5500 XT or GTX 1650 for old PC?

[docnorth]

These are all great suggestions, just remember, only low profile cards will fit in the case. The hp elitedesk 800 G2 supports full sized expansion slots, but the G1 does not. I've been looking around for you, and the pickings are pretty slim. rtx3050 and rx6400, and gtx1650 (or even a gtx1060 if you trust the SRhonyra brand) are the most modern, non-workstation (and a decent little low-profile quadro t1000 or equivalent radeon pro can be had for cheap.....not ideal, but an option) options that I am seeing with any sort of availability. There are some intel A380s, but I'm pretty sure you have to have resizable bar for them to work correctly. I cannot find any low-profile 6500xt's (just some low profile oem 6500s) or gtx 970s, or 5500xt, or any of the other cards mentioned (that doesn't mean they don't exist, but i can't find them). Here is a pretty good (but not exhaustive) list of LP gpus.

https://microsounds.github.io/notes/low-profile-gpus-for-sff-pcs.htm

I’m (almost) sure the elitedesk 800 G1 comes both as SFF and microtower. The latter has room for full height GPU but shorter than ca 20cm. I have upgraded some old office prebuilts to basic gaming PCs this way. 2 of them are mine, the last one is in my specs. OP probably also needs a slot powered card, I agree with you and others that right now 3050 6gb is the best option.

Before this thread gets any further, we need confirmation from @arc2350 of his exact HP EliteDesk 800 G1, ideally a photo of what's inside and what the PSU is.

In my cursory search, no EliteDesk 800 G1 has PCIe power connectors from the PSU, The PSU itself is a proprietary non-ATX size to go with the proprietary non-ATX motherboard pinout - and the most potent variant in the largest mATX variant only had a 320W PSU - OP is likely restricted to slot-powered GPUs only, I doubt the SFF variant limited to half-height expansion cards even has 320W.

Of the suggestions so far, I think a low-profile GTX 1650 is probably the best upgrade candidate from the 1030.

You are right about the PSU, but the microtower should fit a full height, short (so called ITX) GPU, you can see it in my specs. 3050 6gb is obviously better than my 1650 GDDR6, I don’t know if it will be bottlenecked by the CPU.

 

[jak_2456]

The GT1030 is truly a turd though. A very modest upgrade to the GPU would make this a much better gaming PC for older games.

We're talking 3-4x more performance for the sake of a card you can find used for $50-100, and that's enough to change two entire console generations of games from unplayable to playable.

You have a point, but low-profile GPUs carry quite the price premium to the point where investing that much money into an old PC probably isn't worth it.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Don’t sell the older systems so short on gaming power. I have a 5600xt on an old Ivy Bridge E with a 500W PSU. Granted, mine is an 8 core CPU, but it’s a generation slower, running ECC, and I’m also playing fairly recent titles. Some games involve tweaking, but I totally make it work, to the point that I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger on something newer yet.

The bigger problem is if this is a half-height case. Really cuts down on options, which usually also means you’re getting less for your dollar. Looks like that model might have sold in SFF and also tower. If it’s not a tower, it’s a tough ask.

Ivy-E will walk on an entry Haswell i5 though, even if you have the 4820K

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

Geforce cards have more CPU overhead than Radeon cards. IIRC it's not a driver issue but a hardware one. AMD Radeon cards have a hardware scheduler and Nvidia Geforce do not. They offload the task to the CPU. It's usually a non-issue but it can rear its head in CPU limited situations.


Asrock and Power Color made LP 6500XTs but they both are only 4GB cards. AFAIK there is no LP version of the 5500XT.

Asrock RX 6500 XT Challenger ITX

ASRock Radeon RX 6500 XT Challenger ITX 4GB

<b>Clock: GPU / Memory</b>, Boost Clock: Up to 2815 MHz / 18 Gbps, Game Clock: Up to 2610 MHz / 18 Gbps, Base Clock: 2310 MHz / 18 Gbps<br /><b>Key Specification</b>, 6nm AMD Radeon™ RX 6500 XT, 4GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA™ 2 Architecture, DirectX 12 Ultimate, PCI® Express 4.0 Support, 1 x 8-pin Power...

www.asrock.com

Power Color Radeon RX 6500 XT ITX 4GB

PowerColor AMD Radeon™ RX 6500 XT ITX 4GB GDDR6∣PowerColor

PowerColor

www.powercolor.com

these ITX cards are full height.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The latter has room for full height GPU but shorter than ca 20cm.

