Buying a computer that has already been put together is a great idea. You can buy it, plug it in, and start doing whatever you want with it right away. What if you want more power, though? What if you want your prebuilt PC to have more power and want to upgrade it?
Most likely, buying a prebuilt PC is cheaper than buying all the parts and putting it together yourself, but it may not be as powerful as one with custom hardware. Because the warranty covers all of the PC’s parts, you can’t upgrade it yourself without voiding the warranty.
You can upgrade a prebuilt computer if the motherboard and case support the hardware you want to add. If so, you can upgrade your CPU, GPU, storage devices, and RAMs. But before you can upgrade, you’ll need to think about your PSU and fans cooling system.
We’ll talk about how to upgrade a PC that was already built, what to look for before buying upgrades and newer hardware, and what the benefits are.
Can you Upgrade Graphics Card In Prebuilt PCs?
As a general rule, yes, you can upgrade the graphics card on a prebuilt PC as long as the PCIe slots support the GPU, the PSU is strong enough to run it, and it works well with your CPU.
In fact, I have bought Prebuilt PCs for many of my family members and friends, and the first thing I do is change the graphics card. Most of the pre-built computers I bought didn’t have a GPU to start with. So, a graphics card had to be added to play games or run programmes with a lot of graphics.
First, make sure your PC has PCIe slots that are compatible with the GPU you want to use. Graphics cards made in the last few years need at least PCI-E 3.0 slots. Some high-end GPUs, such as the RTX 3080 and 3080ti, need a PCI-E 4.0 slot.
If your motherboard doesn’t work with the graphics card you want, you’ll have to buy a new one (if compatible.) Also, you need to check your current CPU to make sure it won’t slow down performance.
Also, you need to check the Power Supply Unit to make sure it can handle the TDP of the GPU you want (Thermal Design Power). If your GPU needs just one more PCI-E power connector, you need at least a 500W PSU.
If you want a SLI setup, you need a power supply with at least 750W (or even 1000W in some cases) and either two six-pin PCIe connectors on each rail or one eight-pin and one six-pin PCIe connector per rail.
Is It Worth Upgrading a Prebuilt Computer?
Overall, yes, it is worth it to upgrade your prebuilt computer. But if you want to use the newest technology and get the most out of your computer, you should start upgrading your CPU, GPU, Motherboard, Storage Devices, and RAMs.
If your system can be upgraded as much as possible, you can get the most out of it by adding SSDs, GPUs, and more RAM. You can also upgrade your cooling system and fans, and if your motherboard lets you, you can overclock your hardware.
If you want a new PC but don’t have the time or patience to build it yourself, a prebuilt PC is a good choice because it will work well and won’t cost too much. But if money isn’t an issue and you want top-of-the-line hardware in your machine, it might be better to build your PC with high-quality parts that will last longer than those that come with Prebuilt.
So, let’s talk about how much you can change a PC that has already been built. It depends on what kind of CPU (Central Processing Unit) and platform the computer has (Intel LGA 115x vs. AMD AMx). If you want to upgrade the CPU in your PC, you should see how hard it is to install a new one, or if it’s even possible.
Also, newer CPUs need different sockets than older ones. Before you buy or build your computer, make sure the motherboard has sockets that are compatible with your CPU.
Lastly, if you want to upgrade an old prebuilt system’s graphics card (GPU), make sure the motherboard has a PCIe x16 slot and check the card’s power needs. Some cards need up to 600W of power, while others can run with just one six-pin connector.
If you don’t know what to upgrade on your PC or what kind of GPU is in it, you can download GPUZ software, which will tell you everything you need to know about each part of your system.
What Should I upgrade First on my Prebuilt PC?
You can start with something as cheap as SSDs and move up to more expensive hardware as you go. First, you’ll need to check that your motherboard and power supply unit (PSU) can handle more upgrades. If not, you should fix them up first. After that, you can get a powerful GPU and then upgrade your CPU. Powerful hardware, on the other hand, tends to get very hot, so you should think about your cooling system before you upgrade.
For the best performance when rendering HD videos, playing heavy games, using CAD software, etc., you should also think about upgrading your RAM to at least 16GB of DDR4. The good thing about this kind of hardware is that you won’t have to spend a lot of money to get more GBs and replace those old DIMMs.
After that, you can upgrade your CPU. For example, I would choose to get a new CPU before a new graphics card because a new CPU won’t slow down a high-end GPU.
If you want to play games or watch videos in the best way possible, you need to upgrade your graphics card. You can use SLI if your motherboard supports it, or you can buy another high-end GPU that works well with heavy programmes.
But if you upgrade your CPU and GPU, you’ll need to make sure your Power Supply Unit can handle it. If not, you should upgrade your PSU and get one with a high wattage (750W or more) so that it can handle powerful hardware at full speed.
Lastly, let’s say you want to overclock the CPU in your PC to make it run faster without spending a lot of money on fast RAM or GPUs. In that case, you need to buy an unlocked motherboard that lets you overclock. This is only possible if you replace Intel’s stock coolers with coolers from a third-party company.
But if you want to overclock your PC, you need a very powerful cooling system, so think carefully about whether you want to use liquid or air.
Can you Change the Power Supply on a Prebuilt PC?
You should be able to upgrade your Power Supply Unit if your case can handle the design of the power supply you want to use. Also, you need to make sure that the pin connector on your Power Supply will work with your motherboard.
Conclusion
Upgrading the hardware on your pre-built PC will give you a whole new experience and make it so you won’t have to buy another PC for a while. But don’t upgrade any parts until you’ve checked to see if there’s room in the case or on the motherboard. You can also choose between different liquid and air cooling systems based on how loud they are when doing heavy tasks like gaming, rendering videos, etc. You might need a guide to tell you how many fans a gaming PC needs.
And last but not least, buy good parts. Cheaper models tend to break down quickly when they are stressed for a long time. Lastly, remember that more expensive doesn’t always mean better quality when you’re shopping.
