Can I upgrade an Acer Aspire GX-785 UR16 with a new cpu and ram?

hkgrg
hkgrg Member Posts: 2 New User
edited March 2024 in 2020 Archives
Hi, I'm not fully in the know about prebuilt computers, and I was just curious if anyone knows of a way I can upgrade the stock components of what I have, I'm in dire need of an upgrade. I specifically want to upgrade my CPU from an I5-7400 to an I7-9700K and also want to add some RAM on, it has 4 DDR4 slots and only one is taken. Thank you.

Answers

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 35,080 Trailblazer
    No, you won't be able to skip generations like that. You can go from the current 7th gen i5 to a 7th gen i7 though. Your processor is a 65W so you can drop in any of the other 65W CPUs (I think the baddest is going to be the i7-7700) without any other changes, other than maybe a 'set to defaults' in the BIOS. If you want to put a i7-7700K in you'll likely also want to upgrade the cooling to match new extra power it uses.
    For memory you can use DDR4 1.2V 2133/2400 MHz U-DIMMs (4GB, 8GB or 16GB) dual channel up to 64GB total memory. So a second stick is a great idea and only your pocket book decides how close to the 64GB max you try for. Note the 2400 MHz number, if you try to put in something faster the best you can do is run the faster (and more expensive) memory at the 2400 speed.
    Depending on what you have for a drive you have an M.2 slot that supports SATA3 SSDs. If you are still on a HDD swapping in a SSD will be a huge performance improvement.

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  • hkgrg
    hkgrg Member Posts: 2 New User
    billsey said:
    No, you won't be able to skip generations like that. You can go from the current 7th gen i5 to a 7th gen i7 though. Your processor is a 65W so you can drop in any of the other 65W CPUs (I think the baddest is going to be the i7-7700) without any other changes, other than maybe a 'set to defaults' in the BIOS. If you want to put a i7-7700K in you'll likely also want to upgrade the cooling to match new extra power it uses.
    For memory you can use DDR4 1.2V 2133/2400 MHz U-DIMMs (4GB, 8GB or 16GB) dual channel up to 64GB total memory. So a second stick is a great idea and only your pocket book decides how close to the 64GB max you try for. Note the 2400 MHz number, if you try to put in something faster the best you can do is run the faster (and more expensive) memory at the 2400 speed.
    Depending on what you have for a drive you have an M.2 slot that supports SATA3 SSDs. If you are still on a HDD swapping in a SSD will be a huge performance improvement.


    Sorry I haven't responded, I forgot my login. Do you think I'd have to get a new power supply, or just a new fan? I'm planning on getting an I7-7700k due to your advice, and a new CPU cooler. Also, do you have any recommendations for a cheap CPU cooler? I've already upgraded my RAM to 16 GB. I don't have all that much money to spend on a cooler though.
  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @hkgrg
    Your original i5-7400 CPU is not a bad processor, why so eager to upgrade? If you are still using spinning HDD, upgrading to SATA3 HDD or M.2 NVMe SSD will benefit you more than just upgrading the processor, and it cost you much less than replacing CPU plus CPU fan cooler.
  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @hkgrg

       I meant upgrading to SATA3 SSD, not just a regular SATA3 HDD.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 35,080 Trailblazer
    I wouldn't bother with a PSU upgrade unless you are going to drop a GPU in, then I'd look at the specs on that card to see which PSU you might need. You currently have 500W I believe. Look for the stock Intel cooler for the i7-7700K, it'll be easier to install than many of the generic coolers and have the oomph you need to deal with the extra CPU wattage.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.