Dell Optiplex 745 CPU Upgrade

[Guest]

Hi, I own a Dell Optiplex 745 Desktop and I want to upgrade from the Pentium D inside of it right now. I was wondering if this CPU would be compatible with my hardware:
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Q6600-Quad-Core-Processor-Cache/dp/B000LRMR26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336245023&sr=8-1 If not are there any other Quad-cores that will work with my machine? At very least I would prefer a Core 2 Duo. Here are my Processor Specs (Sorry for the Extra Info.) Number of cores 2 (max 2)
Number of threads 2 (max 2)
Name Intel Pentium D 925
Codename Presler
Specification Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz
Package (platform ID) Socket 775 LGA (0x2)
CPUID F.6.5
Extended CPUID F.6
Core Stepping D0
Technology 65 nm
Core Speed 2396.5 MHz
Multiplier x FSB 12.0 x 199.7 MHz
Rated Bus speed 798.8 MHz
Stock frequency 3000 MHz
Instructions sets MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
L1 Data cache 2 x 16 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
Trace cache 2 x 12 Kuops, 8-way set associative
L2 cache 2 x 2048 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
FID/VID Control yes
FID range 14.0x - 15.0x
VID range 1.116 V - 1.324 V

 

[87ninefiveone]

We would need your motherboard model to give you a good answer. Google and download a program called, CPU-Z and see what it reports as your motherboard model. Alternatively, you can open up your case and look for a model number.

The problem is that the LGA 775 socket was used for so long, 4-5 years, and includes everything from Pentium 4 90nm chips all the way up through the Q9000 series Core 2 Quads. Many of the early boards supporting P4 and P4D boards don't support Core 2, or Core 2 Quad chips. Some support only early Core 2 chips, and other later run stuff supports it all.

The good news is that Dell kept updating your BIOS through 2010...see here...

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriverDetails/DriverFileFormats?c=us&s=dhs&cs=19&l=en&DriverId=R261239

That means there's a halfway decent chance you'll be able to support newer chips, but again we need the motherboard model number to give a 100% certain answer.

 

[87ninefiveone]

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_745techspecs.pdf

Found that, the best you can do according to it is the E6000 series of Core 2 chips, which should also include the Q6600 or Q6700. Newer 45nm chips from the E/Q8000 or 9000 series will not work. So, to answer your original question yes, the Q6600 will work fine.

 

[Guest]

Great thanks. I'm planning to add a bew GPU and the Quad core for gaming.

 

[87ninefiveone]

Be aware that when adding a GPU you'll need to upgrade your power supply as well. Even the tower model (not sure which you have of the four listed), only has 305W PSU. You'll need a 400-500W PSU to run a decent graphics card.

 

[Guest]

Thanks I'm keeping that in mind.

 

[delluser1]

Thanks I'm keeping that in mind.

Not to be a buzzkill, but you can't upgrade the oddball psu in that box

 

[Guest]

Yea I know, it would be nice if Dell made their machines halfway customizable. A couple GPUs should work though, I believe (Not really high quality ones)

 

[Guest]

Best answer selected by greendayxx66.

 

[87ninefiveone]

Yea I know, it would be nice if Dell made their machines halfway customizable. A couple GPUs should work though, I believe (Not really high quality ones)

You would probably be okay with some of the PCIe slot powered GPUs like the HD 6670, or 7670. The saving grace is that Dell PSU's are typically pretty decent and underated in regards to wattage. But if you figure it's good for 350W (rated 305W), then the spec sheet said something like 75% efficiency, which knocks it down to 250W or so, and further consider that not all of that is on the same voltage rail then it really is cutting it close with the stock PSU. Under full load the GPU and CPU could be pulling in a combined 175W+, add in other system components and it would tight. Unfortunately those machines are office grade and just weren't meant for any sort of heavy lifting.

 

[NephilimWraith]

To end any confusion with the upgrading of a dell optiplex 745 i want to just post that i currently own one with a q6600 cpu and a HiS radeon hd 7770 using a sata to 6pin pci adapter 1x pci wifi card 1x bluray/dvd burner 1x 750gb hdd 7200 rpm 1x 250gb hdd 7200 rpm all on a stock 305 watt psu and it runs fine and has never crashed or slowed down or anything

 

[Joseph Webster]

lf I had an Optiplex 745 and wanted to upgrade my cpu to a core 2 would i need to upgrade my psu? My graphic card is a Sapphire 5450

 

[PanhandleHardware]

Well, to anyone still interested in this topic let me give my 2 bits... With the newer dell nvidia 640 series featuring ddr5 bandwith (superior to the ddr3 versions don't kid yourself here) at $60 pulling amazing graphics at low wattage I see this as a upper mid level gamer at a few hundred bucks... I have 2, at the price of 1. Find 6 to 8 gigs of ddr2 800 ram (careful not all brands work in 2 gig sticks, XMS 2 ram at about $10 a gig works great.) A $50 q6700 quad core and your wei score in windows 7 should rate as mine..
7.2 Core 2 Quad q6700
7.2 2x2 gigs XMS 2 800 6400 and 2x1 gig
7.3 Nvidia 640 1gig DDR5 (older 640 with 2 gig DDR3 scores 7.1 in this rig)
7.3 Gaming Graphics
5.9 7200 RPM Sata 3.0 (testing a solid state this week)
A perfectly suitable gaming rig. All my games play on ultra.
I even added a pcie usb 3.0 controller card with the 2.5 inch drive bay converted to usb 3.0 for $25 and added a dell bluray rw for $40... I bought a refurbished pentium d 2.8 with Windows 7 for $89, it's not sata 6, but I've spent less than $300 total. With another $60 for a 120 gig ssd to be determined. My second 745 I decided to use the small form factor to match specs for my steamos media machine. Keep in mind on the SFF case there is no pcie slot for usb 3.0 or other controller. Just a video card slot. This video card in the 640 low profile ddr5 will set you back a bit more than the full size version. ASUS makes a nice quiet dust less heatsink version for about $100.

Just don't forget to update the bios with the original working hardware if possible before attempting any of these mods, you might meet with failures here.

 

[Robert Cook]

Upgrading the power supply is very easy with a mid tower case, or the largest size the optiplex comes in, (it is like a small mid atx case). I replaced the generic 305 watt one with a 650 watt one, as that was what I had laying around, as long as it is not too long, it will fit nicely, having modular capabilities helps. the real kicker in y mind, is the fact that DDR2 RAM is still not cheap, and that there is a 8 gig max on the standard generic board.

 

[tim2dope]

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_745techspecs.pdf

Found that, the best you can do according to it is the E6000 series of Core 2 chips, which should also include the Q6600 or Q6700. Newer 45nm chips from the E/Q8000 or 9000 series will not work. So, to answer your original question yes, the Q6600 will work fine.

i can confirm the q6600 g0 revision works i got this one because it had 10 watts tdp lower and i figured it will draw less power and 95 was the highest tdp on any officially supported processor (pentium d)

also the heat sink with a copper base is best to have if it had a dual core in it i think it has this but if it had a pentium 4 you will need to find a new heatsink as im pretty sure it is all aluminum