Upgrading a Dell Optiplex 3010 to the max

[@h1st0r1an8]

I'm currently upgrading an Old Dell into a server (T3500) and it was helpful to listen through your thought processes even though pertaining to a different form factor. Great video, thanks

[@lousassole8411]

I got a t3600 love it

[@PMThrudr]

One thing I love about these old optiplexes is you can double the max supported Ram. I have this exact same system and it runs 32 GB just fine. All of the older optiplexes do this.

[@EasyHeat]

Bingo! I'm thinking of starting my 8 yr old son's (collaborative) custom ATX case gaming build off using a Opti 3010 MB, i7 2600s, 16gb ram, and $150 RX 6400 gpu. 😁

[@svetoslavstefanov5744]

Are you sure you can put more than 8gb in Optiplex 3010 sff with i5 3470 (came with only 4gb ddr3)? In the official specs it says the max for SFF version is only 8gb.

[@lucasrafael2611]

​@@svetoslavstefanov5744 meu caso é exatamente o mesmo, conseguiu descobrir se é possível colocar mais de 8gb de ram?

[@johnnieduke95]

Interesting I knew the max was 16gb RAM not a lot of people play around with this PC idk why it's less than $100 at this point and can play pre2010 games great and post 2003 games this things sweet spot I found for games in between those years so far. Wish more people played with electronics when I was a kid I ruined all electronics trying to figure out what made them tic

[@splat2glitcher]

original xe included? i cant get past 8gb

[@_....____......_]

I have a 3040 MT that I got from some neighbors for free. It was too slow so I upgraded it to 8gb (DDR3L) and threw in a cheap 120gb ssd for around ~20 bucks. Works great! Win 11 works fine despite MS saying otherwise. Can confirm WIN 11 Works on Dell 3010s, deployed one with Win 11 already.

[@jasonwillis4819]

Thanks. I did something similar on the Dell SFF Optiplex when the power supply died - decided to add SSD and GPU. Also I thank you for the upgrade video on "old" hardware - not all of us have the $$$ for the latest and greatest!

[@joshd108]

I think the MT are a perfect sweet spot for compact builds. I fully maxed out a 7040 and love it. But I’m doing a SFF build right now for a friend who badly needs to retire their old laptop. This video was very informative and gave me confidence to move forward!

[@jeremyhenderson163]

Many thanks, I really like and appreciate the content you make. As I am not a sheep caught up in the “case-swap” or “gaming” hype, I’ve found that I appreciate you and the content you produce A LOT MORE than I did before (Not to diminish the degree of appreciation I had before.). I’m currently searching for a PC, but finding it a bit difficult to find one that fits my preferences (cheap, DDR3, supports 7 drives (1 boot, 1 back-up, and 5 add drives.), physical space and power for said drives, at least 2.5ghz, and 4x DIMM (64GB). A year or so ago I purchased a Lenovo M710s for this purpose, and while I have achieved this, I find it not ideal but perfect personal PC. The big issues I have with this are sharing it between personal and “office” use, and the current setup. This was originally suppose to be a dedicated NAS build, but is instead a hybrid (serving 2 purposes.) and feel I might be asking too much of it. I am currently running it with a 1TB M.2 boot drive, a 3.5” HDD 1TB backup drive, and 4X 2.5” 500GB drives in a Storage Spaces parity. The parity drives are connected to a PCI-E slot, mounted and powered externally; which means leaving the side panel off, and components exposed to dust. I’d like to change that and plan for a 3.5” array upgrade; thus the hunt for another PC. I don’t want to swap cases or build one from scratch because my current budget doesn’t allow for it (not even considering all the price-gougers out there.) right now, so purchasing a budget pre-built is my current direction. I also don’t know enough about hardware matching right now to pursue that route, do you have any recommendations?

[@autryld]

Thanks for demonstrating that upgrading to 16GB is possible. Two other 3010 upgrade videos neglected to mention that. The Technical Guidebook states that 8GB (2x4GB) is the maximum memory for the 3010 SFF. The document I referenced is OptiPlex_3010_Technical_Guidebook_v1_0.pdf. Google helped me find it. By the way, I looked up the original system configuration using the service tag of my 3010 . It shows the DDR3 memory speed as 1600MHz.

[@jonmichaelcampbell7550]

I love to imagine the business person who daily drove this Dell back in its day. What would they say if they saw their little Optiplex now?

