How to upgrade my PC to support 4K

FunGoose

I have a Dell OptiPlex 3020 with an i5-4590 CPU @ 3301 Mhz. It has a HD Graphics 4600 card. I would like to connect it to my LG TV (LG65SJ800V-ZB) and for it to be able to display in 4K. I'd like to be able to do this via a HDMI cable.

I obviously need to upgrade my graphics card. Any recommendations? Is it worth doing?

I am planning on upgrading the RAM from 4GB to the max (8GB x2).

Any other recommendations on what else to upgrade?

I will be using the PC for general use, more of a media centre than a gaming machine.

Any other information needed to give me suggestions, just ask.

Thanks!

ED E

Big or small?

FunGoose

It's the big one I have.

K.O.Kiki

You can get a low-profile, fanless Nvidia GT1030 for €75; it offers full HDMI 2.0 output & fits in any system.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0716JTSRW?creative=22110&creativeASIN=B0716JTSRW&linkCode=df0&tag=geizhals07-21

FunGoose

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

You can get a low-profile, fanless Nvidia GT1030 for €75; it offers full HDMI 2.0 output & fits in any system.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0716JTSRW?creative=22110&creativeASIN=B0716JTSRW&linkCode=df0&tag=geizhals07-21

Thanks for that! That's a good price, I was expecting to have to spend a lot more.

The sound device in the PC is a 'Realtek High Definition Audio'. Would I need to get a sound card to get really good quality sound? I'll be hooking it up to an AV Receiver. I wouldn't imagine the sound from the existing device would be anything special.

TerrorFirmer

Onboard these days is perfectly good unless you're a serious audiophile.

You don't really need anything for 4K. Your onboard HD4600 should output 4K just fine.

The only thing is that for certain video files your CPU would be doing the work so CPU usage might be high decoding certain types of movies. This is where the GT1030 would come in, it would decode stuff through the card rather than the CPU.

But generally speaking you can run 4K video content right now without any issue or upgrades required.

FunGoose

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Onboard these days is perfectly good unless you're a serious audiophile.

You don't really need anything for 4K. Your onboard HD4600 should output 4K just fine.

The only thing is that for certain video files your CPU would be doing the work so CPU usage might be high decoding certain types of movies. This is where the GT1030 would come in, it would decode stuff through the card rather than the CPU.

But generally speaking you can run 4K video content right now without any issue or upgrades required.

Thanks for the advice. I did not know that. If I hooked it up to the TV now I would be going from the VGA port on the PC to an HDMI adapter (with the audio also connected to the adapter separately) and then into the HDMI port on the TV. I didn't think the quality would be up to 4K using this method (which is my only option at the moment).

ED E

FunGoose wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I did not know that. If I hooked it up to the TV now I would be going from the VGA port on the PC to an HDMI adapter (with the audio also connected to the adapter separately) and then into the HDMI port on the TV. I didn't think the quality would be up to 4K using this method (which is my only option at the moment).

That wont work, but you have a Display Port port right above the VGA, use that!

FunGoose

ED E wrote: »

That wont work, but you have a Display Port port right above the VGA, use that!

I think I'd have to get another adapter to connect to the TV though.

I reckon I'll go for the Nvidia GT1030 for €75 K.O.Kiki recommended. That way I can just connect by HDMI on both ends.

Is there much to installing that do you know? It's hardly plug and play, I'm sure I'll have to get some cables to connect it to the power supply etc.

ED E

If you arent a gamer you'd be pissing away 60 odd quid.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benfei-DisplayPort-Adapter-Converter-Gold-Plated-Black/dp/B06VV26BLB/

The only reason to get the GPU would be for Gaming so you'd get 60hz not 30hz that the adapter allows, but then that GPU is never ever going to game at 4k so its moot.

FunGoose

ED E wrote: »

If you arent a gamer you'd be pissing away 60 odd quid.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benfei-DisplayPort-Adapter-Converter-Gold-Plated-Black/dp/B06VV26BLB/

The only reason to get the GPU would be for Gaming so you'd get 60hz not 30hz that the adapter allows, but then that GPU is never ever going to game at 4k so its moot.

That's a good workaround, and a much cheaper one too! Thanks for that.
I'm pretty sure that's plug and play too!:)

I think I'll go for that and possibly upgrade to a gaming GPU if I ever get better at gaming down the line -so probably not!

shamelessidiot

ED E wrote: »

If you arent a gamer you'd be pissing away 60 odd quid.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benfei-DisplayPort-Adapter-Converter-Gold-Plated-Black/dp/B06VV26BLB/

The only reason to get the GPU would be for Gaming so you'd get 60hz not 30hz that the adapter allows, but then that GPU is never ever going to game at 4k so its moot.

Eh, you're not going to be doing much gaming with a 1030. You're buying the GPU for two things:
Newer HDMI spec (2.0) which supports high resolutions at high refresh rates
Dedicated video decoding, a 1030 is still lightyears ahead of integrated graphics for high res decoding.

beauf

I find a gpu helps with browsing on a slow CPU as the browsers can use hardware acceleration.

That said you don't have a slow CPU.

FunGoose

shamelessidiot wrote: »

Eh, you're not going to be doing much gaming with a 1030. You're buying the GPU for two things:
Newer HDMI spec (2.0) which supports high resolutions at high refresh rates
Dedicated video decoding, a 1030 is still lightyears ahead of integrated graphics for high res decoding.

So you would recommend I get the GT1030 as it would improve quality/performance compared to using the DP to HDMI Adapter?

Is there much involved installing the GT1030? Will I also have to buy cables to connect it to the power source etc.?

Thanks.

K.O.Kiki

FunGoose wrote: »

So you would recommend I get the GT1030 as it would improve quality/performance compared to using the DP to HDMI Adapter?

Is there much involved installing the GT1030? Will I also have to buy cables to connect it to the power source etc.?

Thanks.

GT 1030 is just plug-and-play, it requires no external power.
All you have to do is get a model with the correct outputs (in your TV's case, HDMI), and then install the correct-height PCI bracket (the metal thingy).

FunGoose

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

GT 1030 is just plug-and-play, it requires no external power.
All you have to do is get a model with the correct outputs (in your TV's case, HDMI), and then install the correct-height PCI bracket (the metal thingy).

Doesn't the PCI bracket come as part of the graphics card and I just unscrew it, install the card and then reattach the bracket from the outside?

Sorry for the stupid questions folks, I haven't done any of this kind of thing in over 20 years. I appreciate all of your replies so thanks!

TerrorFirmer

All low profile models come with a full size bracket as standard. All you have to do is take it out of the box and plug it in. Win10 will even install drivers for you. Simple as that.

FunGoose

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

You can get a low-profile, fanless Nvidia GT1030 for €75; it offers full HDMI 2.0 output & fits in any system.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0716JTSRW?creative=22110&creativeASIN=B0716JTSRW&linkCode=df0&tag=geizhals07-21

Thanks for the suggestion. I just bought it. I think you have saved me a good few €€€ as I would have gone for a more expensive, over-spec'd for my needs GPU. Fair play!

I'll post the results when I receive it next week.

Thanks to everyone who replied!!