It’s an important question no matter what PC you buy, whether it’s a refurbished gamer PC or a brand-new gaming one: Can my PC evolve?” The answer is yes, of course! Let’s get into the details.
The processor: one socket, so many options
The first thing to know when you buy a gamer i5 PC is that you can upgrade the processor. All you need to do is meet 2 conditions:
Choose a new processor that has the same socket as the previous one (otherwise it won’t fit on the motherboard)
Have flashed the BIOS of the motherboard to be sure that the processor has a chance to be supported.
With regard to the Artefact gaming v1 (whose socket carries the reference LGA1150), this means that you can go from an Intel Core i5 4590 (3.3GHz), which already has very honourable scores in gaming, to a performance monster that is the Intel Core i7 4790K (4GHz). This processor, which can be found new or used, represents a major, and rather expensive, evolution.
To give you an idea, here is the complete list of all processors with socket LGA1150 (compatible with Artefact gaming v1).
Memory: slots and maximum capacity
Every computer motherboard has two important characteristics regarding RAM:
The number of memory slots on the motherboard
The actual amount of memory it can accept at maximum
On the refurbished gamingordi Artefact gaming v1, the motherboard can accept up to 32GB of RAM! So starting from the 16GB already installed, you can double your amount of memory eventually. This is an excellent development if you want to run even more demanding games, or use many applications at the same time.
The hard drive: SSD or HDD?
You can easily add hard drives to your refurbished PC by connecting a SATA cable from the motherboard. This will give you more storage space for your documents, applications, games and videos!
On the Artefact v1 gamer PC, there are 4 SATA sockets, 3 of which are already occupied (by the new system SSD, the refurbished 1TB mechanical hard drive, and the DVD drive/writer). This leaves 1 space for an additional hard drive.
The graphics card: always up to date
Of course, you can change the graphics card in any refurbished gamer PC. The objective? To benefit from the latest technological advances in terms of graphics calculation for games!
However, there is one condition: make sure that your new graphics card does not consume more than 120 Watts! You would then have to change your power supply unit.
The power supply unit: unleashing the power consumption
If you’re planning to upgrade to a very large processor, 32GB of RAM, a new hard drive and a state-of-the-art, ultra-powerful graphics card, you’re going to have to upgrade to a PC power supply that’s more powerful than the one fitted in the basic gamer PC.
By upgrading from the basic 320 watt power supply to a 500 watt power supply, for example, you can easily upgrade all your hardware at the same time, as all this will consume much more electricity.
To change your power supply, you’ll need to use a HP power adapter, which is available from the industry standard, ModDIY, or on our site!