Maybe we should figure out which version the OP has. If they have the SFF factor version of the system(which is the most common version), low profile cards will be what they need. If it's the larger version, then full height cards will work.

@arc2350
Help us out with a photo or link to the version of the system you have.

You have a point, but low-profile GPUs carry quite the price premium to the point where investing that much money into an old PC probably isn't worth it.

With the economy the way it is currently, that is not true. Many people right now can afford a card upgrade even if it's $150 or $200. They can't afford a whole system replacement.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Ivy-E will walk on an entry Haswell i5 though, even if you have the 4820K

Yeah, they are blessed with a lot of L3 to help offset the ECC RAM. Still, I’ve also gamed fairly recent titles on an x5690 and RX 480. You won’t get stellar frames, but it’s totally playable. I’m actually surprised at how little of hardware you need to still get a workable experience. You won’t be able to run ultra, but my gaming rig has maybe $300 worth of parts in it. It’s hard to calculate since some items are carry overs from a long time ago. There’s nothing new inside, and some of it goes back nearly a decade. Heck, a z440 workstation with 700w PSU, CPU and RAM can be had for $150. Get storage and a GPU (I got my 5600XT for $90) and you’re in business.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Still, I’ve also gamed fairly recent titles on an x5690 and RX 480. You won’t get stellar frames, but it’s totally playable.

And if you'd used a better card, your experience would have been much better. An X5690 is old, but it's still a workhorse that can render a good experience with the right GPU. A better radeon card would render a much better result.

That said, the OP's CPU is fine. It's older but still new enough to be good.

 

[jak_2456]

Heck, a z440 workstation with 700w PSU, CPU and RAM can be had for $150. Get storage and a GPU (I got my 5600XT for $90) and you’re in business.

I agree. Regarding a platform replacement, I was leaning more toward a used workstation. I put together a PC for one of my friends with a Lenovo Think Station P310 that was around $90 shipped. It was a complete system with a 256 GB SSD and a 400 W PSU. I threw in a GTX 1070 that I got locally for $80 and got a very good PC for less than $200. Sell the old HP system, get an old used workstation (make sure it has an adequate PSU and PCIe power) and a GPU and you're in business. I understand that people may not have a lot of money to spend on a PC these days and I'm OK with that; I just think that people should try to get the absolute best value for money possible. A low-profile GTX 1650 for an old Ivy Bridge PC is not going to be good value. Linus did two videos that I think people should use as some inspiration: his newest $69 PC duology and his video explaining that "Cheap" doesn't automatically equal "Good Value".

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

And if you'd used a better card, your experience would have been much better. An X5690 is old, but it's still a workhorse that can render a good experience with the right GPU. A better radeon card would render a much better result.

That said, the OP's CPU is fine. It older but still new enough to be good.

The sad part was, I bought that RX 480 at a premium during the mining craze. I’ve also dropped my 5600xt in there, and yeah, it bumps up the performance even more, especially when I need some GPU acceleration in photo editing. The x5690 is currently in my only Mac, a Mac Pro from 2010. It’s still got enough go for what I do.

 

[Darc Requiem]

these ITX cards are full height.

Then I stand corrected, neither the 6500XT nor 5500XT have a low profile option then.

 

[arc2350]

Thank you for all the answers! I am reading the discussion and trying to find out what picture comes out and what will be best. Here are some pictures of my PC before cleaning and changing RAM to the current config. I am aware this is an old PC. For high-end gaming I will buy a PS5, in 2-3 years I also try to build a completely new PC. But before I want to fill in the gap in my gaming history + play some current competitive games like Warzone or Apex and for that I want to squeeze my current PC adding some more GPU power. But also to do it properly. If possible or/and necessary I can consider upgrading the PSU. But still I think like a low power, modern card such as RX 5500 XT or 1650 would be best. 6500 XT? Fine, but what about performance in older games and PCI-E 3.0 performance? Read that its limited PCI-E lanes number can be a problem. Also what about the video, streaming services in high quality - Radeon or NVIDIA, are the mythical CUDA and encode/decode advantage real deal?

