Am I using the right parts?

Long story short I have an old computer (still runs an i3 so you get an idea of how old) and instead of getting a new computer that runs Win11 (which I am avoiding like the plague) I settled for updating the old comp. It is a pre-built Alienware X51-R2 64-bit that still has all the original parts for reference. I plan to keep the Motherboard and install an i7-4790k processor (or i5-4460 bare min), a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (specifically one with a blower fan), 2 RAM DDR3 1600MHz (PC3-12800) Non-ECC UDIMM cards, and a LGA 1150 fan. So right now I just want pick the brains of people far more experienced at this to make sure I am getting the right parts, if I am not missing/overlooking any parts, and/or have better suggestions/recommendations BEFORE I spend the money on all of it. So any help is greatly appreciated and if you need additional information about the computer fell free to say so and I'll provide what I can. Thank you.

Answers

  • Planned processor upgrade is of the same generation, so may be compatible. Spec sheet says 4770, so I'd upgrade the bios to the latest version, and check for support of the 4790k (or stick with the 4770). Spec sheet from dell says 2 slots with a maximum of 16 gb Ram, so 2 8GB sticks of DDR3 appears to be max. Spec sheet says 240W or 330W which would be unlikely power a 1660 TI though, The 1660 TI needs an 8-pin graphics power plug. Looks like that system runs from a power brick so you need to stick to something around 70 watts like a 1650 or a 3050. You probably don't need a fan LGA 1150 fan unless something is wrong with the one that you have, just some new thermal paste will do.

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