[@chadgarner9371]

“ see how much hardware I can cram into this small little box” has got to be the greatest ‘that’s what she said set up of all times

[@PMThrudr]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!😂🤣

[@ilkiwi]

I love watching stuff like this

[@j.lietka9406]

The RAM brand I upgraded my Toshiba Satellite laptop is: Kuesuny. Have you heard of them before? DDR 3, 1600 speed, so-dimm, 8gb x 2 cards. Works just fine. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Thank you 🤓

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I have never heard of kuesuny, but since there only a handful of companies making most of the ram, it likely id using chips from a major manufacturer and generally ram is reliable.

[@j.lietka9406]

@@ElectronicsWizardry thanks for the reply! Think I paid about $42? $45? Or so for 2 8gb cards. The name I had not heard of before either, but I gave them a try.

[@mikespsrepairps4ps548]

Entire video was great. Thank you.

[@steelfalconx2000]

Heck yeah just got an old 9020 with an i7 to run proxmox. I got it decked out with 32 gigs of ram and 8 threads for like 100 bucks. Awesome.

[@ElementX32]

I work in IT and have for many years, but I'm ashamed to say that to date, I've never built my own machine. Primarily because I just haven't had the time and until recently, it's never been a burning desire to do so. However, I want to get with the program and upgrade this machine and also build a new machine from scratch. I've upgraded some hardware such as memory, hard drives, but never a motherboard. The company I work for has a service plan with the vendor that provided the machines, so if a machine dies or someone fries a motherboard, the vendor sends a tech out to replace the motherboard, but this is something that I want to do for my personal equipment. Being that this machine is so old, it's hard to find a lot of information about it.

[@Error42_]

I like some o the Dell PC's from this time. They are more modern but the cases still have some weight and strength to them. The T20 tower is a nice case. I just dislike Dell's insistence on using proprietary connectors for the front panel socket buttons and LEDs

[@sergiobarraganmontiel9974]

Hi there, I have a question, I upgraded this build to 16gb ram and and r5 430 graphics card, it was working perfectly for months but now while I was using it, the screen went black and the power button showed orange light, and never turned back on, what happened to it? Maybe de PSU was not enough? I made some research and that's the answer I'm finding everywhere

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

It’s hard to know the issue in a situation like this so I normally start with removing all the parts that aren’t needed. So take out the flu and use the integrated graphics, remove all but one ram stick. Unplug all the storage drives and external devices apart from a keyboard and monitor. Then see if that works. If it still doesn’t work these systems use a normal atx psu if you have a spare to test. The next most likely issue I see if the motherboard. Unfortunately there isn’t a easy way to see what part is dead normally without swapping it out.

[@sergiobarraganmontiel9974]

@@ElectronicsWizardry oh thank you, there's a few things I didn't try, I'll give it a shot.

[@neail5466]

Please make a video on the BIOS.

[@Cadmium-Octopoda]

Hey that was a fun video. You know your stuff. It's cool.

[@50charactersonly61]

Great video. Removing the optical drive and adding the SSD, is this a simple switch where you're using the power and sata cable that was used for the optical drive or did you had to buy additional cables (excluding the caddy). If you add a GPU will this disable the onboard display ports or can this work together for additional display ports?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The laptop optical drive to 2.5in hdd caddy has all the same connectors as a normal optical drive, so no additional adapters are needed to use the caddy. I did a bit of testing of using the iGPU + a dGPU, and the system disabled the iGPU when a dGPU is installed, and will display a message on the iGPU when powered on to plug the monitor into the dGPU, and won't post with a monitor connected to the iGPU. I believe the newer optiplex systems let you use the iGPU + dGPU but I haven't tested this.

[@50charactersonly61]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Tks wizard! Your content deserves much more views!

[@HarryComa]

Before VPS vas cool i had a bunch of similar machines in a 19" rack in a datacenter i rented out to smaller companies that needed something off-site for running software or web-stuff. I still have a bunch in storage, and some in use for PiHole, local DNS and stuff, works great for homelab stuff too :)

[@LaCuevaDePc]

I guess that's not the max upgrade for that pc, you could place a GTX 1050 and change the psu for another with 400w-500w from the dell with i7, that motherboard support a xeon or i7 3770s using just 65w, but...

