DELL Optiplex GX620 MT(Mini Tower) CPU Upgrade

[Joel Hamby]

I own an Optiplex GX620 MT(Mini Tower), Intel Pentium 4 - 3.0 Ghz, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Win 7 Pro 64

PSU DELL MODEL NO. L305P-00 305W Not sure on the amps. SEE PIC(of a -01 model)

http://cdn.overclock.net/2/2a/2a13762f_Dell_L305P-01_NH...

I am looking to upgrade my processor and get some quality years out of this machine. It was given to me in good shape already but I'm wanting to give it a boost. I've just found a new Graphics card for it, added some RAM and now I'm going for the big boy. Any suggestions of what to add that will be compatible and would make this sucker run even slicker? I don't know what the going rate is or what's available so I was thinking of $100 as a budget cap but that's not set in stone. If I can get grotesquely better performance by slapping another $50 down I'll gladly do it.

I run an HDMI cord from my computer to a RCVR that runs to my LCD TV and use it as my EVERYTHING monitor. I stream, I watch movies, I don't play many games seeing as my system doesn't have the power for it. That's what my 360 is for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bambiboom]

Joel Hanby,

The highest system rating for a Dell Optiplex GX620 on Passmark Performance Test:

Pentium D 950@ 3.4GHz / Radeon HD 6570 / Patriot Torqx 2 64GB SSD, 3GB RAM
Rating = 741, CPU= 810, 2D= 219, 3D= 494, Mem= 612, Disk= 1276

The highest CPU score is the Pentium D 950 with a score of 971.
The highest rating for 3D uses a GTX 750 scoring 1015.

As you may know , the Pentium D was Intel's first dual core CPU- actually a pair of Pentium 4's together. Pentium D's are not brilliant performers and were quickly replaced by Core 2 Duos.

So, if you'd like to stick with the GX620, it appears a Pentium D 950 is the way to go. However, another tactic, could be to sell the GX620, add the amount you're thinking of spending on upgrades, and you might find that you can buy a newer used system with a lot more potential for the same total investment.

I was given a Dell Dimension E520 with a Pentium D 830:

Dell Dimension E520 (2006) original: Pentium D 830 @ 3.0GHz, GeForce 7300LE, 2GB DDR2 667 , WD 320GB
Passmark system rating = 384, CPU = 613 / 2D= 248 / 3D=72 / Mem=562 / Disk = 522

Dell Dimension E520 Revised: Core2 Duo E6700 dual core @2.66GHz ($25)> 4GB DDR2 667 ($28)> GeForce GT440 (1GB GDDR5, $35) , WD 320GB > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit ($61)
Passmark system rating = 1219, CPU = 2024 / 2D= 457 / 3D=978 / Mem= 828 / Disk=576]

-so subtracting the cost of the system, the test rating was tripled for $150 and with the 3D peformance, this system is completely useable. I think that, overall, you could find a good Optiplex 960 for a reasonable cost and be way ahwead:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-960-Desktop-Core-2-Quad-2-66GHz-4GB-160GB-/311218710784?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item487614a900

- having a quad core Q9400 at 2.66, 4GB, for $150 - the amount I spent upgrading th E520 and only needing a decent GPU .

Just a thought.

Cheers,

Bambiboom

HP z420 (2014) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB DDR3 ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro K2200 (4GB)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H 2560 X 1440 > Windows 7 Ultimate 64 >[Passmark Rating = 4032 > CPU= 9247 / 2D= 821 / 3D=3263 / Mem= 2584 / Disk= 2470]

Dell Precision T5400 (2008) > 2X Xeon X5460 quad core @3.16GHz > 16GB DDR2 ECC 667> Quadro FX 4800 (1.5GB) > WD RE4 500GB / Seagate Barracuda 500GB > M-Audio 2496 Sound Card / Linksys 600N WiFi > HP 2711X, 27" 1920 X 1080 and and Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit > [Passmark system Rating = 1859, CPU = 8528 / 2D= 512 / 3D=1097]

 

[Joel Hamby]

Joel Hanby,

The highest system rating for a Dell Optiplex GX620 on Passmark Performance Test:

Pentium D 950@ 3.4GHz / Radeon HD 6570 / Patriot Torqx 2 64GB SSD, 3GB RAM
Rating = 741, CPU= 810, 2D= 219, 3D= 494, Mem= 612, Disk= 1276

The highest CPU score is the Pentium D 950 with a score of 971.
The highest rating for 3D uses a GTX 750 scoring 1015.

