Can a Dell OptiPlex 170L be used as a simple NAS in 2017?

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pmedia_yt

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May 30, 2017
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Hey all. I'm just wondering if I can use an OptiPlex 170L as a simple NAS setup. I have a low budget, so this is all I can invest until I build up some more money. I know I should get a more modern PC like an Inspiron desktop, but as I said, I have a low budget right now. Any help would be appreciated. :)
 
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BuddhaSkoota


I have a PC with similar specs running Open Media Vault, which is designed to run well on PCs with older processors. I've been using it as a media server, security camera DVR and backup solution for a couple of years. It's been a great NAS system and I haven't had any problems with it.

That Dell originally shipped with 512MB RAM, so you'll need to upgrade it if you don't have at least 1GB. The board supports 2GB...
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I have a PC with similar specs running Open Media Vault, which is designed to run well on PCs with older processors. I've been using it as a media server, security camera DVR and backup solution for a couple of years. It's been a great NAS system and I haven't had any problems with it.

That Dell originally shipped with 512MB RAM, so you'll need to upgrade it if you don't have at least 1GB. The board supports 2GB, which is what I would recommend getting since it can be found for cheap.

Also, the OS needs to be on its own physical drive (separate from the data drives), but it can be run from a USB drive.

 
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pmedia_yt,

The Dell OptiPlex 170L supports 2GB of 333MHz PC2700 memory (low bandwidth, low speed) IDE disk (Low bandwidth, low transfer rates) , and a single core Celeron of up to 2.4GHz. As apparently, there are no empty slots and if there is even support for a dedicated graphic card, it will be AGP, and limited to VGA resolution.

I think this is falling into the category of a system that will not have a usefulness beyond single task, word processing and streaming. This is not impossible as system to run a streaming, media playback system, but the video output would be limited to standard VGA.

It's possible on some level, but I think you can do quite a bit better without spending a lot. Consider instead something like this:

Dell Precision T3500 PC Intel Xeon W3540 4-core @ 2.93 / 3.2GHz 4GB RAM Quadro FX 1800 No HDD > sold for $41.

That particular would need to add an HD, but it can support a a string of SATAII drives with partitions up to 2TB. A PERC H310 RAID controller can be added fro about 450 that changes the disk to 6GB/s and you can use 32 SAS drives. There's a good server potential for the future.

And that runs up to 6-core, 3.5 /3.7GHz CPU's, 24GB DDR3-1333 RAM, and SATAII drives. These are beautifully built, have reasonable multiple applications performance using current software, the W3540 which cost $600 new is strong enough for moderate 3D CAD, a solid disk system supporting RAID, it c has a 525W power supply and two GPU slots, extremely reliable- made to run long hours continuously under heavy load, a good upgrade potential, and have good support.

There are of course a lot of obsolete systems around and have a look at Dell Optiplex 780's:

Dell OptiPlex 780 MT PC Computer, Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz, 4GB > sold for $10

And you would be way ahead from the start with either of those as compared to the 170L.

Cheers,

BambiBoom



 
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A NAS doesn't need a dedicated graphics card, since configuration is done via web interface. You might be confusing this with an HTPC.
 
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I'll see how it goes.
 
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Yes, I think he is. Thanks for the help! :)
 
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pmedia_yt and BuddhaSkoota,

I'm not confused. The Optiplex 170L the system could be used for the the function described at a minimum level. However, minimum is really minimum. There are 17 Optiplex 170L systems listed in Passmark results and the highest rated system is a Pentium 4 3GHz at 71.0, and that's a Pentium 4. The highest rated Celeron system is rated at 43.9 which is the lowest score of any system I've ever seen. The CPU score is 252 / 2D Mark: 203 / 3D: 4 / Memory: 288 / Disk 342. This is really terrible in every way. it may not be an applicable negative, but keep in mind that the maximum 2GB of RAM will not run 64-bit Windows.

My point was to consider investing the cost and effort that would spent on the Optiplex 170L on a system a few generations newer would result in much better performance in every way, could use modern components with a much larger selection, and be more versatile, expandable, and be resold.

I'm all for keeping the old bangers going, but there is simply a limit on what is a smart use of time and money. In the back room of the office is a 1998 Dell T700R PIII 750 MHz- $2,800 new and 2004 Dell Dimension 8400 P4 3.2GHz single core that work well, but I would not spend money on either. When we needed a new backup / banger, it was a $53 Dell Precision T3500 that was upgraded as it will run all our current software at reasonable speed.