[@fiddlermuncher8701]

Or just move the parts to a new case with a new PSU. Might have to use an adapter to use a standard 24 pin cable

[@EasyHeat]

The apartment building adjacent to mine had an unfortunate electrical fire 3 months ago, and subsequently everything got thrown out. Anyway, I think I walked by this tossed out Optiplex 3010 tower that was inconspicuously smushed under a mattress and springboard within the construction dumpster parked in the lot for probably almost a week. Until one night it started raining, and I said "what the heck" and ran to go dig it out. Man am I glad I did! First off the mid size ATX case had to go. Wreaked of smoke. Really bad! Inside tho?!! I scavenged out a perfectly functional GTX 750 ti 2gb GPU & a Kingston 500gb SSD!! Score!! Along with the 8gb ram, i5 3470 ivy bridge CPU, mini ATX LGA1155 motherboard, and 300 watt PSU? I think it's safe to consider that a decent round of picking! HA! The 750 ti is just a little beast of a 1080p GPU. Very pleased with it, but for a potentially "beefier" LGA1155 socket Optiplex SFF gaming build experience? I'd ultimately go with pairing the XFX Speedster SWFT105 Radeon RX 6400 GPU and an i7 3770. Sure, both are basically clock locked, but with the i7's 4 core 8 threads, the RX 6400's 4gb/16Gbps/2321 MHz boost clock DDR6 Vram, and low power requirements? Could turn out to be a fairly competent "budget" (1080p) gaming/emulation/media creation rig that's relatively VERY easy on the wallet indeed. Thank you Dell for making a like bazzillion of these "built like a tank" machines. That keeps the used market price nice ang low. It's no wonder the Optiplex is the "budget entry level" platform of choice for newbie tinkerers and builders. BTW Nice content amigo! Cheers!

[@MAX_DARKIAN]

I'm doing this right now for a family member they want to play dayz so I found a Gt1030 and boom all good

[@Pixel3504]

Nice video man!

[@alsy342]

GT1030 is almost same as GTX1650 ? man im not sure i saw some benchmarks and the GTX1650 put literally more than 2 times better FPS than GT1030 for example in GTA 5 ultra it was 70 vs 30 fps other than that, great video btw, its really interesting how may you upgrade this old Dell systems

[@mike5260]

1650 is better

[@dashingkiller12_73]

@@mike5260 thats what he just said

[@PeterBrockie]

Important factor is 1030s lack NVENC.

[@calikingeroticparadise1441]

I got a GTX1650 in mine.

[@garrysanderson5793]

The 1650 is miles better. Double the vram and the vram architecture is an entire generation newer. 4b GDDR6 vs 2gb GDDR4...

[@johnnieduke95]

Is this all you ever done with the Optiplex 3010 sff when it comes to projects? I just got one all setup with windows 10 I wanna get Windows XP on there

[@DJProPlusMax]

Nah. The RTX A2000 is the fastest LP GPU you can put in there.

[@BrucifyMe]

True, but he did say "fastest, _reasonable_ option." Pricing on the A2000 can be a bit shit, and at that point, unless you are absolutely bound to this form factor, you can get something more powerful anyways (RTX 3060 Ti is ~$1-200 cheaper, for example). Maybe that's what he was getting at. That said though, I totally bought a 6GB A2000 myself.

[@ElementX32]

Hello sir, I have a Dell Optiplex 3020 SFF and I wanted to know if it's possible to upgrade the motherboard. I wanted to see what I can do with it as I'm in the beginning stage of creating a homelab.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Unfornatly you can't really swap the boards on these systems easily. There not standard board, and use non standard pinouts(This generation uses ATX power, but later ones don't) for power and front panel connections. This formfactor also isn't standard, so a normal board won't fit. While its possible to mod a board to make it fit, if your getting started its probably best to stick with the included board or work with standard ATX/mATX/ITX systems.

[@asian_slav1851]

I'm also planning to max out one of these with 16gb of ram a 1050 or 1650 vcard an ssd and hdd an i7 3770k procie. My only question is, is the stock psu enough? Or do I have to upgrade to a much more higher one?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The cpu and gpu you have listed should use less than 100w each, leaving a good amount of available power for the other parts if the included psu is 240w(I think that is what is included). You are getting close to the limits of the psu so I’d consider a upgrade if you have the large mid tower version but the sff versions have a custom form factor so there aren’t really any other options.