 

[docnorth]

Maybe we should figure out which version the OP has. If they have the SFF factor version of the system(which is the most common version), low profile cards will be what they need. If it's the larger version, then full height cards will work.

@arc2350
Help us out with a photo or link to the version of the system you have.

You are right about this, but as @Chrispy_ said the SFF probably comes with a weaker PSU usually below 200w, around 160-180w. In this case the only safe upgrade option imo is RX 6400.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The x5690 is currently in my only Mac, a Mac Pro from 2010. It’s still got enough go for what I do.

Oh damn, I didn't even think about that. Had totally forgotten about Mac and gaming on same.. However we're getting off-topic..

 

[jak_2456]

In this case the only safe upgrade option imo is RX 6400.

That's not going to work well because that uses PCIe Gen4 X4. I don't even know if the PC uses Gen3.

 

[lexluthermiester]

You are right about this, but as @Chrispy_ said the SFF probably comes with a weaker PSU usually below 200w, around 160-180w. In this case the only safe upgrade option imo is RX 6400.

Mine has a 240W, which is the standard PSU for the SFF model and that is more than enough for everything in it including the GPU. A card that does not need a PCIe power connector will work perfectly in that system, assuming of course the OP has the SFF version of the EliteDesk G1-800. If they end up having the larger version of the system, then that will bump the PSU wattage up to 320watts and while that will open the door to larger cards, it's still enough to run a GPU without a PCIe power connector or a card that only needs a 6pin.

So we just need to wait for the OP to chime in and let us know which version of the system they have. Then we can make a more solid recommendation.
Seems like they did just a few moment before I posted this comment, see below.

That's not going to work well because that uses PCIe Gen4 X4. I don't even know if the PC uses Gen3.

Gen4 will sync down to Gen3 speeds. It's a part of the PCIe specs, by design. But you're not wrong, compared to the 1030, the RX6400 would be a poor upgrade path, even with the extra VRAM.

 

[Dr. Dro]

You are right about this, but as @Chrispy_ said the SFF probably comes with a weaker PSU usually below 200w, around 160-180w. In this case the only safe upgrade option imo is RX 6400.

The 6 GB 3050 also runs off slot power, it'll be OK

 

[Lew Zealand]

The 6 GB 3050 also runs off slot power, it'll be OK

The only trouble I could possibly see with the 3050-6GB is it does peak over 75W on occasion (as reported in GPU-Z and HWInfo), above it's nominal 70W while the 6400 stays at ~52W (never above 42W reported + card power). Now those are reported values from each card and who knows if one is more accurate on it's reporting than the other but overall the 6400 will be easier on a very weak PSU. However if anyone's real concerned about this, just power limit the 3050-6GB to 60W and OC/UV it. Both the ones I've tested are still very good under these conditions.

The 3050-6GB is still the better GPU in all other regards.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

Thank you for all the answers! I am reading the discussion and trying to find out what picture comes out and what will be best. Here are some pictures of my PC before cleaning and changing RAM to the current config. I am aware this is an old PC. For high-end gaming I will buy a PS5, in 2-3 years I also try to build a completely new PC. But before I want to fill in the gap in my gaming history + play some current competitive games like Warzone or Apex and for that I want to squeeze my current PC adding some more GPU power. But also to do it properly. If possible or/and necessary I can consider upgrading the PSU. But still I think like a low power, modern card such as RX 5500 XT or 1650 would be best. 6500 XT? Fine, but what about performance in older games and PCI-E 3.0 performance? Read that its limited PCI-E lanes number can be a problem. Also what about the video, streaming services in high quality - Radeon or NVIDIA, are the mythical CUDA and encode/decode advantage real deal?

View attachment 365970View attachment 365971

2 12V rails at 16A each, with full-height slots? I would totally go with the 1060 or 5500 XT and a SATA-to-PCIe adaptor. Set a 100W power limit if you're nervous. OEM power supplies aren't nearly as fragile as some think IME.

 

[Dr. Dro]

The only trouble I could possibly see with the 3050-6GB is it does peak over 75W on occasion (as reported in GPU-Z and HWInfo), above it's nominal 70W while the 6400 stays at ~52W (never above 42W reported + card power). Now those are reported values from each card and who knows if one is more accurate on it's reporting than the other but overall the 6400 will be easier on a very weak PSU. However if anyone's real concerned about this, just power limit the 3050-6GB to 60W and OC/UV it. Both the ones I've tested are still very good under these conditions.

