Optiplex 7010 SFF: What are the top five GPU's that will work without replacing the PSU?

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folklorner79

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Sep 22, 2013
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Title describes question/issue. I have been researching this topic heavily. I still do not feel that I have any definitive answers besides the three cards recommended by dell in the computers user manual. I need help solving this issue. My PCI slot supplies 50 watts power maximum. The PSU is apparently "proprietary" and cannot be upgraded.

I need to understand the viability of using compatible higher end graphics cards in the Dell Optiplex 7010 SFF. How can I safely use a card that recommends a minimum of 300 - 400W in my computer that has a psu that only supplies 240W? If the card does not require an external power wire and has a "TDP" that is below the max PCI-x16 wattage available shouldn't it work just fine regarless of the manufacturers minimum PSU requirements? In that case if the PCI supplies enough power for the card, I don't understand the relevancy of the manufacturers recommendation of a minimum power wattage that is 6 times higher or more than the max "TDP" that the card pulls out of the PCI slot.

Could somebody who is smart abouot this stuff please explain and clarify this topic, and please give your best recommendation for video card for specifically the Dell Optiplex 7010 small form factor? This is the computer I am using. Thank you.
 
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J
dude , you buy , you try and hope it don't make you cry ..

I would buy from a retailer with a generous refund / RMA policy . it may work fine then it may not at all ? you worry about tdp when it may be dells proprietary bios used

that's the risk and cost you take . dell only guarantees there computer to work with what they spec it for .


lo pro [notice the 7010sff not listed but the 7010 ''MT'' is ??]

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=490-BCEM

[Compatibility]
OptiPlex 5040 SFF

Optiplex 7010 Mt

OptiPlex 7020 MT

OptiPlex 7040 Micro

you just buy the best you fell may work and then its all fingers crossed it will

good luck


look this one over ??

[Compatibility]
OptiPlex 390 DT...
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The reason manufacturers ask for that is that a cheap "400w" PSU will put out reliably somewhere around 250-300w which is what it really needs.

Now yes as per PCIe spec the slot in your system is supposed to put out 75w. No GPU pulls that, it will likely be around 50 you're correct. However the PSU in your system, while rated at "240w" probably reliably puts out around 150 or so. Also in some cases Dells have had low wattage PCIe slots, where they work fine with a basic one, but toss a gaming GPU in there and it just doesn't work.

In the end running a GPU that draws 50w from the slot, plus the CPU in the system and whatever drives/fans/etc will stress that PSU to the max, and it just can't handle it. It will probably work, don't get me wrong, just not for very long, or very safely.

Finally I do see that you found another thread discussing this very system. Please refrain from replying to threads that have been solved over 2 months ago unless you have something extremely constructive to add.
 
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You can safely ignore the "recommended" wattage from the GPU manufacturers. They're always nonsense. Unfortunately there are loads of mislabelled PSUs on the market which advertise themselves as "500W" but actually only output 250W. Also, you might run an FX 9370 which pulls 220W all by itself. Listing an overly high recommended PSU wattage is just a way for the GPU manufacturer to cover themselves in case sometimes decides to put one of their cards into a woefully underpowered system and blows everything up.

Assuming you've read the manually correctly, then technically you can put a 50W low profile GPU into that build and still be operating in-spec.

The problem is that most "gaming" graphics cards of any vaguely modern era tend to push right up against the 75W barrier. Manufacturers want them to run as fast as they can, and tuning them to your 50W limit would just be leaving performance on the table for no real reason apart from the handful of people like you building in extremely constrained circumstances.

The other problem, as @RogueLeader says, is that even if find the right card, you're trusting a now old PSU to deliver right on it's max wattage for extended gaming sessions (again - I'm assuming you're intention is to game).

Assuming you actually want to game on this this, I really don't think you have any good options.
Technically, you could pick up this low profile GT 730 GDDR5 card which has a 49W tdp: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127852&cm_re=gt_730_gddr5-_-14-127-852-_-Product

Bear in mind that you are spending quite a lot for very low performance. It'll handle games like LoL, CS:Go and Dota2 just fine. But demanding games aren't really going to run.
Also, it's pushing everything to the limit, so there's really no guarantee how long it'll all last for. Technically you're in spec - but you're also well out of warranty on that PSU, so it's asking quite a lot. Perhaps it's old hardware anyway and you're willing to take the risk?

**update - I should add as well that I can't see whether that GT 730 I listed actually includes the low-profile bracket you'd need to mount it in your case. It probably does, but you'd want to confirm that from Newegg (or wherever you purchase from) before parting with your money.
ALSO - you'd need to check that the slot next to your PCIe slot is free, because that card will take up 2 low profile slots.
 
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@Rogue Leader: Hey, thanks for your suggestions. I'm new to posting here. So, I'm not too familiar with the "rules". Besides that, the threads that I replied to that were apparently 'solved' must not have offered me a workable solution, otherwise I don't think I would have posed another question or response over there.

