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How can I find out what graphics card upgrade is compatible with my system?
(piefed.blahaj.zone)
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this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2026
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Thanks, that would probably attract attention lol. I was looking at System Monitor when the stuttering happens and I didn't see a big CPU spike, but I am at a loss.
EDIT:
It's not always the utilization percentage that tells the whole story.
You're a bit out of luck as far as upgrades go for that platform, but if you have 1 stick of RAM and get another one you'll feel a difference.
All 4 slots are taken by DIMMs (is that the right term) unfortunately. 4 Memory Sticks.
Can you think of a way to identify what could be causing the system to thrash (? is that the right term)?
I did clean the dust out, and I haven't noticed any problems since then. It wasn't really that much dust. But maybe that was it!
3rd gen i7 platform will be your major bottleneck.
If the prices for ram weren't insane right now I'd suggest a whole new build depending on what games you're hoping to play.
Don't go with ARC as it's not compatible with that motherboard. You need resizable bar support and ideally an x8 pcie gen4 lane or better.
Since you're rocking Linux I would suggest sticking to AMD graphics.
What PSU are you using and games/software would you like to run better?
The 980 is pretty good for most purposes outside of modern games.
I'd suggest a new SSD and redoing the thermal paste on the cpu. Clean up the dust too.
Thanks, I didn't know that x8 pcie was a thing now... also resizable bar support -- something else to research.
I cleaned up the dust and I haven't noticed those "jerky cursor" problems for a bit, so hopefully that was it. It wasn't even that much dust, so we'll see how long 'til the system does it again. I am not trying to play any specific games, just trying to use the OS, file picker, etc., without lag.
The PSU is a Corsair TX750
I would like a linux desktop that "just works" (tm) when I upgrade, but doesn't have to play heavy games or pull heavy workloads. I thought a steam machine might be a decent choice for that, but hopefully this desktop has a few more years left in it.
Are you using the nvidia drivers and have your monitor connected to the gpu?
The 980 should be more than capable of a fully functional desktop experience, so after cleaning the dust it may have just been a heating issue.
I am using the nvidia proprietary drivers, and had to use
prime-selectto set them to default. I am guessing it was just a heating issue! It looks like I should add dusting it out to the regular preventative maintenance schedule. I am hoping to not have to mess with the thermal paste.I have two monitors set up -- one is connected to the discrete gpu, the other is connected to the integrated gpu. They are both using DVI to HDMI cables.