Dell Optiplex 980 Small Form Factor Upgrade

[marcus_4]

Hello people, I'm new here, and this is my first thread, so please help with answers. I got a Dell Optiplex 980 Small Form Factor machine for free, and want to upgrade it to an awesome workstation-esque machine. I would be doing some 3d design/rendering, possibly photoshop, probably some video editing, and a few other semi demanding programs. I don't plan to game on this, but I probably could. The reason it was free was because of something wrong with it, most likely the graphics card. I am aware that with it being a SFF machine it will be hard to find powerful parts that fit, without transferring to a new case. I am not willing to do this, and would like to keep the original case. On this thread I would like advice on the parts I already ordered, and suggestions for the remaining parts left to order. This is also a 5-year-old machine, and I am ok with that.
So, current machine specs:

Cpu: Dual-core Intel Core i5-680 3.6ghz (First Gen Clarkdale, LGA 1156 Socket)

PSU: Dinky Stock Dell power supply, 235 watts (L235P-01)

RAM: 4gb 2x2 Nanya 1333mhz DDR3
(The mobo has 4 DIMM slots, 2 are currently taken up, 1333mhz is max speed)

Mobo: Dell Optiplex 980 SFF C522T Motherboard

Cooler: Dell T278R, U124R, Optiplex 980 SFF Small Form Factor CPU Processor Cooling 5-Pin Heatsink Fan Bracket/Shroud Assembly Compatible Part Numbers: T278R, U124R, (Assembly) DW014, X104R, (Fan), R500R, W126R (Heatsink)

GPU: Ati radeon 109-b62941-00 low profile (probably broken, being replaced)

HDD: 250gb 7200rpm 2.5in Seagate Momentus

I think that's about it. Tell me if I forgot anything. Now comes the fun part, what I already ordered and explanations for the parts.

DNO= Did not order

Cpu: DNO, but would consider upgrading to quad core i5 or i7, within reasonable price

PSU: Solid Gear TFX12V 350-Watts Power Supply SDGR-TFX350
http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Gear-TFX12V-350-Watts-SDGR-TFX350/dp/B00A8ZZWYQ
(I chose this one because the card required a minimum of 300 watts, and I wanted overhead. It had pretty good amazon reviews, and is one of the only ones that will fit inside my case with that wattage. All dimensions are the same, except length, and that's a special story. The Dell PSU is about 8.3 inches long, but at about 6 inches the power supply become shorter, about half the height. this weird shape is to accommodate the DVD-RW drive, and you can look up the PSU to see what I mean. The new one is a solid box, and doesn't have any weird shape changes on it. It is, however, 6.9 inches long. I need some right angle cable adapters to make the DVD-RW drive work, and I hope it fits.)

RAM: Kingston Technology ValueRAM 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-ValueRAM-KVR1333D3N9-8G/dp/B0069RXHF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434421044&sr=8-1&keywords=ram+ddr3+8gb+1333mhz+desktop
(My plan is to insert this into an extra slot on the mobo, and leave the existing ram. Computer has max of 16gb, this would put me at 12gb. If I wanted to go all the way, I could add another 4gb stick, or replace the Nanya with another 8gb module)

Mobo: DNO, do not plan to upgrade unless completely necessary, for example, completely fried.

Cooler: DNO, but might upgrade for better overclocking

GPU: EVGA GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR5 64bit DVI/HDMI/VGA Low Profile Graphics Card 02G-P3-3733-KR
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Profile-Graphics-02G-P3-3733-KR/dp/B00L5GZG5C?
(I got the actively cooled 64bit, and chose this because it's one of the best low profile, and has the GDDR5 2gb)

HDD: DNO, might have larger capacity laying around, need to look, would replace with affordable SSD if awesome deal emerges, might also be broken, IDK

Along with this stuff, I bought an adapter for the DVD-RW drive from the power supply, which was necessary, and some thermal compound. How did I do on parts? Is the PSU usable, and can the GPU perform well enough? Is this going to be a good machine? Should I upgrade any of the CPU, cooler, or HDD? I am perfectly fine without upgrading the CPU or HDD, but was to consider the cooler if it would give me better thermal and overclocking performance. I also am considering getting a PCI USB 3.0 card, but I'm not sure it would work. A wireless card might be nice too, but I don't know about the slots, so I can't give you much information, and please tell me if it's possible. That's all for now, and I appreciate your feedback/suggestions.

