The motherboard can accommodate a 75W power supply in the PCIe connector.
The motherboard can accommodate a 75W power supply in the PCIe connector.
I was considering replacing my i5 2400 desktop with this Acer model Acer TC-885-ES14. It has the i5 8400 and 12GB RAM. I wanted to know if the PCIe slot can handle up to 75W power through a lane. If not, would swapping out the PSU fix the problem? I checked the motherboard and confirmed there are no custom power connectors, so replacing the PSU seems feasible regardless of the wattage concern. I searched online but didn’t find specific guidance on this exact setup.
You might decide to take the chance and test it yourself, or reach out to Acer's help desk for guidance—they likely have the right information. If you're considering swapping the GPU, you could opt for a model with more power, reducing the load on the PCIe connection.
A complete X16 port can deliver up to 75 watts, though using OEM components might affect performance slightly
Someone installed a GTX 1660 Ti after upgrading the power supply, making it appear capable of 75 watts. The question arises about why someone would revert to an older i5. If the goal is to run modern games, the 8400 will likely disappoint due to only having six threads, which falls short of the current minimum requirement of 12 threads for smooth performance. Eight threads have been considered sufficient since around 2020 to avoid stuttering issues. This applies to many older yet still functional games, especially those with live services—be mindful of that.
Consider checking out refurbished Ryzen models since the i7 8700 remains quite expensive. It might be smarter to upgrade to a stronger processor sooner rather than later.
This document addresses the capabilities of standard-height x16 slots, noting they typically support up to 75W. For low-profile slots in SFF systems, performance may drop to around 25W or less. It suggests this setup is usually reliable for mid-tower configurations, though actual output can vary.