ssd over the top of the optical drive, either by zip tying it in place or by simply laying the x51 in the horizontal position.

-Last but not least, optical drives. Any 12.7mm slot load slimline drive will work as long as it uses a sata connection.

With all of that said, You will want the 330w PSU. This part is only available from dell so you will have to call them and order it BEFORE you buy anything else.
I'm pretty sure this is the same PSU used by the m18x laptop.

Mogbat
 
I know it's too late now, but for the same money you could have built something like this

YOUR BASKET
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ Nexuiz, Sleeping Dogs & Dirt Showd (GX-100-GI) £129.95
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.30GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £83.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-V LX2 Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £67.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST500DM002) HDD £39.98
1 x XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £39.95
1 x Xigmatek Asgard 381 Midi Tower Case - Black / White £36.98
1 x TeamGroup Elite 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TED38GM1600HC11DC01) £23.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £16.99
Total : £533.92 (includes shipping : £11.75).

 
mogbat said:
Right, call me stupid but I've brought one of the X51 now my only question is I can only afford the upgrade the processor or graphics card?

Which one will benefit me more?
Click to expand...

What spec did you get and how much was it? considering getting one myself
 
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