The 3050-6GB is still the better GPU in all other regards.

Not sure if that's entirely accurate, but it makes sense as the 6400 is a smaller and simpler board. In any case, I don't think it's cause for alarm

 

[jak_2456]

Seeing that the PC is full-height makes this much easier. In that case I would go with a 1060 6 GB since they're cheap.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Not sure if that's entirely accurate, but it makes sense as the 6400 is a smaller and simpler board. In any case, I don't think it's cause for alarm

Yah it's all down to whether the reporting is good. I've been using slot powered GPUs for a while and I never see my 1050 Ti go over 72W peak and it stays in the 68-70W range very well. Both 3050s stay in that range almost all the time but the rare spikes to 73, 75, 76W are a new thing for me. I doubt it's much if any concern.

 

[lexluthermiester]

So we just need to wait for the OP to chime in and let us know which version of the system they have. Then we can make a more solid recommendation.

Scratch that, didn't see their post above.. Silly me.

Thank you for all the answers! I am reading the discussion and trying to find out what picture comes out and what will be best. Here are some pictures of my PC before cleaning and changing RAM to the current config. I am aware this is an old PC. For high-end gaming I will buy a PS5, in 2-3 years I also try to build a completely new PC. But before I want to fill in the gap in my gaming history + play some current competitive games like Warzone or Apex and for that I want to squeeze my current PC adding some more GPU power. But also to do it properly. If possible or/and necessary I can consider upgrading the PSU. But still I think like a low power, modern card such as RX 5500 XT or 1650 would be best. 6500 XT? Fine, but what about performance in older games and PCI-E 3.0 performance? Read that its limited PCI-E lanes number can be a problem. Also what about the video, streaming services in high quality - Radeon or NVIDIA, are the mythical CUDA and encode/decode advantage real deal?

View attachment 365970View attachment 365971

With this info we can give a proper recommendation.

That system can handle a number of good GPU replacements that will run only of the power provided by the PCIe slot itself.

First off, I would point you toward Geforce cards as they offer much better performance for what your system is equipped with. For example;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39549150773

This Zotac 1050ti card at only $60 would more than double your GPU performance and would slide right in.

ASUS GeForce GTX 1650 4GB Phoenix PH-GTX1650-O4G Video Graphics Card GPU | eBay

<p>ASUS GeForce GTX 1650 4GB Phoenix PH-GTX1650-O4G Video Graphics Card GPU. </p><br /><p>Tested and working perfectly </p>

www.ebay.com

This ASUS 1650 card at $100 would also slide right in and give you an even bigger big boost to performance!

ASUS NVIDIA GeForce Dual-RTX3050-O6G OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ASUS NVIDIA GeForce Dual-RTX3050-O6G OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

This ASUS RTX 3050 would be the best card that PC will take and would bring your GFX performance to it's absolute best. The only way forward after this would be a whole new system.

These are just examples and they're all stateside listing, so where-ever you are, prices might be different.
however, whatever you look at, make sure the card does not have a PCIe power cable requirement as your system doesn't have one.

Seeing that the PC is full-height makes this much easier. In that case I would go with a 1060 6 GB since they're cheap.

Nope. All GTX1060 cards require a PCIe power connection, which the OP's system does not have.

 

[jak_2456]

GTX1060 all require a PCIe power connection, which the OP's system does not have

Why not use a dual SATA to PCIe power adapter? The 1060 won't draw that much power from that port because it has a TDP of 120 W and only 45 W will be going through the adapter. A single SATA can provide up to 54 W, two can handle 108 W.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Why not use a dual SATA to PCIe power adapter? The 1060 won't draw that much power from that port because it has a TDP of 120 W and only 45 W will be going through the adapter. A single SATA can provide up to 54 W, two can handle 108 W.

Because that system only has one SATA power cable and it's in use for the main system drive. Whatever card they get needs to be PCIe slot powered.

 

[jak_2456]

Because that system only has one SATA power cable and it's in use for the main system drive. Whatever card they get needs to be PCIe slot powered.

How about Molex? Or a SATA splitter?