On the issue at hand, the PCIe slot in my system is actually rated for 50W max, not 75. My question related to the purpose of the GPU manufactuer rating of 400 watts PSU on a card that only draws 30 -50 watts TDP. That is what doesn't make sense to me. The slot in my system is made to supply 50W so i don't see why any card that is rated below that in terms of TDP, should pose any issues. I don't see why that would cause any damage or safety issues.

@Rysiam: Thanks for your detailed reply to my question. I didn't plan on 'tuning' the video card once I get it in my system. And by the way, I'm not a gamer. I just noticed the empty PCI slots in my computer when I opened it up for the first time and noticed that something was supposed to go there. That's when I searched for the dell user manuals and found out all the options, aka video card, audio card, serial port, networking card, etc...

I have never bought or used an added video card in any computer I have ever owned, but since that is the best thing it looks like I can put in my PCI slot to upgrade my system, I am looking for the best mid grade economical video cards that I might be able to use in there that will be able to improve my computers performance and also offer an HDMI port. I have never really streamed full length videos/ movies on any computer I have ever owned but I think I might like to try that with this one at some point using sites like netflix, hulu, etc. I have never actually even tried netflix. I have heard good things about it but have never used it.

I think it would be cool to be able to stream some HD quality movies and if possible I might even try installing a blue ray drive or hooking up a blue ray player to my computer. So in terms of being able to play and stream HD movies I think getting any significant upgrade to the built in video card in the motherboard would probably be a step up. I went on dell.com and they have there probably 20 video cards that claim will fit my dell optiplex 7010 sff. Most are 1GB and 2GB with just a couple 4GB. I was thinking a 2GB card would probably be adequate for me though the only ones directly recommended by dell for my model are the radeon 7570, 7470, and NVIDIA GEFORCE GT640.
 
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If you're just looking for video and streaming get the cheapest thing they recommend that has the ports you want (HDMI). VRAM is for gaming and 3d applications, you don't need 2gb, heck you don't even need 1gb. Onboard Intel HD530 graphics with no dedicated vram does what you want fine on new Skylake systems (just as an example).

This way you don't have to worry about PSU power or the space in your system.
 
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I want to add to this discussion that I was looking at the MSI R7 240 graphics card because I saw that it had a TDP of less than 50W until I saw it had a recommended minimum psu of 400W. Now I'm thinking about going with a Nvidia GEForce GT610 that is actually recommended here:

http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN152041/optiplex--graphics-card-options--discrete-video-?lang=EN

I just didn't want to have to go with the lowest grade cards recommended from Dell from 5 years ago such as the AMD Radeon HD7570 or 7470. I want the best mid grade quality in terms of performance and price for streaming HD quality video with an HDMI port and maybe incorporating technology for playing blu-ray videos.
 
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Maybe a card in this category would work: A workstation graphics card. After all this computer I have was built for or intended for gaming, it was built for business use and energy efficiency, hence the low power output of the PSU. I see that newegg.com has a bunch of these and there are some pretty fancy ones:

https://www.newegg.com/Workstation-Graphics-Cards/SubCategory/ID-449?Tid=8333

If I can find one with the right specs, it might be just what I am looking for in terms of a suitable upgrade for one of these type of systems.
 
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Sorry, I meant that since my system WASN'T intended for use as a gaming computer but instead as a business workstation, that perhaps I should use a type of graphics card that was designed for it. Makes sense right?
 
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I've started this thread almost a year ago, looking for some answers. No one answered.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/t/19623561

anyway I would not got my hopes up on anything more then a pow profile 600 series maybe a low pro gt710 ''may'' work ??? may need to look over dell forums on your model before I buy anything with a psu or not added



my disclaimer

some models of store bought computers [dell.hp,acer,ect..] may come with a ''locked or fixed'' / legacy or uefi bios and may not allow you to change certain hardware as a video card.. this is done to protect them from undue warranty claims and refunds .this is not done to hurt you but to protect them. you really need to see if that upgrade has been proven to work in your model first before you invest money in it .. there are a lot of these threads here at toms to look at some models will allow upgrades and some dont.. and a lot of guys here say ya ya ya when is really no no no...it would be sad you spent $200 on a card that won't post after you installed it as most find out. then get told its your psu and you spend more and end up right back where you are now, but its up to you good luck..


you got to know the boards in these computers are not like the ones we use to do custom builds witch are open to upgrading with in the boards compatibly . the bios is custom made for there design and just for the parts they authorize to be used on there computers there only guaranteed to work as is out of the box as you bought it ,..


also these boards do not have to meet atx standards and there pci-e slot power may not do the required 75w needed for most higher end cards and can be limited to say 45 or 60w that is all thats needed with the low end factory oem cards that it may of shipped with
[example]
http://en.community.dell.com/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/3514/1030.DESKTOP.jpg

in the end any upgrade you do is all your own risk . the prebuilt manufactures only guarantees there computers work as sold to you as is out of the box from there factory with what they put on it , not a drop more

there in business to sell you whole ready to go computers , and dont worry about you upgrading them or giving you support to do so . thats not how they make there money they prefer you run to wal-mart and buy there ''better'' latest models


look over dell parts on cards and there compatability lists ?

