New Power Supply?

[Treedubz]

So, I currently have the prebuilt HP Envy, (model number 700-414) and I want to add a GPU and a better CPU.  I have done my research and have decided on the MSI Geforce Gtx 750 ti OC TF and the Intel i7 4771.  The only problem is, I'm not sure if I need a new cooler or power supply.  My current power supply is 460W, but I can't find a model number or anything.  And by the lack of info, I'm guessing that I'm running off of the i5 4570 stock cooler, in which case a new cooler would be wise... right?  I could use the stock cooler for the i7 4771, but I have heard that it doesn't support it well enough.  The question is, would Intel give a stock cooler that doesn't cool the CPU that it comes with?  Please help. 

[CommanderAlex]

I don't think the PSU that is in the computer is really designed for gaming constantly, go for a well known name like EVGA/Cooler Master/Corsair (Some models are not that good though so read reviews and you'll get opinions on here too). 

[UL_42L]

If the i7 4771 is a non-k (non-overclockable) model, I would suggest trying the stock heatsink to see if it works alright. Stress test it for around 15 minutes and see how the temperatures are. Also, since it's a prebuilt machine, make sure the motherboard can handle giving power to those parts. Last thing, see if the power supply even has the necessary cables for a graphics card. If that checks out, try putting the parts into PCPartPicker and see what wattage it estimates. You'll probably need a new power supply, but be careful the one in there right now isn't specifically made for the motherboard in there.

[dany_J92]

The stock cooler does cool it well enough under the right air flow conditions and providing the chip isn't being over-clocked but that of course is a whole different issue. If you plan on over-clocking your processor (which you can't if its not a SKU ending with K anyway) then your stock cooler really will be just fine. Even LTT have shown that the stock cooler actually isnt that bad!

 

As for your power supply you should look for something that is 600W and above. This will give you enough head room for that card and a fairly beefy CPU. I would also recommend going for a modular power supply because in that case you are not going to have a lot of room for cable management and this will really be a blessing when you come to put it all together.

 

Peace! 

[UL_42L]

I agree with what @dany_J92 said. I was concerned about cooling, but I haven't done any overclocking and my CPU temperatures are just fine with the stock cooler.

[dany_J92]

9 minutes ago, UL_42L said:

If the i7 4771 is a non-k (non-overclockable) model, I would suggest trying the stock heatsink to see if it works alright. Stress test it for around 15 minutes and see how the temperatures are. Also, since it's a prebuilt machine, make sure the motherboard can handle giving power to those parts. Last thing, see if the power supply even has the necessary cables for a graphics card. If that checks out, try putting the parts into PCPartPicker and see what wattage it estimates. You'll probably need a new power supply, but be careful the one in there right now isn't specifically made for the motherboard in there.

Very true also, sometimes companies like HP and compaq will have really bespoke motherboards that just cause you more problems than joy when using new custom hardware.

 

My real line bottom line of advice? Buy a bigger case and a decent new motherboard as well. This doesn't have to be expense maybe $50 for your case and $70 for your motherboard. Gigabyte do some really great and feature packed mobo's that are cheap as chips. 

 

[-rascal-]

I believe this is the full documentations on your HP Envy system: 

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=c04453446

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03885123

• Standard Micro-ATX form factory motherboard with industry standard power connections
• Standard ATX Power Supply

First off, there is no real need to upgrade your CPU.

The i5-4570 is still plenty powerful, and is capable of handling most high-end graphics cards today (e.g. GTX 970, 980, etc).

Going to a i7 from your i5 will only yield any significant performance gains IF the game / applications can make use of the Hyper-Threaded *logical* cores.

The frequency increase, from 3.2 GHz to 3.5 GHz, will yield some performance benefits, but it will not be a "night-and-day" difference.

 

Considering how the motherboard is based off the Intel H87 chipset, and LGA 1150 "Haswell" platform, you won't get very far with overclocking the CPU.

Plus, such options in the BIOS is most likely disabled to minimize user caused errors / product returns or RMA's -- custom HP firmware.

The stock Intel coolers are designed to sustain the heat output for when the CPU is running at STOCK speeds. They are not guaranteed to keep the chip cool while running beyond Intel specifications (e.g. overclocked).

 

The OEM power supplies in these pre-built systems are usually only suitable for *stock* from-the-factory configurations -- while keeping the manufacturing costs low.

These power supplies are usually not qualified, in terms of build quality and ACTUAL power output, to handle high-powered "gaming" grade graphics cards.

 

Since your motherboard and PSU follow ATX specifications, basically any retail graphics card or power supply will be compatible.

Your real limitations will be:

1. Length or thickness of your graphics card, and whether or not your computer case can FIT it,
2. If your computer case's airflow  can accommodate for the extra heat created by a graphics card and,
3. *In very rare situations* software limitations put in place by the computer manufacturer (e.g. HP).