[@asian_slav1851]

@@ElectronicsWizardry So I only have the SFF does that mean that I have to downgrade a component like gpu to accommodate the needed power? or my plan will just go as fine with the stock psu?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

That system has a 240w psu and is about 200w max on the 12v rail(check the label to be sure). That should be enough as the cpu will be under 100w and the gpu is limited to 75w from the pcie slot. These optiolex systems don’t have many other parts that pull so the 240w should be fine. I’d also test it. If you pull too much power it will shut off and you can get a psu after if needed.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I also have a 3770k,1650 and the optiplex. Let me test this. Give me a day or two to get the hardware setup.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I just tested with system with a 1650 and a 3770k. Under max load it pulls about 175w from the wall and had no issues. So the stock psu will be plenty here.

[@Dsh9x]

I have a question what motherboard size does this use micro atx?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

These dell ‘sff’ systems unfortunately don’t use a standard motherboard size and are proprietary. You cant easily put these boards in a different case or vice versa.

[@Dsh9x]

@@ElectronicsWizardry I search in safari it says it’s a micro atx one ima try to change it to a better one

[@retrohd9832]

Just purchased this 3010 equipment sff Does this device I7 3770, rx 6400 53, 350w and 16 GB ram work without changing the power source? or what card do you recommend for this team?,Without changing the power source , Excuse my English

[@Sam-km9nm]

I’m not tech savvy at all, I upgraded to a ssd for the boot drive (hope I’m using the right terminology) and a 2tb hard drive I sourced from an old dvr. Initially had some trouble getting the bios settings set right to boot up with the new ssd. It runs now. I had 6gb of ram and I’m trying to upgrade to 16gb and I’m just getting a black screen now but the system boots up with the old ram sticks. I’m just stuck trying to get the ram to work now.

[@thevinrodrigo9142]

i got a 3010 sff for free from my school, and im planning to upgrade it to an ivy bridge xeon, 12gb ram, and the amd FirePro W4300

[@Celskate]

I also upgraded but no. Me. Da. Video the graphic were you able to make it work?

[@thevinrodrigo9142]

@@Celskate what gpu do you have? the pcie slots might have a 50w power limit or u installed drivers incorrectly or just a bad gpu

[@lightffx4423]

​@@thevinrodrigo9142 did u put more that 8gb ram in your 3010?

[@thevinrodrigo9142]

@@lightffx4423 never got to finish the project, built a pc instead. thats my bad😅 if i do get money again ill pick another one up and finish the project

[@Mr.Mines_World]

Great video

[@jayking33497]

So I have a custom-built pc it has the dell optiplex motherboard. The case is big enough for a bigger graphics card. Would a rtx 3050 work ?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

A 3050 should work fine here, but I haven't texted this exact combo to confirm. The 3050 seems like a good pick for these old optiplexs as it's low power and should go well with the included CPU.

[@jayking33497]

@ElectronicsWizardry thank you for the information upgrading soon to the 3050

[@BrianFromBoise]

Why would you choose to go with the Intel K designators? I thought that meant the multipliers were unlocked, and on a Dell mobo you can't touch any of those settings anyway.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I had that CPU on hand already do I don't need to purchase a new CPU. I'd get a non k CPU if I was buying abcpu for an upgrade. There is normally no benefit of a k sku here. They may be 100mhz faster max turbo speed but that will make a tiny difference.

[@DJNenoCRO]

Hi mate! does this model pc support low profile wifi card?? Sorry for my bad English

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

A low profile PCIe card should work in the SFF and larger Optiplex systems. Check that you have a PCIe x1 or larger slot to put the WIFI card in.

[@DJNenoCRO]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Yes I have! Thank you sir!!

[@KILLSHOT-pq2xz]

I have this exact small form factor, 3010. I need to know if its compatible with running with a i7 3770, and if it can handle it. Aswell as if it can take over 8gb ram.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Mine worked fine with a 3770k so I’m guessing a 3770 will work fine. Make sure you have updated the bios first. It should be able to work with 16gb of ram with dual 8gb dimms.

[@chucksgrace3225]

How do you deal with the overheating issues? I upgraded my Dell 3010 ssf but over heats all the time where the graphics card is burning hot. Any tips to keep it cooler since everything is just jammed in there? Thx

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I didn’t have any over heating issues with my 2600k and gt1030 playing games like Fortnite. Potentially other games may make the system a bit hotter. If you want it to run a bit cooler you could probably put a small fan infringe if the gpu that blows from the front to back and exhausts air out the second unused pcie opening.