 

[ffg7]

strip the parts out of that dell & put them in a new mid size case as you'll run into a problem with the dell case & new psu. is that a typo on the 2.5" hd when usually 3.5"?

 

[marcus_4]

strip the parts out of that dell & put them in a new mid size case as you'll run into a problem with the dell case & new psu. is that a typo on the 2.5" hd when usually 3.5"?

Um, no. I have already said I won't buy a new case. It seems unnecessary when I have a perfectly good and working case right here. Also, having a SFF powerful machine is awesome, and really appealing to me. What is the problem with the case and PSU? Please elaborate, as I don't believe there is one. The hard drive was not a typo. I did mean 2.5" HDD, as it is a SFF computer. They exist, and are put in smaller machines.

 

[marcus_4]

Ok, I have done a bit more research on the PCI/PCIe thing. the machine has two low profile I/O shield grill vent thingies. The top one is for PCIe x16, and will be used for my graphics card. It is a black port, where there (left to right) is the big slot, the small slot (connected) and then the I/O grill. The second and bottom I/O grill is in front of a PCI port. It is similar in size to the PCIe, and an off white color. The thing I'm a little worried about for this is that the order (from left to right) goes small slot, big slot (connected), I/O grill. Is that normal and good? I also have a PCIe x1 port, but it does not have access to an I/O grill. Can I still use this? With the 3 ports I mentioned (PCIe x16, PCI, PCIe x1), the PCIe x16 is occupied by my graphics card, Leaving the PCI and PCIe x1 empty. Just remember, the PCIe x1 has no access to I/O, sooo... yeah. I am willing to use adapters to PCIe x16, but I'm not sure they will fit. What do I want to get out of these slots? It would be good to have some high speed I/O, since it is capped at usb 2.0. If it is possible to have USB 3.0 and Thunderbolot 2.0 on the same card, that would be perfect. Maybe 2-3 USB and 1 thunderbolt. But I don't know if that works or exists, and it would also have to connect to PCI, unless I used an adapter. Anyone seen anything like that? A PCIe-based SSD would also be nice, but those are expensive and somewhat unnecessary. But if anyone sees a great deal, and it would work with my stuff, let me know. The last expansion thing I might want is a wireless card. Ethernet isn't easy to find in my house (1gb), and I could move the machine, you know, cause it's SFF. So, can what I want to do (Top priority: High speed I/O, and WiFi) be done with these available expansion slots?

 

[ffg7]

wireless can be thru an usb wireless adapter that can be plugged into front of case if the wireless source is in front so that the metal frame does not interfere with wireless signal if using a card with antennas.

 

[Alabalcho]

@Marcus,
Check the Service Manual . You won't be able to replace the motherboard with off-the-shelf mobo - the boards used in this SFF is "BTX" format (note the inverted location of slots on page 12). Front panel interface also is custom for that board.

YOu will see troubles with power supply (page 60) - you won't be able to find powerfull power supply in this weird form.

So, before you get very enthusiastic (and spend any money) how you will get paint from f56t - check that manual.

 

[ko888]

The LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORP L235P-01 power supply has a maximum +12 Volt continuous current rating of 17 Amps. That's enough to handle a low profile GeForce GTX 750 Ti without having to replace the power supply.

 

[marcus_4]

The LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORP L235P-01 power supply has a maximum +12 Volt continuous current rating of 17 Amps. That's enough to handle a low profile GeForce GTX 750 Ti without having to replace the power supply.

Ok, thanks. The GPU was rated at minimum 300 watts, and while I had heard that that figure wasn't really accurate, and lower wattage PSUs could output enough power needed, I didn't want to risk it. But it makes a good backup plan.