 

If you were to upgrade the power supply, and install a graphics card into the system, I would recommend:

• Quality built, and reliable 450W ~ 550W power supply
• mid-range graphics card

 

Power supply recommendations

1. Non-modular PSU's
   1. XFX XT Series 500W -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1500bxtfr
   2. EVGA 500B 500W -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-100b10500kr
       
2. Modular or Semi-modular PSU's
   1. Fractal Design Integra M 550W -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-power-supply-fdpsuin3b550w
   2. Cooler Master GM 550W -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-power-supply-rs550amaab1us
   3. Rosewill Valens 500W -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-valens500m

 

Graphics Card Recommendations:

1. GTX 960 (2GB or 4GB variants available; 4GB version recommended)
2. R9-380 (2GB or 4GB variants available; 4GB version recommended)
3. Used or new R9-280X or 280
4. Used Radeon HD 7970 or 7950 -- basically the 280X and 280
5. Used GTX 760, 770, or 780

** 500W ~ 550W is recommended if using with a GTX 770, 780, R9-280X, or R9-280.

[Treedubz]

11 minutes ago, -rascal- said:

I believe this is the full documentation on your HP Envy system: http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=c04453446

• Standard Micro-ATX form factory motherboard with industry standard power connections
• Standard ATX Power Supply

First off, there is no real need to upgrade your CPU.

The i5-4570 is still plenty powerful, and is capable of handling most high-end graphics cards today (e.g. GTX 970, 980, etc).

Going to a i7 from your i5 will only yield any significant performance gains IF the game / applications can make use of the Hyper-Threaded *logical* cores.

The frequency increase, from 3.2 GHz to 3.5 GHz, will yield some performance benefits, but it will not be a "night-and-day" difference.

 

Considering how the motherboard is based off the Intel H87 chipset, and LGA 1150 "Haswell" platform, you won't get very far with overclocking the CPU.

Plus, such options in the BIOS is most likely disabled to minimize user caused errors / product returns or RMA's -- custom HP firmware.

The stock Intel coolers are designed to sustain the heat output for when the CPU is running at STOCK speeds. They are not guaranteed to keep the chip cool while running beyond Intel specifications (e.g. overclocked).

 

The OEM power supplies in these pre-built systems are usually only suitable for *stock* from-the-factory configurations -- while keeping the manufacturing costs low.

These power supplies are usually not qualified, in terms of build quality and ACTUAL power output, to handle high-powered "gaming" grade graphics cards.

 

Since your motherboard and PSU follow ATX specifications, basically any retail graphics card or power supply will be compatible.

Your real limitations will be:

1. Length or thickness of your graphics card, and whether or not your computer case can FIT it,
2. If your computer case's airflow  can accommodate for the extra heat created by a graphics card and,
3. *In very rare situations* software limitations put in place by the computer manufacturer (e.g. HP).

 

If you were to upgrade the power supply, and install a graphics card into the system, I would recommend:

• Quality built, and reliable 500W ~ 650W power supply
• R9-380(X) or GTX 960 graphics card (either 2GB or 4GB varaints; 4GB suggested)

 

I might not upgrade the CPU, taking the price into consideration.  And @dany_J92, I don't really need to spend money on a new motherboard.  I don't plan on getting a really beefy CPU that I would need a new motherboard for.  I will take all of your advice and get a new power supply (probably semi-modular), and maybe a new case for better airflow and more GPU room.  @CommanderAlex I'm not sure name brands are always the way to go.  I am not looking for a water cooler, just because it is way more expensive, and completely unnecessary for a CPU like the i5 I currently have, or the i7 4771.  I guess it's time to do more research.  I'll comment here what I decide on.

[Treedubz]

Also, @-rascal-, I don't want to spend too much money on a GPU, I just need one for a pretty good price, that I can play with for now.  And if I were to get a GTX 960, which one would you recommend?

[-rascal-]

2 hours ago, Treedubz said:

Also, @-rascal-, I don't want to spend too much money on a GPU, I just need one for a pretty good price, that I can play with for now.  And if I were to get a GTX 960, which one would you recommend?

Do you have a preferred place to buy your parts at (and I am assuming U.S.) ?

If not, then...

 

If you look at more recent reviews, with the newer drivers, the R9-380X (and in some cases, the R9-380) performs faster than the GTX 960.

The R9-380 4GB can be bought for a bit less than a GTX 960 2GB, and a R9-380X 4GB costs about the same as a GTX 960 4GB. Power consumption wise, they are not too much different. In the end, it depends on what you prefer more. R9-380 =< GTX 960 < R9-380X 

 

EVGA "SuperClocked" GTX 960 4GB -- $179.99 (after $10 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp41962kr

PowerColor PCS+ Myst R9-380X 4GB -- $179.99 (after $20 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/powercolor-video-card-axr9380x4gbd5ppdhv2e

MSi Gaming R9-380 4GB -- $174.75 (after 5% off instant promo code + $20 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r93804gd5toc

 

Updated list of semi-modular power supplies (price changes occurred this week):

Cooler Master GM G550M -- $49.99 (after $25 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-power-supply-rs550amaab1us

Corsair CX550M (Not the same as the older, lower quality CX500M) $69.99 (after $10 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cp9020102na

Corsair RMx 550W -- $61.00 (after 10% off instant promo code + $20 MIR) -- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cp9020090na

 

You are looking at around $180 for the graphics card, and depending on which one you get, $40 ~ $70 for the power supply.

That puts you in at about $220 ~ $250 range.

[Treedubz]

Ok, so I bought the Rosewill Stealth Mid Tower and the Rosewill Glacier 700m 700W power supply.  I will keep looking for a better GPU, but I really like the MSI geforce gtx 750 ti OC/TF.  I am not getting a new CPU or cooler.  Would I need a new cooler? 

[Quaker]

13 hours ago, Treedubz said:

  I am not getting a new CPU or cooler.  Would I need a new cooler? 

If you are not overclocking, you don't "need" a new cooler. The stock cooler is "adequate". I always replace the stock cooler because it's relatively noisy. A basic cooler such as the CM Hyper 101/T4/103, etc. runs much quieter and keeps the CPU cooler.