[@chucksgrace3225]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Thx do u have a link for the 8gb ram cards?

[@mihainedelcu4081]

I will like to know where to find the ssd adapter you use in this video

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I'm not sure the exact model I have, but there are many similar adapters on Amazon and other sellers if you look up 2.5in HDD to Optical Bay. They look like a laptop optical drive, but have a spot for a HDD instead of where the optical drive would go.

[@mihainedelcu4081]

I had found one on Amazon. Thank you !

[@danielbready]

Bought an HP Pavilion 590.. i7 8700 16gb ram DDR4 Gtx 1060 3gb 310w PSU... And the problem Im having is that the PC is getting way too hot, motherboard around 80 degree Celsius and CPU to 95 from basic tasks.. Even in CSGO with 30% CPU use im getting 85 degrees, swapped the CPU fan and still no effect with even the new thermal paste, idk what to do

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Taking a look at the HP Pavillon online, it looks like airflow would be very limited. I'd start with a temperature test with the side panel off. That would show if the case airflow is the limiting factor in cooling. In order to increase the airflow you can put a higher airflow fan in the back of the case. It looks like the cooler mount is a standard mount, so a small tower cooler will work, but I don't think a better cooler will help if there is hot air being recirculated in the case.

[@ThunderBow98]

Hey great video! I’m glad I found this because I recently was given an Optiplex 3010. It’s a good system and I plan to upgrade and modernize it. I have been told by a few people that this computer, the Optiplex 3010, can actually take up to an i7-3770K. Is that true?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I have a 3770k that I just tested in my Optiplex 3010, and it works fine without any issues. The 3770k is the fastest compatible cpu for the Optiplex 3010, but the 3770 is barely slower with a .1 ghz base clock and the same turbo, and may be cheaper used.

[@ElGhostPresents]

This is what I have what graphics card do you recommend to run Fortnite, resident evil 5 and warzone?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Unfortunately the selection of low profile GPUs is limited. I have tried the 1030 with Fortnite and its playable at lower settings, but I would like faster if possible. There are 1650 and 4060 low profile cards available now that would be a good amount faster for more money.

[@ElGhostPresents]

@@ElectronicsWizardrythank you. Do you know where I can get a 1650 for mine?

[@qorryfitri5985]

Can you tell what is your ram brand and type?

[@johnny2235]

I have Optiplex 3010 MT with 500gb HDD and 128gb SDD and Im willing to buy another HDD but I would like to know if my pc supports 3rd HDD? please help

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I think the mid tower cases support 2 3.5 in drives. And you can mount the ssd somewhere else like near the optical drives. Check that hour has the data cables you need included though otherwise you will have to get your own.

[@johnny2235]

@@ElectronicsWizardry so it's still possible to have 1 SSD and 2 HDD at the same time right?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

@johnny2235 yup that should be possible on the small tower optiplexes. I’d check inside the case to be sure though.

[@johnny2235]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Thank you bro, I'll see what I can do

[@billsmith3493]

I have 16 gig and cant get a GTX 1060 3GB to install. GPU refuses to show up and thus can't install drivers. Plug and play that isn't using a sep supply for the GPU.

[@jakestepney8318]

Great video, great content. I just won one an optiplex 3010 on eBay for £7 (£10 postage). i3 CPU, 8gb ram, windows 10, 500gb drive. I've installed an old WiFi adapter I had laying around. I plan on using the computer for retro emulation gaming, SNES, N64, Wii, PS2, and see me old PC games, etc. I need a decent cheap pcie graphics card with hdmi what would you recommend? Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@hman4232]

Which wifi card would give you the best performance for the 3010 or anything similar?

[@ebnn-t1w]

is it possible to use 1600mhz ram sticks instead of 1333? i wanna put 2x 8bg 1600.

[@woulty1008]

did u figure it out

[@0-B1]

Hey bud got a 3010 full size i can grab for £35 probably will bigger case so better airflow i hope womdering if this would carry across fine as parts probably the same I suspect

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The bigger models are better as they give you more room for upgrades, and full size PCIe cards. I'd guess the PSU and motherboard layout is different so check before moving parts over.

