Setting up new PC, looking for dedicated graphics cards and other possible mods

[Shyria Dracnoir]

So as an update to this thread, I recently went ahead and purchased a new tower setup from HP. The specs are identical to the machine here, though my machine has the 1 TB hard drive and the integrated wireless card. However, I've also been looking for a new dedicated graphics card, since the current setup doesn't have an HDMI port (I use this to configure my dual monitor setup) and because it might provide an overall performance boost.

I primarily use my PC for general computing and light gaming, but I also use Photoshop, Illustrator, and things like Max and Maya. I'm not expecting my PC to be a powerhouse, but what are the best steps I can take to maximize its performance at this point?

[akaSM]

The thing is...with a prebuilt PC, I don't know how much can you actually upgrade it. IIRC, they don't usually come with a good enough PSU to handle a significant upgrade.

[PyrosNine]

Just buy an external PSU, a new internal fan/water cooling to fill the space where the PSU was, and slap in the best graphics card you can afford, and replace or shove more RAM into that suckah.

That is how you optimize a prebuilt PC, as the "premium" upgrades they sell can be bought cheaper if you buy them separately and install them yourself. And better cooling can extend the life of a prebuilt anyway.

[akaSM]

There's also the problem of actually fitting things inside that case .-.

[Aldurin]

Prebuilts are ok if you're the old lady who wants to check her email through internet explorers and chat with her grandchildren through skype, but that's when they stop getting cool.

Go with barebone kits unless you're absolutely sure that you and anyone you have access to is the touch of death when assembling technology. It's all the basic stuff for a computer, but cheaper than a prebuilt of equivalent power. You may need to throw on a better HD or a video card, but it's a good investment.

And for the love of god don't fall for any of the unusual "good luck finding a driver" hardware. I still regret my ASUS Bamboo laptop.

[Nikose Tyris]

Hey Shyria, congrats on your new computer!

In it's current configuration, you'll have 1 empty RAM slot; you can pick up another 4gb RAM stick when you're ready to bump it up to 8GB at your leisure.

I'd also make sure to remove all the bloatware that HP is fairly infamous for- Not really an arduous ordeal, just uninstall anything that clearly isn't part of your desired windows experience. Some of the background bloatware that HP puts on takes up too much memory for you to waste your time on.

You have one empty PCI-Express x16 slot; You can pick up a video card when you're ready to give your machine the graphics boost that you may need. (As it stands, though, that machine should be able to run Left 4 Dead 2 without any real lag- though it might chug a little when the horde shows up!)

Hope you enjoy your new machine!

Edit: I should note that I find most digital art programs run so much better with extra RAM that it really justifies the purchase for most people.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

I've already culled the worst of the bloatware and gotten the antivirus and firewalls set up. I'll probably look into getting the additional RAM stick taken care of once I get some other bills sorted out.

[akaSM]

Only your HDD died, right? You could pop in your old video card, it's not that power hungry so, your PC should be fine.