need to upgrade a optiplex 780 with ram and video cards.

[CrazyEman]

Optiplex 780 MT
2GB DDR 3
WINDOWS 8.1

I need to max out the ram get a video card that will fit and does not need external video power.

No add in cards in any of the slots.

I am limited on size due to the cpu fan.

I need the video card to have hdmi ouput.

What Pci Express options do I have.

I do gaming on another machine.

Also will work for Windows 10 when I upgrade.

I know it uses DDR 3 for memory.

What types and speed will work the best?

I want to add 16gb or ram if possible.

I check around and I can get 8GB for around $39.00 US. Matching pair.

Will faster ram be better?

The system is all stock with 2 gigs of system memory that I will use in another machine.

Also I want to get a sata cable to add another hard drive.it need to to be pretty long and have a 90° bend on the hard drive side.

It a blue sata cable I saw some on ebay when I did a Google search



I saw a few posts on here but since video card always changing I wanted a more current opinion.

Thanks for your help.

 

[bambiboom]

CrazyEman,

GPU: The Optiplex series does have space limitations for GPU's but fortunately, as time goes on, GPU's have become smaller and use less power. On Passmark Performance Test baselines, here are the top ten 3D scoring graphics cards in Optiplex 780's:

GTX 760 = 4630 (CPU= Q9550)
GTX 660 = 4163 (CPU= E8400)
GTX 750ti = 3684, 3672, 3530, 3430
GTX 750 = 3364, 3359, 3303

So, if you have the mid-tower form factor case, the results can be very good. Before buying, verify the power requirement of the card, your power supply, and HDMI output. For example, the GTX 750ti has: one Dual Link DVI-I, one Dual Link DVI-D, one mini-HDMI, uses only 60W, and recommends a minimum of 300W power supply. A used one of those would be my choice.

RAM: The Optiplex 780 has 4 DIMM slots, using DDR3-1066 with a maximum of 4GB each for a total maximum of 16GB. This is in dual channel, meaning there is a performance benefit in pairs, so 4X 4GB of identical RAM will have the best performance. You can use DDR3 at speeds higher than 1066, but the chipset and CPU will run it at 1066. Sometimes you'll see faster RAM at a lower cost. I might mention that for older systems I always buy used RAM and if it's the correct model have never had a failure.

BIOS: If you haven't done so, a BIOS upgrade is recommended. You can download the latest BIOS from dell.com:

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=DK074&fileId=3270400708&osCode=W764&productCode=optiplex-780&languageCode=EN&categoryId=BI

The highest rated Optiplex 780 on Passmark:

Passmark system rating = 2476, CPU = 4482 (Core2 Quad Q9650) / 2D= 504 (GTX 750ti)/ 3D=3684 / Mem= 1408 (16GB)/ Disk=2427 (Crucial MX100 256GB SSD)

This may be of help:

http://downloads.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_optiplex_desktop/optiplex-780_Service%20Manual2_en-us.pdf

I'm always glad to see older systems have a second life- it's surprising how useful they are and that the difference with modern systems can really be only a few seconds.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> Logitech z2300 > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] [Cinebench R15 > CPU = 1014 OpenGL= 126.59 FPS] 7.8.15

 

[CrazyEman]

I don't need such high end cards.

Can I use one if these that are more my budget.

Or similar cards

I need HDMI AND VGA.

Does one or two gig card matter for basic tasks.

MSI NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 1GB GDDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI Low Profile PCI-Express Video Card N610GT-MD1GD3/LP

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-PCI-Express-N610GT-MD1GD3-LP/dp/B008D1JKDQ

OR

EVGA GeForce GT 610 2048MB GDDR3, DVI, VGA and HDMI Graphics Card 02G-P3-2619-KR

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00847TPH0/ref=psdcmw_284822_t1_B008D1JKDQ

Thanks

 

[bambiboom]

CrazyEman,

Checking Passmark tests, there are 11 Optiplex 780 tested having the GT 610:

2D= 319 > 517
3D= 194 > 421

For comparison, I have a "vintage" system, a Dell Dimension E520 that is connected to a 32" LCD television, using a GT 440 (1GB DDR5, used $25) 2D =437 and 3D =978.

If your uses are 2D, the GT 610 should be fine. .

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[william p]

GTX 750Ti is fastest card without PCIe cable. If you get something less then look for DDR5 for good frame rates. DDR3 1066 16GB. I suggest using Crucials guaranteed modules, or Dell Certified RAM. Dells can be fussy. They tend to prefer older 2 sided versions with many smaller chips. D9729 is bolt in heatpipe cooler. It's worth putting a Q9650 in if you don't have one already Q9550 is cheaper though. . GTX730 1GB DDR5 is well regarded.

 

[HardwareExtreme]

Oh, and on the 780s, 760s, and 755s you can replace the power supply with a standard ATX power supply. That means that you can pretty much go all out with a graphics card, but do keep in mind the better the graphics card the more it will be bottlenecked by the CPU.

 

[william p]

The more powerful graphics cards are usually more work to fit in. I got an R9-285 ITX in my Dell MT. I'm trying to solve a BIOS video resolution conflict. But the performance is great. ITX cards are a good place to look for faster cards. My Nvidia GTX 750Ti had no BIOS conflict.

 

[HardwareExtreme]

A GT 610 is a pretty good card for just surfing the internet, and even some light gaming. Go for the 2 GB card if you can, and if it is about the same price as the 1 GB card. However, the extra Video RAM helps the card to store larger resolution textures. For basic tasks, this card will serve you well. If you are gaming, or rendering, or heavy photo-editing, a GTX card may be a better option, or a Radeon R7 or R9.