[@HarmonyEdge]

One other advantage of the MT cases is the option to use a more powerful standard ATX PSU, as the 3rd gen MT optiplexes were the last generation to use non proprietary standard 24 pin connectors, thus allowing the use of equally more power hungry GPU's for a stronger gaming setup, like an RX 580 or a GTX 1660. Just keep in mind 2 things: The PSU must be non modular and the GPU must be no longer than one with a 2 fan cooler, unless you are willing to take an angle grinder to your case for modding, or angled adapter cables to work around ports that longer GPU's might cover.

[@thiagotavares3802]

I upgraded mine to an i7 3770k, rx470, 1tb ssd and a 550w power supply

[@flg_floki4328]

Can u change the case to support more and powerful GPU

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The motherboard will support a faster gpu if there is more space. But these boards have some non standard components so things like front panel connects, io bracket and some screws might not fit or worn correctly. This generation of optiplex can use a standard psu but most never systems don’t use standard psu connectors.

[@libertine2273]

I have the Optiplex 9020 SFF and the temps are really high (i7 4790) this is normal?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

What temps are you seeing? Dell seems to have designed these systems to get near the 100c limit of the processors. I’d check for dust, thermal paste, and fans failing but if that all looks good I’d guess it’s just the expected temps.

[@weefops]

I found an AMD RX7 450 GPU 4GB for $25 and two Teamgroup 8GB cards from Amazon for $15. I just want to run Zoom and play Valorant and I am not ready to change a power supply. Hope it works!

[@Celskate]

Did it work for you?

[@parinchoudhary1905]

Can I put a rtx 2060 in Optiplex 3010 with 600w psu

[@Celskate]

You could, I've got an rx580

[@TheMeanJoeGreen]

The 710 doesnt support nvenc encoder

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Actually it has supports and I have one and have used it in the past.

[@TheMeanJoeGreen]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Even nvidia says it doesn’t bozo. OBS reads it buts it’s a bug

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Well I’ve used it on that cards so how can it work if it’s not supported? Get one and give it a try for your self but trust me it works.

[@j.lietka9406]

Do you ever find Dell or HP towers in curbside stuff or, you probably don't look, in dumpsters? Thank you 🤓 the biggest m/b it can hold is a Micro ATX? Are those DP & HDMI ports? I tend to mess & tinker with laptops. I have a regular (warehouse) job, but I look in dumpsters & when I find them, curbside stuff for tossed out PCs, Chromebooks, & laptops. Am building a newer PC, just need the GPU support brackets!! Great video & choices! & I subbed

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I have found systems in many places. Once I found a Dell t7600 workstation on side of the road that work, and will dig through e-waste to see if I find anything. I'm also lucky to have done IT jobs where I can take what I want from the e-waste, and often get used business desktops from there.

[@j.lietka9406]

@@ElectronicsWizardry E-Wizard, you're awesome! Most, if not all, of the older IDE (wide ribbon cable) PCs, that folks have tossed out I don't take. The technology is just too old. Wish I could find a co that has e-waste bins I could rummage through! Thanks & great videos! 🤓

[@1Hella]

Can the optiplex 3010 go up to 32gig ram max?

[@woulty1008]

did u figure it out

[@dfgdfgdfgdfg-fb4xv]

i have an optiplex 3010 with a i5 3470 , with an amd radeon hd 7500 , i want to upgrade , will an rx 580 work ? will it be to big ? will it even work with the machine ,

[@dfgdfgdfgdfg-fb4xv]

my optiplex is a bigger case then yours thoughh normal sized case

[@Celskate]

I have the same build as you, the only thing that changes is that mine is sff did it work for you?

[@FenharelTheDreadWolf]

I have a problem with 3010 optiplex. I changed cpu to Xeon e1230v2 3.7ghz, added GT 1030 gpu and 16gb 1600mhz ddr3 ram. But cpu wont rut at full speed. it runs only at 3.3ghz instead of 3.7. Does anyone know why? I have win10 x64 with maximum performance power plan enabled.

[@0-B1]

Probably cooling so it's thermal throttling

[@owlgang01]

If I upgrade the pc would I be able to run a ps2 emulator?

[@zombee38]

I have the tower version and it came with a faster processor i5 3470....good system !

[@Swampy_Salamander]

I have an Optiplex 3010 i5. Will that support 16 gigs?