 

[ko888]

The LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORP L235P-01 power supply has a maximum +12 Volt continuous current rating of 17 Amps. That's enough to handle a low profile GeForce GTX 750 Ti without having to replace the power supply.

Ok, thanks. The GPU was rated at minimum 300 watts, and while I had heard that that figure wasn't really accurate, and lower wattage PSUs could output enough power needed, I didn't want to risk it. But it makes a good backup plan.

If you read the customer reviews here there are a couple of customers that are using the MSI N750ti-2GD5TLP in their Dell Optiplex 780 or 760 SFF with the original 235W power supply.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127836

 

[marcus_4]

@Marcus,
Check the Service Manual . You won't be able to replace the motherboard with off-the-shelf mobo - the boards used in this SFF is "BTX" format (note the inverted location of slots on page 12). Front panel interface also is custom for that board.

YOu will see troubles with power supply (page 60) - you won't be able to find powerfull power supply in this weird form.

So, before you get very enthusiastic (and spend any money) how you will get paint from f56t - check that manual.

Ok, so I checked out the service manual, thanks for that link. I had found a similar manual online, but not with that much detail or information. Just to be clear, I do not plan to replace the mobo. Even though it is old, I will use the existing one. I mentioned needing a new one if the one was completely fried, but if that happened I would basically be rebuilding the PC from scratch, or scrapping the project. BTW, I think the motherboard is fine, because I successfully booted Xubuntu off a USB stick.

So onto the next thing. I am aware that the PSU I chose has different dimensions, but it is only longer, not taller or wider. I knew getting into this that I would need a (by the books) more powerful PSU to make the graphics work, and I found out pretty early that I wasn't going to find that shape in a powerful wattage. But I still believe this PSU can work. The Dell has that cutout shape to make room for the optical drive. There is about 1 1/2" between the start of the cutout and the optical drive. That makes room for connectors and some cable management. See this picture: (sorry for bad quality and stuff, I couldn't really take one, so this is actually of a 780 I found online, but it looks similar)
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qk9MUAiWiLM/maxresdefault.jpg

So the new PSU doesn't have that cutout, and fills up about half the space originally from said cutout. By using new right angle cables, and routing them underneath, I think I can save enough space to fit the new PSU. And if I can't, will use the old one and hope it can support the components, like ko888 suggested.

Also, what do you mean by "how will you get paint from f56t"? Was that a typo? Do I need paint? What is f56t?

One last thing. Because of that manual, I now know that there is a stock optiplex wireless card, but mine didn't come with it. Instead, there is just a gap where it would be. So I now know what wireless card I'm getting. That manual is super helpful, thanks again.

 

[bambiboom]

Hello people, I'm new here, and this is my first thread, so please help with answers. I got a Dell Optiplex 980 Small Form Factor machine for free, and want to upgrade it to an awesome workstation-esque machine. I would be doing some 3d design/rendering, possibly photoshop, probably some video editing, and a few other semi demanding programs. I don't plan to game on this, but I probably could. The reason it was free was because of something wrong with it, most likely the graphics card. I am aware that with it being a SFF machine it will be hard to find powerful parts that fit, without transferring to a new case. I am not willing to do this, and would like to keep the original case. On this thread I would like advice on the parts I already ordered, and suggestions for the remaining parts left to order. This is also a 5-year-old machine, and I am ok with that.
So, current machine specs:

Cpu: Dual-core Intel Core i5-680 3.6ghz (First Gen Clarkdale, LGA 1156 Socket)

PSU: Dinky Stock Dell power supply, 235 watts (L235P-01)

RAM: 4gb 2x2 Nanya 1333mhz DDR3
(The mobo has 4 DIMM slots, 2 are currently taken up, 1333mhz is max speed)

Mobo: Dell Optiplex 980 SFF C522T Motherboard

Cooler: Dell T278R, U124R, Optiplex 980 SFF Small Form Factor CPU Processor Cooling 5-Pin Heatsink Fan Bracket/Shroud Assembly Compatible Part Numbers: T278R, U124R, (Assembly) DW014, X104R, (Fan), R500R, W126R (Heatsink)

GPU: Ati radeon 109-b62941-00 low profile (probably broken, being replaced)

HDD: 250gb 7200rpm 2.5in Seagate Momentus

I think that's about it. Tell me if I forgot anything. Now comes the fun part, what I already ordered and explanations for the parts.

