Adding a 4K GPU for video rendering - Aspire XC-885

I have an Acer Aspire XC-885 with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD (plus around 8TB of USB3.0 storage).

I create numerous videos of up to 1 hour using Windows Movie Maker, which I believe is limited to HD (1920 X 1080).

I am looking to start creating 4K videos using (perhaps) MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 2021 and 4K videos will obviously take much longer to render.

Please can you advise on a suitable 4K GPU that will significantly enhance render times without breaking the bank. I'm looking at one with a minimum of 8GB RAM.

Please can you also advise as to the precise type of expansion slot on the motherboard, as I understand that there is more than one type out there.

Mr Memory (UK tells me that my machine serial number is DTBAQEK002XXXXXX)

Does the PSU come with appropriate connectors for a GPU and/or will these come with the GPU?

Thanks in anticipation,

//Edited the content to add model name.

Accepted answers

ttttt

@MartyBoy

As far as I know, XC-885 uses propriety PSU, which is difficult to find. You need to upgrade PSU if you want to upgrade to a powerful graphics card. Most powerful graphics cards need additional 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connection. Open up your PC to check it. GTX 1050 series is the powerful GPU ( on the low end) that can be used with 300W power supply. Zotac GTX 1050-ti mini card doesn't need additional PCIE power connector but people seemed to have problems with it. It is normal 4K rendering takes longer, as 4K videos with same length will be like four times the data of 1080p. All powerful GPUs nowadays can handle 4K (some can handle 8K).
I believe your PC has a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot for GPU expansion ( as most desktop PC has this). Still think the PSU may be your problem. For better performance, you can change to a 2.5" SATA3 SSD as a boot drive. Maybe if you can use M.2 NVMe SSD, that will be even better. My TC-885 uses M.2 NVMe SSD.

All comments

ttttt

@MartyBoy

As far as I know, XC-885 uses propriety PSU, which is difficult to find. You need to upgrade PSU if you want to upgrade to a powerful graphics card. Most powerful graphics cards need additional 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connection. Open up your PC to check it. GTX 1050 series is the powerful GPU ( on the low end) that can be used with 300W power supply. Zotac GTX 1050-ti mini card doesn't need additional PCIE power connector but people seemed to have problems with it. It is normal 4K rendering takes longer, as 4K videos with same length will be like four times the data of 1080p. All powerful GPUs nowadays can handle 4K (some can handle 8K).
I believe your PC has a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot for GPU expansion ( as most desktop PC has this). Still think the PSU may be your problem. For better performance, you can change to a 2.5" SATA3 SSD as a boot drive. Maybe if you can use M.2 NVMe SSD, that will be even better. My TC-885 uses M.2 NVMe SSD.

MartyBoy

Thanks for your prompt and helpful response.

I have the Samsung 1TB SSD in place already and it has loads of room for handling work in progress. When I have some downtime, I need to vacuum out the dust around the area of the CPU fan so that will give me an excuse to examine the PSU. If it doesn't have the necessary connections for a GPU I may just swap the case for one that is a little more spacious unless I can shoehorn a bigger PSU into it.

Is there a replacement PSU that will fit the XC-885 box and that will support a graphics card or, failing that, can you recommend a replacement box and PSU into which I can migrate the existing components?

With 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, the XC-885 runs really quickly - boots in seconds, runs GIMP at warp speed even though I typically have 100+ Google Chrome tabs open pulse Microsoft Office apps.

Thanks again.

ttttt

@MartyBoy,
WOW! You are such a powerful user, "Typically have 100+ Google Chrome tabs open"?
If you read page two or three here, there is another user who has a topic on XC-885 power supply that he wants to replace.
Swapping XC-885 PC case may not be that easy too, because of the motherboard size. It is hard to find a case that fit the front panel ports. These ports are fixed (not the standard motherboards that use wires to connect motherboard with the front panel ports).

MartyBoy

Just to add, hopefully, to the solution, I found the following really useful YouTube video, which seems to show exactly what I'm looking for:

https://youtu.be/uRMpKUHL5VU

It works through changing the PSU, RAM and Graphics Card for the XC-885, is extremely well filmed and explained.

ttttt

@MartyBoy,

Are you sure this is a XC-885 video? The PSU for this video is a standard ATX one, I don't think this is for XC-885.

MartyBoy

Ha!

Interesting point...

Here's my XC-885:

The PSU in the video is somewhat taller so may not fit.

That said, I also found the ZOTAC GAMING Geforce GTX 1650 OC on Amazon and this does not need dedicated power, as it takes the power from the PCI Express slot.

I'll try to find a more slimline PSU that will fit the space.

Thanks for drawing this to my attention.

ttttt

@Martyboy,
Yes, I knew the XC-885 use custom power supply unit from previous communication with the "Other User". Since GTX 1650 is even a more powerful card than GTX 1050, chances are your current PSU (in the 220W range) cannot handle such a card. Just not enough wattage. Go to Nividia site to find out the wattage requirements for their graphics cards. With 220W PSU, the chance to use powerful graphics card is slim.

