Optiplex 390 CPU upgrade

[ILLGotti]

I have a DEll Optiplex 390 mini-tower. It came with the i3-2100. i have a i5-3470, and I swapped it in today.. but it won't boot now. It was my understanding this should be an easy swap.. but that doesn't seem to be true in my case for whatever reason. Any help would be awesome.

I have built computers before and the chip is installed correctly.. just wanted to add that.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

3470 isn't compatible...Sorry

Dell Optiplex 390 CPU Compatible List:

The 2011 Optiplex 390 was only validated with the following i3/i5 CPUs:

MHF7R i5-2400 Sandy Bridge, 3.10GHz, 6MB, 95w, 4C, D2
950R3 i3-2130 Sandy Bridge, 3.40GHz, 3MB, 65w, 2C, Q0
972H5 i3-2120 Sandy Bridge, 3.30GHz, 3MB, 65w, Q0
5MH9T i3-2100 Sandy Bridge, 3.10GHz, 3MB, 65w Q0

https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General/Dell-Optiplex-390-CPU-List/m-p/5047853

 

[ghettogamer]

yup if you still want to upgrade i'd trade that in craiglist for a i5 2400, there should be plenty of takers out there

 

[william p]

Here are CPUs people are running in those. Sometimes you can find newer CPUs that Dell didn't certify. Also their relative performance ranking.
http://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-OptiPlex-390/1958
Note the i7-2600K, i5-2500K unlocked CPUs. Throttlestop software can allow overclocking, although Optiplexes typically don't have a lot of headroom in the VRM for this.

 

[steven10000]

I found out, that Dell Optiplex 390 and Dell Optiplex 7010 PCs (and even more, e.g. Inspiron 620) use exactly the same mainboard hardware and even have the same board revision:

MIH61R MB
10097-1
48.3EQ01.011

But on Optiplex 390, I can't use SATA Mode nor install 3. gen CPUs, because BIOS is not supporting them while hardware is.

So how can I flash Optiplex 7010 BIOS on Optiplex 390 to fix this?

 

[william p]

Optiplex MB can be very cheap. $20-30 sometimes. Maybe just get the one you want. I'm seeing 2nd gen only at userbenchmark.com for the Inspiron 620, and the Optiplex 390. But 3rd gen. only for the Optiplex 7010. I'm not sure your MB info. is correct.
Opti 7010 KRC95
http://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-OptiPlex-7010/33
Opti 390 M5DCD
http://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-OptiPlex-390/1958
Inspiron 620 GDG8Y
http://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-Inspiron-620/1797
Those are the numbers I got for the MT size MB on those 3 computers.

 

[steven10000]

Hi William,

sorry, I have posted the wrong Optiplex modell number: I've meant the Optiplex 3010 and NOT the Optiplex 7010.

There are different type of mainboards for each of those PCs. For example, There are three different boards for the Optiplex 390.

I only talk about the MIH61R MB type of mainboard. I have two of them, one from an Optiplex 390 Desktop and another of an Optiplex 3010 Desktop. They are 100% physical identical, even the board revision is the same. But they have different BIOS-versions installed, that makes it possible to install a 3rd-gen CPU on the mainboard from the Optiplex 3010, but not on the Optiplex 390.

Probably the mainboard from the Optiplex 390 will run 3rd-gen CPUs too, if I desolder the BIOS-Chip from the 3010 and put it in the 390.

 

[william p]

Try BIOSMods.com
https://www.bios-mods.com/
Upload the 2 BIOS files you're interested in to their Forum.
If you have a 3010 MB to desolder the BIOS chip from, why not just use that MB?.

 

[steven10000]

I'll take a look at this page, thanks.

I'm using the two mainboards in different PCs, so I need both. But I have only 3rd gen CPUs here, that's the main problem. Also I want to use AHCI in both PCs, for whatever reason this function isn't activated in the MoBo from the 390...