DNO= Did not order

Cpu: DNO, but would consider upgrading to quad core i5 or i7, within reasonable price

PSU: Solid Gear TFX12V 350-Watts Power Supply SDGR-TFX350
http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Gear-TFX12V-350-Watts-SDGR-TFX350/dp/B00A8ZZWYQ
(I chose this one because the card required a minimum of 300 watts, and I wanted overhead. It had pretty good amazon reviews, and is one of the only ones that will fit inside my case with that wattage. All dimensions are the same, except length, and that's a special story. The Dell PSU is about 8.3 inches long, but at about 6 inches the power supply become shorter, about half the height. this weird shape is to accommodate the DVD-RW drive, and you can look up the PSU to see what I mean. The new one is a solid box, and doesn't have any weird shape changes on it. It is, however, 6.9 inches long. I need some right angle cable adapters to make the DVD-RW drive work, and I hope it fits.)

RAM: Kingston Technology ValueRAM 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-ValueRAM-KVR1333D3N9-8G/dp/B0069RXHF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434421044&sr=8-1&keywords=ram+ddr3+8gb+1333mhz+desktop
(My plan is to insert this into an extra slot on the mobo, and leave the existing ram. Computer has max of 16gb, this would put me at 12gb. If I wanted to go all the way, I could add another 4gb stick, or replace the Nanya with another 8gb module)

Mobo: DNO, do not plan to upgrade unless completely necessary, for example, completely fried.

Cooler: DNO, but might upgrade for better overclocking

GPU: EVGA GeForce GT 730 2GB GDDR5 64bit DVI/HDMI/VGA Low Profile Graphics Card 02G-P3-3733-KR
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Profile-Graphics-02G-P3-3733-KR/dp/B00L5GZG5C?
(I got the actively cooled 64bit, and chose this because it's one of the best low profile, and has the GDDR5 2gb)

HDD: DNO, might have larger capacity laying around, need to look, would replace with affordable SSD if awesome deal emerges, might also be broken, IDK

Along with this stuff, I bought an adapter for the DVD-RW drive from the power supply, which was necessary, and some thermal compound. How did I do on parts? Is the PSU usable, and can the GPU perform well enough? Is this going to be a good machine? Should I upgrade any of the CPU, cooler, or HDD? I am perfectly fine without upgrading the CPU or HDD, but was to consider the cooler if it would give me better thermal and overclocking performance. I also am considering getting a PCI USB 3.0 card, but I'm not sure it would work. A wireless card might be nice too, but I don't know about the slots, so I can't give you much information, and please tell me if it's possible. That's all for now, and I appreciate your feedback/suggestions.

marcus_4,

Optiplex 980's fall into the relatively modern era as they can use i5 and i7's with DDR3 RAM and can have a quite reasonable performance. The highest rated Optiplex 980 in Passmark Performance Test:

System Rating = 2411, CPU=8654, 2D=778, 3D=3995, Mem= 2164 , Disk = 590

This system's components:

i7-2600 , GTX 750ti, Seagate ST3500418AS, 8GB RAM

The highest scores in each category:

CPU=8654 (i7-2600)
2D=778 (GTX 750ti)
3D=3995 (GTX 750ti)
Mem= 2164 (8GB in the top rated system)
Disk = 3766 (Intel RAID 0 Volume) No. 2 = 2563 (Samsung 840 Pro)

Others have mentioned the space limitations of the power supply which is proprietary in the small from factor and may be limited to 255W. Looking at photos of the inside of the case of one of these, I can't explain why the power supply is notched in that peculiar way, but it must be sufficient to run the i7-870 (4-core @ 2.93 3.6GHz).