As you may know , the Pentium D was Intel's first dual core CPU- actually a pair of Pentium 4's together. Pentium D's are not brilliant performers and were quickly replaced by Core 2 Duos.

So, if you'd like to stick with the GX620, it appears a Pentium D 950 is the way to go. However, another tactic, could be to sell the GX620, add the amount you're thinking of spending on upgrades, and you might find that you can buy a newer used system with a lot more potential for the same total investment.

I was given a Dell Dimension E520 with a Pentium D 830:

Dell Dimension E520 (2006) original: Pentium D 830 @ 3.0GHz, GeForce 7300LE, 2GB DDR2 667 , WD 320GB
Passmark system rating = 384, CPU = 613 / 2D= 248 / 3D=72 / Mem=562 / Disk = 522

Dell Dimension E520 Revised: Core2 Duo E6700 dual core @2.66GHz ($25)> 4GB DDR2 667 ($28)> GeForce GT440 (1GB GDDR5, $35) , WD 320GB > 2X Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit ($61)
Passmark system rating = 1219, CPU = 2024 / 2D= 457 / 3D=978 / Mem= 828 / Disk=576]

-so subtracting the cost of the system, the test rating was tripled for $150 and with the 3D peformance, this system is completely useable. I think that, overall, you could find a good Optiplex 960 for a reasonable cost and be way ahwead:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-960-Desktop-Core-2-Quad-2-66GHz-4GB-160GB-/311218710784?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item487614a900

- having a quad core Q9400 at 2.66, 4GB, for $150 - the amount I spent upgrading th E520 and only needing a decent GPU .

Just a thought.

Cheers,

Bambiboom

HP z420 (2014) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB DDR3 ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro K2200 (4GB)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H 2560 X 1440 > Windows 7 Ultimate 64 >[Passmark Rating = 4032 > CPU= 9247 / 2D= 821 / 3D=3263 / Mem= 2584 / Disk= 2470]

Dell Precision T5400 (2008) > 2X Xeon X5460 quad core @3.16GHz > 16GB DDR2 ECC 667> Quadro FX 4800 (1.5GB) > WD RE4 500GB / Seagate Barracuda 500GB > M-Audio 2496 Sound Card / Linksys 600N WiFi > HP 2711X, 27" 1920 X 1080 and and Dell 19" LCD > Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit > [Passmark system Rating = 1859, CPU = 8528 / 2D= 512 / 3D=1097]

Thank you for the expedient response. Very detailed. I figured as much with the cost. I've been kicking around the idea of just buying a 960 or something similar. After the $250 of upgrades I'm just shy of getting a refurb system w a core 2 duo for the same price. I've even seen new Inspirons for $300-$400 w great specs and they're running a minimum i3. Looks like I'll just save up for a bit and just grab it all in one shot. Thanks again.

Is there a site that let's you build a PC and gives you the benchmark stats of each individual performer? Sure would make it easier than having to tab between PC Picker and Passmark.

 

[bambiboom]

Joel Hamby,

Very pleased to make suggestions for older systems- I like to see them given their second wind if it makes sense. Many times, systems can be surprisingly improved for little cost- such as the Dimension E520, but unfortunately a system limited to Pentium D (by the chipset) is not as good from a cost / performance view and it's better to start again with a system with more flexibility- more modern and faster quad cores and so on.

The same architectural firm that gave me the E530 also gave me a Dell Precision 390 and the results were even more dramatic than for the E520:

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

Dell Precision 390 (2006): Xeon X3230 quad-core @ 2.67GHz > 6 GB DDR2 ECC 667 > Firepro V4900 (1GB) > 2X WD 320GB > Dell 24" 1920 X 1200 > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[Passmark system rating = 1458, CPU = 3642 / 2D= 433 / 3D=1346 / Mem= 853 / Disk=582]

As regarding predicting system performance, I don't know of a partpicker kind of site that also indicates performance. My technique has always been to poke about for the system model or component I'm looking for and then do a Passmark search for the best performance of that system or piece and see what other parts the highest rated systems are using. I recently changed GPU on my HP z420 and so looked up the best rated z420's to see what the graphics were. But since, no z420 was using a new Quadro Kx200 series card, I checked for systems withe the same CPU (Xeon E5-1620) and a Quadro K2200, K4200, and so on.

Cheers,

BambiBoom