Upgrade my Radon RX 550 video card

[Gabe3571]

I have this old computer that I would like to upgrade to use with my golf simulator. I need a better card with this being the suggested minimum: GTX 1060/RTX 3050 (6GB VRAM). It has a 8433 motherboard and an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 Eight Core Processor  with 16 GB ram. Can I upgrade the video card to something that is at least as good as the minimum requirements? This is a mini tower desktop so the card can't be over 10 1/2" long.

[NonSequitur777]

@Gabe3571,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

I would be happy to assist you, but in order to provide you with the best possible recommendations, I need to know what power supply you got -preferably its part number.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Gabe3571]

First, Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. My power supply is Model number PCG007 310w 80 PLUS GOLD. I'm guessing I would have to upgrade this as well. Thanks again, Gabe3571

[NonSequitur777]

@Gabe3571,

You are quite welcome -and as a matter of fact, your 310-watt power supply is sufficient to power certain RTX 3050 graphics cards that do not require a PCIe power cable such as this competitively priced Amazon purchase option: Amazon.com: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6G Graphics Card, 2X WINDFORCE Fans, 6GB GDDR6....

Meaning, with this particular card you don't need to upgrade your power supply or add any external power connectors. This card simply plugs into your PCIe x16 slot and is powered solely by the PCIe slot.

[EDIT:] Btw, an RTX 3050 upgrade compared with your RX 550 would be very significant indeed, as illustrated by this link: UserBenchmark: AMD RX 550 vs Nvidia RTX 3050.

This would be the most economical solution in my opinion, but if you aspire to more, you could upgrade your power supply with either a 400-watt or 500-watt power supply in order to power more powerful graphics cards.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Gabe3571]

I have ordered the card you suggested. I'll let you know how it works out in a couple of weeks. Supposed to get it Thursday, but will be out of town the next day for a week. I really appreciate your input, as I had no idea I would be able to upgrade that old computer and really did not want to pay for a new one to put out in the garage. 

[NonSequitur777]

@Gabe3571,

Outstanding!  -A great choice in my opinion.

Yes, please share your experience with the new card once you got it installed.

Here is a condensed, step-by-step guide tailored especially for you upgrading from an AMD Radeon RX 550 to a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050.

GPU Upgrade Guide: AMD RX 550 to Nvidia RTX 3050:

Phase 1: Preparation (Before Swapping cards):

• Download the RTX 3050 Nvidia Driver: Go to official Nvidia site and download the latest "GeForce Game Ready Driver" package for the RTX 3050 from here. Do not install it yet.
• Download DDU: Download the latest version of Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from here and extract it to a convenient folder (like the Desktop).
• Disconnect Internet: Unplug your Ethernet cable or disconnect from Wi-Fi. This stops Windows Update from installing a generic driver automatically later.

Phase 2: Driver Cleanup:

• Boot into Safe Mode: Hold Shift while clicking Restart in Windows. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode.
• Run DDU: Open DDU, select GPU under device type, and select AMD under device.
• Wipe Drivers: Click Clean and shut down (for installing a new graphics card). Wait for the PC to completely power off.

Phase 3: Hardware Installation:

• Power Down & Unplug: Turn off the power supply switch (if equipped) and unplug the PC's power cord.
• Remove RX 550: Open the chassis, release the PCIe slot latch, unscrew the bracket (or unclip the PCIe bracket), and gently remove the RX 550.
• Install RTX 3050: Seat the RTX 3050 firmly into the PCIe slot until the latch clicks. Secure it with the bracket screw/clip.

Phase 4: Final Setup:

• Boot Windows: Reconnect the power cord, then turn on the computer.
• Install Nvidia Driver: Launch the pre-downloaded Nvidia driver installer. Choose Express Installation and follow the prompts.
• Reconnect Internet: Once the driver installation finishes, plug/switch your internet back in/on.
• Restart PC: Run a final reboot to ensure everything initializes correctly.

Hope this was helpful!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777