http://ark.intel.com/products/41315/Intel-Core-i7-870-Processor-8M-Cache-2_93-GHz

The turbo speed is in the modern range and the highest Passmark CPU score is 5902 for an i7-870- quite good. The GTX 750 ti appears to do very well in the 980 and it's fortunate that newer cards use less power. While the recommended minimum PSU fro a 750ti is 300W, the GTX 750 ti uses only 60W, so the power supply is again an issue that needs more research, but may be possible. Again, looking at photos, I don't see why a full size PSU wouldn't fit. So you might measure the space in you system and then check the dimensions of new power supplies.

I'm all for getting old systems going as well as possible for small investment. I was given two systems by an architectural firm and they responded well to about $100 each, particularly this one:

Precision 390 (2006) (Original): Core2 Duo 6300 dual-core @ 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR2 667 > Quadro FX550 > 2X WD 320GB . Windows XP Pro 32-bit
[ Passmark system rating =397, CPU = 587 / 2D= 248 / 3D=75 / Mem=585 / Disk = 552 ]

> which after about $125 became:

Dell Precision 390 (2006) (Revised): Xeon X3230 quad-core @ 2.67GHz > 8 GB DDR2 ECC 667 > Firepro V4900 (1GB) > 2X WD 320GB >Linksys WMP600N WiFi > Dell 24" > 1920 X 1200 > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating = 1458, CPU = 3699 / 2D= 431 / 3D=1350 / Mem= 885 / Disk=552

And which will be significantly improved when I add the parts left over from upgrading another Precision :

PERC 6/i SAS/SATA RAID controller, 146GB and 300GB 15K SAS drives from Dell Precision T5500 (Original)

The T5500:.

Purchased for $171:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) (Original): Xeon E5620 quad core @ 2.4 / 2.6 GHz > 6GB DDR3 ECC Reg 1333 > Quadro FX 580 (512MB) > Dell PERC 6/i SAS /SATA controller > Seagate Cheetah 15K 146GB > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating = 1479 / CPU = 4067 / 2D= 520 / 3D= 311 / Mem= 1473 / Disk= 1208]

And after about $700:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) (Revised) > Xeon X5680 six -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, 24GB DDR3 ECC 1333 > Quadro 4000 (2GB ) > Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > Linksys WMP600N PCI WiFi > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3339 / CPU = 9347 / 2D= 684 / 3D= 2030 / Mem= 1871 / Disk= 2234]

Pending upgrade: PERC H310 PCIe SAS /SATA RAID controller, 2X WD Black 1TB (RAID 1)(Converts disk system from 3GB/s to 6GB/s)

As always, the effort and expense may not be rewarded with fantastic performance or dales value, but with some research and patient Ebahh shopping the cost /performance is excellent. If compare Passmark points per dollar of the Precision 390 to the HP z420 system listed below the numbers are $.11 per point for the 390 while the HP z420 is about $.77 per point.

I think you could have a reasonably good system for your uses. However, if the motherboard is defective and you need a new workstation system, I'd highly recommend looking at Dell Precision T3500's which can be purchased for very little- $80-100 with slower CPU's and be changed up to the Xeon W3690 6-core @ 3.47 /3.73GHz.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 /4.0GHz > 16GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K2200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z2300 > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 4918 > CPU= 13941 / 2D= 823 / 3D=3464 / Mem= 2669 / Disk= 4764]

 

[marcus_4]

Ok guys, I know it's been A while, I went on vacation, and when I came back my parts had arrived. GPU works fine, and I happy with it. The cooler was pretty large, so I did a mod on the hard drive tray. Fits now. The PSU didnt fit, but not because of the weird cutout on the dell, for the dvd drive. It was just a bit too large and didnt fit in the case. AMAzon allowed me to return it and for now I'm using the stock PSU. If you come across a 320+ watt psu that fits in my case, notify me. My new ram cam, works great. IDK about usb 3.0, since the other bracket is taken up by vga. Oh well. I'm about to go order that dell wifi card.