MartyBoy

Found this on Amazon -

ZOTAC GAMING Geforce GTX 1650 OC

(the YT video is not the best I've ever seen)!

https://youtu.be/BHY0jQHReoE

At £129 the price it is excellently priced and drawing a max of 75 watts, doesn't even have a power connector, as it draws the power from the motherboard.

Bear in mind that my purpose is to dip my toe into the waters of 4K video rendering. The last time I played a game it was Comanche 3 on Win'98 :-(

Do you reckon that this would work for me?

ttttt

@MartyBoy
Is the on-board graphics with the XC-885 not good enough to handle 4K? My TC-885 is O.K. for that. When I refer to "Powerful Graphics Cards", I mean those usually take up at least two expansion slots.

ttttt

@MartyBoy my friend!
I admit the price for this GTX 1650 is exceptionally good. The 75W is the power requirement for the graphics card alone! Usually when a graphics card alone needs 75W, then the PC PSU requirement will be close to 300W.

MartyBoy

My perception is based upon my PC's current capability to render HD video using Windows Movie Maker. IMHO it's still very good, basic application and does most of what I want.

However, I don't think that it can handle 4K at all, and even if it could then it would take around four times as long and this would significantly disturb my workflow.

In normal use, the CPU fan is idling and it's only when I'm rendering video that it really has to work to keep the CPU cool.

I've downloaded Davinci Resolve 16 - FREE video editing software that can handle up to 8K! I know that this will hand over the grunt work to a graphics card if it finds one and my theory is that the graphics card will render 4K much faster than the CPU and the load on the CPU will be transferred so the power draw will be within the capabilities of the PSU.

The GPU will render the 4K video much faster than the CPU so even though the GPU is not a massive gaming "thing" the benefit to my workflow will be worthwhile.

Plan B would be to replace the Acer with a unit capable of powering through video renders. This will probably come but, at present, my investment is based on the next year to 18 months.

I will try to render a 1 hour video from the Davinci software with the current system to see how it performs before shelling out on anything - probably tomorrow! Watch this space...

MartyBoy

I'm also bound to say that having worked in IT since 1972!!!, it's nice to be considered to be a "New User" :-)

Now, where did I leave my Honeywell mainframes? I'm sure that they must be somewhere - a large museum, perhaps.

billsey

It's pretty easy to find 300W power supplies (like this one) in the Mini-ITX/Flex ATX form factor, and larger ones can be found also. 300W is pretty much needed to run even older GPUs...

ttttt

@billsey
The PSU for XC-885 is propriety that the dimension is unique. @DJBoshh had a hard time to find a replacement outside of Acer. Using Flex ATX form factor PSU still cannot fit well and may need to drill holes to the chassis. I'll bet that if @MartybBoy can find a 300W FLEX ATX PSU, it will be expensive.

MartyBoy

Thanks again for coming back with constructive suggestions, guys.

I found a minor stumbling block; namely that the XC-885 case is, at 9cm, simply too narrow to house a "gaming" GPU of the type that I am considering.

This means that I need to extract the components and put them into an ATX Mid Tower. This will also enable me to put in a decent PSU.

I might treat myself to a case with flashing LEDs all over the place or I might just act my age! Actually, flashing LEDs do have their allure

Thank you, again, for your constructive help and support.

billsey

@ttttt the XC-885 PSU is a Mini-ITX/Flex ATX, not proprietary. The 300W supply I linked to from Amazon seemed to have a reasonable price to me. As @MartyBoy says the GPU needs to be a half height to fit the case, but there are options for both half height cards and bigger PSUs.

ttttt

@billsey
W x H for XC-885 PSU is 50mm X 90 mm , not the 40.5 mm X 91.5 mm as found in

Apevia ITX-AP300W Mini-ITX / Flex ATX 300W Solid Power Supply.

That's why @DJBoshh had such a hard time to find it.

MartyBoy

Thanks, again, for your constructive and diligent feedback.

Having viewed the option and watched several hours of YouTube videos, I reckon that the best option is to invest in an ATX case that will house a "standard" PSU (such as an EVGA 500W) and also accommodate a full-height graphics card (such as the 6GB GTX 1660), as this will "future-proof me for the forseeable future (two to three years). The Intel i5 with 32GB performs well, as does the Samsung 1TB SSD as my C drive and my WIP drive for rendering videos in HD. I just need to add a 12TB backup drive and split my existing content between my external USB 3.0 drives, keeping everything except videos on one drive and the videos on the other.

thanks for your help, guidance and input. I think that I am just about there.

ttttt

@MartyBoy
As a reminder. Standard ATX PC case will not fit the front panel ports of the motherboard as I mentioned earlier. Don't be too optimistic .

Robertus

ttttt said:

@MartyBoy
As a reminder. Standard ATX PC case will not fit the front panel ports of the motherboard as I mentioned earlier. Don't be too optimistic .

do you know if it is different 24 pins connector type or different pinout?

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