[@Surya_editz69]

Yes

[@ThunderBow98]

Hey so I actually have a mid 2012 MacBook Pro 15” (model A1286) that’s completely nonfunctional, and it actually contains an i7-3615QM. Would this processor be compatible with this Optiplex build?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

All the MacBooks with a core i5/i7 have the cpu soldered on. Also laptop cpus are a different socket than desktop CPUs.

[@ThunderBow98]

@@ElectronicsWizardry ah I see ok. Thanks!

[@ThunderBow98]

Additionally my optiplex 3010 is a Desktop Chassis (DT) model. Am I able to fit a larger GPU, more RAM, or better processor than the i7-3770 in this vs the SFF?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The Optiplex 3010 would be a better option for expansion. You can fit a full size gpu and a normal atx power supply. The RAM and CPU performance should be about the same though between the SFF and the tower version.

[@ThunderBow98]

@@ElectronicsWizardry I didn’t think the DT could fit a full size GPU, it’s basically the same profile as the SFF but a bit taller. I think you’re thinking of the Minitower/MT, which despite its name is actually the largest of the 3 chassis offerings for the Optiplex 3010. According to the spec sheet the 3010 DT has 1 half height PCIe 16x slot and 3 half height PCIe 1x slots. (dell(.)com/sites/doccontent/business/smb/merchandizing/en/Documents/Dell_OptiPlex_3010_spec_sheet.pdf) Though as you mentioned in the video, you could in theory just chuck a full sized card in this form factor and just leave off the side panel. With the i7-3770K and maybe an upgraded PSU, what’s the best GPU I could put in this machine? If I keep the side panel on, I’ll probably end up going with the GTX1650 to keep it clean looking, but it’s still cool to know what my options are.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Your right, the desktop can't fit a full size gpu, and the Minitower can fit a full sized GPU. With the Minitower, the best GPU you can fit is probably the 1650 currently. There are faster Quadros, but there very expensive. Going with the 1650 seems like a good plan for a upgrade.

[@calikingeroticparadise1441]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Awesome info ! A year ago I was trying to max upgrade mine and I got a GTX1650, an i7 3770, and 2, 1 TB SSD's, with 16GB ram. Is it true I can double the memory to 32GB ?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The 16gb dimms that would be needed for 32gb if ram in 2 slots seems to very rare and expensive. The cheapest I can can is 120 usd a stick on eBay. And it’s ddr3l. I am guessing these stick won’t work in the 3010 but it’s possible and I haven’t seen any reports either way. If you want 32gb of ram I’d suggest getting a optiplex 5010, 7010, or 9010 as these models have 4 dimm slots and support a 4x 8gb dimm configuration.

[@hman4232]

What is the best wifi card for these optiplex?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

I’d look for a WiFi card that used the Intel ax200 or ax210 chipset. These are some of the best WiFi cards you can get currently. Id look for a WiFi card with a wired antenna so you can position it a more optimal spot other than the back of the pc.

[@hman4232]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Thanks for the suggestion. Would the ax200 and ax210 work in Dell OptiPlex's like the 7020 and 9020? Or possibly even the MT?

[@johnnieduke95]

This journey has been frustrating upgrading this thing. Can anyone recommend a compatible i7 for this PC? I don't need anything fancy just enough to play fallout 3/4/NV and Elder Scrolls 3/4/5 I don't play any newer games or have interest in anything newer

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

For those systems the i7 3770 is a good pick. Check that you have a 3010 as the different generations have different cpu support. I’d also check your bios is up to date first too as it can add support for newer CPUs.

[@johnnieduke95]

@@ElectronicsWizardry much appreciated man I'm praying I'll be able to actually play my games once this i7 3770, 16gb RAM, 500gb SSD, 2tb HDD and Nvidia GTX 1020 low profile graphics card all installed. I bought fallout 3/4/NV and Elder Scrolls 3/4/5 but I can only play ES 3/4 right now. I'd hate to have to buy a whole new computer just for fallout 4/NV and Skyrim

[@elizabethnowak5941]

Can you use this in a new tower?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

The board from the optioned sff isn’t great fora tower pc. The front up isn’t standard, and the form factor is closest to a small m atx I’m not sure how many screw holes would align. There would also be no rear panel io bracket. If you want to use a optiplex board in a normal case I’d recommend a system with 4 pcie slots as those should be near matx sized.