Compatibility
This product is compatible with the following systems:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=A6216968

NVidia
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?k=nvidia&c=us&category_id=7566&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&~ck=anav&p=1&sort=price&dgc=BA&cid=306033&lid=5794655&acd=123092276202786738c101156640&ven3=114603439655788189

amd
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?k=amd&_nks=true&c=us&category_id=7566&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&p=1&sort=price&dgc=BA&cid=306033&lid=5794655&acd=123092276202786738c101156640&ven3=114603439655788189&x=0&y=0
 
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I just researched what TDP means. I was surprised by the answer. I assumed that it basically meant total power drain but I guess I was wrong. The acronym stands for "Thermal Design Power". This seems to mean "the maximum amount of heat generated by a computer chip or component", not necessarily the maximum actual amount of power drain used by the component. This is all new to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_design_power

So if the GPU's TDP is say 49W but the minimum recommended PSU is 400, then does that mean that the graphics card migh actually want or need to pull more than 49 watts in order to function properly during certain high demand operations?
 
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A GT 610, or even a GT 710 would be more than enough and would work fine despite any PSU requirements, they are very low power. I would even say you could ignore the power requirements on those (the GT 710 has the same requirements as a 610). It has an HDMI connector on it as well. Both of these cards WILL work with the legacy BIOS on your PC

You do not want to spend the money on a "Workstation card" those are for 3d modeling and other types of programs that are specifically accelerated for them, a waste of money in your case.



In theory yes, in practice not so much. Happens more with CPUs. TDP is 90 watts but on turbo or an overclock can pull well over that.
 
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thing you also got to conceder is if the proprietary dell bios used on any board will support any cards .. they can be funny that way ..

a lot of them if shipped with win7 or below [vista - xp] will not accept a modern card sometime over a NVidia 600 series and maybe the best you can use

or ike 900 series and up may requires uefi bios that only shipped with prebuilts with win-8 installed from there factory , you stand a better chance of cards working out but still not guaranteed

like the dell xps 8700 did not allow a 900 series card in till dell gave a updated bios [a-10] that allowed there support

that was a poplar gaming computer by dell and they were kinda obligated to update for there users

bottom line is what I said above

''in the end any upgrade you do is all your own risk . the prebuilt manufactures only guarantees there computers work as sold to you as is out of the box from there factory with what they put on it , not a drop more

there in business to sell you whole ready to go computers , and dont worry about you upgrading them or giving you support to do so . thats not how they make there money they prefer you run to wal-mart and buy there ''better'' latest models ''
 
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I don't know and considering what we have dealt with with such systems, you're better off with something from the list.

I mean lets be honest we are talking about 40 dollar gpus here, and for what you want to do, one it not any really better than another. Just get the GT 610 or 710 and call it a day.
 
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For HD streaming and playback, a 1gb DDR5 card should do the trick. You really don't need 2 or 4gb cards for this use. Not only that, but at this low power level of card, those cards can't actually use that extra memory, it's just a marketing tool to say your card has a lot of memory. I do suggest looking for the DDR5 version of which ever card you choose, if it has one. Faster memory can make a big difference on the low end.

I think a 240 will work. The recommended amount, 400W, is there because they know how people are. If they said "250W in most basic computer systems" people would go out and buy the cheapest 200-250W power supply they could find. Cheap power supplies never put out their rated power. So the card won't work and it becomes a customer service nightmare. So they recommend more than you need, which means even the people skimping on power supply quality still will be able to use the card.

One other thing I'll mention because I don't know if you know this or not, not all videocards are created for the same purpose. There are videocards intended to be integrated graphics substitutes. These are low power cards for basic office use. Then there are gaming cards, which are more powerful. Sometimes you're better off buying the older, gaming card rather than the newer basic card. The older card might actually be faster.
 
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dude , you buy , you try and hope it don't make you cry ..

I would buy from a retailer with a generous refund / RMA policy . it may work fine then it may not at all ? you worry about tdp when it may be dells proprietary bios used

that's the risk and cost you take . dell only guarantees there computer to work with what they spec it for .


lo pro [notice the 7010sff not listed but the 7010 ''MT'' is ??]

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=490-BCEM

[Compatibility]
OptiPlex 5040 SFF

Optiplex 7010 Mt

OptiPlex 7020 MT

OptiPlex 7040 Micro

you just buy the best you fell may work and then its all fingers crossed it will

good luck


look this one over ??

[Compatibility]
OptiPlex 390 DT

OptiPlex 5040 SFF

OptiPlex 580 DT

OptiPlex 7010 DT

OptiPlex 7010 SFF

OptiPlex 7020 SFF

OptiPlex 7040 SFF

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=490-BCVO

if you notice ''OEM'' cards from dell have the better compatibility listings over any of the aftermarket branded cards and its a TDP:
65 W card and shows as compatible with your model

''Board Design''
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2820/radeon-r5-340x-oem

you just stick something in and hope it don't black screen, boot loop or error beep ..
 
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