These are the Passmark test results for the $53 Precision T3500 as purchased:

Dell Precision T3500 (2011) (Original) Xeon W3530 4-core @ 2.8 /3.06GHz > 4GB (2X 2GB) DDR3-1333 ECC > GeForce 9800 GT (1GB)> WD Black 500GB> 525W> Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[Passmark system rating = 1963, CPU = 4482 / 2D= 609 / 3D=805 / Mem= 1409 / Disk=1048]

And as upgraded. The CPU was $50, RAM: $38, and the GPU and drives were hand me downs from a Dell Precision T5500 that was upgraded:

Dell Precision T3500 (2011) (Revision 2) Xeon X5677 4-core @ 3.46 / 3.73GHz > 12GB (6X 2GB) DDR3-1333 ECC > Quadro 4000 (2GB) > PERC 6/i + Seagate 300GB 15K SAS ST3300657SS + WD Black 500GB > 525W PSU> Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > 2X Dell 19" LCD
[Passmark system rating = 2751> CPU = 7236 / 2D= 658 / 3D=2020 / Mem= 1875 / Disk=1221]

Certainly, give it try and if you're satisfied - which would require an astoundingly low threshold of acceptable performance, ultimately that's all that matters, only consider the project in terms of investment.

Upgrading is my favorite computer game.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

CAD / 3D Modeling / Graphic Design:

HP z620_2 (2017) > Xeon E5-1680 v2 (8-core@ 4.1GHz) / 64GB DDR3-1866 ECC Reg / Quadro P2000 5GB / HP Z Turbo Drive M.2 256GB + Intel 730 480GB + Seagate Constellation ES.3 1TB / ASUS Essence STX PCIe sound card / 825W PSU / Windows 7 Prof.’l 64-bit > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) / Logitech z2300 2.1 Sound

[Passmark Rating = 6166 / CPU rating = 16934 / 2D = 820 / 3D= 8849 / Mem = 2991 / Disk = 13794] 4.24.17 Single Thread Mark = 2252

Analysis / Simulation / Rendering:

HP z620_1 (2012) (Rev 3) 2X Xeon E5-2690 (8-core @ 2.9 / 3.8GHz) / 64GB DDR3-1600 ECC reg) / Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Tesla M2090 (6GB) / HP Z Turbo Drive (256GB) + Samsung 850 Evo 250GB + Seagate Constellation ES.3 (1TB) / Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCIe sound card + Logitech z313 2.1 speakers / 800W / Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > > HP 2711x (27" 1980 X 1080)
[ Passmark System Rating= 5675 / CPU= 22625 / 2D= 815 / 3D = 3580 / Mem = 2522 / Disk = 12640 ] 9.25.16 Single Thread Mark = 1903
 
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Sorry. Well, when I booted it up today (asked about it in advance) it was running Windows XP Service Pack 3. These are the currently known specs of this specific 170L:
Dell BIOS AO7 (AO9 will be installed later)
Intel Celeron clocked @ 2.4GHz (will upgrade at some point, although it serves me fine for now)
Maxtor 80GB IDE Hard Drive (not dead, amazingly!)
512MB Hynix RAM
A jammed IDE Optical Drive (damn)
1x Dual modem card

I will (eventually) upgrade the Celeron to a P4 and max out the RAM to 2GB. Does anyone know what socket the 170L's motherboard uses?
 
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It should be a socket 478. The board should support a P4, 3.2GHz, 800FSB.

The optical drive shouldn't be an issue, as long as you can boot from USB. In any case, you should be able to use that slot for a future HDD addition.
 
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pmedia_yt,

My error. For some reason I thought you were only thinking of buying the 170L. Otherwise I wouldn't have gone on about a different system.

The socket for the 170L is 478,

Here's the handy 143 page Users Guide.

It uses the 865-GV chipset and here is a list of the Pentium 4's that work. On Passmark results for the 170L, The highest CPU marks are for the Pentium 4 3.0, so it's not guaranteed that the 3,2 or 3.4 will work, but they should do That may depend on having the latest BIOS and chipset driver, which should be done first thing when upgrading. Go to dell.com support / drivers. It appears that a P4 3.4GHz costs about $15 these days.