[@trliy]

I want to have something like this so I can cram in a 1060ti or 1050ti with a 3rd or 4th gen Intel CPU.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

There are a few 1050ti low profile cards if you want to use a SFF case like I used, but I would generally suggest the larger Optiplex models as they fit graphics cards better. Id look for something like a 3030,3040 or similar models. For these Optiplex models the first digit is how high end the model is, and the 3rd digit is what generation, with 1 being 3rd gen, 2 being 4th gen and so on.

[@trliy]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Thanks!

[@Gotyouquick]

Low profile 1060ti's don't exist

[@danishali1648]

can it fit Nvidia Quadro p1000 in it

[@ygjt76v0-----]

This model suport lan card?

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

A low profile lan card will work on these systems. Check that the slot is compatible with the slots in the system.

[@izodize9033]

will the intel i5 12600k work well in it

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

These systems are made for 2nd and 3rd gen intel CPUs on LGA 1155. The 12600k is a 12th gen cpu on LGA 1700 and will work. There are newer optiplex models that will work with a 12600k, but will be much more expensive than these older systems.

[@tagverseofficial]

i've been finding this video

[@ΧαρόλαΜπεη]

good afternoon buddy your video is great can you help me i want to upgrade i have an optiplex 3010 sff with i3 processor and i need an upgrade immediately because i use photoshop alone and it crashes i have a 256 gb ssd and 12 gb ram geforce gt 1030 2gb while it works quite well and fast when i work photoshop starts and lags very much the whole system i press control alt delete i see permanently the processor at 100% what i suspect there is the problem what would you suggest me to do to buy any of the following processors and i will I solved the problem ? I also can't find anywhere if my machine supports the following processors, not even in the del I searched I didn't find anything so I ask you who know thank you in advance (1) i5-2400 (2) i5 2500K (3) 17 2600k

[@SharpBlockSoft]

Mine accepted only 12gb ram

[@TechnicalDKC]

Is this support nvme ssd

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

A pcie to m.2 ssd and other pcie nvme ssds should work in this system. It won’t be bootable though.

[@asfaltweg]

Rx 6400 would be a much better choice compared to gt 1030

[@ekysboham]

it's litterally 50 bucks more so... not really for a ultra budget pc.

[@R3AL-AIM]

@@ekysboham Yeah, but for $50 more, you're getting GTX 970 performance lol

[@ekysboham]

@@R3AL-AIM my comment was 1 year ago but okay

[@KamiSamaPIANIST]

can i add a RTX A200??

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Do you mean a a2000, I don’t know of a model a200 GPU. I believe the a2000 should work but do not have access to one for testing.

[@barhamlateef1733]

I have a question can you run fortnite on it

[@MAX_DARKIAN]

Bro get keeps it will help I use it

[@karensee2893]

Next add external psu and 3090ti

[@_....____......_]

Dell 3010 + 3090ti = 🔥💥⚰️

[@jeffsenecal4168]

Wow

[@afertsadefs]

Can I put a Core i7-2600S to this? Thanks.

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Yea that chip should work. The s models are a tdp limited version.

[@Livesuncut]

The i7 2600 does not fit this motherboard do not buy

[@shootscoot883]

I got my son a optiplex sff gamer build online it came with upgraded ram and storage I just don't have a graphics card!!!! I don't really know what to get I'm not very tech savvy!!! What would you suggest??? I can afford around $150 on one if that's possible!

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Thrvbedt option around your budget would be a gtx 1650 low profile. A rx6400 would be a little bit slower, and is normally a bit cheaper. Other cards like the gt1030 would be cheaper but would below optimal performance in many games.

[@shootscoot883]

@@ElectronicsWizardry Thank you!!

[@shootscoot883]

@@ElectronicsWizardry hello I got the rx6400 and my optiplex is saying unsupported video configuration!!! All the videos I'm finding to fix this solution isn't helping and all the examples they use have vga my rx 6400 has an hdmi and a display port! When I install the graphics card it gives me that message do you have any suggestions? Thanks!!

[@ElectronicsWizardry]

Is your monitor plugged into the ports on the graphics card or the motherboard. I believe if a discrete gpu is added then the inter graded graphics is disabled. If you want vga out I’d get a hdmi or displayport to vga adapter.

[@catman256able]