Hardware Upgrading a pre-built PC

[samiam144]

Hi, last year I bought an Acer ATC-605-UB11

I added a refurbished ASUS GT 640 1GB GDDR5 since it was pretty cheap and I only played CSGO at the time.

Now I want to upgrade the graphics card to something better. Some useful info about the PC:

1. The case is supposedly an ATX Mid Tower, at 15 inches tall, 7 inches wide, and 16.5 inches from front to back.
2. The motherboard is supposedly and unfortunately, a micro-ATX. Known as a MS 7869 or a TC-605
3. The PSU is a 300-watt (yes, needs an upgrade)
4. Intel Core i5-4440 Quad-core 3.10 GHz for the LGA 1150 socket on the motherboard

I can upgrade just the GFX to a GTX 750Ti, but what should I do if I wanted to get a better card, like a GTX 970?

My main problem is with the tower and motherboard; will a GTX 970 fit in there, and can the motherboard handle it? It has 2x PCIe 2.0 x1 and 1x PCIe 2.0 x16 but it's a micro-ATX, and I think a GTX 970 needs an ATX motherboard, correct?

Also, if I need to upgrade the motherboard, will it still fit in my case? Will I be able to remove the CPU from my current mobo and connect it to a new one without having experience with that? Is it better to get a motherboard + CPU combo in that case?

Note: I am building this with my brother who is in the USA, so I am mainly looking for parts there, but I can get the cheaper parts here in Canada if need be.

Lastly, my budget is around $300-600 USD.

Please help! Thank you!

 

[Joe88]

going by this

theres no way a GTX970 will fit, the hdd cage is in the way, the motherboard will work fine with it but only the case is preventing it from being installed
the gtx750ti should fit since its about half the length of the 970, it meets the min power requirements and doesnt need external power

 

[Originality]

Just an FYI, the main difference between ATX and MicroATX is the number of expansion ports at the bottom. ATX can have up to 8 slots (that I've seen, maybe more) where as MicroATX gets 3 at the most.

For your intended upgrade, it's the case and power supply that affect compatibility. Make sure to get 450W minimum (I prefer 550W and above) from a known brand.

 

[samiam144]

@Joe88 Thank you, I understand a bit more now. In that case (pun not intended), it possible to move everything into a bigger case? Will the screw holes match up?

 

[gudenau]

Does this help?

 

[Zanoab]

@Joe88 Thank you, I understand a bit more now. In that case (pun not intended), it possible to move everything into a bigger case? Will the screw holes match up?

If the case you want supports micro ATX, it'll have the holes for that motherboard. If you get a new case, make sure you read the instructions carefully for which holes to use because it will probably support other types of boards and have more holes than you need. I spent an hour thinking it would be common sense (for me) and ended up starting over and following the instructions to make sure I didn't miss anything.

 

[samiam144]

@Originality @Zanoab I see, thank you for the very useful info! So I will have to find a case that supports a microATX motherboard, but is big enough for something like a GTX 970. This is good news; one of my worries was having to move my CPU to a new MoBo, which I imagine would be difficult for me.

@gudenaurock Thanks for the video, I have a better understanding of what to look for now!

Do most GFX cards use just 1 expansion slot, like my current one? My motherboard has 3.
Lastly, should I just go for a Full Tower case, or a bigger Mid Tower case? I guess I should really be worried about length from the Face to the Back of the case?

 

[gudenau]

@Originality @Zanoab I see, thank you for the very useful info! So I will have to find a case that supports a microATX motherboard, but is big enough for something like a GTX 970. This is good news; one of my worries was having to move my CPU to a new MoBo, which I imagine would be difficult for me.

@gudenaurock Thanks for the video, I have a better understanding of what to look for now!

Do most GFX cards use just 1 expansion slot, like my current one? My motherboard has 3.
Lastly, should I just go for a Full Tower case, or a bigger Mid Tower case? I guess I should really be worried about length from the Face to the Back of the case?

A GPU will only use on PCIe slot on a motherboard, but can take three or more slots on the back of a case; they usually only use two though,

 

[samiam144]

A GPU will only use on PCIe slot on a motherboard, but can take three or more slots on the back of a case; they usually only use two though,

I see.. judging from what I've read here, my motherboard isn't very friendly with upgrades (in a physical sense; not a lot of room). Personally, do you think I should also upgrade the motherboard to something like an MSI motherboard so that everything will fit?

If so, looks like I'll have to upgrade the case, the PSU, the GPU, and the motherboard! Kinda regret buying this pre-built PC lol

 

[gudenau]

I see.. judging from what I've read here, my motherboard isn't very friendly with upgrades (in a physical sense; not a lot of room). Personally, do you think I should also upgrade the motherboard to something like an MSI motherboard so that everything will fit?

If so, looks like I'll have to upgrade the case, the PSU, the GPU, and the motherboard! Kinda regret buying this pre-built PC lol

Could we have some pictures?

 

[samiam144]

Could we have some pictures?

Of course!

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Joe88]

You dont really need a new mobo, the card can overhang the board fine without problems
You do need a new case and psu though, full towers arnt cheap so you should look into a mid tower with plenty of room to accommodate the card

 

[gudenau]

Of course!

Spoiler

Spoiler

The board should be fine, you might just need a better case/psu.

 

[samiam144]

@Joe88 @gudenaurock Thank you very much, i feel more confident about doing this now

So a new case and PSU should do it, hopefully the GPU won't overlap those wires in the bottom right here:

Spoiler

Edit: turns out those wires are only for the front-panel stuff, which I won't need since I will be replacing the case anyways! Thanks again for the info everyone, I really appreciate it.