RK80531PC021G0K, Single-core, 1.5 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80531PC025G0K / BX80531NK160G

RK80531PC025G0K, Single-core, 1.6 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80531PC029G0K / BX80531NK170G

RK80531PC029G0K, Single-core, 1.7 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80531PC033G0K / BX80531NK180G

RK80531PC033G0K, Single-core, 1.8 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80531PC037G0K / BX80531NK190G

RK80531PC037G0K, Single-core, 1.9 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80531PC041G0K / BX80531NK200G

RK80531PC041G0K, Single-core, 2 GHz, 400FSB, 256KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC025512 / BX80532PC1600D

RK80532PC025512, Single-core, 1.6 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC029512

RK80532PC029512, Single-core, 1.7 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC033512 / BX80532PC1800D

RK80532PC033512, Single-core, 1.8 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC037512

RK80532PC037512, Single-core, 1.9 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC041512 / BX80532PC2000D

RK80532PC041512, Single-core, 2 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC049512 / BX80532PC2200D

RK80532PC049512, Single-core, 2.2 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC056512 / BX80532PC2400D

RK80532PC056512, Single-core, 2.4 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC060512 / BX80532PC2500D

RK80532PC060512, Single-core, 2.5 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC064512 / BX80532PC2600D

RK80532PC064512, Single-core, 2.6 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC072512

RK80532PC072512, Single-core, 2.8 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PC080512

RK80532PC080512, Single-core, 3 GHz, 400FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE051512 / BX80532PE2266D
RK80546PE051512

RK80532PE051512, Single-core, 2.26 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE056512 / BX80532PE2400D

RK80532PE056512, Single-core, 2.4 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE061512 / BX80532PE2533D

RK80532PE061512, Single-core, 2.53 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE067512 / BX80532PE2667D

RK80532PE067512, Single-core, 2.66 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE072512 / BX80532PE2800D

RK80532PE072512, Single-core, 2.8 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Socket 478
RK80532PE083512 / BX80532PE3066D

RK80532PE083512, Single-core, 3.06 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG056512 / BX80532PG2400D

RK80532PG056512, Single-core, 2.4 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG064512 / BX80532PG2600D

RK80532PG064512, Single-core, 2.6 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, 69 Watt, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG072512 / BX80532PG2800D

RK80532PG072512, Single-core, 2.8 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG080512 / BX80532PG3000D

RK80532PG080512, Single-core, 3 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG088512 / BX80532PG3200D

RK80532PG088512, Single-core, 3.2 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, 82 Watt, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80532PG096512 / BX80532PG3400D

RK80532PG096512, Single-core, 3.4 GHz, 800FSB, 512KB L2, 89 Watt, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80546PE051512

RK80546PE051512, Single-core, 2.26 GHz, 533FSB, 512KB L2, 89 Watt, Socket 478
RK80546PE0721M / BX80546PE2800E

RK80546PE0721M, Single-core, 2.8 GHz, 533FSB, 1MB L2, 89 Watt, Socket 478
RK80546PG0721M / BX80546PG2800E

RK80546PG0721M, Single-core, 2.8 GHz, 800FSB, 1MB L2, 89 Watt, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80546PG0801M / BX80546PG3000E

RK80546PG0801M, Single-core, 3 GHz, 800FSB, 1MB L2, 89 Watt, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80546PG0881M / BX80546PG3200E

RK80546PG0881M, Single-core, 3.2 GHz, 800FSB, 1MB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478
RK80546PG0961M / BX80546PG3400E

RK80546PG0961M, Single-core, 3.4 GHz, 800FSB, 1MB L2, Hyper-Threading, Socket 478

The P4's are 89W, so if you do change the CPU, watch the CPU temperature carefully at first. If it is running high, look for an uprated fan /heatsink assembly for the 170L:

New Genuine Dell Optiplex GX270 170L Desktop CPU Fan Heatsink U4913 Y8675 F5006 > $13

If the IDE drive is dead, the 170L has a PCI slot and you might look into a PCI card that changes the controller from IDE to SATA and that will provide a faster disk speed. Here's the first one I ran across on Ebay:

PCI To 3 SATA + 1 IDE Combo Controller Adapter Card Converter VIA6421 Chip AC388 > $11.32

Run the OS and programs in a partition or separate small drive and the data on another and defrag often.

Cheers,

BambiBoom
 
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